Fic: Part Of Your World (3/3)
Title: Part Of Your World
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine (with mentions of St. Berry)
Spoilers: -
Warnings: -
Word Count: 17,700
Summary: The Little Mermaid inspired AU. Nobody knows how Kurt Hummel ended up as the only survivor of a plane crash. After all, who would believe that an invisible boy had brought him to safety, comforted him and sang to him? Enter Blaine, a strange boy, who seems to have stepped right out of a fairy tale - and unfortunately is unable to utter a single word. But could he still be that same boy?
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, The Little Mermaid, or the lyrics used, which are from "Part of your world (reprise/final)" from The Little Mermaid and "Not while I'm around" from Sweeney Todd.
Part 1
Part 2
In the end, that didn't work out at all. They had arrived at the loft just to find Rachel in the middle of a nervous breakdown. Really, they should have seen it coming. Between rehearsals, NYADA and the diner, she had been completely stressed out, and today, she had gotten a long-awaited call from Jesse, who apparently was so broke that he couldn't afford a plane ticket to come home over Christmas.
They had done their best to console her - well, Kurt and Blaine had, Santana had just remarked that she didn't see why Rachel made such a big deal out of Christmas anyway, and none of them would manage to be with their family, either. It hadn't been very helpful.
So this evening had mostly been spent with damage control and ended in another movie night full of romantic comedies. In the end, Rachel still hadn't been alright, but she had calmed down. Of course, it also meant that the right moment had passed. But Kurt figured, as he lay on the couch with Blaine leaning against him, the boy wasn't going anywhere.
And maybe this was even better. He would sleep a night over it, and maybe he'd get the chance to talk things over with Starchild, explain that he was very grateful and hoped for friendship, but there was someone else in his life already. And then, when all of this was behind him, he would tell Blaine.
He got his chance a few days later during his evening shift. It was already dark outside, although it seemed somehow softer under the cover of snow. Slowly, Kurt started to get into the Christmas spirit himself. With Rachel mostly calmed down, he was actually looking forward to a small celebration with just the four of them. He would miss seeing his family, but this was almost as good. Tonight was his last shift of the week, if everything went well, and it was delightfully quiet. Blaine was sitting at the piano, softly playing as if it was just for himself. Maybe tonight, there would be a good opportunity...
Kurt was pulled out of his thoughts, when somebody cleared his throat behind him. He turned around, and found himself opposite of Starchild.
“Good evening, Kurt,” he said, grinning at him.
“Starchild,” Kurt said, “what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I just came to see you. I hoped it'd be a welcome sight?”
“You disappeared so quickly the last time,” Kurt said.
“I had something to do,” Starchild said, though there was an evasive note in his voice. “But now I am here, and I would love it if we could talk. I see you're not too busy right now?”
Kurt nodded. This was what he had wanted, an opportunity to talk to and thank his savior, but now he felt a bit uncomfortable.
“Maybe, when you're done, we might go somewhere else?” Starchild suggested and looked at him out of hooded eyes.
Kurt found himself shaking his head before he had even registered it. “Listen, I... I think there's a bit of an misunderstanding between us,” he said. “Starchild, I'm very grateful for what you did for me, and I'd love to get to know you better, but... I'm not looking for a boyfriend. In fact, there is somebody, but... yeah, that's it, basically.”
Starchild's face had fallen during his speech, but now he almost looked wild. “No,” he said, “no, that's not how this is supposed to go,” he said. His voice got more agitated with every second. Again, Kurt got that feeling that something was wrong. And right now, as he focused on Starchild's face, he started to realize that something about the way he was talking was off... it was as if Kurt was watching a video and the audio track was lagging behind for only a fraction of a second, just enough to be disconcerting...
And then, things got a lot disconcerting. Without a warning, Starchild fisted his hand into Kurt's uniform and crashed their lips together. The next thing Kurt heard, was the breaking of glass. He pushed Starchild away, hoping against hope that it wasn't what he feared. But there, behind him, was Blaine, the shards of his broken glass in front of him on the floor, and an expression in his face that could only be described as heartbroken.
“No,” Kurt said, “no, this isn't... I'm not... He's... Blaine!”
But the boy had turned around and hurried out of the diner.
“What have you done?!” Kurt yelled at Starchild. “I have to fix this!” Without paying even a shred of attention to Starchild, his colleagues or the customers, Kurt was running after Blaine, desperate to catch up with him. He had to be careful not to slip and fall on the sidewalks, but Blaine didn't seem to have the same problem. Now that Kurt paid attention, the fairy revelation in his mind, he saw that the other boy didn't even leave footprints. How on earth had he not noticed something like that earlier?
“Blaine, wait!” Kurt yelled after him. For a moment, Blaine stopped and turned to him. There was hesitation in his expression, but then he shook his head and kept walking. Though it was a clear dismissal, Kurt didn't even consider obeying it. Instead, he hurried up even more.
With his weird feeling for nature, it shouldn't have surprised Kurt that Blaine was seeking refuge at a park. He didn't remember this particular one, but he hoped Blaine would finally stop, just to give him an opportunity to talk.
For a second, Kurt didn't pay attention, and suddenly, his feet were slipping. With a yelp, he fell onto the snow covered way. He cursed. He had to
catch up with Blaine, he couldn't afford this... but then, Blaine was walking towards him, and a moment later the boy was kneeling beside him, a look of concern in his eyes. He looked Kurt once over, as if to make sure he was alright, before he helped him up.
“Thank you,” Kurt said.
For a second, Blaine's hands stayed on him, warm and reassuring, but then the boy turned away once more. This time, Kurt wouldn't let him go. He grabbed the boy's arms and put a hand onto his cheek to make Blaine look at him.
“Please don't be upset,” Kurt said, “I didn't want him to kiss me. He just did. Some time ago, he saved my life, and now he found me. And I'm grateful, but that's all. I don't have any feelings for him, Blaine.”
The boy wasn't trying to get away anymore. He just looked at Kurt with a forlorn expression. Kurt hated it when he looked upset, hated it even more that he had taken part in putting that expression on his face. But he was done with waiting for some kind of right moment. This time, he would make it right.
“I do, however,” he continued, “have feelings for you.”
Immediately, Kurt saw Blaine's eyes light up with hope. There was a moist shimmer in his eyes, and a sort of incredulous quality. Kurt let his left hand fall to take Blaine's hand, while he cupped the boy's cheek gently.
“I'm in love with you,” he said.
For a moment, Blaine stared at him as if in awe, then slowly, a smile spread on his face. He raised a hand to Kurt's face, and finally, they got closer. Kurt felt his eyes drawn to Blaine's lips, and then, he allowed the same to happen to the rest of him.
“What's going on here?”
Kurt swore again as he turned at the sound of Starchild's voice. “If you don't mind, we were having a moment,” he said, although it came out as more of a hiss.
Blaine froze, and then he took a step forward. Kurt had only a moment to catch the expression of outrage on Blaine's face, then the boy was standing in front of him. Starchild, too, froze, when he looked at Blaine, and suddenly, he was down on one knee.
“I'm sorry, I... I didn't know!”, he said and looked up quickly, as if to make sure it was allowed. “They said you died! The King and Queen, they said you were lost.”
Blaine slowly, deliberately shook his head.
“Does anybody mind telling me, what is going on here?” Kurt asked. “Do you know each other?”
“He's one of our princes,” Starchild said, “and I thought he was dead, that's why I accepted the voice when the Lady Terri offered it, I swear, I didn't
know.”
“Voice?”
But Starchild ignored him. He took the amulet he was wearing and pulled it over his head. “I struck a bargain with the Lady Terri,” he said, and suddenly, his voice sounded completely different. “She said if I manage to get True Love's Kiss from you, I would be allowed to stay in this world for as long as I wanted. She gave me this. But I swear,” he said, looking at Blaine again, “I didn't know it was stolen from you.” He held the egg-shaped object out in his open palm. “I'm sorry, Highness. Please, take this.”
Slowly, as if still amazed, Blaine stepped closer. Kurt was still trying to process what had happened. So, apparently this Terri had struck a bargain with Blaine as well, and taken his voice as the price. But why had she then sent someone else to interfere? And wait, if that was Blaine's voice...
“You saved me!”
Blaine turned around and looked at him.
“That plane crash, it was you who saved me!”
Blaine looked at him in confusion, then nodded. He gave Kurt one more smile, before he turned back to Starchild and the amulet in his hand. He reached out for it...
...and suddenly, he was pulled away. Kurt's head shot around to see what had taken hold of him. Beneath a leafless tree, there was a woman. She was tall, with long, blonde hair surrounding her head like a corona. She was wearing a light blue dress that looked like ice, and her expression was so cold that Kurt took a step back. But the really frightening thing about here where the dark green vines that sprang from her left arm, one of which was holding Blaine, and another one had ripped the amulet right out of Starchild's hands.
“Is this how you repay me for my generosity?” the women asked. “This was not part of your deal, Starchild! And now, after everything I've done for you, you work against me?!”
Blaine struggled against the vines holding him, but the woman pulled them tighter and he stopped.
“Let him go!” Kurt wasn't even afraid anymore at this point.
“Quiet, human!” The woman focused on him now. “This foolish boy has made a deal with me. He had time from full moon until full moon to receive true love's kiss. The time has passed, but he didn't succeed. He's mine now, for eternity.”
“Lady Terri, please think about this,” Starchild said. “The royal family-”
“The royal family always stands by their word, don't they?” Terri said. There was a gleaming in her eyes that made Kurt freeze. “They make a promise, they keep it. The proclaim banishment, and it is forever. Fine then, let's see how much they love their deals when one of their own falls victim to his word. I will have what is rightfully mine.”
“But the night isn't over! It's not even the same time he arrived here,” Kurt protested. “He still has time!”
“The time is over when I say it is over,” Terri said. “And I am done with waiting. Don't complain, human, you had more than enough time to try, even before I sent my agent.”
It felt like a slap to Kurt, but yes, she was right. He could have prevented this - if only he had known there was something to be prevented.
“Now say goodbye to your prince, it is time for him to go home,” Terri said. The smile on her face was the coldest thing Kurt had ever seen.
Never.
Without thinking about what he was doing, Kurt was running towards Terri, and if he had to knock her over, he wouldn't let her take Blaine away. He heard Starchild scream at him, saw Blaine struggle...
And then there was more noise than Kurt had ever heard in New York. It was the flapping of wings, the screeches of birds. Kurt threw himself on the ground, and when he looked up he could see birds flying at Terri, hacking against her face, at the vines and wherever they could get a hit in. There were ducks and geese, songbirds and crows, and they were all flying in attack against Terri.
Incredulous, Kurt looked at Blaine, who for a moment stared at the birds in awe, before he started his struggles again, and this time with the distraction, he managed to break free from Terri's vines. He ripped the amulet away and ran. Kurt had just gotten to his feet when Blaine was with him and pulled him away from the birds and from Terri and her vines.
The egg-shaped amulet was held tightly in Blaine's hand, and then, with an intent look at Kurt, he threw it to the ground with all his might.
Like an egg, it broke, but what came out of it was green tinted light, gleaming, that formed a spiral with Blaine in its center, and then...
“Kurt!”
It was his voice, that voice that had sung to him, calmed him down, but most importantly, it was Blaine's voice.
“I love you,” Kurt said, and a second later, Blaine was in his arms.
“NO!”
They both turned at the exclamation. Terri threw her arms out, and the vines fell from her hand. At the same time, a shock wave seemed to emanate from her and around her, the birds fell to the ground, screeching.
“I will not be defeated by a flock of birds, a child and a human!” Terri screamed. “You will not get away with this! You-”
Suddenly, there was no sound coming from her, although Kurt could still see her talking. But behind her, something that looked like a rift had opened, with more green light pouring out, and through it stepped a man. He was wearing a light, silver armor and a yellow coat was falling over his back. His blue eyes stayed on Terri for a moment, before he looked at the both of them, and a sad smile appeared on his face.
“It's good to see you, brother.”
“Cooper,” Blaine whispered. “How did you find me?”
“I went after Terri,” the man explained. His voice sounded echoing, and his face hardly showed expression. “She went after a member of the royal family, you know that we can't allow that. She will leave.” He raised his hand, and in the next moment, Terri was gone. “She will be imprisoned in the castle's dungeon forever, or until she can prove her use to us. Now you-” He turned to Starchild.
“I didn't know, your Highness!” he said. “Please, I didn't mean to harm your family.”
“I'm aware. You are forgiven,” Cooper said, “but you will leave too.” With another gesture, Starchild had disappeared. “And you, brother, you will come home with me as well.”
“What?” Blaine stepped away from Kurt. “No! I don't want to go back!”
“It's what you get for the deal you made,” Cooper said. “You have broken our rules, brother. Be grateful that our father even allows you to return to the castle.”
“Cooper, please...” Blaine said. “Don't do this to me.”
“You're a son of the royal family, Blaine,” Cooper said, and now he sounded just tired. “You know our duties.”
“You didn't want them, either,” Blaine said. “You wanted to be free once, too!”
Cooper tilted his head. “I did,” he said. “But that chance has passed, and I am not the child I once was.”
“But I still have that chance!” Blaine said. “I don't want to go back. I want to stay here, with Kurt. I love him, Cooper!”
“Love is a strong word, brother,” Cooper said. He then looked at Kurt as if in contemplation. “And you?”
“I love him, too,” Kurt said. His hand found Blaine's immediately. “And I want him to stay.”
Cooper looked at them for a long moment, and then he smiled at them.
“I'm afraid that I can't help you. My brother made a deal with the witch Terri. The deal was that if he succeeded, he could stay in your world, but if he failed, he would be hers for eternity. By the end of this night, the time is over, and he will be taken to our world, to stay there forever.”
“But you said you would imprison her,” Kurt said.
“That is correct,” Cooper said, “he won't be her slave, since she will be imprisoned and all powers will be taken from her. But he will be brought to her castle.” He looked at Blaine, and Kurt saw a longing on his face, a look of pity, as if he missed they boy standing there, and maybe from what Kurt had heard, the boy he had once been himself. “I will find you there, and I will bring you home. You won't be bound to Terri, but you will be bound to our realm.”
“Cooper, please...”
“It's not my choice at this point, little brother,” Cooper said. “It all comes down to the deal you made. It's exactly what you agreed to.”
Kurt looked from Blaine, and the despair in his face, to Cooper. When he looked at Cooper, and kept in mind that he was Blaine's brother, something dawned on him. Cooper seemed to be on their side, and he kept emphasizing the deal Blaine made.... and suddenly, Kurt understood.
“Blaine,” he said, and squeezed the boy's hand.
Blaine looked at him, desperate and worried. Kurt squeezed the hand he was holding,
“Do you really want to stay with me?” he asked. “Please, I need you to think about this. Your family is in the fairy world, it's where you grew up, and I know this world is confusing to you. I just need to know you're sure.”
Blaine looked at him, with such an intense look that Kurt felt himself shudder.
“Kurt...”, he whispered. “I'd always want to be with you. Nothing in the fairy world comes even close. You don't remember, but we talked so much in your dreams, and these past few weeks living with you... I couldn't stand anything else, Kurt. You're the one I love. Besides,” he looked to his brother now, “I don't want to be a part of the royal family anymore. Our parents, they don't care about us as human parents would. To them, we're just spares for their crown prince. Really, if you had known Cooper before he had become the Crown prince...? They took his soul, Kurt. They made him into a tool of their will, and I don't want that. I want to be myself. This world is where I want to live, and you are the person I want to live with. So if there is a way to stay with you, I will take it.”
Kurt had felt himself shudder during the speech. “I think I have a way,” he whispered. “Your deal... the thing you needed to succeed in was true love's kiss, wasn't it?”
Blaine nodded.
A smile appeared on Kurt's face. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” came Blaine's answer.
It was all he needed to hear.
He let go of Blaine's hand and put his arms around the boy. He looked into his eyes one more time to make sure it was okay, then he pulled Blaine towards him, and finally, he put his lips onto Blaine's.
In his arms, the boy stiffened, but then his arms went around Kurt and pulled him as close as possible. Their lips started to move against one another, and Kurt gasped for air. It wasn't his first kiss, but it was the first that felt... meaningful. As their lips moved together, Kurt caught himself trying to pull Blaine even further than before, until he buried one hand in the boy's curls, and just held him close. He felt Blaine's tongue against his mouth, and he opened up, invited him in. They molded together. It felt just as Kurt had always dreamed a kiss should feel.
Just... perfect.
After what felt like an eternity, Kurt pulled back and looked into Blaine's eyes. They still had that golden color with the occasional green speck, but the glow he had seen before was gone.
Blaine gasped for breath as Kurt let go of him. He stared at him for a long moment, before he looked at Cooper. There was a small, almost secretive smile on the man's face.
“Oh dear,” he said, with an almost whimsical quality to his voice. “Look at that...”
“I succeeded,” Blaine said. His voice was rough, and with one arm he pulled Kurt even closer. “True love's kiss!”
“And your prize is to stay in this world, as long as you wish to,” Cooper said. “Our father won't be happy, but that is the deal you made.”
Blaine turned to his brother. “Cooper...” he said, and Kurt could hear his heart breaking in this single word.
Cooper stepped closer, slowly, but deliberately, until he stood right in front of you. “I never wanted to become like this,” he said, “and it broke my heart to expect it from you. But now, it will never happen. I'm glad.”
He turned to Kurt. “Promise me to take good care of him,” he said.
“Always,” Kurt said. It felt like a promise, something huge, but still something he was willing to give. Blaine was so warm, and real in his arms. right now, it was all he ever could have wanted.
“I have to leave now,” Cooper said. He stepped even closer, and then he pulled Blaine away from Kurt and into his own arms. “Be free, little brother,” he said, “and live your dream.”
The light from the rift got brighter, until Kurt had to close his eyes, but it didn't matter, because Blaine was now holding him, so tight, almost desperate, as if he was holding onto life itself.
When Kurt opened his eyes again, they were alone in the park. Blaine was still standing in his arms, though, and for now, that was all he could ask for.
“Are you okay?” Kurt asked.
There was a soft nod. “I think so. Are you?”
Kurt let his head rest on Blaine's shoulders. “You're here,” he said, “so yes, I think I am.” He stepped back now and cupped Blaine's cheek. “But... your family, aren't you going to miss them?”
Blaine sighed. “They're not what you think of when you hear family. My parents, they're... cold. Our father and his Queen have ruled the Fae for centuries. Even the royal children are just considered in terms on how useful they are for the realm. Eventually, after Cooper, I would have been the crown prince... You should have seen Cooper before all this happened. It's not even a comparison, he was wonderful, but then he had to succeed the previous crown princes. And now he's a shell, Kurt. I would have run away sooner or later, anyway. But I'm glad I did it for you.“
“Oh, Blaine,” Kurt whispered. He pulled the boy close and allowed himself to cradle the boy's face in his hands. “I am so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Blaine whispered. “But it's okay. I'm just glad to be here with you.”
“Me too,” Kurt said. “God, this... this is real, all of this just happened?”
Blaine nodded, a smile on his face. “It was all real. You... I can't believe you attacked an evil witch for me.”
“I tried,” Kurt said, “honestly, I was just so scared that she would hurt you...”
“It's over,” Blaine said. “None of them can hurt us anymore. I'm.... gods, Kurt, I'm so glad, so grateful you fought for me, I don't even-”
“Hush, it's alright,” Kurt whispered, and a moment later, their lips were joined again. It still felt just as right as their first kiss had been. Kurt sighed into the kiss before he pulled away, only to have Blaine to pull him in once more.
It was an almost perfect moment for them, but Kurt had an idea on how to improve even on that.
“Come home with me,” he whispered.
With a sigh, Blaine let his forehead rest against Kurt's. Only one word came over his lips.
“Okay.“
***
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. There is no reason to panic, we are experiencing minor technical difficulties. Our arrival in Columbus might be delayed by a few minutes. Please stay calm, the situation is under control.”
“I think I can smell smoke. Can you smell smoke?”
“We're crashing!”
“This is not happening.”
“Kurt?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we're experiencing some difficulties in the landing, please use the oxygen masks coming down in front of you right about-”
A screeching sound, and the transmission stops. They're losing height, fast, and it feels like they're falling into a spiral.
“Kurt, come on...”
There's an orange shine at the edge of Kurt's vision, to his right, where the little window is. He knows the shine has to come from the engines, he can almost imagine the flames bursting from them, but he can't bring himself to look at it. Maybe, if he doesn't look, it will magically disappear?
His hands are shaking, and he knows more than feels that there are tears on his cheeks. There's another screech, even louder than the previous ones, and then...
“I think that's enough, don't you?”
Slowly, Kurt felt the dream slipping away from him. What stayed was the voice in his ear.
“Are you awake now?”
Kurt opened his yes to find Blaine looking at him. There was no plane, no fire and no panic, he was safe in his bed. Through the window the slightest brightness was showing. Christmas day was dawning, and he was tucked in with his boyfriend from another world, who was watching him with a concerned look in his face.
“You've been restless,” Blaine said softly, “that dream... that wasn't the first time you had it, was it?”
Kurt sat up and rubbed his eyes. “It's fine,” he said, “it's not that often anymore. It's gotten better since...” He thought about it for a moment, and a smile formed on his lips as he realized. “It's gotten better since you came here.”
Blaine smiled up at him, but still, Kurt could see the hint of a frown in his face. “I wish I had known before,” Blaine said, “before I came here, or right after the crash. Maybe I could have taken it away. But we can't keep our powers once we fully cross...”
“Don't even think about that,” Kurt said. “I don't need anything taken away from me.” With a soft smile, he let his hand run through the boy's hair, or at least tried to, until it got tangled in the curls. “I'm actually quite happy with the things I have.”
“Me too,” Blaine said. “It's still early, come lie back down.”
Kurt hesitated. Usually, he would get up especially early on Christmas, just to make sure everything was ready for the day, to start the first preparations for the meal later and to get a first look on the gifts. Then again, this year they would have a quiet celebration, just the four of them, and there wasn't much to prepare. Instead, he could spend a few more hours under the warm covers in the embrace of the boy he loved. Maybe it was time to start a new Christmas tradition.
“Alright,” Kurt said and sank back under the covers. “We have time now, don't we?”
“All the time,” Blaine said, “as long as we want.” He reached out and pulled Kurt closer, who returned the embrace readily.
Maybe it shouldn't have felt so peaceful, spending Christmas away from his family for the first time, but right now, it was all Kurt could have asked for. He felt warm and safe, with that strange boy in his arms, humming a melody Kurt thought he remembered...
“Sing?” he said against Blaine's curls.
He could feel the smile and a huff of breath against his skin, and then he heard the soft, familiar notes.
Now we can walk,
Now we can run,
Now we can stay all day in the sun
Just you and me,
And I can be
Part of your world