Fic: falling in love at a coffee shop (3/3)
Title: falling in love at a coffee shop (3/3)
Author: littlemrstom
Fandom: Glee
Pairing(s): Kurt/Blaine
Rating: NC17
Warnings: Adult Content
Word Count: 23, 500~
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; I own nothing but the plot. I especially do not own Glee. Sad times.
Summary: Kurt is an out of work performer in New York who serves in a coffee shop to make the rent. Blaine is a successful businessman, unfulfilled in his career because he followed his father’s dreams instead of his own. This is their story.
Author Notes: This was written for the klaine_endgame fest and I had an absolute blast writing it. Huge, huge thanks go to my beta, spookykat, without whom this would be dramatically incorrect and littered with grammatical errors left, right and centre <3 and the title was borrowed from Landon Pigg's song of the same name.
Part II
Blaine finds himself suddenly very awake with a very warm Kurt in his arms. Kurt sighs quietly as he tucks himself under Blaine’s arm, and Blaine also finds that he likes him there. His fingers rub gently at the inside of Kurt’s elbow as Kurt rests his head on Blaine’s shoulder, and as different and strange as this may feel, Blaine can’t help but feel like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Who was on the phone?” Blaine asks, breaking the peaceful silence that has fallen over them. Kurt shifts in his arms so he can look at Blaine.
“My best friend,” he says, smiling. “One Miss Rachel Berry.”
Blaine lifts his eyebrows in surprise. “Rachel Berry, as in the fiancée of Finn Hudson of the New York Giants, Rachel Berry?”
In contrast, Kurt’s eyebrows furrow. “Yes,” he answers uncertainly. “Why? Do you know her?”
Blaine shakes his head. “No, but a friend of mine does. Santana Lopez. They went to high school together.”
“You know Santana? Wait, Santana Lopez, lesbian, long black hair, legs up to here?” Kurt sits up rapidly, making Blaine’s hand drop off the couch as he nods simultaneously. “No way!”
“Yeah, our parents were friends as kids, so I’ve kind of always known her,” Blaine says. “I’m guessing you do, too?”
“We all went to the same high school. She used to bitch me out on an almost daily basis.” Kurt breathes out laughter, settling back against Blaine once more, and Blaine is more than appreciative of the move. He tucks his arm around Kurt’s waist to keep him from leaving again, and nuzzles his nose into Kurt’s back. “This is crazy.”
“Small world or what, hmm?” Blaine says, his voice muffled by Kurt’s skin. Kurt hums as Blaine trails his nose in patterns over his back, shivering when he hits a ticklish spot, and Blaine does his best to commit every reaction to memory, just in case.
“I’m surprised I’ve never met you before, in that case. Or heard of you, at least, with Santana’s gossip,” Kurt says after a moment of enjoying Blaine’s light touches. His breathes in and out evenly, repeatedly, but eventually he shuffles to turn around and slides down the sofa until he’s face to face with Blaine and their noses are only inches apart.
“They are only loose ties we have,” Blaine replies quietly, watching the way Kurt’s eyelashes brush against his cheek when he blinks, regarding the shapes the shadows made by the light streaming in through the window make.
“Yeah, well,” Kurt says distractedly, his eyes lowering to Blaine’s lips, though he makes no move to close the space between them. “It’s a shame. I’m glad I’ve met you now, though,” he adds, and lowers his gaze until he appears to be staring at a patch of skin on Blaine’s neck. Blaine trails his fingers up Kurt’s back and tucks his fingers behind his neck, pulling his face forward slightly until their noses brush.
“Me, too,” Blaine replies earnestly, and then he finally closes the gap and flutters his eyelids shut, kissing Kurt with everything he can muster until Kurt is panting and breathless beneath him, but that’s as far as Blaine takes it.
---
It’s seven in the evening when they finally pull themselves away from the couch and away from each other. Blaine borrows Kurt’s shower while Kurt fixes them something to eat, even though Blaine had offered to pay for them to go out for dinner; he’d claimed that Blaine didn’t need to spend more money on them because he’d already bought the pizza for them that morning.
As soon as Blaine enters the bathroom, which is unquestionably smaller than his own, he feels like he’s being given an insight to Kurt’s life. Everything is neat and orderly; the folded towels on the rack above the heater, the collection of what he thinks are moisturisers sitting in an organized line of day and night creams, the systematic placing of the shampoo and the conditioner and the shower gel. Not needing to strip (he hadn’t bothered with the decorum Kurt had used of partially dressing himself to walk into the bathroom, he’d just balled his clothes and brought them with him, and besides, Kurt had seemed to appreciate it), he steps straight into the shower and any sounds of Kurt rattling about in the next room are immediately drowned out by the pounding water.
He doesn’t waste time, showering quickly and towelling himself down, before throwing on his clothes and making his way back to Kurt. He sees him stood, singing quietly to himself as he chops a basil garnish and stirs a pot of thick, red sauce, and smiles as he sneaks up behind him. “You sound great,” he says quietly, so as to not startle Kurt too much near a hot stove, and when he knows he has Kurt’s attention, he steps closer and winds his arms around Kurt’s middle, squeezing briefly and kissing behind his ear.
Kurt’s cheeks immediately pinken and, much to Blaine’s dismay, he falls quiet, but he just kisses his ear again and steps back to allow Kurt room to move around. “What’re you making? It smells delicious.”
“Just pasta and tomato sauce,” Kurt answers. “Pretty simple.” He fiddles with knobs on the stove and Blaine steps back further to let him plate up. His body moves fluidly in the loose t-shirt he’s thrown on over some jeans, and Blaine appreciates every curve of his spine, every twist of his torso as he muddles about the kitchen, eventually presenting him with a plate and a fork and a seat at the table.
“It tastes delicious, too. I didn’t know you could cook,” Blaine says as he takes a bite of pasta and nearly moans at how good it is. He’ll be the first to admit that he’s a lousy cook-he burns toast on a regular basis, so having the opportunity to eat a good, home-cooked meal is a blessing.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know,” Kurt says over the table, looking at Blaine steadfastly over his fork.
“So, tell me,” Blaine says simply. Kurt’s gaze stiffens a little and he draws his fork out of his mouth, placing it on the table. When Kurt says nothing else for a moment, Blaine puts his fork down, too. “Kurt?”
“You really want to know?” Kurt says, his tone a little sceptical, and Blaine can’t really blame him. They’ve still not defined what this thing between them is. They’re somewhere way past the boundaries of a one night stand, but where do the boundaries of a relationship begin? Blaine figures this dinner is like the third date, if the club was the first and the pizza was the second, so does a relationship form after that? It’s at times like this when Blaine wishes he had more experience with relationships.
He fixes his eyes on Kurt solidly as he says, “I really do,” and Kurt’s face is still for a moment as he processes Blaine’s words.
“Blaine,” says Kurt thoughtfully after he takes another bite of his food. “I have not had as much… fun as I’ve had this past day and a half in a long time.” Kurt says as he flushes, looking down as Blaine bites on his bottom lip, choosing to be the bigger man and not focus on what Kurt is referring to. “But it’s been more than just that, right? It has been for me, anyway.”
“Kurt,” Blaine says firmly over the table. He leans forward and holds Kurt’s hand underneath his, and he would swear he heard Kurt gasp almost silently. “I have absolutely no idea what is happening here.” Kurt laughs softly under his breath. “But it has been so much more than just sex.” Kurt’s flush deepens and Blaine can’t refrain from reaching up to cup his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Kurt echoes, leaning into Blaine’s fingers slightly.
“I don’t think we should label anything, at least not yet,” Blaine finishes. Kurt nods and Blaine draws his fingers away to be able to pick up his fork again, putting more food into his mouth before tilting his head down and laughing, saying, “Except for this pasta. I have to label this as absolutely fantastic.”
There’s yet another short pause where Kurt just looks at Blaine, and Blaine wonders if he’s said something out of place. He’s just about to ask, but he’s cut off by Kurt leaning over the table, being careful not to put his elbows in anybody’s food, and kissing him softly, his soft fingers just gracing the curve of Blaine’s jaw line and Blaine’s breath is knocked out of him by the intensity he feels radiating off the man in front of him.
“What was that for?” he asks, somewhat stunned, but smiling as Kurt pulls back and recommences eating as if he hadn’t just kissed him breathless.
“Nothing in particular,” Kurt replies simply. “Now eat your pasta or else it’ll be cold soon.”
---
Blaine finds himself in Kurt’s bed later that night, and whilst it’s a surprising change from the sofa he’d been expecting, it’s not at all unwelcome. Kurt is wonderfully warm beside him, and wonderfully naked also, and Blaine groans as he slides his hands up his long torso, swirling his fingertips around the pink buds of his nipples until they peak. Kurt’s lips are currently mapping their way across Blaine’s jaw and down his neck, grazing his teeth across the sensitive skin that’s now glittered with a light covering of stubble, and Blaine is trying to return the favour but Kurt just keeps moving.
But Blaine isn’t complaining, because the friction Kurt’s limbs are giving him is delicious, is making a wonderful, tingly sort of heat lick at his insides and make him press his fingers into Kurt’s skin just that little bit harder. He hears Kurt breathe his name against his skin and the heat Blaine feels increases tenfold, making him swear in return and flip Kurt over until he’s underneath him and Blaine has him pinned, arms above his head, panting heavily.
“Blaine,” Kurt says again, trying to squirm out of Blaine’s hold but finding himself fixed. “Please.”
“Not just sex, okay?” Blaine clarifies almost authoritatively, and Kurt just nods as Blaine leans down to fuse their mouths together.
It doesn’t take long after that for Blaine to smooth his fingers back down Kurt’s body, gently this time, and work him open. It helps that Kurt is still relaxed from earlier, and soon Kurt is reaching for a condom dazedly and Blaine is sliding smoothly into him for the third time. This time is Blaine’s favourite though; the first time the alcohol had drowned out the sensations currently thrumming through his veins, the second they were still acquainting themselves with each other. This time, however, Blaine feels like he knows something about Kurt, even if it is just a tiny slice.
Kurt’s fingers curl around his as Blaine’s hips meet with Kurt’s and hold, really allowing himself to feel Kurt and learn his body. He doesn’t know if he needs to, or even if he should be doing this, but Kurt just keeps mumbling his name repeatedly and clinging to him, so Blaine must be doing okay in his books.
Blaine works Kurt over and over until they’re both gasping and boneless, collapsing together tangled in Kurt’s bed, the sheets slipping off the edge of the mattress from the output of their actions. When Blaine pulls himself free and wipes Kurt down carefully with the corner of the bedsheet he then throws to the floor, Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine’s neck and pulls him down until he can kiss him fully on the mouth, the kiss full of passion and fire, until it slows until just their lips are moving against the other’s in long, lazy movements.
And that’s how Blaine falls asleep, his arms holding Kurt tightly to his chest with Kurt pressed against him, almost moulded against his shoulder.
Blaine wakes once in the night, a chill running over his bare chest, but rather than disturb Kurt by reaching for the covers, he just tucks himself further into Kurt’s hold, allowing his body heat to wash over him instead.
---------
It’s nearing ten p.m. when Blaine finally leaves Kurt’s apartment that night. Kurt had told him he was welcome to stay longer, who cared if he was tired for work the next morning? Kurt certainly didn’t. Another night snuggled up to Blaine would be so worth trying to work the machines with his eyes closed. But Blaine had (somehow) convinced him to let him go from their cocoon that Kurt had made them out of blankets on the sofa, so they could still cuddle in comfort and watch lousy Sunday television on Kurt’s small, second-hand screen. Kurt would see him in the morning anyway, at eight on the dot, Blaine had assured him, as he leaned in for one more kiss before he left.
That one kiss, however, had turned into about ten, and they’d stood in Kurt’s doorway for almost twenty minutes before Blaine managed to find the resolve to leave Kurt behind for now with a wave of his fingers.
And that was how Kurt found himself crawling into bed alone an hour later, a mug of hot chocolate on his bedside table and the blankets from earlier wrapped around him instead of the soiled ones from the night before. Kurt can’t help the fizzing he feels in his lower stomach when he catches sight of the rumpled blankets on the floor beside his bed, remembering the last night and the way he’d slept right beside Blaine, close enough to lean his head on his chest without worrying he was overstepping. He also can’t help but feel a little bit like a teenager again, unable to control his feelings, but Kurt had never been good at reigning them in once they’d made themselves clear.
It had been the same back in high school, when he’d volunteered himself to sing flirty duets with Noah Puckerman, even though he’d been quite possibly the straightest guy in the entirety of the school, except now it’s that Kurt can’t keep his hands off Blaine. It doesn’t seem like Blaine minds though (especially if last night is anything to go by), which comforts Kurt slightly.
He snuggles down into his sheets, a book resting in his lap, and he’s just about to open it up when he hears a buzz from within his pile of blankets. He fishes for his cell and finds it next to his left foot, pulling it out, only to see a text from Blaine Anderson. He chuckles under his breath; when had Blaine taken his number? The cheek of it, Kurt thinks as he opens the text, but when he reads the message he just beams, all thoughts of Blaine having thieved his phone at some point zapped from his mind.
Surprise. Just got home, can’t wait until tomorrow morning. Sweet dreams X
---
Kurt spends the first hour of his shift the next morning yawning and staring at the door, waiting for a certain curly haired man to walk in. Kurt has already set aside an empty cup for Blaine, his order scribbled on the side in thick black marker pen in anticipation.
It is three minutes past eight when Blaine steps through the door. Kurt can’t help but reach down to smooth his apron against his thighs and pat at his hair out of habit when he sees him, and he knows that Blaine spots him immediately, as well, because his lips quirk up at the corners and he saunters up to the counter with a hand in his pocket.
“You look great, stop fussing,” is the first thing he says to Kurt, who drops his hands and clasps them behind his back at the compliment.
“You’re late,” Kurt replies, and Blaine’s eyes dart to check his watch. “You said eight on the dot.”
Blaine just smirks, looking at Kurt a little too flirtily to say that there are customers milling about the shop. “Do I need to tell you my order or do you still remember it?” Blaine says next, and when Kurt reaches out for the empty cup beside him, Blaine rises up on his tiptoes to look over the register at what he’s doing. “You’ve already got my order waiting for me. I get special treatment now, huh?”
Kurt shrugs, trying to brush it off as nothing, but Blaine just leans in closer to him over the counter as Kurt sets the machine running. “I guess so.”
“Does this mean I’m gonna get it free again?” Blaine implores cheekily, and Kurt can’t ignore that. He looks up, biting on his bottom lip.
“Don’t push your luck, Anderson,” he quips. “Your treatment isn’t that special yet,” he adds.
“Maybe next week,” Blaine finishes, leaning on his elbow as the machine splutters out his coffee beside them. Kurt feels something funny gather in his stomach, something that’s happened several times over the past few days. Blaine said “next week”. Next week.
As in another week in the future.
What does that constitute to, though? On Saturday night, Blaine had said no labels, and Kurt was fine with that; maybe it would be better that way, even, but he wants to know what he’s getting into, at least. Are they seeing each other? Are they dating? Are they exclusive?
Kurt wants to ask Blaine all these questions, but before he can lift his head and form sentences that might begin to cover his thoughts, the machine comes to a halt and Kurt’s hands are working on auto-pilot to put the lid on the cup and hand it to Blaine.
Blaine reaches out for it and their fingers brush as he takes the coffee, the action taking longer than needed because Blaine lets his hand linger a little bit longer than necessary. Kurt wants nothing more than to reach across the counter and kiss him, hold his head between his palms and run his fingers through his hair, but he can’t. Not at work. Not when there is a line of customers beginning to appear behind Blaine.
“Here you go, Blaine,” Kurt says quickly as he pulls his hand back to keep himself from doing something he shouldn’t.
“I’ll see you later?” Blaine questions, lowering his voice as he pretends to fix his bag on his shoulder so as not to look like he’s just hanging about for no reason. Kurt gives him a brief nod, and then Blaine is walking out the shop, glancing back over his shoulder to catch Kurt’s eye before he walks through the door, which just makes Kurt giggle to himself before taking a deep breath and moving to serve the next customer.
---
Kurt is hanging his apron up in the backroom after his shift when he hears a familiar cough behind him. He spins on his heel and comes face to face with Blaine, and his jaw drops, his arms stalling in their movements.
“What-what are you doing here?” he asks, completely taken aback but not unreceptive of the surprise visit. “And how did you get into the backroom? Did you break in?”
Blaine just laughs in his position leaning casually against the doorframe. “The blonde girl behind the counter let me through,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“But-Brittany? Even she knows customers aren’t allowed in the backroom!” Kurt splutters, but he can’t help the way he seems to naturally gravitate towards Blaine. He slides his messenger bag onto his shoulder and finds himself standing next to Blaine, who steps forward to be able to shut the door behind him. “What did you tell her to make her let you past?”
Blaine purses his lips, before he simply says, “That I was your boyfriend and wanted to see you.”
Kurt says nothing, simply stares across at Blaine until Blaine speaks again. “She let me through straight away after that.”
Kurt still stays quiet. After a moment, Blaine begins to fidget. “I’m sorry, I-Should I not have said that? I shouldn’t have, should I? Kurt, we don’t have to-”
“I thought you said no labels,” Kurt eventually says, and his voice comes out quiet and husky because his throat has suddenly gone dry and he can’t seem to stop it.
Blaine hesitates. “I know,” he murmurs, “but then only seeing you for ten minutes this morning… At work, I nearly shredded my finger because I was wondering what you were doing. It just made me think.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, anyway?” Kurt asks, and he knows he’s avoiding answering Blaine’s question, but he needs a moment to figure out what exactly he wants. What Kurt wants, though, is to relive the weekend he just spent with Blaine every weekend. He wants to fall asleep with him and wake up in his arms; he wants to be spontaneous and go out for pizza when he feels like it, wants to wear Blaine’s shirts without having to ask his permission first.
“For as much as I complain about my job,” Blaine begins pointedly, “being the boss’ son has some benefits, you know. Such as super flexible hours.”
Kurt looks to the floor and swallows thickly, stepping even closer to Blaine until he can feel the heat pulsing off him through his suit as he nods. “I’d love to,” he says after a moment’s thought, and Blaine blinks at him, momentarily dumbfounded.
“Love to what?” he asks slowly, as if to make sure he’s interpreting Kurt’s words correctly.
Kurt just smiles as he closes the last bit of space between them until their chests are touching and Kurt has Blaine backed against the wall. “Be your boyfriend,” he whispers, nervous flutters appearing his chest as he wonders what Blaine will say, but when Blaine lifts his hand to trace a line with his fingertips down the side of Kurt’s face and down his cheek, eventually swiping his thumb across Kurt’s bottom lip, Kurt figures Blaine likes that idea. He leans forward, capturing Blaine’s lips between his, and when Blaine slides his tongue out to meet Kurt’s, Kurt lets out a breathy little gasp.
Blaine’s hands find the small of Kurt’s back and pull him closer, and the fact that they’re standing in the backroom of Kurt’s workplace doesn’t even occur to him as he presses his face closer to Blaine’s.
Not a moment later, the door is swinging open and Kurt is flinching, pulling his face away from Blaine’s, though his body remains close to his boyfriend’s.
“Jeez, you guys, get a room,” Brittany says, throwing her apron onto a nearby bench and snatching up her bag. “Oh, wait, no,” she then says as she skips back out, only her head remaining in sight. “You’re already in one. Bye Kurt, bye Kurt’s boyfriend!” And then she’s gone in a flash of long blonde hair, and Blaine is left blinking rapidly, looking down at Kurt with a confused expression on his face. Kurt, on the other hand, is laughing quietly and resting his forehead on Blaine’s chest.
“You get used to her after a while,” he says by way of explanation, before sucking in a deep breath and standing up straight again. He opens his mouth to speak, but he can get no words out before Blaine has reclaimed it with his own for a brief hot kiss, finishing what they begun before the interruption.
“But come on then, boyfriend,” Blaine says happily, grabbing Kurt’s hands with his and tugging the door open. “I’m taking you out,” and it’s all Kurt can do to not melt on the spot.
---------
The sound of footsteps in front him makes Blaine’s head snap up from where he’d been staring aimlessly at the floor. Kurt is walking towards him, a rolled up wad of paper clutched in his left hand, and Blaine’s eyes land on his slim form immediately, only briefly noticing a girl walking beside him. Kurt’s face is blank, lips pursed together, and oh god, this can’t be good. Blaine stands up, ready to be the comfort blanket Kurt may need.
“Kurt,” he whispers, stepping forward when Kurt is only a little way away. “Did you…”
“I got it!” Kurt suddenly yells, lifting his arms to punch the air charismatically, and Blaine jerks, having so not been expecting that. “Blaine, I got it, I got it!”
Blaine finds himself nearly winded a moment later, because the next thing he knows is that he has an armful of Kurt and an armful of the unknown girl. He squeezes them both, pulling Kurt as close to him as he can manage, and Kurt returns the embrace by throwing his arms around his neck and kissing him squarely on the lips.
“Oh my god, congrats!” Blaine says proudly when Kurt pulls away, gasping for air through his excitement. “I knew you could do it, Kurt.”
After a moment, Kurt steps back and breathes in deeply through his nose, letting it out through his mouth. “Blaine, this is Rachel, by the way.” Kurt turns to Rachel. “And Rachel, this is Blaine.”
“Hi,” Blaine says, smiling at Rachel as he holds his hands out. Rachel, on the other hand, walks a full circle around him, arms folded over her chest when she reaches his front.
“Blaine,” she begins, and for some reason Blaine feels like this can’t end well. “Do you smoke?” she asks seriously.
Blaine shakes his head.
“Have you ever done drugs?”
Blaine makes a face. “Um, I smoked pot a couple times in high school…?”
“Do you drink excessively?”
“Not excessively…” he states, chancing a look at Kurt, only to see him sniggering at the floor.
“Gamble?”
“Only when I went to Vegas…” Blaine twists his fingers together nervously.
“Criminal record?”
“No! What is this?” Blaine says shortly, and at that point Kurt steps forward to wrap his arms around Rachel from behind, one hand coming up to cover her mouth and Blaine sighs in relief.
“Alright, Rachel, I think you’ve interrogated him long enough,” he says as he pulls her against to him, her back to his chest, and he lowers his mouth until it’s by her ear, but doesn’t lower his voice as his eyes meet with Blaine’s. “Does he have your approval?”
Rachel cocks a brow, her lips quirking up lopsidedly. “I just have one more question.” She narrows her eyes on Blaine acutely. “Do you promise to be good to my Kurt?”
“Your Kurt?” Kurt butts in, but Blaine ignores his comment as he nods solemnly.
“In that case, I approve!” Rachel says, bursting out of Kurt’s grip to wrap Blaine in a similar hug to what she’d just been in. Blaine is shocked at the sudden change of heart, but he welcomes it and wraps his arms around Rachel briefly anyway. “I just had to be sure,” she tells him in a more friendly tone when she backs off. “I need to be able to trust you with Kurt’s heart, you know. He doesn’t give it away very easily.”
Blaine looks at Kurt, who is blushing and reaching out to hit Rachel weakly on the arm. “Well that’s good to hear,” Blaine says gently, reaching out for Kurt and pulling him against his side. Kurt just wraps his arms around Blaine’s waist and leans over to kiss him sweetly.
“But just because you’ve got a beau now, Mister, does not mean you can just start making out everywhere!” Rachel says loudly as she grabs her things. “Especially not now. We have some celebrating to do!”
Kurt just grins against Blaine’s neck, placing his mouth against Blaine’s ear. “We’ll celebrate again tonight, right? Just the two of us?” he whispers, and Blaine shivers as Kurt’s breath ghosts over his cheek.
“Jesus, Kurt,” he growls back, at which Kurt just laughs cheekily. “But fuck, yeah, definitely.”
---------
Kurt buzzes three times on the intercom of Blaine’s building and stands back to wait to be let in. Blaine doesn’t bother asking who it is, because according to him, it’s only ever Kurt or Wes that visits now, and Wes always calls first.
Kurt hums to himself as he takes the elevator up to Blaine’s floor, vaguely remembering about how last time he was in it, Blaine had been all over him, hands everywhere and totally, totally welcome. The elevator pings and Kurt walks out the elevator car, bouncing down the corridor until he reaches Blaine’s door. He knocks three times again, but then just pokes his head around the door and lets himself inside.
Upon entering, he spots Blaine walking out of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips, his torso glistening with water as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. Kurt feels himself heat up and has to will himself to calm down because he has only just arrived.
“Wow, hi there, boyfriend,” Kurt says, grinning, his eyes roaming over Blaine’s body appreciatively as the other man walks forward, grabs him around the waist and pulls him close to kiss him in greeting.
“Hey yourself,” Blaine returns, kissing him again before he lets him go. “I’ll be two minutes, let me get dressed. Feel free to help yourself to anything you want.”
Kurt is about to make a cheeky remark about how he can stay naked if he wants to, but he bites his lip because he came over for dinner, not for sex. Well, sex isn’t off the table (and if he’s honest, he knows it’s kind of inevitable and he can’t wait to just eat already), but sex is not for now, so he holds his tongue.
Blaine gives one more smile over his shoulder before he disappears into what Kurt remembers is his bedroom. He gives a happy little sigh and places the bottle of wine in his bag into the fridge to chill. He smiles when he actually looks around Blaine’s flat; he has pictures here, postcards there, and the front of his refrigerator is covered in magnets and post-it notes. Kurt can’t help but read the first few he sees.
to-do list!
- collect suits from dry-cleaning
- call landlord about drippy faucet
- call piano tuner!!!
Kurt chuckles to himself, and then-Blaine has a piano? He peers into Blaine’s room and sees him rummaging through a dresser, now dressed only in his boxers. He admires the view of his boyfriend’s ass for a moment and then pushes off from where’s he’s leaning against the counter to look around Blaine’s apartment more. And why not? Blaine himself had said to help himself after all.
It takes Kurt approximately twenty six seconds to locate Blaine’s piano and it takes approximately zero point seven seconds to take his breath away. In the corner of a room (that is full to the brim with guitars and amps and stands and sheet music) is a stunning white grand piano with gold trimming.
“What… wow,” he breathes, and only moments later a pair of arms encircle his waist and pull him backwards.
“She is pretty ‘wow’ isn’t she?” Blaine says into his ear, before kissing directly underneath it.
“Just a little. I never knew you played,” Kurt tells him, taking Blaine’s hand and pulling them both awkwardly into the room. Blaine flicks on the light behind him and strokes the top of the piano lovingly.
“Yeah, I’ve played since I was a kid.”
“And guitar?”
“Yep.” Blaine pauses, tinkling out a small melody for Kurt’s ears. “Music is kind of my entire life outside of work.”
“Are you any good?” Kurt asks, pressing a key, to which Blaine presses another to harmonize. Kurt smiles at the sentiment.
“I like to think so. Well, I’d hope so after playing for over ten years.” Blaine laughs quietly to himself. “I’d offer to play you something properly, but it would probably sound dreadful. It needs tuning. And that reminds me, I’ve still not called David over to do it. I can’t forget to do that tomorrow. Remind me.”
“Okay. Call David tomorrow,” Kurt says, and Blaine just rolls his eyes playfully, mumbling something like “Jerk” under his breath. “Why didn’t you follow music as a career?” Kurt asks after a moment’s pause.
“My father,” Blaine says simply. “My future was basically set from when I popped out my mother.” He laughs again, though this time it’s dry and humourless.
“It’s not too late to change that, you know,” Kurt supplies, leaning against Blaine and placing his arms around him to be able to kiss his chin briefly. “Or you could do both? Maybe play in bars or clubs or something in the evenings?”
Blaine hums, and Kurt can almost feel the want radiating off the man in his arms. “Maybe,” he echoes, but then he turns and pulls out of Kurt’s holds. “But hey, how about that dinner I promised you? Are you hungry?”
Kurt smiles, looking down for a second before plastering a smile on his face for Blaine. He leans in to kiss him again on the cheek (he just can’t stop, alright? He’s not had the freedom to do this for a really, really long time) before he replies with, “Absolutely starved.”
one year later
The chime ringing above the door makes Kurt look up from the table he’s currently cleaning. His hair flops in front of his eyes at the jerk of his head, but a hand that’s not his own quickly brushes it away and tucks it behind his ear.
“Hey, you,” a familiar deep voice says. “Why are you still working? Your shift finished ten minutes ago.” Kurt blinks and looks over at Blaine standing in front of him, dressed in loose jeans and a button down shirt with his guitar case slung over his shoulder.
“Hey,” Kurt greets him, dropping his rag to the table and pulling off his apron before leaning over to kiss Blaine briefly on the lips. “I was just finishing up. You ready to go?”
Kurt grabs Blaine’s hand in his own as he passes him on his way to the backroom, dragging him along. “Are you excited?” he asks. “Your first show!” he finishes boldly, depositing his uniform and apron into his bag and shrugging into a more casual pair of jeans.
Blaine stands beside him, a smile resting on his lips. When Kurt is ready, bag hanging by his side, Blaine wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him to his chest. Tonight, Blaine has a small show at a local bar, something he planned with Kurt a month or so ago. (“Blaine, this is the opening you’ve been looking for; you’ve at least got to audition!”) Which was how he ended up sending off a home-recorded demo CD to the owner, and consequently how he ended up with his first ever show.
“I’m nervous,” Blaine admits, pulling Kurt as close to his body as he can possibly get him. Kurt’s arms come to wrap around Blaine’s waist in a makeshift hug, leaning his head against Blaine’s chest.
Kurt smiles and reaches up to peck Blaine on the cheek comfortingly. “I know the feeling. I felt like that before my first night on stage, but when you get out there you just… It’s surreal. You’re going to be amazing,” he says, gripping the hem of Blaine’s coat resting over the small of his back in his fingers. “You’re amazing.”
Blaine smiles. “And you’re cheesy,” he replies, pushing his nose against Kurt’s before beginning to tug them towards the door. Brittany is behind the counter working late when they walk past her.
“Bye, Brittany,” Kurt calls to her. He doesn’t see her much anymore, not since he’s stopped working the seven ‘til three shift every weekday morning. These days he works a couple of afternoon shifts to be able to keep up with his rent during his Broadway show’s hefty timetable, which is why he’s not surprised when Brittany drops the empty take-out cup she’s holding onto the counter to bound over and envelope him in a tight hug.
“Bye, Kurt!” she says loudly, kissing his cheek and pulling away after a moment. “Bye, Kurt’s boyfriend!” she then says to Blaine, and Blaine can’t help but smile because even after a year the girl still doesn’t remember his name.
Kurt hums to himself as they exit the shop, the chime on the door tinkling prettily as it has done every single time Blaine has been in this shop, and Blaine’s been in it many times.
They turn right out the door and begin to walk down the street, and after a moment, Blaine chuckles under his breath, his vision locked on the opposite side of the street.
“What is it?” Kurt asks, puzzled. He tries to follow Blaine’s line of vision, but all he sees is another branch of Starbucks and his brows crease in puzzlement.
“I never did tell you why I changed to your Starbucks branch, did I?” Blaine says, and Kurt squints his eyes at him curiously, asking him to elaborate without actually phrasing it.
Blaine smiles at the memory. “One of the baristas spilled a tray of coffee all over my shoes,” he says simply. Kurt swallows back a huff of laughter and puts the hand that’s not on Blaine’s waist over his mouth.
“Oh gosh,” he says through his chuckles. “Were they fired for that?”
Blaine shrugs. “I don’t know. But I’ve since stayed clear of that Starbucks in case they weren’t.” Blaine pauses, slowing his walk when the bar they’re headed towards appears in his peripheral vision. “So, you know, you’d better not spill anything on my shoes in the future.”
“Oh, no?” Kurt presses his lips together, leaning his face closer to Blaine’s, as if challenging him.
“No,” Blaine returns, copying Kurt and moving in until their lips are only a breath away. “Because I’d say your store’s been pretty good to me so far.”
-fin.
Author: littlemrstom
Fandom: Glee
Pairing(s): Kurt/Blaine
Rating: NC17
Warnings: Adult Content
Word Count: 23, 500~
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; I own nothing but the plot. I especially do not own Glee. Sad times.
Summary: Kurt is an out of work performer in New York who serves in a coffee shop to make the rent. Blaine is a successful businessman, unfulfilled in his career because he followed his father’s dreams instead of his own. This is their story.
Author Notes: This was written for the klaine_endgame fest and I had an absolute blast writing it. Huge, huge thanks go to my beta, spookykat, without whom this would be dramatically incorrect and littered with grammatical errors left, right and centre <3 and the title was borrowed from Landon Pigg's song of the same name.
Part II
Blaine finds himself suddenly very awake with a very warm Kurt in his arms. Kurt sighs quietly as he tucks himself under Blaine’s arm, and Blaine also finds that he likes him there. His fingers rub gently at the inside of Kurt’s elbow as Kurt rests his head on Blaine’s shoulder, and as different and strange as this may feel, Blaine can’t help but feel like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Who was on the phone?” Blaine asks, breaking the peaceful silence that has fallen over them. Kurt shifts in his arms so he can look at Blaine.
“My best friend,” he says, smiling. “One Miss Rachel Berry.”
Blaine lifts his eyebrows in surprise. “Rachel Berry, as in the fiancée of Finn Hudson of the New York Giants, Rachel Berry?”
In contrast, Kurt’s eyebrows furrow. “Yes,” he answers uncertainly. “Why? Do you know her?”
Blaine shakes his head. “No, but a friend of mine does. Santana Lopez. They went to high school together.”
“You know Santana? Wait, Santana Lopez, lesbian, long black hair, legs up to here?” Kurt sits up rapidly, making Blaine’s hand drop off the couch as he nods simultaneously. “No way!”
“Yeah, our parents were friends as kids, so I’ve kind of always known her,” Blaine says. “I’m guessing you do, too?”
“We all went to the same high school. She used to bitch me out on an almost daily basis.” Kurt breathes out laughter, settling back against Blaine once more, and Blaine is more than appreciative of the move. He tucks his arm around Kurt’s waist to keep him from leaving again, and nuzzles his nose into Kurt’s back. “This is crazy.”
“Small world or what, hmm?” Blaine says, his voice muffled by Kurt’s skin. Kurt hums as Blaine trails his nose in patterns over his back, shivering when he hits a ticklish spot, and Blaine does his best to commit every reaction to memory, just in case.
“I’m surprised I’ve never met you before, in that case. Or heard of you, at least, with Santana’s gossip,” Kurt says after a moment of enjoying Blaine’s light touches. His breathes in and out evenly, repeatedly, but eventually he shuffles to turn around and slides down the sofa until he’s face to face with Blaine and their noses are only inches apart.
“They are only loose ties we have,” Blaine replies quietly, watching the way Kurt’s eyelashes brush against his cheek when he blinks, regarding the shapes the shadows made by the light streaming in through the window make.
“Yeah, well,” Kurt says distractedly, his eyes lowering to Blaine’s lips, though he makes no move to close the space between them. “It’s a shame. I’m glad I’ve met you now, though,” he adds, and lowers his gaze until he appears to be staring at a patch of skin on Blaine’s neck. Blaine trails his fingers up Kurt’s back and tucks his fingers behind his neck, pulling his face forward slightly until their noses brush.
“Me, too,” Blaine replies earnestly, and then he finally closes the gap and flutters his eyelids shut, kissing Kurt with everything he can muster until Kurt is panting and breathless beneath him, but that’s as far as Blaine takes it.
---
It’s seven in the evening when they finally pull themselves away from the couch and away from each other. Blaine borrows Kurt’s shower while Kurt fixes them something to eat, even though Blaine had offered to pay for them to go out for dinner; he’d claimed that Blaine didn’t need to spend more money on them because he’d already bought the pizza for them that morning.
As soon as Blaine enters the bathroom, which is unquestionably smaller than his own, he feels like he’s being given an insight to Kurt’s life. Everything is neat and orderly; the folded towels on the rack above the heater, the collection of what he thinks are moisturisers sitting in an organized line of day and night creams, the systematic placing of the shampoo and the conditioner and the shower gel. Not needing to strip (he hadn’t bothered with the decorum Kurt had used of partially dressing himself to walk into the bathroom, he’d just balled his clothes and brought them with him, and besides, Kurt had seemed to appreciate it), he steps straight into the shower and any sounds of Kurt rattling about in the next room are immediately drowned out by the pounding water.
He doesn’t waste time, showering quickly and towelling himself down, before throwing on his clothes and making his way back to Kurt. He sees him stood, singing quietly to himself as he chops a basil garnish and stirs a pot of thick, red sauce, and smiles as he sneaks up behind him. “You sound great,” he says quietly, so as to not startle Kurt too much near a hot stove, and when he knows he has Kurt’s attention, he steps closer and winds his arms around Kurt’s middle, squeezing briefly and kissing behind his ear.
Kurt’s cheeks immediately pinken and, much to Blaine’s dismay, he falls quiet, but he just kisses his ear again and steps back to allow Kurt room to move around. “What’re you making? It smells delicious.”
“Just pasta and tomato sauce,” Kurt answers. “Pretty simple.” He fiddles with knobs on the stove and Blaine steps back further to let him plate up. His body moves fluidly in the loose t-shirt he’s thrown on over some jeans, and Blaine appreciates every curve of his spine, every twist of his torso as he muddles about the kitchen, eventually presenting him with a plate and a fork and a seat at the table.
“It tastes delicious, too. I didn’t know you could cook,” Blaine says as he takes a bite of pasta and nearly moans at how good it is. He’ll be the first to admit that he’s a lousy cook-he burns toast on a regular basis, so having the opportunity to eat a good, home-cooked meal is a blessing.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know,” Kurt says over the table, looking at Blaine steadfastly over his fork.
“So, tell me,” Blaine says simply. Kurt’s gaze stiffens a little and he draws his fork out of his mouth, placing it on the table. When Kurt says nothing else for a moment, Blaine puts his fork down, too. “Kurt?”
“You really want to know?” Kurt says, his tone a little sceptical, and Blaine can’t really blame him. They’ve still not defined what this thing between them is. They’re somewhere way past the boundaries of a one night stand, but where do the boundaries of a relationship begin? Blaine figures this dinner is like the third date, if the club was the first and the pizza was the second, so does a relationship form after that? It’s at times like this when Blaine wishes he had more experience with relationships.
He fixes his eyes on Kurt solidly as he says, “I really do,” and Kurt’s face is still for a moment as he processes Blaine’s words.
“Blaine,” says Kurt thoughtfully after he takes another bite of his food. “I have not had as much… fun as I’ve had this past day and a half in a long time.” Kurt says as he flushes, looking down as Blaine bites on his bottom lip, choosing to be the bigger man and not focus on what Kurt is referring to. “But it’s been more than just that, right? It has been for me, anyway.”
“Kurt,” Blaine says firmly over the table. He leans forward and holds Kurt’s hand underneath his, and he would swear he heard Kurt gasp almost silently. “I have absolutely no idea what is happening here.” Kurt laughs softly under his breath. “But it has been so much more than just sex.” Kurt’s flush deepens and Blaine can’t refrain from reaching up to cup his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Kurt echoes, leaning into Blaine’s fingers slightly.
“I don’t think we should label anything, at least not yet,” Blaine finishes. Kurt nods and Blaine draws his fingers away to be able to pick up his fork again, putting more food into his mouth before tilting his head down and laughing, saying, “Except for this pasta. I have to label this as absolutely fantastic.”
There’s yet another short pause where Kurt just looks at Blaine, and Blaine wonders if he’s said something out of place. He’s just about to ask, but he’s cut off by Kurt leaning over the table, being careful not to put his elbows in anybody’s food, and kissing him softly, his soft fingers just gracing the curve of Blaine’s jaw line and Blaine’s breath is knocked out of him by the intensity he feels radiating off the man in front of him.
“What was that for?” he asks, somewhat stunned, but smiling as Kurt pulls back and recommences eating as if he hadn’t just kissed him breathless.
“Nothing in particular,” Kurt replies simply. “Now eat your pasta or else it’ll be cold soon.”
---
Blaine finds himself in Kurt’s bed later that night, and whilst it’s a surprising change from the sofa he’d been expecting, it’s not at all unwelcome. Kurt is wonderfully warm beside him, and wonderfully naked also, and Blaine groans as he slides his hands up his long torso, swirling his fingertips around the pink buds of his nipples until they peak. Kurt’s lips are currently mapping their way across Blaine’s jaw and down his neck, grazing his teeth across the sensitive skin that’s now glittered with a light covering of stubble, and Blaine is trying to return the favour but Kurt just keeps moving.
But Blaine isn’t complaining, because the friction Kurt’s limbs are giving him is delicious, is making a wonderful, tingly sort of heat lick at his insides and make him press his fingers into Kurt’s skin just that little bit harder. He hears Kurt breathe his name against his skin and the heat Blaine feels increases tenfold, making him swear in return and flip Kurt over until he’s underneath him and Blaine has him pinned, arms above his head, panting heavily.
“Blaine,” Kurt says again, trying to squirm out of Blaine’s hold but finding himself fixed. “Please.”
“Not just sex, okay?” Blaine clarifies almost authoritatively, and Kurt just nods as Blaine leans down to fuse their mouths together.
It doesn’t take long after that for Blaine to smooth his fingers back down Kurt’s body, gently this time, and work him open. It helps that Kurt is still relaxed from earlier, and soon Kurt is reaching for a condom dazedly and Blaine is sliding smoothly into him for the third time. This time is Blaine’s favourite though; the first time the alcohol had drowned out the sensations currently thrumming through his veins, the second they were still acquainting themselves with each other. This time, however, Blaine feels like he knows something about Kurt, even if it is just a tiny slice.
Kurt’s fingers curl around his as Blaine’s hips meet with Kurt’s and hold, really allowing himself to feel Kurt and learn his body. He doesn’t know if he needs to, or even if he should be doing this, but Kurt just keeps mumbling his name repeatedly and clinging to him, so Blaine must be doing okay in his books.
Blaine works Kurt over and over until they’re both gasping and boneless, collapsing together tangled in Kurt’s bed, the sheets slipping off the edge of the mattress from the output of their actions. When Blaine pulls himself free and wipes Kurt down carefully with the corner of the bedsheet he then throws to the floor, Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine’s neck and pulls him down until he can kiss him fully on the mouth, the kiss full of passion and fire, until it slows until just their lips are moving against the other’s in long, lazy movements.
And that’s how Blaine falls asleep, his arms holding Kurt tightly to his chest with Kurt pressed against him, almost moulded against his shoulder.
Blaine wakes once in the night, a chill running over his bare chest, but rather than disturb Kurt by reaching for the covers, he just tucks himself further into Kurt’s hold, allowing his body heat to wash over him instead.
---------
It’s nearing ten p.m. when Blaine finally leaves Kurt’s apartment that night. Kurt had told him he was welcome to stay longer, who cared if he was tired for work the next morning? Kurt certainly didn’t. Another night snuggled up to Blaine would be so worth trying to work the machines with his eyes closed. But Blaine had (somehow) convinced him to let him go from their cocoon that Kurt had made them out of blankets on the sofa, so they could still cuddle in comfort and watch lousy Sunday television on Kurt’s small, second-hand screen. Kurt would see him in the morning anyway, at eight on the dot, Blaine had assured him, as he leaned in for one more kiss before he left.
That one kiss, however, had turned into about ten, and they’d stood in Kurt’s doorway for almost twenty minutes before Blaine managed to find the resolve to leave Kurt behind for now with a wave of his fingers.
And that was how Kurt found himself crawling into bed alone an hour later, a mug of hot chocolate on his bedside table and the blankets from earlier wrapped around him instead of the soiled ones from the night before. Kurt can’t help the fizzing he feels in his lower stomach when he catches sight of the rumpled blankets on the floor beside his bed, remembering the last night and the way he’d slept right beside Blaine, close enough to lean his head on his chest without worrying he was overstepping. He also can’t help but feel a little bit like a teenager again, unable to control his feelings, but Kurt had never been good at reigning them in once they’d made themselves clear.
It had been the same back in high school, when he’d volunteered himself to sing flirty duets with Noah Puckerman, even though he’d been quite possibly the straightest guy in the entirety of the school, except now it’s that Kurt can’t keep his hands off Blaine. It doesn’t seem like Blaine minds though (especially if last night is anything to go by), which comforts Kurt slightly.
He snuggles down into his sheets, a book resting in his lap, and he’s just about to open it up when he hears a buzz from within his pile of blankets. He fishes for his cell and finds it next to his left foot, pulling it out, only to see a text from Blaine Anderson. He chuckles under his breath; when had Blaine taken his number? The cheek of it, Kurt thinks as he opens the text, but when he reads the message he just beams, all thoughts of Blaine having thieved his phone at some point zapped from his mind.
Surprise. Just got home, can’t wait until tomorrow morning. Sweet dreams X
---
Kurt spends the first hour of his shift the next morning yawning and staring at the door, waiting for a certain curly haired man to walk in. Kurt has already set aside an empty cup for Blaine, his order scribbled on the side in thick black marker pen in anticipation.
It is three minutes past eight when Blaine steps through the door. Kurt can’t help but reach down to smooth his apron against his thighs and pat at his hair out of habit when he sees him, and he knows that Blaine spots him immediately, as well, because his lips quirk up at the corners and he saunters up to the counter with a hand in his pocket.
“You look great, stop fussing,” is the first thing he says to Kurt, who drops his hands and clasps them behind his back at the compliment.
“You’re late,” Kurt replies, and Blaine’s eyes dart to check his watch. “You said eight on the dot.”
Blaine just smirks, looking at Kurt a little too flirtily to say that there are customers milling about the shop. “Do I need to tell you my order or do you still remember it?” Blaine says next, and when Kurt reaches out for the empty cup beside him, Blaine rises up on his tiptoes to look over the register at what he’s doing. “You’ve already got my order waiting for me. I get special treatment now, huh?”
Kurt shrugs, trying to brush it off as nothing, but Blaine just leans in closer to him over the counter as Kurt sets the machine running. “I guess so.”
“Does this mean I’m gonna get it free again?” Blaine implores cheekily, and Kurt can’t ignore that. He looks up, biting on his bottom lip.
“Don’t push your luck, Anderson,” he quips. “Your treatment isn’t that special yet,” he adds.
“Maybe next week,” Blaine finishes, leaning on his elbow as the machine splutters out his coffee beside them. Kurt feels something funny gather in his stomach, something that’s happened several times over the past few days. Blaine said “next week”. Next week.
As in another week in the future.
What does that constitute to, though? On Saturday night, Blaine had said no labels, and Kurt was fine with that; maybe it would be better that way, even, but he wants to know what he’s getting into, at least. Are they seeing each other? Are they dating? Are they exclusive?
Kurt wants to ask Blaine all these questions, but before he can lift his head and form sentences that might begin to cover his thoughts, the machine comes to a halt and Kurt’s hands are working on auto-pilot to put the lid on the cup and hand it to Blaine.
Blaine reaches out for it and their fingers brush as he takes the coffee, the action taking longer than needed because Blaine lets his hand linger a little bit longer than necessary. Kurt wants nothing more than to reach across the counter and kiss him, hold his head between his palms and run his fingers through his hair, but he can’t. Not at work. Not when there is a line of customers beginning to appear behind Blaine.
“Here you go, Blaine,” Kurt says quickly as he pulls his hand back to keep himself from doing something he shouldn’t.
“I’ll see you later?” Blaine questions, lowering his voice as he pretends to fix his bag on his shoulder so as not to look like he’s just hanging about for no reason. Kurt gives him a brief nod, and then Blaine is walking out the shop, glancing back over his shoulder to catch Kurt’s eye before he walks through the door, which just makes Kurt giggle to himself before taking a deep breath and moving to serve the next customer.
---
Kurt is hanging his apron up in the backroom after his shift when he hears a familiar cough behind him. He spins on his heel and comes face to face with Blaine, and his jaw drops, his arms stalling in their movements.
“What-what are you doing here?” he asks, completely taken aback but not unreceptive of the surprise visit. “And how did you get into the backroom? Did you break in?”
Blaine just laughs in his position leaning casually against the doorframe. “The blonde girl behind the counter let me through,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“But-Brittany? Even she knows customers aren’t allowed in the backroom!” Kurt splutters, but he can’t help the way he seems to naturally gravitate towards Blaine. He slides his messenger bag onto his shoulder and finds himself standing next to Blaine, who steps forward to be able to shut the door behind him. “What did you tell her to make her let you past?”
Blaine purses his lips, before he simply says, “That I was your boyfriend and wanted to see you.”
Kurt says nothing, simply stares across at Blaine until Blaine speaks again. “She let me through straight away after that.”
Kurt still stays quiet. After a moment, Blaine begins to fidget. “I’m sorry, I-Should I not have said that? I shouldn’t have, should I? Kurt, we don’t have to-”
“I thought you said no labels,” Kurt eventually says, and his voice comes out quiet and husky because his throat has suddenly gone dry and he can’t seem to stop it.
Blaine hesitates. “I know,” he murmurs, “but then only seeing you for ten minutes this morning… At work, I nearly shredded my finger because I was wondering what you were doing. It just made me think.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, anyway?” Kurt asks, and he knows he’s avoiding answering Blaine’s question, but he needs a moment to figure out what exactly he wants. What Kurt wants, though, is to relive the weekend he just spent with Blaine every weekend. He wants to fall asleep with him and wake up in his arms; he wants to be spontaneous and go out for pizza when he feels like it, wants to wear Blaine’s shirts without having to ask his permission first.
“For as much as I complain about my job,” Blaine begins pointedly, “being the boss’ son has some benefits, you know. Such as super flexible hours.”
Kurt looks to the floor and swallows thickly, stepping even closer to Blaine until he can feel the heat pulsing off him through his suit as he nods. “I’d love to,” he says after a moment’s thought, and Blaine blinks at him, momentarily dumbfounded.
“Love to what?” he asks slowly, as if to make sure he’s interpreting Kurt’s words correctly.
Kurt just smiles as he closes the last bit of space between them until their chests are touching and Kurt has Blaine backed against the wall. “Be your boyfriend,” he whispers, nervous flutters appearing his chest as he wonders what Blaine will say, but when Blaine lifts his hand to trace a line with his fingertips down the side of Kurt’s face and down his cheek, eventually swiping his thumb across Kurt’s bottom lip, Kurt figures Blaine likes that idea. He leans forward, capturing Blaine’s lips between his, and when Blaine slides his tongue out to meet Kurt’s, Kurt lets out a breathy little gasp.
Blaine’s hands find the small of Kurt’s back and pull him closer, and the fact that they’re standing in the backroom of Kurt’s workplace doesn’t even occur to him as he presses his face closer to Blaine’s.
Not a moment later, the door is swinging open and Kurt is flinching, pulling his face away from Blaine’s, though his body remains close to his boyfriend’s.
“Jeez, you guys, get a room,” Brittany says, throwing her apron onto a nearby bench and snatching up her bag. “Oh, wait, no,” she then says as she skips back out, only her head remaining in sight. “You’re already in one. Bye Kurt, bye Kurt’s boyfriend!” And then she’s gone in a flash of long blonde hair, and Blaine is left blinking rapidly, looking down at Kurt with a confused expression on his face. Kurt, on the other hand, is laughing quietly and resting his forehead on Blaine’s chest.
“You get used to her after a while,” he says by way of explanation, before sucking in a deep breath and standing up straight again. He opens his mouth to speak, but he can get no words out before Blaine has reclaimed it with his own for a brief hot kiss, finishing what they begun before the interruption.
“But come on then, boyfriend,” Blaine says happily, grabbing Kurt’s hands with his and tugging the door open. “I’m taking you out,” and it’s all Kurt can do to not melt on the spot.
---------
The sound of footsteps in front him makes Blaine’s head snap up from where he’d been staring aimlessly at the floor. Kurt is walking towards him, a rolled up wad of paper clutched in his left hand, and Blaine’s eyes land on his slim form immediately, only briefly noticing a girl walking beside him. Kurt’s face is blank, lips pursed together, and oh god, this can’t be good. Blaine stands up, ready to be the comfort blanket Kurt may need.
“Kurt,” he whispers, stepping forward when Kurt is only a little way away. “Did you…”
“I got it!” Kurt suddenly yells, lifting his arms to punch the air charismatically, and Blaine jerks, having so not been expecting that. “Blaine, I got it, I got it!”
Blaine finds himself nearly winded a moment later, because the next thing he knows is that he has an armful of Kurt and an armful of the unknown girl. He squeezes them both, pulling Kurt as close to him as he can manage, and Kurt returns the embrace by throwing his arms around his neck and kissing him squarely on the lips.
“Oh my god, congrats!” Blaine says proudly when Kurt pulls away, gasping for air through his excitement. “I knew you could do it, Kurt.”
After a moment, Kurt steps back and breathes in deeply through his nose, letting it out through his mouth. “Blaine, this is Rachel, by the way.” Kurt turns to Rachel. “And Rachel, this is Blaine.”
“Hi,” Blaine says, smiling at Rachel as he holds his hands out. Rachel, on the other hand, walks a full circle around him, arms folded over her chest when she reaches his front.
“Blaine,” she begins, and for some reason Blaine feels like this can’t end well. “Do you smoke?” she asks seriously.
Blaine shakes his head.
“Have you ever done drugs?”
Blaine makes a face. “Um, I smoked pot a couple times in high school…?”
“Do you drink excessively?”
“Not excessively…” he states, chancing a look at Kurt, only to see him sniggering at the floor.
“Gamble?”
“Only when I went to Vegas…” Blaine twists his fingers together nervously.
“Criminal record?”
“No! What is this?” Blaine says shortly, and at that point Kurt steps forward to wrap his arms around Rachel from behind, one hand coming up to cover her mouth and Blaine sighs in relief.
“Alright, Rachel, I think you’ve interrogated him long enough,” he says as he pulls her against to him, her back to his chest, and he lowers his mouth until it’s by her ear, but doesn’t lower his voice as his eyes meet with Blaine’s. “Does he have your approval?”
Rachel cocks a brow, her lips quirking up lopsidedly. “I just have one more question.” She narrows her eyes on Blaine acutely. “Do you promise to be good to my Kurt?”
“Your Kurt?” Kurt butts in, but Blaine ignores his comment as he nods solemnly.
“In that case, I approve!” Rachel says, bursting out of Kurt’s grip to wrap Blaine in a similar hug to what she’d just been in. Blaine is shocked at the sudden change of heart, but he welcomes it and wraps his arms around Rachel briefly anyway. “I just had to be sure,” she tells him in a more friendly tone when she backs off. “I need to be able to trust you with Kurt’s heart, you know. He doesn’t give it away very easily.”
Blaine looks at Kurt, who is blushing and reaching out to hit Rachel weakly on the arm. “Well that’s good to hear,” Blaine says gently, reaching out for Kurt and pulling him against his side. Kurt just wraps his arms around Blaine’s waist and leans over to kiss him sweetly.
“But just because you’ve got a beau now, Mister, does not mean you can just start making out everywhere!” Rachel says loudly as she grabs her things. “Especially not now. We have some celebrating to do!”
Kurt just grins against Blaine’s neck, placing his mouth against Blaine’s ear. “We’ll celebrate again tonight, right? Just the two of us?” he whispers, and Blaine shivers as Kurt’s breath ghosts over his cheek.
“Jesus, Kurt,” he growls back, at which Kurt just laughs cheekily. “But fuck, yeah, definitely.”
---------
Kurt buzzes three times on the intercom of Blaine’s building and stands back to wait to be let in. Blaine doesn’t bother asking who it is, because according to him, it’s only ever Kurt or Wes that visits now, and Wes always calls first.
Kurt hums to himself as he takes the elevator up to Blaine’s floor, vaguely remembering about how last time he was in it, Blaine had been all over him, hands everywhere and totally, totally welcome. The elevator pings and Kurt walks out the elevator car, bouncing down the corridor until he reaches Blaine’s door. He knocks three times again, but then just pokes his head around the door and lets himself inside.
Upon entering, he spots Blaine walking out of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips, his torso glistening with water as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. Kurt feels himself heat up and has to will himself to calm down because he has only just arrived.
“Wow, hi there, boyfriend,” Kurt says, grinning, his eyes roaming over Blaine’s body appreciatively as the other man walks forward, grabs him around the waist and pulls him close to kiss him in greeting.
“Hey yourself,” Blaine returns, kissing him again before he lets him go. “I’ll be two minutes, let me get dressed. Feel free to help yourself to anything you want.”
Kurt is about to make a cheeky remark about how he can stay naked if he wants to, but he bites his lip because he came over for dinner, not for sex. Well, sex isn’t off the table (and if he’s honest, he knows it’s kind of inevitable and he can’t wait to just eat already), but sex is not for now, so he holds his tongue.
Blaine gives one more smile over his shoulder before he disappears into what Kurt remembers is his bedroom. He gives a happy little sigh and places the bottle of wine in his bag into the fridge to chill. He smiles when he actually looks around Blaine’s flat; he has pictures here, postcards there, and the front of his refrigerator is covered in magnets and post-it notes. Kurt can’t help but read the first few he sees.
to-do list!
- collect suits from dry-cleaning
- call landlord about drippy faucet
- call piano tuner!!!
Kurt chuckles to himself, and then-Blaine has a piano? He peers into Blaine’s room and sees him rummaging through a dresser, now dressed only in his boxers. He admires the view of his boyfriend’s ass for a moment and then pushes off from where’s he’s leaning against the counter to look around Blaine’s apartment more. And why not? Blaine himself had said to help himself after all.
It takes Kurt approximately twenty six seconds to locate Blaine’s piano and it takes approximately zero point seven seconds to take his breath away. In the corner of a room (that is full to the brim with guitars and amps and stands and sheet music) is a stunning white grand piano with gold trimming.
“What… wow,” he breathes, and only moments later a pair of arms encircle his waist and pull him backwards.
“She is pretty ‘wow’ isn’t she?” Blaine says into his ear, before kissing directly underneath it.
“Just a little. I never knew you played,” Kurt tells him, taking Blaine’s hand and pulling them both awkwardly into the room. Blaine flicks on the light behind him and strokes the top of the piano lovingly.
“Yeah, I’ve played since I was a kid.”
“And guitar?”
“Yep.” Blaine pauses, tinkling out a small melody for Kurt’s ears. “Music is kind of my entire life outside of work.”
“Are you any good?” Kurt asks, pressing a key, to which Blaine presses another to harmonize. Kurt smiles at the sentiment.
“I like to think so. Well, I’d hope so after playing for over ten years.” Blaine laughs quietly to himself. “I’d offer to play you something properly, but it would probably sound dreadful. It needs tuning. And that reminds me, I’ve still not called David over to do it. I can’t forget to do that tomorrow. Remind me.”
“Okay. Call David tomorrow,” Kurt says, and Blaine just rolls his eyes playfully, mumbling something like “Jerk” under his breath. “Why didn’t you follow music as a career?” Kurt asks after a moment’s pause.
“My father,” Blaine says simply. “My future was basically set from when I popped out my mother.” He laughs again, though this time it’s dry and humourless.
“It’s not too late to change that, you know,” Kurt supplies, leaning against Blaine and placing his arms around him to be able to kiss his chin briefly. “Or you could do both? Maybe play in bars or clubs or something in the evenings?”
Blaine hums, and Kurt can almost feel the want radiating off the man in his arms. “Maybe,” he echoes, but then he turns and pulls out of Kurt’s holds. “But hey, how about that dinner I promised you? Are you hungry?”
Kurt smiles, looking down for a second before plastering a smile on his face for Blaine. He leans in to kiss him again on the cheek (he just can’t stop, alright? He’s not had the freedom to do this for a really, really long time) before he replies with, “Absolutely starved.”
one year later
The chime ringing above the door makes Kurt look up from the table he’s currently cleaning. His hair flops in front of his eyes at the jerk of his head, but a hand that’s not his own quickly brushes it away and tucks it behind his ear.
“Hey, you,” a familiar deep voice says. “Why are you still working? Your shift finished ten minutes ago.” Kurt blinks and looks over at Blaine standing in front of him, dressed in loose jeans and a button down shirt with his guitar case slung over his shoulder.
“Hey,” Kurt greets him, dropping his rag to the table and pulling off his apron before leaning over to kiss Blaine briefly on the lips. “I was just finishing up. You ready to go?”
Kurt grabs Blaine’s hand in his own as he passes him on his way to the backroom, dragging him along. “Are you excited?” he asks. “Your first show!” he finishes boldly, depositing his uniform and apron into his bag and shrugging into a more casual pair of jeans.
Blaine stands beside him, a smile resting on his lips. When Kurt is ready, bag hanging by his side, Blaine wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him to his chest. Tonight, Blaine has a small show at a local bar, something he planned with Kurt a month or so ago. (“Blaine, this is the opening you’ve been looking for; you’ve at least got to audition!”) Which was how he ended up sending off a home-recorded demo CD to the owner, and consequently how he ended up with his first ever show.
“I’m nervous,” Blaine admits, pulling Kurt as close to his body as he can possibly get him. Kurt’s arms come to wrap around Blaine’s waist in a makeshift hug, leaning his head against Blaine’s chest.
Kurt smiles and reaches up to peck Blaine on the cheek comfortingly. “I know the feeling. I felt like that before my first night on stage, but when you get out there you just… It’s surreal. You’re going to be amazing,” he says, gripping the hem of Blaine’s coat resting over the small of his back in his fingers. “You’re amazing.”
Blaine smiles. “And you’re cheesy,” he replies, pushing his nose against Kurt’s before beginning to tug them towards the door. Brittany is behind the counter working late when they walk past her.
“Bye, Brittany,” Kurt calls to her. He doesn’t see her much anymore, not since he’s stopped working the seven ‘til three shift every weekday morning. These days he works a couple of afternoon shifts to be able to keep up with his rent during his Broadway show’s hefty timetable, which is why he’s not surprised when Brittany drops the empty take-out cup she’s holding onto the counter to bound over and envelope him in a tight hug.
“Bye, Kurt!” she says loudly, kissing his cheek and pulling away after a moment. “Bye, Kurt’s boyfriend!” she then says to Blaine, and Blaine can’t help but smile because even after a year the girl still doesn’t remember his name.
Kurt hums to himself as they exit the shop, the chime on the door tinkling prettily as it has done every single time Blaine has been in this shop, and Blaine’s been in it many times.
They turn right out the door and begin to walk down the street, and after a moment, Blaine chuckles under his breath, his vision locked on the opposite side of the street.
“What is it?” Kurt asks, puzzled. He tries to follow Blaine’s line of vision, but all he sees is another branch of Starbucks and his brows crease in puzzlement.
“I never did tell you why I changed to your Starbucks branch, did I?” Blaine says, and Kurt squints his eyes at him curiously, asking him to elaborate without actually phrasing it.
Blaine smiles at the memory. “One of the baristas spilled a tray of coffee all over my shoes,” he says simply. Kurt swallows back a huff of laughter and puts the hand that’s not on Blaine’s waist over his mouth.
“Oh gosh,” he says through his chuckles. “Were they fired for that?”
Blaine shrugs. “I don’t know. But I’ve since stayed clear of that Starbucks in case they weren’t.” Blaine pauses, slowing his walk when the bar they’re headed towards appears in his peripheral vision. “So, you know, you’d better not spill anything on my shoes in the future.”
“Oh, no?” Kurt presses his lips together, leaning his face closer to Blaine’s, as if challenging him.
“No,” Blaine returns, copying Kurt and moving in until their lips are only a breath away. “Because I’d say your store’s been pretty good to me so far.”
-fin.