Fic: Pick Yourself Back Up, You're Going on to Bigger and Better Things
Title: Pick Yourself Back Up, You're Going on to Bigger and Better Things
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just when Kurt is about to let the world's cruel antics (this time in the form of rejection from his top choice school) finally defeat him, Blaine offers a new perspective on the situation.
Word Count: 1,270
A/N: Reaction fic/ missing scene from 3x22
He refused to believe it.
Rejected.
Again.
He made it a habit to rise above this type of thing; God knows it happened to him enough. It was a familiar sensation, to push the hurt bubbling like bile in the back of his throat back down, to stem the prickling in his eyes, to stretch his lips into a hesitant smile. Look sad, but like you’re trying to get over it. Look like it hurts, but that you’ll be fine in a few seconds. The entire process was so damn familiar to him; it almost made him want to break into a new set of tears.
It wasn’t fair. He really thought he deserved it this time.
~~
Blaine was just as shocked as he was.
“You… didn’t get in? Are you sure you read it right?” He was laying across Kurt’s bed, Kurt stretched next to him, their feet almost touching. Kurt could feel Blaine’s body heat reverberating through the air mere inches away from him.
“Read it for yourself,” Kurt said, shoving the now crumpled rejection letter into his face.
Blaine scanned quickly over the paper. “I… I don’t believe this. I’m sorry Kurt, but you deserved it. You nailed your audition; we both know that! Carmen knows it too!”
Kurt propped himself up on his elbow. “Evidently the dean didn’t have enough sway in the decision committee for these things… or she didn’t want to sway the vote in my favor. Either way,” he shrugged. “Rachel’s going to New York, and I can always visit I guess.”
Blaine was quiet.
“Stop that, Kurt.”
“What?” Kurt asked, blinking his eyes rapidly. Moisture was starting to form around the edges again.
“Stop acting like this is okay, alright?” Blaine seemed angry; he was gesticulating wildly. “It’s not alright. I don’t want you to act like it’s all alright. You do that way too often.”
“I’m not acting like it’s alright, okay?” Kurt shifted. “It sucks. Everything about this undeniably sucks. Do you think I like being rejected from the school of my dreams? I hate to sound like a self-absorbed brat, but I never get anything I want. Nothing. And this is just the latest in a long list of grievances-“
“-cahiers de doleances,” Blaine whispered almost immediately. He slapped his hand over his mouth.
“Are you really talking about the French Revolution in a time like this, Blaine Anderson?”
He nodded meekly, shielding his face.
“Oh my god, I’m in love with an absolute idiot.” He whacked him on top of the head with a pillow, laughing as Blaine recoiled playfully. “Now get your head out of the 18th century and back here. Now. Your boyfriend just got rejected from his first preference school. It sucks. I, evidently, suck. But I don’t want to let it get me down, okay? I need to keep moving forward.”
“Kurt,” Blaine whispered, feather light. “Kurt, you know you’re going on to bigger and better things, right?”
“Hold on,” Kurt said, scooting impossibly closer to Blaine and wrapping his arms around him; their feet now dangling directly parallel to each other. When he closed his eyes, the faint aroma of Gucci Pour Homme and the after scent of cookies (he must’ve been baking earlier; Kurt faintly wondered who he was baking cookies for) assuaging his senses, his body went limp. “Hold me back and continue, by all means.”
He felt the phantom of Blaine’s touch stirring through his hair as he continued talking. “Just imagine it. Carmen Tibideaux was impressed by you. She tried to keep a straight face, but I bet she broke at the end. She loved you! She goes off to consider admissions, and her mind wanders to you when she begins. Now, by this time she’s seen Rachel at nationals, and she knows that there most likely won’t be spots at NYADA for both of you. So she chooses Rachel.”
“This is horrible encouragement,” Kurt murmured, cuddling up closer to Blaine.
“Just let me finish,” Blaine whispered lowly. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I promise this story has a happy ending.”
Kurt buried his face in Blaine’s chest, a sign to continue.
“Alright, she chooses Rachel, not on a talent basis, but because she knows she needs it.”
“And what does she decide about that pesky Kurt Hummel?” Kurt mumbled, eyes still shut.
“She decides,” Blaine begins, squeezing Kurt’s arm lightly, “that that ‘pesky’ Kurt Hummel has bigger fish to fry than at NYADA. When it comes down to it,” Blaine whispered directly into his ear, “Kurt Hummel is bigger than NYADA. Rejecting him is not going to put him at a disadvantage. Rachel’s a star, Kurt, but stars are fickle and can easily burn out. They need nurturing and they need a safe environment in which to build their shine. You, Kurt?” He poked his nose, and Kurt opened his eyes… he would never get over how stunning Blaine’s brilliant eyes looked up close. They shone. “You don’t need that stepping stone. You’ve proved time and time again that you can overcome all the obstacles life throws at you. And this is just another irksome obstacle. You’re going to end up in New York if that’s what you truly want. Life can’t stop Kurt Hummel from getting to his dream, once and for all.”
Kurt held Blaine’s gaze longingly for a few seconds, and then, in a desperate fury, kissed him hard. He could feel the tears leaking out of his artificial dam as soon as their lips connected, and he didn’t try to stop them.
“Kurt,” Blaine said, breaking away, “Kurt, it’s all gonna be okay. I promise, it’s all gonna be okay.” He brought their lips together softly again, wiping away his tears absently with his thumb. “Hold me to that promise next year, okay? When you’re off doing whatever the world bids of you, and I’m still here, call me every day to complain about how your closet is entirely too small, how your flatmate is a complete idiot, but that you’re in New York and you wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. You’re gonna be in New York, you applied to other schools, and acceptance letters should come in for those soon. You’re gonna make it there, Kurt. I absolutely promise you.”
Kurt’s smile was watery, and he felt like it would break any second.
“Hold me while I cry, if you please,” he got out, before he started flat out bawling.
Blaine obliged, squeezing him tight. “The world can’t hurt you here while we’re together. That’s the one thing you can count on, okay? Us.”
He continued to cry, but the warmth of Blaine’s body helped, and soon the tears turned to dry sobbing, and soon he was just clutching Blaine’s shirt in an infantile gesture of defeat.
“Kurt?” he heard a tentative voice from downstairs call out. “Kurt? Your letters from NYU and Ithaca came in. I understand if you don’t want to read them, but I’m going to open them anyways, whether you’re here or not.”
“Hold on Dad, I’m coming.” He got up and, with a determined look fixed on his face, wiped his eyes and glued on a smile. Blaine looked at him expectantly, eyes shining.
“Well come on, we’re not opening this without you!” Kurt leaned down and stroked his cheek. “I wouldn’t be going down there if it weren’t for you,” he said more softly.
Blaine leaned into his touch, as if it were an instinct.
“Remember, you’re gonna end up in New York,” he reaffirmed. “I wouldn’t give up hope just yet.”
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just when Kurt is about to let the world's cruel antics (this time in the form of rejection from his top choice school) finally defeat him, Blaine offers a new perspective on the situation.
Word Count: 1,270
A/N: Reaction fic/ missing scene from 3x22
He refused to believe it.
Rejected.
Again.
He made it a habit to rise above this type of thing; God knows it happened to him enough. It was a familiar sensation, to push the hurt bubbling like bile in the back of his throat back down, to stem the prickling in his eyes, to stretch his lips into a hesitant smile. Look sad, but like you’re trying to get over it. Look like it hurts, but that you’ll be fine in a few seconds. The entire process was so damn familiar to him; it almost made him want to break into a new set of tears.
It wasn’t fair. He really thought he deserved it this time.
~~
Blaine was just as shocked as he was.
“You… didn’t get in? Are you sure you read it right?” He was laying across Kurt’s bed, Kurt stretched next to him, their feet almost touching. Kurt could feel Blaine’s body heat reverberating through the air mere inches away from him.
“Read it for yourself,” Kurt said, shoving the now crumpled rejection letter into his face.
Blaine scanned quickly over the paper. “I… I don’t believe this. I’m sorry Kurt, but you deserved it. You nailed your audition; we both know that! Carmen knows it too!”
Kurt propped himself up on his elbow. “Evidently the dean didn’t have enough sway in the decision committee for these things… or she didn’t want to sway the vote in my favor. Either way,” he shrugged. “Rachel’s going to New York, and I can always visit I guess.”
Blaine was quiet.
“Stop that, Kurt.”
“What?” Kurt asked, blinking his eyes rapidly. Moisture was starting to form around the edges again.
“Stop acting like this is okay, alright?” Blaine seemed angry; he was gesticulating wildly. “It’s not alright. I don’t want you to act like it’s all alright. You do that way too often.”
“I’m not acting like it’s alright, okay?” Kurt shifted. “It sucks. Everything about this undeniably sucks. Do you think I like being rejected from the school of my dreams? I hate to sound like a self-absorbed brat, but I never get anything I want. Nothing. And this is just the latest in a long list of grievances-“
“-cahiers de doleances,” Blaine whispered almost immediately. He slapped his hand over his mouth.
“Are you really talking about the French Revolution in a time like this, Blaine Anderson?”
He nodded meekly, shielding his face.
“Oh my god, I’m in love with an absolute idiot.” He whacked him on top of the head with a pillow, laughing as Blaine recoiled playfully. “Now get your head out of the 18th century and back here. Now. Your boyfriend just got rejected from his first preference school. It sucks. I, evidently, suck. But I don’t want to let it get me down, okay? I need to keep moving forward.”
“Kurt,” Blaine whispered, feather light. “Kurt, you know you’re going on to bigger and better things, right?”
“Hold on,” Kurt said, scooting impossibly closer to Blaine and wrapping his arms around him; their feet now dangling directly parallel to each other. When he closed his eyes, the faint aroma of Gucci Pour Homme and the after scent of cookies (he must’ve been baking earlier; Kurt faintly wondered who he was baking cookies for) assuaging his senses, his body went limp. “Hold me back and continue, by all means.”
He felt the phantom of Blaine’s touch stirring through his hair as he continued talking. “Just imagine it. Carmen Tibideaux was impressed by you. She tried to keep a straight face, but I bet she broke at the end. She loved you! She goes off to consider admissions, and her mind wanders to you when she begins. Now, by this time she’s seen Rachel at nationals, and she knows that there most likely won’t be spots at NYADA for both of you. So she chooses Rachel.”
“This is horrible encouragement,” Kurt murmured, cuddling up closer to Blaine.
“Just let me finish,” Blaine whispered lowly. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I promise this story has a happy ending.”
Kurt buried his face in Blaine’s chest, a sign to continue.
“Alright, she chooses Rachel, not on a talent basis, but because she knows she needs it.”
“And what does she decide about that pesky Kurt Hummel?” Kurt mumbled, eyes still shut.
“She decides,” Blaine begins, squeezing Kurt’s arm lightly, “that that ‘pesky’ Kurt Hummel has bigger fish to fry than at NYADA. When it comes down to it,” Blaine whispered directly into his ear, “Kurt Hummel is bigger than NYADA. Rejecting him is not going to put him at a disadvantage. Rachel’s a star, Kurt, but stars are fickle and can easily burn out. They need nurturing and they need a safe environment in which to build their shine. You, Kurt?” He poked his nose, and Kurt opened his eyes… he would never get over how stunning Blaine’s brilliant eyes looked up close. They shone. “You don’t need that stepping stone. You’ve proved time and time again that you can overcome all the obstacles life throws at you. And this is just another irksome obstacle. You’re going to end up in New York if that’s what you truly want. Life can’t stop Kurt Hummel from getting to his dream, once and for all.”
Kurt held Blaine’s gaze longingly for a few seconds, and then, in a desperate fury, kissed him hard. He could feel the tears leaking out of his artificial dam as soon as their lips connected, and he didn’t try to stop them.
“Kurt,” Blaine said, breaking away, “Kurt, it’s all gonna be okay. I promise, it’s all gonna be okay.” He brought their lips together softly again, wiping away his tears absently with his thumb. “Hold me to that promise next year, okay? When you’re off doing whatever the world bids of you, and I’m still here, call me every day to complain about how your closet is entirely too small, how your flatmate is a complete idiot, but that you’re in New York and you wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. You’re gonna be in New York, you applied to other schools, and acceptance letters should come in for those soon. You’re gonna make it there, Kurt. I absolutely promise you.”
Kurt’s smile was watery, and he felt like it would break any second.
“Hold me while I cry, if you please,” he got out, before he started flat out bawling.
Blaine obliged, squeezing him tight. “The world can’t hurt you here while we’re together. That’s the one thing you can count on, okay? Us.”
He continued to cry, but the warmth of Blaine’s body helped, and soon the tears turned to dry sobbing, and soon he was just clutching Blaine’s shirt in an infantile gesture of defeat.
“Kurt?” he heard a tentative voice from downstairs call out. “Kurt? Your letters from NYU and Ithaca came in. I understand if you don’t want to read them, but I’m going to open them anyways, whether you’re here or not.”
“Hold on Dad, I’m coming.” He got up and, with a determined look fixed on his face, wiped his eyes and glued on a smile. Blaine looked at him expectantly, eyes shining.
“Well come on, we’re not opening this without you!” Kurt leaned down and stroked his cheek. “I wouldn’t be going down there if it weren’t for you,” he said more softly.
Blaine leaned into his touch, as if it were an instinct.
“Remember, you’re gonna end up in New York,” he reaffirmed. “I wouldn’t give up hope just yet.”