Chapter 29

Kurt was back in Lima for the holidays. Being in Ohio had always put him in a weird mood; Blaine also had a tendency to have stuff going on while Kurt was away. It was two days before Christmas and Kurt had gotten a couple of days off from work. However, Blaine’s movie was set in the season and therefore was premiering that night, keeping Blaine in New York for another day. It was not a particularly difficult situation, per se, but with Blaine’s coming out still fresh, his public appearances were quite nerve wracking for both of them.

During his time in Ohio, Kurt had been to their customary New Directions yearly reunion (confessing who that mysterious boy of his was to everyone who still was clueless and dealing with their teasing all night); had been to his dad's shop; and had taken the time to go get some coffee from the Lima Bean. All with that strange, half nostalgic, half relaxed, definitely familiar feeling he always had when being back, as if he was now seeing the whole place through glass. As if a part of him would always belong there, but the place wasn’t his anymore.

The evening of Blaine’s premiere, he was having dinner with his parents, Finn and Puck, Finn telling them he was applying to be the coach of McKinley’s football team, as coach Bestie was leaving Lima to coach at a college. His phone buzzed with a text from Blaine.

From: Blaine

Kiara says hi ;)

Kurt snorted as he read it, covering his eyes with his hand. Kiara Rosado, the film director's daughter, hadn’t exactly met him the way he liked being introduced to people.

His expression caught his family’s attention. “It’s just Blaine.” He tried to say nonchalantly, his father gave him a look that showed him he wasn’t helping himself. It took him a couple of minutes to come up with a response that didn’t embarrass him more.

To: Blaine

Mm… Hi? I’m sorry if I mentally scarred you for life?

From: Blaine

She’s already left but I just giggled like a school girl in a middle of a red carpet. I hope you’re proud of yourself, sweetheart.

Kurt smiled, praying for the internet to provide him with a picture (or better, video) of that moment.

To: Blaine

Oh, I so am, honey. But you started this.

He teased back.

From: Blaine

Whatever. I’m supposed to go in, call you tomorrow before taking off?

To: Blaine

You’d better. Now go sit and look pretty.

From: Blaine

There was a time you thought I always looked pretty…

To: Blaine

One would think you don't get praised enough on a daily bases when you're so desperate for a compliment.

From: Blaine

They are not you.

To: Blaine

Stop texting and go watch your movie, gorgeous.

Kurt texted, rolling his eyes. He was so not fair.

From: Blaine

That’s better :) Love you.

To: Blaine

Love you too. Now go, goober!

He put his cell away and looked up, his dad’s gaze was on him, a tiny smile on his lips and a fond look in his eyes. He smiled back, no words needed.

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He was getting ready for bed when his phone buzzed again. He rolled his eyes, expecting it to be Blaine as he would be already back to his place by then. He walked to his phone ready to send Blaine to sleep as his flight was really early the next day.

From: Allyson

E!Online. You’re welcome, doll.

It took him a minute to figure out what she had meant, finally deciding it had to be an interview from that night and turning his laptop on. He found it easily.

As always, his boyfriend looked dashing in a dark gray suit, plaid shirt and a purple bow tie Kurt had made for him. It had become a thing for him, to make bow ties for Blaine every time he ran into a fabric that would go well with his skin’s tone or with clothes he already had. Blaine’s ‘Kurt Hummel exclusive bow tie' collection was becoming quite large, it was not Kurt’s fault that Blaine looked good in every single color.

Blaine was asked about the movie and his co-workers and then about getting to sing on it, to which he told the story of picking up playing guitar just for the role.

Then the interviewer gave him a look and said, “I’m quite disappointed to see you alone here, we would have thought you were introducing someone tonight.”

Blaine’s expression fell a little. “I’m not hiding him, he’s not in New York right now. Holiday’s season and all that.” He pulled himself up, standing straight. “I know everyone wants me to bring him along, but ultimately, this was about me, and I felt better not dragging him into the mix if I didn’t need to.” A sigh. “It keeps me sane to know they can’t touch him or what we have. Now that things are calming down, he would be around. But in our own time, when it feels organic and we’re doing it for us. Not to make a statement.”

“That’s understandable. And sweet.” She added with a smile. “We are just really looking forward to meeting him.You make him sound like a great guy.”

“And he is, he really is. He’s the bravest person I know. He’s so proud and confident... in a way, that inspired me. I spent so much time at the beginning of our relationship fearing that: how do you ask someone like him to hide for you? Every time I droped his hand before opening a door I thought ‘That’s it, this time it was too much, Blaine. There’s no way he’s sticking around after this.’” There was a sad look in his eyes. “But he did and he never pressured me to come out. All of this would have been a lot harder for me had I not him.”

The look in Blaine’s eyes was so full of love that Kurt was overwhelmed. He couldn’t help but think how silly he probably looked swooning over an interview of his own boyfriend on Youtube when he would have the real one in front of him in a couple of days. But to hear Blaine talking like that after all they had been through that year, it meant so much.

The interviewer spoke softly, clearly entranced by Blaine’s words. “I think your fans would agree with me that we can’t do anything but love anyone who makes you talk like that.”

Blaine just smiled his warmest smile “Thank you.”

“So, it sounds like you guys have been together for a while, right?” She asked.

“Almost a year. We met around this time last year.” Blaine smiled.

Kurt looked at the time on his computer, eleven months exactly now that it was past midnight. Not that monthly anniversaries were something they celebrated that much at this point, but still.

“You started dating right away?” She smiled.

Blaine laughed. “I gave my intentions away quite quickly, I couldn’t get him to care.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, as if that was true at all, he just hadn’t really known what was going on and he chickened out. The girl interviewing Blaine had a similar reaction. “Oh, come on.” She urged him.

“It’s the truth. It’s just... The situation was really confusing from his point of view, he was convinced I was straight and I may have had a little something to drink that night, which didn’t help my case at all.” He blushed a little as he realized his confesion. “I was blown away by him after a few minutes of conversation and I wanted his attention, whatever took me to gain it, so I put it all on the table from the beginning. My sexuality and my interest. I was actually very lucky, it could have exploded on my face.”

“You took a risk for love.” She said.

“That’s not the way I usually got that phrased back then. But yeah, I like yours better.” He laughed it off.

She looked behind him as if she just remembered she was supposed to interview other people too. “Oh, sadly, it seems I have to let you go now. Thank you so much, Blaine. Have fun tonight.”

“Thanks” Blaine said again, hugging her goodbye.

The girl looked at the camera after he left, “You go on, I’m going to stay here and daydream of his heart-shaped eyes.”

Kurt stared at the finished video for a while, trying to get a hold of his emotions. He and Blaine had talked about how much they were going to talk about their relationship. They agreed that they both enjoyed the little privacy they had left and wanted to keep as much of it as was possible. But, at the same time, Blaine coming out was about him getting to feel free to talk openly and be himself, not having to hide a part of his life anymore. In that part of his life was Kurt and if he wanted to talk about how amazing his boyfriend was, well, that was something he could do now. After what he had just seen, Kurt was not going to complain.