Chapter 31

It was a good thing that Kurt had been so obsessed with what to wear that he hadn’t really had much time to over think what was about to happen. He was wearing a perfectly fitted black Burberry tuxedo with a black skinny tie. He had been going back and forth between going for well tailored and classic or trying to spice it up a little. Finally, he had decided he could keep his more extravagant ideas for sometime in the future (or his own runway, he added in his head), when he got more comfortable with the whole red carpet thing. It was not as he couldn’t pull a classic black tux without his accesorising, anyway.

He took a last look at himself on the body length mirror in Blaine’s walk in closet. He had kept himself together during their whole trip to LA and while getting ready at Blaine’s place, but he was starting to get really nervous.

“You look... I think I’m gonna go with breathtaking.” Said Blaine, smiling from where he was leaning against the doorway.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Kurt answered a bit breathlessly, which was quite understandable giving his nerves and the gorgeous man in a Tom Ford tuxedo walking closer to him and taking his hand.

Blaine kissed him softly. “Are you nervous?” He took a tiny step back and looked at Kurt, deciding, “You are nervous.” He smiled mischievously. “They are going to love you, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible not to.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “You’re not helping, you’re kind of biased, you know.” Still, he pulled Blaine to his arms and hugged him, lightly and carefully, they were not getting wrinkles.

“Still true.” Blaine mumbled into his neck.

The car got there to pick them up fifteen minutes later. Both Wes and Allyson where going with them. Kurt kept a strong grip on Blaine’s hand the whole ride, Blaine silently caressing his knuckles with his other hand to try to help him calm down.

When the car stopped, Wes and Allyson hurried to get out without much of a glance in the direction of the boys. They waited for them outside to avoid getting in their way.

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, “Ready?”

The other boy took a deep breath, composing himself. His voice already sounded more confident when he spoke. “As I’ll ever be.”

Blaine exited the car. The general noise got louder as curiosity picked up when Blaine turned to look into the car and extended a hand for Kurt to take. He got out of the car, Blaine waiting for him with one of those sweet little smiles Kurt loved so much. Instead of focusing in the yelling of Blaine’s name or the camera’s flashes, Kurt locked eyes with his boyfriend and smiled back. He was just fine.

As they started to walk on the red carpet, Wes turned and gave them a little conspirative wink.

Kurt stayed behind as Blaine went to pose for the photographers calling his name. Next to Kurt, Wes whispered, “They’re going to start calling for you in three...two...”

But Wes didn’t get to finish his countdown; the press was already doing so. Between all the “Blaine!” and “Here!” and “To your right!”, there were also screams of “Bring the boyfriend!” and “Introduce us!” and “What his name, Blaine?”

“Kurt.” Blaine answered before turning and gesturing for him to come over. They held hands as soon as Kurt was at Blaine’s side. The flashes and the screaming got crazy, but Kurt only focused on keeping his eyes open and his hold on Blaine’s hand tight. Blaine let go of his hand to pull him into something like a sided hug with a comforting hand on Kurt’s back, to which Kurt’s arm responded by itself, curling around his boyfriend’s waist.

Eventually, and after what seemed like hours for Kurt but had probably been just a couple of minutes, the screaming started to subside as other actors and actresses made it to the red carpet. As they untangled themselves, Blaine took Kurt’s hand again, leaned closer and (tiptoeing a little, which Kurt had always found adorable) kissed his cheek sweetly.

“What was that for?” Asked Kurt with a grin as they made their way to Allyson for further indications.

“Being great? I’m just really happy to have you here with me.”

“I’m glad I’m here.” He answered, raising the hand he was holding and kissing Blaine’s knuckles. He knew that, in a different context he would have gone for a kiss. He didn’t have an actual issue with PDA, but it would take him a while to act as naturally as Blaine did in the public eye.

After Allyson was done giving them a few notes, they moved closer to the press and the interviews began. Blaine went to talk to everyone who called his name and he tugged Kurt along to every single one of them. They had decided they would do as much press as they could that night, go big or go home. They expected it would put less attention on them in the future if they were done with all the mystery at once.

Some of them already knew Kurt’s name, mostly because they had heard Blaine saying it or the photographers repeating it. Kurt was asked what he did for a living, “I’m a junior editor at Now and an aspiring designer.” They were asked how they met, “I spilled a drink on him at a party”, when they met, “Around Christmas time in 2015”, when they got together, “It will be a year on Tuesday”.  That one was followed by an “Oh my god, what are you guys doing? Tell me everything.” Blaine had answered with a shrug, “I honestly have no idea.” She had turned to Kurt, “I plead the fifth” He had said with a mischievous smile.

Quite a few of the interviewers pointed out how cute they were or how cute Kurt was (usually both). A few of them remembered why Blaine was there in the first place and asked him how excited he was about the nomination for ‘On Our Own’ and about the couple’s predictions for the main categories.

When someone asked Kurt if he was gay or bi, he managed not to laugh. He also tried to ask why they have hidden for so long and questions of that matter. Kurt let Blaine do most of the talking on that one as he was better at dealing with that sort of thing. Blaine managed to politely skirt around answering almost everything.

One guy actually recognized Kurt as Jenny and Rachel’s friend. They explained him how they knew both girls and he was nice enough not to focus on the subject of Blaine maybe having dated one of them. Through the interviews they have given people information enough to figure out Blaine had been dating Kurt all along.

Allyson stopped them and told them to wait for the last interview with Ryan Seacrest before a few more pictures and going inside the ballroom. Looking up at the platform he had seen so many times and an interviewer he actually knew of, Kurt felt a little intimidated. He tried to focus on the safety radiating from Blaine’s hand discretely squeezing his hip.

It was their turn to go up. “I’m here with Blaine Anderson from ‘On Our Own’ and his boyfriend...” Ryan trailed off.

“Kurt Hummel” Kurt provided, shaking the hand Ryan extended.

“Blaine, it’s nice to have you here again.”

“I’m glad to be here, this is such a fun night.” Blaine answered.

“So, Zooey Deschanel is nominated for her role on the show and you’re also all up for best comedy, which are your predictions?” Ryan asked.

Blaine didn’t have to think his answer much, “I’ve been telling Zooey she has it on the bag, but she won’t believe me. We’ll see about the show, there’s some great competition.”

“She was up here when you guys arrived, she was really excited to meet you” He told Kurt.

“Great, I can’t wait to meet her either. Blaine has been promising to introduce us for way too long.” Kurt teased.

“Yeah, it has been a crazy couple of months.” Blaine explained.

“I’ve heard. Things going well on that front? No one’s giving you a hard time, right? Because I’m sure you have an army out there ready to counter.” Ryan pointed to the camera.

Blaine looked at Kurt fondly for a second before turning back to Ryan. “I think I’m doing fine.”

“Well, I’ll let you go, then. Good luck tonight!”

They both thanked him and left hand in hand.

Once they were in the ballroom, Kurt was more relaxed. He knew he was surrounded by cameras but it didn’t feel like that so much now that they weren’t on his face. From the beginning, he got along well with Zooey and Lucy. Zooey was, as predicted, hilarious, and Lucy was sweet and could hold a conversation about fashion. Aside from them and their boyfriends, the rest of the table was also people from the show.

There was already an award on the table, sitting next to Zooey, when the award for ‘Best television series – comedy or musical’ was announced. Blaine and Kurt held hands over the table, waiting anxiously. When the camera approached their table, Kurt was looking at Blaine’s cute, coy smile from the corner of his eye.

The moment ‘On Our Own’ was read as the winner, Blaine leaped from his seat. In less time that it took for Kurt to realize what was happening, Blaine was standing next to him, holding Kurt’s face between his hands and placing a kiss on his lips. They both knew, in the back of their minds, that their kiss was currently live for all America and the world to see; and they really didn’t care. Blaine turned to hug Lucy, keeping a hand on Kurt’s shoulder and squeezing. It all happened in a rush for Kurt and Blaine was already walking to the stage with his fictional sisters and a couple of the producers of the show when it started to sink in.

The executive producer spoke first, thanking the network, Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all the high-ups. He then invited one of the ‘kids’ to take over the mic. Blaine turned to Zooey, clearly convinced she should be their spokeswoman. However, both girls at his sides looked at him and, with a quick look of clear complicity between them, they not-so-gently shoved him to the front as he was handed the award.

“Um” Blaine cleared his throat. “We would like to thank all of our amazing cast and crew. We have really become this large but lovely and supportive family. And to the fans, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, guys.” Blaine looked down at the award and up again, adding, “And because we haven’t reached the time limit yet and I’m cheesy like that, I’m going to say that, personally, the millionth part of this that I may have won is for you Kurt, I love you.” He finished and started to walk off the stage.

Kurt was aware that he was grinning like an idiot on national television and he was fine with that. After a year of secrets and fears, he and Blaine were finally, proudly celebrating what they had for everyone to see. Everything was more than fine.