Aug. 18, 2013, 8:54 a.m.
Remember That Time: Tell You What You Know
T - Words: 1,725 - Last Updated: Aug 18, 2013 Story: Closed - Chapters: 12/? - Created: Jul 15, 2013 - Updated: Aug 18, 2013 172 0 0 0 0
Blaine strode up to the door he knew far too well. Maybe I shouldn't do this, he thought. No, Kurt invited me, he reminded himself, he wants me to come. Taking a deep breathe in, Blaine lifted a shaky hand to knock on the metal door. The large thing slid open, revealing Santana.
"Took you long enough." That was her greeting, that was just Santana. "I've been watching you pace up and down the street for a good ten minutes."
Blaine blushed a little, "has it been that long?" The girl nodded. "Sorry, I just wasn't really sure if I'd be welcome here."
She rolled her eyes and pulled Blaine into the house, sliding the door shut. Then upon further reflection, she sighed and pulled him into a hug. It was a tight hug, saying everything they wanted to tell each other in the last five years-"I missed you", "I don't blame you", "you suck for leaving", "I forgive you", "hope you're doing okay", "I'm so proud of you"- while still keeping the hug casual and brief. "You're always welcome here." Blaine smiled; he always knew she had a soft spot just for him.
Looking around the open apartment, Blaine realized it's body count was low. Didn't Kurt say it was getting crowded in there? "Where is everyone?"
"Kurt is taking Finn and Berry to the airport. They're flying back to Ohio for wedding stuff." Santana explained. "And speaking of wedding stuff," she quickly walked to the kitchen, rummaging through a stack of papers on the counter. Of them, she produced a white envelope. "For you." Blaine took the proffered envelope. On the front in pink writing, it said "To Mr. Anderson", with a couple of pink hearts underlining it. Intrigued, he opened it. "An invitation to Finn and Rachel's wedding," Santana spoke up, "at first they didn't want to invite you, considering what you did to Kurt." Blaine sighed at that. "But, I said, no. Blanderson is my homeboy and it wouldn't be a New Directions wedding and reunion without him."
Blaine smiled at her, genuinely touched that she had ensured him an invitation. "Thank you, Santana."
"Yeah, well, I think Kurt was also secretly on our side. I know weddings are kind of y'all's thing." She winked at Blaine, referencing the Wemma wedding hookup of 2013.
"I heard the same goes for you and Quinn..." Blaine proded, raising an eyebrow.
Santana hit his arm at his teasing. "Only if the blood-alcohol level is right." She sighed. "Anyways, we would've mailed the invitation and got it to you sooner, but we have no idea where you live now. Are you still in New York?"
"No, um," Blaine followed Santana's lead, when she took a seat at the kitchen table. "I actually moved in with Cooper in LA about two or three years ago."
"Oh, okay. And from there, you got a record deal and went on tour?" She asked.
"Eventually yeah. It started with a self produced EP and playing in restaurants. Then Cooper actually got me a gig in a music festival for local artists, when one of his friends dropped out. And that's where I got signed. The guy had heard my EP and had considered contacting me for awhile. I guess seeing my live performance made him officially interested. So, I wrote some new songs, pulled a band together and launched a national tour." Blaine explained. He rarely gets to tell people that story and hearing it out loud still puts him in awe.
"Blaine, that's amazing! And wasn't the tour sold out?" She asked. Blaine nodded, still barely believing it. "So, have you been in touch with anyone from McKinely?"
"I see Mercedes as often as I can. We don't live too far from one another, but she's so busy with everything she has going on with her music. And I've also been able to visit Sam in Austin and he and Mike have come to California a couple of times. Aside from them, and Tina of course, it's just been some guys from Dalton and-"
"Auntie Tana?" A small sleepy voice behind them interrupted their conversation. They both turned to see a small boy, no older than six. He was dressed in Cookie Monster pajamas, covering his pale skin. His bed head was chestnut, his sleepy eyes a true dark brown, with a nose stuck between cute and compacted and comically Streisand large.
"Toronto, I thought you were sleeping." Santana said, approaching the child. He was standing before the curtain, Blaine remembered leading to Kurt's room.
"Who are you talking to?" He asked.
"He's just a friend from high school." Santana explained to the small boy, trying to get him to go back to bed. Toronto wasn't having any of that. Instead, he leaned to look over her shoulder at Blaine.
"I know you!" He said, his face lighting up with excitement and recognition. "You're Blaine Anderson! I saw you in my daddie's pictures and on TV, you're like a RockStar!" He spoke with the best articulation he could muster. The little boy ran over to Blaine, grinning up at him. It was then that Blaine noticed the small hints of blue in his brown eyes.
"I am Blaine Anderson, you're right." The man chuckled, "and guess what?" He leaned in to whisper to the child. "I know you, too."
"Really?" The boy's baby toothed smile grew even bigger, if that was possible.
Blaine nodded, "I knew you before you were even born."
"No way."
"Way."
"Cool." The boy said. "Auntie Tana, can I show Blaine Anderson my room?"
"I don't know, you have to ask him if he wants to see your room." Santana said, reclaiming her seat in the kitchen.
"Do you?" Toronto looked up at him, with sweet pleading eyes. Blaine couldn't say no, even if he wanted to.
"Of course." He told the boy. Toronto grabbed Blaine's hand pulling him across the loft. They went behind the curtain to Kurt's room, but kept walking through it. On the other half of the room, which hadn't changed much since Blaine saw it last, was another curtain. It was pushed open to reveal what looked like the room of a child.
One corner was occupied by a small, unmade bed, with blue and white spotted sheets and an orange comforter. The opposite corner housed a small bookshelf lined with classic children's books. Resting on top of the shelf were two large books, with gold lined pages. The complete works of Brother's Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, Kurt's favorites. Crayons and drawings of sunny days littered a small crafts table, next to a treasure chest with toys spilling out of it.
Toronto pointed to a wooden sign above the bed. It was painted black, with his name in lights on it. "That sign means it's my room." He explained.
"It's an awesome room!" Blaine told him.
Toronto grinned, "and when I stand on my bed, I can reach the sign. And sometimes I take it into another room and pretend its my room." The boy laughed and Blaine laughed with him.
"That sounds super fun."
"It is. We can do that or we can play with my toys." He said, pointing to the overflowing bin. "Or we can color. Or," he seemed really excited about this one. "Or you can teach me to play the piano!" He ran over and sat in front of a miniature black piano. It reminded Blaine of the one he had when he was a kid. Blaine slowly clanked his way through Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, while Cooper sang and danced in front of him. It was a Christmas present from his parents and he remembers it being his introduction to music.
Blaine knelt down next to the boy. "Aunt Rachel got it for me, did you know she's also my mom?"
Blaine nodded, "I did."
Toronto smiled, "You're really smart." Blaine just chuckled. "Anyways, she got it for me, but no one knows how to play so they can't teach me. Daddie can kinda play, but he's not as good as you." Toronto poked Blaine on the nose, with an incredibly small finger.
"I guess I could teach you a few things." Blaine told Toronto, much to the younger boy's excitement.
Kurt pushed open the large door, a welcome wave of cool air rushing over him. His black sunglasses were removed from his face and placed on the counter. Kurt put a piece of toast into the toaster, leaning on the counter waiting for it to cook. Santana was sitting in the kitchen, idly flipping through a home magazine.
"Hey, Kurt?" The boy looked up at her and hummed in acknowledgment. "If Finn and Rachel move out after the wedding, I get their room, right?"
"Of course. You've been sleeping on that couch for ten years now, I kinda feel bad." He said, glancing over at the small, over pillowed chair. He couldn't even begin to imagine the back pain that has to cause. At least, she stretches and stays fit. Considering she's a dance teacher, she probably has numerous tricks for sore backs.
"You should." She turned to him, grinning wickedly. "If you hadn't moved back in, I would be in your room right now." It was bittersweet, really. She was sad to let the room go, but she had missed Kurt. Living with Rachel and her alone made Santana feel a little insane. Kurt kept it tolerable.
"I'm sorry," the toast popped out, making Kurt jump out of his own skin. He put it on a plate and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "Blame Blaine." He said, carrying his snack into his room. He knew Santana was rolling her eyes behind him. Her blame Blaine? Never.
Kurt put his snack down on the neatly made bed. He could hear Toronto behind the curtain, pressing keys on his piano, and actually sounding pretty decent on Part of Your World. When did he learn Little Mermaid?
The plan was to shout and let him know he was sounding good, then curl up on the bed with a book, but then he heard something. A deep, masculine chuckle, way too low to be the young boy's. As far as Kurt was aware, Santana and Toronto were the only ones here. Finn was at the airport, so it wasn't him. Then the voice said, "yeah, that was it." Kurt knew that voice...
"Toronto?" Kurt asked, walking across his room and pushing aside the curtain. There he was, kneeling next to the piano, hair as curly as ever. "Blaine?"