Chapter 27: I Want to Hold Your Hand
TPD: Prom Queen

Blaine buttoned his dress shirt, reminding himself to take deep breaths. He hadn't worn a suit like this since the Sadie Hawkins dance. By the time he'd pulled on the trousers and was lacing his shoes, his hands were shaking. What if he called Kurt right now and told him he was sick? If Blaine had... food poisoning or...

That was stupid. That was idiotic. No one who uses food poisoning as an excuse ever actually has food poisoning and Kurt would see right through him. Besides, what if some jocks did want to cause trouble? Kurt would need him. Blaine needed to be the kind of boyfriend that would take a bullet for Kurt, and not the kind that got scared and faked sick.

By the time he finally got to the Lima Bean to meet his date, he felt like he might actually have food poisoning. Then Kurt got there, and their eyes met, and suddenly he felt so much better. The anxiety was still there, just under the surface, but somehow Kurt's presence kept him above water like a lifeboat.

Once they got to McKinley, it was a different story. They were about a block away, the school was in sight, and suddenly Blaine was too petrified to move.

"Kurt."

"Blaine?"

He gulped, desperately trying to fix the lump of sand in his throat. "I don't think I can do this."

"Blaine, it's-"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Karofsky and Santana-"

"Can't be watching every single second. Kurt, anyone could-"

"But they won't." Kurt pulled Blaine into the shadow of a tree and cradled Blaine's face in his hands. "Do you want to go?" he asked softly. Kurt's face was lined with concern, and he was searching Blaine's eyes for any sign of what he needed.

This was the only reassurance that could have calmed him down. Kurt, trying to be what Blaine needed. Well, Blaine would be what Kurt needed. He just... needed some help.

"I don't think I can dance with you," Blaine confessed. "It's not- I want to. I really, really want to, but last time-"

Kurt kissed him. "This isn't last time, and I'm not going to be upset with you, Blaine. It's enough for you to just be there with me, okay? We can have plenty of fun without dancing."

"At a dance?" Blaine laughed miserably.

"We can still dance," Kurt reminded him. "In a group, next to each other, we don't have to be dancing together to dance together."

"You... are so amazing," Blaine said, biting back on the L word again.

"I know," Kurt beamed. He drew in for a quick kiss. "Now. Let's go in there and show the world that they can't touch us."

Blaine gave Kurt a drunk looking smile and offered his hand. Kurt took it and Blaine tugged him back to the sidewalk. The longer they were there in that gym with all of Kurt's friends, the better Blaine felt. By the time he got up on stage to sing, he was on cloud nine. He liked singing with the New Directions. Maybe he didn't have to go to Dalton. Maybe his parents would let him transfer to McKinley. Maybe it wasn't as bad here as he thought now that Karofsky had turned over a new leaf.

Maybe he could find a family here just like Kurt had.

Blaine was pulling for Santana and Karofsky of all people, so when Figging went up to announce Prom King and Queen, he paid attention. So did everyone else, it seemed. The anticipation was tangible. Everyone seemed like they had something riding on this. Karofsky won. Blaine grinned, and waited as Figgins read Santana's name.

Except it wasn't Santana's name.

Oh, god.

It was so quiet. There were a few catcalls and finally a truncated slow clap.

"Kurt, wait!" Blaine kept calling after his boyfriend and ran after him into the hall, offered to leave with him, offered anything but what he wanted to offer. McKinley wasn't safe either. He didn't want to hold Kurt, not here in this hallway. He listened as Kurt raged about how the hatred and ignorance had only become more veiled and, god, Blaine just wanted them to hurt the way Kurt was. He couldn't think anything else.

But Kurt was going back in. That was something Blaine would never have done. How had Blaine managed to find the bravest boy in all of Ohio? So, before Kurt could change his mind and become a thing of regret and fear like Blaine, he held out his hand. Kurt took it.

Together, they walked back into that auditorium and Blaine watched as Kurt was crowned and beamed as he said "Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton," like he'd wanted this embarrassment.

He watched Kurt and Karofsky exchange some secret words as they approached the dance floor, and Blaine wondered if this was the football player's moment. It wasn't.

Before he knew what he was doing, Blaine was walking into that empty circle. He held out his hand one last time. "Excuse me," he said and Kurt turned around. Blaine was glad to see that he'd been quick enough that the second humiliation hadn't had time to land. "May I have this dance?"

So Kurt took his hand and they danced and Blaine smiled nervously at him.

"I thought we weren't going to dance together?" Kurt asked when eyes were finally away from them.

"What can I say?" Blaine replied determinedly. "I have a thing for royalty."

Kurt's smile was all he needed to get through the rest of that night. He got back to his motel that night feeling invincible.

He was never going to get over Kurt now that they had conquered those bullies. And he didn't want to.

Kurt was perfect.