MONDAY (CON’T)

Kurt’s mouth dropped open and Blaine’s eyes widened in panic when he realized what question just slipped out of his mouth.

As much as Kurt wanted to go to the dance with Blaine, it appeared that Blaine didn’t mean to say what he said. Kurt tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal, even though it really was. “Oh, uh…”

Blaine knew he couldn’t take back his words and that hurt him because it hurt Kurt. “Um. I – Can we talk about it later? Like, maybe don’t answer right now?” His eyes plead for Kurt to understand and the younger boy did.

So, even though Kurt was feeling a cross between excited and disappointed, he nodded until Blaine finally seemed to believe that he was telling the truth and nodded back in return.

The rest of glee club rehearsal went on as per usual, though unfortunately for Kurt and Blaine, the main topic of discussion was the junior prom. Mr. Schuester revealed that The New Directions had been asked to provide the entertainment and each of the members was expected to perform a solo in addition to group numbers.

Blaine sank down in his seat, unable to share the joy of his new teammates. It seemed like not going to the dance was no longer an option, though he wagered that since he was a new student with a history of being the target of hate crimes, he was sure he could probably talk his way out of having to be at the dance. He snuck a peak over at Kurt and frowned because it was obvious that Kurt was feigning enthusiasm when people were calling out songs people should sing.

Though Kurt was feeling down as almost everyone else around him jabbered on about who would be singing what and how many numbers each person was required to perform, he knew Blaine was feeling infinitely worse.

When the bell rang signaling the end of the school day, Kurt turned to Blaine and asked if he wanted to come over to his house so they could talk. Not trusting himself to give a verbal answer, Blaine nodded in agreement. Kurt called over to his brother and asked if he wouldn’t mind driving Kurt’s SUV home while he rode with Blaine. Finn lit up at the thought of driving Kurt’s car and Kurt tossed him the keys, warning him that if he as so much breathed on anything, he was going to lose an eyebrow in his sleep.

In the parking lot, Kurt internally flailed when he saw that Blaine had parked his car next to his. Though they walked side by side, Blaine’s hands were shoved deep down in his pockets, as if he didn’t want to run the risk of accidentally brushing his hands with Kurt’s. Kurt thought quickly, knowing this his friends were aware that Blaine was gay since they were dating, but he wasn’t sure if the whole of the school knew yet. Gossip traveled fast and having a new student was a novelty. Once they found out the new student was dating the resident outlier, Kurt worried that Blaine might soon suffer some of the bullying he faced on a near daily basis.

After one final warning to Finn not to destroy his SUV in any way on the short ride back to their house, Kurt slid wordlessly into Blaine’s passenger seat. Blaine turned the key and the car roared to life. He gripped the steering wheel and pulled out of the parking space, turning toward Kurt to silently ask for directions.

“Make a right at the light and then drive until you see a boarded up Dairy Queen. It’ll be the next street after that. Make a left onto Whitman Avenue. My house is on the right. You can probably just follow Finn.”

Blaine nodded and turned his eyes back toward the road. The ride was silent, though sometimes Blaine would clear his throat a little bit as if to say something, but he would ultimately just keep quiet. He was more embarrassed than anything else and was nervous to talk to Kurt even though he knew Kurt was the only person he wanted to talk to about it.

Kurt wished Blaine would say something – anything – but he knew that likely wasn’t going to happen until they got to his house. The younger boy closed his eyes for a minute and realized he hadn’t gotten bullied that day at school. No locker shoves. No dumpster toss. No slushies. He hadn’t even seen Karofsky and wondered if maybe, just maybe, he was gone for good. It was one thing to have to fear for his own safety during the school day, but now there was someone else to worry about. He sighed to himself, hoping Blaine couldn’t hear his momentary act of desperation.

Both boys watched as Finn turned Kurt’s SUV onto Whitman Avenue. Blaine turned on his blinker and followed behind, keeping a safe distance between his car and Kurt’s.

Finn pulled into the driveway of a two-story home boasting the numbers “415” on a mailbox out front. A beat-up pickup truck was already occupying the space next to the SUV so Blaine parked his car near the curb and turned the key, cutting the engine. He slowly yanked on the emergency break, but didn’t make a move to unbuckle his seat belt.

“Would you like to come inside,” Kurt asked softly, “or would you rather we stay out here?” He didn’t say it to be rude, he just wanted to make sure Blaine was somewhere where he felt most comfortable if they were going to talk about something that Kurt knew made him anything but.

It was the word “we” that made Blaine’s heart hurt because what he asked Kurt didn’t affect him, but them. Blaine realized that it wasn’t just him facing his past anymore – he wasn’t alone.

Finding courage, Blaine turned toward Kurt and gave him a small smile. “Inside, if that’s okay?”

Kurt nodded and they both undid their seatbelts and exited the car. Since no one else was outside in the neighborhood, Kurt reached out a hand for Blaine, hoping his boyfriend would take it. When fingers tangled together in a sure grasp, Kurt fought back a wide smile as they headed into the house.

Burt walked into the living room from the kitchen in time to see his son leading someone up the steps. “Hey!” It took a second, but he soon realized the other boy was Blaine. He was not dressed like he was on the cruise the week before and his hair was different, but that was definitely Blaine. Kurt must have done a number on him when they went shopping over the weekend.

Blaine froze in near-terror at the sound of Burt Hummel’s voice. He almost dropped Kurt’s hand, but Kurt just held on tighter as they ground to a halt mid-staircase.

“We’re going upstairs to my room,” Kurt said calmly. When his dad started to interject, Kurt quickly continued. “The door will be wide open. You can yell at me later, but right now Blaine and I really need to talk.” He flashed his dad a look that Burt knew meant I promise I’ll tell you everything but you just need to trust me right now so he exhaled through his nose and nodded. Kurt flashed him a grateful half-smile and tugged on Blaine’s hand, encouraging his boyfriend to keep following him up the steps. Blaine waved awkwardly at Burt.

Once the boys disappeared, Burt shook his head and went back to the kitchen to sit down at the table. Something was obviously wrong for Blaine to look that skittish. There were definitely a lot of questions that he wanted answers to – and soon – but he trusted his son enough to know that whatever it was could wait a little while longer while Kurt and Blaine talked about whatever they needed to talk about. Burt just made a mental note to accidentally walk past Kurt’s room in a little while to make sure everything was okay and to see if there was any way that he could help.

…

Blaine’s mind was racing a mile a minute about his impromptu junior prom proposal that it took him a few minutes to realize that not only was he in Kurt’s house for the first time, but he was in Kurt’s room and sitting on his bed. There wasn’t anything remotely sexual about the situation, but it still made Blaine feel a little dizzy anytime he got such a blatant reminder that he was in a relationship with the beautiful and kindhearted boy that was sitting next to him and that Kurt only just came into his life a little over a week ago.

Their hands were still clasped as the boys sat on the bed. Kurt looked over at Blaine, wishing he would initiate the conversation that needed to happen. He was actually a little surprised when he heard Blaine sigh and start talking a few moments later.

“So, um… about what I asked… at school…” Blaine spoke slowly, stalling a bit to try and get the words right in his head before he spat them out. But when nothing came out for another minute, Kurt decided he should let his boyfriend off the hook.

“We don’t have to go.” Kurt’s words came out softly but were laced with a sadness that he tried desperately not to let show. Even though he knew Blaine didn’t mean to ask him, Kurt felt self-centered because he really did want to go.

Blaine’s eyes slid shut as he scrubbed his free hand up his face and into his hair, breaking through the crust of gel still coating his curls. He felt so selfish that Kurt was so willing to give up something he knew Kurt wanted to do. He felt so embarrassed that he was still so terrified to go to a school dance. He wished he could just be a normal teenager and take his boyfriend to the junior prom without feeling like he wasn’t going to have a panic attack just thinking about it. “Kurt.”

The younger boy shook his head even though he knew Blaine wasn’t looking at him. “No, Blaine. I know you regretted asking me to the dance as soon as the words came out of your mouth.” Kurt was surprised how steady his voice was because on the inside, he was upset. He was partially sad at not going to the dance, but he was mostly wrecked over how scared Blaine was after he realized what he asked. As tortured as Kurt felt sometimes by the jocks, Blaine had been beaten until his body was broken all for going to a school function with another boy. Kurt thought about the “F” on Blaine’s back and wondered if there were more scars – physical or otherwise – that he didn’t know about. “We can have a date night instead. You know, go to the movies or stay in and watch something at home? I can cook us dinner.”

Blaine’s shoulders sagged as he slouched down against the headboard of Kurt’s ridiculously comfortable bed. He forced himself to open his eyes and look at Kurt. He watched as Kurt stared at their joined hands that were resting on the bed in between them. Blaine began rubbing his thumb along Kurt’s knuckles, causing the younger boy to startle for a second before he looked up and they locked eyes. Kurt gave Blaine an encouraging smile; silently telling him it was okay that they weren’t going and that solidified it in Blaine’s mind that they were going to go.

“We’re going.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, we’re not.”

“Kurt, I know you want to,” Blaine said with as much determination as he could.

“Blaine, no!”

Burt had just come up the stairs and could hear the boys arguing through the door Kurt correctly promised was open. It sounded like Blaine was trying to pressure Kurt into something, so Burt was ready to burst in to separate them when he finally heard what they were talking about.

“Kurt, I want to go to the dance with you!”

“No! You’re just saying that because you think it’s what I want, but I don’t!”

“You do too! You told me on the boat!”

Burt stopped mere feet from his son’s doorway. He was relieved that the boys weren’t arguing about sex, but sad to find that they were discussing a school dance that Burt had no idea about in the first place. But apparently Blaine did, and apparently that was something his son mentioned to Blaine the week before – before they were even officially boyfriends. Burt felt a little bad for eavesdropping, but desperately wanted to know why the boys were fighting.

“Well, I changed my mind,” Kurt huffed back.

Blaine scoffed. “Nuh uh. I know you want to go to the dance, Kurt.”

“Fine!” Kurt spat out, but not in spite. “Yes, I want to go to the dance, but you don’t!”

“I do want to go, Kurt! I want to take stupid prom pictures with you and slow dance with you and show everyone at that school that I am as proud to be with you as you say you are to be with me!” Blaine shouted. “I’m just really scared!” Blaine’s eyes widened at his own vocalization of his fears.

The room went silent and Burt stilled, trying to keep himself from making any sort of noise so the boys wouldn’t hear him outside Kurt’s door. Burt heard some rustling of blankets and closed his eyes, telling himself there was no way his kid would do anything inappropriate with the door wide open like that.

Kurt had scooted as close to Blaine as he possibly could, just shy of climbing into his lap. Still holding Blaine’s hand, he clasped his other hand around their woven fingers. When he spoke, his voice was soft and full of understanding. “I know the thought of going to a school dance terrifies you. And as much as I would love to go, I would rather just be with you.”

Tears slipped down Blaine’s cheeks as he leaned his head onto Kurt’s shoulder.

When there was nothing but silence punctuated by soft sniffles, Burt quietly backed away from Kurt’s door and returned downstairs.

…

Kurt and Blaine stayed where they were for a while until Blaine’s breathing steadied and his tears dried up. He knew he should probably get home soon as his parents would likely want to hear about his first day at his new school.

They climbed off of Kurt’s bed and straightened out their clothes. Kurt put his hands up to Blaine’s bowtie and adjusted it so it fell perfectly in line. Blaine smiled at the gesture and leaned in to give Kurt a soft kiss on the cheek, causing Kurt to bite his lip because he was so entirely smitten by his boyfriend.

The two walked hand in hand down the steps as Kurt was planning on walking Blaine to his car. They stopped short just as Blaine was about to turn the doorknob when they heard Burt clear his throat behind them. The boys turned around and saw the home’s patriarch standing there with his arms crossed. He nodded his head toward the living room and then started walking toward his recliner. The boyfriends looked at each other with wide eyes, but then followed Burt. They sat next to each other on the couch, fingers gripped tightly between them.

Burt shifted his gaze between the two boys, not quite sure who to address first. Since Blaine looked more uncomfortable, he figured he would put that kid out his misery. “It’s good to see you again, Blaine. Your family settling in okay?” It took a couple seconds for Burt’s words to register, but Blaine eventually nodded. “Good.” He then shifted around in his chair, wishing he didn’t have to say what he was about to say, but knowing he had to. “Look, I don’t mind you two hanging out here, but there’s some rules you’re gonna have to stick to.”

“Daaaad,” Kurt groaned.

Burt shot his son a look before he kept talking. “One – the bedroom door stays open at all times.” Kurt rolled his eyes while Blaine just nodded quickly. “Two – I don’t mind if you two are over here when no one is home, but you better tell either me or Carole that you’re here. Leave a message. Text us. Something. No sneaking around. Got it?” Kurt clenched his teeth and Blaine’s cheeks began to tint. “And most importantly, if anything, and I mean anything happens to either of you at school – I’m talking bullying, harassment, name calling, whatever – you tell someone.”

Blaine’s head turned from Burt to Kurt and then back to Burt. “Sir, I – we…”

Shaking his head, Burt silently cut off Blaine. “Look, kid, I heard the two of you upstairs and I know things are probably a lot worse than what I’ve been told.” His last few words were directed at Kurt before he shifted his attention back to Blaine. “Your dad told me about what happened to you at your old school. After that dance?” Blaine’s eyes widened, as this was new information to him. “And I’m sorry, Blaine. I am so sorry that happened to you. And you, Kurt,” Burt shifted in his chair to face his son. “I have a feeling you’ve been keeping stuff from me about what goes on at McKinley. I got Finn telling me that kids have been throwing you against the lockers. But there’s more, isn’t there?”

Blaine turned his attention back toward Kurt. From their discussion on their second night on the cruise, he knew there was more and that was part of the reason why Blaine was so scared about going to a dance at McKinley. Kurt felt Blaine’s eyes on him and he turned to see his boyfriend nodding slightly, silently encouraging him to tell his dad the truth.

With a reserved sigh, Kurt swallowed and forced himself to look his dad in the eye. “Yes. There’s more. But it was in the fall, and I didn’t want to worry you since you were just starting to recover after your….” Kurt’s voice was small, not able to even say the words as he tried not to relive that horrifically darker time. “One of the football players… threatened me.” Even though Kurt was still upset about Karofsky forcing himself on him, it wasn’t in his place to out anyone.

Burt leaned forward, staring down his son. “Threatened you how?”

Blaine felt his boyfriend’s hold on his hand get tighter.

“He said,” Kurt started in a soft, but unsteady voice. “He said he would kill me.” For a moment, Blaine thought that Burt Hummel was turning into a demon with the way the man’s eyes flashed with such anger and hatred. Kurt immediately held a hand out and placed it on his dad’s arm, trying to calm him. “Dad, stop, you’re heart!”

“Screw my heart,” Burt growled. “I’m gonna rip that kid apart. You gotta tell me who it was, Kurt.”

Kurt shook his head, “It doesn’t matter, Dad! Just stop, please!”

Blaine chimed in; hoping what he had to say would help Burt calm down. “Sir, my dad said he was going to go to the school board to see about the bullying problems at McKinley. He thought maybe you wanted to go with him.” The Hummel men froze and both turned toward Blaine who forced himself not to shrink back at the rapt attention. “It’s just that Kurt told me about… about what happened and I got scared” Blaine looked at Kurt apologetically before he continued talking. “That’s why I didn’t tell you I was going to McKinley right away – because I didn’t want to end up in the hospital again. I didn’t want to be apart from you, though, so I stuck with the transfer. But then all this dance stuff was a lot to handle. I mean, I thought today went really well, but I figured that was because only your friends know about us. Once the whole school finds out… then I might get attacked.” Blaine shook his head, embarrassed about his fears.

“Do you not want to be out?” Kurt asked quietly. “Like, at school?”

Not wanting to interrupt this seemingly private conversation the boys were having in front of him, Burt quietly sat back in his chair. He was still seething from all the new information he was still processing, but he thought better than to say something while Blaine and Kurt were working out a situation that he could never fully understand.

“No, no, no, no,” Blaine said quickly as he situated himself on the couch so he was completely facing his boyfriend. “I don’t want to hide us or what we have. I mean, I don’t think we should make out in the middle of class or anything, but I want to hold your hand as we walk down the hall. I’m going to dance with you at our prom this weekend. I just wish I didn’t feel like I have to be on the lookout for bats or knives.”

Kurt’s eyes immediately found the scar on Blaine’s forehead and his heart hurt by how brave his boyfriend was. He wanted to lean forward and place a gentle kiss over the raised line, but thought better of it because he knew his dad was watching. Instead, Kurt gave Blaine a sad smile before looking over at his dad.

“Tell your dad to give me a call later, Blaine. Hopefully we can get a meeting with the school board this week. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you kids are safe at that dance, okay?”

Blaine nodded, his insides churning because of the excitement of going to prom with Kurt and the shear terror in anticipation of a repeat of the aftermath of the Sadie Hawkins dance. He looked at Kurt and wordless communicated that he needed to get going for real this time. Kurt nodded and the two of them got up from the couch. Burt gave them a few steps head start before he rose from his chair.

The boyfriends wrapped each other in a close hug in front of the door. Blaine sighed into the embrace, feeling so safe in Kurt’s arms. When they parted, Blaine was a little surprised to see Burt watching them.

Before Blaine could say anything, Burt fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out two business cards, handing them to Blaine. The Hummel Tires & Lube logo stared back at Blaine as he held the cards. “Give one of those to your dad so we can talk about that meeting with the board. You keep the other one, though, okay?” Blaine looked up and saw Burt looking at him. The kind look in Mr. Hummel’s eyes let Blaine know that it was implied he could call Burt if ever there was a need. Kurt watched the exchange between two of the people he most cared about and felt like the luckiest person in the world.

Blaine nodded, grateful for the support of his boyfriend’s father. He held out a hand for Burt to shake. “Thank you, sir.”

With a chuckle, Burt shook his head as he took Blaine’s hand. “I told ya kid, you can call me Burt.”

A shy smile broke out across Blaine’s face as he nodded. “Yes, sir. I mean, Burt.” Kurt chuckled at his boyfriend’s expense because it was becoming a constant source of amusement when Blaine got embarrassed around his dad.

Since Burt was still standing there, Kurt and Blaine didn’t get a chance to kiss goodbye. Instead they shared a longing look and smiled when they remembered they would see each other the next morning at school.

Once Blaine left the house, Kurt snaked an arm around his dad’s waist and gave him a sideways hug.

“Looks like you’re going to prom, kid.”

Kurt beamed.

…

During dinner, Blaine kept conversation about school fairly light. He told his parents about his classes and how his glee club audition went. Vanessa was glad to see the return of the bowtie, though she scrunched her nose at the amount of product her son had slathered over his hair. Perhaps she needed to hide his gel again. But, it was nice to hear he had a good first day and she hoped things continued to go that smoothly. However, what she didn’t realize was that Blaine purposefully did not mention the he school dance because he wanted to talk about that with his dad later when he gave him Burt’s business card.

After dessert, Vanessa stepped out for a walk around the block when Ethan offered to do the dishes. Blaine figured this would be a good time as any to talk with his dad. Ethan noticed his son wandering around the kitchen, still getting used to the layout of their new home. He smiled when Blaine eventually jumped up onto the counter like when he was a little boy, kicking his legs a little since they were nowhere near long enough to reach the floor.

Ethan scrubbed the dishes in silence with only the sound of Blaine’s feet hitting the cupboards interrupting every now and again. He knew Blaine probably wanted to talk about something but was used to waiting his youngest son out.

When Ethan was down to the last of the silverware, Blaine finally spoke up. “Um, Dad?”

“Yeah bud?”

Blaine’s feet continued to drum out an erratic rhythm against the wood. “I know I didn’t ask, but I went to Kurt’s house for a little after school today.” Ethan knew there was more to the story than that so he kept quiet. “And, uh, I kind of accidentally asked him to the junior prom.” The oldest Anderson’s eyebrows rose, but he kept his focus on the sudsy water below so as not to break Blaine’s sharing. “But we got into a fight because he said I just was asking him to go because he wants to go, but that I don’t want to go. But I do want to go, I just… Fuck.” Blaine apologized quickly. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I really want to take him to the dance because he’s my boyfriend, but I keep thinking that when we go, we’re going to get hurt.”

Nodding, Ethan looked up to find his son shaking his head at himself. “Are you guys still fighting?”

“What?” Blaine asked as his attention focused on his dad’s face. “Oh, no. We’re not. But you know how you mentioned going to talk to the school board about the bullying problem at McKinley?” Ethan nodded. “Well, I told Kurt’s dad about it and he’d really like to go with you. He gave me, um,” Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out Burt’s business card. “He gave me this to give to you.” Blaine set the card on the counter near the sink, as his dad’s hands were still submerged in the water. “He said you could call him later and hoped that the two of you could figure out a time to meet with the school board.”

Ethan looked from the card back up to his son’s waiting eyes. “Is this something you want me to do?” He would do anything to protect his son, but Blaine would always get a say before Ethan took action.

Blaine nodded. “I’m taking Kurt to the prom this weekend.” His voice wasn’t as confident as he hoped, but he was going to do this for Kurt.

“All right. Well, I’ll call Burt when I’m finished with these,” Ethan said as he motioned his head toward the remaining dishes in the sink. “And you’ll need to talk to your mother when she gets home.” Blaine gave him a questioning look. “I don’t know shit about boutonnières.”

 ...

SATURDAY

Kurt woke up the morning of junior prom with a huge smile on his face. He couldn’t believe that he was actually going to be going to a school dance with a date – and not just a date, with his boyfriend.

It had been a trying week for everyone, but Kurt was confidant that all the obstacles they faced were only going to make the night that much better.

He watched Blaine take his first slushie to the face on Tuesday. It sounds terrible, but he was grateful that it happened after glee rehearsal and not during the school day. Kurt felt bad for not warning Blaine to have a spare change of clothes in his locker for such an occasion, but his boyfriend took it in stride.

They were walking back to Blaine’s locker because he forgot the book he was supposed to read that night for an English assignment. Since no one else was in the hallway, Kurt and Blaine’s hands were linked and they were chatting happily, Blaine telling Kurt how excited his mom was that they were going to prom. They didn’t even hear the football jocks sneak up behind them until it was too late.

“Hey lady boys,” Karofsky said smugly. “I miss one day of school after break and the queer population multiplied.

Kurt rolled his eyes as he held tight to Blaine’s hand while turning to look at his bully. He saw a red slushie in Karofsky’s hand and sighed. “Leave us alone, David.”

Karofsky and his teammates laughed at Kurt’s request. The jocks stood their ground as Karofsky raked his eyes over Blaine, sizing up the new kid. “So, is this your little boyfriend, Hummel? He looks thirsty.”

Before Kurt could block Blaine, Karofsky threw the contents of the slushie cup all over the smaller boy’s face and shirtfront.

Blaine was pretty sure he had just gotten smacked in the face with an iceberg. The red dye stung his eyes and chunks of slushie dripped down his face and down his neck, causing him to shiver while they seeped through his collar and cardigan.

Blindly, Blaine was dragged by Kurt into the nearest bathroom. Kurt told him to hold still for a second and Blaine heard the clicks of Kurt’s camera phone. After being promised repeatedly that the pictures were for evidence purposes only and would not end up on Instagram or Facebook, Kurt handed Blaine some paper towels to start cleaning himself off. Once he wiped the slushie from his face and could open his eyes, Blaine realized they were in the girl’s bathroom. Kurt could only shrug and offer a look of empathy.

With shaking fingers, cold from the icy beverage, Blaine managed to unbutton his sweater and shrug it off his shoulders. He handed the garment to Kurt who had by then gotten the sink to the proper temperature. With a travel-sized stain remover, Kurt got to work getting the dye out of Blaine’s top before it set. In a small voice, Kurt mentioned to Blaine that he should probably take his polo shirt off too if he didn’t want that to stain either.

Sighing through his nose, Blaine untucked his shirt and yanked it over his head before handing it to his boyfriend. Even though it would have been so easy to stare, Kurt kept his eyes locked on Blaine’s as he took the shirt. Blaine crossed his arms over his exposed chest and paced the bathroom, wondering aloud if that would still happen after their dads’ talked to the school board the following day.

On Wednesday morning, Burt Hummel and Ethan Anderson marched into their meeting with the school board ready to kick ass and take names.

Though they had decided that Ethan would do most of the talking since he could throw legal terms in the board members’ faces if need be, Burt almost lost his cool when they were asked what kind of bullying was going on at McKinley.

Burt’s voice got louder and louder as he described how his kid would get shoved against lockers and thrown in dumpsters. When a school board member suggested that maybe Kurt tone back his wardrobe or not act so gay at school, Burt started pointing fingers, telling the board members that his kid shouldn’t have to change who he is because some other kid isn’t comfortable with him being queer as a three-dollar bill.

Ethan put a hand on Burt’s back and Burt stepped aside, letting him approach the board members with photographs showing how their kids get bullied at school. He pulled up a picture on his phone of his son from the day before, covered with slushie on his second day at McKinley. When that didn’t seem to faze anyone in the room, Ethan went to his briefcase and took out a folder of 8x10s from when Blaine was hospitalized at his old public school.

A hush fell over the room as the board members were forced to look at close ups of Blaine’s broken and bruised body. Pictures of him lying in traction were interspersed with photos of the stitches on the cut on his hairline and the jagged F that will forever be carved into his back. Burt felt sick to his stomach. It was one thing to hear Ethan tell him about Blaine’s injuries, but another to see the fresh proof. How anyone could hurt these boys was beyond him. Looking around the room, Burt could tell some of the board members were horrified, but others were less sympathetic. It dawned on him that some of these people were homophobic and likely thought Blaine and Kurt deserved the treatment they got.

Burt was afraid that the school board wasn’t going to do anything about the bullying at McKinley because Blaine’s injuries happened to him in a different school district. Ethan seemed to be on the same page and mentioned that these pictures could have been from any kid at any school.

One of the nonplused school board members rolled her eyes and asked what they could possibly do. Bullying was a part of growing up and even if they tried to put an end to it, bullies were still going to find a way to pick on other kids. Burt countered with the fact that his kid shouldn’t be receiving death threats at school.

That got the board’s attention. A child’s death due to the inaction of the school board, faculty or staff would destroy the community. Burt and Ethan were asked to leave the room while the board debated on what should be done about the bullying at McKinley. When the fathers were called back, they were pleased to find the board had voted in favor of a mandatory anti-bully campaign. Though it was a far cry from the zero-tolerance harassment policy in place at Dalton, Ethan thought the proposed plan had promise and that his son and boyfriend could potentially feel safe at their own school.

Even though there was an announcement about the consequences of bullying during a morning assembly, Blaine and Kurt both got slushied on Thursday after lunch. They had just bought their tickets to junior prom and were walking back to Kurt’s locker to switch out his books for his afternoon classes. As Kurt was shutting his locker, both he and Blaine were doused with purple beverages.

“That’s for thinking you can spread your fairy dust at our prom.”

Kurt opened his locked to grab the towel and bag of clothes he kept in there for just such an occasion when he heard the principal yell in their general direction.

“Azimio and other football jocks, get in my office immediately! Gay students Hummel and Anderson, please accept my apologies on behalf of the public schools of Lima. This will not happen again.”

Blaine and Kurt stood shivering in the hallway, knowing their peers were watching them. Though no one came to their assistance, they weren’t called any additional names. Hand in hand, they walked into the nearest bathroom and then peeled off their shirts, grateful the slushies only hit their backs and that their pants, socks and shoes were spared. They laughed when Kurt commented that he’s seen Blaine with less clothes on at school since they started going out.

Side by side, they leaned over the sink and scrubbed their shirts, able to get most of the purple dye out. Blaine realized he didn’t have his extra shirt on him, but Kurt said there should be something in his bag that would probably fit Blaine. It was a lot odd to be standing shirtless with his boyfriend in the bathroom, but Kurt didn’t feel as self-conscious as he would have thought. It helped that Blaine made flirty remarks about his lightly freckled skin from the cruise and told Kurt that he was the most handsome person he had ever seen in his entire life. Kurt smiled shyly and told Blaine that he was beautiful, feeling empowered by their mutual attraction and affection for each other.

Blaine then sat on the floor trying to locate the shirt that Kurt was talking about that might fit him. Kurt looked down at his boyfriend and saw the “F” stretch in the hideous fluorescent light as Blaine’s shoulder and back muscles flexed while he dug around in the clothes bag. Though the scar was an ugly reminder of one of the worst moments in Blaine’s life, it didn’t stop him from moving forward.

When Blaine caught Kurt staring at him, he flashed his boyfriend a questioning look. Kurt just shook his head and said he was so proud of Blaine and couldn’t wait to be seen with him at the dance on Saturday. Blaine blushed hard and pulled out a red checked shirt, asking if that was the one Kurt thought might fit him. Kurt nodded, knowing it was going to be a little too wide for Blaine’s slim torso, but he secretly couldn’t wait to see Blaine wearing his clothes.

On Friday, Blaine went over to Kurt’s house again after school as Kurt had put the finishing touches on his prom outfit and wanted to make sure Blaine was okay with it in case any last minute alterations needed to be made.

Blaine was sitting in the living room with Finn and Burt listening to Burt tell stories about his own prom when Kurt waltzed into the room wearing an expertly tailored suit jacket, a kilt and knee-high boots. Both Blaine and Burt’s eyebrows slid up, but Finn grinned and toasted his milk glass at his stepbrother, claiming he looked like “Gay Braveheart.” Finn’s support was most welcome, Kurt was really only looking for the stamp of approval from his boyfriend.

Though Kurt looked beyond amazing in his prom outfit, Blaine’s heart began to race (but not in a good way). Yes, his boyfriend was basically asking him how his ass looked (fantastic), but Blaine couldn’t help but worry that Kurt wearing a kilt to honor the late Alexander McQueen would be misconstrued as Kurt wearing a skirt to flaunt his assets in front of the school’s bullies, practically daring them to make fun of him or beat him up at the dance.

It turned out that Blaine didn’t have to voice his opinion because Burt did it for him. He told his son that he wanted him to be himself, but to not purposefully stir the pot. But, when Blaine saw that Kurt genuinely did not think about the repercussions of wearing a kilt and only saw the designer-obsessed look in his eyes, Blaine knew that Kurt didn’t make that outfit for the sole purpose of rubbing his gayness in everyone’s face; he was honestly just trying to pay homage to his favorite designer.

Upset at his dad’s reaction and boyfriend’s lack of reaction, Kurt ran out of the room and upstairs. When Burt went to follow his son, Blaine put a hand on Burt’s arm and asked Burt if he could go instead. With a sigh, Burt nodded and let Blaine go.

Blaine knocked softly on Kurt’s door and asked if he could come in. When Kurt mumbled yes, Blaine entered the room and made sure to leave the door open, but only a few inches. He knew that was probably enough in Burt’s eyes, but Blaine wanted to give his boyfriend a sense of privacy while they talked.

Kurt’s suit jacket was already back on its hanger, so he was sitting on his bed decked out in a tight white undershirt and his kilt. He was bent over, trying to yank his boots off, though Blaine could tell they needed to be unlaced all the way before they were going to go anywhere. He crossed over to where Kurt was seated and knelt on the floor, asking if he could help. Kurt gave up his losing battles with his boots and threw his hands up, giving Blaine permission to loosen the knot that had formed.

Slowly, Blaine untangled the laces, taking great care to not make the knot worse than it already was. He spoke softly, telling his boyfriend that he couldn’t believe how amazing he looked in his prom outfit and that he could tell Kurt obviously spent a lot of time and care on it. When Kurt grumbled that it was all a waste, Blaine paused what he was doing and looked up at his boyfriend through thick lashes. The older boy gently demanded Kurt look at him and though it took a few seconds, he eventually did. Blaine asked Kurt to trust him when he said that his outfit was gorgeous and that if that was what he wanted to wear to prom the next night, then that’s exactly what he should wear.

It wasn’t an easy sell, though. Kurt admitted that his dad had a point and that it probably wasn’t the best idea to draw so much attention to themselves when Blaine was already uncomfortable going to begin with. Blaine shook his head, saying that with Kurt by his side and the newly established anti-bullying rules that were supposedly being strictly enforced, he wasn’t nearly as scared as he once was. The truth was, though, Blaine was still terrified. But, he and his parents had been reassured by school officials and approached by members of the school board the past couple days who swore that he and Kurt would be safe at the dance and he really wanted to believe that was the case.

Blaine finally got the knot out of Kurt’s lace and was able to remove Kurt’s boots. Feeling bold, Blaine ran a hand up Kurt’s leg though he stopped at his knee. Both boys blushed something fierce, but Kurt started to giggle. Blaine questioned his boyfriend’s laughter and Kurt revealed that he was so scared of flashing people that he had three layers on underneath his kilt so if Blaine thought he was going to get a show, he was sorely mistaken. At that, Blaine scrambled up onto the bed next to Kurt and stared into his boyfriend’s eyes. They whispered hellos to each other before leaning in and capturing each other’s lips in a tender kiss. Blaine’s arms wrapped around Kurt’s back and his hands splayed out against the tight white shirt, feeling Kurt’s muscles contract under his touch. Kurt’s hands found Blaine’s cheek and neck, fingers working into the curls behind Blaine’s ears that had snuck out of their gelled confinement.

A shout from Carole downstairs saying that dinner was ready forced the boys to part. Blaine knew he had to get home, but they smiled knowing they would see each other the following night. Blaine hoped the dance turned out to be everything Kurt ever wanted.

On Saturday morning, Kurt rolled around in his bed, excited to see Blaine in a tux for the first time and anxious to see the looks on his friends faces when he and his boyfriend were ultimately the best dressed couple at the dance.

The morning and early afternoon were a blur of last minute preparation. Kurt fielded calls from the girls in the glee club, offering advice on what jewelry to wear and how to fix up-dos that weren’t keeping their hold.

Blaine’s day was more low-key, though his frantically beating heart would have argued otherwise. To try and keep his nerves down, Ethan had taken his son to the park to throw around a football for a while; giving him a chance to let out some of the pent-up energy he had about that night. After running a handful of passes they planned to unleash on Cooper and Ethan’s brother during that Thanksgiving’s annual Anderson Family Football Tournament, Ethan treated Blaine to pizza at a local pizza place Burt told him about earlier in the week.

The Anderson men munched on their slices in comfortable silence. Ethan could tell that Blaine was trying his best to keep himself calm. He wished there was some sort of advice he could pass along to his son, but he honestly had no idea what Blaine was going through. Sure, Ethan was scared for his own son, but he had never been through the physical assault that Blaine had and really had no idea how much emotional scarring that Sadie Hawkins Dance had on him. The best Ethan could do was tell his son that he was proud of him and that if he needed anything, to let him know and he would be there in a heartbeat. Blaine smiled and thanked his dad for the offer, knowing full well that if he asked his dad to wait in the parking lot the whole time, he would. But Blaine wanted to do this alone for himself and for Kurt. There were going to be chaperones there and if anything got out of hand, Blaine and Kurt already made a pact to leave on the spot.

Kurt was coming over to Blaine’s house for pictures around 6:00 so they could head over to the dance together for 7:00. They opted not to go out to dinner with the rest of the glee kids beforehand because Kurt didn’t want to deal with their drama. It was his and Blaine’s night and he refused to let anyone else ruin what he hoped was going to be a perfect time with his boyfriend.

It took Kurt a couple hours to get ready that afternoon. He showered, did his skincare routine and then spent probably an hour on his hair. He wasn’t happy until it was styled just right, but once he finally got it the way he wanted it, he used enough hairspray to tear another hole in the ozone layer. He took great care putting on his kilt, though only wore two layers underneath because it was hard to move around with three. When tying up his boots, he made sure to keep the laces from tangling and managed to get them laced all the way up to the top at the perfect tightness. Spinning around several times in front of his full-length mirror, Kurt was beyond pleased with his outfit. Blaine’s mom insisted on making their boutonnières and he had a feeling they would be beautiful, but part of him worried that they would clash or throw off the balance of his outfit.

When Burt shouted up the stairs that it was time for them to get going or they’d be late, Kurt looked at his reflection and gave himself a quick pep talk. He was going to prom. He was going to prom with his boyfriend. No matter what, he was with Blaine and that’s all that mattered.

Blaine didn’t start getting ready until 5:30, but he somehow was still ready with a few minutes to spare before Kurt got there. He jumped in the shower and washed the sweat off him from football. Taking an extra minute while he shaved, Blaine was pleased when he managed not to nick himself on the neck like he usually did. He combed some gel through his hair, making sure not to use too much because Kurt had hinted multiple times that he hoped Blaine would leave his hair curly for the dance. After he was done in the bathroom, Blaine threw on his tux that still fit him like a glove because he hadn’t had a growth spurt since the last time he wore it. The shoulders and chest were a tad more snug that usual, but Blaine grinned at himself in the mirror, hoping the tight fit would please his boyfriend.

Once his shoes were tied, Blaine slid his wallet in his pocket before bounding down the stairs. He almost crashed into his mom who was standing in the foyer waiting for him. Upon seeing her baby boy looking so handsome and grown up in his prom outfit, Vanessa smiled and tears came to her eyes. She straightened his skinny black tie and gushed over how he looked like he should be stepping onto a red carpet or something. Blaine beamed, feeling good that he looked good – hoping he looked good enough to be standing next to his fashion icon of a boyfriend.

The doorbell rang and Blaine yanked open the door to find perfection personified standing in front of him. They exchanged wide smiles and gawked at the other; each in utter disbelief that this was happening and that he was dating the hottest guy at school.

Vanessa said hello to Burt over their sons’ shoulders and called out to Ethan that they would be in the garden and if he could grab the box that was in the fridge.

As they walked down the front steps to the yard where Vanessa was instructing them to stand for their pictures, Kurt slid a hand into Blaine’s. They squeezed at each other’s fingers, each whispering to the other that he looked incredible and breathtaking.

Ethan joined them soon thereafter handing his wife the box she had asked for. As she opened the box and Kurt saw the gorgeous boutonnières she made, she told them she hoped these were okay. Blaine just smiled, not really caring what his mom was pinning onto his lapel, but Kurt showered Vanessa with praise, telling her that they were perfect and thanking her repeatedly for making these beautiful boutonnières for them.

Once their flowers were in place, Vanessa, Ethan and Burt stood part way across the lawn so they could take pictures of their boys. Kurt laughed when his father tried to figure out the camera on his phone while Vanessa had a professional Canon in her hands. She began clicking away, telling Burt that she would gladly burn a CD and DVD of all the pictures for him and Carole. Ethan stood back, watching his wife at work. He knew better than to chime in with anything, as she was definitely the creative and artistic one between the two of them. It made him overjoyed seeing his wife snapping away while his son smiled wider than he had in years.

Burt gave up trying to take pictures once Vanessa started directing the boys to pose certain ways or look at each other with different feelings. He pocketed his phone and made his way over to Ethan.

“Our kids look good together,” Burt said quietly.

“Yep,” Ethan agreed before he sighed. “Thank you for raising Kurt the way you did. Your son is a godsend. I was beginning to think we’d never see Blaine this happy ever again.”

Burt shook his head. “I can’t take all the credit. His mother was a saint.” He laughed as Vanessa instructed the boys to make silly faces at each other. “She would have loved Blaine, you know. You got a great kid there.”

The fathers were interrupted when Vanessa waved them over to get pictures with their sons. Each man was proud to be surrounded by the others, grateful to be among people he admired.

…

The parents waved goodbye as their sons drove off in Blaine’s Audi. Each boy had received multiple warnings of not drinking, being aware of his surroundings, and to call if he needed anything but make sure to have fun. Blaine and Kurt assured their parent(s) that responsible fun would be had and that they would be back to the house by 11:30. Burt was staying over at the Andersons’ house for dinner and Carole would meet him there after she was done with her shift at the hospital. They were going to drive Kurt home once the boys got back to Blaine’s house.

Kurt and Blaine were grateful for their parent(s) concerns, but were glad to be in the car driving toward the school so they could be alone for a few minutes.

The drive was silent except for the music playing softly from the car’s radio. Kurt was smiling to himself, excited and still in some disbelief that they were actually going to the dance. He rocked side to side in his seat; needing to move or else he would explode. The rocking stopped, however, when Blaine pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a Dress Barn. Kurt immediately jumped to the conclusion that Blaine was backing out of the dance. Though he thought there was a fraction of a chance this might happen, it didn’t hurt any less.

Before Kurt could ask Blaine what was wrong, Blaine shut off the car and turned toward Kurt. “I know what you’re thinking, but I promise you I will start the car back up in a minute and drive us to the dance.” Kurt, though confused, nodded because he believed Blaine to be telling the truth. “I just wanted to tell you without anyone else around that you are amazing, Kurt. And it’s not just the outfit – which, God, Kurt, that outfit is stunning – but you. You are amazing, Kurt. You amaze me. And I am still scared out of my mind about tonight, but at the same time I feel so safe because I’m with you. And I just needed to tell you that.”

Kurt’s mouth had dropped open around the time when Blaine said that he was amazing and he hadn’t been able to shut it because the words that kept falling from his boyfriend’s lips were among the nicest things anybody had ever said to him.

Blaine went to turn the car back on, but Kurt reached over and stopped his hand. The older boy looked down at Kurt’s hand on his and then over toward his boyfriend, finding a sparkle in his eyes. “No, Blaine,” Kurt said softly. “You don’t get to say all those things and then start the car before I have a chance to say something.” Kurt unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned across the console. His eyes closed a moment before his mouth found Blaine’s. Kurt felt Blaine sigh into the kiss, a small sound of pure joy sounding from the back of his throat. After gently pulling at Blaine’s bottom lip, Kurt pulled away and sat back down in his seat. He clicked his seatbelt back into place and watched Blaine recover from their kiss. His cheeks were flushed and his bottom lip was slightly swollen. “You’re amazing too,” Kurt said with a sly look in his eyes. “You may start your engine, Mr. Anderson.” Blaine gulped as he nodded, fumbling to turn his key.

…

They arrived at the dance shortly after it started. After handing over their tickets at the door, Kurt and Blaine walked through the gymnasium doors to find themselves surrounded by sparkling crepe paper and hundreds of mylar balloons. Hand in hand, they made their way toward the stage, knowing they had to check in with Mr. Schuester since they still had to perform throughout the night.

Kurt wasn’t surprised when Blaine didn’t want to dance much even though that was something that he kept promising throughout the week. Blaine would gladly join in when they were dancing as a group with their friends, but shied away when it came to slow dances. They had gotten a number of glares from their peers when they walked in holding hands and Kurt knew Blaine was afraid that someone would say something or start something if the two of them danced together. Though it was disappointing to be at a dance and not able to dance with just his boyfriend, Kurt understood Blaine’s reticence and respected it. He was thankful to be at the dance with his boyfriend to begin with, he wasn’t going to ruin their night.

Kurt and Blaine’s solos went well and their group numbers were fun. Blaine really enjoyed singing “No Scrubs” and “What Makes You Beautiful” with a handful of the other glee guys and found it really encouraging when the girls in the crowd were screaming for them as if they were an actual boyband.

Halfway through the dance, Principal Figgins got up on stage to announce the winner of Junior Prom King and Queen. Since Kurt and Blaine were not in the running, they found a spot near the back of the crowd where they could have some privacy while still being able to see their friends who had been nominated.

As Principal Figgins read the names of the guys who were up for King, Blaine nuzzled his nose into Kurt’s neck and whispered that he was so happy to be by Kurt’s side and that Kurt should have been up there. Kurt giggled at his boyfriend’s sappiness but then groaned when it was announced that David Karofsky was their Junior Prom King. Kurt refused to clap as his bully made his way on stage to accept his crown.

Once the crowd settled down, Principal Figgins listed off the girls who were competing for Junior Prom Queen. Kurt paid a little more attention as some of the girls in the glee club were up there and he wanted to see if one of them won. However, Principal Figgins announced there was a write-in candidate and the winner of Junior Prom Queen was Kurt Hummel.

Blaine felt Kurt still in his arms and prayed that he misheard what the principal said. But, when a spotlight landed on Kurt’s face and everyone in the room turned around to look at Kurt, Blaine knew it was real. Before he could say anything, Kurt tore himself from Blaine’s grasp and ran out the door. Blaine followed, steps behind, yelling out his boyfriend’s name.

“Kurt, wait!” Blaine called out as he chased the younger boy down a deserted hallway.

Kurt finally stopped in front of some lockers before turning around and lashing out at Blaine. “Don’t you get it? They might not be able to hit me or throw me into a dumpster anymore, but they can still tear me down by secret ballot! I’m still just some stupid joke to them.” He was so upset he didn’t even bother trying to stop the tears that were streaming down his face. “Anti-bullying policy, my ass. I’m sorry you had to come here, Blaine.”

Blaine reached out a hand to Kurt’s shoulder, hoping bis boyfriend wouldn’t shy away from him. When Kurt didn’t flinch, Blaine closed his arms around Kurt in a protective hug. “Kurt,” Blaine whispered softly. “Shh, hey,” he murmured as he rubbed circles on his boyfriend’s back, hoping to ease his sobs. “Our classmates are assholes, yes. But don’t you apologize for me being stuck at this stupid school because I get to be here with you.” Blaine planted a kiss to Kurt’s temple. “And your life is far from a joke. You are going to go on and be the best…” Blaine realized he had no idea what Kurt wanted to be when he grew up, but luckily Kurt supplied the answer for him.

“Fashion designer and Broadway star,” Kurt mumbled through hiccups and tears.

“The best fashion designer and Broadway star,” Blaine repeated as he kept rubbing Kurt’s back, “that this world has ever known. And those idiots who voted for you are still going to be walking around Lima, Ohio wearing ill fitting pants and… ugly shoes.” Kurt practically snorted with laughter into Blaine’s shoulder, which made Blaine smile that he said something that helped even just a little bit. “Kurt, you are the one of the strongest people I know. Please don’t let a bunch of eleventh-grade mouth breathers get you down. They don’t deserve your tears.” Kurt nodded and sniffled very loudly in Blaine’s ear. “Or your snot.” That caused Kurt to giggle. Blaine released his hold on Kurt and pulled back far enough so they could look each other in the eye. “Do you want to go? We don’t have to stay.”

Though Kurt’s eyes were glassy, Blaine could see a determined look behind his tears and knew in a heartbeat what Kurt’s answer was going to be.

“No,” Kurt said firmly. “No, I’m going to go back in there and accept my crown.” He wiped at his cheeks, clearing them of any stray tears. “They can’t touch me. They can’t touch us.”

Blaine smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt’s cheek. “That’s my man,” he whispered into his boyfriend’s ear.

Hand in hand, they walked back into the gym. Both boys were a little surprised that everyone was exactly where they were standing when Kurt ran out of the room a few minutes before. Slowly, they made their way through the crowd, keeping their eyes forward though they could feel the stares and glares of the other people in the room. Once they got near the stage, Blaine gave Kurt’s hand a gentle squeeze before he let go.

Shoulders back and head held high, Kurt walked onto the stage and up to the principal who placed the queen’s crown onto Kurt’s head. With a controlled sigh, Kurt also accepted the queen’s scepter before turning toward the rest of the attendees and musing into the microphone, “Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton.” From his spot in the background, David Karofsky rolled his eyes.

Blaine broke into a wide grin, extremely proud of his boyfriend for handling such a terrible situation with such aplomb. He was surprised when people around him started clapping and cheering for Kurt, but he quickly joined in. Kurt curtsied on stage and gave his boyfriend a wink.

However, the brief moments of lighthearted humor were quickly quashed when Principal Figgins announced that the newly crowned King and Queen would share in the traditional dance. Kurt’s eyes widened as a drummer on stage started playing and a guitar player strummed the opening bars of the Smokey Robinson classic “Cruisin’.”

Even though he thought it was wrong, Artie wheeled himself out toward the front of the stage and started singing. “Baby let’s cruise…”

“Away from heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere,” Mercedes joined in.

“Don’t be confused,” Artie continued.

“The way is cleeeeeeeeeeear,” Mercedes sang.

As his friends sang next to him, Kurt watched as David stepped down off the stage and into the center of the floor. Kurt followed, unsure of what was about to happen. He didn’t want to dance with Karofsky, but it seemed like they kind of had to in keeping with tradition.

Once they were both in the middle of the floor, Kurt turned to David. He was surprised to see the jock looking extremely scared instead of angry. Kurt suspected David was gay after he forced himself upon Kurt in the locker room in the fall and thought for a fraction of a second the other boy would use this as an opportunity to be honest with himself. Trying to be a bigger man in the given situation, Kurt held out a hand to David, willing to put aside their differences and dance.

David, though, took one look at Kurt’s offered hand and shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to Kurt with genuine pain in his voice. “I can’t.” He walked off, tearing the crown from his head as he made his way to the exit.

Kurt was left standing alone in the middle of the floor, rejected and embarrassed. He slowly lowered his arm to his side, wishing the music would stop and that he could just beam himself as far away as possible.

Just as the chorus was about to kick in again, Kurt heard someone clear his throat behind him.

“Um, excuse me,” a familiar voice said just loud enough for Kurt to hear over the song. Kurt turned around to find Blaine holding a shaky hand out in his direction. “May I have this dance?”

There was legitimate fear in Blaine’s eyes and in his heart, but he wanted to do this for Kurt as much as he needed to do this for himself.

Kurt smiled and nodded, helping ease Blaine’s nerves. “Yes. Yes you may.”

As soon as Kurt’s hand closed around Blaine’s, the older boy was able to breath again. Soon their hands were gripping each other’s backs while their other was clasped around Kurt’s scepter. Having never really properly danced with anyone else, it took a few steps for them to fall into an easy rhythm.

They only had eyes for each other as their friends continued to serenade them.

Baby, tonight belongs to us

Everything's right, do what you must

And inch-by-inch we get closer and closer

To every little part of each other

Ooh, baby, yeah, so

Let the music take your mind

Just release and you would find

Your gonna fly away, glad you're going way

I love it when we're cruisin' together

Music is playin' for love

Cruisin' is made for love

I love it when we're cruisin' together

The End