Chapter 16


Turns out the trail was canceled. They decided to postpone it for now so Kurt could get some help. 

His arm was healing however, he wasn't. Kurt was on some kind of antidepressants for the time being. He would be going to rehab in a week and he was terrified. He didn't know what to expect or who to expect really. 

He just wanted Blaine. He didn't want to tell a stranger all his problems. He didn't want to sleep in someone else's bed. He didn't want to be so far away from his friends and family.


~o0o~

Blaine was helping Kurt pack his suit case for the big day next week. He hated seeing his boyfriend so miserable. 

Blaine missed bubbly Kurt. He missed Kurt's smiles and Kurt's load of energy. Now, Kurt is just numb. 

He doesn't go out with his friends. Outfits that were once bright and colorful are now sweatpants and a old mckinley sweatshirt. There is lack of snarky remarks, which is almost disheartening. Those big blue eyes? Yeah they were barley open anymore because all Kurt does is sleep.

Not typical Kurt behavior.

His singing was more subdued, and he had been wearing his hair in a looser style, allowing it to fall into a more natural side part, looking much younger and "cuter" and much more free. Looser.

Not typical Kurt behavior.

Kurt's conversations reduced to "Yeah" or "No" or "Maybe" or "not right now." He was cranky most of the time and each breath seems so, so important. As if at any moment he would keel over and die. It was unnerving.

"Hey Kurt baby? Can you wake up?" Blaine asked gently combing his fingers threw Kurt's loose mane. 

Kurt moaned as he rolled over covering his head with the blanket. 

"Come on love." Blaine said kissing his forehead. "Let's go to the mall."

"M too tired." Kurt mumbled. 

"If you don't get up I might have to call the tickle monster." He teased. 

"Don't you dare." Kurt said dead serious. 

"1...2...3!" Blaine smirked before ripping off the covers and tickling under Kurt's neck were he was most ticklish. 

Kurt didn't want to but he laughed. "S-Stop!" He gasped before he went into another fit of giggles. 

"Huh would you look at that? It seems like a great day to go to the mall right Kurt?" Blaine asked pinning Kurt's arms down.

"No."

"Ok." Blaine said before tickling him again.

"Haha! Stop!" Kurt smiled gasping.

Blaine didn't want to stop tickling. It's the first time he saw Kurt smile since the hospital. He was so beautiful when he smiled. "Mall?"

"Never." 

"M'kay this calls for drastic measures." Blaine stuck out his tongue licking the side of Kurt's face. 

"Ew! Blaine cut the shit. I just washed my face." 

"Oh you did? Ops!" He said repeating his action. 

"Ugh! You asshole." Kurt tried to move his arms but Blaine was to strong. "Hahaha! Stop Blaine! Your such a freak!"

"Hey you wanna go to the mall?" Blaine grinned. 

"No!" 

"Ok you asked for it." 

"Blaine Devon Anderson what on gods green earth are you doing?" Kurt asked as his boyfriend slipped off his sock.

"Oh nothing." Blaine responded coyly which practically means something. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! BLAINE!"

Blaine tickled Kurt in his ultimate ticklish spot. His feet.

"ok! OK! I'll go! I'LL GO!" Kurt said in between laughing.

Blaine's heart swelled every time he heard that laugh. "What was that?" He teased threatening to tickle him again. 

"I'll go! Please Blaine!" Kurt begged petrified to be tickled again. 

"Get ready. I'm waiting..."Blaine said finally letting his boyfriend free. 

Kurt ran off the bed stumbling into the bathroom. 

~o0o~

Kurt and Blaine were in the food court munching on there chicken Caesar salads they got at Bread sticks to go. 

 "I don't understand why we're here." Kurt asked sitting down his fork.

"You love the mall!" Blaine said cheery as he took a sip of the soda they were sharing.

Kurt shrugged playing with his food. "I wanna go home." 

"Kurt, your letting your depression talk. Look, I want to take your mind off next week. Stop worrying about it. It'll be ok I promise. We'll Skype everyday as long as you want. Before you know it you'll be back and happier then ever. Kay? Lets have fun!"

Kurt nodded slowly. "Yeah, Your right."

"I know I am."

Kurt leaned over to give him a cute kiss. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." Blaine grinned. "Hey, Look Kurt, it's one of those photo booths!" Blaine squealed excitedly.

"I know, it's been there forever." Kurt rolled his eyes happily. One of his favorite parts of Blaine was how he got so easily distracted and intrigued by the little things in life.

"We should go get our photos taken!" Blaine grinned. Kurt laughed at his excitable boyfriend and rolled his eyes yet again.

"Thats for little kids." Kurt chuckled.

"But Kurt, it's like…. A rite of passage for a couple. We've never done it before!" Blaine pouted. Kurt couldn't resist the way Blaine pouted his lip. He shook his head and giggled.

"Fine." Kurt agreed.

Blaine squealed and ran over to the booth with Kurt. He fished around in his wallet for a few ones and slipped them into the machine. Kurt dropped his bag to the ground and climbed into the photo booth with Blaine. The two sat thigh to thigh, both giggly with anticipation. Blaine fiddled with the touch screen until the both agreed on their photo settings.

The screen gave them a countdown of 10 seconds to pick their first of three poses.

"Shit, we didn't think this one through." Blaine said quickly.

"What do we do?" Kurt asked with a laughed. The seconds ticked from seven to six to five.

"Uhhmmm….." Blaine thought. 3…2…

"SCARY FACE!" Kurt yelled. The two quickly fisted their hands up into their hair and made a scary face.

Click.

"That's all you could come up with?" Blaine asked after the photo was taken.

"Did you have anything better?" Kurt retorted. Blaine smiled and giggled as the countdown started again.

"Uh... what should we do next?"

"I'm not coming up with another idea, you scolded mine!" Kurt said, playfully indignant. Blaine laughed. 8….7….6..

"Uhm… shit! This is hard!" Blaine cursed.

"That's what she said!" Kurt laughed. Blaine scolded Kurt, but couldn't hold it without laughing.

4…..3…..2….

"Hug me!" Blaine said frantically as he realized the countdown was almost up. Without argument, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine, Blaine around Kurt. They both had natural smiles on their faces as the camera went off.

Click. 

The photo booth reset and the boys released from their hug to ready for their final pose.

"I really like hugging you." Kurt blushed. Blaine giggled at his adorable boyfriend and grinned.

"Well I really like you." Blaine said cornily.

"I don't like you." Kurt smiled.

….4…..3…..2

"What?" Blaine said, a little hurt.

"I love you." Kurt whispered. He turned to Blaine and pressed his lips on the latters, expressing how much he really was in love.

Click.

Blaine pulled away from Kurt's lips and smiled at his boyfriend. Both had forgotten they were in a photo booth. Blaine's heart literally ached for how beautiful his boyfriend was. His boyfriend that loved him. Blaine's smile grew wider and wider as those three words settled in his heart.

"I love you too." Blaine finally responded as he crashed his lips upon Kurt's once more. Reluctantly, Kurt pulled away after a few seconds when he remembered where they were.

"C'mon, we need to grab our photos." Kurt said to break the moment. Blaine sighed but exited the photo booth, holding the curtain so Kurt could exit too. Blaine grabbed the two identical photo strips from the dispenser and gave one to Kurt. They both grinned at the strip, especially the last photo of the sequence. 

Blaine, with a happy sigh, laced his fingers with Kurt's as they left the booth and headed for Express. Neither cared that they were holding hands in homophobic Lima. They loved each other. They had pictures of the proof, for heaven's sake! And that was all that mattered to them.