River Flows In You

Chapter 3 - The Cinema

Blaine is pretty much exhausted when they arrive to a building with big see-through walls.

"This restaurant is one of my favorites. They have organic and ecologic food." Kurt says, smiling.

Will they have anything here that I can eat? I don't know what organic or ecologic means…
I wonder what kind of diet he is on, and WHY? He's so fit!

"What is this "special diet" of yours about?" Kurt asks and blushes as he continues. "You don't need to diet. Your body looks great!"

"What?"

"Oh, maybe you didn't mean diet as in "lose weight"?"

"No. It's just… I don't eat just anything."

"What do you eat?"

"Fruits, vegetables, nuts and some lea-" Blaine begins. "Um, that's it." Moss! Humans don't eat leaves! Come on Blaine!

Lea- what? I should ask him… Though it's probably rude. He didn't seem to want to talk about it, and it's probably some tribe-thing. I'll just leave it.

"So pretty much stuff that grows in nature?" Kurt asks as he walks straight toward the see-through wall that suddenly parts.

"Exactly." Blaine answers and looks around nervously as the wall closes again behind them.

"Hello. Table for two, please." Kurt says to a man standing with some papers covered in plastic. Oh, those must be menus. I've seen those in Sean's movies. This is going to be a lot to take in, in one night.

The man walks away and Kurt follows him, Blaine on his heels.

"Here you are. A waitress will be along shortly to take your order." the man says before he walks back to his previous position.

Kurt looks at the menu and Blaine can see his mouth moving slightly as if he is mouthing the words. Adorable! Kurt turns his menu over, flicking his eyes at Blaine for a brief second, catching him staring. Kurt blushes and continues to read. Mossy table is in the way so I can't kiss him!

"Have you already chosen something?" Kurt asks when he puts his menu down on the table.

"No. I forgot. I was looking at your lips." Blaine says honestly and starts to read his own menu. This is going to take a while. There is so much to choose from! Ah, "make your own salad". I'll do that!

"I'm going to make my own salad."Blaine states and looks up at Kurt who has apparently taken his turn to stare at Blaine. "Where do I make it?"

Kurt chuckles and then realizes that Blaine is serious. "Oh! No, Blaine. You choose what things you want in your salad and they will make it for you."

In that moment a young female walks up to their table.

"Are you gentlemen ready to order?" she asks, sounding even younger than she looks.

"Yes. I'll just have a Caesar salad and a glass of water." Kurt says to the woman. Girl…

"I- I want a- a…" Blaine begins but has to clear his throat. "I want a "make-your-own-salad", please."

"Alright. What do you want in it?"

Blaine thinks for a second. I just have to hope that I'm saying the right names of the things… Some roman salad, cashew nuts, banana and some… Do you have this pink fruit with a spiky shell?"

"No, I'm afraid we don't have anything like that."

"Okay. Well then I'll just take some broccoli instead and water, please."

"I will be back with your food in a few minutes." the girl says, takes the menus and walks away.

"That's an interesting mix." Kurt says, the left corner of his mouth turning up slightly.

"You think? I usually mix even more stuff in one meal."

"Would you make me some at your house some time?"

"Of course! Maybe not for a while though…" Not until I have told you about me. If you still want to see me again after that…

"Why?"

"Well…" Blaine tries to think of a lie. "Blair is busy with a project so the house is kind of full."

"Oh, okay. That's fine."

"Oh! Speaking of Blair; she wants to meet you! So I wanted to ask you if it's okay that she follows us to bowling tomorrow?

"Oh, yeah. I would love that." Kurt smiles again after having looked concerned for a while.

"Here is your food! Caesar salad for you and a special salad for you." the girl from before says as she returns with two plates and puts them down in front of Kurt and Blaine.

I can't eat with my hands around a human, especially Kurt! And I have no idea how to use human… Fork? "Do you have any chopsticks?"

"Yes, we do. I'll be right back with them." the girl says and leaves again.

"You don't use normal cutlery?" Kurt asks, raising one of his eyebrows at Blaine.

"No. My people use their hands or chopsticks. It felt rude to eat with my hands in a…" Moss. What was the word? Oh, right! "In a restaurant."

"I understand." Kurt has time to say before the girl comes over with Blaine's chopsticks.

Blaine starts eating eagerly. He hasn't eaten for very many hours now.

"Are you sure you aren't from Japan?" Kurt asks and takes a bite of his salad.

"I'm sure. Why do you ask?" Blaine says, looking up at Kurt.

"You are SO good at using chopsticks."

"Thank you." Blaine smiles and bites into a cashew. "Is your salad good?"

"Yes." Kurt answers simply. "Blaine. Can I ask you something?"

"Your English…" Kurt begins and puts his fork down. "It's a bit odd sometimes."

"I'm sorry." Blaine says, putting down his chopsticks on his now empty plate.

"No, you don't need to apologize. I'm just curious. Do you talk that way because you lived in a tribe where you only used Fouri, or are you from Wyoming originally but have lived in a country where they don't speak English?"

"I…" I have lived in the forest my whole life. All I know of English and human things are from movies that my half-human neighbor has showed me. "I speak like this because we always speak Fouri at home and I have been very little in school."

"Okay. I understand. Were you hungry?" Kurt smirks.

"Very."

Kurt finishes his salad while Blaine stares at Kurt's fingers, holding the fork. I should learn how to use that… When Kurt is finished he dabs at his lips with a soft-looking piece of paper.

"I will pay this time." Kurt says and pulls a small, black leather-thing out of his pocket and pulls out a few green pieces of paper, waiting for the girl that had given them the food.

"Pay?" Blaine asks, confused.

"When you buy something you have to pay for it." Kurt says. "You don't buy stuff?"

"We live off of nature."

"Oh. Well, okay. So you don't have any money at all?"

Oh, money! That's what those green papers are! "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's just something we will have to get used to." Kurt smiles.

The girl comes back and takes the money from Kurt, handing him some round pieces of metal back. "Thank you so much." she says before she leaves again.

"Kurt?" Blaine whispers when they have passed through the see-through wall again.

"Yes, Blaine?"

"Two things. First a question."

"Ask whatever you like." Kurt says and opens the car door for Blaine.

Blaine gets in but doesn't close the door. He waits for Kurt to walk around the car and get in. "Does one have to pay for the movie too?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't want to go."

"Why?" Kurt asks and turns in his seat to look at Blaine.

"I don't want you to waste your money on me. I am sure you could buy something more important with them."

"Don't worry about it Blaine. I have enough. What was the other thing?"

"Well. I feel really dumb, but… It will be easier for the both of us if I tell you, I think…"

"What is it, Blaine?" Kurt says and leans over Blaine to put that black thing over him.

"Well. I am not familiar with most things that you probably think are the most normal things. I don't know what they are called in English and I don't know what they are."

"Like what?" Kurt laces his fingers through Blaine's.

"Like this black thing you just put over my body. I don't know what it is called or what it is for. And, that wall of the restaurant, the see-through one that split in the middle to make a hole?"

"Oh. I didn't realize. I'm sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"So, do you want me to tell you about things you don't recognize?" Kurt asks gently, brushing his thumb over Blaine's wrist.

"That is very nice of you. Let's start with this." Blaine says and point to the black thing across his chest.

"That's a seatbelt. It's there to make it safer for you, in case you crash the car."

"Oh. And the walls?"

"You know what windows are?"

"Yes. Are they just really big windows?"

"Exactly. And the thing that splits is a kind of door."

"Oh. Then it isn't dangerous."

"No, it's not. Not at all." Kurt uses his other hand to twist one of Blaine's curls behind his ear. "Now, can I ask you something?"

Oh, no! Breathe Blaine. Don't panic!

"Did you lie to me before?"

"About what?"

"About riding in a car. You said it was your first time in a long time. That was a lie, wasn't it?" Kurt accuses, but he is still smiling softly at Blaine and rubbing his thumb over his arm.

"It was."

"You had never been in a car before?"

"No."

"I'm sorry. That's why you were so scared! I am so, SO sorry Blaine." Kurt leans over again, but this time he hugs Blaine and kisses his neck softly.

"I was. I still am. Hence the open door." Blaine says and gestures with his head.

"Just tell me when you're ready to leave or if there's anything I can do to help."

They are quiet for a while.

"Kurt… Does your father not like me?"

"I've never brought a boy home with me before, so he was just being an overprotecting parent."

"Oh. Good." Now close the silly door, Blaine. Kurt knows what he is doing. Blaine closes the door but Kurt is still holding onto his hand. "I'm ready to go now."

Kurt gives Blaine a fast kiss on the back of his hand (the one interlaced with Kurt's own) and then let's go and starts driving to the cinema.

The sky has gone dark when Kurt stops the car. He gets out of the car and Blaine follows, a step behind him to make sure he doesn't see the bulge on his back. They walk up to a big piece of paper on the wall, behind a plastic door.

"What do you want to see?" Kurt asks and brushes his fingertips against the palm of Blaine's hand. What is he doing? I can't risk holding his hand in public, but I really want to.

"I don't know. Anything you want." Blaine answers.

"What about this one?" Kurt asks and points at a few fatter letters above a bunch of thinner ones.

Blaine reads the fat letters and then the thinner ones underneath. "That sounds good. Comedy, that is a funny movie, right?"

"Right." Kurt says, smiling and tugging Blaine by the arm over to a short, balding man behind a bunch of wood.

Kurt buys the tickets and two different plastic bags with nuts in them.

"The movie will start in 15 minutes. Let's go downstairs and wait." Kurt says and starts walking down a staircase.

Blaine follows and they stand outside a pair of big red doors with a white number 2 on one of them. After a few minutes a man walks up to the doors and opens them, then waits outside and people start to gather around him.

"Here. Just hold this out toward him and he'll rip a part of it off. Then we go inside, okay?" Kurt says and holds out the piece of pink paper toward Blaine.

Blaine takes it and gingerly touches Kurt's palm with his finger while doing so. "I've never been to a cinema."

"Is it too much for you?" Kurt asks with concern in his eyes.

"No, I'm fine. The car however, wow." Blaine chuckles.

They walk up to the ticket-man. Kurt hands him his ticket and he rips a part off. Blaine is right after him, holding his ticket out toward the man. He smiles awkwardly. The man gives him a suspicious look but continues to rip off a part of Blaine's ticket. Blaine follows Kurt into the dark room behind the red doors and grabs onto his sleeve so he won't lose him. They enter a big room with bright lights in the ceiling.

"Our seats are in this row." Kurt states when Blaine lets go of his arm. He walks in between two rows of red, puffy chairs and sits down in the middle.

Blaine stops beside him. "Which one is mine?"

"This one." Kurt answers and points to the chair on his left.

Blaine sits down. When he has done so the movie starts on the huge screen.

"WOW! That is a HUGE TV!" Blaine exclaims.

Kurt laughs. "That's the screen, it's made out of fabric. And the commercials are just starting so the movie will probably start any minute now."

"What are commercials?"

"Short movies that are made to make people buy things they don't really need." Kurt says and opens a bag of peanuts.

"Oh." Blaine says and Kurt hands him the bag of nuts.

The lights dim and Blaine grabs onto Kurt's hand in panic.

"Relax. The movie is starting, they turn the lights down so you'll see it better, and so you won't get distracted by other people. They'll turn them on again when the movie is over." Kurt rubs Blaine's hand with his free one and waits for Blaine to let go.

After the main character of the movie has started talking, Blaine does so and even laughs at the screen. Kurt opens the bag of Macadamia nuts and puts a few in his mouth. He puts the bag down in his lap and starts to watch the movie instead of Blaine's beaming face. He is adorable. I want to show him lots of movies… This is SO cool! Kurt is SO nice for bringing me here. Blaine looks over at Kurt. He looks really nice in the dark. Oh! Macadamia nuts! Blaine reaches his hand over to the bag on Kurt's lap and takes a few nuts. Kurt literally jumps in his seat.

"I'm sorry if I startled you." Blaine whispers. "Peanuts?" He holds the bag out toward Kurt and grins.

"It's okay. I just wasn't prepared for that. Yes, please." Kurt says and leans back in his chair, taking a few peanuts from the bag Blaine is offering him.

They continue to watch the movie, glancing at each other from time to time, and eating nuts from the bags that they are each holding. At an especially romantic yet sad part Blaine reaches his hand toward Kurt and looks at him with pleading eyes. Nobody can see us in here… Kurt grabs his hand, twining their fingers together. When the sad part is over and it is back to romantic and funny Blaine lets go of Kurt's hand to slap his knee while laughing. Dork! Cute dork… They run out of both peanuts and Macadamia nuts a few minutes before the movie ends. Blaine jumps slightly as the lights are turned back on when the credits start rolling.

"Did you like it?" Kurt beams at Blaine.

"It was… Awesome! Yeah, Sean taught me that word." Blaine beams back.

"Who is Sean?" Kurt looks concerned and hurt again as they walk back out through the red doors.

"My neighbor who has taught me about h- American things. He is the one that showed me those movies I talked about before." Blaine says and grabs Kurt's hand to comfort him a bit. "Also, he doesn't like other males." Blaine winks.

"Blaine. You can't hold my hand here in publ-" Kurt begins.

"Hey fags! Get out of here! You're stinking up the place with your filth!" a big broad guy in a red jacket says.

"You jealous, Karofsky?" Kurt snaps back and grabs onto Blaine's hand tighter.

"What's he talkin' about?" a big dark-skinned guy next to the other guy - Karofsky - says.

"All that hairspray must have made him delusional." Karofsky answers his friend.

"It's organic, you moron!" Kurt hisses at him.

"Kurt, who are they? What do they want?" Blaine asks hurriedly.

"That's Karofsky, a closet case and the other one is Azimio." Kurt replies, eyes still on the two big guys.

"Azimio? The guy that shoved you into the lockers?" Blaine asks, his upper lip starting to move up over his teeth.

"Yes." Kurt states.

Blaine snarls and charges forward toward Azimio while shouting something in Fouri.

"Blaine!" Kurt shrieks and grabs onto Blaine's arms and holds him back before he gets to Karofsky and Azimio.

"Let me go! I'm going to-"

"Blaine, no! He's not worth it. Let's just go!" Kurt says and starts to drag Blaine toward the front door of the cinema.

Karofsky and Azimio are both standing there staring.

"Closet case? What was that all 'bout? And who's the hobbit? And what the hell was he shouting?" Azimio asks Karofsky as they watch Kurt drag the dark-haired guy away from them.

"I have no idea." Karofsky says.

"Blaine! Calm down. You can't beat him up! You will go to ja-" Kurt begins, stopping right inside the door and turning Blaine toward him, still holding onto his upper arms.

"I won't beat him up. I will KILL him!" Blaine growls.

"Calm down! He is not worth it."

"I can protect you. I will come with you to school and I will snap their necks with my bare hands if they so much as look at you."

"I get that you are angry, Blaine. But calm down, you are starting to scare me." Kurt bites his lip and looks at his feet.

"I'm sorry." Blaine whispers and takes hold of Kurt's hips.

He pulls him closer. Kurt lets go of Blaine's arms and puts them around his neck instead, pulling their lips together in a heated kiss.

When they part Kurt twines their fingers together and they walk out the door. Both of them glance back at the two jocks in the theater. Azimio looks thoroughly confused and Karofsky looks furious with his hands balled up into fists. Ha! That will make him jealous. Feels good to rub it in his face. Good thing Kurt was here to stop me, or those animals would be bleeding on the floor.

They get back in Kurt's car and Kurt speeds toward his house a bit faster than the law allows and a lot faster than Blaine is comfortable with.

Kurt parks his car in the driveway but doesn't get out.