River Flows In You

Chapter 5 - Perfect

Blaine ran to Kurt (who was still standing by the lane) and threw his arms around him to protect him from whatever was making that noise. The man with the stripy shirt from before walks up to them and presses a button on a small square object. The noise stops and the red light disappears.

“Congratulations! You are the first person to bowl a perfect game in this establishment! Not even the few pros who come in here have managed to do that!” the man exclaims as people starts crowding around the four of them.

“What?” Blaine breathes while hugging Kurt closer.

“You got a perfect game! All strikes, Blaine!” Kurt says and tries to wriggle out of Blaine’s hold. “Now let go of me. I bet they have a price for you!”

“We sure do!” the stripy-shirted man says and holds up two pieces of paper. “This is a check for one THOUSAND dollars!”

The crowd around them cheers and now Kurt is the one who hugs Blaine tightly. “And this is a giftcard for 50 free games in our bowling alley!” The crowd roars.

“Now we can go here as often as we want!” Blair shrieks and hugs Kurt and Blaine.

“No, Blair. I can!” Blaine says and smirks at his sister who smacks his arm after letting go of him and Kurt.

Kurt lets go off Blaine and jumps slightly in excitement. “I’m so happy for you, Blaine!”

“That is not all, people!” the stripy-shirted man shouts over the chatter of the people around them. “We will have to take a picture of the amazing player with-” he pauses for effect. “The golden ball!”

The crowd roars again and Kurt starts clapping his hands. The crowd follows his lead and soon the whole bowling alley is applauding Blaine. The stripy-shirted man walks off to a room beside the room with the shoe-wall, but soon returns with a big golden bowling-ball in his hands. He walks past Blaine, Kurt and Blair and waves for them to follow him. They follow him to the back wall of the room and Blaine notices that the wall is all sparkly. The stripy-shirted man hands the ball to Blaine and grabs his shoulders, positioning him in front of the wall. A tall man with sideburns walks up to them with a huge camera. “Now smile!” he says.

“Kurt! Come be in the picture with me!” Blaine says.

“But Blaine, I don’t-“

“Come!” Blaine urges.

“But it’s your picture. I don’t want to steal your thunder.”

“What? Just come here, I want you in the picture.” Steal my thunder? The thunder belongs to the heavens… It must be a human saying.

Kurt stands next to Blaine in front of the sparkly wall and they both smile wide at the man with the sideburns, Blaine holding the ball with his right hand and putting his left one on Kurt’s shoulder. The huge camera flashes and blinds the two boys slightly.

Kurt leans his head close to Blaine’s and whispers “I’m really proud of you.”

Blaine shudders. “Thank you.”

“We’ll get that up on the wall until the next time you come, and we’ll keep the golden ball safe for you.” The stripy-shirted man says.

“Thank you, Mr. …?” Blaine says.

“Mr. Barnes. Rydell Barnes.” he says, takes the ball from Blaine and walks with the sideburns-man into what Blaine guesses is an office.

“Let’s go eat! I’m starving!” Blair chirps.

Kurt exchanges Blaine’s check for a bunch of green papers at the front desk and hands them to Blaine when they get in the car. Blaine puts the money in his jeans-pocket.

They go to the same restaurant as the day before to eat. Kurt orders a Greek salad, Blaine makes his own salad again but with a few other ingredients and Blair wants so many things in her salad that the waitress has to write it down in her little stack of papers. Blair chats all through dinner, Kurt laughing with her and Blaine mostly rolling his eyes at her.

“You two are adorable together.” Kurt says to them after he has finished.

“Thank you!” Blair chirps and puts her chopsticks down on her empty plate. “Kurt, don’t you know how to use chopsticks?”

“I do, but I’m not as good as you two. And I only use them for certain foods, so it’s easier for me to use a fork.”

“Could you teach me?” Blaine asks, also putting down his chopsticks.

Kurt looks confused. “Teach you what?”

“How to use a fork… And those other two.”

“The knife and spoon?”

Blaine nods.

“Blaine, you’re blushing again!” Blair exclaims and smacks her hand lightly on the table. “Kairik, he never used to do that before he met you. This is the third time!”

“Really?” Kurt asks kind of breathlessly.

Blaine nods again.

“I’ll teach you. We can order some dessert and I can show you.”

“What is a dessert?”

“Blaine, haven’t you done your research at all?” Blair asks. “People eat desserts all the time, after their main course.”

“Oh, wait! Maybe you don’t eat desserts? Because of your diet, I mean.” Kurt asks and puts his hand over Blaine’s on the table.

“We do! We eat food from nature because it’s easy or whatever. It’s not… Religious or anything.” Blair explains and waves her hand in the air.

“Oh. So do you want to do that?” Kurt asks and looks at Blaine.

“I’ve never had a dessert.” Blaine looks at the table. “But we can do that.”

“Are you sure?” Kurt squeezes Blaine hand lightly.

Blaine nods and looks back at Kurt.

“I want cheesecake!” Blair exclaims, waving for the waitress.

“You’ve had dessert?” Kurt asks, an eyebrow raised at Blair.

“Plenty of times. When I’ve hung out with Linda and her boyfriend.”

“Who’s Linda?” Kurt moves his hand away from Blaine’s and Blaine curls his fingers at the loss.

“You know Blaine’s friend Sean? Well, he has a big sister, Linda. She is my best friend.”

“Ready for dessert?” the waitress asks when she arrives at their table.

“I’ll have cheesecake!” Blair says and eyes the waitress.

She has lots of freckles and long, red, wavy hair. Just like Linda…

“I’ll have tomato-soup with some basil, if it’s no trouble. I know it is on the starters-menu so-“ Kurt begins.

“No problem! And for you?” the waitress asks and looks at Blaine.

“He’ll have the carrot-cake.” Kurt says and the waitress walks off. “I think you’ll like it.”

“Thank you.” Blaine says and smiles at Kurt. “Can I pay today?”

“Why? You know it’s no trouble for me.” Kurt says.

“I know. But you paid yesterday. And I have money now.”

“Sure. If that’s what you want.” Kurt smiles.

“I really do.” Blaine says and smiles back.

“Oh, you two!” Blair exclaims. “So, Kairik. When do I get to meet your family?”

“Blair!” Blaine snaps at his sister.

“What? Kurt’s met your family!” Blair defends.

Kurt chuckles. “You’ll get to meet them, I promise. Maybe we can all go bowling this week?”

“Are you sure, Kurt?”

“I promise I’ll behave!” Blair bats her eyelashes.

“Yes, I’m sure. It’ll be fun!” Kurt claps his hands. “I’ll get to dress up my dad!”

Blaine chuckles.

“What are you going to wear?”

“I don’t know. These are the nicest clothes I have. The rest is just shorts and t-shirts.”

“OH! Oh, oh! Can I take you shopping for clothes?” Kurt is bouncing in his seat. “Please, Blaine?” Please, please, pretty please?”

“Sure you can!” Blaine laughs.

Blair sighs and rolls her eyes while smiling.

“We can go shopping on Tuesday and then bowl with my family on Wednesday. Okay?”

“Sure, Kurt.”

“Desserts!” The waitress is back with a plate in each hand, while also balancing one on her forearm.

She sets down Blair’s cheesecake, then Blaine’s carrot-cake and then carefully Kurt’s bowl of soup. Blair winks at her and she blushes then walks away.

“Blair!” Kurt exclaims with a hushed voice when the waitress is out of earshot. “Are you also… gay?”

“Yup!” Blair says and starts digging into her cheesecake.

Kurt looks at Blaine who just nods again. “So, what should I use for this?” Blaine asks, gesturing to his cheesecake.

“A fork. It’s this one.” Kurt picks up a fork and holds in out to Blaine who grabs it with his whole hand. “No, not like that. Like this.” Kurt takes the fork and holds in correctly and then gives it back to Blaine.

Blaine tries to take a piece of his carrot-cake but drops it when trying to put it in his mouth. Blair giggles. “Shut your mouth! I bet you were awful at this from the beginning too!”

“No.” Blair says simply and takes another piece of her cheesecake.

“Well, you are awful at bowling.” Blaine defends and manages to pick his piece up and put it in his mouth. Blair huffs. “This is good, Kurt. Thank you.”

“Good, I’m glad you like it. Do you want to try some of my soup?” Kurt asks. “I’ll show you how to use the spoon.” He smiles.

“That’s why you chose the soup, right Kairik? So you could show Blaine how to use the spoon!”

Kurt blushes. MOSSY TABLE! It’s in the way again!

“I would love to try your soup, Kurt. Show me.”

Kurt picks up his spoon and eats some of his soup. “Like this.” He pushes the bowl over to Blaine and holds out the spoon.

Blaine takes it and holds it like Kurt showed him. He looks at Kurt who gestures with his head for him to try it. Blaine manages to eat two spoonfuls of soup without spilling any.

“Oh, you did good baby.” Blair teases.

“Baby?” Blaine asks and pushes the bowl back to Kurt. “It was really tasty.”

“Baby is a term of endearment. Like honey or sweetie.” Kurt explains.

“Term of endearment?” I’m confused.

“Something you say to the person you love, or like. Like you could call Kurt “baby” for example.” Blair explains and both boys blush, looking away from each other. “Or I can call you that, because you are my brother and I love you.”

“Okay… But… Honey, really?” Blaine asks and raises a bushy eyebrow at Kurt.

“It’s cute!” Kurt says and starts to eat his soup again.

Blair has eaten all her cheesecake so she continues to talk for a while.

“What about the last one?” Blaine realizes halfway into his carrot-cake.

“The last what?” Blair asks.

Blaine points.

“Oh, the knife. Well, you don’t really need it for this but I’ll show you how to use it on your cake.”

Blaine pushes his plate toward Kurt who grabs both the fork and the knife. He cuts a small piece with the knife and then eats it. “Wow! This cake is REALLY good! Now you try!” He pushes the plate back to Blaine and hands him the utensils. Blaine takes them awkwardly but succeeds in cutting a piece.

“Oh, you did goooood.” Blair teases Blaine again.

“Oh shush, you!” Kurt says and pats Blaine’s hand.

“Blaine! Give me your money! I’ll pay with it. You two go wait in Kairik’s car.” Blair says and waves at the waitress again.

Oh, gosh. Not again… She seems to have her ways with the ladies…

“Let’s go, Blaine.” Kurt grabs his arm and Blaine leaves a few green papers for Blair.

The boys walk to Kurt’s car. When they get in Blaine leans over the weird things between their seats and kisses Kurt.

“I’ve wanted to do that all day!” he exclaims when they part.

Kurt blushes again, so Blaine kisses him again.

“Again with the blush…” Kurt whispers.

“Yes.” Blaine smiles but then starts to frown. “I’m sorry my sister is so… Annoying.”

“Oh, no. Blaine, don’t worry about it. I like her, she is nice.”

“Good. Can I kiss you again?”

Kurt blushes down to his neck so Blaine kisses him again, more passionately this time. A door slams shut. The boys rip apart, both blushing. Blaine doesn’t kiss Kurt this time.

“Hi lover boys. Am I interrupting something?” Blair singsongs while putting her seatbelt on.

“Blair! You don’t sneak up on people like that.” Blaine growls at her.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!” Kurt exclaims and puts his seatbelt on too.

“I’m sorry.” Blair apologizes.

“How did it go with the waitress?” Kurt looks at Blair in the rearview mirror.

“Bad, she likes males. She blushed when I winked at her because she has never had a female hit on her before.”

“Good. Since you are chasing butterflies with the blonde tomorrow.” Blaine says and puts on his seatbelt.

“Chasing butterflies?” Kurt drops his keys on the floor of the car. “Crap!”

“Something we trillough do for fun.” Blair says dismissively.

“Crap?” Blaine asks and picks Kurt’s keys up, holding them out to him.

Kurt takes the keys from his hand, touching his wrist. “It’s an American swearword, I guess.”

Blaine and Blair say goodbye to Kurt outside his house and walk back to their home in silence.

Blaine is lying on his bed looking at the carvings his mother had made in the ceiling when he was little. “Blair, are you awake?” he asks into the room.

“Barely. But you are keeping me awake with your sighing.” she answers but Blaine continues to look at the ceiling. “Is something bothering you?”

“Yes.”

“Talk to me.”

“What if Kurt will… What if he won’t-”

“Blaine. Did you notice his left hand?”

“I did.” Blaine smiles at the swirls in the wooden surface.

“Then you don’t have to worry.”

“Did you have fun today? Did you like him?”

“I loved him, he’s awesome.”

“You aren’t really awful at bowling, are you?”

Blair doesn’t answer.

“Thank you, Blair.”

“I thought I would let you impress him.”

The sound of someone clinking glasses together fills the room.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Blair shouts and sits up.

“I think it was my phone.” Blaine says and searches his jeans pockets. He pulls the phone out and sees Blair lying down again.

From: Kurt
Hi. I hope I didn’t wake you. I just wanted to say that I had a very nice time today.

From: Blaine
No, I am awke. I had a nic time tnigt too.

From: Kurt
First time texting?

From: Blaine
Yes, in fact.

From: Kurt
You’ll get better. We can text until we see each other on Tuesday. Goodnight. <3

From: Blaine
I would like that. … <3 ?

From: Kurt
It’s a heart! Tilt your head to the right. Hearts mean love, to Americans.

From: Blaine
Oh, oky. Godnigt. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

From: Kurt
Haha! You’re cute.

From: Blaine
Thnk you. You are perfect.

OH MY GOD! HOLY GAGA! I… WOW…

“Enough with the ping-ing! I want to sleep.” Blair shouts.

“Sorry.” Blaine mumbles and puts the phone next to him on the bed.

Kurt and Blaine text almost constantly the following days. And when they don’t Blaine spends his time lying on his bed or in the grass outside, listening to Yiruma and thinking about Kurt… He crosses over the days gone by in his calendar, using a pen he got from Sean the other day. He is giving me lots of things lately. I should get him something…

When the sun sets on Monday evening Blaine is lying in his bed pretending to sleep, until he hears Blair start to snore loudly. He gets out of bed and puts on a pair of green shorts and a black t-shirt, hiding his tail under it. He leaves his house and wanders around the forest the whole night, picking all the gorgeous flowers he can find. Some regular flowers that can be found anywhere in Ohio and some exotic ones that can only be found in the forest. Kurt has probably never seen some of these before. I hope he likes them. Blaine finishes the huge bouquet of flowers by binding a few long pieces of grass around the stems. He walks all the way to Kurt’s house while singing Lairani under his breath and bouncing slightly on his feet. Blaine arrives to Kurt’s house just as the sun is coming up and he bends over to lay the flowers outside the door when-

“Blaine?” Oh, rocks!

Blaine straightens, the bouquet of flowers still in his hand. “Good morning, sir.”

Kurt’s father is standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

“What are you doing here at five in the morning? What is- Are those flowers?”

“Yes... I came to leave them here for Kurt. So he sees them before he goes to school.”

“Oh. I have to ask you, Blaine… What are your intensions with my son?”

“Intensions, sir?”

“What do you want with him? Is this just for fun for you, or?”

“I have a very nice time when I am with Kurt. I like him.”

“Ah…” Burt uncrosses his arms. “Do you… love him?”

“I do. I know we haven’t known each other for very long but I… I just…”

“I get it. Just… Don’t hurt him. He has enough problems. And I have a flamethrower.”

Blaine’s eyes widen. “A what?!”

“I’m kidding. Just be careful. Don’t break his heart.”

“Never, sir.” Break his heart?

“I hope he won’t break yours either. You seem like a good kid. I can take those flowers inside and put them in water, so they won’t droop…”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I’ll make sure he sees them. But I have to get to the shop now, had to go early today. Bye Blaine.”

“Bye sir.”

Blaine walks around the corner of the house and watches as Burt goes into the house and re-exits a minute later. He is smiling… When Burt drives off in his truck Blaine hides in a bush. He starts to walk toward his home but stops outside the kitchen window. I should stay and see how he reacts. But not through the window like some… What did Sean call it again? Oh yeah, creeper! I’ll hide in a bush and watch when he gets into the car! I hope he will notice the flowers… Blaine finds a very big bush with red berries on it and hides inside it. He shouldn’t be able to see me. He sits in the bush for about two and a half hours - checking his wristwatch every four minutes or so - before he hears the sound of something breaking from the cracked-open living room window. The creature doesn’t dare to leave the bush now, so he stays and waits for a while longer. After a few minutes the front door opens and Finn walks out.

“Hey, Kurt! Hurry, we’re gonna be late.” he shouts back into the house.

“I’m coming Finn!” Kurt emerges from the house dressed in jeans and a simple blue t-shirt with a print on the front. He is smiling! And blushing! GAH I want to kiss him!

Finn gets in the passenger seat of Kurt’s car and slams the door behind him.

“FINN! DON’T SLAM THE DOOR!” Kurt opens his door and shouts at him.

“I’m sorry, dude! I’m used to dad’s crappy car!”

Kurt is still standing outside his car, holding the handle with one hand. He uses his other hand to pick up his phone, letting go of the door. Blaine watches Kurt as he taps his fingers against the screen.

“Dude!” Blaine can hear Finn through the open door.

Kurt puts his phone back in his pocket. “I was just sending a text, relax!”

The sound of someone clinking glasses together erupts from Blaine’s pocket.

Kurt’s head whips around toward the noise. MOSSY PHONE!