And of course he deserves my forgiveness. He hasn’t actually done anything wrong. Do I wish he had handled things differently? Sure. But it seems like his intention was never to hurt me and his actions all came out of a need for self preservation and a really valid mistrust of the world.

Also, who is this shithead camp counselor that made fun of his stutter? I am going to take a crash course in intimidation and jiu-jitsu and go kick some ass. Do not mess with my Blaine.

Knowing that he’s still somewhere in this building, going to class as if this is some kind of normal day, boggles my mind. This isn’t normal. This day is so far from normal, they no longer even live in the same universe. Normal and this day are aliens from separate galaxies.

I think I’m losing my mind.

-----------
1:56 pm
Kurt: Are you home?

2:02 pm
Rachel: No, picking up food since you ditched my ass for no apparent reason

2:04 pm
Kurt: Any chance you can postpone your anger and meet me at the apartment with a cheeseburger?
Kurt: I just met Blaine. Unexpectedly.
Kurt: That’s why I bailed on you.

2:07 pm
Rachel: double uuuuu
Rachel: teeee
Rachel: EFFFFFF????
Rachel: WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT BEFORE!?!?!

2:10 pm
Kurt: I have no idea. but I really, really, really, REALLY need to talk

2:11 pm
Rachel: I will bring you a cheeseburger, but I stand firm on the fact that you seriously buried the lead by not mentioning Blaine in your original blow off text.

2:12 pm
Kurt: Um ps. He’s also the silent stranger.

2:13 pm
Rachel: OMG. WHAT IS LIFE?!
Rachel: you never suspected it might be the same guy?!?

2:14 pm
Kurt: I don’t know! stuff like that doesn’t happen in real life!
Kurt: It was all too much coincidence.

2:15 pm
Rachel: If by “coincidence” you mean fate!

2:17 pm
Kurt: Cheeseburger. Home. Now. PLEASSSSEEE.

2:18 pm
Rachel: It’s kismet Kurt!!!
Rachel: And he’s not fugly!!

2:20 pm
Kurt: He is definitely NOT fugly.

-----------

1:38 pm
Blaine: We have a situation here.
Blaine: This is not a drill.
Blaine: KURT IS THE FACE.
Blaine: THE FACE IS KURT.

1:53 pm
Matt: Nooooooooo.
Matt: SAY WHAT??
Matt: That doesn’t happen in real life!

1:55 pm
Blaine: Except for the fact that it just did!
Blaine: And I gave him the letter

1:56 pm
Matt: nooooooooooooooooo.
Matt: TOO MUCH INFORMATION
Matt: you need to come up with a better song for open mic night.

1:59 pm
Blaine: Thank you for your unwavering support.
Blaine: I’ll meet you at the room after this class, the prof is giving me dirty looks.
Blaine: It’s like come on lady! don’t you know I’m having a crisis!?!? damn.
Blaine: world. crumbling. at. edges.

3:04 pm
Matt: I’m picking up some chicken
Matt: I’ll be home soon

3:05 pm
Blaine: Yes chicken. Need chicken to fortify my insanity
Blaine: THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
Blaine: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???

3:07 pm
Matt: Are you going to yell when I get to the room?
Matt: I hope you yell Blaine
Matt: Please yell?
Matt: I’ll get you three different kinds of chicken if you promise to yell
Matt: BBQ, rotisserie and nuggets

3:08 pm
Blaine: I’m practicing yelling
Blaine: kerry just poked her head into our room and asked if I was ok
Blaine: and I answered NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-----------

3:10 pm
Matt: True or false: blaine is currently yelling.

3:14 pm
Kerry: True!
Kerry: HE IS.
Kerry: He yelled at me!
Kerry: and like... growled?
Kerry: is he ok?

3:16 pm
Matt: YESSSSSSSS FIST PUMP
Matt: And yes, he’ll be fine

~~~~~

A moment of Matt

Matt tries to be the best friend he can for Blaine at all times. He tries to be careful about when to push him and when to leave him be, when to be kind and when to be blunt. He’s learned a lot over the past year about Blaine, and what’s interesting is that Blaine responds best to Matt’s bluntness. The more upfront and straightforward Matt is to Blaine, the more accepting Blaine seems to be of it. Matt was so worried about hurting Blaine’s feelings for so long, he didn’t realize that oftentimes what Blaine really needs is a kick in the ass.

But this, with Kurt/The Face? This might be like the biggest kick in the ass ever. And he’s really not sure how Blaine is going to deal.

Matt worries during his walk back to the room. Blaine keeps everything wrapped up so tight inside himself that what happened today could make him explode. And in some ways, Matt hopes he really is exploding. Sometimes it’s time to explode.

He finds Blaine face first into his pillow, as spread eagled as one can possibly be on an extra long twin bed.

“BLAAAAAAAAIINNEEE,” Matt calls as he steps fully into the room.

Blaine flips himself on the bed, throws his arms over his head and lets out this seriously crazy loud “ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH.” (Matt’s not sure he’s ever actually heard anyone “argh” before outside of cartoons, but that’s what Blaine just did.)

“Here. Have all of the chicken.” Matt puts his chicken haul on Blaine’s desk and the boys sit down to come up with a new plan for Blaine to woo Kurt. And to eat a lot of chicken.

Within an hour they have the perfect song picked out.

~~~~~

5:02 pm
Blaine: Can you meet me at open mic night on Friday?

5:03 pm
Kurt: Of course.

5:06 pm
Kurt: Thank you for the letter.

5:07 pm
Blaine: Insert blushing font

~~~~~

Kurt takes his time getting ready Friday night. He wants to look good. He knows he usually looks good, but he wants to be special, for Blaine. And special for Blaine might be a bit more toned down than his usual good. A little more casual. He observes himself in the mirror and is surprised to realize he’s nervous. He’s nervous for himself, but also for Blaine. He has no idea what’s about to happen, but he’s anxious to find out.

Before he leaves, Kurt takes a few minutes to Google stuttering. He feels like there’s something he should know, to make Blaine more relaxed. Most of the advice he reads (Maintain eye contact. Don’t finish sentences.) seems like basic common courtesy. But somehow he feels better and just a little less edgy about making Blaine uncomfortable.

When Kurt walks through the door of the coffee shop, his eyes land on Blaine, who’s already playing a set with Matt. He’s surprised. He assumed Blaine wanted to meet to talk, not to play at open mic night. But there will be time to talk when he’s done, Kurt supposes. Kurt waves when Blaine notices him and Blaine smiles and nods.

He goes to the counter and orders a coffee from Rachel. She smiles and raises an eyebrow at him. “Now that I know more about him, I find him sort of... dazzling,” she says to Kurt as she hands him the large latte.

“He’s mine!” Kurt says. Though, he isn’t really, not yet.

“You got something in the mail today. I think it’s about next semester,” Rachel whispers.

“Oh,” Kurt sighs. He’s really got some thinking to do. Rachel gives him a knowing look, but then continues on.

“I know you have other things on your mind right now, but remind me later I have something to talk to you about,” Rachel says.

“As long as it’s not a confession about what happened with Finn over Labor Day weekend, I will be happy to listen,” Kurt says dryly.

“Actually. It’s about Puck,” Rachel answers with a smirk.

Kurt’s surprised and not surprised at the same time. He tips his cup to her and says they will definitely have much to discuss later. He finds a small table and plops down, waiting for Blaine to finish with Matt.

The boys are in the middle of one of their usual numbers. Blaine is looking particularly adorable this evening. Curls neat, green polo shirt tucked into dark, slim jeans, and these cute little boat shoes. Kurt’s never seen him look so well dressed before. He’s warmed by the idea that they both took the time to choose their clothes. For each other.

Kurt quickly realizes that this is only the second time that he’s ever seen him and known him as Blaine.

That’s Blaine up there, playing the guitar.

Blaine.

Kurt takes that in a for a minute. He observes the boy on stage. Kurt knows, understands, a lot more about Blaine now. Blaine doesn’t have an easy time of it. Blaine doesn’t give himself enough credit. But the most important thing about Blaine is that he’s trying. He puts forth more effort just to move through the day than most people do in a week.

So Kurt takes his time and watches this person, trying to see all of his layers. His shyness, his love of music and kids, his compassion, his steady hands on his guitar strings, his pretty eyes. It’s amazing, and so rare, to know so much about someone on the inside, but only just be getting to know their outside.

When they finish, Matt looks at Blaine and he nods and smiles at him encouragingly. Matt hops off the little stage and Blaine turns to fully face the audience and opens his mouth. Kurt thinks he’s going to start singing, but instead...

~~~~~

A moment of Matt

I have never seen him this nervous.

And I have seen him REALLY nervous.

~~~~~

A moment of Blaine

I’m going to pass out.

~~~~~

A moment of Kurt

He looks like he’s going to pass out.

I might pass out.

~~~~~

A moment of Rachel

Why is there so much tension?

What’s wrong with Kurt?

Why is his coloring all weird?

What’s going... ohhhhhh.

~~~~~

He says, slowly: “Hi. I-I’m B-Blaine. This sah-song is fffffor Kurt. If he... If he wah-wants it.”

This is the first day of my life
I swear I was born right in the doorway

Blaine continues singing. Unable to look anywhere but his fingers. And then he decides that’s stupid. He wants Kurt to know he’s sorry and he needs him to believe it. He needs to look Kurt in the eye.

His gaze finds Kurt and Blaine smiles shyly as he sings the next lyrics.

Yours is the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you

~~~~~

A moment of Kurt

This is amazing.

He is amazing.

~~~~

That these things take forever
I especially am slow

~~~~

A moment of Blaine

I am slow, Kurt.

I am so slow.

Please.

Please forgive me.

~~~~~

And you said “this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you”

~~~~~

A moment of Kurt

I’m so glad I didn’t die before I met you.

Everything is going to be fine.

~~~~~

Besides maybe this time is different
I mean I really think you like me

~~~~~

A moment of Blaine

Please Kurt. Please like me.

~~~~~

As Blaine finishes he lowers his eyes again and thanks the assembled group, who give him a hearty round of applause. He smiles, but he can’t quite manage to lift his head yet. He’s just breathing. He counts to five. That makes him feel a little better, so he counts to ten this time. He finally lifts his face and searches for Kurt again. He’s surprised to find Kurt is standing right by the stage already.

He puts down his guitar, hops off the stage and stands in front of Kurt.

Blaine smiles and shrugs. He hopes the shrug conveys “Can we try again?”

Kurt smiles and tosses off a mock salute. Blaine interprets it as “Of course.”

Blaine blushes, because that’s what Blaine does.

“I, uh, I, I, I’m ssssorry,” Blaine mumbles, unable to hold Kurt’s gaze any longer. “Did, did, did I do ok?”

Kurt looks at Blaine. He really looks at him- his rosy cheeks, his sparkling eyes, the little tilt of his head that conveys so much sincerity Kurt almost can’t handle it.

“You were incredible,” Kurt says, still a little breathless about the boy standing in front of him. Kurt is well aware of how hard speaking in front of the crowd must have been for Blaine, how hard this moment must be for him.

Blaine shakes his head in disbelief and says, “Dah-does that mmmmean you ffffforgive me?” Blaine is just trying to breathe, as usual, and trying not to be overwhelmed by the nearness of this person that he has so built up in his mind. He’s already sort of run out of words though.

“I definitely forgive you,” Kurt pauses, not wanting to embarrass Blaine, but also wanting him to know how touched he was by the letter and the song. “I loved what you wrote to me Blaine. It was very brave, to say all of that. I understand, I think, why you were so worried, but you don’t have to be. And that song, Blaine, that song was perfect.”

Kurt watches Blaine take in those words, watches as he blinks and his face tenses up and his lips twitch in a way that Kurt is pretty sure means Blaine has something to say, so Kurt waits. While he waits, he decides to take Blaine’s hand. Because maybe Kurt can show Blaine things are ok, instead of just telling him.

Blaine is horribly blocked. All he wants is to say is “Thank you,” but no words are coming out. He’s blinking wildly and his tongue keeps hitting his teeth trying to hit the “th.” But nothing’s coming out. Blaine’s palm is clammy, he doesn’t want Kurt to feel how sweaty it is. No one has ever touched him before while he blocks, not like this. Not when he’s this bad.

Why is this so difficult? Why can’t he just be ok? Kurt said everything is ok. Blaine knows he shouldn’t be so scared. He tries to swallow down the block and to focus and to really believe everything Kurt just said. He finally lets himself squeeze Kurt’s hand. Kurt intertwines their fingers then and Blaine’s breath hitches, helping the block break up a bit.

“Th-th-thank you,” Blaine says, finally. He looks at their hands together and then he looks up at Kurt, knowing he still needs to say more, but having no idea where to begin.

“Are you hungry?” Kurt asks. “Maybe we could go somewhere and talk? Somewhere away from those two?” Kurt tips his chin towards the counter where Matt and Rachel are currently leaning, watching Blaine and Kurt interact with dopey grins on their faces.

“I cc-could eat. And, and, and tah-talk.”

Blaine hopes.