“Please, please, pleeease!” Rachel begged, her eyes pleading.

“Fine, but only if you can convince Kurt to go too.” Finn crossed his arms and looked down at his girlfriend a little too smugly.

“Oh, no. Sorry. Never happening. Ever.” Kurt laughed not even looking up from his magazine.

“Please, Kurt, please, this is Finn and I’s first official Valentine’s day as a couple...” Rachel pouted and Kurt looked up to meet his best friend’s eyes.

“I refuse to be pathetic and attend this carnival by myself.”

“But you’ll go?!” Rachel asked hopefully.

“No.”

“Pleeeeease! Ask a friend, anyone, Mercedes, Sam, Quinn, Sant-”

“Ask that Blaine guy, from Dalton.” Finn chimed in. “Ow! Rachel, why’d you-ow again! Okay, geez I’ll stop talking.” Finn grumbled and rubbed his shin.

Kurt laughed into the silence, “thanks, Finn. Rachel almost had me.”

Rachel let out an exasperated sound. “Oh come on!”

“I don’t see what I did wrong here, by the way.” Finn said from his place on the couch.

“Blaine is an off limits topic, Finn.”

“But why?”

Rachel sighed, “because, Finn, Kurt is obviously head over sensible heels for the boy and he is all but interested in Kurt.”

“Thanks, Rach.”

“Wait, I thought you guys had like... A thing for a while.” Finn looked puzzled.

“We almost did.”

“A kiss in the commons is not a thing, Finn. It’s a kiss.”

“Once again, thanks, Rach.”

“Oh, don’t be bitter, Kurt” she smiled warmly at him, “but, please? This is a big deal for Finn and me...”

“Isn’t it Finn and I?” Finn asked, “last time I said me you corrected me.”

“Sweetie, you wouldn’t say this is a big deal for I, so in this case it’s me.” Rachel pat his head and took the seat beside him on the couch.

“English is ridiculous.” Finn crossed his arms over his chest.

“And so is this carnival.” Kurt mirrored the other boy’s physicality.

“You two are impossible!” Rachel threw her arms in the air and all but stomped out of the room.

Finn sighed, “okay, Kurt, I know I don’t seem like I wanna do this... But I kinda wanna go, just... Not alone. Could you, maybe, ask Mercedes, or another guy from Dalton? Please? For Finchel?”

“Finn... I-” Kurt’s resolve was crumbling beneath him. “Okay, okay. For Finchel.”

“For Finchel!” Finn beamed. “Rach! He’ll go! Rach!”

____

“I still can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“It’s not my fault you didn’t want to ask anyone to come with you.” Rachel stated matter-of-factly.

“But it is your fault I’m here. Therefore.” Kurt tightened his scarf around his neck and busied himself with unwinding and rewinding it around his neck.

“Oh. Popcorn. You want anything, Kurt?” Finn grabbed Rachel’s hand and ran towards the concessions cart at the front of the grounds without even waiting for a response.

“No really, Finn, I’m fine.” Kurt said bitterly to no one, breath lost in the cold February air. He walked the carnival grounds by himself for a minute before finding a place to sit off by the Ferris Wheel. “Happy Valentines Day.” He sighed to himself.

“Did you know February 14th is National Ferris Wheel Day?”

Startled, Kurt looked up from the leaf he was staring intently at to see who would have the audacity to interrupt someone who was so very obviously wallowing in self pity. “Oh.” Was all he managed when his eyes met a very familiar set of hazel ones. As soon as the blocks all fell into place and Kurt rediscovered his ability to form sentences, he said “you would know that” almost bitterly.

The other boy laughed, “you used to like my facts.”

“I still do. Unlike some people, when I like something I usually don’t throw it out like expired milk.”

“Ouch. Deserved that, I guess.” Blaine said, stepping closer. “This seat taken?” He motioned to the empty space on the bench beside Kurt.

“Yes.”

Blaine’s face fell, “by who? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“This very interesting pile of dead leaves.” Kurt deadpanned. Blaine laughed, a familiar light returning to his eyes. “Don’t do that.” Kurt spat.

“Do what?” He sat down anyway.

“Smile at me like that. It’s really sadistic.”

“Sadistic?” Blaine smiled again.

“Yes. You’re sadistic and I'm masochistic for continuing this conversation.” Kurt stood up and began walking away.

“Where are you going?” Blaine called after him.

“To the ferris wheel, I hear it’s the day for them.” Kurt called over his shoulder.

Blaine ran to catch up with him, “need a second rider?” He grinned.

“I hate you.” Kurt sighed and stood in the line. “But sure.”

“You don’t hate me.”

“Are we going to talk about this?” Kurt chanced, not sure if he wanted the reasoning behind Blaine ignoring him for the two weeks since they had kissed.

“You don’t hate me,” Blaine frowned, “and I kind of want to keep it that way.”

“I’m liking you less and less as we stand here, unanswered questions lingering.”

“Please, can we drop it and just ride the ferris wheel?” Blaine pleaded, avoided the other boy’s eyes.

“I will never figure you out, Blaine Warbler.”

“That’s for the best.”

“Next, you two!” The ride operator pointed at Blaine and Kurt, “double riders?”

“Yes ma’am,” Blaine nodded and shot her his most charming smile.

“Come on up, you two.” She smiled back. “Number 14.”

“Thank you” Blaine said sincerely, that dapper asshole, Kurt found himself thinking. “Here you are, sir.” Blaine smiled again and held the door to car number 14. Kurt rolled his eyes and stepped inside as Blaine took the seat opposite him in the small compartment, closing the door behind him.

“So.” Kurt tried.

“So,” Blaine echoed, smiling as widely as before.

“Happy Ferris Wheel Day.”

Blaine laughed and it relieved some of the tension from Kurt’s shoulders, “Happy Ferris Wheel Day to you too, Kurt.”

“You know, if I’m being completely honest, I hate these things.”

“Really? Why?”

“Not sure, they just mess with my head. I think it’s the height.” Kurt shrugged.

“Kurt Hummel is afraid of something?” Blaine mock gasped and put a hand in front of his mouth.

“Kurt Hummel is afraid of a lot of things.”

“Like what?” Blaine asked, dropping the act.

“Honestly?”

“As honest as you can be.”

“You, for starters.” Blaine leaned back on his side of the car, causing the entire thing to swing in his direction. “Blaine!” Kurt yelped as he was nearly tossed forward, “see! And I have good reason to be scared of you! You’re a danger to be around!” Kurt grumbled as he found his seat again and straightened out his wrinkled shirt.

“I’m just as scared of you, ya’know.” Blaine tucked his feet under himself and looked out of the small ferris wheel car, surveying the carnival grounds from their new height.

“You’re not allowed to do that either.” Kurt snapped him out of his haze. “Be all cryptic and say things that confuse me even more than I already am.”

“What’s cryptic? You’re-” Blaine paused, inhaled, “-intimidating.”

Kurt let out a sharp laugh, “me? Intimidating? You’re the intimidating one! I’m... I’m like a kitten and you’re a german shepherd.”

“If I’m a german shepherd, you’re a mountain lion.”

Kurt sighed, “what are we doing here, Blaine?” The ferris wheel was finally fully loaded and began its descent into its cyclical pattern.

“Riding a ride, talking about animals.” Blaine’s tone was infuriatingly nonchalant.

“Why are you so scared of me...” Kurt asked quietly, his voice coming out smaller than he intended.

“I... I just am...”

“Look,” Kurt took a deep breath. “I know you regret that kiss, I understand that. But I’m not asking you to marry me... I just at least want my best friend back.”

“Kurt,” Blaine’s voice sounded broken, caught in his throat. “I... I don’t regret kissing you. That’s the only part of this I’ve done even remotely right. You’ve got it all backwards...”

“If you don’t regret kissing me... Then where have you been?” Kurt’s voice was growing louder, building a wall to keep the tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Hiding.” Blaine admitted, sheepishly.

“I got that.” Kurt spat, his words coated in venom.

Blaine took a deep breath. “I’m sorry...”

“There’s a start.” Kurt crossed his arms and sat back.

“Look-”

“Okay, boys! Ride’s over! Hope you enjoyed it!” The too cheerful attendant smiled upon seeing Blaine again. “Exit on your left, please.”

“Would you... Mind if maybe, we went around again?” There was that smile again.

“Oh.” The woman was dazed. “Of course not, you kids go on.” She said, clearly still under the spell that is Blaine Anderson and sent the car back for another round.

“You know,” Blaine started, a smile playing on his lips, “we’re in car number 14.”

“And?”

“It’s February 14th.” Blaine grinned.

“You are ridiculous.” Kurt couldn’t help but smile back. “And you’re not done talking.”

“About Valentine’s Day?” Kurt glared at him. “Oh. Right. That. I know.” He took a deep breath. “Long story short. I’m an asshole.”

“Agreed. Proceed.” Kurt smiled.

“I told you I would mess this up for us, Kurt... I warned you, but you just kept being... You.”

“My sincerest of apologies.”

Blaine sighed and ran his fingers through his uncharacteristically lightly gelled hair. “I know that’s such an excuse, but the more I thought about you and I becoming a... YouandI, the more appealing it became... And therefore the more unattainable.”

“I’m not following...”

“Kurt...” Blaine took one of Kurt’s hands. “I meant it. What I said. Before I kissed you. I have been looking for you forever.”

“And I’ve been looking for you for two weeks. Funny.”

“I’m serious... I... I thought that once I found the person I was supposed to be with it would be sparks and fireworks and magic and-”

“Oh.” Kurt said bluntly, dropping Blaine’s hand. “So, when we kissed, you wanted magic and all you got was me.”

“No!” Blaine scrambled for words. “No, no no no, no. I wanted nothing to happen when I kissed you. I wanted it to be insignificant. To be...”

“Boring?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, I’m lost again.”

“Kurt.” He took Kurt’s hand again. “I’ve seriously been looking for you forever and I think... I think I was mad at myself for not seeing that it was always you. From the moment I saw you on that staircase. Do you know how scary that is? To be on this... Surefire path for so long only to be derailed by a terribly beautiful spy.” Kurt’s breath hitched in his throat. “I didn’t take that chance then, because I knew I needed to know you. I grabbed your hand and I pulled you into my world and... God, Kurt, you blindsided me. You blindsided me on a daily basis. I found myself thinking about you in classes, about your eyes and your lips. I chastised myself for days because I was so stupidly over the moon.” He paused, “and then you told me you had feelings for me and... I got this master plan in my head. This stupid idea to serenade you in front of the council and-”

“You what-”

“Let me finish,” he gripped Kurt’s fingers tighter. “But I realized I couldn’t do that with you. I had to be tasteful. I had to be myself. I had to lay it all out on the line for you to take or push away. So I came to talk to you... I prepared a whole speech, practiced it in mirrors and everything. But as per usual, Kurt Hummel strikes again, I forgot everything I had planned.”

Kurt laughed, it was a beautiful sound in contrast to all of Blaine’s nervous rambling.

“And then I kissed you. And, Kurt, seriously? How was that even fair? I’m supposed to be the experienced one and-” Blaine stopped himself again and stole a glance at Kurt’s face. His eyes were wide and fixed on Blaine’s. His lips were slightly parted and he was breathing faster than usual and oh, now he was saying something and Blaine needed to not be staring at his lips.

“That doesn’t explain the hiding...” Kurt had intended for that to come out at least three octaves lower than it did.

“I got scared.” Blaine stated simply, as if that explained everything.

“Of what?” Kurt squeezed his hand.

“Of messing everything up even more. Scaring you off. Not being good enough. Of everything.”

“You could have talked to me.” Kurt whispered. “I thought I had messed everything up... I thought you regretted kissing me. I-” Kurt’s voice came out even more hushed, “I thought you hated me.”

Blaine pulled on the hand he was still holding until Kurt fell into his side of the car and directly into Blaine’s arms. “No. No. Please, don’t ever think that. I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. Such an idiot.” He was wrapping Kurt up into a warm hug and murmuring into his hair as the car started to tip to their side. Kurt noticed first.

“Blaine! Let go!” He shrieked, Blaine released immediately and Kurt returned to his own side in a frenzy.

“What?” Blaine seemed broken.

“You almost killed us.” Kurt’s breath was erratic.

“I know.” Blaine looked down at his hands.

“No, you idiot, the car was tipping. You almost literally killed us.” And now Kurt was laughing and Blaine couldn’t think of a better sound.

“Oh.” He smiled. “But I didn’t kill... Us, right? Like, there’s still a chance? Because I’d like to prove that I am not a total screw up, please.”

Kurt couldn’t stop laughing, “Of course.” He said between breaths. “I never gave up on us.”

“I’m sorry.” Blaine said again. “I won’t. I won’t ever give up on us again. As long as you let me. I promise.” He reached out with both of his hands and cupped Kurt’s cheeks, pulling him in for a kiss just as the ferris wheel stopped at the top.

Kurt kissed him back and covered Blaine’s hands with his own and smiled into the sensation, into the promise.

Blaine pulled away slightly after a moment and smiled into the other boy’s lips. “You know what else February 14th is?”

“What?”

“National Heart to Heart Day.”

Kurt laughed again and couldn’t help but to pull Blaine back in for another kiss.