July 29, 2011, 2:42 a.m.
An Oldie But Goodie
Blaine surprises Kurt with an old-school gesture.
K - Words: 1,401 - Last Updated: Jul 29, 2011 1,280 0 1 1 Categories: Cotton Candy Fluff, Humor, Characters: Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel,
Blaine is a romantic at heart--he really is. He has every good intention and sees the world through rose-colored glass and he has this endearing trust in the good of everything that makes him the perfect example of the hopeless romantic. He's watched all the movies--Sleepless in Seattle, Moulin Rouge, Love Actually, City of Angels, The Notebook,Princess Bride--you name it, he's watched it at least 5 times.
But as a teenager with very little experience with romance in the real world, he only has fairy tales and John Hughes films to use as a reference for teenage romance. So he serenades Kurt in public, or he buys him fluffy stuffed animals that Kurt has taken to stuffing into his closet, or he takes Kurt to expensive French restaurants and asks the violin quartet to play Bella Notte repeatedly until dessert. If he could, he'd rent a lawn-mower and ride off into the sunset with his boyfriend while the Beatles plays in the background.
And Kurt appreciates the gestures. Really, he does. But for somebody who finds the touch of the fingertips to be the most romantic thing in the world, it's a little discomfiting for your boyfriend to have a penchant for such grand displays of affection. What Blaine lacks in subtlety, though, he certainly makes up with enthusiasm.
Which is why Kurt is very wary when he gets a phone call from Blaine just after 10oclock one Friday night after a simple date of dinner and a movie (Kurt's idea). Kurt checks his clock on his nightstand from where he's sitting on his bed and figures it's been maybe half an hour exactly since he last saw Blaine-enough time for the boy to get home and get comfortable.
His phone flashes at him, Blaine's smiling face lighting up the screen and Kurt can't help but feel that usual flutter of butterflies in his stomach as he answers.
The moment he presses the phone to his ear Blaine practically squeaks, "Kurt?!"
"Hello again," he responds with a laugh as he pulls his knees up to his chest and leans against the headboard of his bed.
"Do you have a radio? As in an actual radio that isn't your computer?" Kurt wasn't sure what he was expecting Blaine to say, but it certainly wasn't that.
Kurt looks around his room for his boom-box but notices it isn't there before remembering that his dad had asked to borrow it so he could listen to the game (Kurt isn't sure what game; what do they play in the Spring?) while he worked on something in the garage. "Not in my room with me, but I know where to find one," he says, his voice hinting a little at suspicion. The night had gone smoothly and Kurt had even teased Blaine that he was getting better at the whole romance thing. Now, he thinks he might have been a little premature with the compliment.
"Can you go find it?" Blaine pauses for a second before saying, "And could you hurry?"
Kurt slides off his bed and heads downstairs toward the garage, passing Finn and his dad in the living room watching some game show. When he finds his boom-box on a tool-box next to his dad's work bench, he says, "Okay, I have it. Blaine, what is this for?"
But Blaine only says, "Are you alone?"
Kurt's eyes narrow at the question. Blaine is definitely up to something. "No... Should I be?"
"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Up to you. Just hurry up and decide and change it to 103.7," Blaine says and his voice has an edge of excitement to it.
Kurt is almost afraid to follow Blaine's directions. But he trudges back upstairs and gets comfortable again on his bed before turning past a lot of white noise to the designated radio station, which is currently in the process of finishing Lady Gaga's newest single. Okay, Kurt likes that. Is that all Blaine wanted him to hear?
"Blaine, I've already heard this song-" he starts to say, but Blaine cuts him off.
"Just wait!" he says as the song crackles to an end and an over-excited female radio announcer starts talking about the latest celebrity gossip. Kurt listens with mild interest while Blaine is silent on the other end, except Kurt can hear a faint echo of the same radio station playing in the background.
And then the announcer introduces a new host, and now Kurt can hear an over-excited male start talking about how it's Spring and love is in the air and it's 10:15 which means it's time for song dedications and-
Oh no. No. He wouldn't. He didn't. "Blaine, you did not call in a song dedication for me, did you?"
"And the first one goes out to... Kurt!" Oh, but he did. "Hi, Kurt, if you're listening, Blaine wants to let you know that he had a great time tonight and that every moment with you makes him feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world. He also wants to know if you'd like to join him to see the community theatre's production of Cabaret with him this Saturday. Please say ‘yes' Kurt! Blaine sounds like such a nice guy! And this next song is dedicated to you! An oldie, but a goodie!" Kurt is rendered speechless as The Monkees'Now I'm a Believer starts playing. He sits there, his jaw flexing until he hears something shuffle on Blaine's end of the line.
"Um, Kurt?" Blaine's voice sounds so hopeful that Kurt tries to swallow the shock and embarrassment, but when he answers his voice is still shaky.
"Blaine, I can't believe you did that. What if-what if other kids from McKinley heard?" Everything the announcer had said would have sounded so sweet if Blaine himself had said it. Instead, it sounded mildly creepy and hinted vaguely of voyeurism and Kurt cringes as he replays it in his head.
"I want them to hear, though. I want them to know how much you mean to me," Blaine sounds sort of crestfallen and now Kurt feels guilty.
"Oh, Blaine, it was sweet just-I wasn't expecting it. I didn't even know they still did dedications anymore," Kurt tries his best at sounding apologetic, and really he is. As he listens to the song come to a close, he can't help but smile a little. So, Blaine still hasn't perfected the art of subtle romance but at least he's trying. And Kurt has never had anybody try so hard to get Kurt's attention and affection.
"I know, right?" Now Blaine sounds excited again, seemingly placated by Kurt's tone. "But I thought how cool it is and it's so very 80s teenage romance and I really did have a great night with you." Blaine rushes through his words, but slows down as he says, "I always do."
"I do, too," Kurt replies, his voice soft. "And yes, of course I'll go see the play with you."
"I knew you'd say yes," Blaine says with confidence. And Kurt can just imagine that smug grin plastered on Blaine's face that he always gets. Like a puppy who just achieved a new trick.
"And I liked the dedication," Kurt adds, still feeling a little guilty about his initial reaction. The more he thinks about it, the more he really does like it. Who cares what the kids at McKinley think? Do any of them have awesome boyfriends that do stuff like this? Kurt doesn't think so.
"Really?" Blaine sounds a little disbelieving, but hopeful as always.
"Really. Just, Blaine can you do me a favor?"
"Anything," Blaine breathes.
"Just promise me you will never do that again," Kurt says with a laugh in his voice. He hears Blaine about to protest and continues, "And I'll promise not to make you try on any more pairs of my boots." It had been fun while it lasted-- playing dress up with Blaine, Kurt thinks. But it's a sacrifice worth making.
"Deal," Blaine laughs and Kurt can't help but smile in response. "See you tomorrow, then?"
"Absolutely," Kurt replies and wishes Blaine a good night before burying his face into one of his pillows, trying to smother the silly grin on his face.
Comments
This is so perfectly in character. Great job!