How long can a rose last?

Blaine wasn't sure. But the rose-- it's not even a bouquet, just a single red rose-- has a tiny water container on the end of the stem, so that should help make it last longer, right?

But the day is almost ending. He bought the flower right before heading to the first class of the day. It's nearly dismissal time and god he needed to give this already.Why does it have to be so hard?

He can sing and dance in front of a big audience. Why should this be any harder?

Because you're about to give a rose to the person you like, and you're not even sure what could happen after that, duh, his mind supplied and definitely did not help.

And to make things more difficult, he had to take care of the rose while carrying everything that he got from other guys for Valentine's. Looking at the bag filled with chocolates, and letters, and some candy hearts, he sighed.

Will he ever be able to give the rose to him?

---

"You still have it with you," It didn't sound quite like a question. Kurt spoke the words as he jerked his head towards the red flower on Blaine's lunch tray.

"Uh, yeah," Blaine fumbled.

"Well, Blaine Anderson, I think you should do it now. When do you plan on giving it, dismissal time? You should've given it during French, actually. Anyway, if I were you, I would give it now before it's too late."

"I... I can't," Blaine contested, looking down at his lunch.

"You what? Blaine, come on. You can do it! Wouldn't want to waste a beautiful rose, would we?" Kurt insisted, shaking Blaine's shoulder's lightly.

"I'm scared..."

"Don't be scared, Blaine. I'm sure he'll love it." Kurt said with a smile curving his lips. He looked directly into Blaine's eyes, trying to convey the support. "Now, all you have to do is look for him. I'm pretty sure he's at their usual lunch tab-- oh, look! There he is!"

Blaine spun his head to the direction where Kurt's eyes were. There was Richard, laughing at something with his friends. Blaine suddenly felt something lodge in his throat.

Kurt repeatedly tapped his arm while chanting over-and-over, "Go on! Go get him, Blaine! Go!"

Blaine gulped. He then took a deep breath. Just give it to him, he told himself.

He willed his body to move. He really did. He tried to at least clutch the rose which was on the table.

He didn't.

He couldn't.

The most he was able to do was touch the rose wrapped in fancy plastic.

Thankfully, Wes and David chose that time to arrive. It provided distraction. They just got released by their Physics class.

"Say, is that a rose?" David asked teasingly.

"Yes," gritted Blaine.

"To or from you?" Wes questioned.

"Well, you see boys, Blaine here is supposed to give it to someone," Kurt answered for Blaine, adding stress on a few words.

David and Wes looked at Blaine, confused. They looked pointedly at him, trying to convey a message that looked a bit like:

What the heck? Just give it, Blaine.

Blaine huffed.

Kurt whipped his head and hissed at Blaine. "What-- hurry, Blaine! Richard's leaving!"

Blaine turned. True enough, Richard-- together with his friends-- have stood up and are posing to leave the cafeteria.

Blaine bit his lip and closed his fist tightly. He stared at the retreating figure. He could hear Kurt pushing him with his words.

Richard's head disappeared behind the doors.

Blaine turned back to his food. He stole a look at Kurt. His friend seemed disappointed in him.

The bell rang, signalling the near of the beginning of the next period.

"Well, that's my cue. Have to get to class early," Kurt said as he prompted to stand up. He turned to his friends. "You know Ms. Gomez," he added with a roll of his eyes. The two seniors chuckled.

He then turned to Blaine. "I'll see you later," he said with a small smile.

Once Kurt was out of the cafeteria, he heard some 'tsk,tsk' from his two other companions at the table. When he looked at them, Wes and David were both shaking their heads at him.

The memory of Kurt's look in his mind made Blaine sigh.

He was disappointed with himself, too.

Later, he promised to himself.

---

Kurt had just gone out of his last class for the day, Geometry. For the nth time of the day, he saw other boys carrying chocolates, cards, and other in-season paraphernalia. His heart went giddy at the thought of other people being happy and in love. But deep inside, there was some sort of emptiness. As much as he was used to having no one for Valentine's, it isn't bad to dream, right? He was still a hopeless romantic who wished for a guy who would greet him 'Happy Valentine's Day' and give him something for the occassion.

Well, there was Blaine; he greeted him when they met over recess time. He wasn't able to see him before the day started, so that's why they only saw each other during breaktime. But then, that was different. Blaine's greeting even looked... strained. Maybe because he was occupied with giving Richard the rose?

That was another reason why Blaine telling him 'Happy Valentine's Day' was a whole new story. Blaine was interested in someone else. With the thought of that, Kurt sighed to himself. Blaine should just stop acting a like a scaredy-cat and just hand the rose to the guy. From their times sitting together in French class-- since they were seated alphabetically-- Kurt could tell that Richard, in some way, had eyes for Blaine. Plus, he's Blaine. Who wouldn't like him? He already managed to get five greeting cards-- from recognized and anonymous sources-- before snack time.

Turning the corner, Kurt headed to the grand hall. He and Blaine agreed to meet there, just like everyday.

When he finally spotted Blaine, his friend was standing on the sides, looking nervously at his shuffling feet. Kurt then looked at Blaine's hand. The rose was still there. Kurt shook his head and sighed.

"Don't tell me that's the same rose from this morning," Kurt said as he approached the boy.

Blaine looked up, caught off-guard. "Kurt," he breathed.

Kurt stood in front of Blaine, rested his weight on one feet, and crossed his arms. "It is, isn't it?"

Blaine nodded soundlessly.

Kurt heaved. "Oh Blaine, what do I do with you?" He asked. "I'm not sure if Richard is still here..."

Something flickered in Blaine's eyes. What it was, Kurt couldn't tell.

"Oh well," Kurt said with a shrug. He then looked at the bag beside Blaine's feet on the floor. "That's quite a lot, huh?" He teased.

"Ah, yeah," Blaine agreed, looking at the bag overflowing with goodies.

"Well, come on. Maybe we'll see Richard on the way out."

Kurt swiveled on his feet and began walking away.

"Wait."

Kurt turned to Blaine, the curiosity painted on his face.

"Here."

He then looked down at Blaine's hand.

In Blaine's hand was the red rose.

Kurt's chest suddenly felt tight. "Wh-What..."

"Youcanhaveit," Blaine said so softly and quickly that Kurt almost didn't catch what he was saying.

"What, nononono," Kurt declined, shaking his head.

"It's yours," Blaine said, almost pleading. He was already shaking the flower in front of Kurt.

"No, no, no," Kurt said with finality, mildly putting Blaine's hand down.

"But--"

"No, Blaine," Kurt cut him off. He looked around, suddenly aware that other people might be watching. He stepped closer and said, "Look, I appreciate the thought. I know I have no Valentine whatsoever unlike you who has-- what, ten?" he continued, gesturing at the bag of gifts. "But I don't want to be just some... some 'pity Valentine'. It wasn't really for me, Blaine. So if you're just giving it to me because you failed to give it to the one you originally intended it for and because I got nothing today... just, no. No, thank you."

"Kur--"

"Look, I'll-I'll just go ahead," Kurt said. Everything suddenly felt painful for him. "I think you should try and look for Richard," he said as he stepped back. "Good luck, Blaine," he stopped, thought, and added softly with a small smile, "Courage."

He then turned. His heart felt heavier thrice as much. He should be touched by it, right? Blaine was giving him a rose. But it wasn't for him. Blaine was just giving it to him because he wasn't able to give it to Richard. And perhaps because Blaine felt sorry for him for not getting any. It would have been nice, if circumstances were different. But this time, he felt like the kid who's given the old, used clothes. He felt like someone in a beauty pageant, who only got the role of the winner when the original winner couldn't attend to the duties and responsibilities. He felt like the back-up. And it hurt.

---

Blaine remained dumbstruck.

He didn't mean it that way. He really didn't.

He mentally cursed at and punched himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Now Kurt was walking away from him. And the damn rose is still in his freaking hand. He felt like a coward. Pretty funny when he thought that he was the one who told Kurt 'courage'.

Courage.

That one word he told Kurt when he was going through rough times in his old school.

That one word that Kurt told him just now.

That one word that he really, really needed to swallow. Now.

Courage.

From behind him, he heard Richard raucous laughter. He turned his head to look at the blond boy. He then tore his eyes from the boy and instead directed it to the plastered wall beside him.

Blaine took a huge gulp of air and closed his eyes. His hand held tighter on the rose. 

Not caring about his stuff on the floor, he scurried.

---

"Kurt!"

The brunet stopped short in his tracks. He felt too dampened to pay attention to the voice and recognize who called him.

When he finally turned around, he was shocked to see Blaine jogging towards him.

"Blaine," the other boy's name rolled off his tongue lightly.

Blaine stopped in front of Kurt. His body shook, but pure determination could be seen in his amber eyes.

"Kurt."

They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, just looking into each other's eyes. gauging each other's feelings.

Blaine then took a deap breath and began: "Kurt, I'm sorry. I was stupid. So, so, stupid to the point that I made you think that way," he paused. "I just-- I was scared, you know? I was afraid. But not now. I finally got it in my head that I haveto do this. Because if I don't, I will probably-- most probably-- regret it someday. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've been so stupid..."

Kurt then felt a touch on his hand. He stopped breathing right then and there. Yes, Blaine has held Kurt's hands on multiple occassions-- platonically-- but there was something about the look in Blaine's eyes that made everything in that moment feel different. His mind was reeling, trying to figure out what was going on.

"... But you have to know, Kurt. I..." Blaine displayed the rose in front of Kurt with his free hand. "...This one's for you. It always was. I've been meaning to give this to you ever since this morning. But since I was stupid-- I should probably stop saying that," he mumbled the last few words to himself. "--and was a big coward, I wasn't able to give it to you until now. I was so sure I could give it to you already, by the time we met right after classes. But then I chickened-out last minute and the best I had done was make it seem as if I'm giving to you because. I didn't even know what I was thinking. I was just so shy to tell you that I'm giving it to you because I'm in love with you. I suddenly had this insane idea of passing it off as a friendly you-can-have-it gift. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It was the exact opposite of that."

Kurt was speechless. The motors on his brain were working in high-speed. It was all too much to take in. The only words he managed to get out were, "Wait. Repeat what you said."

Blaine looked taken aback. "Uhm, uh... this one's for you..." He said, holding the flower higher.

Kurt stared at the red rose. "No, after that."

"I was a coward? I chicken-- oh," Blaine stopped abruptly, finally seeming to get it.

He inhaled deeply, and repeated the words again.

"I'm in love with you."

Kurt gasped inaudibly. Is this real?

Was Blaine actually standing in front of him-- on Valentine's Day, no less-- and telling him he's in love with him? The boy that he fell in love with the moment he first laid eyes on him was finally returning his feelings?

It seemed all too good to be true.

He had to be dreaming. But Blaine began speaking again.

"I'm in love with you Kurt, I have always been. But I was so afraid that you wouldn't return my feelings and that I would lose whatever it is that I have with you. This friendship. I thought that if this was the most that I could have from you, then at least I still have you. I would rather have this than nothing. I didn't want to mess things up."

Other students continued on with their own lives and zipped past the two boys. Blaine was still holding one of Kurt's hands, while his other hand still clasped the flower.

Kurt brought his hand up and hesitantly grazed the rose with his pallid fingers. He was afraid to touch it, like it would suddenly pop like a bubble and it would disappear together with the moment.

"I-I don't understand... you said you liked Richard," he said, almost like a whisper.

Their eyes met again as Blaine tore his gaze from Kurt's hand and the flower.

"That..." Blaine began. His face seemed to color with embarrassment. "I was caught off-guard when you asked me if I liked anyone. I couldn't answer. I wasn't ready to tell you how I felt. Then you suddenly gave Richard's name and I just found myself saying it was him." Blaine looked away from Kurt and laughed at himself. "But it really was you. All along."

"But... every French, I always catch you looking our w-- oh." Kurt finally got it. Oh.

"Yeah...," Blaine replied as he slowly nodded his head and held a slightly shy smile on his lips. "Pretty stupid, I know," Blaine said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. 

"Stop calling yourself stupid," Kurt told him. "You're not. You're a bit silly at times, but forgivably and adorably so." Kurt suddenly pulled out the guts out of nowhere.

Blaine tried to suppress a grin, but failed. He ended up ducking his head in an attempt to hide the look on his face. Well, that just proves my point that he's adorable.

Blaine then decided to get serious and straightened up. He looked directly into Kurt's eyes, pouring all the sincerity into that look.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kurt."

This was the second time Blaine said those words to him, but this time, everything's different. Blaine was not saying it just as a friend. His voice was deep with passion and sincerity and love. He has a flower in his hand, and it's for Kurt.

Kurt was so overwhelmed that he almost felt like crying. But he didn't. He snatched the red rose from Blaine and enveloped him in a tight hug.

After having recovered from the initial shock, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. They stayed like that for some time, not caring about other people secretly-- some not-so-- watching them.

When they pulled themselves from each other, Blaine looked around. Kurt did, too. Everyone else seemed to have gone back to their own businesses, pretending like they never saw the exchange.

When Kurt turned his head to Blaine, he felt a warm press on his lips. It was quick and chaste, but a kiss nonetheless. Kurt stumbled back a bit, surprised.

He was rendered speechless and frozen. His mouth hung in a small 'o', trying to take in as much air in order to calm his erratic heartbeat. Panic flashed in Blaine's eyes for a brief moment.

When Kurt finally regained his senses, he couldn't keep his lips from breaking into a smile. Unable to stop himself with the immense joy that he was feeling, Kurt threw his hand at the back of Blaine's head, tugged him closer, and crashed their lips together in a sweet, soft peck.

It was now Blaine's turn to be immobile. The look of panic was wiped away from his face and was now replaced with a look of relief and pleasant surprise. Kurt looked down for a quick moment, shocked and slightly ashamed of his forwardness. He then smiled at Blaine, who then managed to go back to reality. Flustered, Blaine smiled in return. Color was high on his cheeks. Kurt knew he was in the same blushing state.

Blaine then enveloped Kurt's hand with his. They both looked down on their linked hands, amazed with how they fit perfectly.

"Come on?" Kurt asked, giving Blaine's hand a mild shake.

Blaine's smile widened as he nodded at him.

They then began walking together towards the door. But then Blaine suddenly remembered that he forgot something-- his gift bag.

"Oh! Hold on," he exclaimed as he reluctantly let go of Kurt's hand and rushed back to where he left the bag.

Shortly after, he came running back, the goodies in his one hand. He laced the fingers of the other with Kurt's. They smiled at each other.

As they walked out of the school building, they saw some friends who were still there. They all smiled at the new couple, congratulating them and cheering them on.

When they were finally out of the building and already on their way to the parking lot, Blaine popped a question to Kurt:

"You said something a while ago when I tried to give you the rose.... something like, 'pity valentine'? What the heck is that?" Blaine asked, his voice in a mocking tone. He was chuckling a bit at Kurt, too.

"Oh... that one. I made that up.  It's when you're asked to become someone's Valentine out of pity," Kurt supplied.

"Oh. And when did you coin that term, Mr. Hummel?" Blaine enquired.

"Just a while ago, when you tried to give me this flower," Kurt said, gesturing to the red rose now in his hand.

---

Blaine laughed at Kurt's answer.

It was adorable, him coming up with those things at random.

And he thought-- and felt in his heart-- something.

This was one of the many reasons he fell in love with Kurt.