­Names

Kurt stared at the clock and sighed, his 18th birthday was in 52 minutes. He would be an adult and the name of his soul mate would appear on his hand. He felt a kiss pressed into his shoulder and an arm tighten around his waist.

“You know it won’t show up until the time you were born right,” Blaine whispered into his hair.

“Which was 16 minutes past 4 in the morning,” Kurt groaned. “Why was I such an awkward baby?”

“Sleep Kurt, please. We still have to go to school tomorrow.”

“Stupid school,” Kurt muttered. Blaine answered with a laugh that ruffled Kurt’s hair. With a sigh Kurt snuggled further back into his boyfriend’s chest. “I don’t know what I’m worried about anyway; it’s going to be your name.”

Blaine just pressed another kiss to his shoulder. Eventually Kurt managed to fall asleep listening to the soothing breathing of the sleeping boy behind him.

*

Kurt woke with a start half an hour before his alarm was due to go off. He stayed still and listened to Blaine’s breathing, he was still fast asleep. Slowly, nervously Kurt raised his right hand towards his face, his eyes closed. Once his hand was in position he took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at the name now scrawled across the bottom of his palm. He blinked at it once twice, trying hard to make the letters form the words he wanted them too but they stayed the same.

Alex Norton.

Unable to stifle to sob Kurt rolled and buried his head in his pillow, his whole body shaking so much it woke Blaine. The bed shifted as Blaine pulled Kurt into his arms. Blaine never said a word as he held a distraught Kurt until the alarm rang out. Switching it off Blaine slid himself out from under Kurt and pulled the older boy up off the bed with him. Forcing Kurt to stand in front of him, he looked into his clear blue eyes. Still keeping eye contact with his boyfriend Blaine reached for his right hand. With a little resistance from Kurt he managed to pull the hand between them and uncurl the fingers. Kurt gave another sob as Blaine flicked his eyes down to look at the name.

He’d known, of course, that it wasn’t his name, he’d known since he’d woken to Kurt’s crying but it still stabbed to see the name of Kurt’s true soul mate. He took a deep breath and looked back up at Kurt’s watery eyes.

“The likelihood of meeting your soul mate in school is low,” Blaine said quietly, a statement that everyone heard once they started dating, from parents, teachers and friends.

“I don’t care, I love you,” Kurt answered.

“I love you too but one day you won’t, you’ll love Alex Norton.”

“I don’t know Alex Norton.”

“Yet.”

“I hate this,” Kurt cried, turning away from Blaine. “Go on then, break up with me,” he whispered.

“No,” Blaine said, moving to wrap his arms around Kurt from behind. He gently kissed his neck. “I love you, I’m not ready to break up. We will one day but we don’t have to yet.”

Kurt spun round and grabbed Blaine’s face, kissing him hard. The boys kissed for a while, re affirming their relationship, at least for now, before they got ready for school.

*4 Months*

“So this is it,” Blaine asked down the phone as his heart dropped like lead.

“Yes, I guess so,” Kurt answered. “I’m really sorry Blaine but I can’t stay with you now I’ve met him.”

“Don’t be, we both knew this was coming.”

“I had hoped you’d have a name beforehand though.”

“I knew the risks in dating an older boy when I started.”

“He’ll be great I’m sure, whoever he is.”

“Thanks, Kurt can you promise me something?”

“Of course, anything Blaine.”

“Don’t vanish, don’t leave me, not completely. You may not be my soul mate but I need you Kurt, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“You’re my best friend too Blaine, I need you too. Just don’t tell Mercedes or Rachel I said that.”

“Never, I’d be afraid of what they’d do to me.” The pair laughed. After the pause that followed Blaine asked the question he didn’t want to but needed too. “What’s Alex like then?”

“Sweet and kind, very handsome, dark blonde hair with bright blue eyes, a little taller than me. He’s got a good sense of humour and he a bit of a klutz, I met him by stopping to help him pick up some books he’d dropped. He’s English too, from just outside of London. His accent is to die for…”

Blaine listened to Kurt go on about how perfect Alex was. His heart shattered but he didn’t stop Kurt, he was no longer his boyfriend who could get jealous but his best friend who listened to him go on about his soul mate.    

*2 Months*

It was Blaine’s 18th birthday. His hand was still clear having not been born until 1:32 in the afternoon. It was now ticking on towards 1 o clock and he was getting nervous. He’d been single for two months but was still madly in love with Kurt, which meant getting the name of his soul mate wasn’t what he wanted right now. But then again maybe it’d help.

His phone buzzed. Pulling it out to check as he sat at lunch with other New Directions members he noticed it was from Kurt. Happy Birthday, good luck, hope it’s a sexy name ;) Calling you later. X. Blaine sighed. That didn’t help.

At one thirty he was safely locked in a cubical in the toilets. He sat on the closed lid and watched the time tick by on his watch. At one thirty two he watched the name appear in black ink on his hand. The letters appeared slowly faintly at first then getting darker.

He blinked at the name on his hand, it couldn’t be true.

Kurt Hummel

Except it was. Kurt was his soul mate after all. He burst out of the bathroom to find Tina waiting for him nearby. He swept her into a hug, spinning her round before setting her back down.

“You’re happy,” she commented with a smile on her face.

“Of course, I get him back,” Blaine replied with a large grin on his face. He held up his hand for Tina to see. Her face fell.

“Oh,” she whispered sadly.

“What? This is great. Don’t you get it, he’s my soul mate. I can get him back.”

“No you can’t Blaine.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not his.”

“What?”

“Blaine,” Tina said sadly pulling him aside, privately. “Kurt’s with his soul mate. Their happy, he’s happy right?”

“Yes,” Blaine replied as he started to see the bigger picture.

“What do you think it’d do to him to find out the name on your hand?”

“I’d ruin everything for him, oh. He can’t know.”

“No.”

“This stays with us,” Blaine said looking at Tina, who nodded sadly.

Blaine pulled a bandage from his bag. He’d always planned to hide the name.  It wasn’t an uncommon practice to keep the name hidden until the person was found, although it was now considered old fashioned.

*4 Years*

“How do I look?” Kurt asked bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Like your about to puke, not a good look on your wedding day,” Blaine answered moving to straighten Kurt’s already straight tie.

“Why did I ask you to be my best man again?”

“Because I keep it real and I have enough dirt on you to last a life time?”

“Well it clearly wasn’t for your stunning ability to make me feel better. Should I be doing this? I mean I know he’s my soul mate and all but who decides this stuff?”

“Ok, seriously calm down. You have been with Alex for four years, he makes you happy and you love him yes?”

Kurt nodded. Blaine continued, “then you’re making the right decision.” Blaine had placed his hands on Kurt’s shoulders and was looking up into his eyes. He watched the determination flood back into Kurt’s eyes and felt his heart break once more. His beautiful Kurt was getting married and all Blaine could do was encourage him. Kurt’s eyes softened and he lifted a hand to pull Blaine’s right into his own. He held it softly between both his running his thumbs across the band that still hid the name.

“You’ll find him soon, your Jacob, when you least expect it he’ll be there,” Kurt said softly, talking about the made up name Blaine had given him. Blaine smiled bitterly. He wouldn’t but Kurt couldn’t know that. Not yet.

“Today is about you. You deserve this Kurt, you deserve all the happiness in the world.” Kurt threw his arms around Blaine and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you for being my best friend Blaine.” Blaine breathed in Kurt’s smell and held him close, for a second he considered telling Kurt the true name on his palm and persuading Kurt to run away him. But he couldn’t, Kurt and Alex loved each other.

“Time to go get you hitched,” was what he actually said.

*3 Months”

“How’s married life treating you so far?” Blaine asked as he sat opposite his best friend in the coffee shop they liked to frequent.

“Amazing, Alex and I were meant to be married. I mean in a physical sense nothing’s changed, we already lived together and slept together but being married makes everything so much better,” Kurt gushed in the voice he’d been using when he talked about Alex since he met him.

“That’s great,” Blaine replied with as much forced enthusiasm as he could. He was feeling particularly low today; everywhere he looked he saw couples, with in the last year over half the glee club had gotten married. He was one of three to have not found their soul mate.

“Don’t lose hope Blaine,” Kurt said, gently placing his hand over Blaine’s on the table. Blaine snapped. He yanked his hand and cried,

“Well I have, because what’s the point, I’m never going to get to be with my soul mate.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Blaine.”

“Ridiculous, you have no idea. I don’t want to sit here and listen you tell how wonderful your life is.” With that Blaine stood and left.

“How selfish of you,” Kurt cried chasing him into the street. “I’m not going to apologise for being happy.” When Blaine looked at him he realised he’d never seen Kurt so angry.

“Well I won’t apologise for being miserable,” Blaine snapped back.

“Fine, go be miserable, see if I care.”

“You never do.” With that last comment Blaine left Kurt.

That evening Blaine sheepishly knocked on Kurt’s door. Fortunately it was Kurt, not Alex who answered.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine said.

“Me too.” Then they hugged and all was forgotten.

*3 Years*

Kurt pounded on Blaine’s door, shaking like a leaf. Blaine opened it and Kurt watched as surprise, shock and anger flashed across his face, settling in to concern.

“What happened?” he asked and Kurt knew he was referring to the purpling bruise around his eye.

“Alex,” was all he managed to get out before falling into Blaine’s arms and sobbing his heart out.

Blaine came into the lounge, later, with an ice pack. Kurt held out his right hand to accept it but Blaine gasped.

“Kurt, your hand?” Kurt frowned at his hand it was unmarked. Clean as it had been up until his 18th birthday.

“It’s gone, his name is gone,” Kurt muttered in shock and wonder. Blaine moved to sit next to him, gently taking Kurt’s hand in his own. Kurt vaguely noticed that the strap that covered Blaine’s soul mate name wasn’t there but his hand was palm down so the name wasn’t in view. Kurt was too focused on this development to really think about it though.

“I don’t have to go back,” he said in wonder.

“What?” Blaine asked confused.

“He hit me and I was scared to go back but I thought I had to because he’s my soul mate, except he’s not anymore so I don’t have to go back. He hit me and broke the bond, I’m free,” Kurt laughed giggling and he flung his arms around Blaine’s neck and hugged him tightly.

“I’ll move out, I guess I’ll have to find an apartment quickly.”

“Silly, you can come here,” Blaine said.

“Really, oh thank you,” and Kurt hugged harder, before the whole situation fell on him and he began to cry again.

*10 months*

Kurt was whistling as he made coffee in Blaine’s kitchen, well their kitchen now. He reached out to grab a mug and noticed a black mark on his hand. On closer inspection he realised it was a name, he had a new soul mate name. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at it, the name he’d wished so hard for on his 18th birthday.

Blaine Anderson.

He cried then, because his name was not on Blaine’s hand. As his tears began to dry he needed to talk to someone. His first confidant was Blaine but he obviously couldn’t talk to him. He rang home but no one answered. He rang Rachel and Mercedes but neither picked up. He growled, frustrated, as angrily the hit call button after pulling up Tina’s number.

“Kurt, hello, how are you.” She asked having picked up almost immediately.

“Hi, I’m fine, wait no I’m not, that’s why I called.”

“What’s up?” she asked and Kurt silently blessed sweet Tina.

“I got a new name today,” he started.

“Whose?” she asked when he didn’t carry on.

“Blaine’s. It’s too late though now isn’t it; I’m not his soul mate. What do I do? I can’t tell him, knowing him he’ll be all noble and give up his soul mate for me.”

“You should tell him,” Tina said.

“What? That’s a terrible idea, weren’t you listening.”

“Trust me, tell him.” She put the phone down before he could answer. Kurt stared dumbly at the phone for a while.

The pieces started to fall together. He had never seen the name on Blaine’s hand. Blaine kept it covered in the house now he was around. He had seemed so sure he wouldn’t find his soul mate, he’d been getting steadily more depressed over the years but had seemed better since Kurt moved in. Could it be?

Blaine barely got in the door before Kurt was on him, pushing him up against the wall and grabbing his right wrist. Before Blaine could do anything Kurt had yanked off the strap and was now staring at the name written there. He closed his eyes as Blaine’s widened.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you but you had Alex and …” Kurt clapped his left hand over Blaine’s mouth to shut him up.

“Shut up,” he said quietly and Blaine did, looking rather like someone waiting for a death sentence. “I got a new name today,” Kurt told him and lifted his free hand in front of Blaine’s face. Blaine’s eyes widened even more.

Kurt let both his hands fall as he stood in front of Blaine, his ex-boyfriend, best friend and soul mate. He shrugged awkwardly.

“So…” was all he managed to get out before he felt himself shoved up against the opposite wall of the little hallway and Blaine’s lips pressed to his. He sighed then because oh how he’d missed this. Kurt relaxed and wound his arms around Blaine’s neck as Blaine slipped his arms around Kurt’s back. The kiss slowed from frenzied to passionate. When they pulled away they were both breathless. Kurt looked at Blaine’s eyes, shinning with love and happiness and Kurt smiled at him, resting his forehead against his.

“Hi, soul mate,” he said quietly.

“I love you, soul mate,” Blaine answered.

“I love you too.”