Just Around The Corner

10

After what felt like an eternity of staring into Blaine's gorgeous eyes (although it was in all likelihood only five seconds), Kurt was rudely pulled back to reality by Rachel clearing her throat."Are you two done?" she asked, somehow managing to sound like the cat who ate the canary.
"What was that?" Peggy Jane exclaimed breathlessly.
Blaine's smile got, if anything, even wider. "Love."
And okay, maybe love was a little excessive after one kiss and it should have freaked Kurt out, but instead it just made his heart flutter. He could vaguely hear Rachel and Peggy coo, which probably meant that they were in the clear for now. Not that Kurt cared, when Blaine's hands were still resting on his waist and his hazel eyes were still staring into Kurt's with such intensity, he probably should have caught on fire by now.
"Your eyes are beautiful," Kurt muttered.
"So are yours," Blaine replied earnestly. "I only wish I could see what color they were."
"Glasz." At Blaine's confused look, Kurt elaborated: "It's sort of a blue-ish, green-ish..." He trailed off, his fluttering heart freezing in his chest. "Wait, I'm not in color?"
He looked down on his hands, resting on Blaine's now red shirt. Still grey. Blaine followed his gaze and inhaled sharply.
"I'm in color," he exclaimed. He looked back up at Kurt, mouth hanging slightly open in confusion. "But then why aren't you?"
"Maybe because you initiated the kiss?" Rachel suggested.
"Yeah," Peggy Jane agreed. "Bud, you should try kissing Blaine." When everyone turned to look at her, she reddened. "It might work. It couldn't hurt to try."
Kurt smiled wryly and reluctantly pulled away from Blaine. "I think we've had enough public displays of affection for now."
"At least you won't have any problems with coming out now," Rachel said. "I'm pretty sure that by tomorrow, the whole town is going to know what happened here. At least all of Mr. Johnson's clientele does."
Kurt looked over Blaine's shoulder to see several faces pressed against the window of the Soda Shop. "Can we go home, then? I'd prefer to tell Betty and George before they hear it from someone else."
"Can I come with you?" Blaine asked.
Kurt opened his mouth to answer, but Rachel silenced him with a look. "It's probably for the best, right Bud?" she said quietly so only Kurt could hear. "We've both got a lot to tell him."
"Right." Kurt pressed his lips together.
Blaine eyed them curiously. Kurt grabbed his hand in reassurance, squeezing it softly and earning a smile from Blaine. They waved goodbye to the still confounded crowd standing in front of and inside the Soda Shop and headed home. Rachel trailed after them, grinning from ear to ear.
"You two are so cute together," she said.
Kurt raised an eyebrow. "You're taking this whole situation weirdly well."
"Yes, well." Rachel fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "I realize I've been sort of selfish lately. I need to start paying attention to my friends and be more supportive to them. Besides, I got the best consolation prize there is." Her expression brightened and she pointed at her nose. "I'm myself again."
"I still don't understand that," Blaine cut in.
"We'll explain it soon, sweetie," Kurt said, the endearment rolling off his lips before he had a chance to stop it. Judging by the besotted look on Blaine's face, he did not mind it one bit. Kurt was pretty sure he was sporting a matching doofy smile of his own.
But as they approached the Parker house, Kurt's smile began to fade. Who was to say how Betty and George would react when they saw him arriving hand in hand with Blaine? Should he maybe send Blaine home right now and deal with this by himself? But then Blaine would probably feel compelled to tell his own parents about their relationship (was it too soon to call it a relationship?) and Kurt didn't want him to have to face them alone, in case they reacted badly.
"Are you sure you want me to come inside with you?" Blaine asked as they arrived at the white picket fence, clearly sensing Kurt's hesitation.
"It's best you do," Rachel answered before Kurt had a chance to open his mouth. "I can't imagine Betty and George understanding what's going on unless they see it for themselves."
Kurt sighed. "Good point."
They entered the house, Rachel in the lead.
"We're home," she announced cheerfully.
There was no response.
"Mom?" Rachel tried. "Dad?"
"I-in here," came Betty's quiet response.
The trio exchanged worried looks and walked into the kitchen. Betty sat by the kitchen table, her back turned to them. Even so, there was no mistaking the brown hue to her hair, or the light blue color of her dress.
"I was hoping it would go away before you came home," Betty said, her voice wavering. "I didn't want you kids to see me like this."
Rachel rushed past Kurt and Blaine, and threw her arms around Betty's shoulders from behind. "Don't say that," she muttered. "Please don't say that."
She pulled away and Betty turned around, gasping when she saw the three teens. "I... I don't understand."
"Maybe we should take this one thing at a time," Kurt suggested, finally finding his voice. "Blaine and I will wait in the living room."
Rachel nodded. "Yeah. And maybe you could take the chance to talk to Blaine about the other thing?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. Rachel was anything but subtle, not that Blaine or Betty were in any danger of catching on. He tugged Blaine's hand and led him to the next room.
"Where's dad?" he heard Rachel ask.
"Bowling."
Betty and Rachel's voices were quieted as soon as they entered the living room, likely by some sort of TV magic.
"You should sit down for this," Kurt mumbled, letting go of Blaine's hand as he could feel is own start to sweat.
Blaine obediently sat, tilting his head in confusion. "What did Mary Sue mean by 'the other thing'?"
"Let's start with that." Kurt rubbed the back of his neck. "Her name isn't actually Mary Sue, it's Rachel. And mine's not Bud, it's Kurt. We're from a... an alternate dimension, or something?" He scoffed. "It sounds so sci-fi when I say it like that, but it's the truth. Where I come from, this is all a TV show. We just got... sucked into the TV somehow."
Blaine nodded, as if that made any sense. "Is that why people are turning color?"
"I guess?" Kurt sat down opposite Blaine. "That didn't start until two days after we got here. But we are probably responsible for that."
"And where you come from, you have musicals?" Blaine looked exited by the prospect. "And it's normal for boys to kiss other boys?"
"...Yeah." Kurt didn't really have the heart to burst Blaine's bubble. If he could believe that there was some magical place where being gay didn't make you different or a social outcast, why not let him?
Blaine's expression suddenly fell. "You'll be going back there some day, won't you?"
Kurt felt as if he'd walked face-first into a slushie. He hadn't thought of that since their kiss in front of the Soda Shop, but... "Yeah, as soon we're able. Rachel seems to think it'll be when the whole town has turned color and I'm inclined to agree with her."
"I don't suppose I could come with you?"
"I don't think so," Kurt said apologetically.
Blaine reached out and took Kurt's hands in his own. "Well, it'll probably take a while for all of Pleasantville to turn color." He smiled shyly. "We could go steady until then?"
In response, Kurt grinned and pulled Blaine in for another kiss.
---
"But then where are the real Bud and Mary Sue?"
It was all too much to take in. To think that the girl sitting across from her - Rachel, she said her name was - was a virtual stranger! Yet Betty couldn't help but admit that it made sense. It certainly wasn't the only surprise she had received as of late, although it was the biggest.
"I have no idea," Rachel said, shaking Betty from her thoughts. "Maybe in our universe. Maybe they never really existed in the first place."
"I don't quite know how to feel," Betty admitted. "You've just told me that my children are missing, but when I look at you, all I see is my daughter."
"You'll probably get her - and Bud - back as soon as Kurt and I leave." Somehow, the sentiment did little to reassure Betty. "And speaking of Kurt, he should probably tell you the rest himself. Kurt!"
"Ladies don't holler," reprimanded Betty. Rachel huffed resentfully but didn't protest.
Kurt poked his head into the kitchen and... oh. While Betty certainly felt that Rachel was her daughter, Kurt not only felt but looked the part. Still in black and white - the only person in the house, and wasn't that a strange thought - still standing tall, wearing the black bow-tie he always did when working at the Soda Shop. How could this boy be anything but her own son?
"Could you take Blaine home?" Bud - no, Kurt - asked. "He said he wanted to speak to his parents alone, but he might change his mind once he gets there."
"No problem." Rachel stood and patted Kurt's shoulder on her way out. Betty had to wonder whether they were really brother or sister where they came from. They didn't look very much alike, now that Rachel's nose had changed, but they were obviously fond of one another.
Kurt took Rachel's seat. "Rachel told you who we are?"
"She did," Betty confirmed. When a few moments passed and Kurt didn't continue, she smiled reassuringly. "She also said that there was something you wanted to tell me yourself."
"Right, I do." Kurt cleared his throat and dropped his head so his gaze was firmly locked on his lap. "Betty... mom-" Betty's heart clenched at the word, and her smile widened a bit, "-I'm gay."
He fell silent. Betty blinked. "Well, that's good, I suppose. Was that all?"
Kurt groaned quietly. "Right. When I say I'm gay, I mean that I like boys." He raised his head, meeting Betty's eyes. "As in, I like to hold hands with them and kiss them. Or him, singular, because I don't want to do it with many boys at a time." He frowned. "And not just any boy, I have standards."
Betty had never heard of such a thing before. Two boys holding hands? And kissing?
But then, a few days ago, she'd never heard of real color or masturbation either, and both things had turned out to be good. Scary, but good. And really, with Kurt staring at her with such a vulnerable look in his eyes, what else could she say?
"If it makes you happy, then it makes me happy."
She patted her son's - for in that moment, he truly was her son, no matter what anyone might say - hand. Kurt let out a shaky little laugh.
"Thank you," he said. "Truly. I- back home, I never had the opportunity to come out to my mom. I mean, my dad is fine with it, but I can't help but imagine how she might have reacted."
Betty didn't quite understand what he meant by 'coming out', but the sentiment was clear. "If she's anything like me, she would be proud."
Tears started to fall silently down Kurt's face and Betty felt a moment of panic. Bud hadn't cried since he was a little boy, and never over something that should have made him happy. Betty did the only thing she could think of, the same thing she used to do when Bud came to her with a scraped knee or a broken toy. She wrapped her arms around Kurt and stroked his hair softly.
"It's alright," she whispered. "It's all alright."