In My Veins

Home

"I'll just add in your comment about the pedestal of infamy and then we're done with the final assignment until after the New Year," Blaine beamed at Kurt from across their usual corner table in the romance section of the library. He grabbed a pen and scribbled the comment down and it was fully complete.

Kurt smiled. "Yep," he said. "You won't have to see me outside school for the rest of the year!"

Blaine frowned. It was December now and he and Kurt had been growing closer and Blaine felt something with him that he had never felt with anyone else in his entire life: Comfort and like he didn't have to pretend. The emptiness in the pit of his stomach was less frequent now and he'd given in to how he and Kurt were around each other. He didn't like to think about the reason for them being like this, but he liked how they were and he liked Kurt.

"That wasn't what I meant," he said, voice darkening. "You know I—"

"Blaine, relax," Kurt chuckled, his thin eyebrows raising slightly. "I was joking."

Blaine's frown remained intact as he laid the papers down on the desk in front of him. He placed his elbows down on the table, too and looked up at Kurt.

"We can still, like—hang out, right?" Blaine asked, hopefully.

Kurt's smile faded and his light blue eyes widened and studied Blaine intently. He was pale and his cheeks had flushed a pretty shade of pink and the dim lights left a sheen across his perfectly coiffed hair.

"If you want to," he shrugged his broad shoulders.

"I want to," he affirmed, with a nod of his head.

"Okay, then," Kurt said, that smile returning. "Just give me a call whenever you want."

Blaine smiled, relieved.

"So, final glee club meeting of the year tomorrow," Kurt said and Blaine frowned. He liked glee club well enough, he just didn't like how the other members regarded him. Most of them ignored him, some sent snarky remarks his way, some looked terrified whenever he entered the room. The only one that ever showed him any kind of kindness, other than Kurt, was Mr Schuester.

"I don't think I'm going to go," Blaine sighed.

"What?" Kurt asked, leaning forward. "Why not?"

"I'm thinking of quitting after sectionals," he admitted.

"You can't quit!" Kurt said, voice a little more high-pitched than usual. "We need you! After sectionals comes regionals and then nationals, if we're lucky! You can't quit!"

Blaine shrugged one shoulder.

"They all kind of hate me," he said, quietly, dropping his gaze to the table.

"Stop being so—on the defence around them. Let them see this side of you," Kurt smiled. "You snap at them most of the time and you sit there scowling. Of course, they feel intimidated by you. You've only been making their lives a misery for God only knows how many years."

He had a point, Blaine guessed.

"Besides, you can't not go tomorrow," Kurt said, sitting back in his chair. "I'm singing tomorrow."

Blaine raised his eyes to Kurt. He hadn't heard Kurt sing yet and he really wanted to, for some reason.

"You are?" he asked, wonderment plain in his voice. "Really?"

"Really," Kurt nodded. "Well, it's a duet. With Rachel. But still, yes, I'm singing."

Blaine nodded and began stacking the loose sheets of paper lying on the desk.