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Title: Acceptable Tension
Pair: Klaine
Summary: Coda to S2 "Blame It on the Alcohol" because I needed an ending before I went to bed.
“Are you avoiding me?”
Blaine leaned over Kurt’s shoulder, doing his best to look cheerful and calm and like his heart wasn’t pounding out of his chest. It had been a few days since Kurt and Rachel had disappeared from the coffee shop, and almost a week since... their fight.
“Not... actively. Although I am avoiding Rachel. If that makes you feel any better.”
A curt reply from Kurt. Blaine took the seat next to him at the table and set his tray down. Kurt continued to stare at his history book.
“I’m sorry. About the things I said. They weren’t very understanding.” Kurt’s tone was stiff but not angry. “And probably a little phobic somewhere. Or... more than a little.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Blaine assured him. “Hey.” He swiveled his head from side to side then sang, “Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol ...”
“I just... not thrilled to have another guy I liked end up with Rachel. And not thrilled with my friend trying to go bag a guy I confided in her about.” Kurt turned the page. “But it’s none of my business what percent gay you are. So.”
“Kurt, don’t be that way...” Blaine fiddled with his fork, then set it down and touched Kurt’s arm. “I didn’t mean-”
“I mean, you’re my friend wherever you fall in the homo rainbow.” Kurt looked up. He bit his lip and tilted his head to the side.
Blaine sat up and nodded, thinking for a moment before he said anything.
“Oh, and also, PSA, I’m not allowed to have you sleep over anymore.” Kurt rubbed his temple. “Okay, I’m done.”
Blaine started to speak again, but then shook his head. “Wait. I’m not allowed to sleep over? Why not?”
“Because gay cowboys do stuff in their tents. My dad isn’t comfortable with it.” He forked a bit of salad and went back to his book.
“I don’t get it. I thought your dad was cool about you being gay?” Leaning over slightly, Blaine tried to get a closer look at Kurt’s face.
“He loves me. And he tries. Hard. But he’s not perfect, and he- we screw things up with each other sometimes, and he’s... just not ready for this.” His laugh was soft, bitter. “It’s good for him I don’t have a boyfriend. Don’t worry. He’s not going to kick me out. It’s just a little... awkward.”
“I can’t imagine. I think my father would... die. Or have kittens. Or... fall backward down the stairs while dying and having kittens, if he saw a guy in my bed. I should’ve thought of that.” Blaine winced. “Sorry you had to deal with that.”
“I’d like to think it would have happened sooner or later anyway.” Kurt smirked. “At least this way I can claim innocence.”
Blaine’s lips curved slightly as he nodded. “While we’re... I just um...”
“If you’re going to apologize, don’t. I’d really appreciate the courtesy if you chose not to experiment with Mercedes. She won’t bounce back. She’ll break your car windows. But like I said, it’s not my business. Not how gay you are, or even who you date, if you date... what you date.”
Blaine grimaced at Kurt’s bluntness, even though he was surely trying to make Blaine feel better. “I was going to apologize for comparing you to Karofsky. That was the one that followed me right out of the coffee shop and kept me up at night.”
“Ah. Right.”
When Kurt went quiet again, Blaine felt alarm swelling in his chest again. “It was a low blow. I shouldn’t have brought that up. Okay? That’s on me. I guess... I don’t know. You’re so confident about who you are. It amazes me. I’m not confident about anything, except when I sing, and the way you reacted hurt. I’m really, really sorry I opened that wound up again, though.”
“Well, you know what this means, don’t you?”
Blaine wet his lips slowly. “What?”
“We’re human. We suck.” Kurt closed his book and crossed one leg over the other. “And I think we just survived our first fight.”
Nervous laughter escaped from Blaine’s lips. “We haven’t fought before?”
“Not really. We’ve disagreed... about Warbler things... Song choices...” Kurt’s hands tightened slightly over his knees. “So am I forgiven?”
“If I am.”
“From now on I will help to guide you with my bright, unwavering flame...” Kurt gestured to his chest dramatically.
“Stop!” Blaine dipped his head then lifted his eyes to Kurt. “You never questioned?”
“I’m so sure of who I am. I’ve tried to hide it. I tried to pass for straight. But to me it was the rest of the world that seemed strange, before I knew that I was the one who was different. I guess I didn’t think that other guys would have other experiences.”
Blaine shrugged. “I do try to come off like I’m confident about who I am. At least at first. I just... don’t want to have to hide from you.”
Kurt reached over and patted Blaine’s thigh. “Hide no more. I’m lucky just to have you as a friend.”
Blaine touched Kurt’s hand. He was stinging from all the firmly worded ‘friend’ talk from Kurt, but even if he was clueless sometimes, he could pretty clearly see Kurt putting up walls around his heart and placing Blaine firmly in another category in his mind. Maybe it was better for them. Maybe. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be in the category yet. He wasn’t sure... of a lot of things.
“And as a friend, you have to tell me all about what it’s like to date Rachel Berry.”
With a laugh, Blaine pulled back and popped a tater tot into his mouth. At least this tension between them was one he could live with. One they thrived on. Still, Blaine was afraid that he would figure things out just a moment too late.
Pair: Klaine
Summary: Coda to S2 "Blame It on the Alcohol" because I needed an ending before I went to bed.
“Are you avoiding me?”
Blaine leaned over Kurt’s shoulder, doing his best to look cheerful and calm and like his heart wasn’t pounding out of his chest. It had been a few days since Kurt and Rachel had disappeared from the coffee shop, and almost a week since... their fight.
“Not... actively. Although I am avoiding Rachel. If that makes you feel any better.”
A curt reply from Kurt. Blaine took the seat next to him at the table and set his tray down. Kurt continued to stare at his history book.
“I’m sorry. About the things I said. They weren’t very understanding.” Kurt’s tone was stiff but not angry. “And probably a little phobic somewhere. Or... more than a little.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Blaine assured him. “Hey.” He swiveled his head from side to side then sang, “Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol ...”
“I just... not thrilled to have another guy I liked end up with Rachel. And not thrilled with my friend trying to go bag a guy I confided in her about.” Kurt turned the page. “But it’s none of my business what percent gay you are. So.”
“Kurt, don’t be that way...” Blaine fiddled with his fork, then set it down and touched Kurt’s arm. “I didn’t mean-”
“I mean, you’re my friend wherever you fall in the homo rainbow.” Kurt looked up. He bit his lip and tilted his head to the side.
Blaine sat up and nodded, thinking for a moment before he said anything.
“Oh, and also, PSA, I’m not allowed to have you sleep over anymore.” Kurt rubbed his temple. “Okay, I’m done.”
Blaine started to speak again, but then shook his head. “Wait. I’m not allowed to sleep over? Why not?”
“Because gay cowboys do stuff in their tents. My dad isn’t comfortable with it.” He forked a bit of salad and went back to his book.
“I don’t get it. I thought your dad was cool about you being gay?” Leaning over slightly, Blaine tried to get a closer look at Kurt’s face.
“He loves me. And he tries. Hard. But he’s not perfect, and he- we screw things up with each other sometimes, and he’s... just not ready for this.” His laugh was soft, bitter. “It’s good for him I don’t have a boyfriend. Don’t worry. He’s not going to kick me out. It’s just a little... awkward.”
“I can’t imagine. I think my father would... die. Or have kittens. Or... fall backward down the stairs while dying and having kittens, if he saw a guy in my bed. I should’ve thought of that.” Blaine winced. “Sorry you had to deal with that.”
“I’d like to think it would have happened sooner or later anyway.” Kurt smirked. “At least this way I can claim innocence.”
Blaine’s lips curved slightly as he nodded. “While we’re... I just um...”
“If you’re going to apologize, don’t. I’d really appreciate the courtesy if you chose not to experiment with Mercedes. She won’t bounce back. She’ll break your car windows. But like I said, it’s not my business. Not how gay you are, or even who you date, if you date... what you date.”
Blaine grimaced at Kurt’s bluntness, even though he was surely trying to make Blaine feel better. “I was going to apologize for comparing you to Karofsky. That was the one that followed me right out of the coffee shop and kept me up at night.”
“Ah. Right.”
When Kurt went quiet again, Blaine felt alarm swelling in his chest again. “It was a low blow. I shouldn’t have brought that up. Okay? That’s on me. I guess... I don’t know. You’re so confident about who you are. It amazes me. I’m not confident about anything, except when I sing, and the way you reacted hurt. I’m really, really sorry I opened that wound up again, though.”
“Well, you know what this means, don’t you?”
Blaine wet his lips slowly. “What?”
“We’re human. We suck.” Kurt closed his book and crossed one leg over the other. “And I think we just survived our first fight.”
Nervous laughter escaped from Blaine’s lips. “We haven’t fought before?”
“Not really. We’ve disagreed... about Warbler things... Song choices...” Kurt’s hands tightened slightly over his knees. “So am I forgiven?”
“If I am.”
“From now on I will help to guide you with my bright, unwavering flame...” Kurt gestured to his chest dramatically.
“Stop!” Blaine dipped his head then lifted his eyes to Kurt. “You never questioned?”
“I’m so sure of who I am. I’ve tried to hide it. I tried to pass for straight. But to me it was the rest of the world that seemed strange, before I knew that I was the one who was different. I guess I didn’t think that other guys would have other experiences.”
Blaine shrugged. “I do try to come off like I’m confident about who I am. At least at first. I just... don’t want to have to hide from you.”
Kurt reached over and patted Blaine’s thigh. “Hide no more. I’m lucky just to have you as a friend.”
Blaine touched Kurt’s hand. He was stinging from all the firmly worded ‘friend’ talk from Kurt, but even if he was clueless sometimes, he could pretty clearly see Kurt putting up walls around his heart and placing Blaine firmly in another category in his mind. Maybe it was better for them. Maybe. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be in the category yet. He wasn’t sure... of a lot of things.
“And as a friend, you have to tell me all about what it’s like to date Rachel Berry.”
With a laugh, Blaine pulled back and popped a tater tot into his mouth. At least this tension between them was one he could live with. One they thrived on. Still, Blaine was afraid that he would figure things out just a moment too late.
