Split Second Thing, a Glee one-shot
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Reviews are always appreciated, as are requests!
It's funny how life works.
You meet someone, and it could be a split second thing. Perhaps someone who is also looking at the peanut butter in the store. You both debate which is better, chunky or smooth. Or perhaps you need to know the time and you ask a complete stranger. They tell you, and you thank them, moving on with your life.
Or maybe you're walking down the stairs at school and somebody asks you what's going on because they're new. You introduce yourself and decide to show them a shortcut.
It's times like those that you hope it's not a split second thing.
Instead, it's many many seconds, months in fact. Months of friendship. Best friendship and crushes and magical moments when you finally get your act together and get together.
And then there's that not so magical moment when you break up.
And you wish you could fix it, if only to get back to being just friends.
Because they aren't a split second thing. They're a let's spend the rest of our lives together being the fabulous people we are type thing.
If only Blaine could convince Kurt of this.
(broken pages for broken hearts)
Sam likes to consider himself a good friend. So when he sees Blaine moping around, he knows that he has to do something about it. Besides, Sectionals is in a week, and if Kurt would just hear Blaine out like he has, maybe something could happen. He could be happy again.
He's doing his math homework when he decides to call Kurt.
"Sam?" A metal pan clangs in the background.
"Hey Kurt. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He sets down his pencil.
He hears what sounds like a refrigerator door closing. "Just making dinner. What's up?"
He doesn't want to bring Blaine up right away. He knows Kurt will cut him off. He tries to come up with a buffer.
"I need help with my math homework," he blurts out.
Kurt pauses. "So you called me, in New York, to help you with your math homework?"
Sam scrunches his nose. That could have gone better.
"Yeah. Right triangles are really tricky."
"Mhm. Why don't you tell me why you really called?"
Why must Kurt be so wise? Then again, if he can't give the love of his life the chance to explain himself, maybe he isn't that wise.
"It's about Blaine," he admits.
"Darn," Kurt mutters. "Did he put you up to this?"
Sam shakes his head, then realizes Kurt can't see him.
"No, he's just been really bummed lately and-"
"Darn! Sam I have to go; dinner is burning. We can talk later, okay?" He hangs up before he can answer.
Sam sighs. At this rate they'll never get back together. He looks down at his homework.
He still has no idea about these triangles.
(broken pages for broken hearts)
They've won Sectionals.
New Directions decides to throw a party to celebrate. Finn orders a pizza. It sits on top of the piano, and everyone has taken a slice.
Everyone but Blaine.
"Hey. You're not hungry?" Sam sits down next to Blaine, who is sitting in the corner.
"I'm just not in a party mood." He shrugs.
Sam sets his paper plate on the chair next to him. "It's about Kurt, isn't it?"
Blaine frowns.
"I called him last night. I haven't heard from him since Grease, and there is so much I want to tell him. But he didn't even answer his phone." He slumps over dejectedly.
Sam thinks for a minute. "Did you try to send him a letter?"
"Last time I sent him a package, it was sent back."
"Send it under my name." He picks up his pizza and takes a bite.
Blaine straightens up.
"You'd really do that?"
"Of course. That's what friends are for." He wipes the grease from his mouth.
The letter goes out the next morning. He waits a week. No reply.
But on the bright side, he didn't get it back either. Which means it was at least opened.
That has to count for something, right?
(broken pages for broken hearts)
When Blaine's car starts making funny noises, he heads to Burt's shop.
"Hey kid. I haven't seen you in a while." He wipes his hands clean on a rag.
"Yeah." Blaine feigns a smile. He plays with his keys.
Burt looks at him. "You okay?"
He knows he isn't, and he knows that Mr. Hummel knows that too, but he tries anyway.
"I am, but my car isn't. It's been making some weird noises." His thumb passes over his key chain. It's the musical note Kurt gave him before leaving for New York. He holds back his tears.
"Let's take a look." He walks out to the car with him.
Putting the key in the ignition, Blaine watches the key chain wave to and fro. The engine idles.
"You don't hear it until you're actually driving," he explains.
"Then let's take it for a test drive and you can show me. Be right back." He goes into the shop, locking up with a 'back in ten minutes' sign on the door.
He slides into the passenger's seat and motions for Blaine to go.
Once the noise starts up, Burt recognizes it right away. He tells him what it is and they head back to the shop.
"He misses you," he says as Blaine brakes at a stop sign.
He turns to him. "He said that?"
A car behind them beeps. He checks both ways and proceeds.
"Well, he said 'I need to get over him,' which means he still thinks about you." Blaine turns into the shop. He knew it was too good to be true. He puts the car in park.
"He still hates me though."
"Look, Kurt is stubborn. But I know my kid, and I know deep down he really loves you. He'll come around." He unbuckles himself.
Blaine smiles. "Thanks Mr. Hummel."
"No problem kid."
(broken pages for broken hearts)
When his phone goes off at three in the morning, he's startled to say the least.
To say the most, he falls out of bed and nearly hits his head on his bedside table. He groans.
"Hello?" he says, trying to get back up.
"Blaine? Are you okay?"
Maybe he hit his head after all. Because that sounded a lot like Kurt. Kurt, who is not talking to him. Kurt, whose name is on caller id when he pulls the phone from his ear.
"Blaine? Please say something," he pleads.
"Kurt." He cannot believe it.
Kurt lets out an audible sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. You scared me."
"I'm sorry."
They both feel the weight of the statement. Sorry for scaring him. Sorry for cheating. Sorry for keeping apart for so long.
It's silent for a minute, and he wonders if he hung up.
"Kurt? Not that it isn't great to hear from you, but why are you calling at three in the morning?" He sits on the edge of his bed.
"I had a dream. We were in an ice skating rink, and we were singing White Christmas. And you got so close, like we were going to kiss, but then you skated away. So I followed you, but then we split and I woke up." He takes a breath.
Blaine stands to close his bedroom door. He sits back on the bed. "What do you think it means?"
"Well, they say that dreams are the sub-conscience trying to tell you something."
"So what do you think it was trying to tell you?" He lets his back hit the mattress.
Kurt thinks for a moment.
"I think I'm still in love with you."
Blaine feels his heart stop.
"Kurt..."
"I got your letter. And I told myself I wasn't going to listen, that I wasn't going to let myself get hurt. But I read it. I read it so many times. And I tried to write back, but I didn't want to get involved and get hurt again." He sniffles. "This dream made me realize that keeping from you is only making me hurt more."
Blaine wipes his eyes. He doesn't know how to respond, so he says the first thing that comes to mind. "I love you too."
He can hear Kurt's cries, and he wants nothing more than to wrap his arms around him.
"I wish you were here," he ekes out.
"Can I visit you over Christmas break?" He knows it's short notice, but he wants to see him. He needs to see him.
Kurt blows his nose. "I'm visiting my dad for the holidays. We can go to Breadstix or something."
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." He climbs under the sheets. He wraps his arms around his pillow and pretends it is Kurt.
"I'll call you tomorrow then."
"Don't you mean today?"
"Oh yeah. Don't you have to be up for school in a couple of hours?"
"Yeah."
"Sweet dreams Blaine."
"You too Kurt."
(broken pages for broken hearts)
He sits at the table, waiting for him to show up. He checks his bow tie in the reflection of the spoon. Still straight.
"This seat taken?" Kurt sits down. His ring clatters against the table.
Blaine knows that ring.
Kurt grins at him.
He knows that ring too.
Today, they're just friends. But there's a promise. There's a spark, and they both know they'll be together again.
Because soul mates don't give up on love.
Kurt and Blaine are no split second thing.