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WOW, Blaine signs as he watches Kurt step out of the car.
He has to mentally remind himself not to start drooling at the sight of him. Kurt outside of his usual work uniform looks good. Almost too good. Blaine looks back down at himself to question his own wardrobe choices that now seem completely ordinary and lame.
HEY, Kurt signs, with a shy smile on his lips. HOW ARE YOU?
YOU LOOK… WOW! he signs again, still trying to catch his breath a bit. He had been thrown off earlier with his fight with Sebastian, but now his mind is spinning for a completely different reason.
THIS IS HOW YOU LOOK WHEN YOU’RE JUST GOING TO THE MOVIES? he asks, quickly, feeling overwhelmed and unprepared. He should have put together some note cards or something. He should have practiced some basic conversations in the mirror so he doesn’t make a fool out of himself.
Kurt looks at him a bit confused.
I’M SORRY, AGAIN PLEASE? Kurt asks, looking embarrassed that he hadn’t understood Blaine.
He is going to have to consciously remember to slow down when he’s talking tonight. Kurt is still new to sign and Blaine has a tendency to sign even faster when he’s nervous.
SORRY, Blaine signs. YOU LOOK AMAZING. I FEEL UGLY NOW.
STOP, Kurt laughs and Blaine’s never wanted to hear the sound so badly before. He’s positive it’s beautiful, he can tell by the way his eyes light up with it. His nose crinkles and he notices that Kurt has dimples — he’s never seen them before. It all blends together to make him both the sexiest man Blaine’s ever seen in real life, and the most adorable.
YOU LOOK CUTE, Kurt signs. I LIKE YOUR PANTS. B-R-O-O-K-S B-R-O-T-H-E-R-S?
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? he asks, surprised he’s been able to tell just by looking at them. They are just a simple pair of red pants, no different than any other.
FASHION, ME SECOND PASSION, Kurt signs, and though his hands still get stuck awkwardly around certain signs and his facial grammar needs some work, Blaine’s pretty sure that Kurt’s going to be able to hold a conversation with him throughout the whole night. It’s refreshing and helps relieve some of the tension in his shoulders that Sebastian and Nick’s earlier comments brought.
SHOULD WE GO? Blaine asks, gesturing to the car, he’s not sure what time the movie starts at, but he knows they still have to get a few towns over and the traffic on Friday nights is always bad.
He’s surprised when Kurt follows him around to the passenger side door and opens it for him. Blaine’s not used to being treated like this and gives him a small thrill. It’s like the classic romance movies he enjoys watching but never thought he’d actually experience in his own life. All of his previous dates have been so high school — so boring. Study dates in the library that lead to making out behind the stacks… Walking slightly behind everyone else on school outings in the city and pretending they aren’t with fifty of their classmates… Ordering pizza while marathoning Lord of the Rings.
Not that those were bad dates per say, this just feels more grown up. More romantic and real than anything he’s experienced before.
It also makes him a millions times more nervous.
MY OWN PRINCE CHARMING, Blaine signs with a shy smile. Kurt looks confused for a moment but then Blaine spells it and it’s worth the extra effort that it takes for Kurt to understand, because the way his face turns red with a blush is one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen. He vows to continue to make it happen as often as he can.
MOVIE FIRST, DINNER SECOND, OKAY? Kurt asks him after they both get into the car. YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY?
THAT’S FINE. I CAN WAIT TO EAT, he signs with a smile. He honestly doesn’t care what they do tonight, so long as they do it together.
Kurt tries to carry on a conversation while they’re driving, but quickly gives up once he realizes how difficult it is to do when he still has to concentrate so hard to sign correctly. Blaine assures him that he doesn’t mind and turns to look out the window as the sun sets over the town. He keeps glancing at Kurt out of the corner of his eye. He could honestly stare at the perfect lines of his face forever, but he doesn’t want to seem like a creep. He’ll save the blatant staring until at least the third date.
****
They make it to the theatre fairly early, thankfully not hitting any traffic along the way and Kurt apologizes for the poor timing but he assures him that it’s fine. It gives them plenty of time to talk and Blaine’s positive that he’s going to see plenty of people that he knows tonight. The Deaf community is pretty tight knit in this area and everyone always makes it a point to go to closed caption movies in the hopes that the theaters will have them more often. There’s sure to be plenty of Dalton alums and possibly a few students.
He just hopes nobody gives Kurt a hard time, though he thinks that it will probably be fine. The adults in their community are typically a little less stuck up than the students at Dalton, perhaps because they have more experience with the hearing world on a daily basis, though he can’t be sure. More experience with the hearing world also means more opportunity for bullying and hate, so it’s a toss up.
YOU LIKE POPCORN? Kurt asks him after the grumpy teenager manning the door tears their tickets and points them in the general direction of the theatre.
SURE, he signs, nervously. WE CAN SHARE.
Kurt smiles at him shyly and they make their way over to the concession stand.
DRINK? Kurt asks once it’s their turn in line.
WHATEVER YOU WANT. SODA? he signs, happy when he sees Kurt also order the candy he’s been eyeing out of the corner of his eye.
Blaine moves to pay but Kurt waves him off with a playful glare.
YOU BOUGHT THE TICKETS, he complains.
MY DATE, MY MONEY, he signs. IF YOU ASK, YOU CAN PAY.
Blaine wonders if that’s an invitation for future dates and is curious how Kurt can possibly be sure that he’ll want more when they’ve barely started this date. He can’t help but feel warm with affection at the thought.
BLAINE? he sees somebody sign out of the corner of his eyes and when he turns around he notices Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are standing behind them.
Mrs. Johnson had been his special ed teacher from kindergarten up until second grade when his father had seen to it that he stopped going to the resource room for two hours every day because he thought signing had been stopping Blaine’s progress with his speech pathologist. Still, the woman had made it a point to have at least one ASL conversation with him a day for the rest of elementary school, usually when he was in the hallway passing through between art or gym class. She’d always been his favorite teacher in the world — a ray of sunshine in his mainstreamed hell.
She also happens to be his mother’s best friend, which makes things a bit more awkward considering Blaine’s here on a date and doesn’t usually inform is parents about his romantic life. Not that he thinks his family wouldn’t approve, but it’s just easier to keep the two lives separate.
Mrs. Johnson leans in to gives him a hug and immediately begins asking how his parents are.
THEY’RE FINE, he answers, noticing Kurt shifting awkwardly back and forth on his feet, holding their popcorn, candy and drinks in his hands, unable to sign.
DO YOU BOYS GO TO DALTON TOGETHER? she asks him as her husband goes up to the counter to order for them.
NO, THIS IS K-U-R-T, KURT, he introduces him, teaching the name sign he’d just made up and hadn’t even taught Kurt yet. HE’S HEARING. HE GOES TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kurt,” she says, singing as well so as to include both of them comfortably in the conversation.
Kurt returns her greeting. He eyes Blaine guiltily, as if he feels bad for not signing in front of him, but Blaine can’t be angry, it’s not like the boy has a free hand.
ARE YOU TWO DATING? she asks with a knowing look and Blaine can’t help but blush. This is a woman that’s known him since he was still wearing velcro shoes and struggling to color in the lines.
DON’T TELL MY MOM, he pleads, already anticipating the phone call he would get tonight from his mother, begging him to bring home his new boyfriend.
BLAINE! She looks scandalized and Blaine nervously chuckles, tempted to just drag Kurt out of there and never look back.
IT’S STILL NEW, OKAY? IT’S ONLY OUR FIRST DATE, he explains, praying that she’ll go gentle on him and not give him a hard time like she loves doing.
WELL I THINK YOU BOTH LOOK CUTE TOGETHER, she says and he breaths a sigh of relief, knowing that she’s not going to run and tell everyone they know.
THANK YOU, he signs and Mr. Johnson finally returns and pulls her away with a roll of his eyes.
LEAVE THE POOR BOY ALONE, YOU’RE MESSING WITH HIS GAME, Mr. Johnson signs with a wink his direction.
HAVE FUN, she signs before they disappear down the hall and Blaine finally turns to take the food out of Kurt’s hands so that his right hand is free to sign.
I HAVE A NAME SIGN? Kurt asks.
IS THAT OKAY? he asks, suddenly feeling nervous. He knows that Sebastian thinks it’s a big deal, but he hadn’t realized that Kurt might had a problem with it as well.
I LIKE IT, Kurt signs and Blaine nods in agreement.
It is a rather perfect name sign if he does say so himself. Every time he signs it, he’s going to picture Kurt’s perfect blue eyes and how expressive they are. How they let him know how Kurt is feeling with barely a single sign. Kurt’s eyes are his favorite part about him.
They make their way into the theatre where a decent amount of people have already shown up. There are at least twenty people there which is impressive for a closed caption showing, especially considering the movie they’re going to watch has been out for a few months already. God forbid anybody close caption a movie during opening weekend.
He waves greetings to several people along the way and gets pulled into a few conversations, mostly older women curious about Kurt. Blaine manages to brush them off before they can embarrass him too much and they find some empty seats in the back row, free from prying eyes.
YOU KNOW MANY PEOPLE, Kurt comments as they settle into their seats and begin eating their popcorn.
THE DEAF WORLD IS PRETTY SMALL. WE ALL KNOW EVERYONE, he explains.
RIGHT, Kurt signs, looking a bit embarrassed. BAD DATE IDEA?
IT’S FINE, he reassures him. I WAS EXCITED YOU FOUND A CLOSED CAPTION MOVIE. IT WAS THOUGHTFUL.
It takes Kurt a few moments to process everything that he signed, but once he does, he ducks his head as his ears turn an adorable shade of red.
THE WOMAN BEFORE? Kurt asks, once he recovers.
MY OLD TEACHER, he signs as Kurt passes him the soda to share.
He really shouldn’t get such a thrill out of drinking from the same straw as Kurt. It’s honestly not a big deal, but his mind keeps going to that place — the one that screams his lips are touching something that Kurt’s lips just touched. It’s silly. He’s kissed boys before. This isn’t new to him, but with Kurt it all feels like the first time. The anxious butterflies in his stomach every time Kurt glances his way are nice. It reminds Blaine why he agreed to go on this date in the first place.
SO TELL ME SOMETHING, Kurt asks, turning towards him in his seat.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
Blaine tucks his feet under him, indian style, and shifts so that his body is facing Kurt completely.
ANYTHING.
OKAY, he pauses, trying to think of something worth sharing. They’ve already talked about school and future plans to move to New York. They’ve covered a lot of basic conversational things during Blaine’s many outings to the coffee shop.
This is why he should have prepared notecards. He doesn’t have a single interesting thing to share about himself and it’s making him look like an idiot.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N COFFEE, Kurt signs, teasingly.
Blaine teaches him the sign for addition quickly before responding with an embarrassed laugh, NOT REALLY.
YOU COME TO COFFEE STORE TWO, THREE TIMES A WEEK, Kurt signs with an amused look on his face.
Blaine gives him a curious look and wonders if they are at a point yet where he can admit that the only reason he started drinking coffee so regularly was because Kurt started working there. Before that, he only met up with his friends there once a week as a social activity. He never had any real need for a caffeine fix.
WHAT? Kurt asks, nervously touching his face like he’s got something on it when Blaine stares at him for too long.
He just smiles and shakes his head as the lights go down and the movie starts.
****
After the movie, they try and sneak out quickly, but can’t avoid getting pulled into the conversation everyone is having outside. Hands are flying fast as everyone gives their opinions at once and about five different conversations are going on at the same time. While Blaine is following all of it, he can tell that Kurt is feeling overwhelmed. All that is before they even realize that Kurt’s there as Blaine’s date. That’s when the game of twenty questions starts and it takes Blaine a good thirty minutes before he’s able to pull him away.
I’M SORRY, Blaine apologizes once they are safely in the car.
I FEEL LIKE… I DON’T KNOW HOW TO SIGN IT, I’M SORRY, Kurt signs and Blaine can tell that his hands are still shaking with nerves. He instantly feels guilty. This was only their first date and Kurt was barely comfortable signing with him, let alone half of Ohio’s Deaf community.
He thinks for a minute, before pulling out his phone and gesturing that Kurt should text him what he wants to say. It’ll make it easier on Kurt, even if Blaine hates having to text when somebody is right next to him. It makes him feel so different and wrong. He owes this to Kurt though after what he’s just put him through. He should have warned him when Kurt asked him out that there would be so many people he knows here. He was just so excited about being asked out that it hadn’t crossed his mind.
Kurt blushes and apologizes before pulling out his phone and typing away. A moment later his phone lights up with a text.
It’s like we just want to an extended family reunion for our first date. I’m the worst planner ever.
He laughs at the analogy and looks up, happy to see Kurt is laughing with him. Obviously, he can’t be too upset if he’s laughing, and that makes him feel better, because honestly? Tonight wasn’t half as bad as it’s going to be once Kurt meets his friends.
I HAD FUN. WERE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE?
I FELT… SCARED, I GUESS? Kurt admits and he just wants to reach over and take his hand to soothe him, but he’s not sure if they are there yet.
SCARED? he asks instead. If he can’t comfort him with physical affection yet, talking about it will have to work.
THERE WAS A LOT OF SIGNING. I’M STILL NEW, Kurt explains and Blaine waves off his concern.
YOU’RE DOING FINE, he signs. YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE THEM HAPPY.
REALLY? Kurt looks at him doubtfully.
REALLY. THE ONLY PERSON THAT MATTERS IS ME AND YOU.
Kurt smiles at him and Blaine notices the little dimples on his cheeks, again. How had he never noticed them before tonight? That smile makes him feel like Superman and he thinks that he’ll do about anything to make sure he can keep Kurt.
****
Kurt takes him to a Mexican restaurant ten minutes away where the waiters all wear white button downs, black vests and call them, ‘Sir.’ If it weren’t for the lack of white table cloths and multiple different forks, Blaine would feel underdressed and embarrassed, but it’s nice. It’s relaxing and casually elegant which he’s pretty sure is exactly Kurt’s style. He’s never been to a place like this with anyone who wasn’t family and it’s rather intimate. The booth they are seated in has candles and they cast a warm glow over Kurt’s face that makes him all the more inviting.
WHAT YOU LIKE? Kurt asks him after they’ve ordered from the menu, and Blaine’s over the moon that Kurt never once tried to intervene even when the waiter was having trouble understanding what Blaine wanted.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? he asks, leaning back in his seat and allowing his eyes to wander over Kurt’s body. The shirt he’s wearing does things to his arms that the uniform polo he usually sees him in doesn’t. Underneath that lean body is a secret strength and that’s more of a turn on that it probably should be.
H-O-B-B-Y? Kurt spells sheepishly.
He’s not sure why he always gets embarrassed whenever he has to spell, Blaine’s impressed that Kurt’s managed to master as much vocabulary as he has, considering he’s only in ASL 1.
HOBBY, he signs for him, then shows him how to ask ‘what do you like to do’ so he can know in the future. Once that’s settled. Blaine answers, I LIKE PLAYING PIANO AND VIOLIN.
REALLY? Kurt asks surprised.
YES, DEAF PEOPLE ENJOY MUSIC, TOO, he signs, a bit offended.
SORRY. I KNOW. I JUST… VIOLIN? I NEVER SEE ANYONE KNOW VIOLIN.
OH, YEAH, he blushes, embarrassed that he’d jumped to conclusions. Of course Kurt wasn’t trying to judge him. He doesn’t need to constantly defend himself around Kurt. He isn’t like the hearing kids that Blaine used to go to school with and he needs to remember that.
I DON’T KNOW. MY GRANDFATHER PLAYS AND SO HE TAUGHT ME AND I LIKED IT SO I CONTINUED IT, he explains.
COOL. MORE HOBBY? Kurt asks.
I DANCE. MY FRIENDS AND I LIKE TO MAKE ASL MUSIC VIDEOS.
REALLY? Kurt looks genuinely interested so he decides to pull out his phone and find his YouTube channel. He passes the phone to Kurt and he spends the next several minutes alternating between watching videos and looking at Blaine like he can’t believe he’s here with him. It makes Blaine’s stomach do that strange swoopy thing.
W-A-R-B-L-E-R-S? Kurt asks him curiously, referring to the name of their YouTube channel.
He’s not really sure how to explain it all through sign because he’s pretty sure that Kurt won’t understand, so he takes back his phone and gestures that he’s going to type the explanation.
Warblers are birds. They are supposed to symbolize expression of ideas and some people believe that they can teach you how to diversify and expand your surroundings and feel comfortable doing so. They can teach you to sing your “soul song” or something. A group of us in the music program at school adopted the name after our English teacher told us about them being a way with some metaphor about raising our voices with confidence.
WOW, Kurt signs with a fond smile on his face. I LOVE MUSIC, TOO.
YEAH? he asks, though he had already guessed as much given that Kurt’s going to the premiere school for dramatic arts.
Blaine might have Googled NYADA after Kurt told him and found out that pretty much anyone that aspires to be on Broadway applies to NYADA and only about 20 get in a year. It’s impressive to know that Kurt was accepted and means that he must be amazing. Blaine hopes he can see him in action sometime.
I WAS IN G-L-E-E IN HIGH SCHOOL, Kurt explains.
GLEE CLUB? REALLY? Blaine asks, picturing his old school’s Glee club and the adorable matching uniforms and dance numbers they used to put on. They were never any good, but he’s sure Kurt’s team was much better. THAT’S ADORABLE. WERE YOU ANY GOOD?
WE WON N-A-T-I-O-N-A-L-S, Kurt signs proudly.
WOW. A CELEBRITY. CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH? he teases.
Kurt waves him off, but he can see his please smile, so he knows that he must not be messing this date up too badly.
****
Kurt is a perfect gentleman and walks him to the door of the dormitory building and informs Blaine that he would be perfectly happy to walk him all the way upstairs as well but it’s almost curfew and they don’t allow visitors to check in after 9pm. They still have four minutes though before Blaine has to be inside and Manny, the security guard that normally mans the door, has stepped away to investigate a disturbance in the courtyard. They are wonderfully alone and all Blaine wants to do is move in close and kiss Kurt, but he’s paralyzed with fear.
What if Kurt doesn’t want to kiss him? What if he’s totally misread the signs? If Kurt wanted to kiss him, wouldn’t he have kissed him already? Kurt’s in college and Blaine might be eighteen, but he’s still in high school and he’s pretty sure that it’s Kurt’s job to initiate any physical intimacy.
The two of them stand there awkwardly, unwilling to say goodbye, but not knowing how to do anything else.
I HAD A GOOD TIME, he signs, hoping that signaling the end of the night will somehow wake Kurt up and get him to kiss him already. He’s been wondering what those soft lips of his would feel like against his own all night.
ME TOO. Kurt smiles at him shyly, but he doesn’t move any closer. I WANT… CAN I SEE YOU AGAIN? Kurt asks.
YES, he signs eagerly. Perhaps too eagerly if the way that Kurt’s laughing is any indication, but he can’t help it. His entire body is alive with want and desire and he has never felt such a strong need to be with somebody before. Kurt is exactly what he’s been searching for. He’s funny. He’s cute. He is insanely smart and can carry conversations about anything from fashion, to music, to literature and politics. Blaine never picture himself dating somebody who was hearing, but he’s starting to realize that when you find somebody who’s a perfect match to you in every way, it doesn’t matter if they are Deaf, hearing, or a cyborg.
He always thought that finding somebody who was Deaf was all he ever wanted out of life, but he’s been wrong.
Kurt… Kurt is who he wants. Maybe it won’t work. Maybe it can never last between them, but for now, all Blaine knows is that this gorgeous man in front of him? He makes Blaine feel more alive than he’s ever felt before. He makes him feel on fire.
Blaine steps in close and he can see Kurt shiver with anticipation and he knows that’s his cue. Kurt wants this just as badly as he does.
He leans in and just as their lips are about to touch, the lights begin flickering.
Manny’s back and it’s curfew. He has to be inside or he’ll get a weeks worth of detention which means he’ll loose his off-campus privileges and be unable to see Kurt.
CALL ME, Kurt signs, a disappointed look on his face that Blaine’s sure mirrors his own.
BYE, he signs sadly as he turns and walks through the door. Manny smirks at him knowingly and Blaine’s so tempted to flick him off, but he refrains. He knows better than to get on the bad side of the man who decides who is allowed to come and go and when.
Blaine’s phone vibrates in his pocket and when he pulls it out, he sees that he’s got a message from Kurt.
Sweet dreams, my little Warbler XO.