Blaine wasn't really paying attention as he sat next to Kurt in the coffee shop. He honestly didn't even know why Kurt had brought him. He was sitting there chatting innocently with Mercedes and Tina and even Santana. Actually, why was Santana there? It didn't matter. Her furtive glances in the direction of Brittany and Artie didn't even have Blaine confused.

"Meanwhile the Warblers will be performing in a nursing home in a strip mall next to a national bank. But I'm so proud of you guys!" Kurt said a little less than entirely sarcastically. Blaine still didn't know why he was here. It was almost as if Kurt had brought him here to make him feel guilty. They'd had more than one discussion behind closed doors about Kurt going back to McKinley. Kurt kept saying he wanted it more than anything. If he could have anything, that would be it. He just wanted to go back.

And then Kurt would turn to him and ask, if you could have anything, what would it be. The one thing that would complete your life. And Blaine would stand there silently thinking about the day before regionals when Kurt was sang a solo about a dead bird and Blaine decided to discuss their upcoming duet over bedazzled bird coffins and "practice". As Kurt shouted at him about wanting to go to McKinley and how he desperately needed to be with his friends and begged Blaine, what do you want, what do you want? Blaine only had one answer. After that day he'd never needed anything else. Out of it all they'd gotten each other. And Blaine had been foolish enough to think that would be enough for Kurt.

"We miss you so much" Tina said.

"Isn't there anyway you could come back?" Mercedes asked.

And Blaine felt himself getting defensive. This wasn't even his problem. It was Kurt's. Kurt deserved the best in the world and he wanted McKinley. Blaine wanted to give it to him he really did. But Kurt wasn't safe and Blaine refused.

"It told him I would be all for it if it wasn't for Karofsky" Blaine said, working his best to keep his tone steady. Kurt hadn't brought him along to yell at his friends. It wasn't their fault Kurt couldn't go back and Blaine hated that it was the one thing keeping him at Dalton. Well. Other than Blaine. But Kurt seemed to have determined that as long as they were dating, Kurt didn't need to be at Dalton.

Kurt wanted McKinley back. That much was clear.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Santana asked him, and Blaine could see the wheels turning in her head.

"Well, Kurt needs to be safe" Blaine started before Kurt interrupted him.

"Okay, can we please change the subject?" Kurt interjected with a evidently annoyed voice. Blaine almost argued with him, but stopped himself.

It was true that he and Kurt had spent several hours discussing the subject, fighting over it, about it. Kurt had begged him several times to just let him go back. He would be fine. The Glee Club would protect him.

"Kurt! What makes you think that they can keep you safe all of the time. It's not feasible nor is it possible!" Blaine yelled at him, trying to get it through his thick skull.

Kurt heaved out a sigh in great disgust as he flopped down onto his own bed. Burt Hummel never really minded that Blaine would come over, but after the kid had gone up to him and told him to talk to Kurt about sex, he insisted that at least the door stay open.

"Kurt? Is everything okay in here?" Burt asked, sticking his head through the door.

"Fine dad" Kurt said a little bit too haughtily, keeping his eyes very determinedly off of Blaine.

"Okay, come up for dinner whenever" Burt said, throwing a warning glare at Blaine.

Blaine was used to Burt being like Papa Bear to Kurt, but ever since he and Kurt had been fighting about McKinley, Blaine had been getting even more death threats through the eyes of Burt Hummel.

"Okay. So maybe they couldn't protect me all the time. But I can protect myself Blaine. I'm not a child" Kurt said quietly, and from where Blaine was standing, he could see Kurt reach up to his eyes and wipe away the beginnings of tears.

"Kurt. I know that you think you can take him on right now, but that's just because you want to go back so badly."

Blaine walked over to Kurt and put an arm around him, pulling Kurt closer to him.

"I know you miss your friends and you don't hide how boring Dalton is getting for you all too well"

Kurt let out a light laugh and let Blaine run his thumb over Kurt's cheek, wiping away a tear that Kurt hadn't stopped.

"I want- I need you to be safe. I care too much about you to let some bully take you away from me okay?"

Kurt smiled at Blaine.

"I know. I'm sorry"

Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead and as he broke away he looked into Kurt's eyes with a big smile.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

Which brought Blaine to today in the coffee shop. He knew that Kurt being around his friends was bringing up ideas that he wanted to go back to McKinley once again. All the talks he'd had with Blaine before were moot to hearing his friends say they missed him.

"I've gotta gay- go! I've gotta go" Santana said hurriedly, rushing away from the table.

Blaine smiled at her as she left. Freudian slip much?

"So…" Mercedes said with a tone that heavily implied her need for gossip. "How're you two doing?"

"Absolutely fabulous" Kurt said without looking up from his coffee.

Blaine smiled at him. He knew Kurt was angry right now, but he would get over it. Blaine always apologized and Kurt always forgave him.

"Well I think we're doing great. I really l-" but Blaine stopped himself. "I really like Kurt a lot"

It took Blaine several more hours and several more discussions with himself to realize the Freudian slip he'd almost made.

Did he really already love Kurt Hummel?