Always There, a glee fanfic

Title: "Always There"

Beta: Singyourheartout287 (fanfiction)

Artist: Abjess (tumblr)/ WorthySquash (tumblr)

Rating: T

Summary: Kurt needs help finding closure for both himself and his heartbroken ex. When Blaine shows up on his doorstep and agrees to be his fake boyfriend, it seems like the perfect plan to help Adam move on. But things get complicated when they develop some unexpected and (not really) unwanted feelings for each other.

Warnings: Light swearing, depiction of a car crash(I don't want to take any risks in case that's at all triggering to anyone), mentions of past bullying, mentions of negligent parents

Texting Key:

Kurt

Blaine

Rachel

Adam

Santana

A/N: Here it is! My first of the two fics I wrote for this year's Kurt Big Bang! I hope you enjoy. And check out the fics of my beta, Singyourheartout287! She's amazing! Also the lovely art by the equally lovely artist for this fic can be found on her tumblr, WorthSquash. Enjoy :)

Kurt answered the phone nervously, not wanting to hear another one of his ex-boyfriend's drunken rants. "Hello..?"

"Kurt!" A loud shout exploded through the receiver and Kurt winced. "Kurt, c'mon! You know we're meant to be. Don't you remember how happy we were? We were so happy, Kurt."

"Adam," Kurt sighed. He didn't know how many times he'd been through this conversation. "Adam, I told you. We're through. It just didn't work out. I said I would love to still be friends, but you're the one who turned that down, remember?"

"I was stupid, Kurt!" This was getting pathetic. "I'm so sorry, but I love you and I'll be whoever you want but—"

"That's the thing," Kurt interrupted. "You were always telling me that you'd change every time we got in even the smallest of fight. I don't want that. I don't want you to feel like you have to change who you are. I'm sorry Adam, but this is the last time I'm going to have this conversation with you."

"No!" Adam cried in desperation, sounding close to tears. "Kurt, please. I love you."

"And I'll always love you," Kurt said softly, sighing. "But I just can't see it working out between us if we can't even be ourselves around each other. Goodbye, Adam." He could've sworn he heard a choked off sob as he hung up. He didn't want to hear any more begging. It was too painful to be reminded.

Another call came in and he looked at the caller ID with a sigh of relief. "Hey, Rachel," he greeted as soon as he answered the phone.

"Hey, sweetie," she said. "I just saw Adam. He doesn't look good… Have you talked to him?"

"Wait, you saw him?" Kurt asked in surprise, standing up from his place on the couch and pacing the room anxiously. After the long year they'd had together, he still cared deeply for Adam, but he couldn't live with himself if he let the heartbreak continue. He knew it was best that Adam try to move on. He'd been trying to do the same himself for months.

"Yeah, he was at the bar. He just left."

"Can you…" Kurt sighed in frustration. "Can you follow him? Can you make sure he gets home safely?"

"Of course," Rachel answered. "I'll text you when he's home, okay? Then you should try to get some sleep?"

"But I just—"

"I know," she stopped him. "You're worried. You're always worried. You have a good heart, and that's what Adam and I both love most about you. But you need to take care of yourself sometimes, too. I'll text you when he's home."

"Okay," Kurt sighed. "Thanks, Rach. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kurt hung up and ran a hand through his hair that was still wet after showering. He went to his bedroom and put on his pajamas before going through his nightly moisturizing routine. It was relaxing, and he definitely needed some time to relax.

Adam had done the same exact thing about ten times in the past three weeks, and the stress of worrying was starting to wear on Kurt a little too much. He really needed to do something about it. He needed to help Adam move on. But how could he do that?

About ten minutes later, Rachel texted him. He's home. Go to bed. Love you. :*

He sighed in relief and crawled into his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

When Kurt woke up in the morning, he groaned, pressing a hand to his head in a feeble attempt to soothe his pounding headache. He sat up slowly and walked to the kitchen to make a mug of coffee. While he did that, he started thinking. He still loved Adam, just not in the same way Adam loved him. He hated saying it, but he didn't think he'd ever really loved Adam in that way. He cared for him, but not in a romantic way. He wanted Adam to be able to move on, wanted for him to stop hurting. And the only way to do that was to show Adam that he could stop pining for Kurt. He had to show Adam that he'd moved on, that they were really over. Then, maybe, he'd be able to move on and begin healing.

Kurt's morning was a little brighter after he had his coffee, and he started thinking about what he should do, exactly. He knew he needed to find someone to be his fake boyfriend, because he wasn't sure if he was ready for a real relationship yet. He also knew he needed to subtly and gently let Adam know that he was with someone new. That would be the hardest part; seeing the heartbroken look in Adam's eyes, the same one he'd seen the night he'd broken up with him.

That's when he heard a knock on the door.

Curious as to who, besides Rachel, would be knocking on his door at eight in the morning on a weekend, he opened the door. Standing in front of him was a dark-haired man, slightly shorter than Kurt, with warm, honey eyes. He looked confused, staring at Kurt. "Oh, uh, sorry, I think I have the wrong apartment. Is this Joseph Baker's place?"

Kurt shook his head. "Kurt Hummel," he corrected. "And you are?"

"Blaine Anderson," the man said. "So, do you know where I could find Joseph?"

Kurt nodded. "Of course! He's on the floor below this one. Same apartment, wrong floor," he said with a smile.

Blaine laughed. "Thank you. I guess my roommate isn't the most reliable when it comes to giving directions." Kurt smiled again, an idea forming in his head. "So, I guess it was nice to meet you, Kurt."

"Likewise," Kurt said enthusiastically. "Wait! Uh, Blaine?" Blaine turned back to look at Kurt curiously, having been just about to leave. "I'm sorry if this sounds weird, but do you want to come in and have a cup of coffee?" Blaine seemed hesitant to accept the offer, and Kurt sighed, mentally berating himself. "I'm sorry. I knew it was too forward to ask, but I just hoped—"

Blaine quickly shook his head, smiling politely. "You know what? I'd love to. I forgot to stop by the coffee shop this morning. Thank you." He grinned at Kurt before stepping inside. He put his coat on the coat rack and followed Kurt to the kitchen. He sat on one of the stools behind the bar-styled counter. "So, do you always invite strangers into your home on Sunday mornings?"

Kurt laughed while already preparing Blaine's coffee. "Funny. No, I don't. You're just special, I guess. And, well, I also kind of have an odd question to ask you."

"Ask away," Blaine offered with a gesture of his hand. "We live in New York. You'll have to be pretty creative to top some of the weird questions people have asked me." Kurt laughed again.

"True," he shrugged. "Well, I think you might be surprised with how weird I can be. See, I kind of need you to pretend to be my boyfriend." Blaine's eyes widened and Kurt immediately panicked. "I mean—I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to assume anything. I swear. It's just that I'm kind of desperate and I need to pretend to have a boyfriend so my ex-boyfriend can move on. And you're so handsome and funny and you totally fit the bill—"

That's when Kurt realized that Blaine was laughing. He glared at the man. "What's so funny?"

"Relax, Kurt," Blaine chuckled. "I'm gay. You don't have to worry about offending me. And, surprisingly? That's not the weirdest thing I've heard all week. A drunken woman on the train yesterday asked me to marry her cat. And she kept pointing to her purse, which I assume she thought was the cat." Kurt burst into a fit of giggles, giving Blaine a hot cup of coffee as promised. "So, I'm in."

"Wait, you're in?" Kurt asked in surprise. He hadn't expected it to be that easy.

Blaine smiled, eyes lighting up in excitement and amusement. "Sure, why not? I'm up for a little adventure. I like to shake things up sometimes, you know?"

"I can tell, seeing as you came into a stranger's home without much question and you're agreeing to be said stranger's make-believe boyfriend," Kurt smirked.

Blaine laughed again. "It does sound a bit ludicrous when you say it like that. But if I were to choose a stranger to do those things with, I suppose it'd have to be the cute one." Kurt blushed, smiling.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," Kurt said, chuckling. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Well, where would your ex usually be on a Sunday night?" Blaine mused curiously.

Kurt caught on quickly to Blaine's train of thought. "Probably at the bar drowning his sorrows in beer again…" he answered with an ache in his heart. "He's done that almost every night since we broke up. That's why I need your help to let him move on with his life."

Blaine nodded, his forehead creasing thoughtfully. Kurt smiled slightly; that was kind of adorable. He never thought he would think of a grown man as adorable, but this man fit the bill. "Okay," Blaine said, pulling a blushing Kurt out of his distracting thoughts. "So, what if we went by the bar? Together, holding hands, laughing and smiling. I imagine he'd start to get the idea. Then we can just keep up the act for a while, and you can talk to him about it, let him down easy."

Kurt nodded. It seemed like the perfect plan. If Adam saw with his own eyes that Kurt had moved on, perhaps it'd be easier to stop denying the inevitable. He'd finally be forced to move on, or at least try. "Sounds good," he finally answered. "So, tonight?"

Blaine smiled. "Tonight," he agreed.

With that, they exchanged numbers and Blaine smiled at him before he left. This will work, Kurt told himself repeatedly. This will work and Adam will move on and maybe even find someone else who makes him happy. Kurt wanted that for Adam. The sweet, caring man deserved someone who could make him truly happy; someone who could love him for everything he was and who would look at him like he was their entire world. He deserved it.

With a sigh, Kurt decided to call Rachel. She picked up on the third ring. "Morning, sunshine!" she piped brightly through the phone and Kurt was glad he'd had his coffee a bit earlier than usual.

"How are you always so happy in the morning? And on a weekend?"

"Secrets wouldn't be secrets if they were revealed," she told him, making him roll his eyes fondly. His best friend could be kind of ridiculous sometimes. "What are you doing up? You're never up this early. I wasn't expecting a call for another six hours or so."

"If you were here I'd slap you," he teased. "I don't sleep in that much."

"You love me, and yes you do. Always. Every day." Kurt sighed. "But really, is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he said too quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Well… I was thinking about Adam…"

"Please don't tell me you're thinking about getting back together with him," Rachel said. "Kurt, it's only been a few months. He'll be fine, eventually. You know this is for the best."

"Rachel!" he stopped her rambling, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant. I was thinking of a way to help him move on."

"Oh! Well, that's good. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about it last night. What if I were to pretend to be dating someone else? If Adam saw me with someone else, maybe he'd finally be able to move on and stop lying to himself. And I want that for him. He deserves it, of all people. He deserves to be happy."

"Kurt, you're the sweetest person in the world, do you know that?" she commented with a fond tone. Kurt smiled slightly. He didn't feel very sweet at the moment, considering he was continuously breaking Adam's heart without even trying. "So, who's going to be your pretend boyfriend?" Rachel asked.

"That's the easy part!" Kurt informed her happily. "See, a guy knocked on the door earlier because he thought it was his friend's apartment, and I invited him in for a cup of coffee. I told him about my plan and he's in."

Rachel sighed over the line. "Kurt, are you sure that's such a good idea? You just met him."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Relax. He seems sweet. Completely harmless."

Rachel still seemed hesitant, but she eventually gave in. "Alright, alright. I'll trust you on this one. So… Is he cute?"

"Rachel!" Kurt scolded, blushing because yes, Blaine was definitely cute. "That's not the point. But yes, if you must know, he's very handsome. And his name is Blaine and we're taking a 'test run' tonight by the bar since I know Adam will be there again tonight. He always goes on weekends…" he trailed off sadly. He really did hate seeing his ex in so much pain.

"Kurt…" Rachel sounded unsure. "What if this doesn't help? What if it just hurts Adam more and he never moves on?"

Kurt sighed. He'd thought about the possibility. He hated the idea of hurting Adam, but wasn't anything worth trying at this point? "Isn't trying to help better than letting him continue to numb the pain with alcohol most every night? I have to try."

He could almost see Rachel nodding in agreement as she sighed. "You're right. I just hope this works."

"I hope so, too," Kurt said quietly. He yawned, taking a sip of his coffee. "I should go. Finn said he'd be stopping by today." He immediately cursed himself, wishing he hadn't said that. "Rachel—"

"No, it's okay," Rachel said, sounding pained. "Let me know how it goes with Adam, alright?" Kurt could actually see her forced smile with the sound of her voice, strained and emotional. "Bye, Kurt."

Kurt wanted to say something else, but she hung up and he sighed. Sitting down at the dining room table, he leaned forward and banged his head against the tabletop. Stupid, he thought. Why would you mention him when you know she's still hurting from the breakup?

Ugh. He hated this. He couldn't seem to stop hurting the people he loved. Why couldn't he just keep his big mouth shut? Why did someone as sweet as Adam have to fall so fully in love with him when he couldn't truly return those feelings? Why did love have to hurt so badly?

He startled when he heard a knock on the door and he sipped his coffee again, holding the warm and soothing mug to his chest as he stood and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Blaine when he pulled open the door. Not giving it a second thought, he invited Blaine inside.

"What brings you back here so soon?" he asked curiously, feeling an odd sense of worry. Despite having just met Blaine earlier that morning, he couldn't help feeling worried that something bad had somehow happened to him between then and now.

But Blaine was quick to ease his fears. "I just realized that I forgot to give you back your mug before I left," he said, handing Kurt the coffee mug he'd used. Kurt smiled, relieved.

"Oh," he laughed softly. "Thank you. I wouldn't have remembered." It fell silent between them, but it didn't feel awkward, surprisingly. They sat across from each other at the small dining table that Kurt owned, not speaking as Kurt finished off the last of his own coffee. He hummed contentedly at the soothing, warm sensation that the liquid offered.

After a few minutes of enjoying Blaine's company, Kurt realized that Blaine probably had to go home soon, and he remembered that he was having company any minute now. He was going to say something but Blaine beat him to it, clearing his throat. "Well, I shouldn't impose any longer. I'll pick you up here at, say, seven?" Kurt nodded, blushing slightly at how… formal it sounded. It's not a date, he told himself. Not at all. Ugh, he didn't know why he was getting so flustered. The only reason he was doing this was to help his ex-boyfriend. He wasn't trying to find the new love of his life.

"Sounds good," he said quickly, realizing he'd yet to reply after a few long seconds. "I'll see you then, Blaine. And thanks again."

Blaine nodded and smiled again before leaving. Kurt sighed and sunk down into the sofa, hugging a pillow to his chest. He needed to get rid of the pestering butterflies in his stomach because this was not a date. Just because Blaine was cute and funny and sweet, that didn't mean he had to have such an odd, unfamiliar affect on Kurt. Kurt didn't need that; not yet, at least. While he hid it well, he was still recovering from the nasty breakup with Adam.

Another thundering knock banged against the door and he groaned, not wanting to get up again. He knew it had to be Finn, because he'd already noticed that it was quieter and more considerate when Blaine knocked on the door. It wasn't so loud or so… Finn.

With a sigh, he stood and went to open the door… again. He smiled genuinely when he saw the dopey, friendly grin on his step-brother's face. "Hey, Finn," he greeted happily. It'd been too long since he'd seen his brother, who now lived in L.A. and was pursuing acting. "Come on in."

Finn stepped inside and looked around. "Nice place, little brother."

"Finn," he scolded with an odd mixture of fondness and annoyance. "I'm five months older than you."

Finn grinned and hugged Kurt. "I know. But I'm still taller than you." Kurt huffed. "Oh, c'mon, what's the fun in coming to visit if I can't tease my only brother?"

Kurt smiled and hugged Finn back at last. "I know. I missed you a lot."

"I missed you, too."

They moved to sit on the sofa, hardly paying attention to the T.V. in the background as they talked and talked, catching up on what they'd missed in each other's lives.

After about an hour, the painful question came out.

"How's Rachel?" Finn asked. Kurt grimaced. He knew Finn was hurting, too, after the big fight they'd had. He still wasn't entirely sure what had happened between them, but he knew it had something to do with Rachel not being willing to give up her Broadway dreams to be with him. And, while they fought a lot and they seemed to keep hurting each other, Kurt knew they loved each other and were meant to be.

He just wished he didn't have to be right in the middle of it. "She's… as good as she could be given the circumstances. She's following her dreams, but I try not to mention you when she's around. It still hurts."

Finn sighed, resigned. "I miss her so much, Kurt. I honestly don't remember why I got so mad at her before. It was six years ago, right after High School, and I still can't help but wish that I'd just come to New York with you guys."

"Maybe…" Kurt sighed, trailing off. "Maybe you both just needed to grow up a little before you could make it work. How long are you staying in New York?"

"I'll be here until a little after New Year's," Finn said thoughtfully. "Do you really think we can work it out? I would think she'd hate me after what I said."

Kurt looked at him, confused. "What exactly did you say?"

"I said…" Finn trailed off, looking pained as he looked down at his hands folded in his lap. "I said, 'Maybe my dreams don't include you anymore.'" Kurt let out an involuntary gasp.

"Finn…"

"She hates me, doesn't she?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"I know for a fact that she could never hate you, no matter how hard she tried to after you moved to California," Kurt said quietly. "But now I know why she was so hurt when you left. It wasn't just because of the breakup. Finn, Rachel has always talked about big dreams. She's always wanted to be a big star; you know that. But another thing that she's always wanted is… you. The minute she met you, all of her dreams changed, just a little. She'd pictured being so busy, constantly doing shows and never having time for a relationship. But then she met you and she started picturing you in all of those dreams. She wanted all of that. So… for you to say that she wasn't a part of your dreams… Well, I think you can understand just how much she was hurt by that."

Finn had tears shining in his eyes. "I… I didn't know, I— I need to see her, talk to her. I… I need to get her back. If she'll take me back, then I'm not going to make the same mistake I did before; I won't go back to L.A."

Kurt reached out and hugged his brother, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I think, once you sit down and talk to her, rather than screaming and fighting like you used to, she'll take you back in a heartbeat. I know she misses you more than anything."

Finn let out a shaky breath of relief. "So, there's still a chance for us?" he asked with a tentative hope.

"I think so," Kurt said reassuringly. "Now, I think you should go talk to her."

Finn nodded quickly, standing up almost immediately. Kurt stood up as well. He gave Finn one of his old scarves, because it was freezing outside and he noticed that Finn didn't have one. He couldn't let his brother go out onto the streets in the cold last week of October without proper clothing, after all.

With nothing else to do, he watched mindless television for about two hours, dozing off lazily a few times. When he got bored with that, he played cards with a pillow, feeling only slightly pathetic when he congratulated himself for winning. After convincing his own taunting thoughts that playing games with a pillow—he may or may not have drawn a face on it—wasn't weird, he took a long shower, exercising his underused singing voice. After that, which ended up lasting at least an hour—he had a lot of hot water to spare, living alone and all—he flopped down on his bed, sighing as he sprawled out. He pulled out his phone, debating.

He wanted to text Blaine, but he didn't want to seem weird. They weren't exactly friends. They'd only just met, and they hardly knew each other. And Blaine said he'd be there at seven, which was only two hours away. Would it be weird to text Blaine?

Screw it, he thought.

He sent a quick text to Blaine, simple enough. Nothing too weird. Are you busy?

A reply came in almost immediately and he couldn't keep himself from smiling. Not really, why?

I'm bored :(

I'll be there soon to make you un-bored :)

My hero :)

Was he seriously flirting? No, he couldn't be. It was just playful, because Blaine was nice and funny and understanding. Blaine didn't see it as flirting, did he?

It's the least I could do. You gave me an adventure! My week was going to be so boring if I hadn't knocked on the wrong door.

Thank you. Kurt felt a little awkward, even via text. Shooing away the butterflies in his stomach—there was no way he was going to fall for this guy—he sent another text to Blaine. Can you just pick me up now and we can have coffee before going by the bar to find Adam? I mean, if you aren't busy.

I already said I'm not busy, silly :) I'll be right there.

Great :)

Kurt ran into his bedroom, digging through his dresser to find a suitable outfit to wear. When he finally found one—tight black jeans with a vest over a white dress shirt—he managed to do his hair in record time, coiffed to perfection. Giving a satisfied nod to his reflection, he smiled and walked to the living room to sit on the sofa and pretend he was watching T.V. He didn't want to seem crazy.

A knock on the door made him jump up excitedly. He was glad he was going to spend some time with Blaine, because he was nice and he should probably get to know him if they were going to be pretend boyfriends, after all. He was also looking forward to taking the first step in helping Adam move on. That was what this was all about, anyway, right?

He answered the door, greeting Blaine with a smile. "Hey, stranger," he said. "Ready for coffee?"

Blaine nodded, smiling as well while Kurt slipped his coat on. "Of course. Let's go."

They walked together to the coffee place that was just down the street, near the bar that Adam usually went to. They ordered their drinks and sat down across from each other at a table by the window. Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Thanks for doing this. It can be lonely living alone." Blaine raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You don't have a roommate?" Kurt shook his head. "No one to keep you company? I know that living in New York alone can be pretty lonesome."

Kurt offered a smile, touched that Blaine seemed to be so concerned, his forehead creased in worry as he looked at Kurt. "I'm fine, really. I have my best friend here with me; she just lives in her own apartment not too far from mine. It gets lonely sometimes, but mostly just on weekends when I don't really have anything to do. Work keeps me busy most of the time."

"Where do you work?" Blaine asked, changing the subject since he seemed to be less worried now.

"Vogue," Kurt answered proudly. "I'm a writer for the magazine and I'm basically my boss's right-hand advisor slash friend slash gossip buddy. I also work part-time at the Spotlight Diner because it's more fun than sitting in an office all day."

"Sounds like you've got your hands full," Blaine observed with a smile. "Just out of curiosity—and you don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable with it—did the breakup have anything to do with work? You know, too much work, not enough social time?"

Kurt's eyes widened slightly and he shook his head. "No, no, of course not. I always made time for him and for Rachel—she's my friend who I told you about. It just… didn't work out. I thought…" he sighed, trailing off. "I thought if I stayed long enough, I'd be able to feel the same way he did—does. But in the end, it just wasn't fair to him. He was giving me his whole heart and I couldn't give him mine in return, so I broke it off. It went on for about a year before I realized it wasn't going to last in the way I wanted it to."

"I'm sorry," Blaine said for lack of a better response.

"No, it's not—I mean, I'm fine. I just wish he'd stop hurting himself because we broke up… He's so self-destructive and it kills me to see him hurting like this, but I couldn't stand to keep breaking his heart for as long as we were together. I know this is for the best for both of us, but it's just hard, you know?"

"I understand," Blaine said. "Well, sort of. I've kind of been in a similar position to the one your ex is in. I've had a few boyfriends, and there was this one guy who I really thought I was going to spend my life with. I even proposed," he said with a hollow laugh, looking down at the lid of his coffee cup. He sighed. "He said no; something about not being able to commit. I begged him to stay, and it took months before I could really start healing. It hurts, you know? But that was a few years ago, and now, looking back on it, I see why he said no. Neither of us was really ready for that kind of commitment. I was just so scared of not having someone that I was willing to be with anyone."

"So…" Kurt watched him studiously, curiously. "What you're saying is… he'll get better? Like you did?"

"I'm not guaranteeing anything," Blaine backtracked, meeting Kurt's eyes again. "But I'm saying it's possible, even for Adam, who, from what I gather, fell pretty damn hard for you. Just like I fell for Spencer. It'll take some time, but I think it'll be okay."

"You're actually making me feel a lot better about this," Kurt said with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"That's what boyfriends are for, right?" Blaine said, seemingly without thinking. Kurt almost spat out his drink in surprise. Blaine's eyes widened. "I'm sorry about that. I was just… testing it out. Might as well get used to the term while we're doing this, right?"

Kurt nodded, swallowing. "You're right," he said, clearing his throat. "Well, thanks again for the pep talk, honey," he said with a slightly teasing smile.

Blaine chuckled, relieved that he hadn't freaked Kurt out, and replied, "Anytime, sweetheart." Kurt, trained with three years of acting classes at NYADA and three years after that of pretending to love his snobby coworkers at Vogue, was able to skillfully hide his blush at the term of endearment.

After that, they fell into comfortable conversation, learning this thing and that about each other.

Blaine learned that Kurt liked to sing, and Kurt learned that Blaine liked to sing as well as read—a lot. Kurt called Blaine a nerd and Blaine pouted cutely before they both burst into a fit of giggles.

Kurt learned that Blaine worked at the homeless shelter and had a part-time job as a bartender uptown. Blaine learned that Kurt had never been drunk in his life, and he vowed to change that, making Kurt roll his eyes.

They learned that they both came from Ohio and moved to New York out of High School. Kurt learned that Blaine had gone to Julliard for four years right after he moved to the city and he'd been working at the shelter for the past two years, playing the occasional music gig at the bar he worked at. "So you play piano, guitar, violin, cello, trumpet, saxophone, piccolo, and oboe, and you sing?" Kurt asked him in disbelief. Blaine shrugged bashfully and nodded. "No wonder Julliard gave you a full-ride scholarship."

After talking for nearly two hours with Blaine, Kurt got distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He apologized before looking at his phone, sighing when he saw that it was a text from Adam.

I loev you.

Adam, don't. Please.

Kurt I love yuo so muchh. Whyd you leavvv me!

Are you drunk?

Its yur faulttt. I ccant see the screeen thruugh my tearss,,

Adam, go home. Get a cab and go home before you get hurt.

Im alraady dyyng kurt.., yur faultt

Kurt wiped a tear from his eyes and looked up at Blaine, who was watching him worriedly. "It's Adam. He's drunk already and he's going to get himself hurt. We have to go and… and I'll make sure he gets a cab home. C'mon," he said frantically, standing up and waiting for Blaine to follow him. Blaine did so immediately and they speed-jogged towards the bar.

By the time they'd reached the bar, Kurt had taken hold of Blaine's hand and wasn't letting go. They saw Adam outside the bar, leaning sloppily against the wall and drinking a beer messily. It had to have been one of several, Kurt guessed, judging from the texts and the far-away look in his eyes.

"Adam!" he called out, jogging over to him with Blaine's hand still locked in his. He did his best to remember the plan.

"Who's that?" Adam spat, looking at Blaine with sad, venomous, heartbreaking eyes.

"Adam, this is my… my boyfriend," he said with difficulty. "I-I've moved on and I need you to do the same," he said, staying strong for Adam's sake because he really needed the help to move on.

"I saw you… you guys at the coffee shop," he slurred, pointing his half-full beer bottle at them. "How could you, Kurt?" he asked. "How could you‽" he repeated, angrily.

"Adam, please stop," Kurt pleaded, already tearing up. "I-I told you. We aren't together anymore. I'm allowed to go out with new people if I want to. You are, too."

"All I ever wanted was you!" he sobbed. Kurt felt his heart aching in his chest and he squeezed Blaine's hand for comfort.

"Adam, please go home," he begged. "It's freezing out here and you're completely intoxicated and you're going to have a huge headache in the morning. Please, just… go home. I'll pay for a cab to take you back to your apartment."

Nodding reluctantly, Adam moved closer to Kurt, dropping his beer on the ground in the process. Taking Kurt by surprise, he lurched forward and kissed Kurt, forcing the taller man to catch him and support his drunken weight. "Mm, Kurt," he hummed pleadingly, clinging to Kurt and refusing to let go. "I know you love me."

"Adam, stop," Kurt said. He turned his head away from Adam and refused to look up for fear of seeing the pain in his eyes. "Please, just… stop." Removing Adam's hands from his shirt, he hailed a taxi and paid the driver, with a generous tip, before telling him where to take Adam. Trying to ignore Adam's pleading whimpers, he gently helped the man into the backseat of the taxi, thanking the driver before closing the door and watching them drive away.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned towards Blaine, only hesitating for a moment before he let Blaine pull him into a comforting hug. He let Blaine hold him while he did his best not to cry. Only a few heartbroken tears escaped. "It's alright," Blaine soothed, rubbing his back.

"I just hate hurting him," Kurt said, frustrated. "He's such a sweet guy and I really care about him and I hate seeing him hurt."

"I know," Blaine nodded as Kurt tucked his head into the space between Blaine's shoulder and his head. "I know it's hard, but he'll get there. It's only been a few weeks since the breakup, right?" Kurt nodded. "It's going to take some time. But everything will work out, I promise."

Kurt stood up straight, wiping his tears and feeling a little ridiculous. "I know. You're right. Time," he nodded to himself.

They walked back to Kurt's place together in silence, Kurt never releasing his clutch on Blaine's hand.

Blaine walked with Kurt all the way to his front door, but as he was turning to leave, Kurt grasped his hand tightly, looking at him with wide eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Home..?" Blaine said softly, uncertainly, frowning in concern.

"Can you…" Kurt paused, sighing. "Do you think you could… stay here tonight? I just really don't want to be alone right now. You could take the couch or I will."

"I'll take the couch," Blaine said with a kind smile, giving Kurt's hand a light squeeze. They stepped inside, out of the cold, and Kurt changed into his pajamas while Blaine stayed in his jeans and undershirt so as not to make Kurt uncomfortable. As per Kurt's request, he sat against the headboard of Kurt's bed, next to Kurt who was lying down.

"Will you sing me something until I fall asleep?" Kurt asked sleepily.

Blaine smiled and started stroking his fingers through Kurt's hair. "Any requests?"

"Just sing anything," Kurt said through a yawn.

Blaine smiled, finding sleepy Kurt kind of adorable. He started singing softly.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night…

Take these broken wings and learn to fly…

All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise…

Blackbird singing in the dead of night…

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see…

All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free…

Blackbird…

Fly, fly…

Blackbird…

Fly, fly…

Into the light of the dark black night…

After a few minutes, Kurt snuffled softly, sound asleep and curled up to Blaine's side. Blaine looked down at him and smiled. "Goodnight, Kurt. Sleep well." Careful to not wake him, Blaine climbed out of the bed and walked to the living room. He stripped down so he was just in his boxers and his undershirt so that he would be more comfortable. Then, he grabbed a blanket from the linen closet and settled down on the sofa, falling asleep minutes later.

When Kurt woke up in the morning, it took him a few minutes to remember how he'd gotten home the night before. He sat up, groaning groggily and running a hand through his hair. Moving lethargically, he walked to the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom and decided to take a shower and brush his teeth.

After showering, he felt much better and he could clearly remember what had happened: Adam, the bar, Blaine…

Blaine. He wondered if Blaine had left after Kurt fell asleep. He hoped not, though he wasn't sure why he wanted Blaine to stay so badly.

"Blaine, are you still here?" he asked after getting dressed and leaving his bedroom. There was no answer, but he soon saw why. Blaine was sound asleep on the couch, arm dangling to the floor and leg thrown over the arm of the couch. He lay on his back, snuffling adorably in his sleep.

Adorably? Kurt frowned. Well, there was nothing wrong with thinking Blaine was adorable, he reasoned. After all, anyone could clearly see that Blaine was adorable. It wasn't just him.

"Blaine?" he asked softly, leaning over the back of the couch. Blaine mumbled sleepily and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw Kurt.

"Hey," he said. His voice was thick with sleep. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not bad," Kurt answered with a shrug, wrapping his arms around his middle. "Do you want some coffee?"

Blaine nodded. "Yes, please. Thanks." Kurt went to the kitchen to make a mug of coffee for each of them. He returned shortly and gave Blaine a mug. "You're a life-saver," Blaine said gratefully, moaning softly when the coffee spilled down his throat after he took a sip. "I usually stop at the coffee shop in the morning before heading to the shelter with coffee for some of the residents who I know will be up that early. Some prefer hot chocolate, so I bring both."

Kurt smiled, looking at Blaine in wonder. It'd been a long time since he'd met someone so… kind. Living in New York, he didn't see a lot of that in people. It was usually so 'Me, me, me,' or 'I have somewhere to be, therefore I don't care if you are shoved to the ground in the process.' "I think it's really great that you do that. In the time I've lived in New York, I've mostly just experienced the selfish side of people. I know it isn't all bad, but the good people tend to be less obvious."

Blaine shrugged humbly, though he couldn't help but smile. "Well, I'm glad I could save you from the Dark Side."

Kurt furrowed his brow in confusion before he understood the reference and he started giggling. "Oh, wow, that was cheesy. I can't believe you just quoted Star Wars. I thought we were talking about helping the homeless."

Blaine shrugged helplessly, pouting. "Well, with the friends I had in High School, I can't help that it's practically programmed into my brain to be into stuff like that. They literally had marathons every other weekend when they weren't playing Call of Duty."

Kurt grinned, laughing again. "They sound like fun. And, actually, my brother was exactly the same in High School. You might be surprised how handy I can be with a sniper rifle in that game. He practically begged me to play it with him and his friends until I started kicking their butts. They're poor sports."

Blaine couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe we'll have to have a match of our own to see who kicks whose butt."

"Maybe," Kurt agreed, finally calming his laughter. After that, it went silent. They drank their coffee and Kurt started an episode of Raising Hope on Netflix on his laptop. Blaine had never seen it before and Kurt insisted that he watch the pilot episode immediately.

They watched the show together and laughed for hours, sitting close together on the couch. After a few hours, Blaine said that he had to go because he'd made plans with his roommate. Kurt couldn't help but feel disappointed. Blaine was quickly becoming one of the best friends he'd ever had and it was so easy to just be himself and have fun with Blaine. He didn't want Blaine to leave. Nevertheless, he walked Blaine downstairs and stayed there until he found a cab. Then he returned to his own apartment, flopping down on his bed and feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time.

The next week was spent with Kurt and Blaine getting to know each other more and more. They learned about each other's weird little quirks and more interests the other had. They texted each other every day and met up for coffee when they weren't working. During one conversation, they bonded over both being bullied in high school and they were able to offer understanding and empathy to each other. It was little things like that that drew them closer and closer until they hardly went an hour without a short text to stay in touch.

Blaine loved spending time with Kurt and he was so glad they were becoming friends so quickly. Kurt was great company and he was funny and nice and things were so… easy. He loved that their friendship was so easy.

The fact that they got along well certainly helped the whole 'fake boyfriend' thing. He just hoped it never got to the point where it felt too awkward, because Blaine really did want to help Kurt. And he couldn't do that if they couldn't be friends.

However, he didn't think that'd be a problem. After all, he'd learned his lesson after the incident with Spencer breaking his heart. He knew how to protect himself from that and there was no way he was going to let himself fall for Kurt. He didn't want a relationship like that and he had a feeling that Kurt wouldn't pressure him or make him feel uncomfortable because of that. He felt like he could trust Kurt, as a good friend.

In a fantastic mood considering it was a Monday, he got dressed in some day clothes and left the apartment to meet his roommate and best friend at the shelter. They were going to do a charity performance in Central Park and they wanted some of the residents to be there.

His phone rang and he answered it on his Bluetooth device as he made the short walk towards the shelter. "Hello?"

"Dude, where are you?" his best friend, Sam, asked loudly. Blaine winced at the loud noise.

"Geez, Sam, calm down. I'm on Bluetooth and I'd appreciate if you wouldn't make me go deaf, thank you very much. And I'll be there in… five minutes. Don't worry. We have time."

"Okay. Hurry, man! See you soon."

"Bye." Blaine couldn't help but smile. He and Sam had been best friends since High School and he was more than glad to have him as his roommate in New York. Yes, Sam could be a little crazy sometimes, but they balanced each other out.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the shelter and the pair gathered a few of the more friendly residents to come along with them to the park for their performance. When they reached the park a few minutes later, they quickly set up and prepared to sing an acoustic version of a song they'd prepared. Sam started the song.

I—I wish I could swim…

Like the dolphins…

Like dolphins can swim…

Though nothing—nothing will keep us together…

We can beat them, forever and ever…

Oh, we can be heroes, just for one day…

Blaine took up the next verse, grinning at his best friend and glowing with the thrill of a performance.

I—I will be king…

And you—you will be queen…

Though nothing will drive them away…

We can be heroes…

Just for one day…

We can be us…

Just for one day…

They took the next part together, glad to see that the crowd that'd gathered seemed to be enjoying it.

I—I can remember…

Standing by the wall…

And the guns shot above our heads…

And we kissed, as though nothing could fall…

And the shame was on the other side…

Oh, we can beat them…

Forever and ever…

Then we can be heroes…

Just for one day…

We can be heroes…

Just for one day!

We can be heroes…

Just for one day!

They finished the song, grinning and breathless, and the crowd cheered. Blaine looked out at the group of people and his eyes widened to show his surprise when he saw a familiar face.

Kurt.

After the crowd settled and they'd collected what money had been dropped in their box for the shelter, Blaine hopped off the stage and bounced over to where Kurt was. Kurt grinned at him and clapped a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"That was amazing, Blaine! You… I didn't know you could sing like that. I mean, I knew you could sing, but just… wow."

Blaine laughed bashfully at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks. What are you doing here?" he asked, still smiling.

"I was just heading out to get lunch with Rachel but I heard the music and thought I'd check it out," Kurt explained. Then he seemed to remember that he had a friend waiting for him and he sighed. "I should probably go, actually. Rachel's waiting for me."

"I'll let you go, then," Blaine shrugged, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets to keep out the bitter cold. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Kurt said, smiling again. "I'll see you later." With that, they went their separate ways, Kurt to Rachel and Blaine to Sam.

"So, someone special?" Sam asked, grinning like a maniac when Blaine returned to his side.

Blaine blushed, shaking his head. "Shut up. He's just a friend. And I'm just helping him out with issues with his ex and… it's complicated." Sam's grin didn't fade. In fact, it widened at seeing Blaine turn as red as a tomato. "Oh, shut up!" Blaine said indignantly, smacking Sam's shoulder. "I told you I'm never going back. After what happened with Spencer, I'm done, okay? No guys to break my heart a second time."

Sam's expression softened and he nodded, patting Blaine's shoulder. "You're right. I'm sorry. You just seemed really excited to see him, so I had to wonder."

"He's just a friend," Blaine said firmly.

Rachel jumped up from her seat at a window table when she saw Kurt entering the diner. "Kurt! Where have you been? Santana's been asking me if I was waiting for 'that gigolo'—I can only assume she meant Brody. I told her that Brody and I are over and that I haven't seen him but she doesn't believe me and—"

"Okay," Kurt stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders and settling her down into a chair. "Settle down." She took a deep breath and Kurt chuckled, smiling at her. He looked around the diner, leaning back in his chair. "Huh. It's weird being here when I'm not working. It's so… dull," he joked with a small smirk.

"Everything is dull without you, Kurt Hummel," Rachel said airily, and they both laughed. "So, how'd things go with Blaine and Adam last week? It seems like we haven't talked at all since that night. Did things work out well?"

Kurt tensed, biting his lip. "Not very well. Adam started texting me so we went to the bar earlier than planned and then Adam kissed me and started begging as usual… I had to force him into a cab and bribe the cabbie to help him into his apartment. Blaine took me home and we had coffee the next morning and—"

"Wait, he stayed the night?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kurt frowned at her. "Yeah. But that's not the point—"

"Kurt, you just met him that day and you invited him to stay the night! What were you thinking?" she demanded, looking at him as if he were crazy.

"I really didn't want to be alone after what happened with Adam," Kurt said quietly, wrapping his arms around himself uncomfortably. "And he's my friend and he's nice and… You know what? I don't need to explain myself. I was in a vulnerable state Sunday night and he helped me get some sleep. That's that."

Rachel looked at him sadly. "Honey, I know it's hard but you have to be safe—"

"I am safe," he snapped, standing up. He shook his head, taking in and letting out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. I'll call you later, okay?" With that, he left the diner. He strode quickly home, dialing Blaine's number as he walked. Blaine answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Kurt," he greeted cheerily.

Kurt couldn't help but smile. "Hey. Are you still busy..?"

"We just finished the second performance," Blaine informed him. "We have one more to do if you want to stop by. What happened to lunch with Rachel?"

"She cancelled," he lied, sighing. "No, she didn't cancel. I'm sorry. I just needed to stop talking to her and start talking to you. I hope that doesn't sound creepy."

"Not at all," Blaine assured, sounding concerned. "Are you alright?"

No, not really. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be in the audience, okay? See you soon." He hung up and redirected his path so he was headed towards the park rather than to his apartment. He needed to talk to Blaine.

Kurt apologetically pushed his way through the crowd gathered in front of the stage where Blaine was, trying to get to the front so he could see said singer. He stumbled over someone's foot just before he reached the front and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, wincing when he hit the ground. He quickly picked himself up and blushed hotly as he dusted off his designer jeans. He looked up at the stage to see Blaine looking right at him and he ducked his head, blushing because Blaine had obviously just seen him fall. When he met Blaine's gaze again, though, the singer was smiling and Kurt smiled back shyly.

When the performance ended, Blaine hopped off the stage, approaching Kurt with his hands in his pockets to block the cold air. "Hey, Kurt," he said with a smile. Kurt smiled, unable to help himself since Blaine's smile was so contagious.

"Hey, yourself," he replied. He put his hands in his pockets awkwardly before taking one out and gesturing vaguely behind himself with his thumb. "Can we, um, talk? Alone?"

Blaine, sensing the serious undertone to Kurt's casual question, nodded. He followed Kurt with a small frown of concern. "Where are we going?" he asked quietly.

Kurt smiled weakly and offered his hand to Blaine, who took it. "Just taking a walk," he said. "The trees are beautiful here this time of year."

Blaine hummed in agreement, following Kurt down a narrow sidewalk path shaded by several molting trees. He looked around at the different colors, smiling and squeezing Kurt's hand. Their eyes met after the small gesture and Kurt smiled, genuinely this time. "What did you want to talk about?" Blaine asked.

Kurt sighed, unconsciously shifting closer to Blaine as they walked aimlessly. "It's Rachel. I mean, I love her—I do—but she's acting ridiculous. She thinks that I'm being careless and that I'm not safe because I've become so close to someone who I just met. I tried to tell her that you're not just a stranger and I trust you but she thinks I'm acting childish and it's just—it's frustrating." He looked over at Blaine, just now realizing that they'd stopped walking and Blaine was watching and listening intently.

"Kurt, in all fairness, she's just looking out for you," Blaine said tentatively, not wanting to upset Kurt. "I can't blame her for being cautious," he added, thinking about how he'd probably do anything to ensure Kurt's safety if he thought something was questionable.

Kurt bit his lip, hurt shining in his eyes. "You think she's right? You think we rushed into being friends?"

Blaine's eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly. "No! I—"

"Because I was under the impression that we were close to best friends," Kurt continued, letting go of Blaine's hand and shaking his head. "I don't care that we just met a week ago. You're my friend and I care about you. I thought you cared about me, too, after last night, but I guess I was wrong." He turned to walk away but Blaine reached for his hand, stopping him.

"Kurt, stop," he said sadly. "Please. That's not what I meant. Of course you're my friend. Of course I care about you." Kurt looked doubtful. "I'm glad we met and even though it was just last week, it feels like we've been friends for years. Please believe me, Kurt," he added. At some point, he'd grabbed both of Kurt's hands in his and he squeezed them reassuringly, looking at Kurt hopefully.

Kurt bit his lip and nodded, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine smiled and hugged his torso, rubbing his back. "Thank you," Kurt whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything," Kurt said, pulling back and smiling.

Blaine grinned. "How about you thank me after we go out for New York's best ice cream? My treat," he added.

Kurt laughed, looking at Blaine like he was crazy. "Blaine! It's freezing out here!"

"But it's warm inside, where we'll be eating the ice cream," Blaine reasoned, laughing when Kurt smacked his shoulder lightly.

"You're insane," Kurt told him, grinning. "But I must be insane, too, because I want ice cream. Let's go be insane together."

Blaine laughed again and grabbed Kurt's hand, squeezing lightly. "We'll toast to brain freezes and rotten judgment of snacks!" he declared, earning another laugh from Kurt. They giggled together all the way to the ice cream parlor, still hand in hand.

They ordered their ice cream and took a seat at one of the tables, chatting animatedly. When their ice cream came, they ate eagerly. When they were about halfway done, Kurt started giggling and Blaine looked at him, confused.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Actually," Kurt giggled, "yes." He reached out and wiped the pad of his thumb down the swoop of Blaine's nose, wiping away a dot of ice cream as he went. He retracted his hand and showed Blaine, giggling once more. Blaine laughed and shook his head, smiling fondly at Kurt's ridiculousness. "All clean," Kurt said, smiling.

"Thanks," Blaine chuckled. Their eyes met and their laughter faded, staring at each other in an intense way that almost felt too intimate for the public eye. After a few seconds, they tore their eyes away from each other, both laughing nervously and blushing. Kurt had to remind himself that Blaine was just a friend and Blaine had to remind himself that he didn't want anything more than friendship. "So, uh…" Blaine started awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Um…"

"Yeah," Kurt whispered. "Um, I should probably go. I had a good time, Blaine. Thank you for the ice cream." Blaine's heart leapt at the shy smile Kurt offered. They both stood and Kurt, after mentally debating with himself—would it be awkward? Does he think I have a crush on him? No, it's just a hug, Kurt—hugged Blaine quickly, taking a few seconds to let himself be held and feel Blaine's heart beating against his. "Thanks again," he said, pulling away and smiling before turning to leave.

Blaine watched him go, his heart thrumming quickly after the brief hug. "Bye," he whispered after Kurt was already gone. After standing there like a daydreaming teenage girl for an embarrassingly long minute, he shook himself from his dazed trance. No, Blaine. Get it together. He's just a friend. If you let him be more than that, you're going to get hurt again. Don't feel. Don't feel.

He was feeling a wide plethora of indescribable and thrilling things for Kurt…

…and that scared him to death.

When Kurt got home, he was smiling like an idiot. When he realized that he looked like an idiot with that schoolboy grin, he immediately wiped it off his face, shaking his head. No. He's just a friend. You're just trying to help Adam. Remember, this is about Adam. You aren't ready for another relationship like that.

He managed to convince himself that he was just happy and relieved to still be friends with Blaine after their almost-fight. He'd nearly lost him and that scared him, so he was relieved to have worked things out. The butterflies in his stomach died down and he decided to take a shower, completely denying his undeniable state of denial.

A week passed with a few more 'non-dates' like the one in the ice cream parlor. They talked and got to know each other better, occasionally running into Adam. Whenever they did run into Kurt's ex, Kurt always pretended to be okay with it all and didn't break until Adam was gone. He hated seeing the heartbreak in Adam's eyes and knowing he was the cause. But Blaine was always right there to pick up the pieces and convince him that he'd seen a change—progress—in Adam's demeanor since the last time they'd seen him. Kurt believed him, because he so desperately wanted to and he had to do something to stop thinking about Adam.

However, one day, Kurt ran into Adam when he wasn't with Blaine. Though, he had a feeling it wasn't an accident. It looked pretty deliberate on Adam's part.

"Adam, please go away," Kurt told him when Adam approached him at the same coffee shop where he'd first gone with Blaine. "I don't want to listen to you beg. I'm with Blaine and I'm happy. You need to move on. Please." He saw the blank, emotionless, numb, look in Adam's eyes and he wasn't sure if that was better or worse than the heartbrokenness that usually took its place.

"I'm done, Kurt," Adam said, sounding tired. Kurt looked at him in confusion, staying silent while Adam stood in front of him. "I won't keep begging. It's obvious that you're happy." It was obvious in Adam's voice that he was holding back tears and Kurt had to hold back his own. "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. Since you moved on so easily, I must not have made you happy before, so I'm going to make you happy now by letting you go." This was exactly what Kurt had been hoping for, but it still broke his heart. He cared so much about Adam and he just hoped that he'd be able to find someone to make him happy and love him. "Goodbye, Kurt."

"Adam, wait," Kurt spoke up just before Adam turned to leave. Adam paused, frowning. This was the first time Kurt had seen him sober since the break-up, and he wanted to get the chance to actually talk to him when he wasn't drunk. "I'm sorry, Adam… for everything. I never meant to hurt you like I did. I shouldn't have let you fall in love with me. I should have left before it became impossible to do that without hurting you. I truly hope you'll find someone to love you with their whole heart because I know how strongly you love people and whoever you end up with is going to be a very lucky man." He stood up, swallowing thickly. "I'll see you around, yeah?" He smiled when he saw Adam nod, stepping forward and hugging Adam briefly. He pulled away soon after and offered one more smile before Adam turned to leave the coffee shop. Once Adam was gone, Kurt sunk back into his chair, breathing out a sigh of relief. Adam was moving on. He didn't have to keep breaking the man's heart. He could finally stop feeling guilty and Adam could finally be happy.

They could both be happy.

The next day, November 10th, Kurt called Blaine, grinning with excitement. He couldn't wait to tell his friend the good news about Adam. Blaine answered after the third ring.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine greeted, sounding as happy as he always did when Kurt called. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" Kurt told him. "I have some good news. I talked to Adam yesterday, and he seemed… I don't know, calmer? He wasn't drunk and he said he was 'letting me go' and I apologized for everything. I really think things are going to be okay now." Blaine didn't speak right away and Kurt's smile faltered. "Blaine?" he asked, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Are we still going to be friends now that we don't need to convince Adam that we're dating?"

"What?" Kurt exclaimed in surprise. "Of course we are! Besides, we can't just suddenly stop 'dating.' He'd know it wasn't real. I was thinking we'd keep it up for a few more weeks so he wouldn't be suspicious. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah!" Blaine assured him quickly. "Yeah, that's fine. I was just… worried."

"Blaine," Kurt admonished gently, smiling fondly. "Come on. You know you're one of my best friends. I wasn't only hanging out with you for Adam's sake. I really enjoy spending time with you."

"Me, too," Blaine said softly, a smile evident in his voice. "I mean, I like spending time with you. I didn't mean I like spending time with myself. That didn't come out right. I'm just really glad we're still friends and I… I… I should just shut up now." He heard Kurt giggling and he sighed. "Sorry for my ridiculous rambling. That's embarrassing."

"It's cute," Kurt said before he could stop himself. He hoped Blaine didn't read too much into that, but he didn't try to take it back. It was true.

"Oh," Blaine said after a beat. "Well, uh, thank you… I guess. I have to go to work now. Can I call you later?"

"Yeah, of course," Kurt said, smiling. It was a Tuesday, so he had to be heading to work at the diner soon, but he was glad he'd called Blaine between his time at Vogue and his time at the diner. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

After hanging up, he hurried to get dressed in his work clothes before tapping out a quick reply to Rachel's text.

Where are you? Gunther says if you're late one more time you're fired. Get your cute little butt over here! Love you! Bye :)

I'm on my way. Vogue didn't let me leave until I finished sorting out files. Love you, too!

He walked to the diner in record time, thanking his lucky stars that it was close to his apartment. He clocked in just before his shift started and ignored the glare his boss was sending him. When he stepped behind the counter, Rachel bumped his hip with hers. "You're lucky I love you and stalled Gunther to make him give you a few more minutes."

Kurt smirked, kissing her cheek as he flicked a cloth over his shoulder. "Please. I was here right on the dot, thank you very much. No stalling necessary."

Rachel rolled her eyes, smiling. "Yep, and Gunther doesn't stare at my backside for half my shift." Kurt snorted, shaking his head and not looking over at her as he grabbed two trays and carried them expertly to the correct tables.

"He seems happy," Santana said, startling Rachel from behind.

"Jeez, Santana! You scared me to death! Warn me before you speak," she exclaimed, smacking her friend's shoulder.

"You love me," the Latina said with a sweet smile. "Seriously, Hummel looks like you did when you started messing around with that gigolo—"

"He's not a gigolo!"

"—and I haven't seen him this happy since he made it into NYADA. What is up?"

"He met a guy and he won't admit that he's totally swooning for him," Rachel said with a frown. She still didn't like the idea of her friend being so close to someone who he'd only met two weeks ago. "They just met two weeks ago and he's spending so much time with this guy—!"

"Hummel's getting laid," Santana said with an impressed whistle. "No wonder he's so happy."

"Santana!" Rachel chastised, wide-eyed as she smacked Santana's shoulder with a hand rag.

"Hey! Stop hitting me!" Santana laughed. "While Hummel's getting his wank on, you must have been dumped by the donkey and now you're turning to violence. I see how it is." She walked away before Rachel could hit her again.

Congrats, Lady Lips! You're finally getting some action. It's been too long and you've been grumpy.

Kurt stared at the text, eyes wide, and frowned in confusion. What?

What are you talking about, Santana? I'm never grumpy. I'm a joy. And I'm not 'getting some action' so you can forget all the theories and stories that nobody wants to hear.

Rachel told me you met a guy. ;) I know why you were smiling so much, Kurt. I know.

Shut up. Shut up. And shut up again. I did meet a guy but we're just friends so shut up.

Defensive, are we? When do I get to meet mystery man?

Never! You'll scare him away!

Sounds like you're in love, Hummel. How cute :)

I'm done talking to you. Goodnight, Santana.

Have fun with lover boy tonight ;)

Kurt sighed in frustration at his friend's relentless antics. Why did he tell Rachel anything? She always told Santana. Ugh.

After showering and changing into his pajamas, he sipped a cup of warm milk while sitting in bed watching a movie on his laptop. Eventually, he fell asleep, the empty cup on his nightstand and the laptop shut underneath his sprawled out legs.

He decided to ignore the fact that Santana's not so subtle implications about Blaine made him a little too hopeful.

Two weeks passed and Kurt and Blaine had only grown closer, much to Rachel's chagrin but Kurt didn't really care. On the days that Kurt didn't work at Vogue, they usually spent the day together, talking about everything and nothing at all. On the nights when one of them didn't work at the bar or the diner, they spent a bit of time together at one place or the other. Blaine occasionally played the piano at the Spotlight diner when he wasn't busy, and Kurt sometimes stopped in for a drink when Blaine was working behind the counter.

One weekend, the weekend before Thanksgiving, neither of them had to work and they both went to the bar where Blaine worked, talking and laughing and drinking.

After Blaine's third drink, he was so drunk that he was leaning against Kurt in the booth where they sat, nuzzling Kurt's shoulder. "Mm, this is nice," he slurred. "We should come here every night, Kurt. I just want to stay here and make art and help people."

Kurt smiled fondly, brushing back a stray curl from Blaine's forehead. He'd been nursing the same beer all night and he was hardly even tipsy. "Blaine, you already do create art. And you help people at the shelter. You can't do that if you get drunk every night."

Blaine giggled, wrapping one arm around Kurt's waist, making Kurt gasp softly in surprise. "You're right. You're always right, Kurt. Why are you always right? Can I be right, too, or am I left? I think I'm left because I always turn left when I'm walking in the park and I always look left first when I cross the street and I'm always left behind…" He trailed off, frowning.

Kurt laughed softly. "I think you're getting a little off-topic, there." His smile fell when he noticed Blaine's sudden distress. The dark-haired man sat up stiffly and looked down at his lap, trying to calm his breathing. "Blaine? What's wrong?"

"Everyone leaves me," Blaine said in a strained whisper. He choked out a sob but stopped any more from escaping. "My brother left me when I was little so he could go to L.A. My parents always left on holidays. Then Spencer left me because I loved him too much. The only person who didn't leave me is my Aunt Sophia. She's the only reason I can afford to live here." His breathing became more and more strained with each sentence and his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Kurt reached out to try and comfort him and he was surprised when Blaine suddenly fell into his arms, sobbing. "I was g-going to go to my p-parents' house for Thanksgiving this y-year b-but they c-cancelled and didn't tell me until I c-called yesterday. They leave e-every year. Why don't they w-want to s-spend holidays with m-me?" He sobbed into Kurt's shoulder while Kurt rubbed his back, not sure what to do.

"I don't know, Blaine," he murmured, pulling his friend closer and hiding him from judgmental eyes around the small bar. "They just can't see how amazing you are like I can. I'm so sorry, Blaine…"

"Y-You think I'm amazing?" Blaine asked through a sob-cough.

"Of course."

"You think I'm a-amazing a-and you've o-only known me for t-three weeks! M-My parents don't think I'm amazing w-when they've k-known me for my w-whole l-life!" Blaine exclaimed, crying harder. "T-They always loved Cooper m-more."

Kurt's heart broke for his friend, clueless as to how he was supposed to make Blaine feel better. "Blaine… You can spend Thanksgiving with Rachel and I. Okay?"

"I-I can't i-i-impose," Blaine protested through harsh gasps, clutching Kurt's shirt in his pale hands.

"I insist," Kurt said softly but without room for arguing. "Blaine, I care about you, and there's no way I'm letting you spend the holidays alone."

"K-K-Kurt…" Blaine said through his sobbing, trying desperately to express his gratitude through squeezing Kurt in a tight embrace. "Y-You have no idea h-how much t-this means to me."

"Shh, it's alright," Kurt soothed, rubbing Blaine's back. "You don't have to thank me. Let me take you home, alright? Is your roommate home? Will you be okay or do you want me to stay there with you?"

"S-Stay," he answered, not caring that Sam would, in fact, be home.

"Okay, I will," Kurt promised without hesitation. "Just try to relax. Deep breaths," he instructed gently. He led Blaine out of the bar and hailed a taxi, telling the driver where Blaine's apartment was once they were seated. Blaine leaned against Kurt, his hands trembling as Kurt held him. The sobs had subsided, but tears still streamed down his face and he let out the occasional shuddering breath. Kurt whispered sweet assurances to him, kissing his forehead in a gesture of friendly support.

When they arrived outside Blaine's apartment, Kurt helped him out of the car since Blaine was a little out of it. They walked upstairs to Blaine's door and Blaine unlocked it, still leaning against Kurt slightly. They stepped inside and Blaine quietly led him to his room. "My roommate is sleeping so we have to stay quiet," he whispered, taking off his shoes before curling up in bed on top of the blankets. Kurt removed his shoes as well and climbed onto the bed next to Blaine, holding him close and letting Blaine rest his head on Kurt's chest. "Thank you," Blaine whispered shakily, slinging an arm sleepily over Kurt's stomach.

Kurt smiled sadly and carded his fingers through Blaine's unruly curls. "Anytime. You'd do the same to me… You have done the same for me."

Blaine smiled shakily and buried his face in the fabric of Kurt's shirt, feeling small and vulnerable yet protected while in Kurt's arms. "I can really spend Thanksgiving with you?"

Kurt smiled. "Yeah. I'd love it if you did."

"I will, then," he whispered through a yawn. "Goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight, Blaine."

The next morning, Blaine woke up feeling too warm. He tried to kick his blankets off but realized he wasn't under a blanket. Then he remembered the warm body beside him, hugging him. Blaine looked up and smiled and when he saw Kurt, sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake him, so he settled back down with his head on Kurt's chest, smiling contentedly.

"Dude!"

Blaine startled and looked at the doorway to see Sam standing there with wide eyes. "Sam!" he hissed. "Shut up! He's sleeping."

"Did you guys—"

"No!" Blaine squeaked, blushing. "I got drunk last night and I got upset so he took me home and then we fell asleep. That's all."

"Really? Because you both look pretty cozy," Sam said with a smirk.

Blaine frowned, shaking his head. "Sam. Stop it. He was just being a good friend," he said, shifting uncomfortably under Sam's gaze.

"When you say upset," Sam hedged, brow furrowing in concern, "what exactly do you mean?"

"My parents are going to Paris for Thanksgiving," he told Sam. "Again." He didn't need to explain more. Sam knew all about the situation with his parents.

"Assholes," the blond muttered, shaking his head in disgust at the people who'd caused his best friend so much pain. "You told him?" Blaine nodded. Sam nodded in understanding. "Okay. I'll make you guys some breakfast and coffee, okay?"

Blaine smiled slightly. "Thanks, Sam. You're the best."

Sam left the room and Blaine sighed, sinking back down into Kurt's warmth. A few minutes later, he felt Kurt shift beside him and he looked over at his friend to see his eyes cracking open. "Blaine? Are you alright?" he asked sleepily, yawning and brushing a curl off of Blaine's forehead.

Blaine smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, for last night and everything. I'm sorry I totally broke down. I was drunk and—"

"Hey, you don't have to apologize," Kurt interrupted, rubbing his back. "I don't mind. And I'm glad you told me. I feel like I know you better now," he added with a small smile.

"Thank you," Blaine said, smiling again. He slowly sat up, stretching his stiff muscles and rubbing his throbbing head. "Ugh, I'm never getting drunk again."

"If I recall, you said that a week ago when we went to the bar and you drank so much you passed out during the cab ride to your apartment." Kurt smirked playfully and Blaine shoved his shoulder lightly, smiling.

"Shut up. I mean it this time. My head kills."

"You're cute when you pout," Kurt laughed. "And I'm glad to see you smiling again."

Blaine hid his grin as he stood up, heading to his en suite bathroom. Kurt watched him go with a smile before standing up and checking his phone, seeing that he had a text from Rachel.

Sunday morning coffee with your best friend? :)

Sunday afternoon coffee because you love me and I'm busy right now? :D

Grr. Fine. You're lucky I love you. Text me later!

Kurt smiled and set his phone on the nightstand before leaving the room, yawning. He saw a familiar-looking blond in the kitchen and he approached the kitchen counter. "You must be the roommate."

"The one and only. I'm Sam. You must be Kurt," Sam returned, turning to look at Kurt and offering a friendly smile. "Blaine told me that you were there for him last night. I'm glad he has someone besides me to comfort him when his parents spend their free time breaking his heart."

Kurt could hear the bitterness in Sam's voice and it made him wonder if things were worse than he'd originally thought. He heard the shower running and decided it'd be best to ask Sam about it when Blaine was out of the room. "Sam… How bad—"

"It's pretty bad," Sam answered without letting Kurt finish the question. "I'll let Blaine tell you most of it when he's ready, but basically his parents are the worst. Ever since he came out to them when he was fourteen, they've gone out of their way to ignore and neglect him. His father always said it was 'just a phase' and he tried several times to 'bond' with Blaine in attempt to 'turn him straight.' I quote him because those are his words, not mine, and I try to make that perfectly clear. Aside from the ignorance, they sent him away to a private school just so they wouldn't have to see him. And every year, they plan some faraway vacation so they have an excuse not to see him at Thanksgiving or Christmas. They're awful people and yet he keeps hoping that they'll change, every year. And every year, he's disappointed and heartbroken all over again." Sam's face was practically red with anger and his fists were balled tightly atop the counter. "Sorry…" he said, exhaling to calm himself. "I just… I really hate them sometimes."

"I can understand why," Kurt whispered in shock, feeling anger boil up in his chest along with pity because his friend had been through so much pain and he was so strong.

"What're you guys talking about?" Blaine asked happily when he entered the room, oblivious to their conversation.

Sam grinned at his friend who was dressed in sweats and a sweatshirt, his hair a mess of wet curls. "I was just telling Kurt that I'm lucky to have the best roommate ever and I made coffee for you both. Breakfast will be done soon."

Blaine returned the bright grin, nodding. "Thanks, Sam. I think I'm pretty lucky, too."

Kurt and Blaine took their coffees to the small dining room and sat down at the table, sipping the soothing warmth. "He didn't scare you off, did he?" Blaine asked jokingly. Kurt laughed and shook his head.

"I heard that!" Sam announced from the kitchen. "I'm not scary, Kurt. I'm perfectly lovable! Isn't that right, Blaine?"

"Of course you are, Sam," Blaine said with a laugh and a grin. He looked at Kurt and rolled his eyes, twirling his finger around his ear and mouthing 'he's crazy.' Kurt smiled and shook his head, sipping his coffee.

"You both are," he said softly, grinning when Blaine pouted in protest. "Oh, shush. You know I love you, Blaine."

Blaine's breath caught at the casual statement. He quickly concealed the blush across his cheeks by blowing on his coffee and making steam rise onto his rosy cheeks. He made it look like the warmth of the steam caused his skin to flush. Over the past few weeks, the confusing feelings he'd been developing for Kurt had grown. He didn't want to admit it and it scared him that he could care so much for Kurt already, but he knew it was inevitable. He was in love with Kurt. It was his fatal flaw: he loved too easily and broke even easier when that unconditional love wasn't returned. That's how he got hurt with Spencer, but Kurt made him want to forget all about that and jump right into a new future.

"…and then Blaine just showed up on my doorstep! It was the perfect plan," Kurt was telling Sam. Blaine shook himself and tried to tune into the conversation. Kurt turned to him and smiled. "Remember that day? It was like fate and then you were so great convincing Adam we were dating. And then…" he trailed off, remembering that night. He remembered how Blaine had sung him to sleep and held him while he cried. A soft smile graced his lips and he looked at Blaine, his eyes shining. "Then I knew we were going to be great friends," he said with a meaningful look, not wanting to share the intimate moment with Sam.

Blaine tried not to feel disappointed by Kurt calling them 'friends.' He wanted more than that, no matter how terrifying it was. "Of course I remember."

Kurt grinned and reached across the table, patting Blaine's wrist tenderly before standing up. "I should probably get going. Rachel is expecting me."

"Make sure to let her know that I haven't assaulted you yet," Blaine teased, earning a giggle from Kurt.

"You know Rachel," he said, rolling his eyes fondly before grabbing his stuff and leaving.

"You're totally in love with him," Sam pointed out the second the door closed, grinning at his friend.

This time, Blaine didn't even bother denying it.

Kurt met Rachel at their favorite coffee shop, humming happily to himself. When he sat down across from her at a table near the window, she gave him an odd look. He was still in a daydream and he was humming a random tune.

"What's got you so happy?"

"Nothing," Kurt said in a sing-song tone, grinning down at his coffee.

"You're a terrible liar," Rachel deadpanned, crossing her arms. "You were hanging out with Blaine, weren't you?" she asked knowingly. Kurt just nodded. "I should have known. Lately, you can't hang out with him without walking around with a huge grin on your face afterwards. I don't believe for a second that there isn't something going on."

"I thought you didn't like me hanging out with him," Kurt said, his smile faltering as he looked up at her. "And now you're suggesting that we're actually dating? That doesn't make any sense."

"I never said dating him was a good idea!" Rachel protested. "I'm just saying that I wouldn't be surprised if you two ended up together."

"Rachel, Blaine doesn't want to date anybody," he told her, rolling her eyes.

"But you want to date him?"

Kurt hesitated but shook his head after a moment. "No. I don't. I told you. We're just friends. And even if I did, why would that be such an awful thing?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Rachel wasn't fazed by the glare. "Kurt, you just barely got out of a relationship—"

"I'm over Adam!"

"—and I think you jumped into this with Blaine way too quickly. You've become closer with him in three weeks than you and I have ever been and that worries me."

"So that's it!" Kurt exclaimed in a whisper, his eyes widening. "You're jealous. You're worried that what I have with Blaine is stronger than our friendship and you don't want me hanging out with him because you think you're being replaced."

"No! That's not—"

Kurt stood up suddenly, shaking his head. He looked angry, hurt, frustrated, and extremely conflicted. He avoided Rachel's gaze. "I have to go."

I thought our friendship was stronger than this but she doesn't seem to feel the same way.

He left the coffee shop without another word, fighting tears. He never thought Rachel would try to get him to stop hanging out with someone just because she thought it'd hurt her. But, as usual, Rachel Berry was losing her spotlight and she couldn't let that happen. Kurt scoffed. She'd done the same thing to almost every one of his high school boyfriends and he was sick of it. He was done.

He hadn't even realized what number he'd been dialing until he put his phone to his ear and heard a familiar voice answer. "Hey, Kurt," Blaine greeted happily. "Everything alright? Did you leave something here?"

"N-No," Kurt sniffled, wincing and trying once again to hide his emotions. "I'm sorry… You're probably busy with Sam and I shouldn't have called you. I'll just—"

"Kurt, stop," Blaine said gently. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? You can call me anytime."

Kurt sniffled again and continued walking slowly along the crowded sidewalk. "Can I come over?"

"Of course," Blaine answered immediately. "Where are you? Are you sure you're alright? I can come get you."

"I'm fine," Kurt assured with a tiny smile. "I'll be there in a minute, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said with a sigh. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will," he said, hesitating to hang up.

Blaine noticed his pause and asked, "Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?"

"Y-Yeah," Kurt answered shakily, smiling slightly again. "Just… keep talking to me? It helps to hear your voice."

"Of course," Blaine said softly. "How is everything at Vogue?" he asked, trying to change the subject and keep Kurt's mind off of whatever was upsetting him.

"Not too bad," Kurt answered. "I think I'll be getting that promotion soon."

"That's great, Kurt!" Blaine praised. "I'm happy for you. I'm sure you'll get it. What about the diner? Do you still like working there?"

"It's great," Kurt said. "Gunther is crazy, though. He keeps saying he's going to fire me if I'm late but he never does no matter how many times I come in late." He giggled, grateful for the distraction Blaine was offering.

"There's that laugh," Blaine said with a playful lilt to his voice. "Are you almost here?"

"I'm right outside your door," Kurt answered. A few seconds later, the door opened and Blaine stepped aside to let Kurt in. "Hi."

"Hi," Blaine smiled, closing the door behind him and stuffing his phone in his pocket after hanging up. "Do you want to talk?" Kurt nodded, glancing awkwardly over at Sam who sat on the couch. Blaine nodded in understanding, taking Kurt's hand and leading him to his bedroom. They sat on the edge of the bed silently and Kurt tried to figure out where to start.

"It's Rachel," he sighed, frowning and furrowing his brow in distress as he was reminded of the hurt. "She's acting crazy again. She always does this. Anytime I try to get close to someone besides her, she flips out and manipulates me until I start giving her all my attention again. She's done this ever since high school and I'm sick of it and I'm done dealing with her psychotic behavior. I'm done." A single tear fell and he felt Blaine squeeze his hand.

"She still doesn't want you hanging out with me?" Blaine asked, slightly guilty. "Kurt, I had no idea I was causing so much trouble between you two…"

"No," Kurt cut him off, squeezing Blaine's hands. "Don't blame yourself. It's her own fault that she's too selfish to share me and let me have friends. In fact, you've been a better friend to me in the past three weeks than she has been in the last eight years."

He laughed bitterly, leaning his head on Blaine's shoulder. "I just… I can't stand her sometimes."

"So, what do you want to do?" Blaine asked hesitantly, stroking Kurt's back comfortingly.

"I'm not sure," Kurt sniffled. "I thought she was my best friend." His voice cracked on the last syllable and his calm exterior broke, letting a few sobs out. "I've been the best friend I could be to her," he said angrily, sobbing softly to show his hurt. "And how does she repay me? She manipulates me."

"Shh, it's okay," Blaine soothed, rubbing his back and holding him close. "Do you want to lie down? Maybe you'll feel better after some rest," he suggested softly. Kurt just nodded, letting Blaine lay him down on the pillows. "Just relax. It'll all be okay, I promise."

After Kurt had fallen asleep, his phone buzzed and Blaine picked it up to see a message from Rachel.

Kurt, I'm sorry. Please answer my calls? We need to talk.

Sorry, this is Blaine. He doesn't want to talk to you right now. Please leave him alone until he's ready to forgive you.

Blaine couldn't help but feel a bit of anger towards Rachel. She'd carelessly hurt Kurt, who was so kind and forgiving. She didn't deserve a friend like him. Blaine didn't want to be rude—he was never rude to people—but he was really defensive of Kurt.

Blaine? Kurt is there? Please tell him I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt him.

That's ridiculous. If you didn't mean to hurt him, you wouldn't have done the same thing that he said you did in high school. I'm turning the phone off now. He'll call you when and if he's ready to forgive you like I know he will because he's a good friend like that.

He shut off the phone before she could respond, sighing as he put Kurt's phone on the nightstand. He focused on holding Kurt and soothing him every time he let out a shaky breath and started to stir.

He wouldn't let anyone hurt Kurt ever again.

Kurt woke up about an hour later, sleepy and disoriented. He vaguely registered a warm presence beside him and he frowned, looking around at the unfamiliar setting. His frown morphed into a sleepy smile, though, when he realized where he was. He wasn't even thinking about Rachel; he didn't feel like crying his eyes out at the moment. So he simply smiled and snuggled closer to Blaine, who stirred awake at the movement.

"Kurt?" he mumbled, slowly waking up. When he remembered why Kurt was there, he immediately became more alert, studying his friend's face and bringing a hand up to brush away a strand of hair that had flopped onto Kurt's forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked tentatively, concerned.

Kurt's smile faltered but he composed himself and nodded. "I'm fine." The way he said it clearly meant that he didn't want to talk about what had happened yet, and Blaine took the hint, nodding subtly.

"Okay," he said, forcing a smile. "Just know I'm here if you change your mind," he reminded gently. Kurt nodded, gulping and moving closer to Blaine.

"Just hold me?" he whispered hesitantly. "I just need my best friend right now…"

Blaine's heart warmed and cracked simultaneously at Kurt's words. He was touched that Kurt thought of him that way, but he also knew that, not long ago, he'd considered Rachel his best friend. He knew Kurt was still hurting deeply. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded and held Kurt tightly. "Of course. Anything you need, Kurt."

Kurt sighed in relief, as if he had been expecting Blaine to refuse, and let Blaine pull him into a warm embrace. It felt amazing to be held like that, like he was cared for and, dare he say it, loved. He hadn't been hugged like that in months, not since he'd seen his father. He hadn't felt… home. But it was so safe and reassuring to be held by Blaine that he couldn't help but release a tiny sigh of happiness.

He had no idea that all of these feelings for Blaine were slowly building and festering inside his heart, threatening to be revealed at any moment. He had no idea just how much he cared for Blaine or how much he needed the man in his life. He also had no idea how much Blaine cared for him.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah?" he answered sleepily, smiling as Blaine rubbed his back.

"What're you thinking about?" Blaine asked with a small smile, studying Kurt's content face. "Anything worth sharing?" he added.

Kurt looked up at Blaine and smiled, saying, "Just that I've never felt more safe or lo—uh, cared for—than I do right now."

Blaine was floored, staring at Kurt in stunned silence for a moment. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and nestled his head into Blaine's chest—Blaine's breath caught in his throat. "I really, really care about you, Kurt," he said sincerely. The grin that crossed Kurt's face, almost unconsciously, made Blaine's heart leap. He was falling far too quickly and far too deeply, but he didn't care about that as long as he had Kurt in his life. Fear of rejection and pain had never stopped him from loving with his whole heart before, and it wasn't going to anytime soon.

"Really?" Kurt asked hopefully.

No. Well, yes, but it's so much more than that. I wish I could tell you how much you really mean to me. I love you.

"Yes, really," he said instead. It didn't feel like enough, but it would have to be for now. Kurt just needed a friend right now.

"You should spend Thanksgiving with me and my family," Kurt said suddenly, looking thoughtful. He frowned slightly for a moment but it disappeared. "I'm not spending it with Rachel anymore," he said, biting his lip, "so I was going to go home to Ohio to visit them. They'd love to meet you, I'm sure."

Blaine was momentarily speechless. When he finally found his words, he couldn't help but smile. "I'd love to, Kurt. That sounds amazing."

Kurt met his eyes and matched Blaine's smile. "Great!" he said, nodding shortly. He thoughtlessly leaned up to press a kiss to Blaine's cheek, causing a flush to rise to his tanned cheeks.

"I-I can't wait," Blaine said, pretending that the small peck hadn't affected him.

On Thursday morning, Kurt and Blaine stood in line at the airport, waiting to board the plane. Kurt had called his dad to ask if Blaine could spend the holiday with them. At first, Burt had been a little hesitant, but knowing how excited Kurt was about it washed away most of his worries. He trusted his son's judgment.

Kurt still hadn't talked to Rachel since Sunday morning, stubbornly ignoring her calls and texts in an attempt to pretend that nothing was wrong. But each night when he returned to his apartment after a stressful day at Vogue and the diner—where he promptly avoided Rachel—he would cry himself to sleep.

Now, though, he had the whole holiday weekend to spend time with his family and with Blaine and he didn't have to think about Rachel or work or anything else. He could relax. They boarded the plane and quickly found two empty seats where they could sit next to each other. The pilot announced that they'd be lifting off the ground in a matter of minutes, so Kurt and Blaine buckled up and waited in silence.

About halfway through the short flight, Kurt fell asleep with his head rested on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine smiled softly at him before returning his attention to his novel. Then, just as they were about to descend for landing, Blaine gently prodded Kurt awake so that the turbulent landing wouldn't startle him awake. Kurt opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at Blaine, waking up but not moving from where he was propped up against Blaine's side.

Burt Hummel met them at security, grinning widely as he took his son into his arms. Kurt instantly slumped into the familiar embrace, grinning. Blaine smiled and grabbed Kurt's bag for him so he could walk with his dad. When they found the car in the maze of a parking lot, Burt seemed to take notice of Blaine for the first time. "You must be Blaine."

"Yes, sir," Blaine said politely, smiling.

Burt nodded, chuckling. He started the car and Kurt smiled over at Blaine, squeezing his hand. They sat in the back together, Kurt leaning on Blaine's shoulder again. Burt noticed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, but didn't comment on it. His son was an adult now, as much as he didn't want to admit that his little boy had grown up.

The drive to the Hudmel house was in comfortable silence, as was the one trip it took to bring their bags inside and downstairs to Kurt's room. The three men sat in the living room, watching a football game—well, Kurt was browsing the Vogue issue he'd downloaded on his phone (yes, he still read Vogue even though he worked there), but Blaine and Burt were watching football—when Blaine finally broke the silence.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hummel," he said politely.

Simultaneously, the Hummel men both snorted and Blaine could instantly see the resemblance. He frowned in confusion at the sudden snorts of laughter.

"What?"

"Call me, Burt, kid," Burt said warmly, smiling. "'Mr. Hummel' makes me sound old," he added, ignoring Kurt's mumbled 'you are old, dad.' Blaine smiled embarrassedly and turned to Kurt, who was smirking in amusement.

"What?" he asked, slightly exasperated.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Kurt explained, grinning. "He only brings out his shotgun when I bring boyfriends home," he added with a wink, looking back down at his phone before he could see Blaine's reaction.

Blaine was blushing wildly, avoiding Burt's gaze. The older Hummel raised an eyebrow questioningly. He was a little confused; in the car, Kurt had sidled up to Blaine in a very couple-like way, but now he acted like he only saw them as friends. But Blaine obviously felt differently; he thought there was more or he at least wanted more. Burt almost rolled his eyes at the two boys. Kurt was clearly smitten with Blaine—Burt knew his son better than the boy knew himself—and Blaine was head-over-heels for Kurt; but they were both totally clueless to the other's feelings.

"Who wants a taste of the soup that Carole is making?" Burt asked with a sly grin. Kurt's eyes widened and he chased after his father into the kitchen, reprimanding him as he scooped a spoonful and tasted it.

"Dad!" he sighed, shaking his head fondly. "That's for Thanksgiving dinner tonight."

"Carole will never know," Burt said with a grin, raising an eyebrow at Kurt. "Right, Kurt?" Kurt huffed in defeat and grabbed a spoon from the drawer, taking a taste himself.

"You've convinced me, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it," he said unconvincingly as he sipped the soup and moaned when it hit his taste buds. "I forgot how good that soup is! You win. This is a great idea."

Burt laughed heartily, shaking his head fondly at his son. "I told you so." He glanced over at Blaine, who stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway. "Come in, kid," he said with a grin. "We won't bite. Try some of this deliciousness."

Blaine smiled and stepped forward, taking the spoonful of soup when Kurt offered it to him. He couldn't help but moan in delight as well. "This is amazing! What kind of magical cook is your step-mom, Kurt?" he asked with wide eyes. Kurt giggled and took another spoonful.

"It's a secret recipe that only Carole and I know," he said with a secretive wink.

Blaine pouted. "That's no fun."

"Well, you're lucky to have a best friend who just so happens to know how to make this delicious soup," Kurt said with a laugh.

Blaine's eyes softened and he nodded. "I am lucky," he agreed. Kurt met his eyes and his breath caught, taking in the look of caring, tenderness and… love. He was breathless for a moment before he shook himself out of his daze and smiled at Blaine.

"Don't you forget it," he said teasingly.

Later that night, the three of them sat down to the table along with Finn and Carole, eating a delicious feast prepared by Kurt and Carole. Blaine got along well with everyone, just as Kurt had predicted, and the feeling of warmth and family was overwhelming among the five of them. It was the most… loving and warm Thanksgiving Blaine had ever experienced.

The weekend seemed to go by too quickly. By Saturday, they were packed and ready to catch their flight the next morning. They sat on the edge of Kurt's bed, neither saying anything for a while. Finally, Kurt broke the silence.

"Rachel called me," he said without preamble, looking down at his feet and bracing himself with his hands in pale fists on the bed.

"And?" Blaine prompted gently, knowing it was a tender subject.

"S-She apologized… I listened. But I'm done. I can't do this with her anymore. I can't keep forgiving her over and over just so she can do the same thing over again whenever I meet someone who might 'hurt our friendship.' If she thinks our friendship is so breakable that one person could ruin everything, then maybe we shouldn't have even been friends in the beginning." His voice broke on the last word and he closed his eyes, letting his tears fall freely down his cheeks and onto his jeans. "I-I'm done," he said brokenly before letting out a shaky sob. Blaine instantly took him into his arms to console him, whispering sweet nothings in his ear while Kurt cried.

"Shh, it'll be alright," he murmured, rubbing his back. "I'm here, it's okay, you're okay," he rambled. A string of comforting words and assurances tumbled out of him and Kurt eventually calmed down, his cries subsiding. He still sucked in the occasional shaky breath but his tears had stopped and Blaine wiped the remaining salty dampness from Kurt's cheeks with the pad of his thumb. "That's it. You're okay. It'll all be okay. I promise."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered in a raspy tone, his throat rough from crying. He went silent, listening intently to Blaine's soft, comforting humming. His humming eventually turned to words.

Well you only need the light when it's burning low…

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow…

Only know you love her when you let her go…

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low…

Only miss the road when you're missing home…

Only know you love her when you let go…

And you let her go…

Kurt relaxed completely into Blaine's arms and sighed softly, burying his face in Blaine's chest. "Thank you," he said on an exhale.

Blaine smiled softly. "Of course," he said quietly. "Shall we get some sleep? We have an early flight tomorrow." Kurt nodded silently and they settled down on the bed together, falling asleep almost instantly.

…

They arrived back in New York around 10:00 a.m. and they had brunch at a diner—not the Spotlight; Kurt couldn't risk running into Rachel. He was avoiding the inevitable, he knew that, but it would make it all more real and more painful if he had to face her. He just wanted to have some time to be happy. And he was happy with Blaine.

"So, we have to rejoin society tomorrow, huh?" Blaine asked casually, wrinkling his nose in mock distaste. "Back to work."

Kurt's eyes widened fearfully and Blaine cursed himself for being so stupid. He knew that Rachel and Kurt both worked at the Spotlight Diner. He knew that Kurt was dreading seeing her again. He knew it was a hard subject and yet he'd brought it up so carelessly.

"Kurt, I'm sorry—"

"You're fine," Kurt assured, shaking himself. "I know she and I have to talk face-to-face some time. I was just hoping that 'some time' would be… well, never, frankly. It's going to hurt."

Blaine reached across the table and held Kurt's hand, squeezing it sympathetically. Kurt looked up at him after staring at their joined hands for a moment. "It won't be easy," Blaine agreed. "But remember that you aren't alone. You still have me and I'm not going anywhere. I can even come with you if you'd like. I don't work tomorrow."

"You don't have to," Kurt said slowly, looking hesitant. "But… But I'd like it if you did."

Blaine smiled. "Then it's settled. We're in this together."

Kurt offered a weak smile and nodded. "Yeah. Together."

The next day, December 3rd, Kurt left work at Vogue nervously, not looking forward to going into the diner and seeing Rachel. No, worse, he'd actually have to talk to her. They'd talked over the phone, but they'd agreed to have a face-to-face conversation at some point. And Kurt was dreading it with each passing second.

Blaine was going to meet him outside the diner and they were going to talk to Rachel. Just as Kurt was turning the corner onto the street, he gasped, noticing the wreckage of a car crash in the nearest intersection. From the looks of it, a taxi cab had been sent spiraling when another speeding car had rammed into it from the side.

Kurt's heart rate sped up and he yanked his phone out of his pocket, dialing Blaine's number with shaking fingers. It rang once, twice, thrice… It kept ringing until it went to voicemail. Kurt's panic rose and he couldn't fight the nagging feeling that Blaine was hurt. Without thinking, he dashed towards the intersection, seeing that cops had already gathered as well as paramedics, keeping people away from the wreckage. Kurt pushed to the front line of the crowd where cops were keeping people at bay and his knees grew weak when he managed to get a better look at who was seated in the backseat of the cab.

Blaine.

"No!" Kurt wasn't even sure whether or not the screams were coming from him, but they didn't stop and he winced at the shrill sound. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" He ducked under the halting arms of the policemen and ignored the officers that tried to pull him back. He had to get to Blaine. "Blaine!" Those were definitely his screams, but they were unrecognizable.

"Sir, stay back!" someone was saying, but he ignored them, dashing towards the totaled cab once he'd freed himself from the officer's strong grasp.

"Blaine!" he cried. He threw open the car door on the side that hadn't been hit. His heart sunk when he realized that Blaine was sitting on the right side of the backseat, where the taxi had been hit. He saw paramedics on the side where Blaine was. They had pried the damaged door open to get to Blaine. "Blaine..." he whispered, seeing the stream of Blood on the side of Blaine's head. He also noticed that Blaine's right ankle was lodged in between the front seat and the sunken in door, bent at a sickening angle. Kurt was almost glad Blaine was unconscious because he knew the man would be in an incredible amount of pain if he weren't.

"Sir, step away," a paramedic said calmly. "We'll have your friend out of here as soon as we can and you can ride in the ambulance, okay?" Kurt gulped and nodded once he registered the words, reluctantly moving back but keeping Blaine in sight. He was ushered to the ambulance and told to wait inside while they helped Blaine. Kurt was pulling at his hair with the worry and anxiety he felt from not being able to see if Blaine was okay or not.

What felt like hours later but was probably just minutes, Blaine was rolled onto the ambulance on a stretcher and Kurt gasped when he was able to fully take in the damage. Blaine's head was bleeding where it had probably hit the window—he noticed the window had been shattered—and his ankle was so badly misshapen that Kurt felt sick. Blaine's shoulder also appeared to be dislocated from the collision, and he had several more cuts in various places, namely his face and neck, from the shards of glass from the window.

Kurt startled when the doors of the ambulance opened and Blaine was rushed inside the hospital, Kurt following close behind. He heard someone mention that the cab driver hadn't been hurt very badly—he'd gotten away with a few cuts on his face and a headache—and he was only slightly relieved. He couldn't rest easy at all because Blaine was still unconscious and bleeding all over the white sheets of the hospital bed he'd been moved to.

Blaine was taken into the ICU for surgery on his shattered ankle, and Kurt panicked when he realized he couldn't go in there with Blaine. He paced around the waiting room quickly, his mind racing with awful scenarios. He shuddered and cleared his mind, trying to focus in on one thought: Blaine is alive. He's going to be okay.

He repeated the words like a mantra.

Blaine is going to be okay. Blaine is going to be okay. Blaine is going to be okay.

About an hour later, long after he'd driven himself into a frenzy of worry, he heard a voice. "Mr. Hummel?" a kind voice said from behind him, startling Kurt out of his thoughts. He spun around to face the nurse, wide eyes searching her face for answers.

"Is he okay? Is he awake?"

"He's asking for you," she said with a knowing smile, nodding for him to follow her. He followed her eagerly but forgot her presence entirely once he was shown into Blaine's room. He dragged a chair unceremoniously over to Blaine's bedside so he could sit down and hold his friend's hand. He'd appeared to be sleeping, but he startled when Kurt grabbed his hand and he looked over to his left where Kurt was. He smiled sleepily.

"Hi," he said. "I think I hit my head."

Kurt gave a watery laugh, squeezing Blaine's hand gently. "Yeah. You did. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"Nope," Blaine said, accentuating the 'p' with a pop. "They gave me lots of shots and I feel like I could fly. Have you ever tried flying, Kurt? You'd make a pretty bird, I bet. You sing so pretty," he said, smiling widely at Kurt. Kurt couldn't help but smile. He was so relieved that Blaine seemed to be okay and that he wasn't in any pain. Plus, Blaine was absolutely adorable—even more so than usual, which was saying something—when he was high on pain meds.

"We can try flying when you're rested and feel better, okay? Get some sleep, honey." The pet name slipped so easily from his lips that he didn't even realize he'd said it. He just smiled softly at Blaine and rubbed his thumb over the man's knuckles.

Blaine grinned at him and closed his eyes tightly, letting out a loud snore that turned into a giggle. "I'm sleeping, Kurt. Now can we fly?"

Kurt choked out a giggle, leaning over to kiss Blaine's forehead just above the bandage there. "I don't believe you, sorry. You need to rest. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise."

Blaine relaxed visibly and slumped into the uncomfortable mattress, grinning sleepily at Kurt before falling into a fitful sleep.

Kurt smiled softly at him and sighed, relief flooding through him. Blaine's okay. Blaine's okay. He's safe. He's okay.

He shuddered, thinking back to how scared he'd felt when he saw Blaine passed out in that cab. His forehead wrinkled in distress when he thought of how helpless he'd felt, wondering if Blaine was okay or if he was scared or if he was hurting. He remembered thinking for a fleeting second that he might not see Blaine ever again… and the thought terrified him. He realized just how much he needed Blaine and how lost he'd be if he ever lost his best friend. If he lost him forever, he didn't know what he'd do. He didn't want to find out.

He was startled with the sudden realization that he was in love with Blaine. He'd felt absolutely terrified at the thought of ever losing him, and he realized that he couldn't live without Blaine. The revelation brought tears to his eyes and he squeezed Blaine's hand gently, offering a shaky and watery smile to the sleeping man. He'd have to find some way to tell him how he felt. It had to be perfect, because someone as perfect as Blaine deserved the best and then some.

He felt a mixture of peace and giddiness as he leaned forward, rested his head on the pillow next to Blaine's, and fell asleep, oblivious to the awkward position and the inevitable pain he'd be in when he woke up. He didn't care. All that mattered was Blaine.

As it turned out, sleeping hunched over a hospital bed was not a good idea. Kurt woke up and groaned at the stiffness in his neck, working the kinks out by massaging it carefully with his fingers. He twisted and turned his head until his neck made a small cracking sound and he sighed at the relief. He sat up straight, wincing when his back popped as well. Ugh, that was the worst nap ever. Then he looked at Blaine and smiled at the still sleeping man. He brushed a few darks curls away from Blaine's face and kissed his knuckles.

How have I gone all this time without knowing what it was like to love you?

He sighed softly and startled a bit when Blaine squeezed his hand. He watched Blaine's eyes scrunch closed tighter and heard him groan softly. Kurt frowned, guessing that Blaine was finally feeling the pain from the crash. "Blaine? Sweetie, are you alright? Do you need the nurse?"

"Hurts," Blaine whimpered. Kurt pressed the button for the nurse to come and then he squeezed Blaine's hand gently.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked softly.

"Crash," Blaine mumbled, face scrunching up in frustration as he tried to remember. "Blacked out…"

"You hit your head pretty hard when the other car hit your taxi," Kurt told him. "Your ankle is broken and your shoulder was dislocated so they had to do surgery on your ankle and relocate your shoulder. You have a minor concussion and some cuts but those will heal in no time."

"Hurts," Blaine whimpered again, wincing pitifully when he tried to move his injured shoulder.

"I know, sweetie," Kurt sighed. "The nurse will be here soon to give you some medicine for the pain. You'll feel better soon, I promise." Just as he said that, the nurse came rushing in, already putting more medicine into Blaine's IV to ebb the pain. It must have been pretty strong stuff because Blaine sighed in relief just minutes later, finally blinking his eyes open. He looked over at Kurt, who was smiling softly at him. Blaine returned the smile and squeezed his hand.

"Sorry I wasn't there to help you talk to Rachel," Blaine said regretfully. "And sorry I made you miss work."

Kurt gasped softly, shaking his head. "Blaine, don't worry about that. It wasn't your fault. And you're much more important to me than missing work. Nobody's forcing me to be here." He smiled softly again and nodded reassuringly.

Blaine looked doubtful for a moment before he perked up, smiling. "I'm glad you're here."

"Of course I'm here, silly," he said softly. "I'll always be there for you." Blaine didn't realize the depth behind his words, or the heavy emotion causing a lump in his throat.

In the next week, Blaine practiced hobbling around with the crutches he'd gotten from the hospital, nearly falling a few times. But Kurt was always right there to catch him. Blaine even found an extra pair of crutches and he gave them to Kurt so they could race down the wide hallways of the hospital. When a nurse caught them and promised not to tell as long as they stayed in Blaine's room from now on, they ended up back in the hospital room. Blaine sat propped up on the bed, chatting easily with Kurt. His ankle didn't hurt so much anymore and he was able to get through the days without constant medication, so he was excited about the news that he'd be discharged soon.

The following Saturday, Blaine was all ready to leave. Kurt held his pain medication while Blaine hobbled carefully over the icy sidewalks until they could hail a taxi. Once they did, Blaine sat down gratefully, exhausted from using the crutches so much. Kurt felt a little anxious to get in the cab, but he reminded himself that it had been completely the other person's fault in the accident and the odds of something like that happening again were very slim. Besides, there was no way he was going to make Blaine stumble back to his apartment with crutches, especially with the ground being as icy as it was. A cab really was the best way to go, but he was tense throughout the whole drive until they pulled up outside Blaine's apartment. Kurt helped Blaine up the stairs and inside so that Blaine could sit on the couch and relax.

"How are you feeling?" Kurt asked him, sitting down on the couch beside Blaine, probably closer than was necessary. "Are you in any pain?"

Blaine shook his head, smiling. "Not really. There's the constant ache in my ankle and my shoulder, but it doesn't hurt so much when I'm not moving. It helps that they readjusted my shoulder immediately after the incident when I was still unconscious, so it healed nicely."

"That's good," Kurt smiled, relieved. "Do you need anything? Food, something to drink, anything at all?"

Blaine shook his head again, reaching with his good arm to hold Kurt's hand. "I'm fine, Kurt. You don't have to worry so much. I appreciate it, but it isn't necessary."

"Okay," Kurt sighed, nodding. "You're right… It's just, after seeing you in that car and in the ambulance and in the hospital…" He shuddered, meeting Blaine's eyes after looking down at their hands in his lap. "I thought I'd lost you. I never want to lose you."

Blaine's heart swelled warmly and he smiled, leaning in to hug Kurt with his good arm. Kurt sat on his left side so he didn't have to reach all the way across his own torso. Kurt sighed and leaned into the embrace, closing his eyes. "You aren't going to lose me. I promise." Kurt hummed in response and nuzzled his shoulder, hugging Blaine's waist. "I'm not going anywhere."

Later, after Kurt had returned to his own apartment, Blaine was laying in bed, watching a movie on his laptop, when he got a text. He smiled and picked up his phone, expecting it to be from Kurt, but he didn't recognize the number and his smile fell. Who would be texting him at 9:00 p.m. other than Kurt?

He got his answer when it was obvious in the content of the text.

Blaine, Rachel here. I need to talk to you.

Blaine frowned, shaking his head as he responded.

I don't want to talk to you. How'd you get my number, anyway?

I have friends who have 'ways.' That doesn't matter. We really need to talk. Listen, I know you have a crush on Kurt and that's totally normal—I even had a crush on him back in high school. He's an attractive guy. But you need to get over yourself because Kurt isn't ready for a relationship like that after what happened with Adam. You're only going to get hurt. I say this with yours and Kurt's best interests in mind: you need to stay away from Kurt.

Blaine rolled his eyes. She was ridiculous and extremely stubborn.

You don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a crush on Kurt. We're just friends. And if you're looking out for Kurt's best interest, I'd strongly recommend that you leave him alone. He doesn't want to talk to you.

It took a minute for her to reply.

Blaine, please listen to me. Kurt doesn't love you. It's obvious that you love him but I can tell when he's really in love. It happened back in high school and the guy broke his heart. Do you want to know why he started dating Adam? Because he was lonely and he thought it would be easy to find companionship without risking heartbreak again. But that didn't work out. Now he's moved on to you, thinking he's completely smitten with you and convincing himself that it will be alright, that he won't get hurt. You're a prop in his attempt at hiding his heart from the world. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. I know my best friend better than anyone, including you. He doesn't love you, so take a step back. You'll thank me someday when you realize I'm right.

Blaine tried to tell himself that Rachel was just feeding him false information and trying to mess with his head. He tried to convince himself that she was just being manipulative, like Kurt said. He tried to pretend that he didn't feel panic building in his chest. Kurt doesn't love you. The words felt like dozens of blades piercing his chest, tearing him apart. You're a prop. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He dropped his phone from his limp hand and started breathing in harsh, staccato gasps before breaking down and starting to sob into his pillow.

Kurt doesn't love me.

The next few days, Kurt didn't hear anything from Blaine, which worried him. So, a week later, Saturday the seventeenth, Kurt called Blaine, tapping his fingers anxiously on the kitchen counter which he was leaning against. He took a deep breath to prepare himself. He was going to ask Blaine to come over so he could finally tell him how he felt. He was going to take a leap, knowing that Blaine had been hurt in the past and trying to prepare himself for rejection.

"Hello?" Blaine answered hesitantly. He sounded… scared? Kurt frowned, concerned.

"Blaine, are you—"

"I'm fine," he interrupted shortly, sighing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm okay. I'm just… tired," he finished lamely.

"Can you come over?" Kurt asked pleadingly. "Please?"

"Is something wrong?" Blaine instantly sounded concerned. Kurt sighed.

"I just… I just need to talk to you, but I don't want to—no, I can't do it over the phone. You deserve better than that. Will you please come over?"

"I'll be over in ten minutes," Blaine assured. Kurt heard rustling through the phone and assumed Blaine was getting ready to go. "See you soon." With that, Blaine hung up and Kurt sighed as he put his phone down, going to sit down on the couch while he waited.

After what felt like hours, he heard a knock on the door. He stood up quickly and dashed over to the door.

When he opened it, Blaine stood there in jeans and an old sweater, no jacket. He was wet and soggy from being out in the unseasonal rain storm and Kurt offered for him to come inside. He now felt bad for asking Blaine to come over when he still had to wear a walking boot to support his healing ankle. Blaine just shook his head sadly. Water droplets flung from his soaked curls.

"Can I just ask you something?" he asked brokenly, pleading with wide and confused eyes. He looked so hurt, and Kurt just wanted to hug him and take it all away. "Why me? Why did you have to choose me to be your 'pretend boyfriend?' Why couldn't it have been someone who wouldn't get hurt?"

Frowning in confusion, Kurt shook his head. "I never meant to hurt you, Blaine… All I want is to stop hurting people.

"Why did it have to be me?" Blaine asked again, louder and more desperate.

Kurt didn't know how to answer the question. At first, he had picked Blaine because he was the first cute, gay guy he'd met who was willing to pretend to be his boyfriend. But, over time, it'd become something more. Something real. He thought of Blaine constantly, his heart ached when Blaine was hurting, and his stomach fluttered nervously every time Blaine smiled at him. "I don't know," Kurt finally answered, hating the pained look in Blaine's tearful eyes.

"When I agreed to do this, I never thought I'd fall in love with you," Blaine said suddenly. "I never thought I'd ever want more because we were friends and you were just helping Adam. I never thought that more was even a possibility," Blaine said, his breathing picking up in speed.

Kurt's breath hitched in his throat and he almost threw himself in Blaine's shivering arms. "I—I, but—you…" he trailed off, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Blaine let out a bitter laugh. "I should have known better than to let myself fall for someone who doesn't feel the same. You'd think I would learn after the first time, huh?" He shook his head, looking down at his toes in defeat. When he looked up again, Kurt was right in front of him, his eyes shining with tears. Blaine's breath hitched.

"I didn't think I'd fall in love with you, either," he whispered, bringing his hands up to cup Blaine's face. He moved forward until he was centimeters away from Blaine's face and he could hear Blaine's breath hitching again in surprise. "But I did," he whispered even quieter, closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together.

Blaine gasped and he forgot how to move momentarily. After a few seconds, he moved his lips against Kurt's slowly and almost desperately. He wanted to hold Kurt and kiss him forever, but he reminded himself that they had plenty of time. So he took his time and carefully worked his lips against Kurt's, pleased to hear a small whimper leave Kurt when Blaine poked his tongue out to trace Kurt's lips. He moaned when he felt Kurt tangle his fingers in his curls, tugging gently so as not to hurt him.

Eventually, they pulled apart to take a breath, their cheeks flushed and their hearts racing. Kurt's eyes were closed as he leaned his forehead against Blaine's, letting out a shaky sigh. Blaine shivered when he felt Kurt's warm breath on his face; he smelled like vanilla and jasmine. "I love you so much," Kurt whispered on an exhale.

Blaine gasped softly then hummed delightedly as Kurt pecked his lips lovingly. "I love you, too, Kurt," he said, surging forward for several more short and sweet kisses all over Kurt's face. "I love you."

Kurt smiled blissfully as Blaine continued kissing his cheeks before moving to his jaw and then his neck. He brought his hand up to lazily cup Blaine's cheek, reluctantly pulling him away from his tender and exposed neck. He smiled softly at the shorter boy. "There's no rush. We have plenty of time."

"Can I stay here tonight?" Blaine asked hopefully, looking into Kurt's swirling blue eyes.

Kurt smiled and kissed his nose. "Of course. It'd be rude if I didn't let you considering you came all the way over here," he added teasingly. Blaine smiled widely and used his good arm to hug Kurt tightly, resting his injured arm low on Kurt's waist since he couldn't lift his shoulder very high. Kurt sighed happily and kissed Blaine's damp curls, hugging him and holding him to his chest. After a few minutes, he led Blaine into his bedroom and they fell onto the bed in a tangled mess of limbs. Kurt was careful not to jostle Blaine's injuries. He was still wearing a cast, but it was the type he could walk in that wouldn't get ruined by the wet weather, and he had a sling that he rarely wore even though it helped alleviate the pain from his shoulder.

"I love you," Blaine murmured, snuggling into Kurt's side and sighing contentedly. "It feels so good to be able to say that out loud. I love you. I love you. I love you."

Kurt grinned and rubbed his back, closing his eyes and holding Blaine close. "You can say it as much as you want. I'll never get tired of hearing it. And I love you, too." Suddenly, he thought of something and frowned, confused. He wasn't sure why Blaine had been such a wreck when he'd first opened the door. How could Blaine possibly think Kurt didn't love him? He wanted to mention it, but he didn't want to ruin the moment of peace, so he decided to address it tomorrow. His concern for Blaine nagged at him, though.

However, when Blaine snuggled closer to him and clung to him like he'd been waiting for the opportunity to be close to Kurt, all of Kurt's worries faded to the back of his mind.

They fell asleep together, sleeping peacefully for the first time in a week.

The next day, Sunday, they spent almost all day in bed together. Both of them were perfectly content to cuddle and revel in the other's warmth, although they may have slipped into making out a time or two. Kurt was especially gentle with each of Blaine's injuries as he hovered over the dark-haired boy and kissed him breathless.

It was perfect… until Kurt got a call from Rachel. Kurt looked at the caller ID with a frown and Blaine looked… angry? Kurt frowned even more in confusion at Blaine's reaction and hesitantly answered the call.

"H-Hello?" he greeted weakly, wincing at how damaged his voice sounded.

"Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed. "Thank you for answering! So I noticed you haven't been spending much time with Blaine this week and I was wondering if—"

"Rachel, stop it," he snapped, shutting his eyes in frustration. "Just stop. I told you I'm done, okay? You and I? We're done. Forever. You can't just keep hurting me and expecting me to act like everything's okay. And I'll have you know that Blaine and I are closer than ever. He's actually here right now."

Rachel sounded confused. "Really? But he was—I told him—"

"You told him what?" he snapped angrily, narrowing his eyes at her even though she couldn't see.

"S-She told me that you didn't love me," Blaine interjected in a small voice, startling Kurt. He met Blaine's eyes and frowned at the pain there. "She said you were just… using me. Like a prop. She said I should stay away from you. That's why I haven't been around for a while. For a few days, I thought she might be right."

Kurt's face was red with rage and he started shouting at Rachel through the phone, ignoring her protests saying that she hadn't done anything. "I can't believe you would do that!" he screamed rigidly, running a hand through his hair in distress. He was now pacing the bedroom, not wanting to yell into Blaine's ear since they'd been lying so close together. "No. You know what? I can believe it! You do this every single time, Rachel! I'm sick of you lying to me and manipulating me to make me think that you actually care about me. I'm sick of being so dependent on you because you've isolated me to having only you as a friend! Stop calling me, Rachel! I never want to talk to you again!" He hung up in an exaggerated motion, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair. His breathing was ragged as he sunk down to the floor, gasping in short spurts to stop himself from crying. Was this what a panic attack felt like?

"Kurt…" Kurt startled at the voice, looking up suddenly to see Blaine kneeling in front of him. His bottom lip trembled and he launched himself unsteadily into Blaine's strong arms, crying into his chest. "Shh, it's alright," Blaine whispered soothingly into Kurt's ear, rubbing his back with his good arm. "Calm down, sweetheart, you're alright. Shh, I'm here… I'm here…" Kurt sobbed brokenly into Blaine's shirt, trembling to the core. He was emotionally exhausted and he was done trying to hide how much Rachel's betrayal had hurt him. He didn't need to hide in front of Blaine. "Breathe for me, sweetie. Can you do that? Breathe with me." Blaine inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply, urging Kurt to mimic the action. After a few minutes of pained, gasping sobs, Kurt attempted to follow Blaine's lead. He drew in shaky breaths and, on the first few tries, he let out a sob on the exhale. Eventually, though, he managed to slow his breathing, synchronizing it with Blaine's. "That's it. You're doing great. Shh, it's okay. Deep breaths," Blaine instructed in a whisper, relieved when Kurt continued to breathe normally.

Kurt looked up at Blaine, his eyes shining with tears, and forced a shaky smile. "T-Thank you. I-I love y-you."

Blaine smiled softly and kissed his forehead. "I love you, too. Let's lay down, alright? You're exhausted."

Kurt nodded and forced himself to stand up. He knew Blaine would have trouble lifting him with his injured shoulder. He crawled onto the bed and waited for Blaine to slip under the blankets before sidling up to his… boyfriend? The thought brought a small smile to his face. "Blaine?" Blaine hummed questioningly, carding his fingers through Kurt's hair. "Are we… boyfriends now?" he asked hopefully, biting his lip.

Blaine smiled at him, kissing his forehead. "Do you want us to be?" Kurt nodded instantly and Blaine chuckled happily. "Then yes. We are boyfriends. It'd be silly if we weren't considering we've both admitted to loving each other."

Kurt nodded again, smiling slightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The rest of the week, Kurt didn't have to work at Vogue because Isabel, his boss, gave him time off for the holidays. So he only worked evenings at the diner and he avoided Rachel all except for one cold exchange when he told her a customer's order. Other than that, he spent the majority of his time with Blaine. On the nights he worked earlier and got off before seven, he would stop by the bar where Blaine worked and talk to him over the counter when he wasn't attending to a customer.

Christmas Eve—the following Sunday—came before they knew it and they found themselves at Blaine's apartment, snuggling on the Lovesac while the fireplace sizzled and The Polar Express played on their small TV. Sam sat on the sofa and ignored their disgustingly adorable affection towards each other. He rolled his eyes but secretly he loved seeing them both so happy.

It was around eleven when Kurt fell asleep, snuggled comfortably into Blaine's side. Blaine's shoulder was almost fully healed—it hadn't been very severe—so he had his right arm wrapped around Kurt's shoulders and his left arm crossed over his torso to lace his fingers with Kurt's. Blaine smiled softly down at his boyfriend and kissed the man's gorgeously pale forehead.

"I told you so," Sam said suddenly from across the room.

Blaine looked up at him with an amused smirk. "When was the last time I denied it?"

"The first time I mentioned it," Sam said matter-of-factly.

Blaine chuckled, but he stopped when the movement of his chest made Kurt stir. "At the time, I wasn't in love with him. We'd only just met and I thought he was cute but I wasn't ready for anything like that after what happened with Spencer. But after I got to know him more, I realized that I didn't care if I got hurt as long as I had Kurt. I love—are you crying?"

"That was beautiful," Sam cooed, grinning. "I'm so happy for you, Blainers. I'm glad you have each other. You're sickeningly adorable and it's obvious how happy he makes you."

Blaine grinned. "I've never been happier. I love him."

"So you've said, about a million times," Sam pointed out with a teasing grin.

"That doesn't make it less true," he whispered, returning his gaze to Kurt's peaceful face and smiling lovingly. He felt like the luckiest man alive.

"BLAINE, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY! IT'S CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP, YOU LAZY BUM!"

Blaine startled awake, breathing harshly in shock at Sam's loud outburst. "Sam!" he scolded. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"But it's Christmas!" he whined, wide-eyed.

"I swear, you're more than a five-year-old than I am," Blaine muttered with a roll of his eyes, snuggling deeper into the Lovesac with Kurt.

"Not possible, dude," Sam said, grinning. "KURT, WAKE UP, IT'S—"

"Sam, shut up!" Blaine hissed. "You'll scare him. Let me wake him up. Nicely," he added with a glare at his friend. Sam huffed and darted into the kitchen to get some eggnog. Blaine brought his hand up to caress Kurt's cheek gently, smiling. "Sweetheart, wake up." Kurt grumbled sleepily, leaning into Blaine's hand. Blaine's smile widened. "Kurt," he sang happily, "it's Christmas. Wake up so we can open presents and have eggnog." Kurt cracked one eye open in interest.

"Eggnog?"

"None other than," Blaine affirmed with a soft laugh, kissing Kurt's nose. "Let's get up. I can't wait to give you your presents."

"Presents? As in, more than one?" Kurt's eyes widened and he smiled shyly. "You didn't have to get me anything, Blaine."

"Of course I did," Blaine said in the same way he would say 'nonsense!' "I love you, silly. And I promised I didn't spend too much on anything. Most of it is handmade, actually." Kurt's forehead creased with curiosity and he slowly sat up, stretching like a cat and grabbing Blaine's hand. They stood and made their way to the kitchen. Sam had poured three tall glasses of eggnog for them, so they each took one before sitting down by the small Christmas tree.

"Who wants to go first?" Sam asked excitedly.

"I think, because I don't want you destroying the apartment like a lonely puppy, I'll let you go first," Blaine said with a grin. Sam didn't catch the joke and he started tearing apart his first present like a toddler. He opened the box and saw a new coffee machine. His eyes lit up and he looked at Kurt and Blaine excitedly.

"It's from both of us," Blaine said with a fond smile. "Since I accidentally broke the old one."

"Your turn, Kurt!" Sam exclaimed happily. Kurt laughed and took the small box from Sam. It looked like a ring box and he frowned in confusion. He tore the paper away and saw that it was a ring box.

"Blaine, what..?"

"Just open it," Blaine smiled softly. "Don't panic. I promise I'm not proposing." They both laughed and Kurt slowly opened the box. Inside, he saw a brooch shaped like a cerulean blue bird in flight. He studied it, each beautiful detail.

"Remember the first night I was in the hospital?" Blaine asked softly. "I asked if we could fly and I said you'd make a beautiful bird." Kurt smiled softly at the memory, when he'd realized he was in love with Blaine. "I tried for several days to find the little gemstones that matched your eye color, but nothing matched just perfectly. That was the closest I could find. I made it and, uh, put the gemstones on there and I thought you could wear it…"

"It's beautiful, Blaine," Kurt said with a brilliant grin. "I love it." He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck in an awkwardly-angled hug, rubbing his back for a moment before pulling back. "My gift for you is nothing compared to this."

"I'm sure I'll love it," Blaine said with an adoring smile.

"How can you be so sure?" Kurt laughed, blushing at the way Blaine was looking at him. It made him feel loved and beautiful. Blaine always made him feel that way.

"Because it's from you, so it'll be perfect no matter what," Blaine answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kurt flushed even brighter and handed Blaine a flat, rectangular box. Blaine stripped it of the wrapping paper and carefully opened the box. When he saw what was inside, he gasped softly.

"I know it's not much, but I know you mentioned not having any pictures of me so I got you one. Except, it's one of us together so it's a little more special." Kurt smiled nervously and watched as Blaine studied the picture in the delicately designed frame with golden flowers engraved into the material.

Blaine looked over every detail carefully. It was a picture they'd taken a few days ago in Central Park. They were lying on their backs in the snow, laughing so hard it hurt. Blaine had slipped and refused to get up, so Kurt had lied down with his head next to Blaine's and his feet sticking out in the opposite direction of Blaine's. Blaine had pulled out his phone to snap a picture just as Kurt had turned his head and pulled Blaine in for an upside-down kiss. It was sweet and romantic and silly, and it was a memory Blaine would always cherish. He looked up at Kurt with watery eyes and a loving smile. "I love it. I love you so much." He leaned over and kissed Kurt deeply for a few seconds before he pulled away, wishing they weren't among company.

"You guys are too cute," Sam said with wide eyes, watching them. "Seriously, that was so sweet I might actually have a cavity."

Kurt turned to him and grinned sweetly before pulling sideways onto his lap and kissing him passionately, making Blaine moan unintentionally. When they broke apart, Blaine's face was flushed and he appeared dazed.

"I think I'm going to give you guys some privacy," Sam said uncomfortably. "I'll be about five blocks away. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I won't hear you guys moaning." They both blushed and Sam winked at them before leaving the apartment.

They faced each other and Blaine smiled. "Now that we have some alone time…"

Kurt cut him off with a kiss, smiling lovingly. "We have all the time in the world."