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Kurt peered into the school hallway before he stepped out of the classroom. He had managed to make it to his first class that morning without bumping into Blaine; he was hoping he could make it to his second class in the same manner. His stomach started to twist out of habit. He realized how similar this felt to last semester when he was trying to get from class to class without running into any of the jocks. He had to stop and lean against the wall to remind himself that this was not even close to the same thing and his body really needed to stop reacting as if it were.

He took a few deep, cleansing breaths and tried to calm himself. Spending the evening at Mercedes' house last night had really helped him feel better, but coming back to school this morning had caused everything to flare up again.

"Hey, you," came a familiar voice, warm and welcoming.

Kurt groaned internally; he had been found.

"Morning," he said softly, before straightening and continuing toward class.

"Kurt," Blaine's voice turned from warm to pleading. "Please, Kurt."

"We can work on our duet after last class," said Kurt, not daring to look into those dangerously gorgeous eyes. "If that works for you, that is."

"Sure," replied Blaine, stopping. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Okay," said Kurt, hurrying forward.

He waved 'good-bye' over his shoulder and dashed into his next class.

Unfortunately, time passed quickly and soon Kurt found himself sitting in the lunch room between Nick and Jeff. He had practically attached himself to them over the past few days. Jeff had always been pretty friendly with Kurt, and Nick was just an easy-going guy who liked everyone. Although, Kurt had noticed he had been a little less friendly after Kurt had been given the duet with Blaine. It was understandable, though, he had auditioned for a solo so many times just to witness a spot in the duet for their Regionals performance be handed to Kurt. But all in all, Nick was a nice guy and Kurt enjoyed being around him. The Warblers tended to flock together whenever opportunity arose, so, it wasn't that unusual of Kurt to be spending so much time with two fellow Warblers, anyway.

When Blaine walked up to their table, Nick and Jeff quickly stood, announced they were done, and left, leaving Kurt on his own. Blaine sat down in Jeff's previous spot, placing his lunch tray down on the table. Kurt considered leaving, too, but decided against it. He had been avoiding Blaine long enough - it was getting painfully obvious to outside eyes, and honestly, it was starting to feel a little immature.

"Hi," greeted Blaine, guardedly.

"Hi," sighed Kurt, turning a little in his chair to face Blaine.

"Busy week?" asked Blaine, knowing full well that Kurt had been purposely avoiding him.

"Not more than normal," admitted Kurt, stabbing a tomato with his fork.

"I hope you're eating more than just that salad," laughed Blaine.

"I had a muffin," offered Kurt, numbly.

"Kurt," sighed Blaine, looking into Kurt's eyes. "I really am sorry."

"Yeah," responded Kurt with a shrug, looking back down at his meagre lettuce and tomato salad. "It's behind us, now."

"No, it isn't," replied Blaine, his voice a little sharper than he had meant.

Kurt turned to face Blaine, again, surprised by his little outburst.

"It isn't behind us until we can move forward from it," explained Blaine. "I want you to know that I'm sorry for toying with you. I didn't purposely do it, you know that, right?"

"I do," nodded Kurt. "Which is part of the problem."

Blaine tipped his head to the side, silently asking for an explanation.

"How are we going to work if you don't even realize what you're doing to me?" asked Kurt, nervously pushing a cherry tomato around his plate.

"It'll be different, though, Kurt," said Blaine.

"How?" asked Kurt, staring absently at the tomato.

"Because... because..." Blaine stopped; he didn't know what to say.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, feeling defeated. He knew it would be different, but he couldn't for life of him begin to explain how or why. Kurt nodded to himself, seeming to have taken Blaine's lack of explanation as confirmation of his own fears. He stood to leave.

"Kurt, please," exclaimed Blaine, clutching at Kurt's hand. "I can't lose you."

"Oh, Blaine," sighed Kurt. "You never had me."

He pulled his hand free from Blaine's and hurried away, depositing his tray at the back of the room before leaving. Blaine felt like someone had just ripped open his chest and tore his beating heart from where it had once been safely encased behind his ribs.

Blaine was waiting for Kurt in the music room at the end of the school day. He may or may not have skipped his afternoon classes to spend the time in his car listening to sad songs and crying. And he definitely didn't have to spend ten minutes staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, willing himself to pull it together before his practice with Kurt that afternoon.

"Let's try to get through this quickly," spoke Kurt, bursting into the quiet room, his face set in stone. "I have a lot of studying to do tonight."

"Okay," replied Blaine, standing up and timidly handing Kurt the music.

Glancing over the sheet, Kurt dropped his bag to the chesterfield and began to sing through the words.

The power lines went out
And I am all alone
I don't really care at all
Not answering my phone

Blaine began when Kurt had finished the first verse.

All the games you played
The promises you made
Couldn't finish what you started
Only darkness still remains

Kurt glanced up at Blaine, then. The lyrics felt strangely comforting in the midst of their current debacle. Blaine smiled sadly as Kurt sang the next line.

Lost sight, couldn't see

Blaine took a step toward Kurt and joined him in singing.

When it was you and me

Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight
I'm beginning to see the light
Blow the candles out
Looks like a solo tonight
But I think I'll be alright

Kurt's face had softened as they sang together. They were tripping over the words and harmony (it was their first time singing it together, after all) but somehow it sounded beautiful to him.

"Kurt," spoke Blaine when they had finished going over the song. He reached for Kurt and took his hands in his own. "I want to make things right between us, but... but I don't know how to do that. Will you please just sit here with me just for a little bit?"

Sighing in resignation, Kurt sat. He didn't want to spend a lot of time with Blaine because his resolve was only hanging by a thread as it was and he knew Blaine's warm eyes and earnest face would inevitably do him in.

"If nothing else, Kurt," said Blaine, inwardly leaping for joy that the boy would even sit with him. "I want us to be friends. I selfishly ask this from you, Kurt, because I know I couldn't go on from here without you.

"I'll always be your friend, Blaine," Kurt softly replied after a long silence.

Blaine sighed in relief.

"But, I've been trying so hard to get over you so we can continue to be friends," sighed Kurt. "And then you go and tell me you have feelings for me, too. I just, I can't."

Blaine grimaced at the emotion on Kurt's face; he didn't want Kurt to get over him.

"I don't hate you, Blaine," spoke Kurt, after another long silence. "I'm not even mad at you – well, I don't even know what I'm feeling right now, to be honest. I just..."

Kurt trailed off, his thoughts clouding out his ability to speak. What was he feeling? Hurt, confused, insecure... those were the only words he could find to describe himself and not a single one of them really came close. He wanted to start this with Blaine now that it was a possibility; he wanted it so bad. He just didn't know how he would live with himself and his own insecurities when it felt like Blaine had tried everything else before settling for him.

"We have always kind of been closer than regular friends," offered Blaine, randomly, when he realized Kurt wasn't going to complete his sentence. "I just never really caught on, I guess. Not until you said what you did after the whole Gap fiasco... and even then... I don't know... I was just living in this little dreamland. I didn't even think of how much it would hurt you that I'd try to date Rachel. I was an idiot."

"You could have at least brought it up with me before accepting," spoke Kurt softly, nodding his head. "You know, so that we could talk about it. I mean, Rachel and I aren't that close, but she's my friend. Even if you and I were... normal friends... I'd have hoped you would have asked first, having met her through me and all."

"You're right, I was ridiculous and insensitive," sighed Blaine, regretfully. "The drunk kiss probably would have been easier to forgive if it had been just that."

"Yeah," replied Kurt, looking down at his clenched hands. He bit his lip nervously, wondering if he should even bring up what else had happened that night.

"What is it?" asked Blaine, as if magically perceiving the questions on Kurt's mind.

"I just... if you were doubting your sexuality, why'd you have to test it out on Rachel?" asked Kurt, looking up at Blaine. "It just feels like you had to exhaust all your other options before even trying me. I mean, especially with everything that happened that night."

Blaine wanted to react to Kurt's statement about exhausting options, because it wasn't true and he couldn't have Kurt think that for even a second. Kurt was so important to him. He wasn't someone he was just settling for. Kurt's last sentence, though, seemed to be insinuating something that Blaine wasn't even sure he was aware of.

Kurt could see that Blaine was genuinely confused.

"When you crashed at my house..." he offered, waiting for Blaine to understand.

It didn't help, if anything, Kurt's words only served to cause a look of deeper confusion to spread across Blaine's furrowed brow.

"You came to the party with me, you made-out with Rachel, you sang and danced with Rachel, but..." Kurt stuttered for a moment, trying to continue. "But, back at my place you whined relentlessly until I agreed to stay in my bed with you."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You kept kissing me, Blaine," spoke Kurt, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. "I didn't reciprocate, I knew you were drunk. I rolled over and laid with my back to you so you'd maybe leave me alone, but then you just kept hugging me and kissing the back of my neck and telling me all these wonderful things that you said you felt towards me."

Kurt's eyes welled up with tears and he turned away so Blaine wouldn't see.

"I knew you were drunk, I tried so hard to ignore what you were doing and saying," sobbed Kurt. "I just hoped that perhaps you really did feel those things and that if I waited a bit longer they would surface soberly... in time. But, instead, you went out with Rachel and when I said anything about it, you accused me of..."

"Kurt," yelped Blaine, feeling tears starting to threaten his own eyes. He threw his arms around Kurt and pulled him in tightly. "I don't remember that at all! Oh my g... I can't believe... I'm... Kurt... I'm so sorry."

The release had finally come. Kurt had never said anything about that night, not even to Mercedes. He had kept it bottled inside where it had twisted his gut and cut at his heart. So, he allowed himself that moment to clutch at his best friend and cry, even if it had been said friend who had done it.

"If I had known... Kurt... If I had remembered that..." Blaine continued to stumble through incoherent phrases, completely at a loss and absolutely heartbroken that he had put Kurt through such emotional turmoil.

He was finally beginning to gather his wits and trying to piece together something to say when suddenly it all came back to him in a flood of fuzzy memories. Blaine let go of Kurt and stood up, suddenly seeing the scene in his mind. He remembered Kurt's even voice, as he tried to explain to Blaine that he was just going to sleep on his couch across the room. Blaine whined and complained that he would get lonely in Kurt's bed all by himself. A flush of embarrassment flooded Blaine's cheeks as he remembered how forward he had been, how he had clutched onto Kurt the moment the beautiful boy had climbed into bed with him. He remembered, he remembered almost everything.

Blaine let himself fall back down to the couch beside Kurt. He put his hand to his forehead, suddenly feeling really dizzy. He had been drunk, yes, but he couldn't help but recall just how right he had felt cuddled up with Kurt. How good Kurt had felt, how delicious he had smelled, and how fantastic it had been to throw caution to the wind and kiss all over his face and neck. Blaine chanced a glance at Kurt. He had finished crying and was sitting silently – silently watching Blaine.

"You remember, now, don't you," said Kurt.

It wasn't a question.

Blaine simply nodded.