Blaine found himself once again disappointed in the progress of his friendship with Mike Chang. At first, he was pleased with their potential from the conversation they had in Mike's car, and the entire bowling alley adventure. But after that all was over, Sam was the only one that bothered to really keep in touch.

Sam had often invited Blaine out for pizza or out for ice cream, there wasn't a day that went by that Blaine didn't find himself invited out, even if it was only for an hour or so, with their clashing schedules finding a way to shorten their 'Bro time' as Sam would call it. Of course, Mike was always present, for he would not allow Sam to pay for anything, and even when they just went out biking or to the park with no expense Mike still tagged along but still felt so distant to Blaine.

Blaine was stretched across his bed with his legs hanging over the edge and his arms under his head, thinking about the events that day. Sam had told Mike to come and visit him on break and Mike had gone around to Blaine's house in hopes that he would join. The ride to the pizza place was the most interaction they had had since Blaine's emotional outbreak. He had a lingering fear that perhaps that was why Mike was so distant with him.

Mike had told Blaine that he and Tina were now becoming friends and that the awkwardness between them was slipping away.

"So, you think you are over her now?"

"I like to say that I am, but I know if she ever asked for me to come back, I would without a second thought."

And Blaine had to agree with Mike's mentality on the subject of exes. If Kurt were to call him up, he wouldn't give it a second thought.

Blaine brought a hand down to his chest and attempted to rub away the heat of the fading heartbreak away. It had been a month since their break up and Blaine hadn't cried about it since his brief breakdown at the gas station. He could feel himself mending quite well, though he hadn't dared to contact Kurt in fear that the pain would come back again.

He was about to reach and turn off his bedside lamp when the phone sitting next to it started buzzing. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he pulled the phone closer to him. He flipped it open and a smile came to his face as he read the text.

-Hey Blaine, I have a question for you. Are you afraid of heights?-

-No, I'm not, never have been. Is that weird?-

-Of course not.-

Blaine was halfway through texting a response when he received another text, reminding him just how quick Mike was when texting.

-Blaine, what is your favorite smell?-

-Weird question. I'm not really sure, I like outdoor-ish smells. Like campfires and grass.-

-Good thing you don't allergies-

-Don't HAVE allergies, Michael. Even if I did it wouldn't stop me from enjoying the smells that nature has given me.-

-Right, derp. Sorry I was texting too fast-

Blaine was once again about to respond when his phone buzzed quickly after that.

-I like how you do that.-

Blaine smiled, amused by Mike's words. He didn't know why he liked that he had no idea what Mike was even talking about. He supposed that it was kind of innocent. He paused before sending a reply, thinking about all he knew about Mike Chang. He knew that he could dance and that he was very quiet, but was he as innocent as he looked and sounded? Blaine closed his eyes and smiled as he remembered Mike talking and the way he formed his words so carefully and how real they were. Blaine's smile widened and he shook his head as he thought of all the times that Mike had pulled ridiculous faces in opportune moments. Blaine loved how childlike Mike Chang could be, and yet so smooth at other times.

The smile quickly turned to a frown. Blaine had seen Mike be this way only when he was playing around with Sam. When Mike was around Blaine, he was quite different, less full of expression and more subdued. It was as if he wanted to be fragile around Blaine, that he thought Blaine would break if he acted normal. He hated Mike Chang for that. He hated himself for wanting Mike to accept him so badly, accept and treat him the way that he treated Sam.

Blaine pouted and looked down at his phone, debating on whether or not he wanted to reply.

-Do what?-

-Make every little thing so important.-

-What do you mean?-

-Nevermind. I have bed.-

-I have a bed too, Michael. What a strange announcement.-

-Shut up! I forgot a word or two 'I have to go to bed' is what I meant to text. I have work tomorrow.-

-Waking up early then?-

-Bright and early with the sunshine!-

Blaine shut his phone after reading Mike's last text, choosing not to keep Mike up any longer. He rolled over on his bed and set his phone down on the bedside table, where he also picked up the book of old fairy tales that he had read through from back to front several times since he re-discovered it

He pulled the flower out, pressed it lightly to his lips, and then put it next to his phone. He flipped the book fully open and scanned over the story before him. His mind was too occupied for him to really focus on the story. His head was too full of thoughts. Is he so closed off to me because I am gay? He always thought this, but then quickly stamped it out, he knew people that were uncomfortable around homosexuals and they didn't act the way Mike did. Blaine chewed on his bottom lip and attempted to focus on the curves of each letter on the page before him. He knew that Mike cared about him to an extent, but he still seemed so uncomfortable.

He was broken from his string of thoughts when his phone buzzed again. He couldn't help but smile as he turned and picked up his phone to see another message from Mike.

-Sunshine-

-You spelt it right the first time, Michael.-

-Goodnight.-

-Goodnight. -

An amused smile still on his face, Blaine went back to staring at his book without really reading it. He turned the page and was about to start reading when his phone buzzed again. He shook his head and flipped it open, expecting it to be a text, but when he looked at the screen he found that he had just answered a phone call.

"H-hello?" He sat up in his bed and held his phone to his head, hoping that his delay wouldn't cause Mike to hang up.

"Hey," Mike's voice cracked on the other end of the line and Blaine stood up from his bed.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Why are you calling?"

"Felt like calling. I didn't get you into trouble, did I?"

"No, no, I have my phone on vibrate so no parents heard it," Blaine said with a laugh as he sat back down on his bed. "Okay, so is there a reason you felt like calling, or do you have nothing to say to me?"

"I'm really bad at hint dropping, Blaine."

"I didn't notice." He laughed again and scratched his head, a grin forming on his lips.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed, there was something different in Mike's tone.

"Are you sure everything is alright?"

"I was trying to drop a hint, Blaine."

"Why don't you just tell me what you were trying to tell me then?"

Blaine waited for Mike to respond and brought his knees up to his chest and sat back against his headboard, a curious smile replacing the former grin. He couldn't deny that he was happy that Mike had called him for the first time ever in their month long friendship.

"When I told you about Tina today in the car, I was trying to drop a hint."

Blaine felt something lurch in his stomach as his mind jumped to all sorts of conclusions. What if he is trying to tell me that he is over Tina because he wants to be with me? I'm not ready for this! I'm not ready for this! Abort! Abort!

"I was trying to tell you that the sooner you talk to Kurt, the sooner you can get over him and just be his friend, because that's what he wants right?"

Blaine swallowed and the churning in his stomach turned to a sort of chill. He would have taken a strange and awkward profess of feelings than this.

"Blaine? Are you there?"

"Funny, I thought it was going to be something serious."

"I crossed a boundary, didn't I?"

Blaine took a breath and leaned back again. He hadn't talked to Kurt in a month and had succeeded in suppressing thoughts about the whole situation to the back of his mind. He had good distractions. He had his new friends to talk to him and his job at six flags with all the oblivious girls hitting on him.

He had performance in general, something he always used as a sort of vessel and mask. He didn't have to be himself when he was performing. He was stronger and braver and someone he imagined he could be, if he just got rid of all the taunts and abuse from his past. Now that he had lost Kurt, performing had given him the strength to force it all from his mind.

Now Mike Chang was purposefully bringing it up and there was no stage and no song he could sing.

"I don't know," Blaine said at last, his voice barely escaping his mouth.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I blame my tiredness. I'll go to bed now, pretend I didn't say—"

"No!" Blaine said loudly, putting his hand up as if he thought Mike could see his gestures. "I mean—sure, since you're tired. But don't hang up because you think you've upset me."

"Ah, good. Okay, I'll go to bed now. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, if you are available for another one of Sammy's crazy schemes."

"Yeah, I always look forward to those," Blaine said, the smile returning to his lips.

"So," Blaine heard Mike take a long breath. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight," Blaine said happily before he shot up again. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if I am bad at dropping hints or not. I've always been incredibly upfront about things, if you haven't noticed. I wanted to know something."

"Yeah?"

Blaine shook his head and put his hand to his face, as he was now blushing from the humiliation that was sure to come after confronting Mike about the one thing that had been openly on his mind for a while.

"Did-did I scare you off somehow?"

Blaine pinched his eyes shut and waited with held breath for Mike's answer, which took longer than he expected.

"What do you mean?" Blaine could hear the nervousness in Mike's voice that revealed that he knew exactly what Blaine meant.

"That day we went to bowling alley and Sam was getting Doritos and I started," Blaine lowered his voice to say the next part of his question as if it was his deepest secret. "I started crying. Did that scare you away?"

"No."

Blaine almost shouted but put a hand to his mouth to resist the urge. After a moment of fighting this urge, he replied. "Then, what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Blaine."

"So why aren't we friends?"

"We are friends."

"Not from where I'm standing."

"Whoa, no need for sass here, Blaine."

"Do you even want to be my friend?" Blaine brought his thumb up to his mouth and chewed on his nail. It was an anxious habit of his and he could feel the worry bubbling in his stomach. Was Mike honest enough to talk about how he felt or was he going to lie?

"Yes," Mike said with a sigh, obviously not liking the pressure the conversation was putting on him. "Yes, I want to be your friend. I'm sorry. I'm… not very good at it."

"So you normally act like this when you are around new people?"

"No, not really."

"I'm so glad that I'm a special case," Blaine replied with heavy sarcasm.

He heard Mike sigh on the other end of the line and immediately felt guilty.

"C-can I make it up to you somehow?" Mike said so quietly that Blaine had to repeat the words in his mind a few times for it to fully register to him.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"What do you think I should do?"

Blaine smiled, once again finding himself amused by the boy. It was hard for him to stay upset with Mike, when Mike seemed so sincerely sorry for his neglect. In fact, Blaine was inclined to tell Mike to forget about it but Mike was already continuing.

"Next time we hang out, you can pull me aside and ask me any question you want and I'll answer them all honestly."

Blaine's mouth drew up in a wide smile as he considered all the questions he could ask.

"Can I ask some right now?"

"Of course."

"I notice that you seem to have a lot of different shoes. Which pair is your favorite?"

Blaine had began to ask questions while leaning back against the headboard of his bed with his knees drawn up and his phone between his shoulder and his ear, but near the end of the conversation, he was lying on his floor with the phone lying in front of him with Mike's voice echoing from the speaker, his head resting on a pillow and his eyes fluttering to stay open and his mouth aching from laughing and smiling. Mike had just finished telling him the story of how he joined glee club, which involved a begging Noah Puckerman.

("He was on his knees! Matt and I were planning on joining anyway but it was hilarious to watch him be so desperate for once.") It was odd for him to hear Mike talk so much, and even odder that Mike had bothered going into each detail about every question Blaine had asked him. Blaine listened and commentated with what he hoped were humorous remarks. But by the end, they both ended up laughing at everything which told Blaine that it was a lot later than it seemed.

"Are you tired, Blaine?"

"Mmmm I'm getting there," Blaine replied, his chin in his hands and his eyes closed.

"Your voice is drawing out like you are half asleep," Mike laughed before continuing. "I'll let you sleep now. You can ask me questions later today?"

"Later today?" Blaine blinked slowly and peered over his phone to see what time it was.

"It's nearly five in the morning."

"Wait! When do-did you start dancing?" Blaine asked desperately. He knew he could always ask more questions later, but this one suddenly felt urgent and important.

Mike laughed again, his laugh cracking slightly. He sounded as tired as Blaine felt. Blaine was about to stop Mike from answering his question, but Mike was already telling the story of a fourteen year old Asian boy being forced to take a dancing class in a tired but cheerful voice. Blaine listened with a set smile on his face, his eyes closed and his hands weak underneath his chin. He set them down and then rested his head on the pillow beneath it.

"I actually liked it a lot, but I would lie to my mom about it so I could stay in the class. It was supposed to be a punishment because I mocked a street dancer we saw on the street a few weeks before. My mom really appreciates the arts, and she didn't take it kindly. I've really wanted to dance before that as well, but I was always too shy to talk about it with my parents or friends. I think I insulted that dancer because I was jealous that he could be so open about his passion…"

Mike's speaking was starting to get fuzzy. His voice was so calm now as he talked about making up little dance moves, and how his teacher had wanted to upgrade him to a higher class because he had picked up on it so well, and how Mike had refused that offer, too afraid of what people would say. Blaine meant to make comments, but he was so mentally cradled by Mike's words and the only thing he could manage to do was reach over, grab his phone and put it next to his ear as he drifted off to sleep.

()

When Blaine awoke later that day he had three new text messages.

-When you sleep you snore a little bit, in a cute kind of way.-

Blaine groaned and turned over on the floor. He put hands over his face and felt the heat of his embarrassment warming his fingers. He groaned again and sat up. He sat on the floor, basking in his misery when a subtle smile came to his lips. He felt a twinge of happiness at the fact that Mike had bothered to tease him. From what he knew about Mike, teasing was something Mike did with his friends often.

Blaine felt his chest heat up like his face, but this time out of warmth of friendship. Maybe this time it would be real and not just something Blaine thought was going to happen. He looked back down at his phone and grinned. He locked the message into his phone so it wouldn't be deleted and checked the other two messages.

-You, me, and Wes are going to hang out tonight. I should have told you earlier because Wes has been planning this since your break up but I was distracted.-

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed and he chewed on his bottom lip as he read the message. It was unlike Wes to leave David in charge of the informing and guiding. Maybe he is finally starting to trust someone else since that disastrous mix up during our being of year concert. Blaine shrugged and checked his next message.

-Did David tell you that we are hanging around each other today? I bet he didn't. We'll be by to pick you up at 3:00 in the afternoon. -Wes-

Blaine looked up at the clock and jumped to see that it was almost one in the afternoon. He scrambled off the floor and went to get ready for his day.

He started to skip a little as he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. He could feel the after effects of constant smiling burning his cheeks and couldn't find himself bothered about it. For once, nothing negative or doubtful was on his mind.

After a long and hot shower, Blaine's happy thoughts were starting to fade away as he remembered the entire reason as to why Mike called the night before. And he is right, Blaine thought as he ran a towel over his curls and pulled at his polo shirt that was sticking to his still slightly wet body. Michael is right, I should talk to Kurt. Blaine looked up at himself in the mirror and nodded firmly.

"I'll call him," he said to himself before leaving the bathroom. He returned quickly after that with a pale face and shaking fingers, his fears creeping up on him like a sudden bad dream. "After I brush my teeth," He said, as if he was making excuses to keep from admitting that he was terrified.

Blaine had set a record, he was sure that he was the only person in existence that managed to stand in front of a mirror with a tooth brush sticking out of his mouth for a little over thirty minutes. He felt nerves jumping around in his stomach as he finally spit out the remainder of minty toothpaste. His lips were dry and his teeth were sore from repetitive brushing.

His hair still wet and his eyes wide with awareness, Blaine walked down the hall, each step like a drum beat to his death. He really didn't want to call Kurt and yet somewhere in the back of his mind he was scolding himself for being so goddamn over-dramatic.

"Hello, Blaine," Kurt's voice expressed a warning. Warning Blaine that he shouldn't try anything stupid, that Blaine should give up and that Kurt just wanted to be friends. Blaine knew Kurt's voice all too well to not read anything else in those two words.

"Hi."Hi, Kurt Hummel, the boy who broke my heart.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh…how are you?" I should have had a speech or something prepared!

"I'm great, Blaine. I just started casting for my summer musical and Lima has a lot more promising talent than I first predicted!" Kurt stopped and took an obvious breath of distress. "And how are you?"

"I'm good." Blaine lied as he sat down on his bed and habitually twisted his feet around, vaguely reminding him of sitting on the playground steps in elementary school and watching the kids around him laugh and joke around. "Listen, I wanted to thank you. Sam and Mike have been really awesome."

"What about Sam and Mike?"

"You know, you asked them to take care of me after…" Blaine paused and chewed on his bottom lip. "Anyway thank you, that was really great."

"What are you talking about? I haven't spoken to Sam or Mike in a month. Though I was considering calling Mike up to see if he could help with choreography, I still need to do that. Did you know that he helped me with my amazing performance of Le Jazz Hot?"

Blaine was blinking quickly, this friendly and chatty composure mixed with the happy realization that Sam and Mike had become his friends out of genuine care and not as a favor to Kurt, had made him slightly overwhelmed and confused.

"I didn't know that."

"He helped with most of it actually, I was going to give him full credit for doing the duet with me and let him be my main dance partner, but he refused because Tina already had a plan for them. Sam was supposed to do a duet with me, but I had to let the poor boy down. Solos just fit my taste better, I suppose. Wouldn't you agree? I know you love your solos."

"I wouldn't say I love solos. I like to perform and I like that the Warbler council considers me talented enough to take the lead but I wouldn't mind a duet or even a chorus part."

"I would like to see that happen, your voice really sticks out."

"I guess."

"Oh, I have someone on the other line, can I call you back?"

Blaine found himself rolling his eyes, annoyed by Kurt's blatant nonchalance.

"No, it's okay, I'm going out with Wes and David and I still have to do my hair. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, text me, bye!"

Blaine fell back onto his bed and sighed heavily. He was completely floored by Kurt's friendly behavior. He was treating Blaine like he treated Mercedes or Tina. Like a friend. He is acting like we were never together. He groaned and turned over, burying his face into his comforter. He reached over to grab his phone in planning on cancelling with Wes and David, but as his fingers wrapped around his phone, it started vibrating.

His heart felt like it was leaping in his chest as he pulled his phone near him.

-Hey, are you busy tonight? After nine? Sam wants to hang out.-

Surprisingly enough, though it wasn't from the person he originally wanted it to be from, the glow of Michael Chang's name on the flat screen of his phone made his chest go warm and his stomach bubble with giddiness. Of course, Blaine wouldn't admit to himself how happy it made him to see a simple text from Mike.

-After nine? What's the plan? I'm hanging out with some of my Dalton friends in a little while, I don't know how long it is going to take but I can probably make it.-

-Movie party at my house, bring your Dalton friends? Some of ND is coming as well.-

-What about Kurt?-

Blaine almost didn't send the text, not really wanting to bother Mike with his relationship troubles, but he decided to send it anyway. Mike took a while to respond, which worried Blaine, knowing that Mike was a texting ninja.

-Depends on if you want him to be there or not.-

-What if he wants to go?-

-The way I see it, it's really up to you, Blaine. I like Kurt, but I'm not going to try and pretend that his appearance at my movie party is more important than yours.-

A grin spread across Blaine's face and he felt a blush on his cheeks. With a sigh of happiness, he buried his face in his blankets once more and let out a chuckle.

-I talked to Kurt today.-

-How did it go?-

-Alright, but the point is he told me that he didn't send you and Sam to help me.-

-He did?-

-Don't play dumb, Michael.-

-:)-

Fuck you, Michael. Blaine thought to himself when he received Mike's text, and was about to send something similar to his thoughts, but moved on to the more important question.

-Was it you or Sam?-

-Okay, now I am really confused.-

-You or Sam? Who decided that you two should take me on a bowling trip.-

-It was a mutual agreement.-

-Go on?-

-We were talking about how terrible it is to be dumped when we were told by Finn that Kurt just dumped you. And we both have been wanting to get to know you better anyway.-

Blaine grinned and started kicking his legs against his bed before realizing how incredibly "teenage girl" it was.

-I am grateful.-

-Show that you are grateful by showing up tonight?-

-Sure, Kurt or no Kurt. I'm coming!-

()

Soon after his conversation with Mike, Blaine was heading down the stairs of his house and hurrying to get ready to go with his friends, wherever they were taking him. He hurried past the living room and heard an unfamiliar sound, the piano was being played. Well, not played, more like absentmindedly hitting the keys. He peered into the room and saw his father sitting at the piano with his hands hitting the keys as he hunched over and talked in a whisper on the phone.

Blaine held his breath as he listened.

"Sometimes I think he might…okay…okay…but he is around these two others all the time, I don't think—"

He could see some of his own nervous habits in his father, the running of fingers through hair, the thumb biting and the steady tapping of his foot against the floor. Eagerness was Joseph Anderson in that moment, and his son couldn't help but wonder why. Blaine bit his lip and took a step into the living room, figuring if he was going to be brave about Kurt he might as well have a civil conversation with his father.

"Dad?"

Mr. Anderson jerked up and looked around at his son. A fleeting and forced smile flashed across his lips and he held up a finger before muttering something to the person on the other end of the phone call and hanging up. "What is it, Blaine?"

"Hey," Daddy, are you okay? You look close to tears. "I'm going out. I'll probably be back really late tonight. Is that okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"Out with Wes and David and then the three of us are going to a movie at Mike's house."

"Mike is that Asian one?"

Blaine resisted the urge to roll his eyes, his dad was not conspicuous when showing favorites and though Mr. Anderson wasn't Asian at all he still felt like an Asian boy was just the kind of friend that Blaine needed.

"Asian boys are smart, kind, and normal." His dad had said at dinner a week before after Blaine had told his mom about Mike and Sam visiting him at Six Flags.

"Careful Joseph, you sound a bit racist."

"Look at all of your nieces and nephews! All Asian, and all exceptionally normal!"

Luckily, Blaine's bitterness and subconscious need to go against everything his father wished didn't stop him from being Mike's friend. Even more lucky was the fact that he didn't feel that he wanted to be Mike's friend to please his father, unlike the great Rachel Berry disaster. Before his dad had even mentioned his liking to the Asian ethnicity, Blaine knew he wanted Mike's friendship.

"Yes, Dad. Mike is the Asian boy."

"Okay, doors will be locked by eleven thirty."

"If I'm not home by then I'll just sleep in the tree house," Blaine said with a laugh. Mr. Anderson returned with a small, real smile.

Blaine breathed in and out with a beaming smile and then turned around to leave.

"Remember when we built that tree house, Blaine?"

He turned at the door way and his smile remained.

"Remember when I cried for hours because of a stupid splinter?"

"Yeah, I remember. You insisted that I should wheel you off to your tragic death."

"Always with the dramatics," Blaine said in a low and gruff voice, mocking his father slightly. They both laughed for a second before the awkwardness and naked truth about their now distant relationship sunk into the moment. "I'll see you later then, dad."

"Yeah later, Blaine."

Can't you just call me your son for once?

()

Blaine walked outside early, waiting for his friends to pull up. He had a jacket on, as the sky was threatening him with rain. He could smell the dirt and cement as if the rain had already fallen, and his chest returned with that warm comfort of nostalgia and anticipation, two opposites, one looking to the past and one waiting for the future, but both so similar.

The honk of Wes' car jerked him out of his thoughts though the feelings still remained in his chest and stomach, though they were dimmed slightly by the sudden jerk of reality. He walked quickly to the car and hopped into the backseat. He looked up and expected to see Wes and David and was surprised to see Thad in the passenger seat.

"Oh, hey Thad."

"I know, it's confusing," Wes said at once. "But David had a sudden emergency with his girlfriend and had to cancel and I have already reserved a table for three at Chopstix. I'm not going to waste a seat!"

Blaine held in a chuckle and looked to Thad. Not to his surprise but Thad looked too content to care that he was filler.

"Wait, did you say Chopstix? The Asian restaurant openly mocks Breadstix with its choice in name?"

"It's called living up to our culture, Blaine," Wes said with a scoff, he looked thoroughly miffed and Blaine guessed it was because the day he had been planning for a while was ruined by David's girlfriend. "You are just going to have to deal with it!"

"I'm not upset about it, I know someone who works there. I think they might be working right now!" Blaine said, a grin returning to his face as he thought of Mike Chang wearing the required uniform for the knock-off Asian restaurant.