About a week before regionals, Mr. Schue announced his intended soloists. Rachel would (of course) take care of the ballad. She would also do a duet with Finn. In an unexpected move, however, he selected Blaine as the third soloist.
"Are you sure?" Blaine asked. "There are plenty of people here who deserve it much more than me. I haven't even been a member that long." He hadn't failed to notice the jealousy that flashed in Santana, Mercedes, and, most importantly, Kurt's eyes.
"Blaine, you are talented. I think you deserve this solo, and I want you to sing it."
"Well," Blaine said, getting an idea, "what if I did a duet?"
"I guess we could arrange that," Mr. Schue said, mulling the idea over.
"If possible, could I sing it with Kurt?" Blaine asked tentatively. Mercedes grinned widely while Kurt's jaw dropped to the floor.
"That could be interesting," Schuester said. "I'm going to have to go over our list of songs, but this sounds like a really great idea, Blaine."
That night, Kurt drove Blaine straight to his house, rather than stop at the Hummel-Hudson home. Blaine became worried; perhaps Kurt was insulted that he'd gotten him the solo? Kurt parked and turned to Blaine.
"Why'd you want to sing with me?" Kurt asked.
"Well, I didn't think it was fair that I got a solo when there were so many other people who didn't," Blaine said.
"I know that, Blaine. But why me?"
This was it. "I've heard you sing, Kurt, you're really good," he said. Kurt almost looked disappointed, but Blaine continued. "And … I really like you, Kurt. Like as more than a friend. I thought that singing with you might be an excuse to – I don't know, pull a Finn and Rachel?"
Kurt's eyes widened. "Really?" Blaine could only nod. "Oh. Wow."
"I get it if you don't like me, Kurt. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have said anyth-"
Blaine's rambling was cut off as Kurt pressed his mouth to Blaine's. The two boys pulled apart a moment later, panting lightly. "I really like you, too," Kurt said.
When Blaine saw Kurt at school the next day, he didn't know what to do or say. Thankfully, Kurt seemed to know because he slipped his hand into Blaine's as they walked toward the cafeteria through the empty halls. Neither had told any member of the New Directions yet, mostly because neither was sure what their label was. Their plan was foiled when Finn caught them kissing in Kurt's navigator in the driveway after glee one day.
"What was that?" Finn asked loudly.
"Kissing, Finn," Kurt responded sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure you've done it once or twice before in many worse places."
"But – I mean – are you two, like – like together or something?"
Kurt turned to look at Blaine, eyes asking the same thing. So Blaine took Kurt's hand in his and said, "Yes."
Kurt and Blaine both grinned like idiots until Finn said, "Wait until Burt gets home."
As soon as Finn was out of earshot, Blaine turned to Kurt. "Oh my god, your dad is going to kill me!" he panicked. "No he's not, Blaine. He likes you, remember?"
"Yeah, but that was before I was your boyfriend!" Kurt grinned at hearing the word.
"How can you be smiling? Your dad is going to kill me in a few minutes!"
"First, he won't kill you. Second, I just like hearing you call me your boyfriend."
Blaine bit his lower lip. "I like it too," he admitted before kissing Kurt deeply.
As it turned out, they didn't have to worry about telling Burt since the man walked in at that moment and cleared his throat. The boys jumped apart, Kurt pushing Blaine across the room.
"Um, hi, Mr. Hummel," Blaine mumbled to the ground.
"Hi, dad," Kurt said, face pink.
"Hi boys," Burt said. He couldn't decide if he should be amused at the boys' reactions or annoyed at what had been going on under his roof. "Anything you want to tell me?"
Blaine looked to Kurt, so the older boy spoke. "Actually, dad, yes." Well if that wasn't the most obvious statement. "Blaine and I – um – well, we both really like each other," Kurt began falteringly. "So, um, we decided today to become boyfriends."
"If it's okay with you!" Blaine added hastily.
Burt wasn't exactly thrilled – he wouldn't have been any happier if it was a girl Kurt had brought home – but he could tell how much the two boys cared for each other.
"Just be safe," he said gruffly before going to the kitchen for a beer. "And no more alone time in your room," he called from the kitchen.
Kurt laughed and Blaine sank into the couch cushions in relief. "See, I told you he wouldn't kill you," Kurt said.
At school the next day, Blaine was immediately confronted by Puck as he walked in the door.
"Hey man, I like you and all, but if you do anything to hurt Kurt, then you'll have me to answer to," he said by way of greeting, leaving a very confused Blaine to walk to his locker.
A moment later, Rachel came up to him and hugged him tightly, squealing the whole time.
Blaine shook his head, confused, and walked to class. Before he walked in the door, however, he was ambushed a third time. This one was much more appealing to Blaine. Kurt grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side.
"Just a warning, Blaine," he said quickly, "but Finn told Rachel about us, who told Mercedes, who told Tina, who told Mike, and I think you should probably get where I'm going with this."
Blaine laughed. "Yeah, I'd already figured that out by the way Puck threatened me and Rachel was extra affectionate."
"Puckerman threatened you, Blaine?"
"Not in a threatening way, just in a 'you hurt him I'll hurt you' kind of way. It's cute, really, how much those guys care about you."
"Okay, well I just thought I'd warn you. I've got to get to class, so I'll see you at lunch!"
"Wait!" Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's arm. "No one's in the hallway anymore."
Kurt understood right away. The two boys kissed gently for a minute before each running to their classes in time for the bell.
Glee practice was crazy and exhausting over the next few days as the New Directions tweaked their set list to make it perfect for regionals.
Blaine slept over at the Hummel-Hudson house the night before the competition. Burt didn't seem too uncomfortable with the idea of Kurt dating Blaine. But it was the idea of Kurt growing up that scared him, not the "gay thing". Thankfully, Blaine had been prepared by Kurt and knew exactly how to up his charms around the man. Carole was already doting on Blaine, her motherly instincts kicking in. By the end of the evening, both parents approved of him as Kurt's boyfriend.
Blaine was, at one time, more terrified and more confident at regionals. He had a solo this time, so that was nerve-wracking, but he would also be singing with Kurt. To Kurt.
The competition went smoothly. It seemed like the New Directions had it in the bag. Blaine had trouble believing that some of these teams had even managed to advance this far - some of their sectional competitors were better than this. At the end of the day, it was announced that the New Directions would be going to nationals in New York. Blaine felt his stomach drop as his friends celebrated all around him.
Most of the club was stopping at Breadstix, a local favorite restaurant, for a celebratory dinner. Blaine, however, rejected their offer and walked to his house from the McKinley parking lot.
Scott and Diane were out when Blaine got back, so he went over to the phone and dialed one of the two numbers he had memorized. "
Hello?" a voice answered.
"Melody?" Blaine asked. "It's Blaine Anderson."
"Oh, hi Blaine. Nice to hear from you," the social worker said. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I – I just was wondering. I mean, um, let me start over. I joined the glee club at school. And we just won our competition, so now we're going to nationals. Which is in New York. And it'll probably cost a lot of money. Is there any way I could go?"
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry, but travel like that without your foster parents is very dicey. And the state can't pay for trips. I'm sorry hun."
Blaine had known what the answer would be. It didn't stop him from being disappointed, though.