A/N- SO close to 100 reviews! That is unbelievamazing! They just keep making my little inner fanwriter flail with happiness. So thanks you to everyone who has responded to the boys, either in reviews or alerts or favourites. I think this one will be the new longest chapter so far, so enjoy!

On a side note, I've discovered a problem in finding Flint unreasonably cute, as when new warblers were added to the characters list for glee, I couldn't help thinking that such a nice boy deserved a spot too. And then I realized that he was mostly made up by this and "I've worn that face," not the show itself. As a recent inductee to the Dalton-verse as well, I also wanted a Reed category. Cause he's the cutest imaginary thing ever.


"Hey Jeff!" Flint and Jeff pulled off to the side of the busy hallway and let David catch up with them.

"What's up Morton?" Jeff asked, reaching out to bump fists with the other boy as he joined.

"Just got out of my French oral and listening test. I think I just got le destroyed." The other two grinned. "Your boyfriend says hi, by the way." David told Flint, who looked bemused and a bit embarrassed.

"Um, thanks for passing it on." He knew that Kurt was taking Advanced French with David, even though it was a senior course. He had his own test a few days ago.

But he didn't know that everyone was openly referring to Kurt as his boyfriend. Jeff rolled his eyes to David.

"Don't mind him. He's a huge wimp about actual relationship stuff in public. Anything else going on man?"

"Yeah, can I get a ride to the studio with you today? My car's in the shop."

"Of course. I'll meet you out front after last period."

"Awesome." David clapped both of them on the shoulder and turned down the hallway towards his next class. "Bye loverboy!" He called at Flint over his shoulder.

Flint just frowned, looking around the hall a bit self-consciously.

"Oh come on man. It's just teasing. Why are you so ready to chase Kurt around the gym yesterday, but as soon as someone mentions the two of you as a couple, you freak."

"I do not. That was just kidding around stuff. I just...I like a little privacy sometimes."

"Well good luck with that. Cause you're involved with pretty much the most outspoken guy I've ever met."


Flint had needed a few extra minutes to finish the algebra test he and Jeff had been writing, so he had to head off to bio on his own. He hated algebra, and he was pretty sure that algebra hated him right back.

He was looking down at his notebook, checking to see if he had used the right formula for the last question, and almost missed the slim form leaning against the window.

"Hey." Kurt grabbed Flint's free hand and pulled him to a stop. Flint smiled as he rested against the window frame, knitting his fingers with the other boy's.

"Hey. How's your day going?"

"Good." Kurt's mouth twisted in an amused expression. "Had a good night's sleep." He shot Flint a bit of a teasing glance.

"Really. What's the secret?" Flint swung their arms between them a little bit.

"Good night texts from my boyfriend." Kurt responded, pretending to play it cool. Flint grinned.

"Sounds like an awesome guy." Kurt laughed and he leaned in towards Flirt for a soft kiss.

Flint's eyes darted around the hall at the other boys passing. No one was glaring or anything, but a few of them were registering the two, sending nods or smiles towards them. Flint felt his ears burning, the first sign of his embarrassment. He dropped his chin and turned slightly so that Kurt's lips pressed against his cheek instead. He didn't want to meet Kurt's eyes as he pulled back. He knew they'd look disappointed. He just...he was really uncomfortable with kissing in public, even physical contact beyond a quick hug or the hand holding going on right now.

Or up until now at least. Kurt had pulled his hand back and crossed his arms defensively.

"What's...is everything alright?" Oh man. He couldn't tell Kurt he didn't want to kiss him in public. He'd freak out. He was such an openly affectionate person, and sensitive about Flint being embarrassed by him, for some ridiculous reason. And this definitely wasn't about that. Maybe he could just stall him off and try and get okay with the whole idea of being...well... private in public.

"Yeah, yeah, I think I might be getting a cold or something. Don't want you to get sick."

Flint played it off, giving him a half smile. Outwardly, Kurt seemed to take his word for it and relaxed his arms a bit.

"Well, thanks then, for thinking about my health." Kurt reached out with a smile and squeezed Flint's hand again quickly before starting off towards the bio lab. "Come on. We're going to be late and Wolosky will kill us."

Stepping quickly to catch up to where Kurt was greeting Kyle and Jeff outside the door, Flint officially felt like a jerk.


Flint and Kurt had their biology midterm the next day, along with several other Warblers, so the movie night had been pushed back. Instead, five of them, plus Kurt's lab partner Kyle and his roommate Carter, were going to have a study group after dinner. After a full class of review, Flint had offered to walk Kurt to his dorm, hoping to fix his earlier reticence in private and take advantage of Kurt's affectionate mood.

As soon as Kurt had gotten inside his room and dropped his bag, Flint had stepped in front of him. His hands rested on Kurt's hips for a moment before one rose up and tugged his Dalton tie lose.

"Okay, what the hell is going on with you?" Kurt said, drawing a little bit on his diva side to show Flint he was not pleased with the situation.

"Nothing's going on with me." Flint responded distractedly, his eyes and fingers focused on the top button of Kurt's oxford. "I just though maybe we could use a little r and r before studying."

Kurt was trying to figure out why Flint had turned away from him in the hall earlier, but was clearly having no problem getting close to him right now. At the same time, he was wondering why he didn't just shut up and enjoy the clench of Flint's fingers against his waist.

"What happened to your cold?" Kurt pushed. Flint cursed himself and forced a shrug. Hormones were killing his cover story.

"False alarm?" Kurt huffed a little.

"You're acting...weird."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Flint pushed aside Kurt's shirt and ducked his head down, pressing a kiss to his collarbone.

"You know perfectly-" Kurt swallowed as Flint's mouth moved up his neck softly. "Perfectly well what I'm talking about Flint." Flint pulled back for a minute and looked at Kurt with what was obviously intentional focus.

"Come on Kurt. We don't have a lot of free time this week. I just want to spend what I do have with my boyfriend." He pulled the tie completely free of Kurt's collar, placing it down on the desk. "My awesome, very very attractive boyfriend."

Kurt rolled his eyes, but his arms looped not so reluctantly around Flint's neck.

"Ugh." Flint leaned in for a soft kiss, which Kurt quickly deepened. "Fine. You've distracted me this time." Kurt murmured, his hands sliding down Flint's shirt front until he was able to tug the tails out from his school trousers.

"But I'm going to get to the bottom of this no matter how hard it is." Kurt insisted. He could only frown as Flint got a huge ridiculous grin across his face at the possible double entendres that statement made way for. Kurt lifted a hand to point at him threateningly.

"Do not say a word. Or you can spend your free time making out with your pillow."

Flint nodded and just ducked his head to kiss Kurt's nose and then his mouth and jaw. Their cheeks rubbed together, Flint's rougher with stubble, as he put his lips right next to Kurt's ear.

"Thaaaaaaat's what she said." Flint whispered, and Kurt groaned.

"You are ridiculous! You are such a child." Kurt protested, but couldn't help smiling as he pushed Flint onto the bed and crawled on next to him.


"That's it. I'm done. My brain is officially full. If I try to put anything else in it I'm going to start forgetting other things, and next thing you know, I have to wear velcro shoes. And even I can't rock that." Kurt piled his notes into a folder and grabbed his textbook.

"Night Kurt." Kyle yawned widely into his words and the other boys looked up, bleary-eyed but giving friendly smiles.

"Night." Jeff contributed, punching Flint in the leg as Kurt stood.

"Ow! I'm going! Jerk." Flint hissed at him, and stood up to walk Kurt out to the hall.

"You gonna be okay for tomorrow?" Flint posed. The two of them stopped at the doorway for a moment and Kurt rubbed his eye slightly.

"Yeah. You? Make sure you get some sleep right?" Kurt reached out and tugged on Flint's t-shirt, his scolding playful, but still serious.

"I will. Don't worry." Kurt just rolled his eyes and moved in closer. A cat call came from the group of boys behind them as he reached up to kiss him, and Flint moved quickly, shifting to press a faint kiss to Kurt's cheek.

"Night Kurt." Flint stared resolutely at Kurt, directly into his forehead so that he didn't have to look in his eyes. But he could tell Kurt was not exactly pleased.

"Yeah." He gave a bit of a laugh that stung Flint with its confused note. "Yeah okay." Kurt turned, casting a last conflicted glance over his shoulder. Flint slid back into the study circle as inconspicuously as he could, considering most of the boys were staring at him.

"Dude, on the cheek? Didn't take you for a prude." Flint just threw his pen at Adam in return for his comment, and looked resolutely back at his book. But everyone could see that the tips of his ears and forehead were pink.


"Well at least we're done for the week." Carter sighed as they trooped out of the bio lab the next afternoon.

"I've got double english and calc on Monday though." Nick sighed. "And I was supposed to go out with Teegan tomorrow night. She's going to kill me if I cancel on her again."

Flint glanced at Kurt, who had seemed...preoccupied... most of the day. He had waved it off at lunch when Blaine had asked what was wrong, saying he was just nervous about the bio test. But that was over and he still looked off.

"What's your plan for the weekend?" Flint tried. It seemed a pretty neutral question to venture in with.

"I'm going to go home." Kurt replied shortly.

"Oh, okay. Have fun." Flint stumbled out. He thought maybe they'd hang out a bit. Kurt hadn't said anything about going back to Lima at any point this week. "When are you heading out? We could grab dinner before."

Kurt looked at him askance.

"I'm leaving now. I said I'm be home for a family meal."

"Oh." Flint's eyebrows drew together and he glanced over at the other boy. "Then...I guess I'll see you when you get back."

"What, no kiss goodbye?" Kurt said sharply, stopping and staring up at Flint. A murmur ran through the crowd of boys and all eyes were suddenly on them. Flint could just feel it, and he fumbled for a moment. Kurt was already walking away, pulling his keys from his bag.

"Kurt! Wait." He pushed his bag into Jeff's arms and jogged down the hallway, glancing around for a private place he could talk to Kurt. "Kurt!"

He stopped for just a moment, glaring back at Flint, who took the opportunity to herd him into a classroom that had already emptied out. He pulled Kurt back out of the view of the doorway and lifted his hands to his face. Flint leaned in and kissed Kurt softly, stroking the smooth skin along Kurt's cheekbones with his thumbs.

"Happy?" Flint said as lightly as he could manage while looking this worried. Kurt seemed to glance around at the empty class around them.

"Not really." He sighed. He slipped past Flint towards the door. "I'll talk to you later Flint."

Flint slid into one of the desks and just let his head drop.

"You are such an idiot." He chastised himself, slumping further down in the seat. He was going to have to get over his raging self-consciousness about kissing his boyfriend in public. He hated disappointing Kurt.


Kurt waited until Sunday evening to come back from Lima. He hadn't spoken to Flint, even by first period Monday morning.

The phone calls from Friday night had turned to messages to call him back on Saturday, and to texts on Sunday. Kurt just turned his phone off sometime around three Sunday afternoon, and jammed it into a pocket of his coat in the hall closet. This morning, Kurt had skipped breakfast in the dining hall, eating a muffin from the tupperware container of snacks that Carole had sent back with him.

"You okay man?" Adam inquired as Kurt sat down heavily next to him.

"Yeah, just got back from home late last night." Kurt smiled weakly.

"Not a minute too soon. Flint's been a miserable bastard all weekend with you gone." Adam grinned. Kurt felt an unhappy burn in his gut at this news. He felt for his phone. Maybe he should text him at least. But he was cut off by the beginning of the week announcements from Mr. Kells.

"This is the second week of midterms. I hope everyone has done well so far and will continue to do so." There was a collective groan around the room and even Kurt contributed a bit, knowing that he had three more midterms to get done before testing finished on Thursday.

"And in good news, this Friday will be a Civvies Day to celebrate the end of midterms. So we'll see what you can all come up with for that." Mr. Kells seemed amused at the idea and several of the boys broke out in chatter. Kurt leaned over to Adam.

"What's this?"

"Civvies Day. It's like casual Friday, so we don't have wear our uniforms."

Kurt grinned widely.

"This is amazing news. This has officially made my week." Adam grinned, shaking his head.

"I'm wearing pyjamas, but I'm sure that you'll come up with something good." Kurt felt slightly scandalized, but was quickly distracted by planning out what he could release from the depths of his under-appreciated closet. He hadn't forgotten about texting Flint, but for now he pushed it back.


Kurt showed up to Warblers' practice right on time that afternoon, so Flint didn't have the chance to get up from talking furtively with Jeff and meet him. Kurt just sat down next to Blaine, only flashing his eyes at Flint, who was staring back. Wes immediately gavelled the meeting fiercely to order and he could almost see Flint slump in frustration.

At the end, he grabbed Blaine's arm, and dragged him away.

"Damn it, he is too damn fast." Flint exclaimed, shoving his music folder into his bag. Jeff held out his hands.

"Whoa whoa, no need to abuse the music. You haven't talked to him yet?" Flint shook his head.

"No. He's pissed at me, and he wouldn't answer any of my calls or texts all weekend, and now I can't seem to catch him. He keeps slipping away."

"Well, either you can man up and carry yourself with dignity, say you don't care and wait til he comes to his senses..."

"Or?" Flint asked, knowing it wasn't likely to be the more favourable of the options.

"Or you can do what I would and go camp out desperately by his door until he goes in or out." Jeff laughed a little at Flint's miserable moan. "What did you even do man? What's got him so mad at you?"

Flint shrugged.

"It's nothing serious. I just don't like being all over each other in public and he doesn't get it." Jeff shrugged.

"Well, figure something out soon. Cause you're both more annoying mad at each other than you are all over each other with the disgustingly cute stuff." Despite the harsh words, Jeff patted Flint's shoulder sympathetically. "Come on. Let's go kill some stuff and then you can go surrender your manly pride."


It took a day to engineer it, because he really did have to study for his health test, but when Kurt returned from studying in the library with Blaine Tuesday evening, Flint was sitting against the wall opposite his dorm door, flipping back and forth from the index to the centre of his geography text. As soon as he saw Kurt he scrambled to his feet.

"Don't...don't run away okay. I just want to talk." Kurt pursed his lips in thought, and eventually just sighed, opening his door and motioning for Flint to follow him in.

"You didn't answer any of my messages." Flint murmured, standing by the now closed door and feeling awkward.

"Well, I was mad at you. So, no. I didn't." Kurt glanced at him loftily as he unloaded his satchel onto the desk.

"You've been avoiding me." Flint frowned. This seemed to pique Kurt's attention. He snapped around, glaring at the other boy.

"I've been avoiding you! You're the one who seems to be magnetically repelled from my lips!" Kurt burst out, slightly embarrassed, but still frustrated.

"Believe me, that is the last impression I want you to have." Flint said firmly, stepping forward. He grabbed Kurt's shoulders gently and leaned in close. Kurt hated that he was the one who closed the last bit of distance, but it had been a while, and in all honesty, he'd missed Flint this weekend. But as Flint tried to be gentle and apologetic in his kisses, Kurt felt his ire rising. He pulled back and grasped Flint's wrists firmly.

"No, no more kissing without an explanation!" Flint winced at the exasperation in Kurt's voice. This was not going to end well.

Kurt poked his finger against Flint's chest, which did actually hurt a little. He rubbed at the spot and frowned.

"So tell me what the deal is!"

"I don't get what you're all upset about." Flint crossed his arms protectively.

"Don't even try that! We both know you've been dodging my attempts to kiss you when anyone else is in a thirty yard radius like freaking bullets. Do you remember before our second date? And you said that I wasn't your dirty secret?" Flint nodded.

"Well you're doing a hell of a job of convincing me otherwise right now."

Flint protested, standing up to defend himself.

"That is NOT true and you know that. You KNOW that I..." Flint's voice dropped fiercely, but Kurt's chin rose defiantly.

"I don't! You'll hold my hand, but anything more affectionate than that and suddenly I'm like Typhoid Mary! You can't get away fast enough!"

"Kurt..." Flint tried to reach out, but Kurt pushed his hand back.

"You won't even give me a peck in the hall, but as soon as we're alone, you're Captain Handsy all over me! So you tell me, why are you so embarrassed to show that you want to get with me outside of this room?"

"I'm shy! Okay!" Flint spat out. "Kissing in public I just...I feel like everyone is looking. It's just supposed to be you and me, you know? And went there's people around, I feel...conspicuous, and then its not just about us. It's suddenly you and me and a freaking audience, and I just...I hate it."

"Oh." Kurt looked like he was suddenly divided between confusion and anger, unsure what to do but also unwilling to let go of the fervour he'd managed to whip himself into.

"It's got nothing to do with you. I've already pushed my boundaries because of you, because I can't help how I feel about you. I am NOT embarrassed by you, so get that through your damn pretty head." Flint looked miserable now. "I love kissing you, believe me, I am all for it. Huge fan. I just don't want to do it in front of everyone."

Kurt was shaking his head, looking at the other boy's broken down countenance.

"Didn't you say something about if it's good, do it, and if its not, say something?" Kurt said sharply.

"I guess..." Flint forced out.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Flint pushed his hands into his hair before wrenching them free.

"I thought I could fix it. Fix me, before you had to find out. I thought that I could learn to be okay with it, so you wouldn't get mad."

"Well maybe if you had told me, I wouldn't have gotten mad."

"Yeah, well the plan clearly wasn't foolproof." Flint shot back, feeling stupid.

"I'm just... I don't want you to do anything like this again Flint."

Kurt leaned against his desk, fiddling a little with his hands.

"I care about you a lot, and...you made me afraid that you didn't...I didn't know what I had done wrong. I want to be the guy you want, and when you kept turning away from me in public, and then more than eager in private, I didn't know who I was supposed to be."

"Kurt, no." Flint stepped forwards and grabbed the boy's shoulders, hugging him tightly. "I just want you. I don't want you to try and be different from who you are-"

"But that's exactly what you were doing! If you weren't comfortable you should have just told me, not force yourself to do it."

"I'm just trying to be good enough. I know you're affectionate. I don't want you to feel restricted by me."

Kurt shook his head in frustration.

"And I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I'm not angry about whether or not we kiss when we're in public. I'm angry that you wouldn't say anything."

Flint's hand were balled up tightly, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm a crappy boyfriend aren't I."

"No." Kurt grabbed one of his hands and pulled him to the bed. Flint settled himself down in as small a space as possible, trying to close off.

"I get lots of affection from you. I like that you turn into this giant human cuddle sloth when we're alone."

"Do not." Flint protested halfheartedly. Kurt crawled onto the bed, sitting on Flint's lap.

"You do. And if I had know that you were so anti-PDA, I could have just waited until we were alone. I didn't know though. And I was just mad because you were running so hot and cold with me."

"I'm sorry."

"Why not, instead of being sorry, we actual tell each other next time. And maybe we can figure out another way I can show you affection when I want to, that you are comfortable with around everyone else."

Flint sighed, looking Kurt in the eyes with determination.

"I can try."

"Good. Now, its just you and me as far as I know. So where's my cuddle sloth?" Neither Kurt nor Flint could keep a straight face at the ridiculous phrase.

"Never ever say that again!" Flint groaned, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and shifting down on the bed.

"I'm keeping it in reserve for desperate situations."

"Blackmailer."

"Cuddle sloth."

Flint just groaned, scrunching up his face in distaste as Kurt laughed at him and pressed light kisses in his cheeks and forehead. With a soft, slow kiss between them, Kurt eventually pulled back with a sigh, letting his head rest on Flint's shoulder.

"I think we had out first fight."

"We should have waited longer." Kurt looked up at Flint with curiosity. He just shrugged, but his eyes were sparkling.

"What's the point in having the fight when its too early in the relationship for make up sex."

"Flint!" Kurt huffed against the other boy's chest, which jumped slightly along with his laughter.

"I'm just kidding sweetheart." The soft tone to his voice and the way Flint's fingers carded gently through his hair affirmed that to Kurt. But his mind still wandered in a direction that made his cheeks flare with heat.

Sex.

With Flint.

Hunh.


Friday morning, Flint sent Kurt a text saying that he'd be a bit late and would meet him in the dining hall for breakfast. Kurt was fine with the arrangement, as he'd already been up for an hour, reconsidering and replanning what to wear for Civvies Day.

Many of the boys had opted for pyjamas or sweats, so Kurt was pleased when he saw that Flint had at least opted for a nice pair of jeans and a dark blue zip-up hoodie.

"Gooooood morning." Kurt smiled as Flint strutted up to the breakfast table and sat down loudly in the spot across from him. Kyle and Gareth looked up with interest, offering responses through mouthfuls of the egg and bacon sandwiches they had made. Jeff was snorting back laughter for some reason, much to Kurt's great irritation, as he took his own seat and dug into a bowl of cereal.

"Morning." Jeff choked out. Kurt glanced at him, then back at Flint, who had just unzipped his sweater and pulled it off. His mouth opened wide in astonishment.

"What the hell are you wearing!" Flint raised his eyebrows in clearly feigned surprise.

"What, this? T-shirt for Civvies Day." The other boys looked at Flint's shirt and grinned in amusement.

"You are ridiculous." Kurt spat out. "You aren't actually going to wear that all day, are you?"

Flint smiled deviously, looking quite pleased at the reaction his homemade design had created.

"Oh. Oh I most definitely am. Now if you'll excuse me, I forgot my juice."

Kurt's head hit his arms as he groaned. When he'd fought with Flint about being affectionate in public, and when he'd suggested another way to show it, he'd never thought he'd have to see Flint wander Dalton for a whole day wearing a shirt that said "Kurt H. is my BF."

"Holy crap!" Gareth exclaimed suddenly, louder and with more amusment than was probably necessary. Within a moment the entire table broke out in laughter. Kurt looked up, following their eyes to Flint's retreating figure. Written in the same scrawled sharpie letters as the front, the back of Flint's shirt read "And we make out like BANDITS."

"What have I gotten myself into." Kurt said plaintively, looking at the other boys for support.

It was in short supply and got even more scarce when Flint grinned back at them over his shoulder, and Kurt couldn't stop the escape of a helplessly embarrassing giggle.