Chapter 13

Blaine was still slightly hung over at school on Monday morning but that was nothing compared to the rest of the glee club.

A vast majority of the members of glee were in sunglasses and wincing throughout the day whenever Blaine saw them – he couldn't blame them, they were very drunk on Saturday night, but so was he.

"Figgins wants us to perform songs about drinking for the Alcohol Awareness Week assembly," Mr Schuester announced in glee club. The collective eye-roll from the club was almost audible.

"How are you not still hung over, Blaine?" Mike asked him once Mr Schue had finished speaking.

"I'm used to it, I suppose," he shrugged. "I was kind of a mess yesterday though."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Mike said.

Blaine shrugged and checked the incoming message on his phone. His father had been texting him more and more recently, enquiring about different things for the suit and attempting to convince him to spend some time in New York. Blaine didn't understand why his father wanted to finish his suit so badly but he also didn't understand why he was so hesitant to work on it again.

Sure Blaine and his father had been able to work on the suit together without too much argument but Blaine wouldn't be able to forget the time they spent rebuilding that car, his father's attempt at turning him straight. There were plenty of bad memories from working on projects with his father and he wasn't keen to make any more.

He replied to his father, declining yet again the visit to New York, and returned his attention to glee club. Kurt had an excited look on his face but Tina beat Blaine to asking him why he looked like an enthusiastic puppy.

"I have the perfect song for Alcohol Awareness Week," he grinned.

"What song?" Tina asked.

"You'll see," Kurt replied mysteriously. "I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"I can't weasel it out of you some way?" Blaine smirked at him, his voice hinting at the suggestion of what he could do to convince Kurt to tell him.

"You'll find out tomorrow," he said, ignoring the way Blaine was giving him bedroom eyes.

"I have no idea what I'm going to pick. I guess I'll just try to find someone who does have an idea and sing back up for them," Tina shrugged. "What about you, Blaine?"

"I think I may have an idea," he said thoughtfully, "but if Kurt's not sharing then neither am I."

"I'm sure it'll be great whatever it is," Tina smiled. Blaine shrugged in response.

OoOoOoO

"Blaine, I'm not telling you what I'm singing," Kurt laughed at the pout on his boyfriend's face. "You can wait until tomorrow to hear it just like everyone else."

"You can't be persuaded?" Blaine's voice dropped to a husky and inviting tone on his last word.

"No, I can't," Kurt said, avoiding eye contact with Blaine. "And if you're going to sit there and pout at me you can go home, I should probably practise..."

Blaine stood up and shrugged, "alright, I guess I should go and practise my own song."

"Blaine, honey, I was kidding," Kurt reached over to take his boyfriend's hand in his own. "You're adorable when you pout."

"Honey?" Blaine smirked as the other boy started to blush. "That's a new one."

"Sorry, it just sort of slipped out," Kurt's cheeks grew redder as he apologised for the pet name.

"Ah well, I'll just have to think of some payback," Blaine grinned. "How does muffin butt sound? Or perhaps twinkle tush?"

"I think you're the muffin butt," Kurt said, pulling him closer and running his hand over said butt.

"Twinkle tush it is then," Blaine closed the distance between them with a short, teasing kiss. "But alas, my twinkle tush had a point when he said I should go home." It was Kurt's turn to pout this time and his face fell at Blaine's words. "Practise so you can blow everyone away tomorrow, and I'll go home and start putting something together."

"Fine," Kurt smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"See you at school, Twinkle Tush," Blaine winked before leaving his boyfriend alone, waving to Burt as he passed through the house.

OoOoOoO

"So can I know yet?" Blaine asked. They were sitting in their third period English class and it was the first time they had time to speak that morning.

"I'm sure you can wait just a little bit longer," Kurt smiled teasingly. Blaine's pout returned and Kurt patted his hand. "You'll live."

"It'll be worth it," Blaine said, his smirk beginning to return from beneath the pout.

"I hope so," Kurt nodded. "It's been so long since I've had a solo in glee."

"You easily have the best voice in there," Blaine grinned. "Did I tell you I nearly forgot to sing in our duet? I just wanted to listen to you."

Kurt blushed at the compliment and his smile grew wider. "You're building the suspense up way too much," he chuckled.

OoOoOoO

"So do we finally get to hear what you're singing, Kurt?" Tina asked as they entered the choir room together.

"You're building it up way too much," Kurt sighed, "but yes."

Blaine entered from the opposite side of the room and called over to them. "I've been looking forward to this all day Twinkle Tush, it's your time to shine," he smirked.

"Twinkle Tush?" Tina giggled.

Blaine vaguely noticed a glare from Finn but walked over to Kurt with a grin in place. "I think we're all finally over our collective hangovers so it's time for something good to happen this week."

Mr Schue made his grand entrance and began to claim the attention of the club. Blaine took his seat next to Kurt and, surprisingly, felt someone sit down beside him. One glance beside him showed that it was Rachel Berry, the annoying, loud, short and extremely talented lead vocalist of the New Directions.

Blaine didn't speak to her but she didn't seem to notice his confusion at her presence. "I think we should seriously consider repeating our rendition of 'Don't You Want Me' for Sectionals seeing as my idea for doing original songs has been shot down yet again," she spoke very quickly and with great purpose. Blaine noticed Finn looking annoyed at her talking to him but she powered on. "I think your fresh new energy is great for the club and our voices sound amazing together, so we should definitely be featured."

Before Blaine could fathom a response, Mr Schue addressed the group. "I've been hearing some pretty good ideas for Alcohol Awareness Weeks so far but I think we should keep thinking. Kurt, you said you had something prepared?"

"I sure do," Kurt smiled and stood in the centre of the room, the smile on his face showing how much he belonged in front of the audience.

The guitar riff started and Blaine instantly recognised the song.

"I wanna be drunk when I wake up, on the right side of the wrong bed, and every excuse I made up, tell you the truth I hate, what didn't kill me, it never made me stronger at all."

Kurt's voice was as beautiful as ever and Blaine tried to make sense of the fact that this boy was his. Blaine made a mental note to get him to sing more often.

"Love will scar your make-up, lip sticks to me, so now I'll maybe leave back there, I'm sat here wishing I was sober, I know I'll never hold you like I used to.

But our house gets cold when you cut the heating, Without you to hold I'll be freezing, Can't rely on my heart to beat it, 'Cause you take part of it every evening, Take words out of my mouth just from breathing, Replace with phrases like when you're leaving me."

Blaine's mouth fell into a surprised grin – Kurt's voice was amazingly sexy as he sang fast and low, faster and lower than he thought possible for him.

"Should I, should I? Maybe I'll get drunk again, I'll be drunk again, I'll be drunk again, To feel a little love."

Kurt smiled shyly before continuing with beautiful power, his voice so strong Blaine would have to think of dying puppies to avoid any awkwardness in his southern regions.

"All by myself, I'm here again, All by myself, You know I'll never change, All by myself, All by myself, I'm just drunk again, I'll be drunk again, I'll be drunk again, To feel a little love."

If there was any doubt that the song didn't suit his voice it was gone by the end of the song. Blaine gave a standing ovation and a few members joined him, all of them applauding loudly.

Blaine didn't notice what Mr Schuester had to say about the song, he was too enthralled by the boy sitting beside him.

He and Kurt shared a grin and Kurt could tell that the mystery and build up surrounding the song was worth it, they loved it even if Mr Schue didn't think it was appropriate to perform at the assembly.

The only thing that could bring Blaine's mood down was his father, and that was exactly what happened. Blaine was about to leave the choir room with Kurt when his phone started ringing. He told Kurt to go on without him and hit answer.

Blaine was tired of the stilted conversations they were having through texts and he was almost glad his father decided to call him.

"Hello?" Blaine answered, his jaw tense.

"Hey Blainers," Tony said, far more cheerfully than his son. "I'm glad you finally decided to answer my calls."

"You caught me in a good mood."

Tony chuckled, "It doesn't sound like it."

"Well you're great at changing my mood," Blaine said.

"I don't think I'll ever understand you, Blaine. You seemed so keen to come to New York last time, and now every time I mention it you're making excuses not to. What gives?"

"After the disaster that was my last visit I thought it would be obvious. Mom still looks like she hates me, and I've barely spoken to Cooper since I last saw him," Blaine was frustrated his father couldn't see that their family had fallen apart. "Why would I want to spend all my time in a workshop with you when you're so oblivious about everything going on in my life?"

"Well maybe if you'd been answering my calls lately I wouldn't be so oblivious," Tony reasoned.

"And maybe if you realised it's not just lately that's the problem…" Blaine sighed. "Whatever, I don't want to go to New York and work on the suit with you, so please just stop asking."

"You know me, Blainers, I'm not one to give up." Blaine could hear the grin in his father's voice.

"I have to go. Goodbye, Dad."

"My offer still stands, don't forget."

Blaine hung up the phone, ran a frustrated hand through his hair and went to find Kurt.

OoOoOoO

"Blaine has been all over you in glee, and there is no ignoring the way he was looking at you just then," Tina grinned.

"That's not to mention the hickeys neither of you are doing a good job at hiding. What's going on, Kurt?" Mercedes asked, keen for gossip. "It's not often one of us gets a new boyfriend, so don't spare any details."

"I hate to disappoint you girls but it's just normal boyfriend stuff," Kurt shrugged. "Same as any of the other dating combinations we've had."

"If you say so," Mercedes said, not sounding convinced. "Has he met your Dad yet?"

"He stayed over after Rachel's party so they met then," Kurt answered.

"And what did your dad think of him?" Mercedes prompted.

"I don't really know, Blaine was really hung over so he didn't make the best of impressions but it could have been worse."

"And have you met his mother?" Mercedes asked.

"Yeah, I've met her," Kurt blushed at the memory of his first meeting with Blaine's mother.

"And his Dad?" Tina knew she may be overstepping, it was common knowledge that Blaine hated talking about his father.

"He's in New York," Kurt lowered his voice. "Blaine doesn't really talk about his Dad much, and I don't ask. He hasn't told me anything about when he saw him on his suspension."

Kurt was saved from any further questions when Blaine caught up with them, clearly annoyed.

"Hey Blaine," Kurt smiled.

"Hi," he said distractedly.

"We were going to get coffee at the Lima Bean, you could come too if you want," Mercedes invited.

"Uh, sure," Blaine nodded.

"Are you okay, Blaine?" Tina asked. "You seem a bit off."

"I'm fine, my Dad just called and I didn't expect it to go well," he shrugged. "But the Lima Bean sounds alright, I haven't been there yet."

"I think I'm going to have to take a raincheck, I'm not feeling very well and I have a lot of homework to do," Kurt said. "I'll see you tomorrow." He looked around before kissing Blaine goodbye and heading to his car.

"I might as well head home too then," Blaine sighed. "I suppose I should work on my number, though there's no way it'll live up to Kurt's."

The girls bid him farewell and Blaine walked home to find his house empty, just the way he liked it. He sat down at the piano and played the song he had chosen for this week's glee assignment over and over until he got it perfectly right.

OoOoOoO

Kurt was absent in all of Blaine's classes on Wednesday, curious as to why, Blaine texted him during lunch.

Blaine: Skipping class today? I'm a good influence on you

A few minutes later he received a reply.

Kurt: I'm sick, this flu feels like death

Thinking back, Blaine did notice Kurt seemed to be a little bit pale the day before, but he had just put it down to performance nerves.

Blaine: I'll skip glee this afternoon to come cheer you up with soup and cuddles

Kurt: As wonderful as that sounds I don't want you to get sick and you can't skip glee this close to regionals

Blaine: Fiiiiiiiiiiine I won't skip glee, but I'm still coming over

Kurt: If you can't be persuaded, chicken noodle's my favourite type of soup

Blaine chuckled and resumed eating his lunch, sitting with Mike and a few of the other glee guys. He felt slightly awkward with Finn and Sam sitting at the same table. Even though Finn hadn't actually done anything to him and Sam had apologised, he was still wary about them.

"I think I'm finally over my hang over from Rachel's party," Mike joked.

"Time for some more drinking then," Puck grinned. "I could get us a couple of slabs for this weekend."

"Why wait for this weekend?" Blaine asked, ignoring yet another text message from his father. "There's nothing wrong with a little Wednesday drinking."

"After how I felt the last time I don't plan on drinking any time soon," Mike complained.

"You get used to it," Blaine shrugged, "but abstaining from alcohol is another option."

"I think I'll go with the second option," Mike laughed.

"Your loss," Blaine flicked his tongue across the inside of his lip ring, thinking of all the amazing memories – or lack of memories – he'd had from drinking at parties and bars. "One thing we didn't do at Rachel's was play Never Have I Ever. That's one way to get me wasted."

"I became very good at pouring shots from playing it," Puck agreed.

"I've never played it," Mike confessed.

"Neither," seconded Finn.

"We'll have to fix that then," Puck grinned.

"I'm not in a hurry," Mike said.

"Give me time to tally some more stuff up," Blaine nodded. Finn looked at him shiftily for that remark, he apparently wasn't keen on Blaine having a physical and possibly kinky relationship with Kurt.

"Are you up for this weekend then Blaine?" Puck asked, grinning. "A Puck-party is one not to be missed."

"Maybe, my Dad wants me to visit him but I'd much rather stay here," Blaine said, his tone slightly bitter at the mention of his father.

"Sweet," he nodded.

"Scandals is the name of the gay bar isn't?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah," Puck nodded, "but there is no way I'm going there."

"I wasn't expecting you to," Blaine laughed. "I was thinking about going there one night this week."

"You've got a fake ID I'm assuming?" Puck asked.

"Of course," Blaine nodded. "All that Stark technology's got to be useful somehow."

"Nice," Puck grinned and gave Blaine a high five.

The rest of Blaine's day passed in an indifferent blur of classes and glee rehearsal. Finally the day was over and he could go to Kurt's house to check out how sick his boyfriend was.

OoOoOoO

Blaine ignored yet another text from his phone, sitting beside Kurt on his bed (with the door open, as per Burt's insistence). Kurt eyed his boyfriend curiously, noticing the annoyed expression that flashed across his face when the text came through.

"You're not going to check that?" he asked.

"It'll be my Dad, it doesn't matter," Blaine shrugged.

"He's sent you like 6 messages since you got here, are you sure it's not important?"

"He's trying to convince me to stay with him this weekend, but I'd much rather stay here and look after you," Blaine's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm flattered, but you should go if you want to," Kurt said, feeling guilty he was keeping Blaine from visiting New York.

Blaine shook his head, "I don't want to go."

Kurt knew asking him why would get him nowhere, so he curled tighter into his boyfriend and didn't push the topic further. He didn't know why Blaine, who had seemed so keen to get out of Lima, all of a sudden rejected the idea of spending time in New York.

"He wants my help with something, we were working on it when I was there on my suspension," Blaine explained, being as specific as he could be without revealing too much. "And I do want to do it I guess, but just not as urgently, and I don't really want to spend another weekend in Stark Tower."

"Well, it sucks that I'm sick, we could have done something more fun this weekend."

"There's nothing wrong with a movie marathon weekend," Blaine suggested.

"Nothing wrong with that at all," Kurt smiled.

"Sounds like a plan," Blaine grinned. He looked down at his boyfriend who was curled into his side and pecked his lips against the other boy's forehead. Blaine moved his head further down, trying to find Kurt's lips.

Kurt pulled his head away, "I don't want to get you sick."

"I'll be fine," Blaine tried to reassure him. He leant closer to the other boy, trying to show that he didn't care about catching his illness.

"No," Kurt shook his head and gently moved out of Blaine's arms. "Not today."

"Fine," Blaine nodded. He pulled his phone out of his pocked and read through the messages from his father. Some were asking for measurements for his suit but most were trying to convince him to spend the weekend at Stark Tower.

Kurt yawned, wincing at the pain it caused in his throat. He sank deeper into his bed and closer to Blaine, his eyes starting to droop.

"I should get going if you're going to sleep, you need to rest."

"No, I'll stay awake," Kurt said, stifling another yawn and wrapping his arms tighter around Blaine's body.

"You need to rest so you can get better," Blaine said, gently rubbing circles on Kurt's back to soothe him into sleep. "I'll come and visit again tomorrow."

"Fine," Kurt pouted.

Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead again before getting up gently, trying not to jostle his boyfriend. He didn't want to go home, his mother wasn't quite over their argument from during their visit to New York, and it was too quiet there. He didn't know where else to go in boring little Lima but he remembered part of his conversation from lunch – he could go to Scandals and forget all about his father wanting him to work on his suit, his argument with his mother, and everything else that was bothering him.

He reached in his back pocket to check that his fake ID was still in his wallet. It hadn't been hard to use the right Stark technology to make it, and it had proved very useful.

Blaine's face split into a grin once he was inside the bar. He bought the first drink of many for the night and sat and the bar, eyeing the talent and forgetting about everything that wasn't in the bar.

A/N: The song Kurt sang was Drunk by Ed Sheeran (add /watch?v=G2fOum_KWQU to watch it on youtube)