to PenMagic, yes~ Finn is an oddball though. you'll see what i mean in the upcoming chapters. not an oddball, a bit of...well, i won't accidentally say something that might give it away but Finn has...something.

THIS SEBLANGST.

26 – reality of the situation

Not that Kurt Hummel wasn't totally in love with having his ass kicked to the curb with Sue Sylvester, but this was going too far. Kurt was still slightly nervous. Today was a Friday, hence a Friday dinner – if he skipped it, he wouldn't be fair to Carole. If he stayed there and got into a screaming fit with his Father, then it wouldn't be fair to them either. Sue was now in charge of their booty camp, and had so far criticised Brittany and Santana, Rachel's dancing (which Kurt completely agreed with), and Puck's own. And she just exploded when she saw Mercedes texting and that petrified Kurt, not wanting to do anything or stand in a certain way or breathe in a certain way.

She was staring at him and his eyes were trying to keep hard as she berated every one of them. He can barely do anything, much less dance, not with her beady eyes psycho-analysing every single step. It was petrifying. Blaine seemed to be out of it, as Kurt had noticed. He didn't seem to be noticing that the Devil's apprentice was cracking down the rules as hard as possible.

Kurt decided that Blaine was having an off day. He'd dropped him off at home and Blaine was staring at the doorway of his house as if he was nearly scaring of walking in, alerting Kur at Blaine's suspicious behaviourism. Blaine seemed to be becoming a senseless drone that was just tired. Blaine was just exhausted all of the time, and was declining Kurt's kisses and hugs. Even a simple embrace from Finn, Blaine had declined, wondering what was in the ravenette's head, to not want to be touched.

Blaine's sleeping habits were out of control as he was barely sleeping and had been compensating for it during class time and Glee and it was petrifying to see those bloodshot eyes. His eating habits were non-existent, with a few pieces of toast Kurt had seen him eat here and then. At the rate that Blaine was losing weight, he was going to look scary thin by the end of the year.

Passing by Blaine at the hallway, he stopped in his tracks and then bit down his lower lip. "What's wrong, Blaine?"

Blaine seemed taken back by the question but smiled softly. "My brother's back and he's in town," he said, in a thick, brusque voice, suggesting that nothing worse could've happened in his life.

Kurt was now speculating for reasons why Blaine wouldn't tell him – aren't you the one that pushed him away when you learned the truth about Mother Dearest? It hurts, so give him a free pass for being weird and not telling you! At least he isn't opening up to Sebastian like you did! Of all people—and then a man of pure perfection walked and broke Kurt out of his thought.

Kurt recognised the man from the National commercial immediately, and then promptly fangirled. "I have the jingle as my ringtone!" Kurt excitedly blocked out the rest of the world, grinning up at the man with the dazzling amazing blue eyes. Oh my Prada.

"You're like…the best looking guy in North America," and now, Kurt was practically melting puddles at his feet.

Sue Sylvester passed by and told him to sign her breast, making Kurt rather disturbed. But her description of Cooper being a good actor and a Disney prince couldn't be even more right. As the trio left, Sue interrupted them again. God! Can't she see that he was in the presence of fame? For some reason, this gave Kurt some sort of exhilaration. It was almost as if Cooper wasn't human and he might as well be. His teeth were shining like his eyes, and he was just so perfect that Kurt could not think. He finally glanced at Blaine, whom seemed to be displeased, but why? This was beyond Kurt's thinking process at the moment.

The Glee club seemed to also be ecstatic as Cooper's mere existence, much less him breathing the same air in the same space as him. The thought still baffled Kurt to know end. It gave him something to be incredibly excited about, and then his eye met with Sebastian's whom was completely and utterly not amused and looked like he actually…hated Cooper. This made Kurt think for a moment, why would Sebastian hate Cooper? Unless Blaine talked to him and gave him a reason to. Kurt suddenly felt out of Blaine and Sebastian's circle and closer to the New Directions' hysteria and delight at Cooper's presence.

It was just that Cooper was here…the Cooper…and Kurt could not process it. Someone famous. Someone known. Someone that wasn't a Lima loser was here at Sue's order right now. "This is Porcelain's older brother—"

"—actually, he's mine—"Blaine corrected her, but this seemed to be forgone and forgotten.

"I suppose I'm doing you a bit of a favour," she was eying them like a seal eyed fish right then, hungry for the power that she was getting, "by letting you see someone who did what you all lazy scums want to do. And I hope, that with the presence of this male Adonis, you understand what it will take to win." She simply finished off her mini speech like that.

"I think Cooper and Blaine should do a song together," Rachel had suggested.

Kurt didn't miss the look of complete and utter distaste. Cooper raved on about his and Blaine's Duran Duran legacy and Blaine was being completely opposing to the idea, protesting in the kindest and sweetest way possible, but then had eventually given up and stood up. Kurt wondered why as he watched the performance with amazed eyes. Blaine and Cooper were perfect, completely in sync and enough to make Kurt swoon.

Blaine completely went back to being stoic and not-able-to-bother mode, which made Kurt wonder right then what really was wrong with his curly-haired boyfriend.

The Breadstix breakfast menu sucked.

Blaine was now playing with his plate that was stull full of eggs. He brought his cardigan just a bit closer to him, unsnapping and snapping back the button just to have something to do and be rid of this God awful tension. Blaine was drinking his cup of black coffee, and that was just it. His food did not appeal to him, and Cooper's raving on didn't help him. Joseph and Maria finally made it and Blaine hated his parents all the more for noticing his successful brother, for loving him more. What did Blaine get? "Let's fix up a car so we can straighten you up!" disgust. He was disgusting and revolting and this was why they didn't want him, because as far as they thought, the HIV was probably because their tiny little son was fucking people – even when the Doctors said not.

He had nothing to show the dying process except for a fever and some lost weight. It was a blessing and a curse. Cooper suddenly launched in and started to critique his dancing. Blaine's head was full of lead by then. The rage filling his blood as quick as possible. "Why do you always have to put me down?" Blaine suddenly snapped, earning a shocked Cooper and his appalled parents at Blaine's agitation over the Cooper that just wanted to help.

"Look, bud, I'm sorry," Cooper said all of a sudden, shocking Blaine. "I'm doing this for you, okay? To get closer to you."

Fuck you. Blaine wanted to say but kept his lips shut tightly, pursed.

"How have you been doing, Cooper then, sweetie?" his Mother, Maria Anderson, asked, and her eyes twinkled. Blaine prodded at his eggs, and then pulled them away after a bite of them. Joseph sent him a look that was close to: eat this. I paid for this! and Blaine glared at his own Father, emitting a more furious expression to fill Joseph's eyes. Blaine finally gave in and pulled the plate back towards him, he can almost hear Kurt complain about the egg yolk being there because it was all that Blaine was thinking about, like he needed all that fat and cholesterol in his body. He'd specifically asked for egg whites.

"Good, just got a bug here and there, been doing real good though."

"Oh, Coop, you should be more careful." Maria pursued her lips together. "Are you still sick? Do you need us to go back home and lie in bed?"

An uncontrollable rage seemed in Blaine's blood. He said he had a bug! What – what – why is he more special than me? Is it because he was born first? Why the fuck do you hate me? Blaine was torn between being in pain and generally hating the world as he looked to and from his parents. Kurt was calling him. Blaine declined the call without a second thought. Kurt was still texting him: Afesat called. They think they developed a prototype so we can see what Bas sees…er…I just wanted to let you know. Okay? Stay safe, sweetheart. Blaine was nodding towards the phone as if Kurt was there and then turned to his parents whom were still crooning over Cooper.

His GP was calling him. Wait. Why?

Blaine answered the phone and then raised an eyebrow. "Hi," her voice was low. "I just got the results back from the blood test we did a few days ago to check your CD4 count and…" Blaine can just feel the bad news right about now. It was enough to alert his GP and call him.

"It's about 45. MAC infection is very risky with CD4 count below 50. About your CD4 count…your specialist wants to change your medication for the MAC bacteria since…he thinks that he wants something more potent because your CD4 count is ridiculously low. We tried to call your parents but they're not picking up. Blaine, are you taking the HAART pills?"

CD4 count below 200. Opportunist disease. That just spelled out AIDS in Blaine's head and it was scaring him. Blaine bit down his lower lip.

"They aren't doing anything, are they?" he finally said.

Blaine must've been speaking in a painful to hear voice because Cooper was staring at him with a sudden spasm of confusion. Blaine clutched the phone just a bit tighter.

"It takes time, Blaine. It's not a magic pill. I can take months. It happens…just…schedule an appointment with your specialist and we can find something for you."

"Do I have even have any months?" Blaine's voice was low.

"It's undetermined for now. Many people pull through a MAC infection, with lower CD4 counts than you. It's just uncertain right now. Just schedule an appointment then. A life expectancy of an average AIDS patient—"don't say that word! "—with MAC bacteria in their system is about four months but you probably will be able to pull through. Not every patient is just the average AIDS patient, okay? Besides, we're putting you on a good antiviral and anti-MAC treatment so you will see better results at least. I can promise you that."

She sounded so sure of herself that Blaine was almost reassured. Except he wasn't. The data said something completely different and it was staring straight at him.

"For now, just try to keep a lot of iron in your diet. Anaemia makes it riskier." Blaine heard this, but it all seemed to be so unreal that Blaine couldn't be bothered. He shut his phone afterwards, and then called his specialist quickly for an appointment. He realised that his brother was staring at him and he'd caught his attention of his parents. After scheduling an appointment for three days from now, which Blaine was glad about, his CD4 count was now worrying him. The thought of Sebastian hearing about that was making Blaine's stomach queasy.

"What the fuck was that about?" Cooper suddenly sounded out.

Blaine shrugged, but tried to hold back tears right now. That simple word AIDS was scary to think of. Blaine bit down his lower lip and looked away. People lived with HIV for years, but how long would Blaine be able to go on? A year, two? …three months? Two? Would he live to see Kurt's Broadway performance? Stop thinking you're going to die! Your GP wouldn't have sounded so reassured, right? But of course, she would try to reassure him, try to sugar-coat it. She was his GP for the Anderson family for too long not to, and those specialists that the Anderson's just got under their finger. Blaine was ninety percent sure if he called her in the middle of the night, she'd answer him and assure him.

It was AIDS. Not HIV. AIDS!

Blaine was afraid to move just in case he passed out. It was petrifying. "Blaine," Cooper's voice was strong.

"He has HIV, and thinks it's the end of the world," Maria rolled her eyes.

Blaine felt sick, as he pushed his plate away, wanting to do nothing but curl up into a ball right about now.

"Stop being so gloomy," Joseph ran his hand through Blaine's hair in a pseudo-affectionate manner. "Boys his age are all so bright and happy and colourful and then there's Blaine, being all in his depressed little world—and eat your eggs, Blaine."

Blaine shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

"Why?" Cooper suddenly shot up. "Think you can starve yourself, Blaine? Oh, I've seen this with some chicks at the set. Think they can get all tiny and precious…"

"What?" Blaine was petrified by now, eyes wide. "You think I'm starving but I refuse to eat?" Blaine was appalled at the thought. He honestly found the food nauseating right about now, bland. His appetite so supressed he didn't want to look at food, much less eat it and Cooper was suggesting that he was doing this for vanity?

"Don't think I didn't notice that you've shifted more than just a couple a pounds, kay?"

Blaine shook his head. "Coop, do you eat when you're sick?"

"Yeah. Actually, more than usual."

Blaine rolled his eyes at this statement and Cooper was eying him again. "Eat your freaking eggs." Blaine finally gave up and ate the rest of his eggs, but the salt and butter and the fact that it was whole egg made him feel like filth. It was doing nothing to his head except making him feel like shit. Blaine stood up, ready to leave completely when he saw Sebastian standing there. He didn't grab onto Sebastian's hand, just looked at him with a look that clearly said Save me.

Sebastian laughed. "Fine." His eyes were twinkling. "Come on then. Mr and Mrs Anderson, Blaine really needs help with a French project."

McKinley didn't have French, but not like his parents knew that. Blaine nodded and they both left. Sebastian slid into his car and Blaine followed after a moment. They didn't move. Blaine finally broke down, tears burning down those big, brown eyes and Sebastian stared back at him. "Blaine?" his voice was low, confused and his eyebrows furrowed in a way that was like 'if-someone-hit-you-I'll-kill-them', almost as if preparing for any type of anger.

Blaine shook his head. "I'm sick again."

"What the fuck?" Sebastian's voice rang through Blaine's ears, splitting his head with the sudden headache that was plaguing him.

Blaine slowly nodded his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Blaine," Sebastian was shooting Blaine an exceptionally measured look. "What are you sick with?"

"MAC bacteria," Blaine's voice was soft. Sebastian must've understood that, because his eyes were huge and crazed. "Sebastian, I'm scary."

"What the fuck is your CD4 count?" Sebastian was demanding. Sebastian was acting like the person that Blaine needed the most right now, someone that cared.

Blaine was shaking right now. "…Forty-five."

"Forty…five…" Sebastian glared coldly.

Blaine slowly nodded his head. What Blaine wasn't expecting was Sebastian's arms to suddenly wrap around him as tightly as ever, flinching when he was in contact with the feverish skin. "I'm gonna give you some…some MAC prevention meds after this, okay?" Blaine whispered, as Sebastian's hand ran through Blaine's hair.

"Shut the fuck up, Blaine. I'm gonna freaking lose you."

And that was Blaine Anderson knew his fears weren't a conjuration of his mind and then finally cried his eyes out until it hurt to feel.