Blaine glanced around the room at his huge, happy, sometimes incestuous, highly dysfunctional family. Somehow, despite all the crazies, the illnesses, the massively screwing everything up – it must be a full moon – everything seemed to be turning out for the better. He'd been forgiven – God knows why – for all that he'd done. And, what was even more impressive, Kurt was learning – and learning quickly. He'd adapted instantly to Blaine's lifestyle. Sure, he needed a lot more exposure to gain that confidence, but Blaine's disease hadn't turned him away at all. And Blaine couldn't be more grateful.

I was so high I did not recognise

The fire burning in her eyes,

The chaos that controlled my mind.

Whispered goodbye as she got on the plane

Never to return again,

But always in my heart.

Blaine grinned, watching Nick and Artie grooving on stage. Sure, he was ever-so-slightly disappointed he'd had to give up that solo – like Kurt had said so many times, he could actually hear himself blending with Artie. Their voices would match pretty neatly, too. Though Nick was doing an incredible job, improvising on a djembe – and Blaine didn't want to know where that had come from or how Nick had become so accomplished on it – while Artie strummed, huge grins lighting up the room. Tina was sitting behind them at the piano, her fingers dancing across the keys, bopping her head, and she gave Blaine a warm smile before turning back to the grand.

The diner was actually pretty cool. Many of the people there were friends of the various students – so they had cleared a space in front of the stage. A mini mosh-pit had formed as a dancing area, thrumming with kids of all shapes and sizes, its own organism, each syncopated beat like a breath. He caught a glimpse of Jeff pulling Thad by the hands, forcing him to twirl around while his eyes remained locked on his boyfriend up on stage. David was laughing with some cheerleaders, Wes was passed out against Santana, and Blaine found his own head resting on Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt was amazing. He really was. Blaine was not in any way used to being cared for. Like he mattered. Like he was important, like he meant something to someone. He was barely used to feeling human.

His parents hadn't helped at all. Sure, they hadn't exactly locked him in a cupboard under the stairs for more than a week at a time, but they hadn't exactly been the most gracious and nurturing people in the world – not with his mother too afraid to change, and his father too strong and powerful – especially when off his face on whatever substance he could get his hands on at the time – usually cheap whiskey.

No. Tonight was meant to be happy. It was Valentine's Day. Blaine was here with his real family. His old one wasn't important.

This love has taken its toll on me.

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breaking in front of me

But I have no choice

'Cos I won't say goodbye anymore.

Funny. Funny the huge effects such a small action can have. Like the proverbial butterfly and the economy of Greece. Funny that it had taken a near coma and very nearly ruining his relationship with Kurt for Blaine to start opening up. Funny that opening himself up had, at least for the moment, led to him feeling the happiest that he could remember – and this is with an almost definite trip to the hospital in the next few days, the way his body was feeling.

"Thank you, Kurt," Blaine murmured, burrowing in the boy's neck.

Kurt looked down in surprise. "For what?"

"For not running away."

I tried my best to feed her appetite,

Keep her coming every night.

So hard to keep her satisfied.

Kept playing love like it was just a game,

Pretending to feel the same,

Then turn around and leave again.

Oh!

Blaine inhaled deeply. Yes, smelling – or, at the very least, attempting to smell – your best friend was rather creepy, but Blaine wanted to remember this moment forever. How safe he felt in Kurt's arms, how he could drop all his guards.

"I told you earlier, you'll have to try harder than having some life-threatening illness and a seriously messed-up family to scare away a Hummel."

See. How could he be so lucky? To find someone like that as a friend. A guy. A guy who happened to be gay. A guy who happened to be gay who also happened to show some interest back.

"Blaine, you're so hot!"

Even though he knew the context, Blaine couldn't help but grin. "It is me we're speaking about, Kurt. I mean, have you even seen my ass recently?"

"Just because you're feverish does not mean I won't slap you, Blaine." Kurt's arms around him tightened as he bent forward, coughing again into his fist.

"Who's to say I won't enjoy that?"

"Is that your blood sugar, or just the fever talking?" Kurt removed his arms, putting one hand on Blaine's forehead while pouring a fresh glass of cold water with the other.

That was surprising. Blaine knew that Kurt was getting the hang of the whole diabetes thing really quickly – but for his first instinct at an unusual comment to be his blood sugar… That was pretty impressive. Blaine probably wouldn't have thought of that himself.

"I think it's just tiredness, but I'm due to test any minute now." Blaine cleared his throat, pulling out his kit for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Do you want to do the honours?"

Kurt grimaced but nodded, playing idly with Blaine's left hand. "Which finger?"

This love has taken its toll on me.

She said goodbye too many times before

And her heart is breaking in front of me

And I have no choice

'Cos I won't say goodbye anymore.

"You know, my sister used to love testing me," Blaine said, sucking his finger clean as he continued to watch the boys – Brittany and Quinn had jumped on stage, shimmying around Artie and Nick as they performed.

"Who, Maegan?" Kurt gave Blaine's hand one last squeeze. "You're 69, Blaine. Does that mean you need sugar? Because it's less than 75?"

"69." Blaine giggled rather immaturely. "Yeah, I've been dropping throughout the night so I probably should."

Kurt fished out a packet of gummi cola bottles, ripping it open, before swatting the back of Blaine's head gently. "Idiot."

"Bitch."

"Jerk." Apparently Kurt liked watching Supernatural as well.

I'll fix these broken things,

Repair your broken wings

And make sure everything's alright.

My pressure on your hips,

Sinking my fingertips

Into every inch of you

Cos I know that's what you want me to do!

"Congratulations, by the way. You just caught your first low blood sugar level – without me even having to st-stutter once!" Damn it.

Kurt chose to ignore the slip. "You were talking about Maegan…?"

"She's the only one of my family missing tonight…" Blaine said wistfully. "I miss them both like you can't imagine. "

"Being sick doesn't help either, does it?" Kurt understood. He just got it, somehow. "My Mom… I miss her everyday. But especially when I'm sick. I mean, my Dad's fantastic and all, but just… it's not the same."

Blaine blinked. He'd been so wrapped up in his own little world. He tried, he really did, but it was so easy to forget that everyone else had their own problems too. It was like Kurt said earlier – that everyone is broken, that everything is made to be broken. Maybe it was time to let someone else take over. He didn't have to do this completely alone. Wes and David would be there to help, as well as Jeff and Nick and all the Warblers, even if they knew next to nothing about him.

This love has taken its toll on me.

I said goodbye too many times before.

And my heart is breaking in front of me.

She said goodbye too many times before!

And she will be loved,

And she will be loved…

Why did all of his revelations always seem to happen around music?

Blaine clapped as Tina moved forward to the mic with Quinn, while the boys backed off. He let himself be surrounded by the sounds of an almost-female a cappella group (some of the Warblers had been unable to resist and jumped in earlier at rehearsal) while leaning against Kurt. Yes, like he thought earlier – despite everything, he would get to that point, perhaps earlier than originally thought. Now that he knew what it was like to feel happy again, he wasn't about to give it up.


Hey guys. Seriously rushed this morning because I'm running for a train. Like leaving the house in 5 minutes. It hasn't been proofread, I know it changes suddenly and I'm not too happy with the ending but I need some sort of segue for the next chapter, so...

Chucking disclaimers to remind you I own naught but a shiny box full of golden treasures, which unfortunately do not contain the rights to Glee.

Thanks to everyone, especially some awesome anon, annkum, Different Child, riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795, xXLittle Rose AngelXx and Stranger on the Bus. Big shout out to triedtolie, who kind of gave me a prompt and it hasn't been covered yet, it's coming I promise, but it's still slightly relevant to today's chapter.

Love it? Hate it? Want me to forget about the mentos in my mouth and drink a heap of diet coke and have a mini explosion in my mouth thus disorientating me for a few days so I can't write? Please let me know.

Keep smiling! :D