AN: So, here you have the second half. I could give you a mean cliffhanger here, but I don't like doing that, so it became a lenghty chapter instead - I hope you can forgive me for that!

I've realized - after writing 36 chapters - that my skin may be elephant thick, and maybe I should have added some warnings here and there in this story. So, this is a not so subtle reminder that the rating for this story is M - and it is so for several reasons.

The idea for the song Blaine sings in this chapter is inspired by and kindly borrowed from EvvieJo's The Inevitable Tends to Happen. Thank you for letting me mug your mind!

As I said for my last chapter; Claudiavonberckefeldt graciously gave me review number 200 for this story, and of course I granted her a (reasonable) wish as a reward - so even in this chapter you'll see a few gentle nods to German culture and heritage, as a tribute to her home country (kudos if you spot them, I go for subtleness).

I've only seen a couple of episodes of season 4 so far, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE no spoilers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Puck is the first to arrive the party, with a girl Blaine wouldn't have pegged as his type, but he's not one to judge who other people love and desire; he's had enough of that directed at himself.

Puck pats him roughly on the back.

"You're the roommate, right?" Puck asks, nodding in Kurt's direction, who's headed for the kitchen with the bags of supplies Puck's brought, along with the girl.

"We go to the same school, yes, but Kurt boards with Jeff, the blonde guy," Blaine politely explains.

"Oh, yeah, that gay dude," Puck grins. "Good, then they can talk about the same shit together and all that. So what do you do?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Blaine says charmingly, unconsciously slipping into that composed, articulated, eloquent gentleman he's brought up to be, and who comes out as his go-to modus operandi whenever he feels uncomfortable.

"What's your thing when you're not in school? I've seen you somewhere before, but I don't know where. Do you sing in Glee club? Play football? Have we partied together before? Do I know your brother, or have I fucked your sister? Do your parents have a pool?"

Blaine blinks and smiles disarmingly, feeling close to overwhelmed. He laughs awkwardly, disarmingly.

"No, I don't sing. I don't play football, but I do some boxing. I can't remember partying with you," Blaine says, knowing he never goes to any parties unless they are hosted by and limited to his school friends. "I doubt you know my brother. I don't have a sister, but my parents have two pools."

"So I've cleaned your pools then?"

"I hardly think so," Blaine keeps his smile plastered on, and thinks about the housekeeping staff in Columbus and Los Angeles, maintaining both homes to proper standards no matter where the Anderson's are living at the moment.

"So where have I seen you earlier?" Puck keeps pushing, squinting at him as if it'll help him remember.

"You… You visited him, earlier," he lowers his voice, "in Bellefontaine. I saw you there, I don't know if that could be it."

Puck's face falls for a moment, but he quickly gathers his wits.

"I knew I never forget a face. We all have shit to carry. I've done time in juvie, and I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm more than just that. And the Glee club helps me grow and become a better person," he pitches his voice highly for the last sentence, clearly paraphrasing someone Blaine doesn't know.

"Puckerman, let the fresh meat remain unharmed," the girl Puck arrived with interjects. "Forgive Caveman here for his lack of manners," she says directed to Blaine. "I haven't completely house trained him yet. I'm Lauren Zizes, and you're One Fine Ass," she grins wickedly, and Blaine feels slightly threatened.

"Hey!" Puck objects. "No flirting with other guys; I'm the one who gave you seven minutes in heaven."

"Yeah, about that? Not so heavenly," Lauren drawls, but winks teasingly at Puck.

She bumps her fist against Blaine's shoulder so hard he has to side step to regain his balance.

"Stay around and make my night enjoyable!" she says as she walks off towards the stereo equipment, Puck following her like an obedient puppy.

Blaine remains bewildered on the middle of the floor, trying to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry I just left you like that, but I had to secure the kitchen from the disaster Finn would inflict on it," Kurt rushes from next to him, and Blaine can feel his tense shoulders relax somewhat. "Do you want me to introduce you to my friends?" he asks, and Blaine realizes more people have arrived while he talked with Puck and Lauren.

"Sure; I'd love to," he says, deciding it's better to get it done with.

Blaine really tries to remember all the names, he does, and he knows it's an important skill to master for his future career and expected networking. But it's been some time since he's needed that particular talent, and he frantically makes up rhymes and rules on the go to help him remember the names. He doesn't want to risk offending Kurt's friends by mixing up their names, or even forgetting them.

A brunette comes skipping up to them, grinning a little maniacally.

"Kurt! It's so good to see you again!" She smothers him in a tight hug, squealing. "You have to tell me everything about Dalton," she demands as soon as she lets go of him.

"There's not much to tell, I really haven't been there for long yet," Kurt says reluctantly.

Rachel's face falters, and she looks disappointed.

"But it's been two weeks! I hoped you by now had been to your classes, jointed the Glee club, checked out other clubs, made some friends…"

"Rachel, meet my friend Blaine," Kurt swiftly interjects, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder to include him in their conversation.

Rachel beams, even more so when Blaine extends a hand and introduces himself.

"Such nice manners," she gushes, a small blush gracing her cheek bones. She's clutching their locked hands, trapping them between the two of them and standing way too close.

"It's an honour getting to meet Kurt's closest friends," Blaine says politely. Her enthusiasm kind of reminds him of Wes and Jeff, and he can better understand how it is to be Kurt at Dalton now. Blaine's used to his own friends, but Rachel's excitement alerts him of unpredictability, and that's something he doesn't handle very well. She's also standing too close for him to be comfortable, and he takes deep, controlled breaths.

"Do you sing, Blaine? I have a wide selection of songs in my karaoke catalogue, I'm sure we can find something for your voice."

"Rachel, why don't you go and see if Finn hooked up your karaoke machine correctly? You know he isn't the most tech savvy there is."

Rachel startles, excuses herself and darts off to check her precious.

"Let's find some tamer friends," Kurt suggests, looking at Blaine for his response.

"Sure," he laughs easily, but Kurt looks at him as if he doesn't believe him.

"You know you can leave anytime you want, okay?"

"Whenever you want to return to Dalton, we leave," Blaine parries.

"Blaine," Kurt insists.

"I'm fine," Blaine reassures him, patting him on the shoulder and turning up the sincerity in his voice a notch or two.

Kurt looks sternly at him for a moment, and then one more.

"Okay," he nods, and leads the way further in the house.

In a couch, three pretty girls are sitting; smiling and laughing.

"Dolphin!" the one in the middle shouts, leaping out of her seat, and runs over to Kurt. She tries to jump up in his arms, but he manages to stop her with a wide smile and a firm grip of her shoulders.

To say that Blaine is confused is an understatement, but he maintains the smile on his lips as he watches the sweet reunion.

"Hey Brit-Brit, how are you?" Kurt asks tenderly.

"I'm really good now that you are here," she sighs pleased, and lets go of him. "Have you found someone to swim with?" she asks, looking at Blaine. Was Kurt on the swimming team in his old school?

"No," Kurt laughs, and Blaine wonders if the girls can hear how strained the laughter is. "This is my friend from Dalton; Blaine.

"My sweetheart doesn't like it when I hug cute boys we haven't met before, so I'm going to say hi and just wave," the girl says, waving eagerly and smiling at Blaine, before sitting down in the couch again.

Blaine keeps his polite smile on, discreetly looking around for a jealous boyfriend.

"Blaine; that was Brittany. I'd like for you to meet Santana…" A stunningly beautiful Latina nods at him, and maintains eye contact as she wraps an arm protectively around Brittany. Okay then. "…and this is Quinn." The blonde girl gets up and extends a hand delicately to Blaine. Pure manners.

"Nice to meet you, Blaine," she says sweetly, and a cold shiver runs through Blaine. The first impression she's giving off is giving him mixed signals. She looks intently at him, and he feels x-rayed by her eyes. She quickly looks at Kurt, and then back at him. "So you're Kurt's friend."

"That I am."

"Hmm…"

"Quinn," Kurt quietly warns.

She smiles disarmingly at him, and takes a sip of her drink.

"You should introduce your friend to the rest of us."

Kurt gently tugs on Blaine's sleeve, and takes him to a corner of the room, where some boys are squatted by a laptop and the speakers.

"Guys, I want you to meet Blaine from my new school," Kurt says softly to the boys.

An Asian boy is the first to tear his eyes from the playlists on Spotify they're rummaging, and his eyes lit up when he sees Kurt.

"Blaine, this is Mike. Mike, meet Blaine."

The boy is fairly tall when he stands up, and his smile seems honest as he greets both of them.

"Good to see you, man!" He quickly nods at Blaine in acknowledgement, before wrapping Kurt up in a warm embrace.

Blaine's heart constricts and something roars in his stomach. Do they have a history; why are they so close? Have the other boys greeted him like this? Why is he so good looking?

"Blaine?"

Blaine manages to pry his eyes away from the two hugging boys towards the sound of his name.

"Sam?" he startles.

The more than familiar boy gets up from the floor, and Blaine can see he wants to hug him; Sam was always tactile like that, but luckily he remembers and respects Blaine's boundaries.

"How are you?" Blaine asks, knowing he sounds out of breath and amazed. Which he truly is.

"Good. I'm good; things are better. And you, man?"

"Oh, you know…" Blaine smiles bashfully, he really doesn't like to talk about this.

"No, I don't. That's why I ask, dummy," Sam grins, not being able to stop himself from teasingly bump a fist against Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine flinches, and Sam immediately looks sorry.

"The same, I guess?" he answers, pretending like nothing.

"I see you've made a new friend," Sam smiles, nodding at Kurt who's now out of Mike's arms, but are talking with him and a boy in a wheel chair.

"Yeah, I did," Blaine can't help but smile.

"That's good. He's a good guy."

"Who's a good guy?"

"Kurt! There's someone I want you to meet. Kurt, this is my friend Sam. Sam, this is Kurt."

The boys shake hands and laugh; Blaine hasn't heard Kurt laugh this freely in a long time. And Blaine hasn't been this confused in a long time.

"I believe I missed a punch line," Blaine admits, shedding some of his confidence in front of his two weird acting friends.

"Oh honey," Kurt coughs, and there's a slight tickle along Blaine's spine at the term of endearment. "Sam goes to McKinley. But how do you know each other?" Kurt looks confused, but he rocks the look.

"Sam went to Dalton," Blaine murmurs, trying to make the puzzle pieces fit. They both end up looking at Sam.

"I did my freshman year and the first half of my sophomore year at Dalton. Then dad lost his job and money, and I transferred to McKinley," he shrugs.

"I didn't even know if you were still in Ohio. You kind of disappeared."

"It was embarrassing, you know. So I focused on settling down here."

"Well, come by one day. The boys will love to meet you again. And now you have Kurt there as well."

"This is a very small world," Kurt mutters.

"I told you I came from an all boys-school," Sam smirks. "And if I'd known you were transferring to Dalton, I'd done more to help you," he says apologetically.

"Don't worry, Sam. I didn't exactly expect to find an ex-blazer in the hellhole of Lima."

Someone clears their throat, startling the three boys.

"Oh, sorry," Sam jumps. "Artie, this is Blaine, an old friend of mine and a new friend of Kurt. Blaine, this is Artie."

"Yo!" Artie greets, smiling sincerely, offering his fist.

"Well, I have more people to introduce Blaine to, so I'll let you continue to find some proper music for this party," Kurt says, rolling his eyes at their current selection; What Makes You Beautiful.

He walks off, so Blaine waves at Sam and jogs to catch up with his newest friend. Kurt seems to be headed for the kitchen. There he finds two girls he remembers.

"Hey girls," Kurt says, sounding hesitant, almost awkward. Huh. Blaine thought these were good friends of Kurt. They were among those who came to visit him, after all. Blaine can't remember their names, though, and he should, because he knows they introduced themselves. It hasn't been that long; he should be able to remember two names for a couple of months.

"Hi!" the tiny Asian girl squeals, jumping down from the kitchen bench to hug Kurt. She looks at Blaine over Kurt's shoulder, and Blaine somehow feels as if she disapproves of him.

"Tina," Kurt smiles, and ends the hug.

"Hi Kurt…" the African-American girl says, studying her shoes dangling in the air.

"Hi Mercedes. How are you?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. How are you?" she asks, voice trembling.

There's an odd tension between the two of them, and Blaine doesn't understand what's going on, but he feels as if he's intruding on something.

"Fine. I'm fine," Kurt rushes, looking uncomfortable.

"Do you want something to drink, Kurt?" Blaine offers, looking for a polite way to give them some privacy to talk.

"Oh snap, look at me nose diving as a host. What can I offer you, Blaine?"

Kurt smiles hesitantly at the two girls, who decide to leave. The sink is filled with ice, wine coolers and beer bottles. On the bench Blaine recognizes the glass bowl with punch they prepared earlier, and it wasn't Perrier in the bottle Puck added later. To be honest, Blaine hasn't thought about how he'd party tonight. He's usually not much of a drinker, too concerned with maintaining control and monitoring his surroundings. But he should be safe tonight, in a house with Kurt, Sam and his friends, right? Kurt doesn't keep bad friends, surely? And Blaine feels overwhelmed and tired already, so maybe a drink is what he needs now, to feel less ambushed and scrutinized by Kurt's friends. An anxiety attack has been gradually building in the pit of his stomach, and he really needs to calm down.

"I think I'll be bold and try some of the punch," Blaine smiles politely.

"Okay, then we'll both be bold," Kurt agrees. "I'm afraid Finn insisted on red solo cups, arguing it'd save us time with less to wash tomorrow. And I guess it's a good thing nobody can break any of the glasses, at least," Kurt apologizes as he pours their drinks.

"How are you doing?" he asks as he hands Blaine his cup.

"Fine?" Blaine wonders why Kurt's asking.

"You can't ask me how you're feeling, Blaine," Kurt smiles amused, and the smile seems more honest and private than the other grimaces Blaine's seen on the boy's face so far this night.

"So far there have been some surprises, so I'd say it's an interesting night."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you. And if you take a sip of that cup you seal your faith."

Blaine looks questioningly at him.

"I'm not letting you drive away here when you've been drinking. So you have to choose. Do you want to endure this crazy night with me, or do you prefer to save your ass and get out of here?"

Blaine looks him square in the eyes and downs the entire cup.

"Well okay then," Kurt visibly gulps.

A comfortable, pleasing buzz has enveloped Finn's brain, and he can't help but smile pleased from his position in the big recliner. Artie is spinning on his wheels and Mike is doing some intricate moves Finn hopes he'll never suggest to Schue. Puck is strutting his stuff, showing off for Lauren. The girls are gathered on the big couch with their drinks and gossip. Sam, Kurt and Blaine are standing away from the improvised dance floor, talking eagerly about something. They're smiling and laughing, especially Sam and Blaine, and it's cool that Sam got an old friend back. Finn's friends are finally gathered, complete again with Kurt here. Blaine is an added bonus, but Finn's so glad to see him and what he can do for Kurt, he'll happily include him in their circle of friends.

Finn doesn't know Blaine's story. Hell, he doesn't understand how Kurt's mind is working at the moment, he just knows his brother is hurting and has a lot of crappy days. But Blaine was at that hospital too, so that has to mean his days can be shitty too, too difficult to cope with. Maybe Kurt's not the only one burrowing his face in the pillows to muffle how he cries himself to sleep. Maybe Kurt's not the only one who loses weight and won't eat. Maybe Kurt's not the only one who stops laughing and having fun with his friends. Maybe Kurt's not the only one dying slowly on the inside. Maybe Blaine sometimes deals with the same problems as Kurt, and maybe Blaine is someone who can understand Kurt in a way Finn fails to do. Maybe Blaine can be someone Kurt needs.

Finn is hopeful. He's glad Kurt isn't alone in his new school, and he's glad he has someone who's seen more of Kurt than most others. It's not like his suicide attempt and subsequent stay at the psychiatric ward is a secret for the guys in New Directions. But they don't know many details, and Kurt refuses to speak about it with them. He seems bothered, almost embarrassed. But he doesn't need to be embarrassed in front of Blaine, Finn hopes, not when they've been in the same place.

It has to be good for Kurt to have someone who understands, someone who can relate, someone to talk with. Finn remembers how it was when Quinn told him she was pregnant. He didn't know anybody else his age who was supposed to be a dad, he had nobody to talk with, he had nobody who could give him advice, he had nobody in the same situation to share fear and hopes with. But Kurt has Blaine. And maybe Blaine gets to see some of the layers Kurt keeps hid for his family, and then maybe Kurt will come back as the Kurt he used to be.

Finn looks curiously at Blaine, wondering what his story is. The boy is laughing loudly, head thrown backwards, clearly enjoying something Sam has said. Kurt is laughing more restricted, hiding his mouth behind his hand. Finn knows Kurt's depressed. Can Blaine be depressed, when he laughs so wholeheartedly? Has he tried to kill himself too? What is his story and history? What are his secrets?

Finn's been trying so hard to do the right things for Kurt, figuring out and learning through try and err what the boy needs. Finn really wants to do well with him. And he doesn't want to screw up anything with Blaine either; he wants the boy to feel welcome, and as Kurt's friend he might come back later too. So it's important for Finn to treat him right. But he doesn't know how.

He sighs and finishes his beer. He'll just have to treat him like he treats Puck until he screws up, and learn from that.

Come to think about it, maybe he should treat him rather like Sam or Mike than Puck…

Seeing his friends again hurts. It reminds him of a lot of things he's tried to forget and suppress. It's painful to hear the new inside jokes he's no longer a part of. It's painful to see changes in the dynamics among his friends. It's painful to be reminded about why he can't be at McKinley anymore. It hurts to realize how much he's lost and let go of. It hurts to think about how he'll never be happy again. And it hurts to see how they're looking at him, as if they're not certain how they should talk to him or reach out for him. It hurts to realize their conversations ebb or change when he approaches them.

He feels like an insider and an outsider at the same time. He feels like a spectacle at the circus.

He pours another cup of the punch. He can't call it spiked when they already know there is booze in it, can they? Knowing Puck, it'll be strong enough to numb him somewhat.

Rachel slides over to him with a pink wine cooler in her hand.

"Is Blaine single?" she whispers conspiratorially into his ear.

"Yeah, he is, but…" Kurt stops himself, because he isn't sure how out Blaine is.

"Wonderful," she beams, and skips off again.

Quinn has been flirting with Finn all evening, leaving the boy looking dazed and confused. Rachel downs the wine cooler while she glares at the girl. She pops a new bottle, and looks determined at Blaine.

"Spin the bottle! Let's spin the bottle!" she shouts, slurring slightly.

Puck lowers the volume on the music to a more proper background soundtrack. Sam and Finn gather the throw cushions from the couch on the middle of the floor, and Kurt wonders why the boys are the most eager to get some lip action tonight. Most of the girls are filling their cups or getting cold bottles, and Kurt snickers. Do they need to be drunker to be able to kiss any of the boys?

Eventually they're all gathered in a circle. Kurt isn't exactly jumping from joy, but it's easier to join than to face their worried and disappointed expressions. When he asked Blaine if it was okay, the boy had just shrugged and sat down next to him.

Rachel, as the initiative taker, spins the bottle first, and it lands on Mike. They share a quick, innocent peck. When Mike spins, it lands on Santana, and the Latina kisses him until Tina knocks her in the head with her high healed shoe. Santana spins the bottle, and "accidentally" stretches her foot so it stops on Brittany.

"Cramps," she smirks, and leans over to kiss Brittany deeply.

Then the bottle lands on Kurt, and Brittany beams.

"Dolphin!" she enthusiasts, and crawls across the circle. Artie and Puck whistle, enjoying the view her short skirt offers in that position, but they stop when Santana glares at them shooting off a rapid threat in Spanish.

Brittany puts her lips on Kurt's, and he quickly finishes it, limiting it to a chaste peck. It feels familiar, like kissing an old friend, which she is. But they've had more heated kissing between them before, so this feels like a joke.

When he spins it, the bottle lands on Mercedes. They air kiss with exaggerated sound effects, giggling and leaving it at that. Her giggles seem fake and plastered on, though, and it hurts that she can't act around him like before. It hurts that she is actually acting around him.

Mercedes kisses Puck, and when he spins the bottle it lands on Kurt again.

"Prepare to be Puckerized," he winks. "Pucker up for Noah," he continues, and crawls across the circle.

Kurt rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Really?

Puck grabs the front of Kurt's shirt, and Kurt wants to yell, because hey, watch the fabric, okay?

But then Puck's lips are on Kurt's, and it isn't the chaste, brief, hurried peck he expected. It's an honest to God kiss, confident and insisting. To hell with it, Kurt thinks, and reciprocates. There's no tongue, but Puck sucks Kurt's lower lip into his mouth. Kurt's idle hands feel awkwardly useless, so he lets them rest on Puck's biceps. Mmm, biceps, nice biceps. He takes over the kiss, and Puck actually smiles against his lips.

"Wanky!" Santana drawls, and that girl seriously needs a new repertoire, she's getting predictable.

"That's my brother…" Finn sighs, and Kurt needs to sit down with him one day and point out who's oldest of them, and has he ever objected to him sucking face with Rachel or Quinn or whoever is the flavour of the week?

Artie whistles and pumps his arm in the air. Quinn sighs and rolls her eyes. Tina and Mercedes giggle, and Sam uses the opportunity to scoot closer to Mercedes, where Puck sat.

Puck leans back with an exaggerated smacking noise, and grins.

"Puckerman's been Kurtified!"

"Is Noah a dolphin now?" Brittany asks confused, and Santana tries to explain it to her.

"Nah," Puck relents, "there are still enough women for The Puckerman. But damn Hummel can kiss. Really good lips too," he smirks.

"Lip balm," Kurt snorts. "A novel invention; you may have heard about it?"

"All I know, is you don't have that foul tasting lipstick that leaves stains on my collar and dick and everywhere. Keep up the good work," Puck grins, and bumps his fist against Kurt's shoulder.

"I need a drink after this," Kurt mutters. "Do you want anything?" he asks Blaine, who's laughing softly next to him.

"Yes, please," Blaine smiles gently. "I'll gladly come with you," he says, getting ready to move.

"I've got it covered," Kurt assures him, patting his shoulder.

When he comes back, Rachel is about to do her spin. It lands on Blaine, and she grins wickedly at Kurt, winking exaggeratedly at him. He rolls his eyes and gives Blaine his drink; he might need it. Miss Subtle is about to attack him.

Rachel crawls across the floor, probably thinking she looks tantalizing and erotic, but she's grinning doofusly and crawling on unsteady hands. She doesn't stop until her knees are touching Blaine's.

"Blaine Dalton… I'm gonna rrrrrock your world," she slurs, and Kurt hides his face in his hands. This isn't happening.

She attacks a surprised Blaine's lips, and slips a hand around his neck. He laughs awkwardly against her mouth, and leans back away from her. He closes his mouth, looking down, and Rachel rests her hands in her lap.

"You're cute when you're shy," she whispers loud enough for all of them to hear as she crawls back.

Blaine gives the bottle a firm spin, and it takes several rounds on the floor before slowing down, and finally stopping in front of Kurt.

"Oh, you don't have to kiss him if you don't want to," Rachel reassures him.

Kurt knows she's trying to be considerate with their guest, but it still hurts. What's wrong with him? Why would his friends not want to kiss him? Is he that horrible?

"I kissed him!" Puck objects, grinning and giving Kurt thumbs up.

"Finn didn't", Rachel parries.

"It's my brother," Finn sighs patiently.

"That's so not a problem," Blaine says, and shuffles on his knees towards Kurt. He moves somewhat to face the other boy too. They kissed several times at Bellefontaine, so this shouldn't be a big deal. But they have hardly hugged after that, it's one and a half month since their lips met last.

Blaine looks Kurt steadily in the eyes, gives him a moment to object, but Kurt just smiles at him. He leans in, and Kurt meets him halfway. Their lips greet, softly and slowly, without hesitance. Blaine tilts his head slightly to avoid their noses bumping into each other, and Kurt can feel him smile against his lips. It's the best kiss he's had all night, from the most right person for him to kiss, and Kurt moves so their lips are intertwined, massaging gently.

"Get some!" Puck shouts in the background, and Lauren smacks his shoulder.

Rachel is muttering something about dibs, but Kurt ignores it.

Blaine cups Kurt's cheek, and Kurt rests a hand against Blaine's heart. They crawl on their knees to get even closer, interlacing their kneeling thighs. Blaine wraps the other hand around Kurt's waist, and licks gently along Kurt's lips. Kurt lets him in, humming pleased and resting the other hand on Blaine's hip. Blaine's lips quirks up even further and he's rubbing his thumb along Kurt's spine. Their lips separate for a brief moment in the corners to inhale some oxygen, and Kurt deepens the kiss again. Blaine moans softly, and the vibrations tickles Kurt's tongue. He kisses Blaine more eagerly, his fingers curling on Blaine's thigh.

"Somebody get the hose!" Santana hollers, and that's what gets them back to the Hudmel's living room.

"That's pretty gay," Puck grins approvingly.

"I am pretty gay," Blaine blushes bashfully and ducks his head.

Kurt slips his hand into Blaine's to offer him support. He basically came out in front of all of Kurt's friends, and even though Kurt knows they are accepting and tolerant, they can still have some far out reactions easily misunderstood. Besides, Kurt hasn't dared to come out to Blaine's friends yet, so he knows scary.

"He is a pretty dolphin," Brittany gushes, leaning her head on Santana's shoulder, who winks at the two boys.

Rachel looks crestfallen, and Tina looks as if she wants to pound on Kurt with all her questions. Mercedes smiles timidly at him, and Kurt wishes he knew why she's being so awkward with him. Finn looks confused.

"So are you dating?" he finally asks.

"Are you dating everybody you've kissed tonight?" Kurt answers snarkily and shakes his head.

"OK, any other having sexualities to reveal, or can we move on?" Artie asks.

Nobody says anything, but Blaine looks questioningly at Kurt.

"This is my weird friends' way of saying they don't care if you're gay and my step-brother being overprotective," he whispers in Blaine's ear.

The bottle seems to be sufficiently spun, and they move on to other arenas. Rachel suggests it's time for karaoke, and walks briskly and determined to her pink bedazzled microphone. She probably has a lot of emotions to sing about, and Kurt feels too sober to deal with that now. He fixes a new drink for Blaine and him.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Blaine?" he asks concerned, approaching the boy resting against the wall.

"Best. Party. Ever!" he grins, accepting Kurt's drink and trying to clink their plastic cups in a toast.

"And look at him!" he continues, pointing at Finn who slides up between them.

Seriously, Finn, chaperoning? Kurt wonders for himself.

"It's so cool that you're brothers," Blaine gushes. "Big brothers are amazing, you must always love each other," he says seriously, before he giggles. "Are you half brothers?" he asks, gesturing far over his head with one hand and almost by his own head with the other hand.

"We're step-brothers, remember?" Kurt snorts and lowers Blaine's hands. "Do you want to sing anything?" he asks, nodding at the newly assembled equipment, where Rachel is just finishing her first solo for the night.

"Yes!" Blaine hisses. "Because your friends are awesome, and I'm super relaxed, and you – you're the best," he smiles, squeezing Kurt's hands firmly before letting go.

"Rachel, I think you'll have to show me how this works," he skips over to the girl.

"Will you be my duet partner?" she asks, smiling sweetly.

"Maybe later, right now I have a song I want to sing, if you have it."

"Blaine Dalton – I have anything," she huffs.

He whispers something into her ear, and her blush makes the temperature in the room increase with a couple of degrees. Kurt's curiosity is peaked. Rachel dials the right buttons, and leaves Blaine on his own. He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt to the elbows, rolling on his feet.

The familiar intro fills the room, and Kurt's lips curl up to a smile. He can see some of his friends looking confused, but knowing Blaine this is just him finding an outlet for his own brand of polite sarcasm.

This was never the way I planned, not my intention. I got so brave, drink in hand, lost my discretion. It's not what I'm used to, just wanna try you on. I'm curious for you caught my attention, he sings, blowing Kurt's mind. Sure they've sung together, but Kurt's never seen Blaine perform. And the boy totally rocks it, owning the stage and taking over the room. Are the Warblers aware of what they're missing out on with Blaine remaining on the side line?

I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick. I kissed a girl just to try it, I hope my boyfriend don't mind it. It felt so wrong, it felt so right, don't mean I'm in love tonight. I kissed a girl and I liked it, I liked it.

Blaine is dancing, or at least jumping slightly uncoordinated and uncontrolled, all over the "stage", and he's got every single friend of Kurt eating out of his hand with their enthusiastic response. Except for Rachel, who's approached Kurt.

"Is he a member of the Warblers?" she asks sternly.

Kurt looks dumbly at her, and shakes his head.

"Good," she says, twirling off again.

Blaine repeats the chorus, and is looking Kurt square in the face throughout it. Kurt smiles reassuringly at him – Blaine's brave for performing like this in front of basically strangers.

He completes the song, and skips over to Kurt, beaming.

"Anything you'd like to say?" Kurt smirks.

"Oh, I'm all gay," Blaine insists, and leans in to kiss the boy sweetly.

It surprises Kurt, but what the hell, why not?

In the meantime, Santana's taken the "stage", and is crooning an old classic.

The world is closing in. Did you ever think That we could be so close, like brothers? The future's in the air, I can feel it everywhere, Blowing with the wind of change.

Take me to the magic of the moment On a glory night, Where the children of tomorrow dream away In the wind of change.

Brittany is swaying on the floor in front of her, smiling at her.

"Come dance with me," Blaine pleads.

Kurt glances around the room at his friends in various states of drunk. He worries they'll start pestering him about joining the Warblers if they see him enjoying music again.

"Please?" Blaine begs, carefully resting a hand on Kurt's elbow, running a thumb over his naked skin.

Kurt swallows. Blaine is slowly crawling under his skin, in all the best and worst ways.

"Okay," Kurt relents, surprising himself.

Blaine looks really pleased with Kurt agreeing, and hooks a finger in one of Kurt's belt loops, pulling him further onto the floor.

They dance without touching, but still close. Their naked arms brush against each other now and then, and Blaine mirrors Kurt's movements; letting him lead their dance. Kurt can't rip his eyes away from Blaine's mesmerizing eyes, though, trapped and captured.

As if surrounded by fog, Kurt barely notices Tina taking the stage, dedicating a song to Mike.

Love oh love, I gotta tell you how I feel about you. Cause I oh I can't go a minute without your love. Like a satellite, I'm in an orbit all the way around you. And I would fall out into the night. Can't go a minute without your love.

Blaine breaks their pattern and dances around Kurt when Tina sings about the satellite, and Kurt chuckles. Blaine is quite funny.

Where you'll go I'll follow. You set the pace we'll take it fast or slow. I'll follow in your way. You got me you got me. A force more powerful than gravity. It's physics, there's no escape.

Blaine softly takes Kurt's hand, his index finger resting right over Kurt's throbbing scar under the cuff. He spins Kurt outwards, and flips him back to his arms, and Kurt can't help but laugh.

Over Blaine's shoulder, he sees something interesting.

"I don't think Sam misses Dalton much," Kurt whispers in the other boy's ear, who looks confused. Kurt looks pointedly behind Blaine, and the boy turns around to see Sam and Mercedes busy in a lip lock.

Blaine feels dizzy, but he thinks he still manages to walk – at least he descended the stairs to Kurt's room without any kind of help. His talking sounds clear enough in his ears, he doesn't feel sick, and he knows what to do if a sudden emergency happens, so his brain isn't that soaked in alcohol.

"Where's your brother?" he asks when Kurt comes out of the bathroom.

"I saw him asleep under the kitchen table. Oh, Blaine…" Kurt startles. "Most of the air has left your mattress, that old thing. I'll have to tell dad to buy a new one."

"I'll just refill it," Blaine reassures him.

"And risk the air slips out sometime tonight and you wake up with a kink in your back? Nuhu, you sleep with me," Kurt insists as he crawls under the covers.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asks hesitantly, not wanting to intrude.

"Of course. We've shared a bed before."

And you freaked out when you woke up, Blaine remembers, but keeps silent.

Slowly, he lowers back, and lifts his legs in the air to pull the cover on top of him. Kurt's bed is big enough so they don't have to fight for space.

"Thank you for coming with me." The room is dark except for Kurt's reading lamp on his bedside table, and the soft glow makes interesting shadows on Kurt's face. Blaine can see him smiling, though.

"Thank you for inviting me," he replies, "I had a really nice time."

"I'm glad my friends didn't scare you completely away."

"I'm not that fragile," Blaine chuckles. "And they're not that bad," he adds.

Kurt abruptly jumps out of bed, dashing slightly unsteady over to his vanity.

"Damn, I forgot my skin care regime. Gray hair can be covered up, but I need to work hard to maintain perfect skin for the rest of my life. I'm going to look gorgeous when I'm 87," Kurt giggles, and sits down in front of the mirror, opening the lids of several bottles.

"I'm sure you will," Blaine murmurs, resting his head on the soft pillows. His head feels kind of heavy, and it's easier to lie down, even though it means he can't see what Kurt's doing.

"How old do you think you'll be?" Kurt asks randomly.

Blaine thinks for a while, it's a new question to ponder, and he thinks Kurt deserves a good answer.

"There are days where I think I won't make it 'till I'm 20. Then there are days where I'd like to live 'till I'm 120."

Kurt comes back to bed, crawling back under the covers, lying down on his side to look at Blaine.

"I know what you mean. Thomas told me to focus on one hour at the time, and if that was too much, go on minute by minute. And look at us, we've survived several hours this evening, it's a new day, we're closer to whatever we're supposed to be looking for, and all that shit."

Blaine laughs out loud; because Kurt looks and sounds so enthusiastic, but at the same time it's evident he thinks Thomas talks a lot of crap. And his face is covered with lotion that hasn't been massaged sufficiently into his skin.

"You've got… May I?" he asks, hand hovering over Kurt's cheek.

Kurt takes his hand, examining it thoroughly.

"What do you mean?" he asks intensely when he can't find any answers in the palm of Blaine's hand.

"You... You've still got something on your face, and I thought I'd rub it for you."

"Okay," Kurt says, leaning on one elbow, and shoves his head forwards like the cutest little turtle.

Blaine's index finger runs along the smears of lotion on his forehead, working it properly into Kurt's skin. The finger continues down his temple, and Kurt is watching him intently, both trying to follow the finger's trail and maintaining eye contact with Blaine. The finger slides down, following a path of random lotion dollops, and Blaine cups his cheek to cover it all.

He doesn't know if he's pulling Kurt towards him or if Kurt is leaning closer, but the distance between their faces is shortened. Blaine can feel puffs of Kurt's breath against his skin, and he lets go of Kurt's chin. With his thumb, he smooches out the little lotion left on the subtle cleft of Kurt's cheek.

He still doesn't know who moves, but he quickly realizes their lips seem to be touching.

"Is this okay?" Kurt whispers, lips barely an inch from Blaine's lips. His breath tickles.

"Yeah," Blaine exhales, because why wouldn't it be? Blaine likes Kurt, and he likes kissing Kurt. This is nice.

Kurt closes the distance between their lips again, and Blaine hums against his lips. Kurt quickly deepens the kiss, and Blaine lets him. He reciprocates, and curls an arm around the other boy. Kurt scoots even closer, and curls his fingers around Blaine's shoulder.

The kiss grows insistent, and Blaine pulls him even closer. He loses balance, though, resting on his side, and falls backwards. Kurt groans his displeasure, and follows after, straddling him. Their lips meet again. Kurt's hands are wandering oh so slowly along Blaine's upper arms, shoulders, down his chest, and up again the same path. Blaine's hands are resting on Kurt's lower back.

This feels so good!

Kurt is doing something sinfully delicious with his tongue; licking the roof of his mouth, twirling it around his tongue, letting it run along the edges of Blaine's teeth, swiping across his lower lip, and sucking it into his mouth. Blaine tries to copy what Kurt did, 'cause it felt so, so good, and he really wants Kurt to feel good too.

Kurt moans breathlessly, and the sound shoots straight up Blaine's spine. He tries to breathe slowly to steady himself; he doesn't want to risk doing something wrong.

Kurt curves his spine upwards, and Blaine runs a hand along it soothingly. Without thinking, he spreads his legs so Kurt can lay down between them instead of bending down awkwardly over him. Kurt shuffles his legs and body, before resting down, and Blaine can't hold back the moan. It feels so intimate, so personal, so sacred to have Kurt's body on top of his own. To feel his weight, being pushed further down into the mattress, being surrounded by the touch and scent and feeling of Kurt… Blaine's hands wander up to the other boy's shoulder blades, and hold him close.

Kurt's let go of Blaine's lips, and his own are nibbling their way down his throat. He's sucking and licking by Blaine's jaw, and he thinks his eyes must have rolled to the back of his scull. It feels so much, and it's paralyzing him, he can't move intentionally. Some parts of him are still mobile, though, and when Kurt bites lightly over his collar bone, Blaine's hips spontaneously bucks up.

They both freeze, realizing they're feeling the other's hardness. Blaine is staring wide eyed at Kurt, afraid and not having a clue how to backpedal out of this.

Kurt moves his hips tentatively, meeting Blaine. The hesitant slide of Kurt's hips and erection against Blaine's feels too much, and Blaine can't hold back the moan that escapes.

"Blaine…" Kurt whimpers, and Blaine lowers his hips so he can thrust them up against Kurt again.

"Yesss…" Kurt hisses, thrusting back and forcing Blaine down into the mattress.

Blaine never thought he'd be in this situation – in this very sexy situation, with a really hot guy he cares about, kissing and rubbing against each other. And maybe this isn't how he dreamed about how it'd happen, drunk at a party. Is he losing his virginity now? Is this considered sex, if they continue this wonderful work of friction until he comes, which he without doubt will in only a short amount of time? Should he be this stereotypically cliché, diving to bed just like that at a party?

Muffled and shouting thoughts fight for dominance in his brain, until he decides to hell with it all. This is Kurt, this is a boy he really likes, and if he'd allowed himself he would already have gotten off to images of this boy. Getting off with the boy is so much better. And maybe they're doing things in the wrong order, but Blaine just wants to be closer to the boy, and they won't come much closer than this without a bottle of lube. So Blaine lets go, and lets himself enjoy everything.

This is all so new, and so very, very exciting. He's meeting Kurt's increasingly frantic thrusts, and letting the boy devour him with his lips. But Blaine wants to play too. He plants his feet on the mattress for power and support, and flips both of them over, so he's on top. Kurt laughs surprised, and Blaine can't help but smile at him.

There's so much he'd like to do, to try, but even though they definitely haven't talked about this, he assumes there's a limit, and decides not to push anything. He'll join the joyride, but let Kurt set the pace. So Blaine reigns in the urge to slip his hands under Kurt's long sleeved t-shirt to feel his skin, and he blocks himself from using his lips on places Kurt hasn't explored on Blaine. But Blaine can be pretty okay with that, because there is so much glorious skin to touch and taste, to put his mouth on, just from the collar bone and up. He licks along the entire length of Kurt's neck, from where shoulder meets neck all the way up to his ear. He blows testily in his ear, smiles as Kurt responds vocally, and blows once more.

He curls his arms around Kurt's torso, holding him tight and close, while thrusting and rolling, bucking against Kurt, meeting his slides and movements, keeping their legs positioned so that their erections can rub so tantalizingly hot against each other. Kurt's wrapped one leg around Blaine's waist, and Blaine can feel so much of him through the thin fabric of his cotton pyjamas pants. A part of him wants to look, taste and feel Kurt there, but he's not complaining, oh God, Blaine is not complaining in this position.

Someone's sending fireworks up his spine, and Blaine knows it's Kurt, and he grins before leaning down and kissing the boy sweetly on the lips, a stark contrast to his eager hips frotting like a Duracell bunny further down.

"Kurt," he whimpers, because this is all too good, and he has to acknowledge loudly the other boy's presence to convince himself this is really happening.

"Blaine, please… So close," Kurt whispers breathlessly, and the words are thunderous in Blaine's ears.

The all so familiar, but still alien sensation fills Blaine. His body levitates, his stomach churns, shrinking in on itself, his head swims, and his balls tightens. So good, so, so good, he runs like a mantra in his head. His dick is practically touching Kurt's, they're clinging to each other, Blaine's lips and tongue exploring Kurt's willing mouth, the other boy's vocal chords making a delightful soundtrack of moans, sighs and whimpers, Kurt meeting his thrusts.

"Kurt," Blaine hisses, on that painful verge of everything.

"Blaiiiine," Kurt sings, throws his head backwards as if it can go through the pillows and mattress, and tenses. Blaine can feel him pulsate against him, and that's all it takes for Blaine to take the last step and leap over with him.

Kurt slowly gains consciousness, but keeps his eyes shut. His head hurts too much for anything else. He briefly wonders if he's been having nightmares again, as Finn is sleeping next to him, with a heavy arm draped across his stomach. Kurt also wonders if he can bug Finn into getting him a bottle of water, because his mouth is dryer than his wit.

He yawns, and instantly regrets it, as it intensifies his headache. Why is his head pounding like this?

"Get up," he moans drowsily, shaking the arm on top of him.

No response.

So he opens his eyes to avoid elbowing or kneeing Finn somewhere it really hurts. Finn got really pissed the last time Kurt did that, but it's not that easy to navigate around that tall body.

The arm is draped over him, but the body is turned away from him, and he can only see the back of Finn's head. He blinks several times, wondering when Finn curled his hair.

And then he remembers, and he really wants to freak out, but he wants to do so without waking up Blaine, and how can he wrestle himself out of bed without Blaine noticing?

He can't, so he stays still, heart beating rapidly, and his mind clogged with chaos.

Everything.

He remembers everything.

He got drunk. Blaine got drunk. They made out in front of all of his friends during spin the bottle. They kept sharing sweet kisses throughout the night. Blaine helped him with his lotion. They made out again. And came, together.

Kurt wiggles his lower body, trying to remember what happened afterwards. He sneaks a hand down under the covers, and gasps. Apparently he must have thought it a good idea to get rid of his underwear and pyjamas pants afterwards. He wonders if Blaine is equally semi naked.

And he wonders if he's ever made a bigger mistake in his life. Losing Blaine's friendship will render him really, really lonely at Dalton. How could he ruin things so easily? Why can't anything good remain in Kurt's life?

He sighs, thinking about how the combination of booze and hormones are a true curse. Gods, he'd been so stupid. Kissing Blaine during spin the bottle had felt really good; he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed it at Bellefontaine. And having him in his bed again had been like erasing any kind of boundary and morale. Being with Blaine like that had felt so, so good, it had been impossible to stop. Because Kurt hasn't felt good in the longest time, so that selfish fighting chip somewhere in his brain had completely dominated, demanding to be pleased and experience something good.

Consequences hadn't been on his mind at all. Just like Kurt learned that kissing doesn't have to mean anything, he must on some level have decided yesterday that coming in his pants with Blaine doesn't mean anything more than a couple of minutes of bliss. But he didn't take into account what Blaine would think. And now he's most certainly repulsed by Kurt's promiscuity and disgusting drunken behaviour. And he's lost a good friend for ever.

Kurt takes a moment to mourn the loss, before he has to find a way to climb with some dignity out of bed, and at least make a farewell breakfast before Blaine drives back to Dalton.

The body next to him stirs, and Kurt mentally face palms. He should have been out of bed already, to be a good host, but primarily to avoid this moment. The arm on his stomach disappears, and Blaine moans as he stretches his entire length from fingers to toes.

He turns around, squints, but smiles at Kurt. Kurt stiffens, waiting for it. He looks confused for a moment, rubbing his eyes, but slowly a smile is painted across his lips.

"Good morning," Blaine murmurs.

Kurt nods politely, chewing his upper lip.

"Hey, hey, hey," Blaine says, sitting up, and the covers pools lower on his clothed stomach. Kurt tries not to think about whether he's naked too under those covers or not. "Let's not make this weird, please?" he pleads.

Kurt can't help but snort, because it's too late for that.

Blaine leans on his elbow and reaches the other arm closer, his fingers curling around Kurt's. "What happened, happened. It was unexpected, but I'll only regret it if it stains our friendship."

Kurt studies Blaine's sincere face and steady eyes. But there's also a hint of fear in his gaze.

He laces their fingers together.

"I think…" Kurt says, "…we'll always be friends."

Blaine visibly sags with relief, and he tightens the hold of their fingers.

"I'm glad," he murmurs. "I'm really, really glad."

Blaine lies down on his back again, their interwoven hands resting between them on top of the covers. They lie like that for a long time, and Kurt wonders why this isn't weird. He can feel the last grains of tension leave his body, sinking him further into his mattress, pleasant in a completely different way than when the weight of Blaine pushed him down last night.

It would be such a great relief if Blaine really was okay with this.

"So, I'd offer you breakfast, but I'm not quite dressed for the occasion," Kurt says testily.

Blaine lifts the covers on his side quickly.

"We might be wearing matching outfits."

"If you'd be kind enough to go momentarily blind, I'll rush through the bathroom, and I can make us some breakfast while you shower."

"I don't know if I can stomach any food, but I'd do anything for coffee."

Blaine buries his head under the pillow to temporarily lose eyesight, and Kurt slips hurriedly out of bed, tying his robe firmly around his body before picking an outfit from his wardrobe. His head pounds, he feels dizzy, thirsty, slightly nauseous, and generally overwhelmed.

He takes the quickest shower in history, but making sure to get rid of the physical remainders of last night. He brushes his teeth twice, trying to get rid of the taste of vanilla flavoured booze mixed with morning breath. It's really sickening.

After putting on his finest pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt, he lets Blaine have the bathroom, and darts upstairs.

Finn is no longer sleeping under the kitchen table, but has moved to the couch. He is still far gone, and Kurt lets him be. When Finn wakes up, they'll have to clean up. Considering the amount of mess, it can take some time. Kurt's head is not prepared for such a task yet. Lots and lots of coffee first, then maybe he'll feel human enough to be the Hudmel Maid.

When Blaine steps out of the bathroom, cleaner and fresher in an outfit similar to the one Kurt put on, the boy is already back, and Blaine feels guilty for taking so long. Kurt's not only prepared breakfast, but also made the bed and removed his clothes from yesterday that was spread on the floor.

Kurt hands him a bottle of water, two Advil, and a steaming mug, and Blaine happily accepts.

"You said you didn't want breakfast, but I made some toast. I thought I'd try to stomach it, and I have plenty for the both of us," Kurt says easily, sitting relaxed against the headboard on top of the covers.

"The shower made me feel reborn. Maybe breakfast isn't the worst idea," Blaine smiles, sitting down next to Kurt, but with some distance to maintain neutrality.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Kurt asks, and hands Blaine a plate with two slices of buttered toast.

"Sure."

"Oh good," Kurt says, presenting a remote control from next to him. "I kind of already popped the DVD in the player, hoping you'd agree."

"I think we both can need a lazy Sunday morning," Blaine laughs. "What are we watching?"

"Morocco. I have to admit I originally only bought it because of the scandalous kiss she gave to that woman," Kurt explains slightly embarrassed. "But I fell in love with the movie. Come on; classics like Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable – what's there not to love?"

"Fine by me," Blaine agrees, nibbling at the toast.

The boys finish their breakfast slowly, and Blaine politely declines when Kurt offers to go upstairs to get him more coffee. The volume on the movie is set low to not irritate their headaches.

Halfway through, Kurt's fallen asleep, curled up on his side. He's rolled closer to Blaine, and his hand is resting merely inches from Blaine's hip.

Shortly after, Blaine follows him to dreamland, ending up sleeping on Kurt's arm, with the other tucked securely across Blaine's waist.

Lyrics from:

One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful

Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl

Scorpions – Wind of Change

Lena – Satellite