So my work is planning a Christmas party. Basically they all just want to go out and get drunk so I'll go along and... yeah, not get drunk. Great. But I realized that they're all either married or in relationships and so they'll all probably be bringing their significant others and so I'll be the one sitting there not getting drunk with nobody to talk to. Ouch.

For those who are apologizing for saying they can't read my newest story which I mentioned in my authors note, please don't feel at all bad. I'd much rather you didn't read it and didn't risk triggering yourself or being affected by it than trying to force yourself to read it for my sake, okay? And for those who do want to read it, it's not going to be published until Kiss ends but time-to-try-defying-gravity has read the first chapter and she loves it to pieces so that's a good sign.

From Jenny Crosby: During A Night of Neglect, before Karofsky showed up and ruined their cute scene. Like after Blaine says "aw, you miss them" they have a conversation where Kurt admits he misses them.

TGTDOSBDK.

To KiKiFliesDW13 Gleek, this isn't the chapter. I think I messed up the numbers but I'll leave you a note when the proper chapter comes up.

Miss

"Aw, you miss them."

Blaine wasn't sure what he was expecting in response. After all, it was clear as day that Kurt missed the McKinley group, but Blaine had always known that. There was just something about the look that Kurt had sent after Artie and Brittany that made Blaine unable to help himself - a look so filled with longing and something akin to regret that stirred some of Blaine's more private insecurities about not being enough to keep Kurt, that he would always take a back seat to Kurt's McKinley friends.

But those weren't what mattered right now. What mattered was the way Kurt was turning to look at him, raising a shoulder in a half shrug that was meant to be nonchalant but never even came close. His eyes said it all. "I've always missed them. It's just harder when I see them doing things like this and knowing that I could be a part of it. I could be the one battling Rachel for the closing spot -" Both Kurt and Blaine had to smile at that one; Mercedes had called Kurt earlier that week to vent her frustration and reveal her plans. "Or singing something that didn't involve an eight part harmony backing me up. No offense," he added quickly. "You guys are fantastic, it's just…"

"Just not New Directions," Blaine completed quietly. "You told me right back at the start that neither was good or bad, just a different energy. I always knew that this energy was your kind though, not ours."

Kurt bit his lip, ducking his head a little. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Kurt, no." Blaine took his hand, something that was familiar territory by now. "You're an individual and that's a great thing. As much as you refuse to admit it, I know you like screaming to get noticed. And if it weren't for Karofsky, I'd be all for you coming back here and being a part of this again, even if -" Blaine cut himself off, not sure if he was ready to go there yet.

Unfortunately, Kurt would have to be deaf to have missed that. "Even if what, Blaine?"

Blaine weighed up his options before giving in. He wanted their relationship to be based on trust and honesty after all, and it was better that Kurt really knew what kind of person he was. "Even if that means I have to share you."

Kurt frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Kurt, before we were boyfriends, we were best friends. I was the first person you met at Dalton and we connected and we always go out for coffee and spend so much time together and…" Blaine stopped, forcing himself to stop rambling and start making sense. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't have much in the way of… ah, competition, at Dalton. I mean, you're friends with the other guys but you don't go and hang out with them frequently or anything because you'd much rather spend your time with me… and yeah, okay, that sounds really egoistic -"

"I understand what you're saying," Kurt interrupted gently. "And you're right, I always did want to spend most of my time with you. So is it just the distance that you're worried about if I did transfer, that we wouldn't be able to spend every day together anymore?"

Blaine hesitated again before shaking his head. "No. I wish it was but… Kurt, if you go back to McKinley, you're going to be able to go out for dinner with the girls without having to be back for curfew. You'll be able to spend a lot more time with them and because you can you probably will and then…"

Blaine trailed off, trying to make himself look less insecure and more self-assured like he normally did. But clearly he had failed because Kurt was staring at him with realization in his eyes. "You're afraid I'm going to be spending so much time with them that I won't have time for you? That's what you meant by competition?"

"It's so petty, I know. I just -" Blaine tugged his hand from Kurt's as gently as possible and shrugged. "Don't even worry about it, pretend I didn't say it." He gestured towards the door to the auditorium. "We should go in and -"

"You're afraid."

Blaine stopped, frowning. Kurt looked like he had made a very important discovery and Blaine was yet to find out what it was and whether it was a bad thing or not. "I guess you could say that," he said tentatively, not sure where Kurt was going with this.

And then Kurt sighed. "Blaine… it's about time."

What?

"Do you know how you come across sometimes?" Kurt didn't give him a chance to answer. "You come across as a bit of a robot. You're always in control and so charming and I mean, yes, you do stupid things, but emotionally you're alway so put together. And I think that's because you're afraid to let your emotions out, you're afraid of how people are going to treat you if you admit you're scared or upset or lonely or whatever it may be."

"Get out of my head," Blaine whispered. It was the only thing he could think to say because this was scary. Somehow Kurt had pegged him completely in a few short seconds, in one slipped sentence this boy had unveiled the core of Blaine's aftermath to being bullied. "How do you do that?"

Kurt smiled. "It's a gift. I can read people well." He held out his hand which Blaine took gratefully, leaning back against one of the lockers. "I want you to show your emotions around me, Blaine. If you're scared of something, just tell me, and then we can work on it together."

"And you're not going to think any less of me?"

Kurt sighed again, harsher. "Did you think less of me the first time we met and I started crying? After we had confronted Karofsky on the stairs outside? When we were talking about sex and I couldn't even look at you? Those were all times when I had my emotions going out of control and I was terrified that you'd judge me for it because I was such a wreck and you always preached courage at me."

"I could never judge you for being brave enough to do what I couldn't."

And there it was. Kurt paused, coming down from his rant to look at Blaine curiously. "What do you mean? The Karofsky thing?"

Blaine shook his head. "Kurt, the bravest thing you can do is to be yourself without caring what other people think, and you do that. You let yourself cry and show emotion because that's who you are and you just do it. I can't just do that, it takes so much for me to actually be vulnerable to someone like that."

Kurt's gaze softened completely and he took Blaine's other hand, stepping closer. "I never realized. Blaine, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Blaine said quickly, doing his best to pull Kurt close without making it obvious that he needed him, needed the contact. "It's okay. It's just something I have to work on, I guess."

Kurt's expression turned contemplative. "Will you let me help you?"

There was no question about it because if Kurt hadn't offered, Blaine would had to have tried to work up the courage to ask himself. "I think I need your help. I just want to be me and know that you won't judge me for it."

And the next thing he knew, Kurt was kissing him. And Blaine understood.

"You won't judge me," he said when they broke apart, staring into Kurt's eyes for the confirmation that he knew he would find.

Kurt simply smiled. "And if I do come back here, don't think for a second that you won't be my first priority to make time for," he said, pulling away and offering Blaine his hand again. "You mean far too much to me to ever let you slip away."

"And I'm never saying goodbye to you..."

MusicalEscape:

"You guys are such a cute couple! Why not?"

*cries* "Be-because Blaine... he doesn't love me as much- as much as-"

"WHO IS THIS PERSON THAT WE MUST DESTROY?"

"He-he loves hi-his hair gel more than me!"

*evil glint in eyes*

And mysteriously all of Blaine's hair gel disappeared, replaced with... a unicorn sticker book. How charming!