Oh, Klainers. I don't know what to say because there just are no words.

From Mimzi (Anonymous): "Thanks for telling me, Wes. Now, excuse me while I make out with your soloist."

First I just have to say that of all the chapters that could have been the one for 3x05 day, I'm glad it's this one. It's one of the few where there is a much longer progression after the first kiss, more depth, more emotions and I feel that it fits. Not storywise since it is an AU but I like it.

There's about a million and one ways I could have taken this. Don't even ask where this one came from. AU, no Kurtofsky kiss, no transfer. I've never been to a PFLAG group so… yeah, makin' it up! It doesn't have a very big part in this anyway so yeah.

Also, remember how Mr. Schuester was going to talk to Kurt about a solo for Sectionals before he transferred? Yeah… let's let him have it :)

PFLAG

Pulling his hat further down over his hair, Kurt glanced around one more time before stepping out of his car and crossing the street. If the directions he had been sent were correct, the location he was after should be two blocks down and Kurt walked quickly, not wanting to be seen by anybody he knew. It didn't matter that he was two hours away in Westerville, this was still a big risk and Kurt didn't want to do anything to screw this up. After all, it was kind of the opportunity he had never thought would happen.

Finding the right address, Kurt looked around one more time and, satisfied that nobody was watching, quickly pulled open the door. Once inside he pulled off his hat and sunglasses, tossing them into his bag and spending a few minutes checking his hair in the hallway mirror before proceeding down the hall and knocking twice on the door, which swung open immediately to reveal a young woman with bright purple hair. "Welcome to PFLAG! I'm Stacy and you must be Kurt!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kurt allowed himself to smile. "I am. Your directions were excellent, thank you."

"You're welcome, we're just glad to have you. Come on in, we're just waiting on Blaine." Stacy opened the door wider, allowing Kurt to enter the small room. "Everybody, this is Kurt!"

A chorus of greetings echoed out and Kurt smiled, waving slightly. His smile dimmed a little as he took in the occupants of the room, realizing that they were all at least over twenty and most were probably the parent factor. As much as Kurt knew the odds of finding another openly gay guy in Ohio were slim, he had let himself hope a little that maybe there would be someone his age. But he couldn't complain - after all, there was probably a lot of wisdom in this room that Kurt could benefit from.

When Kurt had Googled for a PFLAG group in the Lima area, he had been idealistic at best. He knew it was mostly aimed at the parents and friends, but he also knew that quite a few gay people showed up to the groups themselves for the fellowship of it and, with tension at McKinley as strong as ever, Kurt just wanted somewhere to fit in, somewhere where people would understand him. So when a listing had shown up for Westerville, Ohio, Kurt had jumped at the chance straight away. One phone call to Stacy and he had his directions for the meeting that afternoon, making the trip immediately and hoping for the best. So far it all seemed to be going well - everybody was friendly enough and it seemed legitimate - but Kurt was reserving his judgement until the end of the meeting.

"Alright, we might get started!" Stacy gestured for the group to sit down and Kurt took a seat near the end of a row, leaving a few empty spots next to him. "So, another welcome to Kurt who's joining us from Lima today! It's lovely to have you here and -" Stacy paused, turning as the door opened. "And that would be Blaine!"

"Sorry I'm late," came the voice a second before a teenage boy appeared, shoving a set of keys into his bag. "School ran late as usual."

Stacy waved him away, smiling. "Don't sweat it. Blaine, we have a new member today - this is Kurt." Blaine finally looked up, turning towards Kurt who felt his breath catch. Okay, no, he must fall into the 'friends' category. There's no way someone this gorgeous can play for my team.

But there was no time to find out. As Stacy began to talk, Blaine slipped into the empty seat at the end of Kurt's row, offering him a smile before turning his attention to what Stacy was talking about. Kurt tried to pay attention but found himself zoning out pretty quickly - it wasn't that he didn't want to hear what she was saying, but the thought that there was another teenage boy sitting in his row who might also be gay was just a little bit too distracting to keep Kurt from his own thoughts.

Before long, the group moved into a much more casual setting where everybody began to talk and catch up with each other. Kurt watched as Blaine stood and began to make his way around the room, greeting everybody by name and clearly getting along well with them all. But Kurt couldn't tell whether he was just imagining things or whether Blaine's eyes did keep flitting back in his direction as he circulated the room. Kurt stayed in his seat, talking briefly with the people who came over to greet him but focusing most of his attention on Blaine who was now… walking his way. Kurt quickly stood as Blaine approached, smiling at him. "So, you're Kurt?"

Kurt nodded, trying to find his words. "Yeah… and you're Blaine."

Blaine laughed. "Wow, we're good at this, aren't we?" He held out his hand to Kurt who shook it, trying not to think too much into the fact that he was, in a sense, holding hands with this boy. "So, Kurt, what brings you here?"

And if that wasn't Blaine's 'subtle' way of asking whether Kurt was gay, Kurt was seriously misreading some signs. "Sometimes it gets tough being the only person out of the closet at your school," he said, realizing his voice had dropped and he was sounding just a little too emotional for his liking.

"I know how you feel," Blaine said quietly. "I mean, not now. I'm at Dalton Academy now and there's actually quite a few boys who are out there. But at my old school I was one of the only ones out and it did suck. Can I ask what school you go to?"

"McKinley," Kurt said absently, his mind fixed on something Blaine had said. "Dalton… as in, Dalton Academy Warblers?"

Blaine smirked. "And the McKinley High New Directions?"

There was a moment of silence and then the two began to laugh. "What are the odds?" Kurt finally asked when he got his breath back. "I'm guessing you're a Warbler?"

"I am," Blaine said in a manner that made Kurt feel like there was more to the sentence than he was saying. "And you're from New Directions."

"Which makes us competition at Sectionals." Kurt groaned, rolling his eyes. "This is like Jesse St. James all over again."

Blaine frowned. "The guy from Vocal Adrenaline? What do you mean?"

"Oh, he quit for a little while last year and came to join us because he professed to be in love with Rachel, even though we warned her that he was probably a spy. If anybody at McKinley found out about this, they'd be telling me to stop talking to you." Blaine simply smiled and Kurt suddenly realized what he had said. "Oh, not that I'm saying… I mean, obviously it's different because we're not together and… wow, I just dug myself a hole right there."

"It's alright," Blaine said, still smiling broadly at him. "I get what you're saying. That doesn't mean you're going to stop coming here though, does it?"

Kurt shook his head immediately. "No, it's nice to feel like I'm normal."

Again he had spoken without thinking, and again Blaine understood completely. "Obviously they're not all gay but they're all accepting and, yes, it's a great place. You'll fit in well here. And I have to say, it's nice to have someone else my age here… you are my age?"

"I'm a junior."

Blaine shrugged. "Only a year older, that's cool."

Kurt raised an eyebrow, sufficiently shocked. "You're a sophomore? I would have pegged you as a senior."

"It's the gel." Blaine winked and Kurt hid a smirk. "So, tell me some more about you, Kurt. I get the feeling you're the kind of guy I want to get to know a lot better."

Is it too early to be forming a crush?Kurt asked himself as he and Blaine lapsed into comfortable conversation - in fact, the easiest conversation Kurt had had ever. He could talk to Blaine like they had been talking their whole lives, and Blaine was gay. He understood where Kurt was coming from, he could commiserate, empathize and understand.

Maybe it is. But at least I have a friend.

After a few weeks, PFLAG became a normal part of Kurt's routine. He was settling in well to the group, knew everybody by name and, for the first time in his life, felt like there was somewhere he could be completely accepted.

And then there was Blaine. The two had swapped numbers at the first meeting after, to Kurt's dismay, he had broken down a little and talked about what it was like at McKinley - the slushies, Karofsky continually shoving him into lockers, the general hatred shown to him. Blaine had started sending him texts every morning, sometimes a long ramble on taking care of himself and remembering he was special, sometimes just a simple word: courage. Either way, Kurt could start the day knowing somebody had his back, even if they did live two hours away and attended a zero-tolerance policy private school.

And even though they were texting constantly, when it came to PFLAG it was normal for Kurt and Blaine to spend their time catching up after the meeting every week. Apart from avoiding Glee club talk entirely, they could both share the complete details of their week - Kurt could talk about the jocks and their latest attempts to make him feel completely humiliated, Blaine could discuss the weekend he had shared with his family and the thinly veiled comments his father would make about finding the right girl someday. It was easy, comfortable and Kurt looked forward to it more than anything else in the week.

Which was why it was strange when Blaine seemed to shut off completely that afternoon. His sentence were clipped and strained and after asking a few times what was wrong with no response, Kurt gave up. "Fine," he said, standing. "If you're not going to tell me what's wrong, maybe you'd better find someone else to talk to."

He had only gotten two steps away when the response came, quiet and unsure. "Wait." Kurt turned to see Blaine standing behind him. "I - I was wondering whether you would like to go and get a coffee after this?"

And Kurt understood, even though he could scarcely believe it was true. "I'd love to," he said quickly because Blaine was beginning to regret he had asked, Kurt could tell. "I really wasn't expecting that. I'm sorry," he added, already feeling guilty for snapping at Blaine.

"Don't be. The fact that you said yes is enough."

The fact that nothing else needed to be said was kind of a dream come true right there. Kurt was used to the McKinley style of things - where every little gesture had to mean something and everybody was involved in everybody else's business and there were so many labels that had to be applied immediately and meant everything about your social status. Kurt didn't know what this was yet, didn't know if Blaine was interested in taking things further, entering the realm of dating and boyfriends and all of those things. Right now, all he knew was that his friend wanted to see more of him and Kurt was going to accept that. And whatever would come would come.

So instead of going home that afternoon, Kurt found himself sitting at a small coffee shop on the outskirts of Westerville. It was different, Kurt usually being a patron of the Lima Bean, but at least they knew nobody from either of their schools would see them here. Three coffees and four hours later and Kurt's dad was ringing, trying to pretend he wasn't worried when he 'casually' asked if Kurt was alright and not in some hospital somewhere, and they realized they should probably call it a night. But just as Kurt was about to leave, Blaine placed a hand on his arm gently, almost hesitantly.

"I'd like to do this again some time."

"I would too."

They shared one last glance, one they both comprehended but weren't quite ready to understand, before Kurt smiled. "See you next week."

This time when Blaine closed off, Kurt knew what was going on. They were on their fifth coffee date - and Kurt's elation for being invited on a second was definitely amazing enough - and Blaine had been mostly silent the whole time, stirring his coffee far more than he normally did. "Hey," Kurt said gently, reaching across to catch his hand and stop the relentless motion. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? You're my friend, you can trust me."

For some reason, that just seemed to make Blaine even more nervous. But his resolve hardened and he looked up, nearly drowning Kurt in his eyes. "You're my friend too. But… what if I wanted more?"

Shouldn't I be surprised here? Kurt wondered to himself. Surprised and elated and confused and self doubting and all of those things everybody else talks about when they're wanting to start a relationship?

Kurt decided then and there that either there was something seriously wrong with him, or he and Blaine had something that nobody at McKinley had ever experienced, something real.

He was praying for the latter.

"You'd have to ask," he finally said, shrugging a little and twining his fingers with Blaine's like it was natural. Probably because it was.

Blaine ducked his head, smiling, and Kurt could tell he wasn't nervous anymore. "I know how you feel about labels, but I'd really just like to be able to call you mine," he said simply and Kurt's heart melted.

"I've been yours for awhile now," he said quietly. "I was just waiting for you to realize."

And when Blaine leant across the table and kissed him lightly, it was as natural as breathing. There were no fireworks, no love explosions, no applauding crowds or fanfares. There was just the simple feeling of being right.

So there was no more talking about it. Blaine simply began talking about something his friend Wes had gotten up to over the weekend and Kurt propped his head up on his hand and listened to his boyfriend talk.

"So why don't you go do something useful like spy on the competition, go check out those Garblers or something?"

Kurt's irritation immediately gave way to excitement, but he knew he had to play it cool. Without a word, he stormed out of the room and proceeded to do exactly that, not needing an excuse to visit his boyfriend but taking it anyway. He sent Blaine a text beforehand, of course. They had promised no spying or trying to get secrets out of each other and the last thing he wanted was to walk in on one of their performances. Besides, Blaine was saving the grand reveal of the Warblers for Sectionals and Kurt could hardly wait.

Blaine was waiting for him outside Dalton, jumping in his car quickly before anybody else could see and pressing a kiss to his lips. "You okay?"

"I'm used to not being appreciated for my superiority," Kurt said immediately. "It's nothing new."

"That's not what I asked."

Of course Blaine was the one person Kurt could never be flippant with. "I'm okay," he said honestly. "I don't exactly want to go back any time soon, but that's common."

Blaine ran a hand across his cheek gently. "I know. But you will because you're strong."

"I love you," Kurt said before his mind could catch up with his mouth and remember that oh, he hadn't said that before. But there was no regretting it because it had been true for quite some time now, an unspoken constant between the two of them. And Kurt didn't even need Blaine to say it back because he knew Blaine felt the same. There were no doubts.

But when Blaine, still tracing patterns on Kurt's cheekbone with his thumb, smiled and said, "I love you too," it kind of made Kurt's week. Especially when it was followed with another kiss and yeah, Kurt was going to get sick of this in about, oh, never.

"I've got an idea," Blaine said, breaking away and opening his door. "But I'll have to drive."

It was only when Kurt had settled into the passenger seat and was watching Blaine smoothly pull out of the parking lot that he realized that it must be love if he was letting someone else drive his baby without a second of thought. Especially when he had no idea where they were going.

Ten minutes later and he had his answer, Blaine pulling up outside a rather extravagant looking house on the outskirts of Westerville. "Welcome," he said quietly.

"Are you sure?"

"They're not home," Blaine said immediately. "Both out on work conferences all week so it's just me. I've been wanting to bring you here for awhile."

Kurt waited until they were both out of the car before wrapping his arms around Blaine, pulling him close. "Thank you for trusting me with this."

Because Kurt knew what life was like for Blaine behind those walls - being told that who he was was unacceptable and wrong, looked down upon for not wanting to study law or business like his parents, generally treated like he was invisible unless he had done something worthy of reprimand. Blaine spent most of his time at Dalton whenever possible or at his friend's houses, coming home to eat and sleep. So for him to bring Kurt to his house was a huge deal, especially since his parents would freak out if they knew their son had brought a boyfriend home.

They walked in silence, Blaine holding his hand a little tighter than usual and Kurt choosing not to comment on it. Words had been unnecessary between them for quite some time now - Blaine knew he was there for him and that was all that mattered.

Skipping the tour, Blaine led Kurt straight up to his bedroom, an act that would have been an invitation for any other teenager but an act of self preservation and repetition for Blaine. Kurt sat on the edge of the bed, glancing around the room that was a muffled imprint of his boyfriend and smiling when he noticed the selection of musical instruments lying around the room. "It reminds me of you."

"I want it to remind me of you," Blaine said, sitting down next to him. "I want to come here and remember hey, I had my boyfriend in here, it's not all negative. And I wanted to show you that you're not the only one who can get insecure."

And Kurt knew what Blaine needed, far more than his boyfriend did himself. Gently pushing Blaine back against the pillows, Kurt wrapped strong arms around him and kissed him with no intention of letting up any time soon. Blaine was strong - they were both strong and capable and moments like these weren't all that common between them anyway - but sometimes he needed help himself, and that was what he was showing Kurt that afternoon.

So Kurt was going to help as much as he could while he was with Blaine. And when he wasn't, then moments like these would be memories for his boyfriend to hold on to.

"Dude, what's up with you lately?"

Kurt glanced up, hastily locking his phone so Puck couldn't see the name on the screen - not that he would know who Blaine was but Rachel had probably done her research and if word got to her, she would know full well what was going on. Better to be safe than sorry. "What do you mean?"

Puck dropped into the seat next to him, offering Finn a half-wave as he entered the choir room. "You're so cheerful all the time. I know the jocks are still getting on your case but you just keep smiling. Are you getting some on the side?"

Kurt promptly blushed a bright red. "Puck!" he hissed.

"What? I'm just asking, you know I don't care that you'd be getting it with a guy."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I am not 'getting some,' thank you very much."

But that didn't deter Puck. "Okay, but there's someone, isn't there? I can tell, dude. You're acting like I was acting when Rachel and I were actually working out, like something's changed for the better. And I mean, I was a jerk to you the other week and you didn't even seem to care that much."

Okay, when did Puck get so perceptive?

Kurt sighed. "Puck, it's not something I can discuss." He flicked his eyes over in Rachel's direction who was loudly discussing her setlist, hoping Puck would get the hint. "Let's just say I'm happy and leave it at that."

And Mr. Schuester chose that moment to enter, so Puck had no choice. "Kurt!" was the first thing out of his mouth and Kurt glanced up, suppressing a groan. How many people needed to pick on him today? "I wanted to talk to you about a fantastic idea I had for a solo for you for Sectionals!"

Kurt's heart leapt. "Really?"

"What?" came the indignant cry from Rachel. "Mr. Schuester, I have to protest. Kurt has a wonderful voice, but it is far too similar to mine to showcase us both in the same competition."

Mr. Schuester sighed. "Rachel, we'll discuss that later. But I believe Kurt does far too much singing behind the scenes and his voice has just the unique quality we need to get us to Regionals. So, Kurt, I was actually thinking you might like to try Here Comes The Sun by the Beatles. Would you be interested?"

"Would I be -?" Kurt stopped himself, shaking his head. "Mr. Schuester, how can you even ask that question? I can have it ready by Tuesday."

Mr. Schuester raised an eyebrow. "Kurt, it's Monday."

"And I've sung this song approximately seventy three times in the past two years." Kurt smirked, glancing around the room at the strange looks he was getting and trying to ignore Rachel's glare - clearly she had sung it more times than him and would be more than willing to say so if given the chance. "I think I can do this."

Surely it didn't count as leaking Glee news if he sent one little text to Blaine saying, nice and casual like, that he had gotten a solo for Sectionals?

HE GAVE ME A SOLO I'VE BEEN WAITING OVER A YEAR FOR THIS BLAINE I'M GOING TO DIE OF EXCITEMENT - Kurt xx

Or freak out a little.

No dying! But apart from that… I'm not surprised, Kurt. You deserve it and it was only a matter of time and I am so so proud of you. Expect to see me in person very soon to tell you - and show you - the exact same thing. - Blaine xx

Kurt really did have the best boyfriend ever.

Sectionals dawned, and Kurt was woken that morning by his usual method.

So, we're going to kick your butt today. Ready for it? On a friendlier note, I'm looking forward to seeing you again, even if we can't really talk. - Blaine xx

Of course Rachel chose that moment to call, ranting again about how she should be the one singing the solo and maybe Valeriewas perfectly suited for Santana's voice but she had many other songs she could pull out that were perfect for her and this wasn't fair in the slightest. Kurt was just thankful she wasn't trying to take his solo from him. And by the time she was done, Kurt was rushing around trying to get ready so he could get to the bus on time, so he only managed to send his reply when they were all seated and ready to go.

You mean are you ready to be crushed into the ground when we destroy you? Maybe we can sneak out during intermission and 'see each other' a little ;) - Kurt.

And it was only when they were throwing their things into the green room and sorting out their outfits that he received his reply.

Why not now? There's a lovely food place with almost bearable coffee that I'm just innocently sitting by right now… - Blaine

Grinning, Kurt looked up at the rest of the guys who were still getting changed. "I'm going to pick up some food. Any requests?"

Surprisingly, nobody wanted anything and Kurt made his way down to the small canteen area, smiling when he saw his boyfriend sitting there, facing away from him. He quietly walked up behind Blaine before tapping him on the shoulder, making him jump. "Excuse me, are you Blaine from the Warblers?"

Blaine spun around, smirking. "Yes, I am. Who wants to know?"

"Kurt, from New Directions. Just came to psych you out before the competition."

Blaine glanced around and, satisfied that nobody was looking, lifted Kurt's hand and kissed it lightly. "I'd do that properly but, you know, people." Kurt blushed, falling into the seat next to Blaine. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. Nervous?"

Blaine shook his head. "I mean, I probably should be but I love performing too much and these songs are personal favorites, especially Hey S-" he cut himself off, looking around guiltily. "Crap."

Kurt laughed. "Don't worry, I'll just pretend you're doing Taylor Swift's Hey Stephen. We've done pretty good at keeping it a secret until now anyway, and we'll find out in -" He cut himself off as the lights began to flash, indicating that it was time to go in. "In a few minutes," he completed, standing and offering Blaine his hand.

"Good luck," Blaine said, holding onto his hand for a few seconds longer before reluctantly letting go. "You'll be amazing, I know it."

Kurt smiled, glancing around the foyer before leaning in to kiss him quickly. "Same to you." He entered first, knowing Blaine would wait until he had entered before doing so himself, joining the rest of New Directions who were already mostly seated.

Puck leaned over, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were getting food." Kurt winced, realizing he hadn't brought anything back and Puck's eyes widened. "Oh, dude, he's here isn't he?"

"You are not going to say another word, okay?" Kurt hissed, glancing at Finn who was on the other side of Puck, thankfully not listening. But of course Blaine picked that exact moment to walk past, quickly joining the rest of the Warblers in their row.

And even though they hadn't made eye contact, Puck knew. "Him? Kurt, dude!"

"Shut up!" Kurt whispered. "Okay, fine. Yes, him. But if Rachel found out, she'd murder both of us so you can't say anything."

Puck turned to look at him, his gaze thoughtful. "I can tell this has been going on for awhile, and I know you. You're not going to have shared any secrets or listened to his if he did. So after we've finished with the competition, why don't you just come clean? It'll be obvious that you two aren't spying." The announcer took the stage at that point and they were shushed rather quickly by Rachel as the Hipsters were announced. Kurt was just thankful they weren't much to watch as he now had a lot to think about.

Strangely enough, Puck had a very valid point. He and Blaine weren't doing anything wrong and that would be proven after the competition. And Kurt was tired of feeling like he had to hide his boyfriend from the world. So, while the Hipsters droned on and tried not to break a bone, Kurt dug his phone out and sneakily sent a text to Blaine.

(Well, it would have been sneaky if Puck hadn't been elbowing him knowingly the whole time.)

I want to tell them. - Kurt xx

The reply was almost immediate - clearly Blaine wasn't paying much attention either.

Me too. But how? - Blaine xx

Kurt smirked as the Warblers rose from their row and made their way up towards the back of the auditorium. Leaning on the armrest a little, Kurt felt Blaine brush up against him as he passed and nudged him lightly.

We'll figure something out. Good luck, babe. You're going to be amazing. - Kurt xx

And he was. Kurt stared in amazement as his boyfriend rocked the stage, grinning the whole time like it was his job to just sing and be cheerful and make Kurt love him, like, a million times more. They had made sure not to sing in front of each other, just in case it gave away anything in regards to their performances, and Kurt found out that Blaine had lied to him. He wasn't just an 'okay singer' - he was phenomenal.

We're going to lose and I don't even care.

Kurt was on his feet when the Warblers were finished, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the rest of his group. To his surprise, Puck was the first to join him and Kurt couldn't help but smile at the support he was getting from the boy, as strange as it was. The rest of the row rose with him and Kurt presumed they were cheering on the Warblers until an elbow to the side reminded him that they were up next and oh, right, Kurt had a solo.

In the minute it took Kurt to get backstage, his nerves had begun to go crazy and he thought he might actually throw up at some point, especially since his solo was last and he had to be out on stage, pretending he wasn't a nervous wreck while the others sang. Working through his breathing exercises, Kurt was interrupted by his phone buzzing.

If you're freaking out back there, don't you dare. You will be absolutely fantastic, I know it. So get out there and show me what my wonderful boyfriend is capable of! - Blaine xx

As Kurt smiled at the screen, the opening notes of Time Of My Life began to play and Kurt hurriedly tucked his phone away, taking his position on stage and waiting. He could hear Quinn and Sam getting closer and then the curtain began to rise, the rest of them chiming in right on cue with their backing vocals. As soon as Kurt's eyes adjusted to the light, he was seeking out the blazer clad row, finding his boyfriend right in the middle beaming up at him. Kurt offered him a wink before forcibly removing his attention - there was no way he would be able to focus right now with Blaine looking at him like that.

Usually Kurt found the performances to go way too fast but this time it felt like only a second had passed before Santana was belting out the final notes of Valerie, Mike and Brittany dancing the final steps, the crowd on their feet, and the rest of New Directions taking their places for the final song.

Kurt's song.

I can't do this, Kurt's head chanted as he walked to the middle of the stage. I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't-

Courage.

Kurt opened his mouth and began to sing. And then, and only then, did Kurt allow himself to look at Blaine again.

"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

And I say it's all right,"

It was going to be flawless, Kurt knew. And maybe he would always be the first person to talk up his own performances - because he knew he was talented and would embrace it to the death - but the fact that Kurt could not stop looking at Blaine who was looking at him like he was the sun… there were no truer words, and there was no way that couldn't resound out of him through this performance.

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter,

Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here,

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

And I say it's all right,"

They couldn't keep it a secret any longer. No matter what, they both knew the truth had to come out because what they had was too realto hide any longer. Kurt was proud of Blaine, proud of being in love with somebody so amazing as his boyfriend and he couldn't keep that hidden.

And Kurt knew Blaine felt the same. What they had was always a two-way thing.

"Sun, sun, sun, here it comes,

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes,"

The backing vocals chiming in almost made Kurt jump - for a moment he had forgotten about the rest of the group behind him, even about the rest of the audience, the rest of the Warblers who were probably noticing him staring at Blaine…

Oh, forget it. None of it mattered.

"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

And I say it's all right,

It's all right."

The applause was beautiful but nothing meant more than Blaine being the first one on his feet out of the entire audience.

This was what mattered. Not the competition, not the reactions from anybody else, not the judgement Kurt was sure to get for his voice later from audience members who considered it their place to tell him his voice was too feminine, too controversial.

Love was what mattered.

They tied, and Kurt had never been more relieved. While he had wanted to win, he hadn't wanted the Warblers to lose either, and now they could both go on to Regionals, both be one step closer to getting to New York.

But now there was the situation at hand to deal with because they both so desperately wanted to come clean, to throw it all out on the table and let their groups deal with it as they would. Except Blaine was all the way over there with the Warblers and Kurt couldn't just walk up without things getting really confusing but all he wanted to do was get over there and kiss his boyfriend and tell him how amazing he was.

So far, that wasn't looking like it was going to happen.

And then Will Schuester piped up with possibly the best idea Kurt had ever heard the man make. "Hey, guys, since we tied with the Warbler boys, I think it would be nice of us to go over and congratulate them, don't you think?"

"That's an excellent idea, Mr. Schue!" Kurt said quickly, gesturing for the others to follow. There were a few raised eyebrows of surprise and a couple of suggestive comments from Santana but the group obediently followed behind as Mr. Schuester led them over. "Could I speak on behalf of the group?" he asked before they reached the Warblers, Mr. Schuester nodding his approval. Kurt smiled and turned his attention to the Warbler group, resisting the urge to wink at his boyfriend. "Hello, Warblers. I'm Kurt from New Directions and we just wanted to come over and congratulate you on a fantastic performance. It's going to be an honor to perform against you at Regionals."

An Asian boy stepped forward - Wes, if Kurt wasn't mistaken. "Thank you, Kurt. I'm Wes, Head Warbler and we'd also like to congratulate you on your performance." There were nods from the Warbler group and Kurt smiled, allowing himself to glance over at Blaine who was smiling just a bit too much.

Kurt raised an eyebrow quickly before turning back to Wes. "Our choir teacher, Mr. Schuester," he said, gesturing for the man to step forward and shake Wes's hand.

In return, Wes elbowed Blaine until he stepped forward. "We have a council of elected students to lead us which is myself, David and Thad." He indicated the two boys on either side of them. "And this is Blaine, our lead soloist." Wes stepped a little closer to Kurt and dropped his voice. "I saw you watching him. He's also single if you're interested."

Kurt rolled his eyes as he glanced at Blaine again, trying to deliver a silent message with his eyes. Apparently it came through loud and clear because Blaine's eyes widened slightly before he nodded almost imperceptibly. "Thank you for telling me, Wes," Kurt said, stepping forward again. "Now excuse me while I make out with your soloist."

And before anybody could react, Kurt was pulling Blaine close and kissing him, their lips performing the oh-so-familiar dance that they were perfecting more and more every day. The sound of gasps from both groups could be heard and they reluctantly broke the kiss short. "Actually, he's not single," Kurt told Wes who had literally dropped his jaw, before turning back to New Directions, glancing at Puck in particular who was nodding his approval. "Puck, you were actually right for once. This is my boyfriend, Blaine." Behind him, Blaine was making similar introductions to the Warbler boys and Kurt shook his head when he heard the sound of the boy accepting high fives. And then he saw the fist Puck was holding out to him and rolled his eyes. "Seriously?" he mock-groaned, secretly pleased as he fist bumped the boy before waiting on the reactions of the rest of the club.

Surprisingly, Finn was the first to speak. "Well, since we're kinda family now, I thought you would have told me… but he seems nice. If he hurts you though…" Finn trailed off, cracking his knuckles threateningly and Kurt rolled his eyes again. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you guys."

"Does nobody else see the issue here?" Rachel finally exploded. "This is like Jesse St. James all over again!"

"Actually," Blaine said from behind Kurt, causing him to jump as a hand slipped into his, "Kurt and I have made a huge effort not to talk about our respective Glee clubs and I had no idea what songs you would be performing before you appeared on stage today." Blaine gestured for the Warbler boys to join them, even though it seemed they needed no encouragement to believe their story. "You have to understand something. I would never do anything to ruin this chance because it is a chance I thought I would never have. To find another openly gay teenage boy who would actually want to be in a relationship with me was something I wouldn't let myself dream about. I figured I'd wait until I was in college and hopefully go to a state that was accepting enough where I could have this sort of thing."

Kurt squeezed his hand, taking over the story. "You guys know what it's been like for me," he said, directing his attention to New Directions. "I've watched all of you date around the club because, for you, dating is just something you can do. For me it's something totally different and you must surely realize that I would never do anything to sabotage my chance at a relationship." The majority of his speech was directed at Rachel - nobody else seemed to need any further prompting to believe the two boys. "Trust us, please."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "Well, we believe you," Wes said, stepping forward with the other Warblers nodding. "Blaine has always been trustworthy and we have no reason to believe his judgement is failing him now."

And that was definitely a dig at Rachel who still had her arms crossed stubbornly. Dropping Blaine's hand, Kurt stepped towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Rachel, please," he said quietly. "I know things didn't work out well for you with Jesse but please give Blaine a chance. Trust us."

"I can't trust him," Rachel said and Kurt sighed, prepared to start lecturing her when she continued talking. "But I trust you. And you have seemed a lot happier lately, I thought it was just because of the solo but it's been going on for longer than that. If he makes you this happy, I can't hate him."

Kurt could have kissed her, but it was far more tempting to just turn around and kiss his boyfriend again. Refraining from both, Kurt instead gave the group a grateful smile. "We've wanted to tell you for awhile now," he admitted. "It's so good to just be open about it."

And Puck just continued to add to his perceptiveness by suddenly turning to the Warblers and asking loudly, "So, how do you dudes learn that a capella thing?"

As the attention was drawn away from them - and, to Kurt's amazement, their Glee clubs began to actually interact - Blaine let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's that."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "You were outstanding up there."

"Nothing on you, Kurt, that was the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."

And as they began their quiet banter with the echoes of their respective Glee clubs behind them, Kurt had never felt more at home.

If my fellow Klainers are alive and not simply basking in the afterglow of a beautiful episode, I'd love to hear from you :) I can actually completely understand not getting reviews tonight though so I won't be disappointed.

MusicalEscape:

"I think something's going on between them."

*dramatic Sue patented entrance* "You're right, Tickle-Me-Doe face. Their sicklly sweetness beats even Wemma, so much so that I would have cavities if I didn't already have my dentist replace my teeth with stainless steel Sue-teeth.. They'll be useful for when I plan to take over the world by chewing my way into the president's office. I already have a decent start."