Happy Thursday! Massive thank you to my Beta, Raynesake, for their patience and support. Please check out their work, when you have the time.

*Final edits are done by myself so any mistakes are my own*

CHAPTER 6: From Dusk 'Till Dawn

Kurt found himself back in a restroom, but thankfully, these ones were to his standard with no grime covering the mirrors or sex acts taking place in the cubicles. Thank God for small miracles.

He splashed water on his face, trying to calm himself down. He had no idea what happened out there. The dancing, the teasing, the flirting; it was so unlike him. He has definitely been spending too much time with Santana. He just had enough of being called a prude all because he doesn't whore himself out.

"Your best friend is the female version of me. How do you think she feels when you say shit like that? Or don't you care?"

Santana was Kurt's best friend, of course he cared. And he'd never admit it aloud, but he felt closer to her than Mercedes and Rachel combined. But did Santana have a problem with what he says? He's always had these views and never shied away from them. But was he being insensitive towards her?

No, no she's fine. Everything is fine. They say things like that to each other all the time. Besides, this is Santana. She would have said something the moment it became a problem. What the heck did… He paused again, realising something.

"Fuck! What's his name?" He muttered to himself. "I just grinded my ass against him and I don't even know his name?!" He splashed his face with water a second time, feeling his neck heat up at the memory of the cock hardening against him and the sensation of his tongue licking at his neck. Kurt unconsciously reached for his neck before pulling away abruptly.

"What is going on with me?" He looked at his reflection, noticing the pink on his cheeks. "Snap out of it, Kurt. Pull yourself together!" He told himself before leaving the bathroom.

"Prepping yourself?"

Kurt startled at the voice. "Jesus Santana! Why are you standing by the door like that?!"

Santana was directly in front of him, hand on her hip, foot tapping impatiently. "I was gonna come in but then I thought better of it. I'm all for a bit of fingering but even I thought that would have been too much for our friendship."

He shot her a loathing glare, gritting his teeth. "Do you always have to be so disgusting? You really thought I was doing - How desperate do you think I am?!"

"Well, you were practically fucking on the dance floor, so I thought finally Lady Snobberson was getting laid, mission accomplished. I thought you were getting ready for the hobbit." She turned on her heels, strutting towards the bar. Kurt grunted loudly, he just wanted to get home and scrub this night off, erasing it from existence forever.

Instead, he dragged his feet to the bar, plopping on a bar-stall besides Tina.

"It isn't happening. One of them chickened out and my money is on lady lips over there!" Santana announced to the entire bar, looking disapprovingly at him. Kurt flipped her the bird, as she gestured the universal blow job sign, followed by two thumbs down.

Tina giggled beside him. Something she clearly done a lot, and at first it was endearing but now he was getting annoyed. He buried his head in his arms on the counter, praying for the night to end.

"By the way," Tina began, unaware of his mood. "I knew nothing was going to happen between you two tonight."

"Is that so?" He didn't bother lifting his head up. This conversation didn't require his full attention.

"Yep." She nodded, drinking another cocktail, this time through a straw. "You want to be romanced and you can't really get that here. People come here to have fun and not to fall in love."

"Right. Especially from guys with no heart."

"Hey, just because B sleeps around, it doesn't mean he hasn't got a heart!"

Kurt looked up then, surprised by the sharpness in Tina's voice. This wasn't the first time she had to defend her best friends honor, he was certain. His eyes shifted to find Santana at the other end of the bar, laughing with the people around her. She looked so happy and care-free. A trait he secretly envied. She was many things, and not all of those things were great. But one thing she wasn't was heartless. Yes, underneath her multi layers of evil, there was a heart.

"I know, you're right. I'm sorry." He lifts his head up before clapping his hands together. "So come on, tell me more about this… 'B'."

"Blaine." Tina supplied, watching as Kurt mouthed the name to himself. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, how many broken hearts has he left in his wake?"

"What do you mean?"

"A guy like that must have broken a few hearts in his time?" Kurt chuckled lightly expecting one of her giggles as a reply but instead her brows drew together as her nose crinkled.

"He has never broken a heart. Never. He doesn't get close enough to anyone for that to happen."

"Why? Because he only cares about himself and getting his leg over?" Kurt tried to lighten the mood by teasing but it wasn't working. Her expression hardened as she looked him dead in the eye.

"He cares more about people then you'll ever know. He will put himself in the line of fire if it saves others from it." Kurt watched her for a moment, not really knowing what to say.

"What do you mean by that?" He wasn't sure if this was a conversation to have at a bar, but there was a story here and he desperately wanted to hear about it.

Tina studied him, biting her lip as she casted a skeptical eye his way. As her face started to soften, sadness clouding over, she took a deep breath.

"The first time I met him, he was in the hospital."

Kurt's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and anticipation. Tina swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued. "You see my younger brother, he is… well he's gay. He came out the summer before high school, but we always knew," She chuckled but there was no humour in it. "He was just so flamboyant with it, you know? Always strutting around wearing the latest fashion trends or the brightest colours. He just didn't care," She paused, taking a shaky breath. "Anyway, he made the decision that once in high school he was gonna be his 'true self', and I guess to him that meant being out." She shrugged, glancing around the room, refusing to make eye contact with Kurt.

When she remained silent, he hesitated before asking; "What happened?"

She looked down at her lap, hands fidgeting. "Well at first we didn't notice anything. He was always so good at hiding things, you know? But then he started wearing layers and covering up more. I didn't think much of it until I walked in on him getting ready one day and he was bruised all along his side." Kurt slammed his eyes shut, knowing all too well why a gay kid would have bruises all over him.

"Turned out he was getting bullied. Badly. I begged him to tell our parents, maybe – maybe he could have transferred to a school closer to mine. But he refused. Said he wasn't going to run away from homophobic Neanderthals." Kurt smiled at that. "Besides, he said there was this popular gay kid who never got hassled and to him that was hope."

"One day, he was meant to meet me after school, but he was late." She paused again, this time blinking rapidly as if to stop tears. "As I made my way to his school, I got a call from them telling me there was an 'accident' and I needed to go to the hospital."

It was Kurt's turn to swallow thickly. "Was he… okay?"

"He was… he had a broken nose, and a few ribs were broken too, but he was okay. Compared to the other guy, he was okay…" Tina trailed off, rubbing at her eyes.

"The other guy?"

"Well, it turned out that popular kid was Blaine, and he overheard them beating up my brother and tried to stop it. But he-," she breathed out, "It was four against one, he didn't stand a chance."

Silence took over, Tina trying to calm herself down from her emotional state while Kurt tried to take it all in. He didn't say anything, knowing this wasn't the end of the story. After a moment or two, Tina continued.

"My brother's injuries weren't too bad, so he was able to move around. We found Blaine's room, but he was unconscious. I made a promise to visit him every day until he woke, I'm sure his parents were fed up with us, but they didn't say anything."

"It was maybe a week or so before he woke up but when he did, we were there. He looked at me and smiled, even though he had no idea who I was." This was the first time since telling the story, her eyes didn't look sad. "When his eyes found my brother, do you know what he said?" Kurt shook his head. "He said, 'I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner. I hope they didn't hurt you too bad'." Tina started to smile, "He was lying in a hospital bed, unable to move but all he was concerned about was my brother. We have been best friends ever since."

"A few months later he told me that he saw my brother getting bullied, but was scared to stop it. He felt accepted and didn't want to be an outsider. No one minded that he was gay because he didn't 'flaunt it around', but when he saw what they were doing and what they were saying, he realised he really wasn't one of them and he was tired of pretending that he was."

Tina reached over then and clasped Kurt's hand, it was so sudden that he froze but didn't pull away. She looked so fiercely at him; he couldn't look away either.

"You know… Sometimes I think Blaine is still pretending." She leaned in to whisper, "He used to be just like you until… Well until he wasn't." Tina didn't want to tell Kurt too much about Blaine's past without permission, she had already said too much. "But maybe he needs someone else to remind him that he doesn't have to pretend anymore."

Before Kurt could even try to comprehend that statement, Santana was there, throwing her arms around them both. Tina smiled at Kurt before pulling her hands away, reverting back to her previous demeaner.

"Alright ladies, I'm bored." Santana proclaimed, tilting her head to rest against Kurt. "Say we go home now?" Kurt wrapped his arms around her waist before getting up from the stall. "Please." He begged.

"I should probably find B." Tina gathered her things before turning back and smiling at the two friends in front of her. "It was so nice meeting you both." Tina swayed on the spot not really knowing how to say what was on her mind.

"Hand it over Chang."

"Santana!" Kurt hissed, shocked at what she said. As Tina reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone, Kurt looked at her about to apologise on his friend's behalf when her face broke out in to a massive smile.

"It's my name." She confirmed, "Tina Cohen-Chang."

Santana handed Tina her phone back before frowning at Kurt. "Seriously, Hummel? Why are we even friends when you think so low of me?" She said it in a playful manner, but he noticed a shadow pass over her eyes before returning back to normal. He couldn't help but think of what Blaine said earlier.

"I'm tired, forgive me." He sighed. Ignoring him, Santana asking Tina if she wanted help looking for Blaine, when she said 'yes please' Santana turned on her heels and began walking away. He groaned internally before bellowing after her, "I'll be outside whenever you're ready." She just waved him off.

Once outside, Kurt looked skyward and breathed out. The night air cooling the heat from his body, though it was more of a morning breeze considering the time.

"I would say third times a charm, but I don't think that would work on you either."

Kurt spun around at the voice. "Oh, hey." He muttered, unsure of what else to say. Kurt watched as Blaine puffed on a cigarette, pressing his lips against the tip. Inhaling, exhaling slowly. A cloud of smoke hovering around him. Considering how repulsive he found smoking, Kurt couldn't deny how sexy he looked right now.

Leaning back against the wall, necked stretched with his smouldering eyes locking Kurt in place. Knowing more about him, made Kurt soften. Maybe this was all just an act? And maybe Kurt could show him that he didn't have to act like this anymore.

"You going home?" Blaine asked. Kurt only nodded in response. Unable to trust anything coming out of his mouth. "Want company?" Kurt smiled brightly at that, walking towards Blaine until they were side-by-side. It didn't annoy him as much as it would have an hour ago.

"You should really stop with those." Kurt said, looking straight ahead.

"I know."

There was quietness between them. Not awkward, not heated; peaceful. Both of them enjoying the company of the other. Kurt turned his head, watching Blaine as he took a final pull on his cigarette before flicking it away. He continued to watch as Blaine's eyes crinkled, a corner of his lips turning up.

When Blaine finally turned to face him, he didn't look away. Instead, his eyes dipped to his lips, following Blaine's tongue as he licked them. When his eyes locked on to Blaine's once again, he couldn't help but smile. Blaine's eyes were honey-kissed, and his grin was so soft that Kurt felt an urge to pull him in close.

As if able to read his mind, Blaine inched closer causing Kurt to suck in a breath. Just as Blaine was whisker close against his lips, Kurt closed his eyes expecting to discover what Blaine's lips felt like against his own.

"How badly do you want to kiss me right now, pretty boy?"

Kurt's mind faltered at the unexpected question. When he opened his eyes, that once soft smile was replaced with something far less pleasant. He pulled back, watching as Blaine leered at him.

"I'll make you a deal," Blaine suggested, "For one night only, I'll give you the pleasure of my lips on yours."

Kurt stepped away from the wall then, putting his hands into his pockets. "You don't have to do that, you know." He whispered, kicking the pebbles that were scattered around.

"Really? Because you were looking like you really wanted me to kiss you."

"No, I mean. Ugh. You don't have to do this." Kurt gestured between the two of them.

"What's 'this'?" Blaine mimicked the gesture.

"How you are, the way you act. You don't have to be like that… with me." When Blaine did nothing but contort his face in confusion, Kurt huffed before walking back over to him, placing a hand on Blaine's arm. Blaine watched the action, forehead creasing.

"You can stop." Kurt tried to sooth, rubbing his hand up and down. "You don't have to play this game around me. Tina said-"

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand, stilling the movement before pushing it away. "Tina, said what?!"

"Nothing really. Just that – that maybe-" Kurt felt himself getting flustered at the way Blaine was shooting daggers his way. "-she just told me how you met and – and – what you did for her brother and then – well, being in hospital after…" Kurt trailed off, rubbing his sweaty hands down his thighs. Blaine's gaze could have sliced him in half had he tried hard enough. "She said – maybe – well maybe how you are, is just pretend because of something that happened – and well, I thought – I just thought maybe it is too. Just pretend I mean… shit." He dropped his head, lowering his eyes.

Quietness surrounded them once more but this time, sucking all the air out of Kurt's lungs, a tingly anxious feeling replacing it. The sky was starting to part to make way for the rain that fit perfectly with the change in atmosphere between the two of them. Cold and hostile. He took a risk and peaked up from under his eyelashes, only to find Blaine pacing back and forth before stilling, hands clenched to his sides.

"For a start," He hissed, not really looking at Kurt. "Tina had no right saying anything about me. Secondly, you hear a sad little story that happened almost 10 years ago and suddenly I'm worth the time of day?" Blaine was standing right in front of him now, and he looked angry. Beyond angry actually, more like inflamed.

Kurt felt himself panic. "I- I didn't – shit. I'm –"

"-the funny thing is," Blaine continued, volume increasing. "that story was still a fact when you called me a whore and threw money at me. So, what is it? Now I'm not just a whore but a whore with a sob story? A lost boy Mr Perfect has to save?"

"No, it's not like that. Let me explain myself. Please…" Kurt pleaded, because he didn't know what else to do.

"Well…?"

Their eyes met – liquid pools of grey-blue and fiery whiskey – so intense that Kurt stumbled on what to say, eventually looking away out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry." Was all he could muster.

"You're 'sorry'?" Blaine echoed, laughing devilishly. "For what? Treating me like scum or finally seeing me as a person?" Kurt didn't dare answer him, it felt like a trap and he kept putting his foot in it. No, the best thing to do was to remain silent.

Blaine nodded, seeming to understand. "Don't be sorry, Kurt." Kurt winced at the bite that always seemed to capture his name whenever it poured out of Blaine's mouth. "We've known each other for like 5 hours. I don't care what you think of me. You're just another guy I didn't get to fuck. No real loss."

Kurt felt his stomach tighten at that. Hearing himself practically being referred to as a missed addition to Blaine's list of conquests, not only sickened him but saddened him too. He felt his heart begin to quicken at the realisation that Blaine was the first person in over a year that actually challenged him and gave as good as he got. Yes, he knew that Blaine ultimately wanted to sleep with him, but it felt like there was something more there, didn't it? Even before the story, there was something else there. What? he didn't know and now would never find out.

"Well," Blaine said, cutting Kurt out of his spiral, "As fun as this has been, my girl is here." Blaine looked past Kurt and smiled. As Kurt traced the other man's gaze, he saw both Tina and Santana, standing awkwardly to the side of them. Not too close but close enough to have heard their heated conversation.

Tina walked up to them and squeezed Kurt's arm before pulling back. "I really enjoyed talking to you, Kurt."

Kurt gave her a half smile before looking back at Blaine, but he was purposely not looking in his direction, instead looking around impatiently before saying goodbye to Santana, "Later, Snix."

"Peace Nightbird." She winked.

Kurt watched them both walk away talking quietly no doubt about what just happened. Kurt wondered how much shit Tina was in because of him, when he felt Santana's hand squeeze his own. Her affectionate side always coming out more when she's been drinking.

"You really dropped the ball with that one, didn't you?"

"I did."

"There's a tub of Ben and Jerry's at home with your name on it."

"Cookie dough?"

"Of course." She smiled at him before pulling him across the car park towards the taxi service hub.

As she was ordering the taxi, flirting her way through it, he thought back to what Blaine had said earlier.

"You only have her around to feel better about yourself."

He was right about that, Kurt always felt better in her company. She made everything better.

"I love you," He declared, needing her to know that, right now in this moment before he lost the courage. It was probably the first time he told her that since they were 19. She turned around and eyed him up. Eyes welling up before replying.

"Well, duh."

Thank you for reading! I consider this the End of Act one.

The story will continue next week! Have a great weekend everyone!