"Oh my God! Kurt, you were fantastic!" Elliot exclaimed after they ran off the stage in Baltimore. "Freaking phenomenal, man!"

"Uh, thanks," Kurt replied with a smile.

"He's not wrong, you know," Jeff commented, clapping him on the back as he passed by.

"Nice," Sebastian told him.

"Kurt…" That was Blaine, and when Kurt turned to face him, he saw nothing but love and devotion in his eyes. "That was amazing. Like, I knew you were good, but your harmonies were...perfect."

"Thanks," Kurt whispered, crossing the distance between them and falling into Blaine's arms. "I was scared shitless," he whispered into his ear.

"Well, you had no reason to be, but I'm proud of you nonetheless," Blaine whispered back.

Behind them, Kurt could see Eli glaring at the two of them, and he couldn't resist sticking his tongue out at him for a moment when Eli's back was turned to them once again. "So, what now?" he asked, pulling back to look Blaine in the eyes.

"I wanna get you a drink and celebrate."

Kurt scrunched up his nose. "I don't really drink in public," he reminded him.

"Just one drink? A celebratory champagne?"

"Uh… I'll take a few sips. How's that?"

"I think I can work with it," Blaine answered.

The band made quick work of cleaning up the stage and getting all of their equipment ready to be reloaded on the bus. Then, they all gathered up and walked a few blocks down the street to a local bar that one of the stagehands had recommended to Sebastian. Jeff hung around outside for a moment to call Nick and make sure that he was okay, so the rest of them went inside and got a table, ordering everyone a round of champagne.

"How's Nick?" they all asked when Jeff came back inside.

"He's fine. Feeling better and ready to do our next show, he says. Must have been some sort of 24-hour bug or something." Jeff made a sad face. "I really don't want to stay long. I want to get back to the hotel and make sure he's not actually dying. You know how Nick is sometimes. He tells me he's fine, but really, he's coughing up a lung or puking his guts out in the toilet."

"I don't want to stay long either," Blaine agreed, glancing at Kurt to get his reaction. "I just wanted to get this guy a nice glass of champagne and a bit of supper to show him how much I appreciate what he did for us tonight."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table. Then, Eli spoke up.

"So, when do we finally get to know the truth?"

"Know what truth?"

"That the two of you are soulmates." He looked steadily into Blaine's eyes, not wavering. "I saw the heart on your wrist earlier today while you were adjusting equipment. It explains a lot. But it's so unlike you to keep secrets from everyone."

Blaine seethed. He glanced at Kurt to see if he was alright before standing up and stalking over to Eli. "You know what?" he said, getting right in the other guy's face. "I'm tired, Eli. The entire time you've been with the band, you've not been a friend to us. You've only cared about the fame and what it can do for you. And because we needed a bassist, we accepted you. But now, you've gone too far. Outing someone for any reason before they're ready, about anything, is never okay. So," he straightened up, looking each one of the band members individually, "I want to take a vote. If you want Eli to leave, raise your hand and say 'aye.'"

All the guys gathered around the table looked wide-eyed at one another and back to Blaine and Eli who was stuttering out a protest.

"Y-you can't do that!" he bellowed. "You-you can't jus-just decide you don-don't want me anymore."

"You're right," Blaine said quietly. "I can't. But we as a band can."

"Will won't let you. He-"

"He doesn't get to decide. We do." He gestured around the table at everyone staring.

"Well, well… Nick-Nick isn't here! So…"

"Jeff, call Nick. Tell him what's going on. Have him vote."

"Blaine, I-I don't know if-" Jeff began but cut off when Blaine gave him a sharp look.

"Look, you guys. I'm going to be frank with you. I love all of you, and I love our band. I love what we do. But I've got some dignity, and I have to do what's right for me and for Kurt. So…" He took a deep breath; the next part was going to be difficult to say, but it needed to come out. "If I need to leave instead…" He paused, swallowing back tears. "If I need to leave, then so be it. I'll make that sacrifice for us. But I hope you know I don't want to."

"Are you serious?" Elliot asked. "Would you...Would you actually leave? You're that unhappy?"

"I am," Blaine confirmed. "Especially in light of what he just told all of you. But I don't want to sway your decision one way or another. If you are happy with Eli, then, by all means, tell me I need to go. I can be gone by morning."

There were only a few seconds of delay before Jeff had his phone to his ear, calling Nick to tell him what was going on. Elliot and Sebastian talked together for a few moments in hushed, quiet voices, Eli looked pissed, and Blaine came to stand beside Kurt's chair, his hand finding Kurt's and gripping it as if it was his last connection to life, the only thing keeping him from falling off the precipice of the cliff he was standing on.

Kurt found himself holding his breath. This, he realized, was history. He was sitting at the table watching a decision be made that would change everything for Blaine and Warbler Attack for good. Blaine might leave the group, go back to Ohio, and then what would he do? Kurt, for his part, would go with him, of course, but what was left for him in Ohio? He doubted very much that Dalton would take him back. Neither would his job. He didn't really mind so much about that. In fact, it was Blaine he was worried about. What would Blaine do? He was a rockstar now, famous, recognizable. There was no way a quiet life in Ohio would suit him anymore, and Kurt couldn't bear the thought of possibly having to watch this man he already cared so deeply about wither away because he had to leave the group that he'd helped to create and loved so much. Please make the right decision, he begged the band internally. Please send Eli away.

A few minutes later, Jeff held up his phone, showing a video chat of his soulmate. "Nick's got his vote," he announced, drawing everyone's attention. "How do you want to do this?"

"Like we always do, I guess," Blaine said, taking a deep breath and squeezing Kurt's hand once more to try to quell his nerves. "Anyone who wants to vote Eli out, raise your hand and say 'aye.'"

Around the table, three hands shot up, and so did Nick's on Jeff's phone screen, followed by a smattering of "aye" from everyone.

For a moment, Eli didn't say anything. He just stared at the four boys with their hands in the air, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "But-But-" he finally managed to sputter. "You-you can't-"

"Can and did," Blaine cut him off, not interested in listening to any of his excuses. "I'll let David know what's happened, and he'll let you on the bus to collect your things. You can stay the night in your band hotel room, but any further charges that are made for that room will be your responsibility. I'll have the band's lawyers get in touch with you to work everything out." He sounded much calmer about everything than his grip on Kurt's hand relayed to the other man.

"I-I-"

"I'll go with you," Elliot volunteered, shouldering Sebastian to get him to get up as well. "I'm sorry it's come to this, man, but Blaine's right. You shouldn't have outed them tonight. We appreciate your service to the band, but it's time we all move on."

Eli jumped out of his chair to get into Elliot's face. "I was a major part of this band! The fans came to see me, not any of the rest of you! You can't do this without me, and I can't wait to watch you fail!" His lip curled up into a snarl, and he looked around wildly, wondering who else he could attack on his emotional rampage.

"Okay. Scratch the coming with you thing then," Elliot replied, moving back in the direction of his chair. "Have a good life."

"Whatever!" Eli replied, stalking off as he flipped everyone at the table the bird.

They all watched him go, and for a moment, no one said anything. Blaine sent a text to David to let him know about Eli and that he would almost certainly be coming back to destroy something. He was glad when he got a response right away, telling him that they would have Eli's stuff waiting for him when he got back to the bus.

"Well, that makes me feel less like celebrating," Jeff finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. I think catching a ride back to the hotel would be good. What do you think, babe?" Sebastian asked, turning to Elliot.

"Yeah…" Elliot agreed. "I think that's a good idea."

"Sorry that I ruined the night, guys," Blaine apologized, pulling each of the guys into a quick bro hug.

"Don't apologize," Seb told him quietly. "Eli outed you and Kurt when you weren't ready. That's not cool. And, like Elliot said, it's time for us to move on. We can find a better bassist." He smiled in Kurt's direction.

Blaine nodded, watching as they left, followed shortly by Jeff. "Hope Nick's feeling better," Blaine called after him. Then, he turned back to Kurt, walking slowly back over to where he was still sitting at the table. He sat down in his seat beside him, sighing heavily. "I am so sorry about all that," he said, his gaze full of sadness. "I had no idea he would…"

"Shhh," Kurt shushed him. "There's no reason to apologize to me. In fact, you shouldn't apologize to anyone for that. You were standing up for yourself, for us, and that's a very brave and admirable thing to do."

"Do you think so?" Blaine asked, pillowing his head on his arms, his face turned toward Kurt. "Because even though I wanted to protect you so much, right now, I just feel like an asshole."

"I know so," Kurt replied, reaching out to rub his back tentatively. He immediately felt Blaine relax under the touch, and that gave him an idea. "What do you say we go back to the hotel, too, and just try to relax? It's been a long, stressful night."

"It's not over, I'm afraid," Blaine sighed. "I'm sure Will will be calling me soon. David probably, too, to let me know how much trouble Eli caused when he got back to the bus."

"It's hard to be the leader, isn't it?" Kurt asked him softly, hoping he didn't sound patronizing. He wasn't trying to be. He just wanted Blaine to see that that was his role so he could make his next point.

"I guess…"

"Even leaders deserve a break," Kurt told him. "So, turn off your phone for tonight. Let's go back to the hotel and relax. You can turn it back on at 8 o'clock sharp and deal with everyone's problems at that point. Until then, you need some time to recuperate from that very traumatic thing you just experienced." And, so do I...

"I don't know if getting rid of Eli counts as traumatic…"

"He was your friend once. Even if you didn't feel that way about him today doesn't mean there's not a little part of you that's sad."

Blaine just looked at Kurt for a moment, not saying anything. "You're so freaking smart," he finally said, his voice full of awe. "Every time I think I might be able to figure you out, you zig when I'm expecting a zag. You amaze me, Kurt."

Kurt felt his cheeks flush lightly. "Thanks," he said. Then, he tugged gently at Blaine's arm. "Come on. Let's go."

They didn't have to wait long for the car to get back from dropping Elliot, Seb, and Jeff at the hotel. They didn't talk while they rode to their building; both of them were just soaking up the other's presence, Kurt focusing on calming Blaine as best he knew how and Blaine focusing on just breathing and slowing his heart rate. Kurt was right; that had taken a lot out of him, more than he'd wanted to admit.

As soon as they got up to their room, Blaine did as Kurt had suggested and shut off his phone after sending a text to David to let him know his plan, plugging it into his charging cord on his nightstand and putting it face down so he didn't even have to look at it. Then, he collapsed on his stomach on the bed, moaning when his head hit the pillow. "God, it feels so freaking good to lay down."

Kurt smiled. "I bet it does."

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked him, turning his head so he could see him better. "I just realized we've spent the whole time talking about me, and I haven't once asked how you're feeling. I mean, you were just outed, too."

"I was," Kurt agreed. "But I think I actually feel okay about it." He stopped, taking a minute to think so that he could be sure to get the right words out. "I think the band, even if they weren't consciously aware of it, knew that we were more than just casual friends. And, I trust that they'll be polite and give us space until we're ready to talk about it with them."

"Aren't you afraid of what Eli will say, though? That he will out us to the rest of the world?"

"What if he does?" Kurt asked, surprised at himself for being the rational one this time. Typically, he would be freaking out about it, but he wasn't. Something in him was telling him that it wouldn't be a big deal, and he trusted that feeling.

"Are we ready for the whole world to know?"

"They'll know eventually," Kurt replied. He paused for a moment. "I agree that we do need to talk about it more, especially since we haven't even used...that word...to talk about ourselves yet. But right now, there are too many emotions swirling around, and I think we both just need to relax. Would you like a shoulder massage?"

Blaine wasn't sure if letting it go right now was the best decision, but he trusted Kurt. "If you're about to tell me that you're also a masseuse, I will marry you right now."

At that, Kurt's heart lurched. I'd marry you right now, too, he thought to himself. Instead, he said, "Well, I'm not a trained masseuse, but according to Mercedes, I give a pretty good massage."

"Sounds heavenly," Blaine replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Climbing up onto the bed, Kurt said, "You know, it would probably work better with your shirt off. I'll be able to work out the kinks better that way." Oh, my God! What are you saying? You will not survive if Blaine takes his shirt off! A massage is so intimate. Are you ready for that? What are you doing?!

"You're right," Blaine agreed. "That way, if I fall asleep, I'm at least comfortable." Very slowly, he slipped out of bed, peeling off his shirt and, to Kurt's horror, his jeans as well, climbing back in dressed in only his boxers. They were sinfully tight and looked oh, so good hugging his ass and… well… the rest of him. "You, too?" he asked, already looking sleepy as he settled back down on his stomach.

"M-me, too, what?" Kurt stuttered.

"Shirt," was all Blaine said, his eyes drifting shut.

"Ummm, sure…" Kurt agreed, peeling off his shirt. The problem was now that he had on tight jeans, and that was not going to work as he was going to have to straddle Blaine in order to reach his shoulders. God, he wanted nothing more than to dress down to his boxers like Blaine and let whatever was going to happen happen. Can I risk it? he wondered to himself. What if-

Blaine made an impatient little sound, reaching out a blind hand in Kurt's direction. "Kuuuuuurt."

"I'm coming; I'm coming," Kurt soothed, deciding not to think about it too long. He wriggled out of his jeans and then slowly got into position, his knees on either side of Blaine's hips. He was careful as he lowered himself down, not sure how far he should go. When Blaine wriggled a bit, however, trying to get comfortable, Kurt lost his balance, and his bare leg brushed Blaine's ever so lightly.

Blaine's head whipped up, and he looked at Kurt with big eyes, a question already forming. "Are you-?"

"Oh, do you want me to-"

"I mean I-"

"I can just-"

"Wait!" Blaine grabbed Kurt's wrist before he could leave. "Don't. Don't get up. I was just surprised. But I'm fine. And, I, well, I kinda like it, this new level of intimacy."

"Okay…" Kurt replied, not really sure what to say to that. "Well, I-Do you want me to get started?"

"Please?" Blaine laid back down, tucking his arms beneath the pillow and resting his head there, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Neither of the boys was prepared for the current of electricity that shot through them both at the first touch of Kurt's fingertips to Blaine's back. Even though they'd experienced it every time they kissed, when Blaine had grazed Kurt's arm in the bathroom and when he'd slipped a finger beneath his shirt, when they held hands, even though they'd felt it when their legs had brushed only moments before, they weren't prepared for how overwhelmed they felt by this more intimate moment. They both spent a few minutes panting and breathing heavily as they sat there, Kurt balanced over Blaine's ass, Blaine's breathing causing his body to lift every so often, bringing their bodies within a hair's breadth of touching each time he moved.

"Holy shit," Blaine managed when he could think clearly again. He wanted to say more, compliment Kurt on his warm, soft hands, tell him how much he wished there were no layers of clothes between them at all, but the words caught in his throat, unable to find their way out.

Kurt just nodded, not able to say anything. Blaine's skin beneath his hands felt amazing. Perfect, even. It felt right to touch him like this, almost no barriers between them, as if they'd done it all at some other point in time, as if they'd gotten to know each other's bodies on a very intimate level before. Kurt couldn't place those feelings or understand why he felt that way. He wondered for a blissful moment if it had something to do with the hearts on their wrists, but he didn't give it too much thought. Eventually, he tried to touch again, and while the sparks were definitely still there, attacking his senses with each gentle caress of his fingertips, it seemed a bit more manageable now, as if their bodies were getting used to one another again.

Is this what heaven feels like? Blaine wondered to himself as Kurt began to knead out the kinks in his shoulders and along his spine. Have I died and entered the afterlife? This is amazing. He wanted to ask Kurt these questions, but he didn't want to break the silence between them. He was just getting to the good place where he was beginning to feel a little more like jello and a little less like the lead singer of an up-and-coming band, and he didn't want Kurt to stop touching him.

Eventually, Blaine fell asleep. Kurt was just finishing up his massage, working his fingers up and down Blaine's spine, getting dangerously close to the band of his boxers before moving back up again, almost as if he were flirting with the idea of doing something else.

When he was finished, Kurt carefully climbed back over to his own side of the bed, cuddled under the blankets before tossing a light sheet over Blaine's body to keep him from freezing, then turned off the light. He lay there in the dark for a while, just thinking about what had happened at the bar, hoping he'd given Blaine good advice about shutting off his phone until morning. Then, his thoughts drifted to his own conundrums. How do I feel about being outed as Blaine's soulmate? We've not even been brave enough to say that word to each other yet, but now, the whole band knows. Speaking of the band, am I a part of it now? Officially? They didn't vote, but now they're going to need a bass guitarist. Do I want that for myself? Do I want to be a permanent fixture in the band? He wasn't sure what to do with those thoughts and feelings, and the more he considered them in the dark, the more that confident feeling he'd had when talking to Blaine about it faded, and the more hints of anxiety began to creep in.

So, he turned onto his side and watched Blaine sleep, doing his best to clear his mind of all the intrusive thoughts and only focus on the man next to him, his soulmate. The outline of a heart next to one's soulmark denoted that they'd met their match, that the heart would only darken as they fell more in love with one another. Still, there was something keeping them from admitting their feelings and the true meaning of those hearts aloud to one another. Fear? he wondered. Would saying it out loud make it too real? I guess we'll have to figure that out since everyone knows now. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep himself.

The next morning, Kurt blinked open his eyes to the sound of Blaine singing softly. He looked around, confused for a minute as reality made itself known. He wasn't in bed because the sheet was empty and cool next to him. He wasn't in the shower as Kurt couldn't hear the sound of the water running, and he wasn't sitting at the little desk or in the overstuffed chair because Kurt could see both of those from where he was lying. Rolling onto his other side, he finally caught sight of Blaine beside the window.

All the lights were still off, presumably so Kurt could continue to sleep, but Blaine had the curtain pulled back just a bit so he could see outside. There was a thin beam of light coming in, bouncing off the wall a few feet from the bed and illuminating things around it ever so slightly. The other man was still dressed in only his boxers, and Kurt took a moment to admire him and the way his body looked in the soft light. He was so muscular and so well built, compact but still perfect. A cute ass, a well-defined chest, and abs that left his eyes trailing down to what would be juuuuust under that band of his shorts. Toned, muscled legs and cute little bare feet, broad shoulders, the most perfect neck that was just begging for kisses. A strong jaw, adorable cheek bones, and that wild, curly hair that never ceased to make Kurt smile.

Kurt strained to hear what Blaine was singing, grinning when he finally caught the lyrics.

"Good morning Baltimore

Every day's like an open door

Every night is a fantasy

Every sound's like a symphony

Good morning Baltimore"

"Well, good morning," Kurt said softly, his voice cutting through Blaine's singing and startling the other man. Kurt just smiled at him. "It's not every day I get to wake up to a beautiful lead singer in my room, singing show tunes."

Blaine grinned. "I'm thinking you might want to get used to that," he said, letting the curtain fall shut and bathing the room in darkness. "This is pretty normal for me." There were a few beats of silence then the curtain moved again, and Kurt could see Blaine's chagrined face in the dim light from the morning outside. "I was going to walk over to the bed, but then I couldn't see," he admitted, blushing.

Chuckling, Kurt flipped on the lamp next to the bed, watching as Blaine walked over and perched on the edge of the bed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fabulous. Like a baby. Like a rock. Whichever one of those obnoxious sayings you want to use." He grinned widely. "How about you?"

"Um, well...good," Kurt admitted. "I had a dream about you. And...there was a song. Well, that's a stretch. Just some bits of lyrics, really. I'd like-Well, do we have time for me to write them down before we need to pack up?"

"Sure," Blaine agreed. "We're not leaving until mid-morning, and it's only a little bit after eight right now. So, that should be fine."

"Where are we going next?" Kurt asked as he slid out of bed to retrieve his notebook and a pencil from his backpack. Blaine didn't answer him, and when he turned around, he found that it was because Blaine was staring at him, open-mouthed. "What?" he asked, confused. "Is there something on me?" He glanced down at himself, expecting to find a t-shirt and pajama pants. Instead, he found himself looking at just his navy blue boxers, and when his eyes flitted back up to Blaine's, he was sure he was blushing a brighter red than a cherry. "I need to put on clothes."

"No! No, please don't," Blaine begged, sliding off the bed and taking a few steps closer to him. "Please. I just… You're stunning, Kurt. Your body is perfect. I was just… admiring you."

"Oh… I-I don't think I've ever had anyone tell me that before…"

"Well, I don't know how anyone could miss out on complimenting you like that. You're truly stunning. The most incredible man I've ever seen."

Kurt felt his blush sink into his neck, shoulders, and upper chest. "I, um, well…" he stammered. "I've, uh, not really been intimate with too many people before. Like I said, I've never even really had a formal boyfriend. I'm...I'm kinda a baby penguin about all this stuff…"

"I see…" Blaine murmured, coming closer to wrap his arms around Kurt's waist. His fingers played at the base of Kurt's spine as he pressed their hips together. He could feel everything Kurt had to offer through his boxers because the blood was rushing south pretty quickly, it appeared. Blaine hoped that Kurt was okay with this; he hadn't asked, but the man wasn't pulling away or asking him to stop, so Blaine didn't, his own blood rushing to catch up with Kurt's.

They only stayed that way for a few minutes before things grew a little more heated. Kurt leaned in, pressing kisses against Blaine's lips. It was Blaine, though, that took things a bit further, begging for entrance into Kurt's mouth with quick, careful swipes of his tongue across Kurt's lips. He explored him for several minutes, learning every inch of Kurt's mouth before moving to place kisses at the corners of his mouth, across his cheeks, behind his ears, down his neck, and to his chest.

By this time, both the boys were panting, and a few unstoppable moans may have escaped their mouths, unchecked. Their hips were doing a flirtatious dance together, both of them finding frustration in the friction, and when it felt like things were maybe not going to slow down or stop anytime soon, Kurt pumped the brakes. He didn't want to, but he knew that if they didn't stop now, this would turn into a full-fledged use of every surface in their hotel room, and they really didn't have time for that. Maybe when they got to...wherever they were going-Blaine hadn't answered him earlier, after all-but not right then. "Blaaaaiiine," Kurt panted. "We, oh, we-we have to-to-to stop."

"Why? We're enjoying, mmm, enjoying each other."

"Because-because if we don't stop now, I'm going to-to do a lot of things to you that we have, nnnng, haven't talked about ye-yet."

"That's okay… I-I want to do things to you, too." Blaine stopped licking his way down to Kurt's nipple to look up at the other man from beneath his lashes.

"I want that, too," Kurt told him honestly, doing his best to keep his breathing in check. "But we can't do it right now, Blaine. We have to get packed up soon, you haven't turned your phone on yet, and as much as we don't want to think about it, there was a mess created last night that will need some cleaning up. I promise you that I'm not saying this because I don't want to-to-to have sex with you." Keep it together, Hummel. "I'm only saying it because now just isn't the right time."

Blaine nodded, knowing that Kurt was right. He was already feeling himself start to deflate, the carnal desire he'd been feeling only moments before beginning to fade as well. "You're right," he told Kurt sadly, moving back a step or two. "You're right; I just-I got carried away. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Kurt reassured him. "I loved it, every moment of it. And, if a genie came to grant me a wish right this minute, I'd beg her for time to stop so we could do anything and everything we wanted. But I don't think a genie is coming, so we're going to have to take a raincheck."

"A genie, huh?" Blaine asked, chuckling as he placed one more soft kiss against Kurt's lips before stepping back toward the bed to retrieve his as yet untouched phone.

Kurt smiled. "Well, it was that or a fairy, and I don't think we have any higher chance of one of those showing up."

"You're right," Blaine agreed, his thumb hovering over the power button on his phone. He stared at the black screen for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to convince himself to just do it and get it over with. It was only going to get worse the longer he ignored the problem.

Then, he felt a warm body behind him and long arms reaching around to hold onto his own. "You can do it," Kurt whispered in his ear. "I know it's going to be tough, but I'm right here to help you through."

Blaine nodded, still looking down. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of their two wrists, pressed together. Their marks lined up perfectly, and Blaine could see that the hearts were steadily darkening up, now a silvery gray color instead of the faint, barely-there pencil marks that they'd started with a few days ago. "Thanks," he whispered, turning his face into Kurt's neck for a moment, breathing deeply for a bit to calm himself.

Taking one more good, deep breath, Blaine turned back to his phone and pressed the power button, watching with trepidation as the screen immediately lit up, the powering up symbol popping onto the screen. His belly was flip-flopping, and his heart was beating rapidly as he stared at it, waiting to see what would come up first. He hoped Kurt wouldn't leave, and to his relief, a few moments later, he was still there behind him, a solid presence offering him strength.

The first thing that popped up on his screen was a series of texts from Eli. They varied wildly between anger and sadness, and a few of them didn't make much sense. Then, two phone calls from Eli popped up onto the screen, complete with one voicemail. Blaine wasn't sure he wanted to listen to that, but he figured he should at some point, just to be sure there was nothing important on the call.

Following all of that, Blaine got a few texts from David, letting him know that Eli had gotten his things, had only broken one acoustic guitar on his way off the bus, and they hadn't seen him since.

There then came a large grouping of texts and missed calls from Will. Blaine didn't take the time to read them all, merely skimming over them to make sure there was nothing truly important there. For the most part, they were asking questions Blaine didn't feel like answering, and he just rolled his eyes.

The most interesting texts, though, were the ones from the rest of the band. There was only one message each, but each one filled him with hope that everything was going to turn out alright.

From Jeff, 12:18 am: Hey. I just wanted to say thanks for what you did tonight. And, congrats on finding your soulmate. I promise not to make a big deal out of it until you're ready to talk. Maybe Kurt can join us permanently now.

From Sebastian, 1:44 am: You're awesome, dude. Way to stand up for yourself. And, congrats on finding Kurt.

From Elliot, 1:48 am: Blaine, I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself. Now, we've got room for Kurt. I like that better. Congrats.

From Nick, 3:13 am: Hey, dude. I just woke up, but I wanted to say that I'm glad you didn't let Eli off the hook. He shouldn't have outed you. I'm looking forward to Columbus and seeing Kurt in action! Congrats on finding your soulmate!

Blaine really hoped that Kurt was reading over his shoulder, because those messages were not just for his eyes alone. They were definitely, definitely also for Kurt, and he hoped that Kurt would say yes when they formally asked him if he would join the band, something apparently everyone wanted.

"Woah…"

Turning to look at him, Blaine asked, "Didn't expect that?"

Kurt just shook his head. "No. Hell no. No way. Those guys want me to join Warbler Attack? Like, permanently?"

"Yes. Kurt, you're amazing. I know that you don't have the confidence in yourself that you should have. I don't know why, and some day, I hope to find out. But for now, I hope you'll feel the confidence that I have in you because you deserve it all!"

Not knowing what to say, Kurt just nodded, pressing a quick kiss to Blaine's lips. "I'm just gonna write down those lyrics if I can even remember them now," he told Blaine. "Thanks for all your confidence and positive words."

"Any day, handsome. I'm gonna hop in the shower before I get packing."

"'Kay." Kurt sat down on the bed, pulling his notebook and pencil into his lap and opening to a blank page. He couldn't remember everything he had dreamed of; he knew that. Only bits and pieces were coming back to him now, but those parts were better than nothing. Quickly, he wrote everything down. "Shelter of your arms...understand me, highs and lows...sleeping in the dark, thinking of you...where would I be...I was bored...you make my life bright...sweet...better than me for me...no one but you…"

When he was finished, he read back over what he'd put down, happy with it. It was no song, barely even made sense, in fact, but it was a start. That was all he needed.

A few hours later, the guys were packed up on the bus along with the rest of the band. Everyone seemed far more excited than Kurt had ever seen them, and he was happy to see the rest of the band in good spirits. They'd had a vote the very first moment they stepped on the bus, and they'd officially voted Kurt in as their permanent bass player, something that made Kurt both excited and nervous. He sent a text to his mom and Brittany as he'd been doing every day, letting them know what had just happened and swearing them to secrecy. Blaine had promised there would be a press release and probably a public meeting with members of the press to officially announce his membership. For now, Kurt would just show up and do what he was supposed to do. They wouldn't say anything officially, and they would wait to see how many people noticed the change.

The drive was long; they were headed all the way to Columbus, Ohio, a prospect which made Kurt both nervous and excited. He was going to be close to home, but it would be nothing like it would have been to return to Ohio and head back to Dalton. He would be there in a professional capacity, doing something he'd always dreamed of doing but never thought he'd get to do.

Blaine made him even more nervous when he leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," Kurt replied, getting lost in Blaine's beautiful eyes for a moment.

"Guess what."

"What?"

"My mom and my brother are coming to the show so you can meet them."

Kurt's throat constricted, his breath catching, and he stared at Blaine with wide eyes, not saying anything.

"You okay?"

"Uh...I-I don't know."

"What's wrong? Tell me what you're thinking, please."

"Meet-meeting your mom? Your-your brother? That's a-That's a huge thing."

Blaine looked a little confused. "You've met my brother before; he was your teacher. And, my mom is sweet. Very sweet. She'll love you."

"What about your dad? Where's he?"

"Uh… My-my dad-" He stopped. "Actually, can we talk about that later? In private?"

"Sure. Could we-I mean, have you already committed to your mom coming? Because I feel like we really need to talk about this…" He struggled to get his words out, wanting to be sensitive to what Blaine wanted but unable to keep himself from telling Blaine how he really felt.

"Shhh," Blaine whispered. "Yes, we'll talk about it. I promise. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sprung that on you like that."

Kurt tugged on Blaine's arm until he was sitting closer to him, and he could rest his head on Blaine's shoulder. "It's okay."

For the rest of the drive to Columbus, the boys spent a lot of time cuddling and whispering to one another. Now that Eli had told the band their secret, there was really no point in hiding their interactions. Everyone already knew.

Checking in at the hotel was a quick and easy process, and soon, they found themselves in another hotel room almost identical to the one they'd left. Plopping their things down by the door, they sat down on the bed and sighed in unison. It was good to be off the bus, even if they were stuck in another hotel room.

"Do you ever get tired of this?" Kurt asked him. "Do you just want to be home?"

"Always. My house is so much more comfortable than any hotel room I've ever stayed in. I mean, they're cushy and all, but not nearly as nice as my house. You'll love my house when you get to see it."

Kurt sighed. "I guess that's as good a transition as any to talk about meeting your family. Do you want to do that now?"

"Sure," Blaine said. "But I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Um, I want-and you can say no if you want to-but I'd kinda like to snuggle in just, um, in just our boxers?" He blushed, looking at Kurt from beneath his lashes again.

Kurt smiled, pressing a kiss to Blaine's forehead. "I'm okay with that," he replied. "As long as we can promise to keep our hands to ourselves until we're done with our serious conversation."

Blaine saluted him. "Scouts honor."