"How was your day, love?" Blaine asks, smiling at Kurt through the computer screen.
"It was alright," Kurt shrugs.
"Just alright?" Blaine questions.
"I kind of got in a fight with Mercedes."
"Really? About what?"
Kurt picks at a loose thread on the blanket draped over his legs. "It's stupid. It was just about this new friend I made last week."
"Oh," Blaine says, a confused look on his face, "why would you and Mercedes fight about that? Is she... jealous? Is it some new girl in the Glee club?"
"No, it um... it's a guy I met at the Lima Bean. We've been texting, but she seems to think that just because he's gay he's flirting with me, which is ridiculous," Kurt explains with an eye roll.
"Oh," Blaine says again, then he's silent for a moment. "Well, is he?"
"No, of course not. He knows I have an amazing boyfriend," Kurt says, offering Blaine a small smile.
"Some guys don't care about that," Blaine points out, and he almost sounds a little... angry?
"Chandler is not like that. He's really sweet."
"I'm sure he is," Blaine says, tone short.
"Seriously, Blaine, he's not. It's nice to just have a gay friend around that I can talk to, you know? The girls are great but sometimes they can be a bit much. You get that, right?"
Blaine sighs. "Yeah, I know, it's just... I used to be that for you."
"Blaine," Kurt breathes, voice soft, "you still are. Of course you are. He's just a friend, nothing else."
"I know I've been busy lately, but I just don't want you to replace me with... with some guy you met at a coffee shop."
"Blaine, I would never. I love you so much, Bee. And he knows that. We're just friends. I swear."
"I guess I just... you've always only had girl friends. I'm not sure how I feel about you texting and spending all this time with some other guy."
"I was friends with all the Warblers," Kurt counters a little confused.
"Yeah, but that was different."
"How was that different? Because they were your friends first?"
"I mean... kind of?" Blaine gives a small shrug.
Kurt stares back at Blaine for a moment, a little bewildered, before he responds. "Blaine, it's not... you can't expect me not to have any guy friends."
"Of course not, but it's just... he's gay, and that makes me kind of uncomfortable."
"Sebastian is gay," Kurt points out, irritated now.
"That's different," Blaine says defensively.
"How is that different?"
"It just is," Blaine argues, "you already have friends there, I don't have friends here yet."
"Blaine, that's- you can't tell me who I can and can't be friends with."
"I'm not, I just... I don't like it. That's all."
"So if you're not telling me not to be friends with him, then what exactly do you want me to do about it?" Kurt huffs.
"I don't know, Kurt," Blaine says, exasperated. "I'll think about it."
"Okay," Kurt agrees simply, because there's not really anything else to say about it at this point.
It's a few days later when the topic of Chandler comes up again.
"I want to see your texts," Blaine says simply.
"What?" Kurt asks, bewildered.
"I've thought about it, and I think I would feel better if I could read the texts you're sending him. And what he's saying to you," Blaine explains it like it's obvious.
"Blaine, I... don't you think that's a bit much?"
"You wanted to know what you could do about it, and this is the only thing I can think of. Would you rather me be all the way here in New York always wondering if my boyfriend is letting some other guy flirt with him when there's nothing I can do about it?"
"No! Blaine, of course not, you know I don't. But he's not flirting with me, Bee, we're just friends. Showing you my texts just seems a bit... excessive," Kurt says uneasily.
"Look, I'm not going to make you do it, and it's not like I'm going to read every single message. Just, if I knew you'd show me when I ask, I would... feel better about it, I think. And if you're just friends, it's not like there's anything to hide, right?"
"We are just friends," Kurt insists.
"So then there's nothing to worry about."
"I guess so," Kurt agrees hesitantly.
"So... is that a yes?"
Kurt sighs. "It would really make you feel better?"
"Yeah, I think it would," Blaine nods.
"Alright then," Kurt agrees reluctantly.
"Thank you, Kurt. I love you. So much."
"I love you too, Bee," Kurt says, offering a tentative smile as he tries to shake off the unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"How's Blaine doing?" Chandler asks cheerily from the passenger seat of Kurt's car.
It's a Saturday afternoon, and the two boys are out for a drive. It's starting to become their thing; going for a nice long drive and chatting the whole time. They talk about everything from the latest music and fashion to their personal lives, and Kurt really appreciates how open he can be with Chandler; he loves the girls, but they can be a bit judgemental, and sometimes it's nice to have a guy other than Blaine to talk to.
"Oh, he's good," Kurt says, trying to brush the topic off.
It's not that he doesn't want to talk to Chandler about Blaine; in fact, he's talked about Blaine plenty, and Chandler is always happy to hear about Kurt's boyfriend. What Kurt hasn't told Chandler is how Blaine feels about the other boy; and since his last conversation with Blaine was about Chandler, he doesn't really want to get into it. Clearly, Chandler isn't letting him off so easy.
"Just good?"
"Yeah, he's fine," Kurt replies, keeping his eyes focused on the road, but he catches Chandler's frown from the corner of his eye.
"Is everything okay?"
Kurt sighs. "Yeah, we just got in a fight. Kind of. Well, not even a fight, really... it's nothing."
"Oh no! What were you fighting about?" Chandler asks, voice full of concern.
Well, great. There's no way he's getting out of this now.
"He, um... it was about you, actually. It wasn't really a fight, though, seriously, it's not... he just gets... I don't know," Kurt tries to explain, but every way he can think of to say it just sounds bad, so he trails off.
Kurt chances a glance at Chandler and sees his eyes wide, a look of mild panic on his face.
"Oh no, I made you fight? What did I do? I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to do anything, I-"
"No, you didn't do anything," Kurt cuts him off. "Blaine just... he doesn't love that we're friends."
He knows that it's not really an explanation, but he also can't really sorry, my boyfriend is possessive and jealous and doesn't like me being friends with other gay guys.
"Why not?"
Kurt stops at a red light, and turns to look at Chandler. He's frown is even deeper, and he just looks so concerned, and Kurt hates it. He sighs again, turns his eyes back to the road as the light turns green.
"It's just been hard getting used to the whole long distance thing, and I guess he's just... jealous, or something. It's not a big deal, really, I promise. We're not fighting, he's fine with it now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Kurt says, offering a tight smile.
"Well, okay. If you say so," Chandler replies, and Kurt can hear the bit of relief in his voice as Chandler relaxes and starts prattling on about the new coat he bought the week before and how much Kurt would love it.
He's grateful for the topic change. This isn't something he wants to talk about, with Chandler or anyone else, and he definitely doesn't want to tell anyone that Blaine is reading his texts with Chandler. He knows people will think Blaine is being possessive and jealous and unreasonable; and maybe, to an extent, he is. But long distance is hard. It's been hard for Kurt, and he knows it's been hard for Blaine, too, so he can't really blame Blaine for needing the extra reassurance. Blaine would do the same for him, right?
Kurt wants his friends to meet Chandler.
The girls haven't said much lately, and Tina has been nothing but supportive of the friendship the whole time, but he can tell Mercedes and Rachel think there's something going on between the two boys. But there isn't. They just don't know him. So he's finally managed to convince the girls to hang out with him and Chandler, and he just hopes that maybe they'll finally get it.
They're at the mall. It was a good, neutral place to hang out. They could have some lunch, do some shopping, laugh at all the awful pieces of clothing they found as they browsed through the stores. And, well, if it gave Chandler extra opportunities to compliment his friends so they could see that's just what he's like, well, that's an added bonus.
"Oh my god, that dress looks stunning on you, you absolutely have to get it," Chandler exclaims as Mercedes comes out of her dressing room in a knee-length floral print dress.
"I do really like it," she agrees, twirling for the boys.
"Rachel!" Chandler all but squeals as Rachel emerges from the next door, "You look absolutely radiant in that dress."
"Red has always been my colour," she says knowingly, smoothing a hand down the fabric over her stomach, "the colour of passion."
Tina steps out of the third dressing room next in a simple but fitted blue dress.
"Wow," Chandler says, clutching a hand to his chest, "dazzling. That dress looks like it was made for you."
"Thank you," she says, beaming at the boys before she turns back to look at herself in the mirror, "I can't believe you've been keeping him from us this whole time, Kurt! I need to take him with me every time I go shopping.
"Just be careful," Kurt warns teasingly, "he's great for your ego, but I don't think there's anything he wouldn't compliment."
"Everybody is just so beautiful! I can't help it!" Chandler pouts.
"I like him," Rachel decides. "Maybe he should be my new best gay, then I won't have to listen to you insult every piece of clothing I own."
Kurt rolls his eyes. "Oh please, Rachel. It's not every piece of clothing you own. Just the ones you purchased when I wasn't around. If you didn't have me, you'd still be wearing animal sweaters to school every day."
"Oh, animal sweaters sound so fun!" Chandler pipes up with an exited smile, and Kurt just rolls his eyes again.
"Well I don't know about all y'all, but I'm ready for some lunch," Mercedes says.
"Good idea," Tina agrees, and the girls retreat back into their dressing rooms to change out of the dresses.
After the girls change and buy their dresses, under Chandler's insistence, the group of five settle around a table in the food court happily enjoying their lunches.
"I just think that Don't Rain on My Parade went over so well last time, it makes sense to do another Funny Girl number at the next competition," Rachel explains.
"You just want the solo," Mercedes argues, rolling her eyes.
"It is a classic Broadway musical, with wonderful music, and I really think that a Funny Girl number would be a good idea. And I always have a solo anyway, we all know that it's best that way, so that's really not a factor," Rachel huffs.
"Wow, you must be really good if you have a solo at every competition," Chandler says to Rachel, eyes wide.
Rachel preens a bit at the praise. "Thank you, I am."
Mercedes tolls her eyes again. "Do not encourage her."
"Rachel's head is already big enough, you don't need to boost her ego," Kurt says to Chandler.
"Don't listen to them," Rachel argues, "it's always wonderful to talk to someone who clearly appreciates talent."
"I'm gonna puke," Mercedes says.
"Let's change the topic," Tina jumps in, "Chandler, you're a senior right? Where are you thinking of applying for college?"
"Yes! I am! There are just so many great schools, it's hard to choose where to apply. I've been looking all over the place. I know Kurt really wants to apply to NYADA, and I'm definitely going to apply there too, but there's also-"
"NYADA is by far the best musical theatre program in the country, possibly the world," Rachel says, cutting him off, "that's where I'm going."
"Yes Rachel, we know, you're so talented, blah blah blah, I think he gets it," Mercedes says.
"Actually I think it's really interesting! I'd love to hear everything you know about the program at NYADA," Chandler jumps back in, completely unfazed by Rachel's interruption.
"No, I am officially vetoing this conversation," Mercedes jumps in again, before Rachel can start talking. "Tina, do you have everything planned for your trip to see Mike?"
"Just about," Tina rolls her eyes fondly, "he's lived in the city for two months now, you'd think he'd know the best places to go, but it's like pulling teeth trying to get ideas out of him! I'm ready to just give up at this point, I guess it would be nice to just spend some time in at his apartment anyway, so maybe we'll do that for the rest."
Tina continues talking about her plans with Mike for Thanksgiving, and Kurt mostly just sits back and listens, watching his friends chatter on. Chandler is fitting in really well; he's enthusiastic and asking questions and telling Tina how much fun her trip sounds, and Kurt is really just glad that his friends like the other boy.