Blaine found Kurt talking to a short girl he didn't recognise, but a moment later his hunch that it was the famous Rachel Berry was verified. Unfortunately, he had arrived to drag Kurt away so that they could take their seats in the audience for the Hipsters' performance.

"You know, I thought they'd be a lot worse," Kurt whispered to him halfway through.

Blaine almost laughed. "What, because they're old?" he murmured back.

"Partially," Kurt admitted. "But also because there's normally a shambolic performance, and I know it's not us or the New Directions."

"You said Rachel wasn't soloing," Blaine suggested. "Maybe theirs will be the shambolic one."

That shut Kurt up, although it hadn't especially meant to. Blaine supposed he couldn't imagine his friends falling at the first hurdle, but similarly didn't to himself. Against his better judgement, Blaine reached over and squeezed Kurt's hand. "Stop worrying!" he said quietly, looking at Kurt's anxious expression. Blaine saw Kurt look down at their hands, and he withdrew his hand quickly, fidgeting. You crossed the line, Blaine, he scolded himself.

When the Hipsters' performance was nearing its end, the Warblers began to file out to prepare for their performance. Wes grouped them outside the door.

"Okay, guys," he said. "We all know how hard we've worked for this, so let's just go out there and rock that stage." He grinned. "Break a leg, everybody!"

Blaine was offered "good luck"s from various other Warblers, and Kurt beamed at him as they took up their positions onstage. Blaine smiled back, before the lights came up and he took a breath.

The song seemed over almost straight after it started, and all of a sudden they were leaving and resuming their seats. Everyone seemed determined to clap Blaine on the back except Kurt, who mouth "well done" in the silence and smiled at him.

Then the lights came up onstage, and Blaine learned what Kurt had loved about the New Directions – they seemed to much freer than the Warblers – and got so caught up in the atmosphere that he found himself clapping along to the dark-haired girl's 'Valerie' without even realising. At the end of the song, he and Kurt leapt up and cheered louder than the rest of the Warblers put together.

"I can see why they were the favourites to win," Blaine said to Kurt during the interval. Kurt didn't seem to be listening. Blaine nudged him and he looked up. "Kurt?"

"Yeah. Sorry." Kurt yawned, covering his mouth with a hand.

"Are you feeling okay?" It could have been the lighting, but Kurt did look dangerously pale, just like he'd done earlier at lunch.

Kurt nodded distractedly. "Of course," he responded quietly.

But he looked like he was going to throw up. Blaine put his arm round Kurt, hugging the boy closer to him and rubbing his arm supportively.

By the end of the night, Blaine was genuinely afraid that Kurt might faint. He'd made it through the announcement that both Dalton and McKinley were winners, and had even managed to hug Mercedes while Blaine congratulated Mr Schuester, but Blaine could see he was shivering.

"I'm gonna call a cab," he told Kurt while they were preparing to leave. "I should see you home."

Kurt looked at him and Blaine could see that his eyes were red. "What? You don't have to do that," he insisted, leaning on the wall subtly in order to keep upright.

Blaine raised an eyebrow. "I was gonna get one anyway," he said. "We can just go round via yours."

Blaine had never seen Kurt's house before, and was a little excited despite the circumstances. The two boys sat next to each other in the taxi (Blaine having helped Kurt in) in silence, but Blaine could tell that the last thing Kurt needed in his current state was a conversation.

The taxi ride was longer than Blaine expected, and he was starting to feel tired with the rocking motion of the car and the stress of the week. He glanced over at Kurt, who was valiantly trying to stay awake. Smiling a little, Blaine put his arm round Kurt again, allowing the other boy to rest his head on Blaine's shoulder. He was reminded of his dream, and looked out the window awkwardly, but kept Kurt close.

By the time they pulled up outside Kurt's house, Kurt was snoozing peacefully on Blaine's shoulder, and Blaine felt bad shaking him awake. "Can you wait here a minute?" he asked the driver, who nodded understandingly. Blaine climbed out of the cab and hurried round to Kurt's side, opening the door and resting Kurt's arm around his neck before helping him out. Together, they made their way to Kurt's front door and Blaine rang the doorbell.

Kurt mumbled something about Blaine not having to do this, to which Blaine laughed dryly and said, "of course I do."

A tall young man with brown hair answered the door. "Hi – oh my gosh, Kurt!" he exclaimed, looking at Blaine expectantly.

Blaine smiled awkwardly. "You must be Finn," he said. "I'm Blaine." Finn began helping Blaine to carry Kurt inside, laying him carefully on a sofa. "He's been looking peaky all day – as far as I'm aware, it's nothing he ate," Blaine summarised. "But I thought he needed seeing home." His eyes lingered on Kurt's now sleeping form for a moment.

Finn nodded carefully. "Okay. Well, thanks," he replied. "I guess I owe you one."

Blaine smiled. "Um, I've got a cab waiting," he remembered. "I'd better go."

Finn walked him back to the door. "Hey, dude," he said quietly to Blaine. "You and Kurt, are you, um...?"

"Just friends," Blaine nodded.

Finn took that in. "Okay. But are you, though, are you...?"

"Gay? Yeah," Blaine answered, reading Finn's expression.

"Right. Cool. Well, not cool. I mean, not not cool, but –"

Blaine nodded again and Finn stopped talking.

"Well done at Sectionals. You were great," Finn said finally.

"Yeah, thanks, so were you." Blaine smiled warmly and headed out the door. "See you around."

"Yes. Bye." Finn closed the door, and Blaine walked back to his taxi.