.:My Man:.

Chapter Three: Thursday

Warbler's Rehearsal

Rehearsal was about to come into session and Wes, Nick, and Jeff had devised a plan at lunch that afternoon for 'mission Klaine'. Kurt himself had no idea, but today, as phase one of the plan, at rehearsal he was going to be given a solo for their Valentine's Day performance at Breadsticks, giving him the perfect love song that they knew would get in Blaine's head. They knew Blaine, the entranced look on his face, getting lost as Kurt sings, and on certain songs Blaine not only became lost, but engulfed in a world of Kurt. They could tell this because after the latter happens he talks nonstop about the boy. They knew Blaine was just being paranoid and protective, not wanting to hurt Kurt in anyway, and Jeremiah was just his diversion. They knew this would work, it just had to.

BANG! Wes slammed the gavel down to get the other Warbler's attention. Once quieted, Nick took the floor.

"Okay guys, so Valentine's Day is coming up and Breadsticks has asked us to perform for their special dinner service, so Blaine will lead us into a group number as the opening, then we need two soloists to close the show."

The Warblers started chattering in excitement from the news. Wes slammed the gavel down once more for silence.

BANG! BANG!

"Warblers," Wes began, "We decided that Kurt and Jeff will be the two soloists. Blaine you will lead us in the song Firework, Jeff you will be next singing Somewhere Only We Know, and closing the show will be Kurt singing Pretending." Kurt looked up in surprise then raised an eyebrow reading Wes' mind by his mischievous grin. The other Warblers began to take a seat and settle down as Wes asked Blaine to come up and go through Firework, but being a Katy Perry song he already knew the lyrics.

Blaine stood up and began singing.

"Do you ever fell, like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again? Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from cavin' in? Do you ever feel, already buried deep? Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing? Do you know that there's still a chance for you? 'Cause there's a spark in you? You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine, just own the night like the fourth of July, 'cause baby you're a firework, come one show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! As you shoot across the sky. Baby you're a firework, come on let your colors burst. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! You're gonna leave 'em goin' OH! OH! OH! You don't have to feel, like a waste of space, you're original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds, after a hurricane, comes a rainbow. Maybe your reason why, all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road. Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow, and when it's time you'll know. You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine, just own the night like the fourth of July, 'cause baby you're a firework, come one show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! As you shoot across the sky. Baby you're a firework, come on let your colors burst. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! You're gonna leave 'em goin' OH! OH! OH! Boom! Boom! Boom! Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon. It's always been inside you, and now it's time to let through. 'Cause baby you're a firework, come one show 'em what you're worth. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! As you shoot across the sky. Baby you're a firework, come on let your colors burst. Make 'em go OH! OH! OH! You're gonna leave 'em goin' OH! OH! OH! Boom! Boom! Boom! Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon. Boom! Boom! Boom! Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon!"

Blaine finished and the Warblers gave him a standing ovation and clapped intensely for him.

Jeff took the floor next, lyrics in hand, and began singing.

"I walked across, an empty land, I knew the pathway like the back of my hand, I felt the Earth beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete. Oh simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on. So tell me when, you're gonna let me in, I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin. I came across, a fallen tree. I felt the branches of it looking at me. Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I've been dreaming of? Oh simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on. So tell me when, you're gonna let me in, I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin. And if you have a minute why don't we go, talk about it somewhere only we know? This could be the end of everything, so why don't we go, somewhere only we know? Somewhere only we know! Somewhere only we know."

Again the other Warblers stood and clapped as Jeff sat down.

Kurt was up last to sing, he was nervous, but swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and began.

"Face to face and heart to heart, we're so close, yet so far apart. I close my eyes, I look away. That's just because I'm not okay, but I hold on, I stay strong, wondering if we still belong. Will we ever say the words we're feeling, reach down underneath, and tear down all the walls? Will we ever have a happy ending, or will we forever only be pretending? Will we a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-always be pretending? How long do I fantasize? Make believe that it's still alive? Imagine that I am good enough, and we can choose the ones we love, but I hold on, I stay strong, wondering if we still belong. Will we ever say the words we're feeling, reach down underneath, and tear down all the walls? Will we ever have a happy ending, or will we forever only be pretending? Will we a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-always be keeping secrets safe?
Every move we make seems like no one's letting go, and it's such a shame, 'cause if you feel the same, how am I supposed to know? Will we ever say the words we're feeling, reach down underneath, and tear down all the walls? Will we ever have a happy ending, or will we forever only be pretending? Will we a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-always be… Will we a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-always be… Will we a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-al-ways, a-a-a-always be, pretending?"

His eyes opened to everyone in the room standing, minus Blaine, as they erupted with clapping, woohoo-ing, and whistling. Blaine, though, was sitting down, silent. He had that look of concentration, eyes looking into space in slight confusion, mouth slightly open, and Wes, Jeff, and Nick all looked at each other and grinned as the cheers continued. Hook, line, and sinker!

Kurt was on the verge of tears. He knew Wes chose the song for him to sing to Blaine for a reason. He poured his heart and soul into this, hoping something would click. He couldn't see Blaine, but he saw the three perpetrators grinning at one another and assumed their plan had worked.

Blaine sat there as cheers erupted throughout the room, but to him it was dead silence. Something clicked. The lyrics went straight to his heart, but he was slightly confused, slightly torn, but he didn't want to keep going on, pretending. He had a lot of thinking to do, he needed to figure things out, and now.

Wes took his seat and banged the gavel once more to calm the crowd.

BANG! BANG!

"Great job you three, the patrons are going to really love this. On that note tomorrow we will work on our group number. Warblers are dismissed!"

Everyone cleared the room except for the Wes, Nick, Jeff, and Kurt. Blaine practically ran out of the room to his dorm, clearly as an effect from a moment ago.

"Guys, could you have least warned me?" Kurt asked a little flushed, but satisfied with the end result.

"We didn't want you to refuse, or chicken out, but you knew once we announced it!" Nick said in defense.

The other two nodded their heads in agreement. Kurt looked down, grabbing a hold of his arm, and blushed.

"Do you think he got it? Do you think it worked?" Kurt asked shyly.

"Phase one worked. Now for phase two. Don't worry Kurt we got ya!" Wes said reassuringly as he patted Kurt on the back and led him and the two others from the commons. Kurt's head started spinning with thoughts of what the boys were up to next.

Blaine's dorm post rehearsal

Blaine sat on the edge of his bed, his face in his hands. He huffed out a frustration and crashed down on his back.

Blaine, you can't pretend anymore. Jeremiah means nothing, Kurt means everything… Everything! You love him and he loves you. What the hell are you so afraid of? You will never lose him, telling him you love him will only bring you closer together, with the possibility of forever! But what if...? Blaine struggled with his thoughts, his heart in war with his brain. He was conflicted and didn't know what to do. He laid there for a few seconds and thought of the one word that started his and Kurt's friendship… Courage. He had to talk to Wes.