THANK YOU! I have 100 Reviews? WHAT? I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped when I realized that! Ohmygawd you guys are amazing! I can't thank you enough for all the reviews, support, alerts, and everything else that you do! Just knowing that you are all reading my little story makes me smile :) Here is Chapter 8 for you all. I hope you enjoy it! Disclaimer: Ryan Murphy and Fox own Glee.

Kurt stood on Blaine's doorstep, coffee cups in hand, dressed impeccably, his face a mask of calm. Inside, however, he was dying. He had woken up this morning, bleary eyed, with his apartment a complete mess. It had only taken Kurt a few seconds of staring at his wrinkled clothes to remember the fiasco that was last night's dinner party: Paul being an ass, Kurt singing a love song to Blaine, Paul saying God knows what to Blaine, Blaine leaving, Paul dumping Kurt…With every breath Kurt took, it felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing him in the chest, because his life was rapidly unraveling in a way he couldn't even imagine.

Kurt had gotten dressed, given himself a twenty minute pep-talk in the mirror, stopped at a coffee shop for an extra-whip nonfat mocha (he needed some help…) and a medium drip for Blaine, and ended up here.

Kurt reached up to knock on the front door and stopped suddenly, feeling faint. Oh shit. He had forgotten to call. Damn it. Kurt turned around and started to walk down the steps. I can't DO this, he thought. Apologize Coffee or not, Blaine will not appreciate me appearing, out of the blue, on his doorstep at 9:30 on a Monday morning…especially with the way he stormed out last night.

"…Kurt?" The door creaked open, revealing a sleepy-eyed Blaine.

Kurt gasped and spun around, only to find his jaw dropping at the sight of Blaine.

Oh. My. Gaga. Apparently, Blaine's pajamas do not consist of a shirt. All of Kurt's worries suddenly melted away, because he couldn't help but stare at the planes of Blaine's chest. Kurt's eyes wandered over Blaine's body, following the lines of his muscles and that light trail of hair that crept lower and lower… Oh god, now he REALLY could not do this. Have a conversation with the guy of his dreams, who wasn't wearing a shirt? There was no way in HELL that was going to happen... "Um. I brought you coffee." Kurt shoved the cup into Blaine's hand. Abort, abort! He had to escape now. "I'll just be going…" He would come back sometime later and talk with Blaine, because really, NOW was not the time.

"Wait, Kurt! Don't go!" Blaine pleaded. He held his breath, waiting for Kurt's reaction. Of course, Kurt would probably be pissed for the way that Blaine had acted last night.

Kurt stopped, waiting for Blaine to continue. Damn, that boy would have to put a shirt on if he wanted this to go any further.

"Uh…thanks for the coffee."

Kurt sighed and turned around, forcing himself to meet Blaine's gaze. Fuck. Bad decision. Now Kurt could see the pain and the questioning in Blaine's eyes, making this so much worse. "Can we talk?" Kurt would do this, damn it. He was strong and proud and had the ability to go through with this.

"I'mreallysorryaboutlastnight" Blaine blurted out, eyes downcast.

"You don't need to be sorry." Kurt couldn't take his eyes off of Blaine's adorable bed-head look. Blaine's hair looked so soft and curly and out of control. It was the best. And…Kurt realized, his heart sinking once again, he would never have it.

Blaine looked up at Kurt questioningly, and was surprised at the amount of sadness in Kurt's eyes. "Come in, we can talk inside. It looks like it's going to storm…" Blaine said. He led Kurt into the hallway, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he went. He had spent the night curled up on an armchair, unable to sleep. That was actually how he had known that Kurt was at the door; he saw his friend walk up the front steps through the window he had been sitting by. Blaine blushed slightly, realizing the state of undress he was in. He probably looked like hell right now… "Wait a second, I'll be right back."

Blaine returned a moment later, to Kurt's relief, wearing a thin t-shirt. Kurt's rational brain was happy, while Kurt's hormone-induced brain complained at the loss of Shirtless Blaine.

Blaine curled up on the living room couch, coffee in hand, and watched as Kurt slowly sank into the cushions beside him. The atmosphere in the room was full of tension (completely different than the usual tension between the two men); both men were extremely guarded with their expressions and feelings.

"I-"

"Kur-"

Both Blaine and Kurt opened their mouths at the same time to speak.

Blaine grinned a little. "You go first."

"No, you go." Kurt gestured to Blaine, only causing Blaine to shake his head in defiance. "Okay, fine." Kurt cleared his throat, wishing he had some more mental preparation for this (like 20 minutes of it wasn't enough). Where was he supposed to start?

"So, I don't know what Paul did to make you leave so suddenly last night, but I apologize on his behalf." That was a good beginning, right?

Blaine blanched slightly at the memory of Paul's words, but he couldn't think of a response. His thoughts were swirling constantly in his mind, making it impossible to think. Blaine shook his head, feeling his heart whine at the dejected look on Kurt's face. "No, I need to apologize too. I shouldn't have left like that; I didn't even say goodbye or thank you for such a lovely dinner. I didn't mean to be so rude."

Lovely my ass…thought Kurt. Blaine was worried about being rude? What happened to this whole 'being honest with each other' crap? Kurt was positive that Blaine wasn't masking his emotions from Kurt because he felt guilty that he had been rude. There was something more. "What did Paul say to you, exactly?"

"…" Blaine's heart stopped, and he felt the memory beginning to resurface. No, he couldn't deal with this now! Panic set in, and he looked around wildly. Lie, lie! "I doesn't matter what he said…it was nothing."

Kurt was looking at Blaine as if he could see right through him. "I don't think 'nothing' would make you leave like that…" Kurt frowned.

"Kurt, I-" Blaine started, fiddling with a stray thread on the couch cushion. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. I'm confused and afraid, and I feel like every decision I make is set up to send me tumbling toward the ground." Great, Blaine. Way to give a straightforward answer.

Kurt froze. Blaine wasn't going to tell him? Then Paul must have said something really bad…

"I mean, Kurt, I like you. A lot. You are my best friend." Blaine looked up to lock eyes with Kurt, emphasizing his statement.

"But….?" Kurt knew there was going to be a 'but,' there HAD to be.

Blaine gulped, trying to think of how to word this. "But, fuck it, when I look at you, I am happy and nothing seems to get me down..."

Kurt's heart leapt at those words.

"I'm afraid, Kurt. I'm confused and scared and this is all too much. There used to be a time when I knew myself and I could actually think, but then I met you and now everything is falling apart…and then that song…" Blaine tried to put everything into those words; he tried to show Kurt how he had never been able to do this before, and he couldn't do it now.

Kurt's eyes widened in realization, and he almost fainted. Blaine knew…Blaine KNEW that Kurt was in love with him because of Paul, that bastard! Kurt felt the blood draining from his face as Blaine continued to talk.

"…wait…that came out wrong…I'm not blaming you at all! But I just…I can't think, you know? I don't understand what's happening and if I take a wrong step then everything will come crashing down…" Blaine looked at Kurt helplessly, at loss for words.

So this was it, Kurt thought. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes and his heart shattering into a million pieces. Blaine knew and was afraid and didn't want any of this. Kurt willed himself not to cry; he willed his emotions to stay in check. Because, fuck, he didn't want to scare Blaine off anymore…"Okay." Kurt's voice cracked, the emotion easy to hear.

"What?"

"I get it, Blaine. And I will give you time, damn it, I will give you anything, but I can't see how that would help." I'm already in this too far. It's like Mercedes said…Kurt should've just forgotten about Blaine. He nearly cried out at that thought, because what kind of life would it be without Blaine? But, Jesus, Kurt just couldn't handle it, knowing that Blaine was afraid of him; Kurt couldn't live, unrequitedly loving Blaine, while having Blaine know that Kurt loved him too. He wasn't strong enough for that.

"Kurt…"

"No, Blaine. I can't do this anymore. I've tried and it obviously isn't working. It's too hard. I'll just…go. I can leave and it can be like I was never something more than a memory, the person that sang at your wedding." Kurt felt a sob rise in his throat, but he silenced it immediately. He would NOT cry in front of Blaine. Not now, when he was so vulnerable like this.

Bewildered, Blaine stared at Kurt, watching the resignation and the hurt flash across his friend's (best, best, BEST friend, mind you) face. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Blaine, I can't live like this anymore. We….we can't be like this anymore. It won't work." Kurt couldn't will himself to say why out loud. Admitting it would be too painful, and it would make the rejection all that more real.

Wait, what the hell was Kurt talking about? Blaine was scared and confused, but not be friends with Kurt? That wasn't an option! "Is it Paul? I don't get it…will he not let us be friends? Is he jealous?" Blaine's subconscious knew last part to be true, but he thought Kurt wouldn't let Paul get in the way of their friendship…

"No." Kurt whipped around to face Blaine, tears glistening in his eyes. "Paul dumped me."

"Oh." Blaine was silent, surprise written all over his face. "But why? Didn't you sing that love song for him?" Red hot jealousy cursed through Blaine's veins as he remembered Kurt's voice, so sweet and pure, singing to that guy, the same one that had all but threatened Blaine. Oh, there they were again. The emotions and thoughts that were somehow connected to this confusion and fear that made Blaine unable to think anything out for himself…

Kurt opened his mouth to answer, his lips red and slightly puffy, and hesitated. He laughed a little, remembering how furious Paul had been about being the 'other man.' Paul saw right through him…and damn it, that jerk was right. Kurt WAS transparent.

Blaine swooned a little, eyes transfixed on Kurt's lips. Ah, he looks so kissable right now. Gahh-wait! I DID NOT JUST THINK THAT!

Kurt's gaze was locked on Blaine's; he felt that Kurt could see directly into his soul. Without breaking eye contact, Kurt slowly replied: "You're right. I sang for him, but I was singing to you."

With that, Kurt turned and slipped quietly out the door, letting it bang shut behind him. Rain was coming down in sheets, during the streets into slippery gray streams. Kurt sank on to Blaine's front steps, listening for the door to open and for footsteps to follow him, but in his heart he knew they would never come. As the raindrops trickled down his face, soaking his hair and clothes, Kurt finally let his tears fall. He couldn't tell if the wetness on his cheeks was from the rain or his own tears, but for the first time in a long time, Kurt didn't care.

From the side window, Blaine watched Kurt huddle on the front steps, his eyes following the rain that dripped down Kurt's clothes and skin. He was only more confused now—if this wasn't about Paul, then what was it about? Why, oh why would Kurt say they couldn't be friends?

After a while, Blaine just couldn't take it any more. He had to make this right. Kurt was sobbing on his front porch, and he was just standing here? What kind of asshole does that?

Blaine wrenched open the door and ran onto the porch.

It was too late. Kurt was gone.

So Blaine stood alone, letting the rain soak his hair and skin, hoping it would wash away some of the aching pain in his chest. But it didn't; not one bit. And this time Blaine was the one alone on the front porch, soaked to the bone, needing someone who would never come, with tears streaming down his face and mixing with the rain falling from the sky.

So, you guys are officially the best. I love you guys times infinity! Read & Review please. "Afraid" (Chapter 9) coming up soon! Thanks again!