I took a deep breath before walking into the kitchen. Dad was standing at the counter shaking a bottle of mayonnaise over an incomplete sandwich. I could already imagine the look that would cross his face when I told him what I needed to. Our relationship had changed a lot in the past year and a half; I needed to show him that I was mature and that we could trust each other.

"You should really use a spatula for that," I suggested, walking up to the counter beside him. I leaned against it, trying to look more relaxed than I felt.

"Why didn't I think of that?" he said, scolding himself while he opened up a drawer nearby. "Finn's already left for the big benefit, shouldn't you be there too?"

"No, the glee club went early to practice," I informed him, feeling my heart sink a little at the thought of dear old McKinley. "I'm not allowed in for another half hour…"

"Buck up, kiddo," he said, sensing my sadness. "They all still love you there. I'm sure someday you'll all have a show singing together on…whatever that big theater is."

"Broadway, dad," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "And that does sound like a dream come true."

"Yeah. So what's up?" He had finally gotten the mayonnaise, but it came out with a giant plot, so he busied himself scraping most of it back into the bottle.

"Actually…I wanted to ask you something…about tonight," I said slowly, feeling my nerves kick in just a little.

"Oh?" he said vaguely, sniffing his hand before running it under the sink water.

"Yes," I nodded, taking another deep breath. Moment of truth. "It's going to run kind of late and I really wanted Blaine to go with me, but by the time it's over, they will have already locked the doors at Dalton. I know last time I tried to do the responsible thing, I didn't tell you before and the shock was…well, rude on my part. So I am making a formal request right now: may I have your permission to allow Blaine to sleep here tonight? Just sleep, I promise, and I'll drive him back to Dalton myself in the morning. No funny business, I swear…pretty please?"

Dad stopped everything, finally ignoring his sandwich. My stomach was in knots, twisting painfully the more he continued to look down at the sink, his chest rising with measured breaths. He finally turned to face me, folding his arms sternly. His eyes were scary cold and his face was a little pale.

"Kurt…thank you for being an adult and asking me," he said slowly. I wanted to puke. He always put flattery before a lecture. "But I'm still not sure that letting your boyfriend stay the night is very appropriate. I didn't grow up in your shoes, but I still remember what it's like to be a teenage male with hormones affecting every single decision. Gay or not, that will always be a factor when it comes to making rules that you and Finn both have to respect. I understand that you're not like normal boys, or normal gays either. You're sensitive, Kurt. Very aware of yourself and what you want, and thank god I know you don't want much besides the material things."

By then I had already settled into the disappointed mindset. Nothing I said would make him let a boy stay under his roof that could possibly steal the innocence of his son. As he lectured, he looked up and saw my expression…then paused. I watched his emotions change from that fearful reluctance to something else. I recognized it from that night I finally told him the truth. He had been riding the high of seeing his kid become a star football player, but he had also been ready for what I told him. When I saw that expression had returned, I felt a sudden surge of hope.

"But I suppose…if Finn told me that Quinn needed a place to stay for the night, I would let her," he said before sighing heavily. "She's a girl and I know she wouldn't let anything…inappropriate happen, so understand why it's difficult for me to give Blaine the same kind of respect. Just…just remember what we talked about. Protect your heart, Kurt. I'll leave the door unlocked tonight. I expect you both downstairs for breakfast at eight sharp and if you plan to let him hang out later than that, your bedroom door stays open."

"Dad, thank you so much!" I cried, leaping up and attacking him with a strong hug. He held onto me in one of the bear hugs that we used to share with Mom when I was a kid. "You won't regret this, I promise!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said jokingly and I felt him laugh just a little. "Remember to bring me back some saltwater taffy…I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too, Dad," I said, pulling away to smile at him. He rolled his eyes at my overjoyed expression and looked back at his sandwich. I gave him one final glance, deciding that he would get a hand-made, bedazzled, Kurt-ified Best Dad Ever trophy for father's day.

I called Blaine and told him the plan, then picked him up from the school twenty minutes later. We headed to the school, and you know how things played out from there. I felt so special when he instantly wanted to protect me from Karofsky, but also scared since I knew how strong the jock was and I didn't want anything hurting the precious face of Blaine. I could have kissed Santana for cutting in and getting the possibility of a fight to cease. Afterward, we went into the auditorium and found seats a good distance from the hecklers. It turned out to be a good thing since Blaine and I spent most of the time holding each other's hands and playing footsie. We only lost contact for applause and bathroom breaks.

When it was over, the three of us got in the car since Finn had carpooled with Quinn earlier. The house was dark and silent when we arrived. I carefully locked the front door after our small group was inside. Finn mumbled a goodnight and headed off to his downstairs room. He had originally been upstairs, then we discovered that the stress of a new girlfriend was making him sleepwalk and he almost broke his neck, so we moved him someplace safer.

"Want anything to eat?" I offered, motioning toward the kitchen. We'd both eaten dinner before leaving for the performance, but being next to him for the past couple of hours had my stomach doing so many somersaults that I was hungry again. I went over to the fridge and pulled it open to inspect what we had. "Sorry I can't cook a gourmet meal right now. It's grocery weekend, so all we have is leftovers from pasta night."

"That sounds amazing," Blaine said with a wanton sigh.

While I prepared the pasta, he went to the glass cupboard and got two cups for us then filled them with juice. I smiled to myself, thinking that he'd only been over once or twice but already knew where everything was. I set the table to that he'd sit across from me and we could talk while we ate. As the microwave beeped, I turned around to grab our plates while Blaine went to sit down. When I looked back, I saw him move his setting to the end of the table which put him closer to my chair. I chocked down the gleeful squeal that wanted to let loose in my mouth. No need to make a fool of myself now. I carried the plates over to the table and sat down, noticing Blaine's victorious grin at the way I didn't point out his change in seating.

While we ate, we talked about normal things—my clothes, Blaine's Warbler drama, my shopping trips, Blaine's friend stories, good music. The whole time, we remained in constant contact. His knee casually rested against mine, our feet ever so slightly tangled. We each had one hand resting on the table so close to each other that the very tips of our fingers were weaved together. Once we had finished eating, we remained there for a few minutes, enjoying the conversation and the teasing touches. When I noticed Blaine getting tired and yawning, I took our dishes and put them in the sink, thinking I could wash them in the morning.

"C'mon, sleepy head," I said, taking Blaine's hand to pull him to his feet. His eyes were a bit droopy and his movements were slow as I led him up the stairs and to my room. "You wait here, I'm going to change."

He nodded his understanding and I left to the bathroom which was exclusively mine. I changed into my favorite fleece pajamas and quickly abused my mouth with a toothbrush. I watched myself in the mirror, still unable to believe that what I saw in my reflection was something that Blaine wanted. But he'd made his feelings clear, so he was either crazy or my self esteem was lower than I originally thought. Either way, I was extremely nervous to go back into my room. He would be waiting there, ready to be in a bed with me without stinking of alcohol and Rachel Berry's perfume. I took a final deep breath and walked away from the mirror.

Blaine was folding his pants when I returned. The rest of his clothes were in a neat pile next to my dressing table. He was left wearing only baby blue boxers and a loose white tee shirt.

"Somebody looks cozy," he said, grinning as he looked me up and down. I blushed and curtseyed jokingly.

I knew that standing there without saying anything would put an awkward silence between us, so I simply walked over to the bed and crawled over to the side pushed up against my wall. I noticed Blaine take that same reassuring breath that I had before he came to join me, crawling under the blankets beside me. I reached up for a nearby switch and flipped it, shutting off every light in the room and shrouding us in darkness. I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe. Stay calm, it's just sleep. No need to get dramatic.

"Good night," I said to the dark, cursing my voice for having that little quiver in it.

"G'night, Kurt," Blaine answered sleepily.

I felt him shift slightly, then his arm was spread across my shoulder, pulling me into his chest like two puzzle pieces. Cuddled with him there, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. The feel of his breath in my hair and the rhythm of his chest lulled me to sleep since everything he did was musical to me. But once I was in my dreams, I could no longer feel him and I was vulnerable to whatever little terrors my imagination could come up with. I fully blame the saltwater taffy for giving me nightmares, most of them revolving around Karofsky and the Fury. It was depressing when I later realized that I couldn't tell the difference between that and my actual memories from McKinley. In one particular dream, I found myself running down the school hallways, covered in sticky slushy syrup. I could hear loud footsteps running after me and also feel the amused smirk of my pursuer. The halls that I knew so well kept leading me down endless turns and circles, the whole time letting the danger catch up with me. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear a piano playing a soft tune. I tried to call out for help, but the only noise I could make was the sound of Pavarotti's chirping.

"Kurt, wake up!" Blaine whispered harshly, tearing me into consciousness. I sat up with a start, instantly knocking my head on the wall since I wasn't used to being so close to it. Blaine's hand was instantly there, soothing away my pain and shaking nerves.

"W-what happened?" I asked, blinking rapidly as I looked around. My room was still completely dark, but as my eyes adjusted, I could see.

"You were talking in your sleep," Blaine said, a hint of a nervous laugh in his voice. He kept rubbing my shoulders and back with his hands as though he needed to feel me as proof that I was still there. "I thought it was harmless, then you started saying my name and asking for help. Kurt, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, really," I said carelessly. "It was just a stupid dream, nothing more."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Sing about it?"

"No, Blaine, it's fine."

"…Blackbird singing in the dead of niiiight!" he began.

"Shut up," I laughed, nudging him with my elbow. I sighed and began to get up.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, holding onto my arm. "It's three in the morning."

"I know, but I'm never going to be able to get back to sleep," I shrugged. "Might as well not keep you up. You just get your beauty sleep, I'll be alright."

"Kurt…" I paused and looked back, seeing the dazed look in his eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, a little worried by the way he kept staring. He put my mind at ease by smiling and leaning forward to kiss my cheek.

"You look beautiful in the moonlight…" he whispered, breath hot against my ear.

How could I possibly consider leaving him there after that? He apparently had no intention of letting me anyway. A very small, irritable part of my mind remembered that Dad was trusting me to be appropriate and it made me reluctant to accept what I knew my boyfriend was probably thinking.

"Blaine, I—" I couldn't seem to remember that I was supposed to deny him. Staring into his eyes as he watched me made my mind go completely blank and happy.

With a needy little moan, I gave in and crashed my lips into his. He readily wound his arms around my body, pulling me down onto the pillows with him. We simultaneously deepened the kiss, both our mouths opening up for each other, tongues battling heatedly. He held me so tightly there wasn't a breath of space between our chests and our heartbeats collided as one. My hands roamed all over him, feeling everywhere they could and remembering when he let me touch him before. At some point, he rolled us over so that he was on top, legs straddling my waist and hands holding us close. His body writhed on top of me as the sheer need between us grew, destroying every rational thought in its path. It wasn't until I felt myself losing control that I knew we'd gone too far. As difficult as it was, I forced our lips to part and everything paused.

"Blaine, we c-can't," I said, hating myself for it. He looked up at me with those understanding, yet devastated puppy eyes. "I just…I don't think either of us are ready."

Blaine chuckled lightly and brushed the hair away from my face. "Oh, Kurt…I know that. We can just go back to sleep if you want."

"No!" I blurted, not thinking. The idea that I would have to stop kissing him was…just a no. "Can't we…you know, do something? All I meant was that our clothes have to stay on tonight, not that we have to come to a full stop."

"You're absolutely adorable when you're trying to confuse me," he laughed, shaking his head. He leaned down and placed a slow, leisurely kiss on my lips. Just before he pulled away, he rolled his hips against mine, causing me to gasp quickly. "That what you had in mind?"

"Please…don't stop," I whined shamelessly and he instantly repeated the motion, this time making us both sigh with pleasure.

He let his head drop so that we were kissing again, also grinding his hips down to create a constant motion between us. I may have held back for a minute, but when I felt him growing hard against me, I reciprocated. The pressure growing between our hips was simply undeniable. Within moments, we were both fully erect and still rutting against each other for that wonderful friction that wasn't allowed to stop. When breathing became an issue, Blaine began kissing down to my neck where he was sure to leave a hickey. I let my hands rake down his back, eventually finding his ass where they stayed, feeling every movement as he thrust against me. His breath became short and strained and I knew he was close. I dug my fingers into him, forcing his hips to slam against me harder.

"Oh, god Kurt," Blaine moaned loudly, but I wasn't in a place to care about noise level. "You feel so good…"

I smiled and bit my lip, loving the way he sounded so desperate because of me. When I felt his teeth scrape against my collar bone, I thrust up into him and we both cried out. His hands flew to my waist, holding me tightly while I held on with the same force.

"Do it," Blaine said breathlessly, looking directly into my eyes. "Cum for me, Kurt."

Hearing my name purred that way was all it took to send me over the edge. I threw my head back as a broken moan escaped my throat, the whole time shooting into my underwear. I felt Blaine shudder and a similar sound escaped his lips as he orgasmed right after me. For a wonderfully long time, it felt like I was flying on the wings of a bird. I felt with amazing clarity the heaviness in Blaine's movements as he maneuvered to his side of the bed. He kept one arm slung across my stomach, one leg curled around mine. I turned my head and breathed into his cheek, enjoying the scent of him.

"Have I ever told you how much you amaze me?" he asked after a long time of silence. His voice hummed and tickled my ear all the way to my spine.

"It's always nice to hear," I shrugged, chuckling. I felt his grin as he turned to plant light kisses on my lips.

"This world, right here between us, is made of magic," he whispered, lips moving against mine, breath dancing across my face. "Every sunrise is full of color. Afternoons are bright and warm. Sunsets die with a song and bring us beautiful starry nights. The moon smiles with your face. Everything is perfect."

"But if I'm the moon, then that means you're the sun," I said with a frown. "We'd never be able to see each other besides solar eclipses. While I appreciate the poetry and drama of a story like that, I don't ever want to be apart from you more than I have to."

"Fine by me," he said, pressing his forehead against mine.

We eventually went back to sleep and there were no more nightmares for me. Promptly at eight, we enjoyed breakfast with the rest of my family who were all blissfully kind to Blaine and at least acted interested in everything they had to say, even though I could see Finn looking dazed and confused every now and then. Afterward, we went up to my room to make out with the door open to be fair with Dad's rules.

A/N: Reviews pretty please with Blackbirds and Warblers on top?