AN- I'm glad people liked Madonna. Home was a fun chapter- I do enjoy the episode and I love the ending to this.

Enjoy!

Also: Kurt, honey, I love you to death. But you were a punk in this episode.

Apparently, they don't have an auditorium to in practice anymore.

Coach Sylvester commandeered it for her Cheerio's practice and they're kind of screwed without one.

Mr. Schue promises he will find them a new place.

Blaine goes to walk out with Kurt but pulls back when he realizes Kurt has cornered Finn by the piano. Kurt has his cloth-board out and is speaking to Finn about fabrics and designs and Finn looks really confused and Blaine kind of feels bad for him.

Then Finn slips away and he's able to ask what that was all about.

"Nothing," Kurt says quickly, avoiding Blaine's eyes. "Just getting a guy's opinion."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Blaine quips

Kurt meets his eyes for a brief second, and opens his mouth, like he's going to tell him what's up. But then his phone goes off and he checks it quickly.

"I have to go; Coach Sylvester is very adamant we never skip practice. See ya."

Kurt all but runs out of the room.

The next day, he meets up with Kurt and Mercedes for lunch.

"I wish we didn't have to eat here," Kurt mutters. "It's so hard to diet with all this greasy food around."

"Diet?" Blaine asks confused. "Why are you dieting, you're like, perfect."

Kurt flushes, Mercedes rolls her eyes and Blaine realizes he just basically inserted his foot into his mouth.

"We need to lose some pounds to stay on the Cheerios," Mercedes explains. "I need to lose ten in one week."

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Blaine asks.

"Nothing I can't handle," Mercedes replies airily.

And Blaine believes her. Until he sees the look on her face when Kurt tears into her about her food choices. He's never seen Kurt act like this before, and yeah he can understand the call of popularity but it was not worth hurting Mercedes' health over.

He doesn't say anything. He follows Kurt to a table and looks over his shoulder to see Mercedes leaving her lunch behind.

On their way to glee, Blaine and Kurt are approached by Finn.

"Kurt, when did our parents start dating?"

And this is news to Blaine.

"Your parents are dating?"

"For a month now, since parents teacher conferences. I always go with my dad, to act as a translator. And when your mother walked in the room, she was all he saw. I could tell my dad was nervous though, so I…may have instigated a conversation between them. Just to break the ice. They both have dead spouses, so I knew they'd have a lot to talk about."

Blaine stares. "You didn't actually say that to them, did you?"

"And once the conversation got rolling, I could tell they were very enamored with each other," Kurt smiles at Finn.

"This is impossible…" Finn says, stunned.

"When are you going to understand nothing is impossible when it comes to love?"

And Blaine's eyes can't help but land on Kurt after he says this. Kurt who is still too busy looking at Finn.

"So, we're going to be happy for them. Because they're happy."

And Kurt turns on his heel and flounces away. Blaine and Finn stare after him.

Blaine wonders if Kurt really said that, about dead spouses. Then he realizes: it's Kurt.

He totally did.

They're in glee when Blaine finally has the guts to confront Kurt. After his little song, Blaine definitely felt Kurt needed some sanity inserted back into his head.

"Hey," Blaine catches up with him right before he leaves the room. "This thing with your dad and Finn's mom. You're doing it for your dad, right?"

Kurt's smile is too bright. "Of course."

"Because, you know, Finn is straight. And that this could possibly blow up into your face."

Kurt's smile becomes strained. "Thank you, Blaine. But that never even occurred to me. I just want my father to find happiness."

And it's such a lie. And Blaine is itching to call him out on it but they've had this fight before. And the last time, Kurt got so angry and Blaine doesn't want to go through that again.

"Good. Because he deserves that. You're a good son, Kurt."

Kurt looks guilty; Blaine hopes that it knocks some sense into him.

After the dinner at Breadsticks and his conversation with his dad, Kurt just wants to push his head into his pillow and sob.

He holds his phone, Blaine's number high-lighted in the contacts, his thumb hovering over the call button.

He just, he needs to talk to Blaine. But he also can totally predict that Blaine is going to say the same things he did before, about Finn being straight and it never working out.

And maybe he dug his own grave by hooking up their parents.

He puts the phone down.

Blaine sits with Finn at lunch the next day.

"So, yeah, Burt's pretty cool. I was surprised that he was like, into football and stuff."

"Kurt's dad doesn't have to be gay too, you know," Blaine says, almost amused.

Finn just shrugs and piles more food into his mouth. Blaine sits back in his seat and glances around the cafeteria. He spies Mercedes sitting with Artie and Tina but no Kurt in sight. He wonders where he is and feels a little worried because he hadn't seen him in a while.

And he's still looking when Mercedes sits up. And charges off. And faints, right in the middle of the room. Blaine rushes over, meeting Tina half way. The both kneel beside her and Tina shouts for someone to get the nurse.

Kurt rushes into the nurse's office, and almost crashes into Blaine and Tina on their way out.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"Calm down, she's fine," Blaine assures him.

"Oh, thank God," Kurt murmurs.

"She had low blood pressure," Tina explains. "Which is why she fainted."

"And she had low blood pressure because she hadn't been eating," Blaine continues. "Due to your orders."

"What?"

"Kurt, you bullied her into not eating because you want to be a cheerleader. And that's not right. She could have gotten seriously sick, Kurt. You're lucky that she only fainted!"

Kurt swallows hard and Blaine realizes there are tears in his eyes.

"Kurt-"

"I should go. She probably doesn't want to see me."

He stumbles back out the door and Tina hurries after him. Blaine sighs and goes to follow. He doesn't notice Mercedes' eyes on him as he leaves.

Kurt feels like the worse friend. Ever.

When Mercedes hijacks the pep assembly and gives her speech, Kurt feels even worse. Because Mercedes, proud and beautiful Mercedes, had been feeling bad about herself. Because of him.

And he was supposed to be her best friend.

After the assembly, Kurt and Mercedes sit among the other Cheerios, waiting for Coach Sylvester to come and chew them out, particularly Mercedes.

"I'm sorry."

"How many times are you going to apologize, Kurt?"

"Until I stop feeling horribly guilty."

She smiles at him. "I forgive you. I forgave you, like, ten apologies ago."

"You could have gotten really sick, 'Cedes."

"You're really taking Blaine's words to heart."

Kurt blinks. "How did you-"

"I wasn't sleeping," And here she looks slightly uncomfortable, "And that was pretty nice of Blaine. To stick up for me like that."

Kurt smiles. "Yeah. He's pretty good like that."

"Maybe, I've been too hard on him. Maybe," Mercedes insists when Kurt perks up, "I didn't say definitely. Or that I'd start being his best friend or anything."

"Thank you for trying."

They hug.

Blaine likes it when he's got the house to himself. His parents are at work and Michael is hanging out with friends. Blaine is making a sandwich in the kitchen, which he will eat in the living room as he enjoys some good old classic movies on AMC.

All these plans are shot to hell when his doorbell rings.

He walks down the hall, wondering who it could possibly be as he wasn't expecting company. He guesses his brother locked himself out again.

"Michael," he begins as he opens the door, "When are you going to…"

He trails off as he realizes Kurt is standing on his porch.

"Hi," Kurt says softly.

"Hey. Sorry, I thought you were my brother. What are you doing here?"

"Rachel gave me your address," Kurt says in a way of explanation. "Am I bothering you?"

Never.

"No, come on in," Blaine steps aside so Kurt can walk in. He leads the taller boy down the hall and into the kitchen. "I was making a sandwich. Want something to eat?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Not still dieting are you?"

That earns him a smile. "No, you were right. We were being stupid. I was being stupid."

He sits at one of the stools surrounding the kitchen counter and looks down at his clasped hands.

"You okay, Kurt?"

"I didn't introduce my dad to Finn's mother because I thought it would make my father happy," Kurt confesses quietly.

Blaine, who had figured this a long time ago, stays silent.

"I hoped that them being closer would in turn bring Finn closer to me. I imagined we'd fall head-over-heels for each other and I could finally be happy. Really happy."

He sniffles. Blaine reacts instantly, snatching a piece of paper towel and slipping it onto the counter in front of him. Kurt grabs it.

"And it was all going fine until my dad starting to talk to Finn about football. And they made conversation so effortlessly. I-I can't even talk to my dad like that. He tries to talk about sports and I try to talk about the new fall line and it's always awkward and it hurt! God, Blaine, it hurt so much."

He's sobbing now; Blaine's heart clenches.

"They're at Finn's house now- I saw them through the window- watching a football game together. Bonding, like a true father and son. The one my dad always wanted."

Blaine wants to call attention to the fact that Kurt was at Finn's house, looking into his windows because it's kind of scary but then Kurt's eyes snap up; bloodshot and bright blue from the tears and Blaine loses all train of thought.

"Please," Kurt whimpers, "Don't say 'I-told-you-so'"

Blaine doesn't. He merely walks around the counter, takes Kurt in his arms and holds him close, letting the tears soak his shirt.

Once Kurt calms down enough, Blaine leads him into the living room, where he channel surfs until he lands on some old cartoon that they both loved as kids.

Kurt's head is on Blaine's shoulder and Blaine is rubbing circles on his back, telling himself this is all very platonic and it means nothing to him.

(and, wow, Kurt…Kurt sort of fits. Against him)

The door opens and closes; footsteps down the hall and a head peaks into the living room. Kurt notices he looks a lot like Blaine, except he has different color eyes.

"Hey, Mikey. This is Kurt, Kurt this is my little brother, Michael."

Kurt gives him a halfhearted wave and Michael smiles at him.

"Nice to meet you. Blaine, is there any food left over?"

"Yes. In the fridge."

"Can you make me something?"

"Michael, you are thirteen years old, you can-"

Kurt interrupts. "Go feed your brother. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Kurt sits up (and Blaine misses the warmth already) and all but shoves him off the couch.

"Go."

Michael catches Blaine's arm right outside the living room.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Blaine blinks. "What?"

"You know, boyfriend. Guy you kiss, date, do unmentionable things with that I don't want to think about because you're my brother and it's gross."

"Michael," Blaine stares at him. "I'm not gay."

"Dude, I found your porno mags when I was looking for Mario Kart."

And Blaine colors instantly. "W-what, you, I, stay out of my room, Michael!"

"Chill out; I didn't tell anyone. I'm totally cool with it."

Blaine runs a hand through his hair. "Go make your own dinner."

"Fine. Go cuddle with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Blaine hisses after his brother's retreating back.

Blaine walks back into the living room. And stops. Because Kurt's face is as red as Blaine's probably is.

"Did you…"

Kurt nods.

"My brother is an idiot," Blaine explains. "And he loves embarrassing me and being a general pain in my ass!"

He shouts the last part and they both hear snickering from the kitchen.

"It's pretty annoying isn't it?" Kurt asks. "How your family automatically assumes the first boy you're spending time with is your boyfriend."

Blaine raises his eyebrows.

"My dad constantly thinks we're dating. Or close to it. No matter how many times I express that we're just friends and you're not gay."

"Yeah," Blaine sinks back onto the couch and looks at the TV (not Kurt)."It's really annoying."

And when Kurt's head falls back onto his shoulder a second later, Blaine thinks about how he's so close but at the same time, so far.

And realizes that's what's most annoying.

AN- Oh, Blaine. You wants him.