It's here it's here! Hooray! Sorry :/ But yes, here it is, chapter 5 of this little story (that is turning out to be not so little). The chapter is slightly shorter than most, I think, but it says quite a bit in my mind, and it needs to be here, so I hope you enjoy it!

Five

Being best friends with Kathryn Bournam was a new and complex experience for Blaine. She was pushy and conversationalist and everything she did had to be done in her way. But she was kind to him, and the conversation was turned towards him at every opportunity. It wasn't always a positive for Blaine, but if she started in on a topic he wasn't happy with, he had only to close his eyes for a moment, analysing the colours behind his eyelids, and she would reach out a hand, laying it gently on his forearm before changing the subject.

At lunch time, they sat behind the library together and she talked about her sister, or her mom who, Blaine learned, work in real estate. She'd occasionally ask him a question about his parents, or Chaz, and he would answer with something noncommittal until she moved onto the next topic.

One lunchtime however, she brought up a topic that severely breached the rules.

She'd packed two miniature quiches and two iced buns in her lunch, and she handed one of each to Blaine with a smile. 'I told mom you brought your lunch to school too and she decided to make something extra for you when she made mine.'

It was a curious gesture, but Blaine took the food with a small nod. 'Thanks,' he whispered.

'No problem.' She bit into her quiche, but her eyebrows were high up her forehead and she was watching him with a curious gaze.

'What?'

'Can I ask you something?' It was the first time she had asked before broaching a topic, and Blaine's curiosity got the better of him.

'What is it?'

'I- I wanted to know what it's like for you...'

It wasn't really a question but he bit his lip, thinking over her words. 'What what is like?'

'You know,' she said softly. 'Liking boys.'

And it was like something in Blaine's brain flicked, because somewhere, he had known what she meant the whole time. 'Uh-' he said, and he didn't know if he really wanted to continue the sentence, but she just nodded, letting him know that this was the most important thing to her at this moment.

With anyone else, he would have said they wanted to know so they could secretly record his words and broadcast them over the school system. But this was Kathryn, and over the month they'd known each other, the one thing he had learned for sure was that she never told anyone his secrets.

'Erm,' he muttered, mulling it over, trying to come up with the right words to explain it. Because she didn't want to know what it was like to just "like boys". She could know that from her own experience. She wanted to know what it was like to be a boy and like boys. 'I guess it's kind of- I don't really know, because the only guy I've ever had a crush on that wasn't, you know, a celebrity or something, outed me. And that wasn't very cool. I don't know,' he bit his lip. 'I mean, I guess it's different, because for me, I know that most of the male population would never like me back. I think I build myself up for rejection, and so I don't even consider the possibility that a guy I like could also like me.'

She nodded like she understood, and she pressed a hand gently against his arm. 'That must be so hard.'

He shrugged again. 'I deal with it.'

'But why should you have to? Why should people treat you so badly, just because you're a little bit different?'

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but shot her a worried look. 'Kathryn, we live in Ohio. We're not forward thinkers, we're not cultural icons. We're not LA or New York. We're little old Ohio, who doesn't like change. And accepting people like me means change.'

She blinked, momentarily stunned for words. 'How come you never talk like that normally?'

He shrugged again. 'I don't like being vocal about it, I guess. Normally, it gets me into trouble.'

'But not with me?'

He almost smiled. 'No, not with you.'

It was the first time since Blaine had come out to her that they'd talked about him being gay. It wouldn't be the last.

Their afternoon haunt was the coffee shop, and it was a solace for Blaine. It was one of the places that the jocks didn't like to hang out, because the drinks were pretty pricey and the owner liked to keep the place quiet. It was also a place he was assured not to see his parents, or his brother.

The sun was setting in the sky; it was getting later and Blaine was sure that if they didn't leave soon, someone would be starting to worry.

'We better go,' he murmured to Kathryn and she nodded, picking up her second cup of the evening. 'Do you want me to drop you home, or is there someplace else you're going?'

She shrugged, something very out of place for her, and he eyed her curiously. 'What's up?'

'Nothing.'

'No, there's something wrong. You never shrug your shoulders, you always tell me directly what you want.' He grabbed her arm as they stepped through the doorway.

'Let go of me, Blaine.'

'Whoa,' he said, but he dropped his hand immediately, instead raising both above his head in a sign of innocence. 'Touchy today, Kathryn?'

'I'm just not in the mood, okay?'

'You never take that for an answer when I say it.'

She scowled, but only motioned for him to get in the car. 'I just- I don't want to go home right now, okay? Can I come round to yours for a little while? We can just hide out in your room or something.'

Blaine glanced at her, reading her face, but he could see no hidden agenda there. There were only dark circles around her eyes, which he was surprised he didn't notice before, and she'd forgotten to reapply her lipgloss.

'Sure,' he whispered. 'Whatever you need.'

I'll post the next chapter, which is also back from my beta, the awesome flossticle, sometime today. If you send me reviews begging, I may be tempted to post it sooner :P But don't expect this kind of rapid succession to last :)