"Should I say something?" Blaine looked at Wes earnestly as they walked out of calculus.
"I dunno man, it's up to you." He frowned at Wes's half-hearted answer.
"That doesn't help me at all." Wes glanced at him, looking mildly exasperated.
"I don't know. I haven't really spent that much time with Kurt. Why don't you ask David? They have class together."
"I can't find David. His car's not in the lot, so I think he went into town."
"Well it's not like this is your first time at the show. You went out with Mark for three months at the beginning of last year." Blaine shook his head.
"Yeah, but he asked me out."
"Well how'd he do that?"
"With his tongue down my throat." Wes snorted.
"That could work." Blaine frowned and punched him in the arm.
"No. It won't. Now help me! Do I really have to remind you who it was that helped you buy a Valentine's gift for Jules?"
Wes rolled his eyes.
"And birthday. And Christmas! Just last week."
"Yes Blaine, it was you."
"Not to mention I'm the one who covered for you when you missed curfew last month. By four hours. On a Wednesday!" Blaine stepped in front of Wes and stopped him in his path. "And ended up with detention for being out of bed so I could let you in. My first detention."
"Okay! I get it! But I have no idea why you want my help. I still don't know how I got Julia to agree to go out with me."
"You didn't. She asked you out, for some unknown reason."
"Thanks."
"My pleasure. Now. Focus, please Wes, just for five minutes and help me out."
"Fine." They wandered into the commons and flopped into the chairs closest to the fireplace. "I'm going to make this as simple as I can."
"Okay."
"You like Kurt?"
"Yeah."
"Really like him?"
Blaine huffed slightly, getting fairly ruffled in his impatience.
"Yes, Wesley, that's kinda the whole reason behind this."
"Then ask him out."
Blaine stared steady at Wes for a moment.
"That's it?"
"Yep."
"You really suck at this Wes."
Wes just shrugged.
"I tried to warn you, but would you listen?"
"No, I guess not." Blaine slid down in his seat, picking at his thumbnail.
"Come on B, don't get sulky." Wes plied him, feeling bad about Blaine's apparent disappointment. "B..."
Blaine just glanced up for a moment, giving a weak smile. Wes lifted his near leg and lightly kicked the other boy's knee.
"Look, don't tell anyone about this, cause I'll never hear the end of it, and I will loose all the respect and the slight amount of fear that lets me actually run the Warblers effectively. And you are to strike this from your memory as soon as its usefulness has come up, or your already sizeable ego will smother the occupants of whatever room you're in. But..." Wes seemed reluctant, but was urged on by the faintly hopeful look on his friend's face. "He would be batshit to say no. You're funny, and polite, and interesting, and disgustingly talented. You apparently like the pants off him, or want to." Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but wisely shut it quickly. He really couldn't argue against that convincingly. "You're charming enough that you would have been knocked out by several guys for flirting with their girlfriends if you weren't openly out. And in a completely impartial way, and depending mostly on Julia's opinion, despite your mad crazy eyebrows and the fact you're kinda short, you're hot. Apparently."
Blaine was trying to embarrassedly repress a smile.
"Wes..." Wes held up his hand to stop him.
"So in conclusion...Ask him out, and then never speak of this again." Blaine laughed slightly.
"Well. I think we figured out the answer to the Julia mystery."
"And the Kurt conundrum?"
Blaine took a deep breath.
"If I get the chance, I'll take it."
"Great. Cause I'm already almost at my emoting limit for the month." Blaine smiled.
"Good to know."
Kurt and David took their coffees over to one of the tables placed against the wall of Morse's Fine Foods.
"How many boyfriends has Blaine had?" Kurt started, figuring he might as well get to the point. David looked at him levelly.
"Since he came to Dalton? One. Mark. They met through a friend of a friend or something, went out for like, three or four months? He seemed nice."
"Hmm." Kurt took a sip from his mug. He liked that David was very straightforward in most of his dealings. It was refreshing. "If you were me." He started, before smiling. "And Blaine was a girl..." David laughed, relaxing back into his chair with a grin.
"Yeah?"
"Would you ask him out? Or just kiss him. Or tell him how much you like him..." Kurt took another sip and bit his lip hesitantly. "Are you okay with this? If I'm making you uncomfortable, we don't have to talk about it."
"It's cool. Really Kurt. It's okay that you like guys, and it's okay to talk about it. I've life coached my sister through more boy drama than anyone should have to. I'm almost an expert in it."
Kurt felt his chest swell happily.
"Oh good. Cause Mercedes, she's my friend from McKinley, has been impossible to get on the phone or anything lately, and I have been dying to talk to someone about it."
"Have you had a boyfriend before? Like, outside of your school or anything?" Kurt tucked his legs up onto the chair.
"No. I mean, I just came out last year to my family and at school, and with glee, and my dad, and my huge awkward crush on a straight boy, I really haven't had much of a chance I guess."
David rested his mug on the arm of the chair and considered it for a minute.
"Well, I'd say maybe you should just ask him out. I think he'd like that."
"Really?"
David nodded.
"He's gregarious, but Blaine can be a bit of a girl sometimes. Kinda hesistant? I wouldn't straight up go for the kiss."
"I suppose. It might be-"
"Awkward?"
"Very." Kurt laughed. "Thanks for the advice though."
"I told you before, you're strangely endearing. And you're pretty cool too. I'm glad you transferred Kurt." David said sincerely. "Oh, and I was talking to my girlfriend, about you two, and if it works out, she wants us to go on a double." He rolled his eyes, but Kurt snorted in laughter.
"That sounds...interesting."
"It sounds very Annie."
Kurt gave a nod of concession to the idea.
"We'll, tell her to cross her fingers. I'll see what I can do."
"Didn't see you at dinner. You up for practice?" Blaine typed out, looking over his desk for the CD that had the instrumentals he needed.
"Got food in Westerville w Dave. Back in 15, then ready when you are." Blaine read over the return message and smiled. Hm.
"K. Meet me in the library again. I'll be waiting."
"With bells?" Kurt's response was a bit absurd, and Blaine wasn't sure whether to reply with a joke or just a note.
"I'll see what I can do. See you soon." He hovered over the send button for a moment, before pressing it and slipping the phone into his pocket. He grabbed the cd and Reese's player, gathering up the power cord with his free hand, and headed down towards the first floor.
"I'm going over to Everett Vaux to see Annie with Wes, so I'll see you later. And if Wes's is waiting inside, tell him I'm out here." David told Kurt as he pulled into the drive.
"Sure. Thanks David."
"Hey Kurt?" He paused in reaching for the door handle and looked back. David's smile was wide.
"Go get him tiger." Kurt shook his head.
"You are disturbing." His tone was disdainful, but his expression said the opposite as he slipped out of the warm car. He walked quickly towards the doors, and light spilled out in front of him as Wes appeared, wrapped up in a heavy coat and scarf. They nodded at each other in recognition, saying nothing until they just pulled level with each other.
"Hey." Wes put a hand on his arm to catch his attention and Kurt looked at him questioningly. "Good luck kid."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he spun around, jogging to the car and climbing inside. Kurt wasn't sure what that had been about, but he was smiling anyways as he made it inside to the hall and turned towards the library.
Blaine was standing by the fireplace, brushing off his hands.
"Did you make that all on your own?" He looked up in surprise at the sound of Kurt's voice from the doorway.
"Oh. Yeah. I was feeling very boy scout apparently." Blaine slipped his hands into his pockets and moved slowly towards Kurt, who was pulling his gloves off finger by finger.
"Thanks for coming, by the way. Especially after all the...me being stubborn and..." He trailed off and shrugged.
"It's my pleasure. And I'm glad that you told me. Why, and all... So." Kurt looked around the room and spotted the cd player. "Should we get started?" He clasped his now bare hands together and pointed at the machine.
"Yes. Of course." Blaine moved to walk towards the table, but found Kurt blocking his way. Pausing for a moment, his eyes drifted up to Kurt's face, glancing from his eyes to his lips and across the planes of his cheeks.
"You're very pink." Blaine observed. Kurt ducked his head slightly, putting the back of his hand to his cheek.
"Yeah, it really cold outside." Blaine grinned at the wording Kurt had chosen.
"I know a song about that." Kurt rolled his eyes.
"Oh really. How's it go?" Blaine raised an eyebrow. If Kurt wanted to play this way, he was all for it. Blaine turned smoothly and pressed the play button.
"I think you might recognize it." As the instrumental opening played, Blaine shuffled and slid slightly back over to Kurt and held out his hand. Kurt tipped his head in recognition, then pulled off his coat and threw it over Blaine's arm. He was slightly disappointed, but then Kurt began to sing and the coat ended up forgotten on the back of the couch.
"I really can't stay."
"But baby its cold outside." They moved around the room with ease, following the general concept that Blaine and Julia had come up with on Sunday, but improvising as they went. At "half a drink more" Blaine suavely rolled across the space in front of Kurt, grabbing one end of his scarf and unwinding it from his neck. He moved closer when the lines suggested it and Kurt's face looked like his smile was almost painful to suppress. It made Blaine's stomach drop. They sat at the piano and played a few notes before moving to lean against either side of the couch. Kurt felt his confidence rise with the swelling notes and leaned coyly towards Blaine's dramatic, and maybe a little adorable, pout about pneumonia, only to pull back suddenly and move to the front of the couch. With the last notes they collapsed onto the cushions and Blaine's head fell sideways, resting on Kurt's shoulder.
"That was good." Kurt said, and Blaine felt the vibrations of his voice against his skin. Maybe...
Blaine tilted his head slightly, and he could see Kurt's eyelashes and the corner of his jaw.
"Kurt?"
Kurt turned his head slightly, just able to catch Blaine's dark eyes. His lips parted slightly as he glanced at the other boy's. With a soft movement, Blaine was shifting towards him slowly.
Kurt's voice was thick when he spoke.
"I don't think we should..." Blaine stopped, looking confused, but seemed unable to pull away.
"Oh...why exactly?"
"I want us to go to dinner." Kurt said quickly.
"Can I take you out on a date?" Blaine countered. Kurt blinked, then frowned.
"That's what I meant."
"I know."
"Okay." Kurt opened his mouth and then shut it again. "Are you confused too?"
"Around you. Always." Blaine said quietly, reaching out and squeezing Kurt's fingers briefly before retreating again.
"So...is that a yes?"
"It is. For me. And you?"
"I would have thought it was obvious. Yes. Of course." Blaine shifted onto his side so he could look at Kurt more easily. His gaze strayed again, from eyes to lips, his fingers stretching out to just momentarily touch the warm skin on the inside of Kurt's wrist.
"I don't think I've ever been so awesomely disappointed." He murmured. Kurt smiled slightly, biting his lip as though in regret.
"I know the feeling."
Blaine let one finger draw a soft line across the bottom of Kurt's palm. With a sigh, which echoed from the other boy, Blaine sat upright, pulling himself away from any more contact.
"We need to rehearse."
"Maybe we should just break the song down. And focus on just the vocals. Rather than the performance." Kurt suggested, turning himself so that he could face Blaine, while putting some more distance between them.
"Yeah. That's probably a good idea."
"How's tomorrow night?" Blaine raised his eyebrow at Kurt's blatant tangent.
"Perfect." He replied firmly. Kurt's nod was quick, and he busied hands that might have been a bit shaky with a few pages of notations.
"Okay. Let's start with the second verse."
"It does need a bit of rearranging. How's six thirty?" Blaine inserted his own tangent, enjoying Kurt's attempt to stay professional and stoic. In the end he relented enough to give Blaine a coy smile that almost undid him.
"I'm in agreement. In every way."
Kurt and Blaine sat themselves down on opposing couches, alternating glances and grins as they tried to be businesslike with what little rehearsal time they still had. It was only vaguely successful, and by the time they said good night at the top of the stairs, both their faces were sore.