A/N: Hello people of Fanfiction! Emilie here, and I am sooooooo excited for this chapter. I am like freaking out. I really enjoyed writing it and I think (hope) it's good! I got a beta, so win there! I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did writing it! Thanks again for reading, and reviews are so sweet. I really hope to get more because honestly, they inspire me to write.
Also: I'm sorry this took so long, I intended it to be up sooner, but then I sent to my beta, and I was really busy, and midterms are coming up next week, so Sorry! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Although I kinda wish I owned Darren Criss. And Chris Colfer, I would give him to my friend Lucas.
Chapter Three: What the Hell is Grog?
"Warblers, Warblers! Settle down," Wes commanded the excitedly babbling group of boys in front of him. To his left, Cameron and Jesse were already arguing over who was going to be the Grog, and the boys were all highly anticipating this game of Grog. In addition, it was Kurt's first time playing, and having a newbie in the group was always a fun twist. "I need your attention please!" He pulled his gavel out of his pocket - he tends to carry it everywhere - and held it up, as a warning for the boys to quiet down.
"Shut up Wes! We're not in Warbler Hall!" James yelled at him.
"Yeah, seriously dude, you sound way too formal," Thad said (and that was saying something because he was on council too). Wes just frowned and pocketed his gavel again.
"Well I have a question," Kurt piped up. "What the hell is Grog?" He asked the question with animation and high-spirits, but he sounded generally confused. The gaggle of Warblers just burst out laughing at Kurt's anger and awkwardness. "No seriously guys! I have to know how to play!" The boys just kept on cackling, as if this was the funniest thing they had ever seen. The countertenor sighed, and looked longingly at Blaine who was standing next to him, laughing as hard as the others. "Blaine?"
Blaine looked startled, but then composed himself and wiped his eyes. "Wooh! Sorry Kurt. That was just really funny."
Kurt still didn't really understand why it was funny, but he decided to forget about it. "So, who's gonna explain this thing to me?" Kurt inquired, still looking at Blaine, but addressing the entire room.
"Probably me," Luke stepped up. "I was the one who started this tradition back in my freshman year. Wes came up with bonding, and I was like 'Ooh! We should play Grog' and then everyone was all like 'What the fuck is Grog?' and then I had to go and explain the whole thing and then it kinda became a tradition. Then there was this one time where that stupid guy fell down the stairs-"
Someone coughed and said "FLINT." The room erupted in giggles as Flint hung his head in shame.
"- and then screwed up the game because his underwear got hooked-"
"ENOUGH! JUST EXPLAIN THE DAMN GAME! You're rambling again Luke," David yelled.
"Oh," Luke said. "Sorry Kurt, I tend to do that a lot. Like this one time when Nick H. -"
"Luke," David warned.
"Sorry. I'll just explain now. Oops. So, pretty much Grog is like an extreme version of hide-and-go-seek-tag. So first off, you pick the person who gets to be the Grog and he-"
"ME!" Jesse and Cameron exclaimed at the same time.
"Guys! We'll pick later. Let Luke finish," Thad told them, trying to keep the peace before the whole 'war of wants to be Grog' really starts up.
"As I was saying, you pick the Grog." Luke narrowed his eyes at Jesse and Cameron. "And he hides the four pieces of a flashlight - the barrel, the head, and the two batteries, somewhere on the Warbler's floor of the North Wing. It's really cool that all of us Warblers get our own floor huh?"
"Luke…" David warned.
"Yeah, so he hides them in any of the rooms - we all left our doors unlocked, right boys?" A collective nod. "And when he returns, all the lights have to be off, and then we disperse. The object of the game is to put the flashlight back together." He paused, and asked Kurt, "Wait, Blaine did tell you to get a flashlight, right?"
"Of course I did, you idiot. We made a list for this," Blaine responded coolly.
"Good. But anyways, you have to go on a hunt in the dark to find the pieces and to put the flashlight back together. If you get tagged by the Grog, you're out. If you hear the Grog coming, run. You know he's coming because he says 'Grog' with every step he takes. So you hear this like, creepy whisper of 'Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog.'" Luke demonstrated by moving around the room and whispering the words. "So, if you do find all of the pieces, you have to shine the flashlight on the Grog to win. You can also collaborate and form alliances with others to have advantages." He put an ominous tone on the last part of his explanation, "People will be sacrificed, and the Grog will strike."
"Bravo, Lukey! Excellent explanation, but what about the Warbler's twist?" Jeff inquired, swinging his and Nick's hands back and forth.
"Oh! I'm so stupid!" Luke slapped his own forehead in a face palm. "Well, uh, a couple years back, - one? two? I don't even know - Jeff read this somewhere, and crowned it 'The Warbler's Daretasitc Twist'."
"Care to explain what this twist it?" Kurt asked nicely, not in a sarcastic or mean tone - for once.
"Getting there. So pretty much, if the Grog wins, he gets to dare all of the losers to do something. But, if someone or their group wins, by killing the Grog with the flashlight of doom, they get to dare the Grog to do something."
"Ah, Grog, whoever you're gonna be, I suggest you watch out, because I will dare you to do something horrifying," Kurt said. Jesse and Cameron cringed, as they were the first contenders for being the Grog.
"So," Wes began, "that means you don't want to be the Grog?"
"Of course I don't, it's my first time playing, I wouldn't be able to pull that off," Kurt stated as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
"Okay then. Then we have to pick a Grog. Who actually wants to be the Grog?" Wes asked the company. Jesse and Cameron's hands shot up first, and so did John's.
"Jesse, you were Grog last time. So no."
"Damn. That's not fair. It's not like I won last time."
"You were still Grog. Give it up," Wes finished the argument. Jesse just huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Ah, Cameron and John, you've both been Grog before, no?" They nodded.
"Hm… this is tough," Wes pondered. Then he remembered something that would end the game if it happened. He didn't want the game being ended if this was Kurt's first time. He wanted him to at least have a little bit of fun. Plus he'll be with Blaine. He's definitely gonna have fun, his brain reminded him. "John, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to give this one to Cameron, because if he and Jesse aren't the Grog, they'll wreak havoc on this game and it'll be over in less than ten minutes. That'll be no fun for Kurt."
"It's cool," John responded, not at all bothered.
Cameron on the other hand screamed at the top of his lungs, "YESSSSSS!"
"Dude, shut up. It's not like you're getting laid. Calm down," Ethan teased. Cameron glared at him, but continued his happy dance. "But Cam, go hide the pieces, we wanna get this show on the road."
"Oh right. Kurt where's the flashlight?" Cameron asked.
"Top drawer, next to the gum."
"Thanks," he said, opening the drawer and pulling out the long green flashlight and testing to make sure it worked, flicking it on and off again, watching the light shine on and off again on the wall. "Works!" Cameron called cheerily, walking out the door.
"We're still sticking together, right?" Kurt asked Blaine softly, so no one else could hear over the loud chatter that still took place in the room.
"Always," Blaine responded with a smile. Their hands had stayed linked that whole time, so he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We're gonna kill this thing." Kurt smiled, and as an afterthought Blaine added, "And by thing, yes I mean Cameron. He qualifies as a thing right?"
"Of course."
Ten minutes later, the Warblers were all leaving Kurt's room, save Cameron, who was still there counting after his return of, "I'M BACK BITCHES!" sounding weirdly like Jesse. Many of the boys left in pairs or groups. Niff left together, as did Wes, David, and Thad. Jesse traveled solo, determined to win. The others traveled in small packs or in duos.
Blaine and Kurt traveled down the hallway, hands separated - much their disappointment - and headed to the place where Blaine was almost positive that Cameron would hide a piece in.
"He's always here, but it's a place that no one would think to look. This vending machine is like his child. He comes here every morning for a Sprite, and every night for his Hidden Valley granola bar. That stuff is like his crack."
"Has he ever considered going to rehab?" Kurt asked sarcastically.
"Once yes. Thad and Jesse tried to get him to eat Fiber One bars and drink Coke, but he went insane. Like literally sat in the corner until someone gave him a bottle of Sprite. One time the vending machine ran out…" Blaine shuddered. "Not a pretty memory."
"I wouldn't imagine it to be so."
"There it is!" Blaine called, pointing at the machine as they rounded the corner of the dark hallway. "You check the snack one, I'll check the drink one." Kurt nodded, and they both crouched down to reach inside the dispenser when they reached the machine.
"Got it!" Kurt called. He pulled out the green barrel of the flashlight. "Was he stupid enough to hide something in the other one?"
"I wish. But at least we got something!"
"Agreed," Kurt stated, and slapped Blaine's hand when he held up it for a high five. "Where to now?"
"Hm… Thad and Jesse's room. He's not stupid enough to hide something in his own room, because everyone will think that he hid something there, but what about his best friends room?"
"But what if he thought that everyone was going to be thinking like you?"
"Hmm… very true. I like the way you think Hummel. The rooms are next to each other, so why not check both?"
"Nice plan. I like the way you think, Anderson," Kurt countered, mimicking his friend.
With that, the two turned on their heels, and started back down the corridor.
"Where do you want to look now Nicky?" Jeff asked his boyfriend, swinging their hands and skipping happily down the hallway. They had just searched the plant pots that sat by the staircase to the top floor of the North Wing, where all of the Warblers lived. They had found nothing, much to their disappointment, so Jeff gave his boyfriend the opportunity to pick where to search.
"I think we should look in his room. It always looks like a bomb went off in there, so it's a perfect place to hide stuff in the mess," Nick responded, thinking long and hard about his strategic plans to win the game.
"Okay!" Jeff responded cheerily, as they reached the end of the hallway and turned to where they knew Cameron's dorm was. "Did Nick H. say anything about cleaning it lately?"
"Never. Both of them are the biggest pigs I have ever seen. Kinda gross if you ask me. Luckily they ended up together; I don't think anyone else would be able to handle it. Except maybe Jesse."
"True. Definitely Jesse." The two boys reached Cameron and Nick's dorm and swung the door open, just as Blaine and Kurt appeared behind them.
"Hey guys! You checking in here too?" Blaine inquired.
"Yep. If we can make it through the mess…" Nick said and all four boys shuddered.
"We're gonna have to try. Maybe if his stupidity shines through he just hid on the mess, not in it," Kurt said hopefully.
"If he hid anything in here at all…" Nick intoned dully.
"Way to be a Debbie Downer Nicky! Think positive!" Jeff said, nudging the brunette in the ribs and sauntering into the room. The other three boys followed, and all of their jaws dropped. Literally. The room was immaculate, pristine, shining clean. There was not a mess in sight. Everything was in order; beds made, clothes in the closet, wrappers in the garbage, and the carpet actually visible. The shelves had the books and knick-knacks lined up and it actually looked like a room for once. It definitely didn't look like Cameron James and Nicholas Hudson's room. Most certainly not.
"Oh. My. God." Nick broke the silence, surveying the room carefully.
"Did we walk into the wrong room or something? Because there is no possible way, in the name of Marc Jacobs, that Cameron and Nick could've ever cleaned a room like this," Kurt exclaimed, extremely dumbfounded. "Nope. This is definitely it. I mean look at the pictures," Jeff pointed out, gesturing to the pictures on one of the cork boards that were unquestionably those of the boys who lived in this room.
"This is like unreal," Blaine stated, still in shock from the flawless, spotless room. He shook his head, still doubting his friends, but forced himself to get back on track. "So, did you guys find any pieces yet?"
"Unfortunately, no," Jeff said sadly. "How 'bout you guys?"
"We have." Kurt showed off the shiny forest green barrel by twirling it effortlessly in his hand. Jeff and Nick were about to open their mouths and ask something, but Kurt beat them to it. "Vending machine."
"Ah."
Nick was just beginning another sentence, when the quartet heard the unmistakable sound of Cameron's voice whispering, "Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog." And he was approaching his room. Fast. The footsteps were drawing nearer when Kurt realized something in the panic that was beginning to set in.
"Boys." He snapped his fingers. "Two of us are going to have to sacrifice ourselves. If he's coming here, that means a piece must be in here, otherwise he wouldn't bother to check if it was still there. We need to be fast. We're a team now right?" The three others nodded their heads, and Blaine was about to speak when Cameron's figure stood in the doorway and entered the room. The constant whisper of 'Grog. Grog.' stopped when he stood still, only a few feet away from the door and the group of boys.
"Look what we have here…" the Grog said creepily. "Who's gonna face the Grog next? Niff and Klaine…. never thought I'd see you two working together. Maybe as separate teams of two, yes. But as four, now that just shocking!" He had an odd tone to his voice. It was as if he was speaking sarcastically, yet was surprised about the alliance at the same time. Kurt was please to hear that his speech and wording was much more put together when trying to scare people into losing. The countertenor let on the slightest smirk of approval. "Oh! And I see you've found the barrel. Excellent work."
"Why thank you Cameron. Now if you don't mind, I must be going, so could you move aside?" Nick asked politely.
"I don't think I can." Blaine and Kurt kept as straight of faces as they could, but they really just wanted to burst out laughing during the entire duration of Cameron's speech, along with his little exchange with Nick.
Blaine was searching though. During the conversation he scanned the room as they spoke, looking for where the piece was hidden. He knew it was here. He could feel it. He knew it was safe to turn around because of how intently Cameron was conversing. Then he saw it. The battery. It was sitting amongst the knick-knacks, so neatly lined up on the shelf attached to the top of the desk. He barely made out the cylindrical shape of it in the darkness of the room, but he knew it was there. He carefully reached up and grabbed it, but Cameron saw.
Blaine acted on instinct, and the 'Grog High' that he got whenever the game got intense. "KURT! JEFF! Run now! And go long!" He shouted loudly, scaring the two boys into a sprint. Blaine threw the battery as Kurt and Jeff reached the doorway, and Kurt caught it flawlessly. The blonde and the chestnut haired boy ran, slamming the door shut, deterring Cameron and stopping him from chasing after them. Nick and Blaine fist bumped at this, making an explosion with their hands and letting out a little- "YES!"
Nick started up again, "Go ahead, Cam, tag us. Our men have the barrel and the battery, and they're gonna win this thing. So feel free. We know we're not gonna get outta here. As Luke said, 'People will be sacrificed, and the Grog will strike.'" Blaine's eyebrow quirked up at 'our men'. He, being different than Kurt, didn't really mind being called lovebirds, and the fact that Nick had technically just called Kurt Blaine's man, well that made him squeal internally, like a small five year old girl. Now, he knew Kurt's reaction would be totally different from his own, but he just longed for Kurt so much, that honestly, it felt good to hear those words. He had keep his patience though, so he waited.
"Okay!" Cameron exclaimed happily, and he whispered, "Grog. Grog. Grog," as he walked the quick three steps over to Nick and Blaine, although pointlessly. By his desk, he promptly shoved both boys on the chest and called over his shoulder, "Go back to lover boy's room bitches!"
Ah yes. There was Cameron.
Then he went back to whispering with his steps. He turned the opposite way that Kurt and Jeff had gone.
Jeff and Kurt sprinted down the hallway as fast as they could, rounded a corner, and collapsed at the nearest corridor bench they could find. They were both breathing heavily, and Kurt's grip around the barrel and the battery was unspeakably tight. He was in it to win this thing. He was determined. For Blaine. And Nick! His brain reminded him. Oh well. No offense to Nick, I'm doing this for Blaine. That's why Jeff and I are working as a team. Then he sighed loudly. He was having an argument with himself. That was a new low. He decided to just let it go and focus on the game. Now, of all times, is not the time to be focusing on Blaine. You have a game to win Hummel!
Once the boys' breathing regulated, Jeff finally broke the silence. "Okay Kurtsie. It's down to two. In two ways. It's only us two, and there's only two pieces left. Somebody is bound to have found at least one of the other pieces. So, where to next?"
"Well first things first. No more running unless completely necessary. Kurt Hummel doesn't run. I only had to run when I was on the football team. I am never going back to that."
"You were on the football team?"
"Yes. But that doesn't matter-"
"Does Blaine know?"
"No. But that shouldn't have any significance on what-"
"What did you play?"
"Jeff. I will tell you, and Blaine, and the rest of the Warblers about my hell-ride of playing kicker on the McKinley football team some other time that does not involve us panting, running, or sitting - puzzled in the middle of a very dark North Wing hallway, okay?"
"Ooh! Kicker?" Kurt sent him his signature, 'Bitch please,' glare, and Jeff understood. "Fine. So where are we going?"
"Well Blaine and I had plans to go check out Jesse and Thad's room. We thought, with Jesse being his best friend, that maybe he would've thought to have hidden something in there."
"Okay, but didn't we just come from that direction?"
"We did, Jeffy. We did."
"What if Cameron is still there?" Jeff inquired, apprehensive that the duo would have a run in with the oh-so-scary Grog again.
"It's been about ten minutes. I'm sure he's already gone. Probably didn't want to risk anything."
"Okay, so let's go!"
"I was getting around to that," Kurt grumbled, getting up and smoothing down his shirt, and fixing his hair. The two started back down the hall again, round the corner that had came around just a few minutes before, and walked in a comfortable silence. Kurt saw Flint and James slinking down one of the halls, but they didn't seem to notice Kurt and Jeff. Kurt whispered to Jeff, pointed to the pair, "Look, Flint and James! They aren't holding any pieces…"
"Well, that's good! Come on! Let's just keep going."
There was a silent confirmation, and they continued until they reached Jesse and Thad's room. They cracked the door, just in case someone happened to be in there, before swinging it all the way open and walking in.
The room wasn't messy, but not clean either. The covers were haphazardly thrown over the beds, books were scattered on the desks and on the couch, clothes lay here and there, but it wasn't completely cluttered.
"Get searching!" Jeff called in chipper tone to Kurt. The boys scoured the room for the head of the flashlight or the matching battery, but they had no luck. They looked through the small heaps of clothes, along the shelves, in the drawers, even in the bathroom! After searching for fifteen minutes, they finally gave up.
"Okay. There's definitely nothing here. Dear Prada, did we really just waste fifteen minutes of our time?" Kurt groaned.
"Cheer up, Kurty! We gotta win this! It wasn't for nothing, now we're just enlightened with the rich information that there is most certainly not a piece in Jesse and Thad's room. We're doing this for Nicky and Blainers right? I mean they did sacrifice themselves for us. I know that Blaine has A LOT of things to get back at Cameron for. So that's saying something."
"Like what?" Kurt inquired curiously
"It doesn't matter what, Kurty. All I need to hear is that this is for Nicky and Blainers," Jeff pressed, eager to hear that Kurt was doing something for Blaine.
Exasperated, Kurt just sarcastically cheered, "For Nicky and Blainers!" He trudged out of the room, pulling Jeff with him. They walked for a while and stopped in front of a large door - that opened with a push.
"Why are we in front of the bathroom?" Jeff asked.
"Why else? Because maybe something's hidden in there!" Kurt said obviously, and pushed the door open with a shove. Inside they were met face to face with Wes, Thad, and David.
"Oh hey guys!" Thad greeted them brightly.
"Hi Thaddeus!" Jeff addressed back. Thad narrowed his eyes at the use of his full name, but brushed it off.
"So," Wes started. "I see you guys have two pieces. We have the head. That means we just need a battery. Where've you guys checked?"
Before they got an opportunity to respond, David cut in. "Did Blaine and Nick get sacrificed?"
Kurt nodded before answering Wes's question. "We found the barrel in the vending machine, the battery in Cameron and Nick H.'s room, and we just checked Jesse's and your," he said 'your' while gesturing to Thad, "room. Nick and Jeff, before Blaine and I met up with them, looked in the flower pots with no luck. What about you guys?"
"Oh, we looked in Wes and David's room, the other bathroom, the vending machines - obviously after you did - and Flint and James's room. We haven't searched in here yet though," Thad told the Jeff and Kurt.
"Where did you guys actually find the head?" Kurt asked, curious as to where Cameron hid the piece.
Wes was about to pipe up and give their answer when they heard the faint, "Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog. Grog," coming from outside the bathroom.
"Shit," David swore under his breath.
"Guys," Kurt commanded their attention, whispering. He repeated his thoughts from when he had checked Cameron and Nick's room. "He's coming here, which means there's a piece. LOOK!"
The door swung open to a smiling Cameron. "The last of them. A pity too, because they were so close."
"Shut it James," Thad said, using Cameron's last name. "You don't know what we got!"
"Oh, but I do." Kurt was, once again, intrigued by Cameron's sudden change in speech, but pushed it aside as he slowly and nonchalantly, scanned the room for something that might resemble a battery. It was hard to see anything in the faint, faint lighting, as no lights were allowed to be on, but he could make out the silhouettes of just about everything and one in the room. He glanced over at Jeff and saw he was doing the same. Then he saw it. He had an idea. Was this cheating though? It better not be….
"Shit!" Kurt exclaimed. All of the heads turned. "Ow, the edge of the barrel is really sharp. Just a little cut. I'll just rinse it off. Don't mind me, though," he sang, moving towards the sink. There was no cut on his finger, but he had spotted a lump in the basket full of paper towels. He knew that was the battery. Where else would he have hidden it? Luckily Cameron hadn't caught on yet, so he continued acting.
"Are we gonna dance here, Cameron?" David asked, as they began circling in the medium sized space that was the bathroom.
"I think you can answer that for yourself." Cameron reached out and tagged David, and then Wes.
"Damn it," they said at the same time.
Kurt turned the water on and ran his finger under the stream. The Cameron caught Kurt's eye and realized that he didn't look like he was in pain at all. He knew. Kurt quickly twisted the knob of the sink so the water stopped running and literally slid he was moving so fast. He dug through the mound of paper towels and threw the battery to Thad, so Cameron changed his path to tag people.
"Kurt, put it together!" Jeff called. Kurt dropped the battery into the barrel and held his other hand open to catch the other battery. Cameron stopped his attempt to catch Thad and instead slid on his knees to tag Jeff.
"You suck, Cam," Jeff said.
Thad then threw battery to Kurt, but he missed, and it landed in the sink behind him. Kurt prayed it still worked as he turned on his heel to pick up out of the damp basin. He then threw that one too into the barrel, screwed on the lid and hit the on button. And just as Cameron was about to reach out and tag Kurt on the shoulder, the light was shining directly on the Grog's chest.
"Fuck!" Cameron exclaimed.
At the same time, Thad and Kurt said, "YES!"
Wes, David, and Jeff, playing by the rules, had left as soon as they had been tagged, and began to leave the room, so that just left the two winners to celebrate.
And of course, the loser to grovel in his very close call of a loss.
"MOVE IT OR LOSE IT DWEEB! We won! Mwahahaha!" Thad exclaimed, laughing maniacally. Cameron just scowled and trudged out of the room. "Oh my God Kurt, what are you gonna make him do? Oh God. I just remembered! This is gonna be epic! Let's get back to the room, no one else knows who won yet!"
"Yeah let's go!" The boys started to move out of the room, and then Thad paused.
"Wait, gimme a high five first. This is an important occasion." Thad held up his palm- and Kurt slapped it with a loud smack, and the two boys headed out of the bathroom, and into the hall. They walked with a swing in their step, upbeat and quick. When they passed a slow moving Cameron, Kurt put on the most sarcastically apologetic face he could muster.
"Oh, Cammy," Kurt started, sounding unusually like Jeff, "don't move so slow. The snails will pass." He and Thad laughed and as they continued moving, Kurt called behind, "Oh! And don't sulk. It gives you wrinkles!"
Thad and Kurt stopped in front of the room where all of the Warblers would stand (or sit more likely) before them, and mentally prepared themselves.
"You ready? You have to smile or else they'll think that we lost. That's definitely the exact opposite of what we want," Kurt said, taking a deep breath. He was about to face Blaine. After all, he won this for Blaine. Blaine had given him his drive to win, so when he faced him, he wanted to look collected. Of course, he'd never admit to having won this for him, but he just didn't want it to seem immensely obvious, if you can even gather something like that from appearance. He fixed his not-as-perfectly coiffed hair, and smoothed some nonexistent wrinkles from his shirt, and brushed the lint that wasn't there off of his pants.
"I'm ready. Look alive." Thad opened the wooden door, and at the sight of the smiles on their faces, the Warblers erupted in cheers and whoops and hurrah. They were greeted with claps on the backs and high fives and fist bumps. Blaine immediately rushed over to Kurt and engulfed him in a hug.
"You did it! And on your first game too! I'm so proud of you!" Blaine exclaimed, hugging Kurt tightly. Blaine had been nervous on whether Cameron would be too hard on him, or if he would be able to do it, but he was ecstatic. Plus, he got another excuse to hug Kurt, which really- was just fine and dandy with him. Kurt had his arms thrown around his neck at the surprise attack hug, and Blaine squeezed his waist tightly, lifting him off of the ground. They stood there, in the middle of all of their friends, busy celebrating and holding on to each other.
When they finally released each other, which was much too soon for both of them, Kurt was immediately enveloped in a bone crushing hug from Jeff. "Good job Kurty-pie! You did it for Nicky and Blainers!" He whispered the next part. "But I know you only did it for Blainers. Don't even try to argue with me." Jeff pulled away from the hug, still smiling, but Kurt blanched at his words. Damn you Jeff… and all of the other Warblers, you think (know) I like Blaine. Why do they always have to bring it up? Then something else dawned on Kurt, who was still standing in the middle of the room. Plus, how stupid are they? Do they honestly think we could make out in a closet and not go out?
"So wait, you are going out?" James asked.
"NO!" Kurt and Blaine said at the same time.
"Shit," Kurt swore. "I said all of that out loud? How much did I say?"
"Plus how stupid are they? Blah blah, making out," James reiterated for him.
"Ah."
"So wait, you didn't make out?" Jeff asked. Kurt looked down at his shoes bashfully. Blaine just looked sheepish. "I'll take that as a no…. BUT I KNEW IT! I told you guys! I told you! Kurtsie and Blainers are too prudish to make out- let alone where we could hear it. Plus, there's no way in hell they could kiss for real and then not go out."
That got Kurt mad. That was it. He snapped again for the second time that night at his friends. He heard the murmurs of agreement from the other Warblers, and that just made it worse. So, since he was Kurt Hummel, he had to prove his point. He stormed over to Blaine, who was on the other side of the room, took his face, and kissed him full on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, and he felt Blaine's arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer and kissing him back. They were so engrossed in kissing, that they didn't notice when Cameron came back in, sulking, and saying "WHAT THE HELL?" or Jesse kneeing him in the nuts and telling him to shut up.
Blaine knew this was out of rage, so he didn't know why he was kissing back with so much passion. He should be mad, really. But he just kissed back, probably because he had wanted to do this so badly for so long. He knew this was an anger kiss, but Kurt was also intimate and passionate about his kissing too. It wasn't hard or angry. It was soft and slow and full of pent up emotion that they were finally letting out. It wasn't real. It didn't count, so Blaine stopped kissing back. Kurt let go, and drew back, satisfied.
"Happy, Jeff? We're not going out! So if you just left us alone and let us be friends than maybe we could be happy just like that and not have to deal with you guys up our asses and torturing me!" Kurt huffed, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he held them back. He told himself now was not the time to break down, and that he could cry himself to sleep some other time.
All of the boys' expressions varied. Jeff just looked mad, because he had just had his point shoved back down his throat. Cameron was on the floor in pain, and looked as if he was about to murder Jesse, who was laughing along with Flint and Trent. The other Warblers just appeared shocked. Some with their mouths agape, or with their eyebrows knit in confusion of how the people they thought were in love with each other had just full on kissed- and seemed as if they felt nothing.
That was wrong. They had felt quite the opposite of nothing. Both of them had tears in their eyes, and their thoughts were similar. Kurt wanted to break down and scream at himself. Why did I do that? Is our friendship ruined? How could I be such an idiot! I just stole a kiss from him… I promised myself I would never do that. How could I? Not to say that he wasn't kissing back, but that's beside the point. He probably hates me. I know he hates me.
Blaine was just shell shocked and frozen. Kurt had moved to the end of his bed and slumped down on the floor, and the Warblers had begun mindlessly chatting again. Blaine, on the other hand, stood stuck in the place where Kurt had kissed him. His thoughts whirred. What did this mean? Was he just proving a point? Does he not like me like that? How on Earth am I supposed to act like that was nothing? Based on his state it was something for him, but it doesn't mean that it was the something that Blaine wanted it to be. I can't focus on this. I have to act like it was nothing. No matter how much it hurts. He shook his head and ran his hands through his curls yet again. He noted that Thad was now sitting next to Kurt, and they were talking about something that Thad seemed very into, while Kurt just looked… distracted.
"Thad, all those dare ideas suck. Dressing up as a girl is so cliché. I mean, come on," Kurt drawled. "Think a little."
"Help me then, oh wise Dare Master." Thad responded sarcastically, kind of annoyed.
"Fine. Just let me think okay?" Thad nodded and stood. Kurt sat on his bed, and found himself avoiding Blaine and Jeff's glances, afraid that they'd have an emotion that Kurt didn't want to see in their eyes. He used as much of his concentration that he could find, in order to think of a good dare for Cameron.
Then- an idea popped into his head. He jumped off of his bed and stood, drawing attention to himself. "I got one!" All of the heads turned, and Kurt stated, "Okay, so Cameron has to go around campus, streaking, except in his underwear, tighty whiteys at that, and a cape." Then, the whole room erupted in laughter. Even Blaine, who was still distressed, laughed along.
Thad stopped himself from laughing, cleared his throat, and couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "Uh, well, you see… He's kinda already done that…"
"With Jesse!" Andrew piped in, once again gnawing on some sort of food.
Kurt's eyes bulged out of his head. Do I even want to know?… Probably not. He decided on the safest answer he could come up with. "I don't even want to know. I'm not even going to ask."
"But you see- this story, Kurty," Jeff started, "is not to be asked for. It is told. Unconditionally." The blonde put his arm around Kurt's shoulders, internally Blaine pushed down the bubble of jealousy that surged at that, but he reminded himself that Jeff had a boyfriend. Oh yeah. That. Boyfriend. The word even sounded so threateningly, deliciously good in his head.
Kurt rolled his eyes and listened as Thad began to tell the story. Jesse and Cameron - who had gotten off of the floor - didn't even look embarrassed. Maybe that's how often it had been told. "It's last year. Halloween. Jesse and Cameron are dressing up as super heroes, Superman and Batman to be exact, and they had ordered their costumes online. Unfortunately, they had forgotten to order the tops to their costumes, so they wound up with just a pair of spandex, tight, underwear-like shorts; and a cape with their superhero's emblem on it. Being Jesse and Cameron, they thought it would be a good idea to run around the school wearing only that. As they are not the sharpest tools in the shed, they were the laughingstocks of the school for about three weeks."
"Wow. Well I can't say it doesn't sound like them. But I'll just think of something else," Kurt said coolly, still not in a very good mood. He was still getting down on himself. Thad was staring at him like he wasn't in his right mind. "What?"
"You… you didn't even laugh!" He was truly taken aback.
"It's expected- from them. Sorry Thad, it takes a little more than spandex clad boys to get a chuckle out of me." He sat down once again- and toyed with a few ideas he had up his sleeve.
Thad had a very good retort that went a little something about him laughing with Blaine all of the time, but he knew with the extreme, and he means extreme, sexual tension in the room, he didn't want to add to the pile.
Meanwhile, Kurt was growing frustrated- so he made a list with the little notepad that always sat on his bedside table. It read:
-Let the Warblers write whatever they want on your face.
-Stay handcuffed to a creepy teddy bear for a whole day of class. (like a really, really, creepy teddy bear)
-Repeat dick after every sentence you say, including in class.
-In the middle of lunch scream out "I just had sex and it felt so good!" and then dump your meal on your head.
He studied it, trying figure out which one was the worst. He crossed off the first two, deciding that they weren't good enough. Or really, bad enough. Kurt walked over to where Thad was talking to Wes and David and politely waited for them to finish their conversation so he could ask for his opinion. "Hey what's up Kurt?" Thad asked after he had finished his conversation. "Think of a new dare?"
"Several actually, but I need your opinion about which one is better to give to Cameron." He held out his list. "Ignore the top two that are crossed off. They don't matter." Thad's eyes stayed trained on the paper as he read the two options.
"Oh my God, Kurt! You're a genius!"
"Why thank you, Thad. But which one?" Kurt pressed, eager to get the answer out and then give Cameron his dare.
"Uh… I don't really know. This is too close of a call. Maybe you could ask someone else?"
Kurt glared and turned on his heel, "Oh what a great person to win a game with…" He groaned and looked around the room for people who he could ask advice from. He scanned his dorm, seeing no one that could be of assistance to him. Wes, David, and Thad were chatting animatedly again, Trent looked half asleep on the floor, and everyone else just seemed busy. As for Nick and Jeff, well, they were busy with each other's mouths. He looked around again- and then he saw Blaine, who was sitting on his couch, unfortunately next to Niff, with his head in his hands, looking truly upset. Hummel, his conscience told him, you really screwed up. Time to go fix it.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, fisted the list in his hand, and walked over to where Blaine was seated. He perched himself next to his friend on the arm of the black couch.
Suck it up. Grow a pair. Be a man.
Blaine had his head in his hands and was just confused beyond belief. He tried to push past this, but there was no way he could ignore Kurt- or ignore what happened. That kiss… he just couldn't wrap his head around it. He had enjoyed it so much, but then again, he shouldn't have because it was so forced and not meaningful. Or was it? Why would Kurt kiss him like… like that, if he felt nothing. There's no way he felt nothing. But did he feel what Blaine felt? He inwardly groaned- and once again- ran his hands through his hair. He kept his eyes closed- and tried to focus on nothing. Anything but the way Kurt's lips tasted, or how soft they were, or what it felt like to be so close to him like that.
Then he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped. When he looked up he saw Kurt sitting on the arm of the couch next to him. He was at a loss for words. He just barely choked out, "K-k-kurt."
"Hey Blaine," Kurt said softly, keeping his hand on his back.
"Um, hey." Oh dear god, I sound like a mess. Pull it together Anderson. He cleared his throat. "Uh, what's up?"
"I need your opinion on something."
"Shoot," Blaine stated, sounding more like himself. He relaxed- subconsciously- as he always did when he was talking to Kurt. He forgot about the kiss- and now just got absorbed into Kurt. He couldn't help it. It was something that happened every time he was with his best friend.
"So, I made a list of dares for Cameron to do, and I've narrowed it down to two, but I just can't pick which one!" Kurt exclaimed exasperated. He held out his now crumpled list and Blaine took it. He studied his friend's round, perfect, bubbly print and how the l's looped. He quickly read the two options and without even thinking, he had his answer.
"The dick one. For sure."
"Really? Okay! But, wait, why?"
"The other one is embarrassing, sure, but number one, boys scream out that song all the time. I mean watch," Blaine told him, and paused. Then he screamed, and half sang, "I JUST HAD SEX-" Then all of the boys in the room, even Jeff and Nick who had stopped kissing for this, screamed back, "AND IT FELT SO GOOD!" Kurt nodded, impressed.
"I understand that point, but the other one?"
Blaine smirked, knowing that this point would seal the deal. "Imagine this. You are sitting in Mr. Jackson's class, and every time Cameron says something, he adds dick to the end of his sentence. How would do you think that would end?" Blaine felt Kurt shudder at the image. Mr. Jackson… don't start with him. He's the meanest, strictest, history teacher ever. Even his shoes are intimidating. He's a size sixteen, or rumor has it.
"Point proven. The dick dare wins!" They both laughed, and Blaine caught Thad looking over at them, smirking, but he then turned his head. The tenor decided to ignore it. Then he felt Kurt's hand start rubbing slowly back and forth where it was still resting. Blaine glanced up at his older friend, but he didn't look troubled, embarrassed, or even as if he knew he was doing it. It was totally subliminal. Blaine didn't mind, but the tension had been almost fully lifted off of them, except that tiny thing. The tiny bit that lingered.
"So, you gonna tell everyone the dare before we watch movies? I mean that's usually what we do next. Plus, it's not like he can do it until Monday anyways."
"Good idea," Kurt agreed, nodding. "Cameron!" he called. Cameron looked up from his conversation with James.
"Hmm?" was his response. "What's up Kurt?"
"I have your dare. With no thanks to Thad," he began, growling Thad's name, although with sarcasm loosely laced into it, "I have something for you to do. It's not for now though. You have to wait until Monday. I will make sure this dare stays into effect for the full 24 hours it requires, as well as having other people watching, or listening rather, to make sure you are following instructions. Nick H., you will be a great help in watching, as his roommate." Nick nodded, agreeing to help.
"Will you just tell us?" Cameron interjected, getting antsy as to what his punishment for losing was.
"I was getting there, thank you very much." Kurt heard him grumble 'you're welcome' but he ignored it. "As a dare, starting as soon as you wake up on Monday morning, until you go to sleep on Monday night, you will say the word 'dick' after every sentence you speak. And yes, in class too. No exceptions." Kurt hadn't moved from his seat- and was still rubbing soothing patterns on the Blaine's back. Blaine couldn't help but notice how eloquent Kurt was, even if he was being a sarcastic bitch to Cameron.
Cameron's jaw just dropped- and he looked totally shocked, and most importantly lost for words. "I-I-I… How the hell do you expect me- what am I- Oh God- I just have to suck it up… Oh holy fuck, Mr. Jackson better not call on me…" "So guys, how about some movies?" Blaine called, out of nowhere. The room filled with cheers.
A movie show down was taking place in Kurt Hummel's dorm room. All of Kurt's DVDs were laid out on the desk. They consisted of all of the movies that were on his and Blaine's list, along with a couple of Broadway musicals and Disney classics. Right now- Luke, Andrew, and Richard were in all out war over what movie they were going to watch. Kurt and Blaine had moved to his bed, snuggled up next to each other, not spooning, oh no, not in front of their friends, but Blaine had his arm around Kurt's shoulders and their bodies were pressed up to each other. Blaine's soft but calloused hand traced patterns idly on Kurt's upper arm, where it rest. The tension had almost evaporated, but it was still, skipping here and there, entering their minds, but then leaving again. They were both thinking one thing exactly the same, We're back to being cuddle whores. That's a start right? None of the boys in the room questioned it. They had all seen what had gone down between the two of them. Nick and Jeff were next to each other, and they had a quilt over them while Kurt and Blaine had called the countertenor's comforter, since it was his room. Cameron and Jesse were lying at the end of the bed, and several others were sprawled out on the floor in sleeping bags- or on top of the couch. The debaters, along with Wes and David were standing, arguing heatedly.
"Guys! We have to watch the Hangover! It's the best movie of all time!" Andrew argued. Luke just rolled his eyes.
"No." Richard was persistent. "We have to watch the Exorcist. Plus, we watched the Hangover last time! I needs me mah gore!" Kurt was listening to them argue, and he shuddered at the thought of watching such a horrid movie. But then he recalled what Blaine had said when they had discussed which movies he would need: I'll be here, no worries. Then Kurt smiled, secretly hoping that the Exorcist would win.
"No! We need to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! That's the one where-" Luke's calling out was cut off by the rest of the boys screaming:
"- Hermione get's hot! We know!" Even Kurt had remembered and joined in.
"Guys," Kurt called for their attention. "Listen here. We're not watching the Hangover if you watched it last time." Andrew opened his mouth to fight back, but Kurt just kept talking. "And don't even try arguing with me Stuart." Blaine smiled in admiration of his ferocity, and squeezed his shoulder. "And in case you guys have forgotten, it's only 11:45. We have time! We can watch the Exorcist, and then do a Harry Potter Marathon, starting with the fourth movie."
"I thought you hated gore," Blaine inquired, slightly confused.
Shit. Did he know? Maybe he caught on… But, being Kurt Hummel, he covered easily, while still admitting something truthful. "I do. But, you see, I'm just accommodating to everyone's needs. That's what a good host does right? So, I'm accommodating to Richard. As well as Luke." Kurt smirked, feeling pleased with his reasoning.
Blaine on the other hand, was thinking angrily, Oh trust me Kurt. If you really wanted to be a good host, you would have so many of my needs to accommodate to. He wanted to say it out loud, - although he was the slightest bit mad at his 'undapper thoughts' entering his mind- but he didn't need to, because then Jeff coughed and sang, "Not everyone's needs!" He glanced quickly at Blaine and then went back to playing with the quilt's edge.
Kurt let the comment roll off of his back- and didn't retort, but it confused him. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was he mad at me? Did he need to talk? Oh gaga… He shoved his thoughts to the back of his head and announced to the room, "So how about we pop in that flick, and watch?" Richard whooped loudly, snatched the DVD off of the desk, and popped it in the player.
Blaine whispered into the countertenor's ear next to him, "You gonna be okay?" He was being sincere, wondering how Kurt was gonna do with this movie. He wasn't focusing on that kiss, he just focused on Kurt. That's all that mattered. He understood that it was out of anger and rage and a mistake, so he pushed past it, and hoped- that one day- they would kiss for real. One that mattered. One that counted. One that didn't cause bad or confusing thoughts. He sighed with a mixture of contentment and relief, as well as pent up stress. He countlessly traced the word 'love' on Kurt's upper arm. And when the lights flicked off and the movie began, Kurt finally leaned in closer to answer his question.
"With you, yes."
Kurt made it through the Exorcist. Not smoothly, though. He continuously jumped or yelped. Often he had buried his face into Blaine's chest to block out the images and sounds. Blaine, actually extremely happy about this action, had pulled his arms around his taller- but leaner friend protectively, as if to shield him from everything the movie entailed. He pressed the chestnut haired boy as close to him as possible, watching over him, preserving his mind from the idiots who thought making that movie was a good idea.
It was nearing the end of the movie, and another scary scene had made Kurt dive in to his chest again. "Sorry," he whispered, muffled by Blaine's shirt.
"Shh… don't be. I don't mind. And stop apologizing. This is like the sixth time tonight." He felt Kurt nod, and then press even closer after an ear piercing scream. Blaine instinctively wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, pulling him practically on to his sweatpant-clad lap. Kurt nuzzled in, trying to block out everything and Blaine just closed his eyes and buried his face in Kurt's hair without even realizing it. He felt Kurt tense, but then relax to the touch. Blaine had assumed that he was just nervous about someone touching his hair, but when he relaxed- he was relieved. He breathed in Kurt's smell; lavender and strawberries- like his shampoo, Marc Jacobs' Rain, but just something that was entirely his own. It was so Kurt. Without even noticing he let out a small, "Mhmm." Then, as the credits began to roll, he lifted his head- and Kurt slowly pulled away, but did not shift. He only moved so his head wasn't pressed into Blaine's chest. Blaine moved one hand- but kept the other around the countertenor's waist- and started rubbing the circles that Kurt was so accustomed to feeling now.
Kurt still had his eyes squeezed shut, as if he were scared to open them because of the events that took place in the film. Blaine felt eyes on him and turned to see Jeff looking at him knowingly. He raised his eyebrows twice and raised his hand in a rock and roll symbol. Blaine rolled his eyes, but then smiled and winked, unconsciously reaching a hand out to run through Kurt's soft hair. He ran his fingers through the chestnut locks slowly, soothingly, as if to ease the pain. Surely enough, Kurt slowly opened his eyes, and looked up at Blaine, who was still propped up against the headboard. Blaine cracked the smallest of smiles and Kurt returned it, emitting a small yawn.
Blaine, still petting Kurt's head, asked, "You okay?" Kurt nodded, and closed his eyes again, although this time not out of fear- but out of contentment and the fact that he was growing very tired after the long day he had faced. Blaine scanned the room and noted what everyone else was doing. Nick and Jeff were busy cuddling and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. Jesse had fallen asleep next to Cameron, who looked about ready to pass out himself. Thad was snoring. Wes and David looked wide awake and ready for HP. Several others were either asleep or wide awake. Most were not in the stages in between. Blaine however, was, along with Kurt. He loved feeling the weight of Kurt's head on his stomach. He felt like he was supporting him, like someone needs to in a relationship, although this was in a totally different sense.
"Harry Potter time?" Luke asked. Those that were still awake, or close enough to it, called out their agreements- and the movie was put in.
As soon as the film started, Blaine grew extremely drowsy. He snuggled down in the pillow and Kurt followed, so they were lying together. They had shifted, without realizing, into a spooning position. Blaine's arms tightened around Kurt's waist- and pulled him close- so their bodies molded together as one. They fell together perfectly. Like puzzle pieces. In his head he hummed, My missing puzzle piece. I'm complete. Kurt found one of Blaine's hands and wound their fingers together. No one in the room could see this, being under the blanket and all, but they all knew what was happening. Jeff knew. He could not only see it in their eyes, but from what he witnessed. Skinny Love, he thought. When two people are in love with each other, but are too shy to admit it- although they still show it. He smiled fondly at his two friends and nudged his boyfriend to see. Nick smiled as well. Jeff kissed his boyfriend softly on the lips and snuggled close.
Blaine felt his eyelids droop and he was growing very tired. He squeezed Kurt's hand, and without thinking pressed a kiss to his temple. "G'Night Kurt," he whispered softly and contently to his friend.
"Night Blaine. Sleep tight," Kurt whispered back. He lifted Blaine's hand to his mouth and kissed it gently- and then let their still entwined fingers fall back down again.
Chapter Four: The Bit That Lingered
Kurt and Blaine struggled to suppress their laughter.