Chapter 11: Party?

Author's Note: KlaineDrarryMerthur wanted Nigel to meet Blaine, so here it is :)

"Aw, come on, Kurt…" Finn didn't seem to realize that he was way too tall to whine effectively. "Why not?"

"You know why not." Kurt didn't even try to be diplomatic, the faster he shut this idea down, the faster he could go back to studying the Bible. Kurt had just got settled on his bed with the new September issue of Vogue, the Bible of the fashion world. He hadn't even got past the first pages of advertising yet.

"It won't be like last year, I promise." Finn stood there giving him the puppy dog eyes. Hah! So didn't work anymore.

Kurt closed his magazine, and folded his arms across his chest. "And why would this party be any different, Finn? It's still the same people getting drunk and stupid."

Finn sat on Kurt's bed. "Everything's different now, dude."

"Really?" Kurt's expression shouted disbelief. "Because the way I see it, New Directions plus party plus liquor equals ridiculous juvenile behavior. How is this party going to be any different? Puck's not going to bring alcohol? Everyone isn't going to get pissed and play stupid games?"

"Well, no that's probably going to happen, dude. That's what party means." Finn rolled his eyes. "The difference will be…" Finn held his hands up and counted down on his fingers. "One: I'm back with Rachel so she won't be kissing Blaine. Two: it doesn't matter who Blaine kisses because you're not into him anymore. Three: Nigel will be there, so you'll have someone to be drunk and stupid with." Finn stopped talking. He wasn't exactly a brain trust but he knew to quit when he was ahead.

Point for Finn, Kurt hadn't thought of that. He'd be able to sit in a corner and make out with his boyfriend, like everyone else. Yes, that would be different. Also, he found himself curious to see what his boyfriend was like when he drank to excess. Did Nigel get silly, or weepy, or horny? Kurt had never let himself get drunk at a party. He'd always been too worried he'd say or, Dior forbid, do something to freak the other guys out. He wasn't worried about that anymore. The Glee guys were much more comfortable around him now. If he got wasted and told Sam he had a great butt or complemented Mike on his six pack, they wouldn't freak out. They'd laugh, and tease him about it forever, of course, but they wouldn't stop being his friend.

"I'll think about it."

"Yes!" Finn hopped off Kurt's bed, and punched the air. "This will be great, our last party before senior year." Finn looked over at his step-brother. "You know Burt and Mom are going to a Labour Day BBQ at my aunt's. She's got a country place, her parties are legendary. Everyone usually ends up sleeping over. We'll have our party the same weekend."

"I didn't say yes."

"But you will." Finn started up the staircase. "I'm going to call Rachel."

Kurt opened his magazine. "I probably will." He muttered to himself.

Kurt was walking the mall with Quinn and Mercedes when he got a text from Blaine.

U busy tonight?

No. Nigel's working till 9. Y?

Thought I'd drive over.

Parents?

Yeah

I'm at Lima Mall. Text me when you get here.

C U

He pocketed his phone and caught up with Quinn and Mercedes. "Blaine's on his way."

Mercedes tore her eyes away from a pair of purple stilettos she had been coveting for weeks. "Escaping?"

Kurt shrugged. "Yep."

Quinn shifted the shopping bags on her shoulder. "His parents making him crazy?"

"He didn't say, but I think so."

Quinn knew about problem parents. "Well, at least he has us."

Kurt put his arm around Quinn and gave her a quick hug. "Let's look for something to cheer him up."

"More hair gel?" Mercedes waged a perpetual war on Blaine's gel dependence.

"God, No!"

"Sam, Hi!" Mercedes made a major effort to act surprised to see the blonde.

Quinn looked over at Kurt, and they both tried not to laugh. Mercedes and Sam thought they were keeping their relationship a secret, but they weren't fooling anyone.

"Sam, what a surprise!" Kurt's tone was every shade of sarcastic. Quinn smacked his arm.

"Hey!" The countertenor examined his man, or in this case, woman-handled sleeve. "Watch the jacket!"

The four friends wandered the mall, checking out the new stuff at HMV, Sony and Apple. Kurt found a 'don't feel bad your parents are assholes/we care about you' gift for Blaine. They ended up at Starbuck's, drinking lattes and sharing pastry.

"Finn wants to have a party Labour Day weekend, chez nous."

"Great! Do you want us to bring anything?" Mercedes liked parties, even Rachel's.

Kurt sipped his coffee. "I'm not sure I want a party."

"Why not?" Mercedes stared at Kurt, puzzled.

"I'm not so into the whole drink, act stupid, throw-up on the lawn thing."

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, drinking and acting stupid seem to go together." Quinn looked down at her drink. "I should know."

Kurt's phone vibrated on the table.

Where R U?

Starbuck's near Nordstrom's

"We can have a party without acting stupid." Mercedes glanced around the table. "Can't we?"

Kurt played with his coffee cup. "I don't know, can we?"

Sam could see that Mercedes really wanted the party. "I'll bring my guitar. We can just hang out and sing, dance, have fun." Sam looked at the other three. "It's what we like to do anyway."

Kurt looked over at Quinn. "What do you think?"

The cheerleader stared into her coffee cup, thinking. "The summer's almost over. Next year is our last year." Quinn looked up and smiled at her friends. "I think we should party. Just don't let me sleep with Puck."

Sam's eyes went wide, Mercedes' mouth gaped open, and Kurt choked on his coffee. Quinn grinned at them, pleased with their shocked reactions. "You should see your faces."

"Game plan; keep Quinn away from Puck, and ..." Mercedes started to chant. "Party! Party! Party!"

The other three took up the chant and then the table broke into laughter.

"What party?"

"Hi" Kurt got up to hug Blaine, and Sam pulled a chair from the next table over for the Warbler. "Hey, dude."

"Sam" Blaine nodded at the blonde, and smiled at the girls. "What party?"

"Kurt and Finn are having an end of summer party on Labour Day weekend." Mercedes grinned.

"You're invited, of course." Kurt smiled at his much gelled friend. "Bring some of the Warblers if you want."

Blaine tapped his fingers on the table. "On one condition…" Blaine looked at the Glee kids. "I'm not playing Spin the Bottle."

Kurt patted his hand. "Don't worry; we're putting Berry's lips on lock-down."

Mercedes laughed. "You're safe this year, prep boy, Rachel's with Finn now."

Blaine shuddered theatrically, and they all laughed with him. He stood up from the table. "I'm getting a coffee, anyone want anything?"

Head shakes around the table, and no thanks. Blaine stood in line to order his caffeine fix. When he got back to the table, Kurt was in party planner mode. He had his phone out and was taking notes as his friends threw suggestions at him.

"I'll talk to Finn tonight." Kurt put his phone away. "You'll get e-invites tomorrow."

"Sounds good." Mercedes stood up and pushed her chair back under the table. "I'm thinking of Glow-in-the-Dark mini-golf, anyone interested?"

Sam stood up. "Sure" Surprise, surprise!

Kurt looked over at Quinn, and smirked. She glared at him, and he raised his hands in a 'don't shoot me' motion. Mercedes missed the byplay between her two friends because most of the time she only really saw Sam. Blaine did not miss anything; Mercedes' and Sam's obvious attraction or Kurt's amusement. The Warbler disguised his smile behind his coffee cup. As soon as the incognito lovers walked away, Blaine leaned closer to Kurt and Quinn. "Do they really think no one will notice?"

Kurt snorted. "It's pretty hard to miss. It's written in neon all over them."

"I don't get it." Quinn sounded exasperated. "Why are they trying to hide this?"

Kurt stared after the retreating duo. "I have no idea."

A young man walked into Kurt's line of vision; brown hair, dark glasses, big smile. Kurt jumped up and hugged him. "Nigel, I thought you were working."

The OSU student kissed Kurt and then took the empty seat beside him. "I am. I've got 30 minutes for dinner, thought I'd join you."

"Dinner? What time is it?" Quinn glanced at her watch and grabbed her purse. "Sorry, guys I've got to go. See you at the party."

They said goodbye to Quinn, and then Kurt turned to the OSU student. "Nigel, this is my friend from Dalton, Blaine Anderson. Blaine, this is my boyfriend, Nigel."

Nigel shook hands with Blaine. "You're the Warbler right, Kurt's competition?"

"Yeah, we met when he came to spy on our glee club."

"I did not ... well, yeah I did kinda."

"Kurt, I didn't think you were the 007 type." Nigel smiled at the countertenor.

Blaine laughed. "He's not. He was the worst spy ever."

Kurt donned one of his haughtiest looks. "I don't exactly blend in."

"Blending in is your idea of hell." Blaine explained to Nigel. "Kurt hates the uniforms at Dalton. He thinks we look like pod people."

Kurt examined his nails. "There's only one excuse for a uniform; war."

"So, what was Quinn saying about a party?" Nigel asked his boyfriend.

"Finn and I are giving an end of summer party on Labour Day weekend. You can come, right?"

"Of course." Nigel stood up. "I'm getting a sandwich. You guys want anything?"

"Another coffee, thanks, babe."

"Grande non-fat mocha." Nigel nodded at Kurt and turned to the Warbler. "Blaine?"

"No, I'm good, thanks."

Nigel walked over to the counter, and Blaine leered at Kurt. "So that's your OSU student." Blaine gave Nigel the once over. "Nice hair." Blaine's unruly mop was the despair of his life, so it was the first thing he noticed in other people. "Among other things."

Kurt glared at his friend. "Drink your coffee, and keep your eyes off my boyfriend's other things."

While Nigel ate his dinner, they talked about the party, the end of summer, and the rapid approach of September and school.

Blaine chewed on the end of his stir stick. "I'm not looking forward to going back to Dalton this year."

"Really? I thought you liked Dalton." This was news to Kurt.

"Yeah, it's a great school, and I've got good friends there, but I'm starting to feel like a hot house flower." Blaine looked at Kurt and Nigel, trying to explain. "Dalton's not the real world."

Kurt snorted. "I can only hope that McKinley's not the real world."

Blaine smiled at Kurt's disgust. "But, you know what I mean, right?"

Nigel nodded. "Yeah, private schools can be a little claustrophobic, everyone thinks the same way. Can you switch schools?"

Blaine looked at the OSU student in surprise. "Maybe, yeah maybe."

"Just a thought." Nigel checked his watch. "Gotta go." He tossed his sandwich wrapper and empty coffee cup, and then leaned over to kiss Kurt. The McKinley student tipped his head back, and opened his mouth under Nigel's, turning the goodbye kiss into something more. Kurt ran a hand down Nigel's side, grazed his hip, and grabbed his ass.

Nigel broke the kiss. "Don't start something we can't finish."

Kurt tugged on Nigel's tie. "Call me."

"Yes." Heat hovered in the air between them.

Nigel dragged his eyes away from Kurt and smiled at Blaine. "Good to finally meet you."

"Yeah, I was starting to think that you didn't actually exist. That Kurt had just made you up."

Nigel laughed, touched the nape of Kurt's neck gently, and left.

Both teens watched the other man walk away, and then Blaine turned to Kurt. "Noticed you have trouble keeping your hands off Nigel's other things, Hummel."

"Shut up, Anderson."

Blaine laughed. "He seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, he is." Kurt pushed his empty coffee cup to one side, and leaned closer to Blaine. "Now, tell me what happened chez Anderson."

"You're not going to believe this." Blaine crushed his empty cup, and then pushed it aside. "There's this guy that my father's been sucking up to, trying to get him as a client. Well, he calls my father today, and says, 'I hear your son goes to Dalton.' He wanted to know what my father thinks of the school because, get this, his son is gay, and he wants to make sure that Dalton's a good fit for him." Blaine paused dramatically, his eyes locked on Kurt's. "And my father, who barely talks to me, who pretends that I'm straight, says, 'Oh, my son's gay too. Why don't we get the boys together? Blaine can tell your son; Sebastian isn't it, all about Dalton." Blaine threw his hands up in frustration, and sat back in his chair. "My father invited them to spend Labour Day weekend with us. I've got to babysit the new kid."

Blaine played with his coffee cup, nervous fingers betraying the hurt and anger he felt. "My father hates that I'm gay, sometimes I think he hates me. He's just using me, using me to grease the wheels on some business deal."

Kurt touched Blaine's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Blaine twisted his lips into something that he thought was a smile. "I wish I had a boyfriend. I would love to bring him home Labour Day weekend, and watch my father have to pretend he was O.K. with it."

"You want to borrow Nigel?"

Blaine laughed, and wiped at his eyes. "Sorry, I'm being a wuss about this."

"Blaine, your father's the jackass, not you."

"Yeah, thanks."

"I can't change your father but," Kurt took Blaine's present out of his messenger bag, and put in it on the table. "I thought this might cheer you up, a bit."

Blaine looked at the small gift wrapped box, and smiled at his friend. "Kurt, you didn't have to…"

"Open it, Anderson."

The Warbler ripped off the paper, and tore open the box. Nestled inside, a navy bow-tie patterned with small, yellow rubber ducks.

"So cute!" Blaine grinned, and kissed Kurt on the cheek. "Thank you."

Kurt grabbed his messenger bag and tossed his cup. "Come on. I'll treat you to a manicure."

"You think if I get a rainbow flag painted on my nails, my father will have a stroke?"

Kurt laughed. "Probably." He looked over at Blaine, as they walked to Crazy Nails. "Why don't you bring this Sebastian kid to my party? Your parents will think you're bonding and it will take some of the pressure off you."

"Yeah, sounds good. Thanks, Kurt."