This episode is kinda the final step in Blaine's integration into New Directions...
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)
KURT
"Rachel and I might as well get used to a life of barista work and summer stock," Kurt whined as he filled out a Lima Bean application. "There's no way we're getting into NYADA now. If we don't win at Sectionals, I pretty much have nothing to live for."
"New Directions is a mess," Blaine agreed. "And we're gonna lose, Kurt. And I can't do a thing about it. Every time I open my mouth, Finn gives me these looks like 'what does he think he's doing?'. I know what I'm doing."
"Hey guys!" Sebastian's voice suddenly joined the conversation, and Kurt felt like the universe had to be out to get him as he looked up at the tall Warbler. "So crazy... I'm sitting over there checking out this guy, and all of the sudden I'm like 'wait a second, I know that hair'." He sat down at the table and turned to Blaine. "What's up, buddy? Haven't seen you online."
"Hi Kurt," he added with a quick glance across the table.
Kurt hadn't spoken to or seen Sebastian since their night out at Scandals, but Kurt's relationship with Blaine had never felt stronger so he didn't think about Sebastian much.
He still hated being in the other boy's presence, though.
"We've been really busy with glee club," Blaine explained.
"Practicing for Sectionals," Kurt added quickly. "Together."
"Congrats on the Warbler win at your Sectionals," Blaine said kindly. "We're up this week," he explained with a grimace in Kurt's direction.
"Yeah," Sebastian acknowledged. "Well hey, if there's one guy who can whip New Directions into a legitimate threat it's Blaine Anderson, right?"
"Right," Blaine huffed. He shook his cup a little and stood up. "I need another coffee."
As Blaine departed, Kurt realized that this was the first time he had ever really been alone with Sebastian. This was his chance to let the other boy know that Kurt wasn't going to put up with any of his crap.
"I don't like you," Kurt said simply.
The confession seemed to surprise Sebastian, but he recovered quickly. "Fun," Sebastian said, sitting up straighter, "I don't like you either."
"I don't like the way you talk to my boyfriend," Kurt elaborated. "I don't like your smirky little meerkat face. I don't like your obnoxious CW hair. I'm on to you."
"Let's get a few things straight," Sebastian replied. "Blaine's too good for you, New Directions is a joke, and one of us has a hard-luck case of the gay face and it ain't me. Odds are, by the end of the school year I'll have Blaine and a Nationals trophy, and you'll have khakis and a Lima Bean apron and that gay face."
"You smell like Craigslist," Kurt insulted.
"What're you guys talking about?" Blaine reappeared with his new coffee, and Kurt couldn't decide if he felt glad or annoyed that he and Sebastian couldn't continue to speak privately.
"Duh, the next time we're all going out drinking, killer!" Sebastian said.
"Uh oh," Blaine said, glancing at Kurt to gauge his reaction. Kurt just shrugged at him and tried not to grimace too intensely.
"Well, I've gotta run," Sebastian said, "but you take care of that Warbler, Kurt."
As Sebastian winked at him and stood up to leave, Kurt tried to think of something to say in return. But he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't upset Blaine.
He was relieved to see that Blaine's facial expression was mostly skeptical as Sebastian walked away.
"I don't care what you say," Kurt couldn't resist saying to Blaine after Sebastian was out of earshot, "I don't like him."
"He's something, I'll give you that," Blaine said.
"Let's just go back to my place," Kurt said, pushing his chair back to stand up. "The air here is tainted."
Blaine laughed, but he stood up to follow Kurt out the door.
Carole was home when they arrived.
"Hi, boys," she greeted as they walked past the kitchen. "Can you come in here for a second?"
"Your dad's at the shop," Carole explained to Kurt as he and Blaine sat down at the kitchen table across from where she was sitting. "He's trying to put in some extra hours to make sure that everything is going to be okay when he's not there."
Kurt nodded. This wasn't new information.
"Anyway," Carole continued, "Finn and Rachel just called... they found Sam, and they've convinced him to come back to Lima!"
"Awwww, that's great!" Blaine said excitedly.
Kurt knew there had to be more to it than that or Carole would've just let Finn and Rachel explain when they got home later in the evening.
Carole nodded, seeing the hesitation on Kurt's face. "You dad and I talked about it, and..."
"He's staying with us." Kurt said. It wasn't really a question so much as a verbal acknowledgement.
"Yes," Carole confirmed. "Through the end of the school year, at least. I spoke to his parents on the phone, and they were incredibly nice but also, understandably, concerned about their son living away from them. So we're going to be his surrogate family while he's here, okay?"
"Sure," Kurt said. He remembered how desperate Sam's situation had been the year before, and he was glad that Sam could come and stay with them.
"You'll like Sam," he turned to Blaine. "I mean, I know you two have met a few times, but once you get to know him I think you'll like him even more."
Blaine nodded. "And one more person for New Directions," he smiled.
Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not sure even the return of Sam Evans can save us now," he said sourly.
He turned back to Carole.
"That's it," she anticipated his question.
Kurt stood up and reached for Blaine's hand to lead him upstairs.
"Bye," Blaine said kindly as he and Kurt left the room.
Kurt's amusement at Blaine's charm vanished the second he walked into his bedroom.
There was a condom wrapper on the ground beside his bed.
"Oh my god," he gasped, rushing forward to grab it and throw it away. He yanked a tissue out of the box on his vanity to throw on top of it so it was hidden from view.
Blaine laughed. "Is there something I should know, Kurt?"
"God, no," Kurt squeaked, "it must've ended up under the bed or something– oh god, what if my dad or Carole...?"
"You don't think they know?" Blaine mused.
"What?" Kurt gasped. "No, they don't know."
Blaine shrugged. "Don't you think they'd be glad that you were being safe?"
Kurt felt incredibly flustered. "That is so not the point!"
Blaine climbed onto the bed to sit against the headboard.
"Want a hug?" he teased as Kurt paced around the room mumbling about the horrors of his father possibly seeing a condom wrapper in his bedroom.
"This is the biggest turn off in the entire world, Blaine Anderson," Kurt scolded, "so no."
Blaine rolled his eyes. "So we can't even cuddle now?"
Kurt paused and felt his resolve slipping.
"No," he said.
"Yes," Blaine encouraged.
Kurt refused to make eye contact with him, but he saw Blaine extend his arms and knew he was going to give in.
"Get over here, Kurt," Blaine said.
"Only because you're so cute," Kurt muttered.
He climbed onto the bed and admitted to himself that it had been a good choice when Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's upper body and squeezed him tightly.
"Happy?" Kurt pretended to pout.
He felt Blaine's breath on his neck as the other boy laughed.
"Happy," Blaine confirmed. "Really happy."
BLAINE
"Hey, great news everybody!" Mr. Schu announced as he entered the choir room for rehearsal the following day. "Sectionals is going to be a challenge, but we have a secret weapon."
"Mr. Schu," Kurt interrupted. "We all appreciate your endless supply of affirmations, but all the sparkling cider in the world can't deny the fact that the Titanic has hit the iceberg and now we're on a sinking ship."
"Not if I can help it!"
As Sam Evans walked through the door, Blaine was excited about the possibility of another friend in New Directions. He hadn't ever really interacted with Sam enough to really know the other boy. But, based on what he had heard from everyone else, he thought he would get along well with the returning student.
"His name is Sam," he heard Kurt explaining to Rory as everyone rushed forward to welcome Sam back.
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Finn and Rachel," Sam explained. "I sort of, uh, lost my way, but true friends help you find your way back."
"Let's hear it for Sam Evans!" Finn cheered, opening a bottle of sparkling cider.
"Alright, enough of the sentimental stuff!" Sam said, grabbing a guitar. "It's time y'all get a little country back in this joint."
As Sam sang Red Solo Cup and New Directions sang along, Blaine was happy that they could all relax and have fun like this despite the stress of Sectionals at the end of the week. He also took joy in teasing Kurt, who was judging all of them as they sang the song. Blaine knew that Kurt was secretly enjoying it.
He wasn't sure what to make of Santana's strange "welcome back" poem when the song was over, but the fact that she had come into the choir room to read it to Sam made Blaine think that maybe she had missed the returning student more than she wanted to admit. Sam seemed to think so too, and he stepped forward to hug Santana before she left the room.
"Hey man," Sam approached Blaine as things quieted down, "Finn and Rachel told me about your transfer on the drive back."
"Yeah," Blaine said, not sure if it was a question or if Sam was just saying hello, "welcome back."
They shook hands.
"Thanks a million times for letting me crash with you," Sam said as Kurt appeared beside Blaine.
"I'm surrounded by Finn and this one," Kurt nudged Blaine's side, "all the time, so what's one more?" Kurt smiled. "I'm glad you're back."
Sam nodded. "I'm glad to be back." He glanced over his shoulder before turning all his attention on Kurt.
"So what do you know about Mercedes and that football player...?"
BLAINE
"I don't know what's going on with him," Tina sighed. "He's a dancer. He just is. Not that he wouldn't be a brilliant doctor – I'm sure he would be amazing! – but he's going to spend the rest of his life filled with regret if he doesn't pursue dance."
Blaine nodded and reached out to grab a handful of popcorn. Burt was headed off to Washington DC the following day, so he had insisted on a family dinner to welcome Sam into their home. As a result, Blaine had a free evening. He had mentioned it at lunch, and Tina had jumped at the chance to ask him to help her finish designing the costumes for Sectionals at her house after school.
"It's complicated, though, right?" he asked. "With his parents."
"With his dad," Tina clarified.
Blaine sighed and grabbed another handful of popcorn.
"Don't tell me you have the same situation with your dad," Tina whined.
"Not exactly," Blaine explained. "At least not for now."
"I wish I had your problem," Tina sighed. "Kurt's so hell-bent on getting to New York that I doubt even God himself could stop him."
Blaine laughed. "Let's hope you're right. I certainly think he's going to be taking the Big Apple by storm a year from now."
"The main problem is that applications are due this week," Tina said. "And he refuses to even apply."
"Well," Blaine suggested, "you don't have to turn in applications in person..."
Tina gasped so loudly that she immediately clasped a hand over her mouth to silence herself. Blaine shrugged and tried to look as innocent as possible.
"That's it," Tina whispered loudly when she recovered. "I'll just forge his signature."
Blaine suddenly felt like he should backtrack.
"Okay, but wait," he said. "That's completely illegal and I don't want to be responsible for –"
"For Mike getting the opportunity to live the life of his dreams?" Tina interrupted.
Blaine stared her down for a moment, but he was satisfied that she wouldn't tell anyone about his involvement if she ended up in trouble.
"You're the best," Tina said. "Thank you."
"I'm not bailing you out when you end up in jail," Blaine teased.
"Now we can actually work on these costumes," Tina said, gesturing to everything that was strewn around on the table. The swatches of fabric, the drawings, and the list of costumes they already had that could be altered.
Blaine felt a little overwhelmed. "Why didn't you ask Kurt to help you with this, again?" he asked.
Tina rolled her eyes. "I want help," she said, "not a takeover."
Blaine laughed. "Good point."
"I was thinking black and white," Tina said thoughtfully. "We already have plenty of black pants and skirts, so we wouldn't have to make or order any of those. But for the tops..." she trailed off, uncertain.
Blaine picked up the list of what they already had and scanned down the page until he had an inspiration.
"The white blazers," he said, putting the paper down on the table so he could point to the item.
Tina thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah," she said, "and we can add some black to the lapels."
She grabbed a few small pieces of black fabric off the table and examined them until she decided on the best one.
"Ties?" she asked, looking up at Blaine again.
He wiggled his head playfully and pretended to adjust his bow tie even though he wasn't wearing one.
"Bowties," she clarified. "Great."
They were silent for a moment as Blaine examined some of the fabrics on the table and Tina scribbled down the plan so she could confirm it with Mr. Schu the following day.
"Do you ever get homesick for Dalton?"
The question caught Blaine off-guard.
"Um..." he tried to think of the best way to explain his evolving feelings about his former school, " yeah, I guess. Sometimes. Why?"
"The blazers," Tina motioned at what she had just written down.
Blaine felt a blush spreading across his face. "Uh, no," he said bashfully, "that's not why."
He felt ridiculous as he looked up to see her watching him expectantly.
"Finn," he explained. "He's always telling me that we're not the Warblers and that we don't wear blazers and all that... so..."
By the time Tina recovered from her fit of laughter, she was lying on the floor beside her chair and Blaine's face was buried in his arms on the table.
BLAINE
The next day at glee rehearsal, Tina and Quinn were in the auditorium working on the costumes while the boys brushed up on their dancing.
It wasn't going well.
"What does it even matter anyway?" Puck said. "It's not like we have a chance of winning. Not without the girls."
A few of the band members had agreed to step in and temporarily join New Directions so that they would have enough people to compete, but it meant that the group was made up of nearly all guys.
"Sure," Rory agreed. "Girls smell better than ham. And when they're dancing and bouncing around, you can't help but watch them."
"Well, that's it, then!" Mr. Schu encouraged. "We'll take what's most appealing about us as a group and we'll use it to our advantage."
Blaine wanted to point out that the Warblers did just fine without any girls, but instead he decided to try to contribute something positive.
"Yeah, how about, you know, something like, um..." he danced across the room in a little sequence that he thought might fit the song, "like something like that."
"Cute!" Kurt commented.
"I like the spin, I like the spin," Mr. Schu agreed. "Try it, you guys."
As the boys tried the spin, and mostly failed, Sam stood up.
"God, okay, stop. Stop!" he turned to Blaine. "Look, Blaine, this..." Sam spun around in place and threw his hands up sarcastically, "is totally boy band. What we need to sell here is sex."
He demonstrated a move that drew attention to his body, and Blaine rolled his eyes.
"What the hell is that?" he asked.
"That's a– it's a body roll," Sam explained.
"That's not a body roll," Blaine mumbled.
"That," Sam said, gyrating his hips, "is sex."
Some of the other boys tried Sam's move, and they seemed to approve.
"Man's not wrong," Artie said. "I've got light tingles where it's only fifty-fifty for tingling."
"Yeah," Finn concurred. "Yeah Sam, that's awesome. That's exactly what we need."
Finn's immediate jump to praise Sam's idea pushed Blaine over the edge. He could feel the rage and hurt bubbling to the surface, and he fought to stay calm.
"No, that's not– that's not what we need," he argued. "We don't have to resort to... that. It's cheap, you know, it's selling out."
"Look, I came back here to win," Sam scolded. "When you're desperate, sometimes you've gotta, you know, use your assets and do what you've gotta to do to get back that advantage. This," he did the body roll again, "is the advantage."
"Of course that's what you think," Blaine snapped, "You have to think that in order to sleep at night."
He didn't regret it right away, but somewhere in is brain he knew he would regret it later.
"What the hell does that mean?" Sam threatened, stepping forward.
The part of Blaine's brain that held the memories of all the times he had been bullied and put down threw up a mental barricade, and he stepped forward to assert himself. He was done being treated like he didn't matter.
"It means," he snarled, "that I'm not for sale!"
Sam lunged at him, but Blaine was ready. He flipped Sam's hands away with the practice of someone who had flown through multiple self-defense and boxing classes, and he wanted nothing more than to let it escalate into a full-on fight. He was no longer a helpless little boy who couldn't defend himself. He was confident that he stood a chance against Sam.
But Mr. Schu and Finn stepped in, and Blaine knew he had to walk away or risk doing something that would get him suspended.
"Forget it," he scoffed, throwing his hands in the air as he turned for the door.
Nobody tried to stop him as he left the room, and he was glad. He didn't even want to talk to Kurt. He wanted to break something. Or someone.
He should never have transferred, he thought to himself as he stormed into the locker room. He had Kurt, and he loved Kurt more than anything, but Blaine's opinions had no weight in New Directions and he was sick of being overlooked. They weren't even giving him a chance to show that he was a good leader because Finn was just the leader by default. It made him feel incredibly self-conscious, and he wanted more than anything to just leave and return to the Warblers where he felt like he mattered.
He didn't even bother folding up his clothes as he yanked them off to change into attire appropriate for boxing. He just tossed them into his locker and slammed the door so he could go and punch something that wouldn't get hurt or punch him back.
KURT
The room fell silent as Blaine stormed out, and suddenly everyone couldn't decide if they wanted to look at Finn and Sam or at Kurt.
Kurt stayed silent. He also stayed in his seat, although he could tell that everyone expected him to jump up and run after the other boy.
But Kurt knew Blaine well enough to know that Blaine didn't want to be coddled. When Blaine was sad, he wanted Kurt. When Blaine was angry, he wanted to box. Alone. Also, Kurt thought, if he had run after Blaine, the other boy would've felt like he had to tone himself down and find a reasonable solution. Kurt wanted to let him release some of his anger before they talked about it.
"Alright, boys, settle down," Mr. Schu reprimanded.
"Someone needs to go talk to him," Mike said.
"Finn," Kurt added.
Finn turned to look at him. "Me? He's your boyfriend, dude."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Are you really so oblivious that you think Blaine is content only ever talking to or hanging out with me? He wants to belong, Finn."
"You are sorta mean to him sometimes," Rory said quietly. "And he's nice to be around."
Everyone turned a surprised gaze on Rory, and he just shrugged unapologetically.
To Kurt's surprise, Finn didn't argue again. He just turned and left the room.
BLAINE
After a few minutes of attacking the punching bag with all his might, Blaine was sweaty and breathing a little harder than normal. But the anger and frustration wouldn't go away.
He noticed Finn coming through the door, but he ignored him. If Finn had arrived to give him a hard time, Blaine was going to continue to ignore him until he just went away.
"Is that Sam's face?" Finn asked.
"Yup," Blaine said. "Yours too."
Finn looked intrigued as he watched Blaine punching the bag.
"Don't act so surprised," Blaine said. "After getting bullied so much I took up boxing. I also started the Dalton branch of Fight Club. Which I, obviously, can't talk about!"
With every word, Blaine's anger swelled in his chest, and he didn't want to hold it in anymore.
"What is your problem with me, anyway?" he shouted at Finn, turning to face the other boy. "Ever since I got here, you've given me nothing but crap!"
It felt so good to get it out in the open. Like he had released a secret that shouldn't have made him feel ashamed, but that had been controlling him anyway.
"Honestly, dude, I was kinda jealous," Finn admitted.
Blaine let out a little laugh of disbelief.
"I felt threatened," Finn continued. "Your talent kinda freaked me out. Made me question whether or not I was good enough."
This was not even remotely how Blaine thought this conversation was going to go. Finn had been verbally pushing him around because he was jealous? Blaine hated himself for being a nice person as a sliver of compassion wormed its way into his mind. He had tried so hard not to be a threat to Finn, but somehow Finn had felt threatened anyway.
"Look, Blaine," Finn said, "I'm sorry. I've been acting like a jackass to you. But with Rachel gone, you're the most talented, well-rounded member of this team and now, more than ever, we need to be on the same page. United."
An apology, a compliment, and a request. More than anything, Blaine wanted to really be part of New Directions. If Finn was willing to change, Blaine would give him a chance to show that he was truly sorry. And, although he still felt that he could do the job well, Blaine knew that he was no longer the leader of his group. He had to help the team now by actively following. By supporting the decisions of the captains and by making things right with Finn.
"Tell me what you need me to do," Blaine allowed.
"We have an opportunity," Finn said. "An opportunity to be remembered at this school for the rest of our lives for doing the impossible. But it all starts right here with you and me. I just wanna be able to look across that stage at you and know that we did everything we could. No regrets."
No regrets. It was what had brought Blaine to McKinley in the first place – the knowledge that if he stayed at Dalton he would've held on to his regrets about running away and would've gained regret over not making the most of his life when he had the chance.
Now he had the opportunity to work with Finn, not against him. And Finn was asking for his help.
Blaine removed his glove and stepped forward to make peace, but he hesitated one final time. Finn had been so unkind to him... was this a sincere apology or a ploy to get Blaine to open up just so Finn could call him out again in front of everyone?
He had to give it a chance.
"Let's get back to work," he said, offering his fist.
"Alright," Finn smiled as they fist-bumped.
They looked at each other for a moment, and Blaine glanced down at his clothes.
"Don't worry about it, man," Finn said. "We're just rehearsing."
Blaine shook his head. He looked crazy.
"You go ahead," he said, "let me dry off and change back into my other clothes and I'll be right there."
Finn nodded, and as he was just about to walk out the door, Blaine called out to stop him.
"Hey Finn?"
The tall boy twisted around to look at him.
"Thanks."
KURT
When Finn came back into the choir room alone, Kurt wondered how bad the conversation must have been. He tried not to grimace as Finn glanced his way.
"He'll be back in a minute," Finn said lightly.
That was a pleasant surprise for Kurt. Somehow, Finn had talked Blaine into coming back.
When Blaine walked through the door a few minutes later, a hush fell over the room.
"Sorry guys," Blaine ducked his head bashfully. He looked at Sam. "I'm sorry."
Sam extended his arm and they shook hands, and Finn stepped to the center of the room.
"Okay," he said, "I say we incorporate both Blaine's and Sam's ideas. I mean, Blaine was in the Warblers. And they were pretty badass even though they had no chicks at all. And Sam was... uh... he's really talented too so we shouldn't dismiss his ideas either."
Kurt felt as if his jaw had just come unhinged. Finn had just mentioned Blaine and the Warblers in the same sentence. And, rather than using it to put him down, Finn had suggested that Blaine's past with the Warblers was a good thing. He reached out to tug on Blaine's shirt.
"What happened?" he mouthed silently.
Blaine smiled widely and slipped into the seat beside Kurt to reach out and squeeze his hand. Kurt knew he was going to have to wait for the story of what had happened between Blaine and Finn, but he wondered if he might explode with curiosity first.
"Hey Artie?" Finn changed topics, "what do you think about making the second number a duet?"
"I am not singing Janet with you," Artie said skeptically.
"Not me," Finn clarified. "With Blaine."
"Okay," Kurt had to interrupt, "what is happening right now?"
Blaine surprised him by turning, grabbing Kurt's face, and planting a warm, wet kiss on his lips.
"We worked it out," he said contently as he settled back into his seat.
"That way," Finn ignored them and continued the conversation about the song with Artie, "none of the songs are actual solos. It's one big team effort."
Artie looked at Blaine for a moment, as if he was sizing him up. "Okay."
"Great!" Mr. Schu said, clasping Finn on the shoulder. "Let's get back to work!"
KURT
As Kurt sank into his seat to watch the first group at Sectionals that weekend, he couldn't help turning to grin at Blaine.
"What?" Blaine asked, but he was smiling just as broadly.
"I love you," Kurt said. "I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for being here."
Blaine's eyes were suddenly unfocused and his mind was far away.
"Remember our first competition together?" he said quietly. "Who would've thought back then that we'd be here together a year later?"
"Certainly not me," Kurt agreed.
"I'm glad," Blaine's gaze returned to the present. "I'm really glad I'm here, Kurt." His eyes were so bright and happy that Kurt wondered if he was just now discovering that he could really feel at home away from Dalton.
"Oh also," Blaine added after a moment, nudging Kurt's shoulder with his own, "I love you too."
The lights dimmed, and they were forced to stop talking as the first group took the stage.
As soon as the lead soloist started to sing, Kurt was shocked to realize that he recognized her.
"Oh my god," he leaned forward to whisper in Rachel's ear, "it's the Gerber baby."
He couldn't see Rachel's face, but he knew that she was reliving the nightmare of the NYADA mixer with him.
"Oh my god, she's good," Kurt added.
"This is torture," Rachel replied. "I should be singing that song!"
As the Unitards finished their set and exited the stage, Kurt was surprised to see Rachel jump out of her chair and hurry away. He wondered if she was going to try to talk to Harmony and considered chasing after her, but Blaine's hand on his arm distracted him.
"They were good," Blaine said, "but not as good as us."
Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, you're certainly feeling confident."
Blaine nodded.
"We're going to win."
BLAINE
"Oh my god," Kurt gushed as they finished their set and hurried off the stage. "That was perfect."
"I told you so," Blaine teased.
"We haven't won yet!" Kurt smacked his arm.
"You were amazing," Blaine complimented as they entered the choir room.
"No, you were amazing," Kurt said before he was even finished with the sentence.
"Great job, everyone!" Mr. Schu said.
"Okay, Mr. Schu," Kurt said, splitting from Blaine to go talk to their teacher, "I was wrong... there was hope for us after all!"
Blaine smiled and turned his attention to Finn.
"Gave it our all," he said, happy that he could shake Finn's hand and feel like they were really a team.
"Yeah, we did," Finn said. He grinned and opened his arms for a hug.
"Yes, we did," Blaine confirmed happily as they hugged briefly, and suddenly Sam was beside them.
"Top dogs!" Sam exclaimed. "This is what I was missing!"
"Glad you're here, man," Finn said. He turned back to Blaine. "Glad we're all here."
Blaine suddenly remembered that he had chosen the white blazers to stick it to Finn, and he had to suppress a laugh. That would have to stay his and Tina's little secret.
Kurt reappeared at Blaine's side. "So," he said, dropping an arm over Blaine's shoulders, "how does it feel to compete with New Directions?"
"Feels good," Blaine confirmed.
Before Kurt could say anything else, they were both momentarily distracted by Mike's dad coming through the door, and Blaine felt his face flushing a little as he remembered that he had encouraged Tina to forge Mike's signature on applications to dance schools. It didn't seem like such a good idea here in the room with the older man.
"Hey, everyone?" Finn's voice carried above the others. "Come over here..."
As Mike, Tina, and Mr. Chang left the room, the remaining members of New Directions gathered in a big circle so they could all hear what Finn had to say.
"No matter what happens, guys, that was amazing," Finn said. "Now let's go out there and claim our trophy!"
KURT
They won first place.
As he and Blaine arrived at the Hummel-Hudson house that evening – Blaine's parents had granted him permission to spend the night since it was the weekend – Kurt thought that his life might actually be perfect. A complete turnaround since the start of the week. He had been part of the team that beat the Gerber baby. He wasn't being severely bullied in school. He had a first place Sectionals trophy and something new for his resume.
And he had Blaine.
They were a bundle of adrenaline and joy as they reached Kurt's bedroom. Blaine actually ripped his shirt trying to get it off, but Kurt was in such a happy place that he didn't even care.
Neither of them said a single word as they kissed and undressed and kissed some more. Burt and Carole were in Washington DC until Monday apartment-hunting, Finn and Rachel had gone out for a nice meal, and Kurt wasn't sure what Sam was doing but he had dropped a heavy hint on the newest member of their household that finding something to do outside of the house for a few hours was a very good idea.
There were so many things that Kurt wanted to say as Blaine pressed him against the closed door and kissed up his neck and along his jaw line, but he couldn't remember how to speak. So, instead, he tugged at Blaine's ear until the other boy lifted his head for a proper kiss, and Kurt hoped that he could show Blaine all the things he felt without using any words at all.
BLAINE
"Tonight we are young. So let's set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun."
Blaine loved the casual performance on their first day back to school after their win at Sectionals. It reminded him of the Warblers, and he was finally reaching the point where thinking of Dalton meant pleasant memories and not a feeling that it was a place he needed to get back to.
But, after the song was over, there was something he felt compelled to mention to Finn that had nothing to do with New Directions or Regionals.
"Hey Finn?" he asked as most of the group crowded around the returning girls, "Can I talk to you privately for a minute?"
KURT
"Hey, uh, Kurt?"
Kurt looked up from the kitchen table, where he was doing his homework to avoid accidentally falling asleep on his bed, to see Finn standing awkwardly in the doorway.
"Yes?" he acknowledged.
"Um," Finn stepped into the room and sat down in the seat across from Kurt, "I just... I'm sorry."
Kurt was mildly surprised when he couldn't think of a single thing that Finn could be talking about. He shook his head, confused.
"It's not about this week or anything," Finn explained. "It's... the whole thing with Santana."
That got Kurt's attention.
"I talked to Blaine," Finn admitted. "Or, well, uh, he talked to me."
Kurt made a mental note to assess later whether or not he needed to be annoyed at Blaine for interfering with his relationship with Finn.
"I know you think I'm completely oblivious," Finn continued, "but I'm not. I saw what coming out and getting harassed about it did to you."
"It's better now," Kurt said, not sure where the conversation was going.
"But not because of me," Finn said sadly. "Blaine said that your feelings were hurt when I stuck up for Santana so strongly... but don't you get it? I'm trying not to let myself make the same mistake twice."
Since they had become step-brothers, Kurt had grown quite fond of Finn. But the swell of affection he felt as Finn admitted his concern was stronger than he was used to.
"It's okay," he managed.
"So, uh, I guess what I want you to know is that I do care about you, Kurt," Finn said awkwardly. "And I didn't realize that standing up for Santana would make you feel... less. Less... loved, or whatever."
Kurt amended his mental note to thank Blaine for getting in his business with Finn.
"Thanks, Finn," Kurt said softly.
"Okay," Finn acknowledged. He stood up. "Goodnight."
As Finn left the room, Kurt snatched his phone off the table.
Hey, he texted Blaine, Finn and I just had a little chat...
He did it! Blaine responded almost immediately. I wasn't sure if he would or not.
Kurt laughed. You're not even going to deny it?
There was a slightly longer delay before Blaine's next response.
Is this a test?
No, Kurt replied, this is me saying thank you for your inappropriate meddling in my relationships.
You're welcome! :), Blaine replied.
Kurt shook his head in amusement. On that note, he sent back, I've got to finish this homework and get some sleep or I am going to start aging prematurely. Goodnight! Love you.
You're going to be an adorable old man, Blaine replied. I love you, Kurt. Goodnight!
Okay, guys, the chapter every day thing is getting difficult to manage (I've got most of the chapters generally written, but I like to go through them again before posting them because I can usually flesh the chapters out a bit more now that I know what happened during the entire season). So I'm going to try a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule from now on. If I somehow end up getting ahead I may surprise you with a Tuesday or Thursday chapter occasionally, but Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for sure! Thanks for understanding!
Up next... 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas'! (And yes, I am going to use the "box scene" from the script! Forever sad that they cut that out of the episode!)