Kurt and Blaine had gotten exceptionally close over Kurt's time at Dalton. Most of their time was spent together. There were movie marathons, coffee "dates" after class and Warblers practice, flirty impromptu duets. Then there were the small things — cuddling, studying, shameless flirting and giggling in class. They were just so happy and comfortable in each other's company. It didn't matter what they were doing, they just had to be with each other.

They were so perfect for each other, it made their friends sick, and also frustrated that they weren't together. Yep, not together. Just friends. It was obvious to everyone, except each other, that they had feelings for one another. They could deny it all they wanted — and they did — but everyone knew they were going to end up together. Whether it's on their own accord or with a little push from the Warblers.

Kurt bounded into his and Blaine's room that afternoon. Classes had ended for the day which meant another coffee date for the boys. It wasn't a date, Kurt told himself, just two friends having coffee. Their friends didn't seem to think they could have coffee together without it being a date. Friends could have coffee, it wasn't that unusual. There was absolutely nothing going on between him and Blaine. Sure, Kurt thought Blaine was attractive, and funny, smart, adorably nerdy — but that's beside the point.

Once Kurt was inside the room, he set his things down on his bed, quickly piecing an outfit together. While Blaine didn't mind going out in his uniform, Kurt absolutely refused to be seen in public wearing it. He had to look fabulous, and the uniform? The total opposite.

Since he was alone, he didn't even bother going to the attached bathroom, instead opting to change right in the middle of the room. He stripped off his uniform and placed it neatly on his bed next to his bag. Next, he pulled on a maroon button up and black skinny jeans, paired with black boots. Checking his hair in the mirror, he grabbed his phone and wallet, sliding them into his pocket.

Blaine couldn't help letting his eyes trail Kurt's body, from head to toe. His hair was perfectly styled as it always was, and that shirt. It fit him perfectly in all the right places, and it just so happened to be his favourite colour. His eyes trailed down more and — holy shit, those jeans. He couldn't figure out how Kurt even got into them, or how he fit stuff in them. And he totally meant his phone and wallet, not — oh god.

He cleared his throat and shook the thoughts from his head. Kurt was his friend, his best friend. And friends don't think about friends like that. He rubbed the back of his neck, slowly looking back up at Kurt, hoping he hadn't caught him staring. It was probably painfully obvious that he'd been checking the boy out, but if Kurt noticed he didn't say anything about it.

"Y-you ready to go?" he asked, quieter than he intended. And his fucking voice broke. God, he was such an idiot. Kurt's laugh traveled through his ears and he glared up at him in return.

"Just for that, I'm not buying your coffee," he huffed, sliding into the driver's seat of his car, Kurt following shortly behind. "How rude," he gasped, placing his hand over his chest dramatically. He actually was kind of hoping Blaine meant what he said — Blaine always had to be a damn gentleman and never let Kurt pay for the coffee. He knew it was more likely than not that he didn't mean it, but Kurt could still hope.

It didn't take too long to get to the coffee shop, and of course once they arrived, Blaine went back to dapper, gentleman mode. He opened the car door for Kurt, held open the shop door for him and the couple coming in after, and bought his own and Kurt's coffee. Kurt wanted to protest, but there was no use. Blaine had ordered for both of them (Blaine knew his coffee order!) way before Kurt even got the chance to open his mouth.

The boys spent the next hour in the shop talking about nothing. They could sit for hours and talk about silly, pointless little things, or they could be having an intellectual conversation. No matter what the conversation was about, they never ran out of things to talk about. Or they didn't talk at all, and that was okay, too. They were just that comfortable with each other — they could sit in silence and it would never be awkward.

Kurt hadn't noticed he'd zoned out until a straw wrapper hit his face and he looked up to find a giggling Blaine across from him. Kurt stuck his tongue out, half tempted to blow him a raspberry. If Blaine was going to be childish, Kurt would be childish right back.

Blaine laughed and shook his head. Kurt was adorable — but he never said that. He leaned back in his chair, spinning his empty coffee cup in a circle across the table. He watched as Kurt took a sip of his drink, a lazy smile ghosting his lips.

"I think we have a really good shot at Regionals this year," Blaine commented out of nowhere. He had his head tilted a little, looking as though he was concentrating on something. His triangular eyebrows were knitted together, and his nose was doing that cute scrunchy thing. Kurt nodded, setting his now empty drink on the table.

"Definitely," he agreed, not really sure if Blaine even heard him. He had a really good feeling about the competition, though. They'd all been practicing a lot, staying late after the normal meeting time, perfecting every move. They hadn't exactly decided on a song yet though — they had a few songs rehearsed, it was just a matter of choosing which to perform.

The sun was starting to set when Blaine came back to, and both decided they should probably head back to Dalton before they were stuck driving in complete darkness. They threw away their drinks then set off on their way.

They made it back before the sun was gone. They had a perfect view of the sunset from where Blaine had parked. Neither had a said word, it was more like a silent agreement to stay and watch. Kurt smiled over at Blaine after a while, a true, genuine smile — something Kurt hadn't done in a while. "I'm glad I met you, Blaine," his voice quiet.

Blaine smiled back, grabbing Kurt's hand in his. "I'm glad I met you, too, Kurt."

The Warblers had been practicing so much lately, Kurt was certain he was going to die. He surely felt like it. The boys had done nothing but go to class, eat, Warblers practice, and sleep. And this process had repeated itself the following two weeks. Kurt hadn't even bothered taking a shower or doing his homework Wednesday after practice. It was the worst one yet — everyone was just exhausted. They all needed a break, but that was just not going to happen. The next week consisted of exams, and, finally, Regionals.

Thursday was a weird day. Everyone showed up to practice after their classes — everybody except for Blaine. A few minutes after they were supposed to start, Blaine ran in the room, panting. He received a few weird looks and an inquiry from Wes. Blaine, in return, had been very vague about why he was late, and out of breath.

They were about to get to work when Blaine spoke up again. Wes sighed and rolled his eyes, "yes, Blaine?"

He sucked in a breath, holding it in for as long as he could, then let it out slowly. "I want Kurt."

The boy who had been absentmindedly doodling in his notebook perked up at the words, his heart racing. Did he just? He couldn't have heard that correctly. Oh, but he had. Blaine gulped, shying away a little under the smirks and amused looks from his fellow Warblers. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, opening up his mouth to speak again.

"I meant — a duet. I want to do a duet, with Kurt. For Regionals." He corrected.

"I bet you really just want to do it with Kurt!" Elijah yelled from his spot on the couch next to Thad. He'd already been smirking, but it grew wider upon seeing the blushing faces of both his brother and best friend. The room erupted with giggles and shouts of agreement — the two boys on the spot hid themselves. Kurt behind his notebook, Blaine behind a pillow.

Elijah continued to watch both of them, an amused glint in his eyes. He knew that no matter how much they denied it, they liked each other. Kurt was Elijah's brother, his twin, for god's sake. He was pretty in tune to his feelings.

Blaine, on the other hand, had been Elijah's best friend since he first arrived at Dalton. It was just so damn obvious that Blaine felt the same way about Kurt. That's why he'd set them up when Kurt first came to visit — he knew that they would be perfect for each other. He'd just never thought it would take them this damn long to get together.

Eventually Wes decided that boys had suffered from enough embarrassment for the meeting and banged his gavel to quiet the room. "I say that's a good idea, Blaine." The room erupted once again, Wes banging his gavel before it got too out of hand. Really, he just liked banging the gavel. "But we don't have much time before Regionals, so you two," he waved his gavel at the pair, then pointed it to the door, "get to work!"

Blaine and Kurt had rushed out of the room and up to their own. They hadn't said much to each other, both still visibly embarrassed from Elijah's words. They spent the next hour googling and youtube-ing possible song ideas, Kurt turning down any Katy Perry or top 40 songs that Blaine suggested, much to the other boy's dismay. They finally found the perfect song, practicing until two in the morning. Both had fallen asleep right as their heads hit their pillows, warn out from all of the events that had happened earlier.

Kurt had opted for staying at Dalton for the second weekend in a row. He really missed his dad, but they also really needed to work on their duet. They hardly did anything the entire weekend but practice — the occasional bathroom and food breaks. There was one break though, where they watched a movie. It was Sunday and both were tired of singing, and besides, they needed to save their voices. Kurt had made them both tea with honey and they cuddled up together, watching the movie in a comfortable silence.

This was it — Regionals was finally here. Everyone was pumped for the performance, but equally as nervous. They all watched as the other teams went on, some of which were just plain weird. They were up next and Kurt couldn't stop fiddling with his uniform. He really didn't want to wear it whilst performing, and he had tried suggesting they wear something else, but Wes and David had turned him down as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

He looked over to his brother, who reached out for his hand, holding onto it tight. He felt another presence behind him and turned slightly to see Blaine standing there. He held his other hand out, and there was no hesitation for Blaine to grab it.

"I'm going to be sick," Kurt whispered, closing his eyes. Blaine used his free hand to soothingly rub circles in his back while his brother rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. While the back rub felt nice, it wasn't helping his nerves any. He just wished this was over with already, never having experienced this before. He'd always always sung backup, and though he always wanted a lead part, he wasn't sure he was ready. A few more seconds until they went on, and he was considering backing out.

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the Dalton Academy Warblers!"

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. His head was spinning and he hadn't even remembered moving, but he somehow ended up on stage. The music was about to start and he was just thankful the duet wasn't their first performance. He needed time to calm his nerves, which were now starting to get the best of him.

His eyes popped open as soon as the music started, and his eyes were on his brother who took the front of the stage. Originally Blaine was going to sing, being the lead member and all, but all he wanted to do was focus on his and Kurt's duet, so he ended up handing it over to Nick and Elijah.

Sup girl! Ohhh

She's a weekend beauty queen

Of the black like clubs wearin' out the scene

You know her type, out all night

Starry eyed for the dirty dream

Always lookin' for the prince where the cash is king

On the boulevard, in a big black car

She's everywhere you are

Kurt was surprised he was moving along to the music, and not making a fool out of himself. He tried to forget about his and Blaine's performance after this, and instead just focus on his dancing. He put a smile on his face, following in the others' steps.

I smell her sweet perfume, makin' rounds around the room

'Cause she's a downtown girl, a downtown girl

Her lips are red and those hips are turnin' heads

'Cause she's a downtown girl, a downtown girl

A downtown, downtown, girl, girl

A downtown, downtown girl, girl

Elijah removed himself from the front, Nick doing a little jump-twist thing to take his place. The crowd was already loud and up and dancing, but now they were even more rowdy now that Nick had appeared. Kurt smiled to himself — everyone totally loved them, and he would be generally surprised if they didn't win. The crowd was theirs. He felt more confident about his performance now that he'd seen how the crowd reacted to them.

Livin' like a celebrity

All the guys lined up and the drinks are free

She knows she's hot, but that's all she's got

Everybody knows she's on the move,

With her six inch heels and an attitude

To seal the deal she shoots to kill

But I'm not goin' down

Nick was totally killing the song. It was definitely made for his voice. Blaine had sidled up next to him, bumping their hips together, causing him to laugh. He smacked Blaine playfully, careful not to mess up the moves.

I smell her sweet perfume, makin' rounds around the room

'Cause she's a downtown girl, a downtown girl

Her lips are red and those hips are turnin' heads

'Cause she's a downtown, a downtown girl

A downtown, downtown, girl, girl

A downtown, downtown, girl, girl

Elijah appeared next to Nick on stage, taking turns singing the verses. Kurt wasn't sure the audience could get any louder, but once the song ended, he was proven wrong. He grinned, satisfied with the performance. And even though he'd only danced and sang a little backup, the adrenaline was pulsing through his veins.

Everyone moved around, taking a minute to get in position for the next performance. Kurt and Blaine's duet. The lights dimmed and the shorter boy grabbed Kurt's hand, leading him to the stage. "You'll be great," Blaine whispered in his ear, sending chills down his spine. He gave Kurt's hand one last squeeze before taking his place on the other side of the stage.

Kurt's arms hung limp at his sides — he didn't really know what to do, how to move. He and Blaine had never choreographed that. So he stood still, facing the crowd as he waited for the music to start. He tried to keep his breathing steady as Blaine started to sing.

Hello world, hope you're listening

Forgive me if I'm young,

For speaking out of turn

But there's someone I've been missing

I think that they could be, the better half of me

They're in the wrong place trying to make it right

But I'm tired of justifying

So I say to you...

Come home, come home

'Cause I've been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

Right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

Blaine turned his head from the front to Kurt, and the boy could have sworn he was singing these lyrics to him. But no, he couldn't have been. He was just overthinking, reading too much into it. But why was he doing this? He shook his head, focusing intently on the song.

And the fight for you is all I've ever known

So come home

Blaine trailed off with the "oooh"s, and Kurt knew it was his turn to sing. He waited a moment, then stepped forward, opening his mouth. He half expected nothing to come out, and was thoroughly surprised when the words started flowing out easily.

I get lost in the beauty of everything I see

The world ain't half as bad as they paint it to be

If all the sons, all the daughters stopped to take it in

Well then hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin

It might start now, yeah

Well maybe I'm just dreaming out loud

Until then...

Kurt couldn't believe he was doing this. He'd wanted it for so long, and now he got his chance. It was so amazing, he felt like he was going to pass out. Instead he focused on belting out the words.

Come home, come home

'Cause I've been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

Right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

And the fight for you is all I've ever known, ever known

So come home

Blaine came back into the spotlight, migrating closer to Kurt. Their voices meshed amazingly together, and the audience was watching intently — the music and the boys' voices the only things to be heard in the huge auditorium.

Everything I can't be is everything you should be

And that's why I need you here

Everything I can't be is everything you should be

And that's why I need you here

So hear this now...

Blaine reached out for Kurt's hand, and he was eager to grasp it. They moved to the center stage, free hands spread out to their sides as the song came to a close.

Come home, come home

'Cause I've been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

Right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

And the fight for you is all I've ever known, ever known

So come home

Come home

The crowd exploded with applause and everything was just so overwhelming to Kurt. He gripped Blaine's hand and bowed out to the audience. He blew them a kiss before letting Blaine drag him off stage. Both boys stared at each other, eyes trailing to one another's lips. Blaine took a step forward and he felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He closed his eyes and leaned in more, and that's when he felt a big force hit him. He opened his eyes, scanning around. All he could see was a huge pile of navy uniforms.

They all let go, filing away. Kurt had a look of pure shock on his face — what had just happened not sinking in. Was Blaine just about to kiss him? What? He had no time to process this as someone had wrapped their arms tightly around his shoulders. Elijah. "I'm so proud of you, bro!" he shouted in his ear. Kurt grinned; he was proud of himself.

Blaine was now the victim of Elijah. He patted the boy on the back, almost sending him to the ground from the force. Kurt giggled and grabbed his arm before he fell over, steadying him. Elijah wasn't particularly big, but he was strong, and while Blaine was strong as well, he was nowhere near as strong as Elijah, and not to mention Blaine was tiny in general.

The boys were just about to walk away when Kurt heard somebody calling his name. "Kurt, Kurt!" He knew exactly who it was, and he did not want to deal with her. He groaned, excusing himself. Both of the boys shot him a look of questioning before shrugging and walking away. Kurt turned around and grimaced.

"Rachel," Kurt greeted with a sneer. The girl looked shocked at his attitude but shrugged it off.

"You're at Dalton now?"

"Clearly."

Rachel's face fell and she reached out to place her hand on Kurt's shoulder; the boy immediately shrugging it right off. He debated on being rude and walking away, but he kind of wanted to see what Rachel had to say for herself. Both of them were silent for a while, Rachel finally speaking up. Her voice was soft, but there was definitely a different about it. Kurt detected worry but also something else he wasn't sure of. It almost sounded as if she was straining herself to speak.

"Kurt, why did you leave?"

He really did not want to answer that, and why should he have to answer it? It was funny that people started caring about you once they don't have you anymore. Rachel had been Kurt's best friend, he really did love her. And sure, they could be competitive and Rachel could be absolutely unbearable at times, but she was the only one who shared Kurt's talent. And out all the friends he'd had at McKinley, she was the only one Kurt thought had what it took to make it big.

That didn't change how he felt about what she'd done to him, though. Thrown him aside like he was nothing. Now that he'd gone to Dalton, he realized just how unhappy he had been at McKinley.

"Why do you care?" he shot back.

"Kurt—"

The boy raised his hand, shaking his head. "Save it, Rachel. Go back to the New Directions, you're up in a few minutes." And with that, he was gone.

Everyone took the stage once the New Directions had finished their performance. The 3rd place winner was announced, both New Directions and Warblers still in the running for first. The announcer hesitated in opening the card and reading who had won. Both teams were nervous and Kurt's hands linked through Blaine's, squeezing tight. Blaine bit his lip, watching in anticipation. Everyone else was tapping their feet against the hard stage.

The announcer finally spoke now, pulling his microphone up to his mouth. "And the winner is—"