"You know, a little smile isn't going to kill you." Blaine told Jeff as he slid in next to his boyfriend, putting his arm around him. It was Tuesday before Thanksgiving. They'd just finished with kids in H&C house and decided they all needed a cup of coffee.

"Sorry." Jeff murmured. "I just don't wanna go home tomorrow."

"It's just for a few days, buddy. You'll survive."

"Yeah, it's not like I have another option. God, I hate Thanksgiving!"

"Well, with that attitude it's most likely not going to be fun…" Kurt noted and wanted to say something more when he caught Nick's eyes and his slight head shaking.

"It's really hard to have a different attitude when there's nothing pleasant about it."

"Why are you going then?"

"Because if I go home now, I can spend Christmas with the Andersons." Jeff explained.

"It's complicated, Kurt. We just have to show up at home once a year to maintain the image of the perfect family. That's the deal."

"You're both adults, Nick. I don't think you have to do anything you don't want to. Especially if you despise the idea of going home so much."

"We are still three years away from our trust funds." Jeff reminded him.

"You're pretty successful and earn enough to live comfortably. You don't have to rely on your parent's money."

"We don't. But with that amount of money as a back up, we don't have to ever worry about not being able to support ourselves or our future family if something goes wrong." Nick said. Kurt stayed silent. He looked outside the window, keeping his further opinions to himself. He was from a different world than the three guys sitting at the table with him. And at times like this, it was painfully obvious that Kurt was never going to understand their way of living.

"You can judge us out loud." Nick broke the silence with a hint of smile in his voice, trying to ease the tension.

"I don't want to judge you. I don't know anything about your situation and I have no right to…"

"We were trophies." Kurt turned his head to face them again. Jeff was serious, sadly staring at Kurt, pleading for understanding. "Our fathers are business partners, mothers members of the same clubs and charities and whatnot. They never really paid attention to us if it wasn't necessary for their own image. We had nannies and babysitters and that was as far as our parents cared. And it might be stupid to still live their lie but we come from money. There has always been money. We don't know how to live differently. If us going home once a year for a holiday is going to get us the safety net we need, then we'll go home once a year. Simple as that."

"You're not gonna get another set of parents. Maybe you should give them a chance. People change sometimes." Kurt suggested.

"They disappointed us so many times that I doubt something will change in the future." Nick stated resolutely.

"You're acting like a child. And yes, now I judge you."

"You don't know what it's like to have parents who are cold and emotionally hollow."

"I know what it's like to bury a parent." Kurt's whispered sentence sent a shiver through all of them. Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's waist, bringing him closer. Nick and Jeff just watched the scene, surprised and shocked. Kurt put his head on Blaine's shoulder, letting Blaine kiss his hair softly.

"I'm sorry, guys. That was uncalled for." He apologized sincerely.

"No. We're sorry, Kurt. I know we must sound like completely ungrateful assholes…"

"You're not assholes. I have no idea what it's like to grow up without unconditional love so I only see it from my own point of view. I would give my everything to have my mom back. Doesn't mean I have the right to make you feel guilty."

"Trust me, Kurt, when I say, that we would give everything to have mothers like yours was."

"What if you came to Lima for the weekend? Stay with your parents for Thanksgiving and Friday and then come and visit me. My dad will drop us at the airport Sunday evening. What do you say?"

"That's sound really great but we don't want to be a burden."

"Don't be silly, Jeff. It'll be fun. Come on, guys, it's the weekend with me or with your families. Do you really have to think about it so much if you don't even want to go to Westerville in the first place?" Nick and Jeff exchanged meaningful glances, silent conversation that only the two of them could understand before Nick nodded his head.

"Okay. We'll come."

"Great!" Kurt clapped his hand with a broad smile. "There is not much to see in Lima but I'll make it worth the stay. I promise."

"I'm gonna miss you." Blaine pouted and Kurt snuggled back into his side.

"We won't be away for long, sweetie."

"Gosh, you are so sickeningly sweet." Jeff snickered, rolling his eyes.

"Speaking of sweet. I'm gonna grab a cake. Do you want some?" Blaine pecked Kurt's lips and jumped on his feet, not waiting for the answer and already thinking of the cakes he was going to order.

"Since when are you all couple-y in a public place?" An amused whisper from Blaine's best friend brought Kurt's attention from his boyfriend's distancing figure back to the table.

"What?"

"What was that? You are literally glued together. And a kiss? Outside his comfort zone? Did we miss something?"

"I don't know. It's as surprising for me as it is for you. I have no idea what he is doing. I'm just going with the flow here. He wants to hold me, he gets to hold me."

"It's so not Blaine..." Kurt peered at the man by the counter. Blaine was leaning towards the barista, telling her something that made her laugh joyously.

"I think it is Blaine. The real one. Not afraid to show himself to the world..." Kurt noted softly. "I don't need this. Holding hands and kissing outside. But it's something Blaine wants. He wants to have a relationship that's as normal as possible and I'm all for it. Whatever makes him happy."

"Kurt, if someone sees you and…"

"Nick, we've talked about it. I know you're concerned but we are regular customers here since the first time I brought Blaine to H&C house. He never got recognized. This is a place where he feels safe. Safe enough to act like we are dating. I'm not taking that away from him. Besides, it's almost empty."

"I don't think you understand what you will have to face once people find out about you."

"Maybe I don't. But I'm not letting anyone mess with my relationship, Nick. I will deal with consequences when we run into a problem but right now Blaine's happiness is all I care about."

"Okay. Just be careful."

"I will."

"Guys, we are in for a sugar bomb!" Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt again, making himself comfortable in their booth. "Sara couldn't recommend just one so I ordered six of them."

"Sara?" Kurt asked with raised eyebrows.

"The barista."

"Oh."

"There was a big chocolate cake with smarties, you know, like M&M's but smaller. We have to try it, honey."

"Sure thing." Kurt replied and Nick was ready to say something the moment Kurt leaned to kiss Blaine softly but Jeff's kicking foot under the table stopped him. He glared at him, though Jeff didn't mind at all. He just shook his head and mouthed Let it be. Seeing Blaine with a glow in his eyes and beaming face was something Nick wasn't used to. It had been too long since Blaine resembled the cheerful Dalton boy he'd been once. The more time he spent with Kurt, the more his hidden self was trying to get on the surface and maybe taking a risk with Blaine's safety was worth it, Nick decided. Even though Kurt most likely didn't have any clue as to what might come and how hard it would be on them, he was right. Blaine's happiness was all that mattered.

Cooper watched his younger brother all Thursday. There was something different, yet very similar about him. He behaved as usual but he smiled a lot more. He also checked his phone like every five minutes until their mother called him out on it during dinner and he was forced to put it down for half an hour before he looked at the screen again. On Friday, Blaine had an interview and he had to attend some event, the purpose of which Cooper didn't know, but he gladly accompanied his brother. Every red carpet counts, right?

On Saturday, their parents went to visit some friends, leaving Cooper and Blaine in the penthouse. Blaine didn't come out of his room until lunch time and when he finally appeared in the living room, Cooper was ready to scold him for not taking care of his guest.

"I've been waiting for you since breakfast, squirt! What the hell took you so long? I'm bored! You are supposed to entertain me!"

"You're old enough to entertain yourself, Coop."

"How could you sleep so long? We came home around midnight!"

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I talked to Kurt."

"God, I should have known." Cooper sighed. "You and your phone are inseparable."

"Nick and Jeff are in Lima with him. We skyped a bit."

"You and Kurt, it's pretty solid, right?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I mean, yes, it seems to be solid. But you never know what might come."

"You've never been in love before. We've never seen you so spellbound with someone." Blaine blushed and looked down at the carpet, trying to hide his smile.

"It's only just over two months since we got together. We are happy but I think it's too soon for big words."

"It's always too soon until it's too late, B." Cooper said and patted his shoulder, standing up from the sofa. "I'm hungry. Lets make some sandwiches."

"Coop?" Blaine asked timidly. "How do you know you are in love?"

Cooper stopped in his tracks and turned around. Blaine was looking at him like he knew all the answers. It reminded him of the time when Blaine was just a little kid demanding information about anything that had just caught his attention. It had been years since Blaine came to Cooper for advice. After his graduation from Dalton, he moved out to L.A. and they grew apart. There was a time when Cooper thought Blaine hated him. Everything was alright now but Blaine didn't need his big brother anymore. Blaine asking such a thing was a huge deal for Cooper. It was his brother letting him in. It was Blaine exposing his vulnerability, trusting Cooper to help him with his dilemma. It was also the thing Cooper didn't know a lot about.

"I don't think it's something you know about, buddy." Cooper came back and sat down next to him. "I think it's something you feel."

"How does it feel? I liked Sebastian enough but I was sure it wasn't love. I dated other guys but it ended before it could get serious. I don't know how it feels to be in love."

"Do you remember Jessica?"

"Your first girlfriend?"

"Yeah. I loved her. It was all sweet and innocent, everything the first love should be. We didn't even have sex in the time we were together but I loved her with everything my teenage heart was capable of. Being with her was like constantly flying and being without her sucked. I had butterflies in my tummy and my hands were shaking when I reached to hold her. It was a lot about how my body responded to her when I was with her or thought about her. All of that faded away as the weeks passed by and we kind of fell out of love, but I'm certain I loved her very much. Then I dated other girls but not once did it feel as good as when I was with Jessica. Feelings were different, not so intense. Until I met Olivia. And that's when I screwed up because I waited for way too long. I let too soon become too late."

"How did it feel with Olivia?"

"There weren't butterflies or hands shaking. I was twenty-five and had enough experiences for not being physically affected so much with a single touch or thought. Mostly it was a warm feeling inside. Calmness and sense of right. I felt like I needed to be in her presence all the time without any particular reason. The day she walked out on me I realized I loved her."

"Did you tell her?"

"No. By the time I gathered some courage, she was happily in a relationship with a guy who wasn't afraid to express his feelings."

"I'm sorry, Coop."

"Don't be. She wasn't the one, I know that now. We could be good together but it would end eventually. What I'm trying to say is, that no one except for you can tell you how it feels to be in love. People don't love the same. Everytime you fall in love, you are a bit different than when you fell in love previously. And the person you fall in love with is different as well."

"I'm afraid to say something that I'm not sure of. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Kurt's or your feelings?"

"Both."

"Look, there'll come the moment when you will just want to say those words. It will feel right. Say them then. Don't wait. Don't calculate and over-think whether he is going to say it back or not. Do what you feel like doing and I can promise you that nothing will go wrong. Love is everything, Blaine. In whatever form or shape it'll come to you, it'll feel right. Have you read those what kids think love is? It's the sweetest thing because they don't think too much about it. They just state the obvious. Adults make love complicated when in fact it's simple. You either love or don't love."

"What kids think love is?"

"Grandpa painting grandma's toenails because she can't bend over anymore. Or what makes you smile when you are tired. Or when you see the other not in their best and you still feel like they are the only one in the whole world. Kurt is very special to you. We all can see it. Whether you're sure of your feelings or not, keep him close. He makes you happy and that's the most important part of the whole love thing."

"I want to make him happy, too."

"I'm sure you are doing an excellent job. Kurt looked at you as if you were his center of the universe when we met. Seeing you two together now must be even more disgusting."

"You talked to Nick and Jeff, didn't you?"

"You bet I did. Needed to find out how my little brother was doing."

"You could ask me."

"You don't like talking about yourself. I always check on you through those two morons. They love you as their own blood so I know you're safe while they're around."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know. But it's better to have someone by your side than walking through life alone. The three of you have a connection people would kill for. It's a good thing."

"But you still can ask me if you want to know something."

"Okay. I will."

"So, sandwiches?"

"Yes!"

It was suspiciously quiet in Hummel-Hudson household when Kurt left his room on Saturday evening. Nick and Jeff hit it off with Finn pretty well from the beginning. Their mutual love for old video games was not only a great way to bond, but also the reason for Kurt's headache.

"Where are those killing monsters?" Kurt asked Burt as he walked into the living room where his dad was peacefully watching news.

"They already left. They're waiting for you at the bar."

"We were supposed to go together!"

"You were on the phone for over an hour, Kurt. They got bored after I banned GTA. They were getting too engulfed in it."

"You banned GTA?"

"I'm a mechanic, son. I'm not going to sit here and watch those boys letting the cars explode just because it's fun."

"It's a video game, dad. They didn't damage a real car."

"A car is a car."

"Well, I'm going to pretend I know what you are talking about even though I think you're crazy." Kurt smirked at him and patted his bald head.

"How is Blaine?"

"He is fine. Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because you call him like twenty times a day. I just want to make sure everything is alright with him."

"I do NOT call him twenty times a day, dad!"

"You surely spent more time with your phone glued to your ear than with your family today."

"I'm sorry." Kurt said silently and sat down next to his father. "I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Don't apologise. I was just teasing you. I'm happy that you're happy. It's a bit weird, though."

"Why?"

"You've never been like this."

"Like what?"

"Finn used to spend so much time talking to Rachel on the phone. Do you remember? He would lock himself in his room and he was there for hours."

"Yeah," Kurt laughed. "He didn't get to do much of the talking, though. He often dozed off while she was in the middle of her rant."

"But he had that. He had a chance to be a teenage boy in love with all the craziness it brings. I thought you would never have that. There was no one here for you. No one good enough for you at least. I never doubted you would find someone in New York. But you can't have high school love when you are in college. I was so glad when you met Adam. You weren't all giddy and smiley and you didn't talk about him much but we could see you were happy. It was like you jumped right into some mature kind of love."

"He was four years older than me, dad. We couldn't be like teenage boys."

"You are twenty-three and you're like a teenage boy now."

"I am NOT."

"Oh, come on, Kurt. You're like a teenage boy with the biggest crush! You won't shut up about Blaine. He somehow finds his way to every conversation we have. Your face is literally glowing every time someone so much as mentions him."

"I can't help it." Kurt murmured, his cheeks completely red.

"It's not a bad thing. It's a great thing actually. I'm happy you can have this experience."

"It's so different now. I loved Adam, dad. I really did. I fell in love with him pretty quickly and since then it was like a constant in my life. And we did have a great time together and up until the last year when things were getting a bit hard on us, we were solid. I don't know what happened. I don't understand how you can just stop loving someone. I mean, there'll always be a place for him in my heart but I don't love him anymore. And I can't comprehend what's going on right now with me and Blaine."

"What IS going on?"

"I'm in love with him."

"Tell me something new, Kurt. I had a suspicion you were in love with him right after you two met and it was confirmed when you came to visit during the summer. The blind can see it."

"I am so in love with him….for a while now and it's getting bigger and bigger. I'm waiting for it to stop. With Adam I just fell in love and that was it. With Blaine it's like I'm falling in love every day a bit more."

"You said it like it was a bad thing."

"It's not. But it does give him the power to destroy me."

"You have to trust him not to do that. The same way he has to trust you."

"Does it ever stop, dad? Will I reach the point of a constant feeling of love, the one that will be same every day or will it be like this forever?"

"What would you prefer?"

"I don't know. I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"That he might be the one…It's not even three months since we got together and I already think of him as of someone I can imagine spending the rest of my life with. How crazy is that, dad?"

"First of all, you've known him for what? Nine or ten months? It's long enough to have strong feelings for someone. Don't count just the time you've been in the relationship with him. Don't forget that you were friends first. And secondly, I asked your mom to marry me six months after we met. When you realize you want to be with someone, you don't wait. I'm not saying you should propose to Blaine right now. You'll have enough time to do that in the future if you feel like it. But don't be afraid, Kurt. When it comes to love, you have to give your all. And yeah, there is a lot at stake. You can have your world torn apart but what you can win is definitely worth it." Kurt put his head on Burt's shoulder, thinking about what his dad had said. There was another thing that made Kurt worry. What if Blaine would never reciprocate his feelings? What if all the stuff Blaine was doing, all the small things that made Kurt believe Blaine did have deep feelings for him, were just the game of his imagination? What if Blaine would never come to the conclusion that he loved Kurt?

"Stop overthinking, buddy. Go have some beer with your friends. They're waiting for you."

"Okay. Thanks, dad."

"Anytime, kiddo."

Blaine was silently moving in Kurt's kitchen, trying not to disturb Kurt and Rachel in their sleep. He drove Cooper to the airport early in the morning and went straight to his boyfriend's apartment, not wanting to be apart from him one second more.

"Blaine? What are you doing?" Blaine turned around abruptly, almost dropping a box of donuts.

"Rachel, oh my god, did I wake you up? I'm so sorry."

"You didn't. Relax." She laughed and walked closer to him. "What are you doing, Romeo?"

"Breakfast. I bought donuts and some fruit on my way here."

"You bought donuts and fruit?"

"Yeah. There is a cute, little stand a few blocks from here. I was the first customer. The lady was very pleased that I stopped by."

"I can imagine. You're very handsome today. Any special occasion?"

"No."

"Kurt loves this shirt on you, doesn't he?" A blushed creeped on Blaine's face and Rachel giggled.

"You're so cute. Did you bring breakfast for me too or do I have to make my own?"

"This is for you actually." He motioned to a plate on the kitchen counter, two donuts and grapefruit with grapes on it. "I didn't get the chance to pour you a glass of juice but it's in the fridge and…"

"Blaine, stop it. I really appreciate your effort but I can manage from now, okay? Just take Kurt's breakfast into his room. He'll be happy to have it in bed." She smiled.

"Okay."

Blaine took a tray with their breakfast and sneaked into Kurt's room. He carefully put it on Kurt's desk before laying in bed next to him. Kurt seemed to be deep in his sleep so Blaine just snuggled closer to him and kissed his bare shoulder tenderly, ready to wait hours for his boyfriend to wake up if it would be necessary. The shifting of the mattress made Kurt turn around and open his eyes lazily, smiling widely when he spotted Blaine lying there.

"Good morning." Blaine whispered and ran his fingers through Kurt's hair. Kurt leaned forward, letting their lips connect. He rolled over, pinning Blaine into his bed, kissing him more deeply. He slowly slipped his hand under Blaine's shirt.

"K-Kurt…" Ignoring Blaine's attempt at talking, he started nibbling on his jaw and grinding his hips against Blaine body.

"Kurt, Rach - oh god - Rachel's home." Blaine managed to get out, his words eliciting a frustrated groan on Kurt's side. He detached himself from Blaine immediately.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Kurt raised himself on his elbow to look at Blaine. "It's not your fault she's at home."

"Yeah, but it is my fault that I don't want to do things while she's around…" Blaine murmured.

"Hey, look at me." Kurt caressed Blaine's cheek and forced him to turn his head to face him. "I should have realized it's still early and she's at home. I shouldn't have started anything. Everything is alright. Okay? I respect your reservations about us being intimate while someone else is in the house. I mean, you are right. I can't keep quiet with you and I don't want her to hear anything or I won't hear the end of it."

"I missed you."

Kurt smiled and pecked his lips. "I missed you, too. This is a very nice surprise. I didn't expect to see you until dinner with your parents tonight."

"I was taking Coop to the airport and I decided to stop by with breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"Donuts, fruits and juice. Nothing fancy." Blaine pointed his finger at Kurt's desk.

"How did I not see this? I'm so mesmerized with your face that I don't see what's right in front of me!"

"My mom taught me how to make pancakes this weekend. I didn't want to risk it in your kitchen, though. You know, in case something would go wrong and I set fire to anything." Kurt chuckled and hopped out of the bed, taking the tray from the desk and bringing it back to bed.

"This is amazing, I don't need pancakes. But feel free to use my kitchen anytime you want. We have an excellent smoke detector so don't worry. You can't do much harm with pancakes." Blaine beamed at him, taking a slice of grapefruit and offering it to Kurt with a sweet kiss.