Strumming his guitar, Blaine tried to think about something other than the only thing that had been on his mind lately – Kurt.

His brow furrowed as, lost in thought, he missed a chord change.

Things had been a little weird between them for the last few weeks ever since their night out at the club. Kurt refused to talk anymore about Karovsky and Blaine wasn't going to push him, so they were at a bit of an impasse.

Though there hadn't been anymore drunken nights, Kurt had been acting differently, not entirely himself. His usually ever-cheerful demeanor had been supplanted by a standoffish and surly one and even his performances for their theater techniques class weren't as good as they usually were. Blaine was starting to get really worried.

When he tried to bring any of it up to Kurt, he just blew Blaine off, telling him he wasn't feeling well or hadn't slept well the night before. Blaine had even gone so far as to ask Rachel what Kurt's deal was, but she just shrugged and said, "It's probably just the pressure of school getting to him. When Kurt gets stressed, he gets kind of distant. I'm sure it's nothing too big."

But...Blaine had sensed that she'd wanted to say more.

Frustrated, Blaine strummed his guitar more forcefully. Blaine was having a dilemma himself. He had been standing on the edge of a precipice, ready to plunge but terrified of the fall.

He wanted to be with Kurt. He knew that now, knew it with wholehearted certainty. Ever since Kurt had told him about Karovsky and he had held Kurt in his arms, he knew he never wanted to let him go.

Blaine also hadn't had meaningless sex with anyone in over a month and he hadn't wanted to. Just the thought of being with anyone but Kurt in that way made him feel sick.

What Blaine wasn't sure of was how Kurt felt about him. He knew Kurt trusted and cared about him, that much was obvious. Blaine was closer to Kurt than he had ever let any guy get. It was also pretty obvious that Kurt was attracted to him. Blaine hadn't missed Kurt eyeing him when he thought Blaine wasn't looking.

So, they were best friends who were attracted to each other. Wasn't that what boyfriends were?

There was something else, Blaine knew. The heat, the passion, the flame, whatever you wanted to call it. Whatever it was, it was there. Blaine felt it when he looked too long into Kurt's eyes. He felt like he was drowning and floating at the same time.

So the question was what to do about it. Leave it and let Kurt make the decision? Or risk their friendship by making it clear to Kurt that he wanted more?

Blaine's mind travelled back to class the day before. "This week, we're talking about looove," Gates had said. "I always like to start the semester off with the hard stuff, the grief, sadness, death, heartbreak. I find that students usually find those types of songs easier to emote through, because negative feelings have a tendency to stay with us much more heavily than positive ones. Happiness is more of an ever-fluctuating state and less of a singular event that we can pinpoint. A lot of people don't even realize they were happy until they suddenly aren't. But now it's time to get to the good stuff, starting with the big 'L' word. We're focusing specifically on romantic love this week because of its predominant presence in musical theater..."

Blaine strummed his guitar fiercely, letting out a jarring sound. He sat his guitar on the couch next to him and jumped up, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the time. Kurt would be over so they could hang out help each other with the assignment in a little over three hours.

It's now or never, Blaine thought.

When Kurt got to Blaine's door, he could hear the sound of his piano softly from the other side. He knocked and the music stopped abruptly. "Come in!" Blaine called.

Kurt raised his eyebrows. Blaine usually kept the door locked. Shrugging, he turned the knob experimentally and the door opened. Slowly, he entered Blaine's apartment.

Blaine was sitting on his piano bench staring at Kurt intently.

"Um, hey," Kurt said awkwardly. He gestured toward Blaine. "Did you start practicing your song already? I thought we were going to help each other pick."

Blaine crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed Kurt's hand. "Yeah, sorry. I already picked mine." Blaine pulled Kurt towards his piano. "Come listen, okay?"

"Uh, alright," Kurt replied. Blaine slid onto the seat and pulled Kurt with him. "Blaine, are you okay? You're acting really weird."

"I'm fine," Blaine said. He looked up at into Kurt's eyes and Kurt saw...terror reflected back at him. Kurt immediately became apprehensive.

"Blaine–"

"Just...listen. Really listen, okay?"

Kurt nodded, but his heart sank. Oh no, he thought.

Taking a shaky breath, Blaine raised his hands above the ivory keys and without looking away from Kurt, he began to play.

Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you

Oh my God, was all Kurt could think over and over again. Tears sprung to his eyes.

No one had ever sung to Kurt before, not like this. Nothing had ever made his feel more beautiful, more special, or more afraid.

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you

Was Blaine – Did he mean – What did he mean? Surly he couldn't mean that he was falling in love with Kurt. He tried to focus his mind so he could figure out what was happening, but as tears streamed down his face, soft musical tones and hazel were all Kurt could think of. He wanted to reach up and wipe them away, but he could only sit there in shock.

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you

Blaine's fingers stopped and silence filled the room. Kurt sniffled softly.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Kurt."

Kurt's mouth popped open but no words came out. Blaine eyes fell to Kurt's lips. Blaine leaned forward and captured Kurt's mouth abruptly. Kurt gasped as he felt Blaine's hot, needy mouth pressed against his. His lips tingled where they touched Blaine's, like an electric current was passing between them.

Kurt's eyes slipped closed as he felt Blaine cup his face, just enjoying the sensation of Blaine, the way he smelled, tasted, felt. He was everywhere. Kurt reached his hand up and wound it into the short curls at the base of Blaine's neck.

It was the most perfect first kiss.

Too soon, Blaine was pulling away to look up into Kurt's wide eyes. He was smiling, but when he saw Kurt's face, his smile fell.

"Kurt, please say something."

Kurt slid off the bench quickly. He needed some space, some time to think. Blaine was about to change everything.

Facing away from Blaine, Kurt wrapped his arms around his midsection. His head was too cloudy. His body was warring with his mind. Part of him wanted to go back to Blaine and kiss him until everything was better, forever if that's what it took. But an equally big and more frenzied part of him wanted to run out the door and not look back, to forget this had ever happened.

"Kurt?" More tears slid down Kurt's cheeks as he heard the doubt and rejection in his friend's voice. How could he hurt Blaine? Was that the choice, then? To hurt Blaine now or be hurt by him later?

Kurt felt Blaine's hand on his shoulder and he tensed up. He felt Blaine retract his hand immediately like he had been burned. "Please," Blaine begged. "I need you to tell me what you're feeling."

"I-I can't-I don't know. I just...I need some time to think," Kurt stammered.

Blaine walked around to stand in front of Kurt. "No, Kurt. I didn't ask what you're thinking, I asked what you're feeling. Do you want to be with me?"

"It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is. I know what you're thinking, okay, Kurt? But I promise you I will never hurt you. I want you and only you. So it really is that simple. Do you want to be with me or don't you?"

Kurt paused. He didn't want to lie to Blaine, but he couldn't tell him the truth either. "Please don't do this, Blaine." Kurt finally said softly, looking at the floor. "Can't we just leave things the way they are?"

"Yeah, we can," Blaine said, his voice hard. Kurt looked up to see his face a mask of hurt. "If you tell me you don't want to be with me then we can leave things exactly the way they are."

Kurt thought it over and over again. I don't want to be with you. Just seven words and he could keep his best friend and nothing would have to change. He could hear the words, could hear himself saying them, but when he opened his mouth what came out instead was, "I have to go."

He moved past Blaine, quickly making his way to the door.

Blaine put his hand on Kurt's shoulder again, stopping him. Kurt tensed up again, but this time Blaine didn't move it.

"Kurt, please don't leave. We can figure this out. Please, just...stay."

Kurt swallowed, clenching his eyes shut. "I can't." His voice broke.

The weight of Blaine's hand was lifted and Kurt felt its absence like a missing tooth. He pulled the door open and walked out, closing it with a solid thunk behind him.