Chapter 5

Even though Cooper is driving, Blaine can feel his eyes on him every so often. He's going to have to explain what happened, but he's not sure he knows himself.

He's terrified of what he's feeling and really scared to talk to Cooper about it, but he knows if he doesn't get it out, it's going to eat him up inside and a small part of him hopes his older brother will know what to do.

Instead of driving Blaine home, though, Cooper stops in front of an ice cream shop that Blaine hasn't been to for quite a while. It's the place they used to go as kids when Cooper had lost a soccer game, or Blaine had gotten yelled at by their dad or when one of them just needed to talk, or not talk, or just be a kid.

It's one of those old-fashioned places that chains keep trying to duplicate, but never quite succeed at. This one has been open since the '60s, and it's been a favorite of the Anderson brothers for as long as they can remember. But in the last few years, it's become code for "we need to have a serious talk."

It's where Blaine took Cooper to confide in him that he was gay, and it's where Cooper brought Blaine after he was released from the hospital following the Sadie Hawkins dance.

Blaine looks at Cooper suspiciously.

"What? You looked like you could use a banana split," Cooper says, feigning innocence.

"Nice try, Coop."

"It sounds pretty serious, Blaine. I need hot fudge to deal with serious. Extra cherries?"

Blaine just nods.

Cooper walks up to the window and orders their ice cream. Blaine sighs and rests his head on the seat, trying to just focus and breathe.

He's still not sure what he's going to tell his brother about Kurt. What is there to say except that he thinks he's kind of in love and he's not really sure why. He knows it's going to sound so cliché if he says that, and Cooper will never stop teasing him. So what can he say? Maybe he should just go with the simplest truth: he's dying to see Kurt again.

When Cooper returns with the ice cream, Blaine simply blurts out, "He kissed me."

Cooper nearly drops a banana split in Blaine's lap, catching it just in time.

Blaine takes the plastic bowl from him and just stares at the maraschino cherries perched on the whipped cream.

"Oh," Cooper says, pausing to think. He doesn't know what he was expecting Blaine to say, but it definitely wasn't that. "Is that a good thing?" he finally asks.

"Well…" Blaine begins, still staring at his ice cream. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. I mean, I think so, but he kind of ran out suddenly afterwards."

"He kissed you while giving you a lap dance?" Cooper's expression is even more confused than Blaine's. "Isn't that against some sort of stripper rule or something?"

"I suppose. I don't know…..that's not really the point," he says slamming his dish on the dashboard, a little whipped cream landing on the window.

Cooper places a hand on Blaine's arm.

"Ok, Blaine, then what isthe point?"

"I don't know," he says, resting his head in his hands. "I'm so confused. First he was really nice, said we could just talk if I was nervous, and then he told me his real name … and we were talking about our brothers or something, and then he got weird and said he wanted to give me the lap dance anyway. And I wanted him to, I really did, so I said yes, and it was really hot and he smelled really good and he's just beautiful and nice and just …. and then he kissed me."

Blaine is practically shaking when he finally stops talking and Cooper just rubs a hand soothingly on his back.

"Blaine, it sounds like you might have a crush on this guy. You need to just breathe. You're going to be fine."

"It's not like that!" he practically shouts. "I can't stop thinking about him. What is wrong with me? I've only known him for two hours!"

Blaine slams his fists on his legs, and Cooper has to bite back a laugh at his 18-year-old brother looking like an angry 5-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"Blaine," Cooper says softly. "You like him. It's not the end of the world."

"You don't understand, Coop. It's more than just that. Way more. It was just so … intense."

"Well, lap dances can have that effect," Cooper says, laughing.

"No… no. It wasn't the lap dance. I mean that part was hot, but no…I just … want to talk to him again."

"Whoa," Cooper says letting out a whistling breath.

"Yeah." Blaine reaches for his banana split and picks out a cherry and pops it in his mouth, confident that Cooper finally understands.

The two sit in silence for a few moments, eating their ice cream. When Blaine breaks the silence, his voice is calm, even though tears are threatening to spill over.

"You know he's only 18?" Blaine says, not able to think of anything else to share.

"I figured he might be pretty young. I mean, he looks even younger than you if that's possible."

Blaine laughs through his tears.

"Funny, Coop. Very original," he says.

They finish their ice cream in silence.

"What's his name?" Cooper asks quietly when he's sure Blaine is more relaxed.

"Kurt," he says softly.

"It fits him," Cooper replies.

"That's what I said."

Cooper just nods and gathers up the trash to throw it away. Without saying another word, he starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot to take Blaine home. He doesn't tell Blaine, but he considers going back to the club to have a chat with Kurt. Later that week, he changes his mind.

Blaine spends the next week listening to a lot of David Bowie (even watching "Labyrinth" twice) and arguing with himself about whether he should go back to Shades to see Kurt.

When Cooper hears him listening to "China Doll" for the fifth time in one day, he breaks his silence.

"Why don't you just go see him?" he asks, leaning into Blaine's bedroom door.

Blaine's head shoots up from his homework, which he really wasn't doing anyway, and says, "What?"

"Kurt," he says. "Go. See. Him."

Blaine looks at Cooper with his mouth open.

Oh.

When Kurt's finally cried out, he pulls back from Rachel.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he says when he realizes he's soaked her pajama top. Kurt looks down at his hands and starts pulling on his own fingers. It's something he always does when he's in distress and right now, Kurt is definitely freaking out.

Rachel looks down at her shirt before waving a dismissive hand at Kurt.

"It's OK," she says. "If anyone understand the profound importance of a good old-fashioned sobfest, it's me." She leans down to look Kurt in the eye, trying to get him to lift his chin up with her tiny hand on his chin. "Now will you tell me what's wrong?"

Kurt sniffles quietly and runs the back of his hand across his eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin, Rachel," he says.

"Why don't you start with why you did a private, when I happen to know that you are adamantly opposed to such things?"

That's an easy question for Kurt to answer. He knows how this all started. It's the same reason he started working at Shades in the first place: money.

"His older brother paid $2,500 for him to have 20 minutes with me."

Rachel's eyes nearly bug out of her head. "H-how much?"

"Please don't' make me say it again," Kurt begs. "It's too embarrassing."

"Sorry…just…Wow, Kurt. That's a lot," she says, sitting down on the edge of her bed, eyes still wide.

"Yeah, I realize that, Rachel," Kurt snaps back. He starts pacing around the room. "Thanks for pointing it out. It had completely escaped my attention that I was offered more money than I make in a month to humiliate myself on the lap of a complete stranger."

"Well, he's not a complete stranger," Rachel offers.

"Thanks for the reminder. Would you like some lemon juice to pour over a fresh paper cut too?"

"No, Kurt, I mean…" Rachel stumbles over her words a bit. "Well, just…that's a lot of money to pay for 20 minutes alone in a room with someone. Maybe ... maybe he really likes you."

"Or maybe he really likes half naked guys grinding in his lap," Kurt scoffs as he stops pacing.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Kurt. It is possible that someone would find you attractive. And you're an incredible person," she says sincerely, standing up to look Kurt in the eye. "And at the risk of ruining our intense diva competitive streak by offering you a compliment, you're kind of hot. And I've seen you dance, Kurt. You're amazing."

"Rachel Berry, don't you go soft on me," Kurt teases, laughing through his tears.

Rachel starts laughing too and soon they're both grinning like crazy at each other and Kurt is starting to feel better.

"I'm just really confused, Rachel. He's really, really cute, and I like him. But he's a customer … and a Warbler. It's just asking for trouble."

"Maybe you need a little trouble in your life. I mean look what all that drama with Finn last year did for me. Finn clearly adores me, and Quinn is with Sam … and now we're going back to nationals."

Kurt nods and stares vacantly at his shoes for a minute.

"I kissed him," he says so quietly Rachel barely hears it.

"You what? It sounded like you said…"

Kurt interrupts her. "I kissed him, Rachel. On the mouth. While I was half-naked in his lap dancing to 'Push It.' I kissed him, and then I ran away." Kurt drops his head back and sighs. "I'm such an idiot!"

"No you're not, Kurt. I think you just like this guy … a lot. And it's not like you have a lot of opportunities to meet cute gay guys at McKinley. It's only natural that you would be interested in a cute boy your own age who obviously likes you. You're just nervous because you've never had a crush on someone who could possibly like you back before."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he says, flinching at the memory of having a crush on Finn his sophomore year. Finn, who was very very straight. Then he remembers Blaine's reaction to Kurt grinding in his lap. "He's definitely gay."

"Of course I'm right," Rachel teases, smiling at Kurt. "I'm always right. Now are you going to tell me his name, or do I have to tie you down and make you wear one of Finn's rugby shirts to school next week?"

"Oh dear god, please no…anything but that," Kurt says feigning horror.

Rachel just looks at him questioningly until Kurt rolls his eyes and mumbles, "Blaine … His name is Blaine."

Rachel just squeals. "Blaine Warbler loves Kurt Hummel," she singsongs at Kurt.

Kurt rolls his eyes and flops down on Rachel's bed, looking up at her ceiling.

"Wait…did you say you were dancing to 'Push It'?" Rachel asks, kneeling down next to Kurt on the bed and leaning over him. "Like sophomore year pep rally 'Push It'?"

Kurt just groans and closes his eyes. "I know, Rachel. I know."

Rachel just looks at him for a minute trying to bite her lip to keep from laughing, but then Kurt starts to giggle and Rachel loses it, they both fall into heap on the bed, laughing until tears are streaming down their faces.