It had snowed a bit while the boys took refuge in the warmth and comfort of the Lima Bean. As they walked back to Blaine’s car the ice melted beneath their shoes.

“So what did you think?” Kurt asked, an edge of trepidation in his words.
Blaine hesitated, hoping somehow he could avoid answering.

“About…?”

“Peter!” Kurt chuckled.

Blaine decided he really didn’t like the name on Kurt’s lips. Especially when he laughed. The syllables were unworthy.

“He was… I mean- well, I guess…”

Kurt looked over at him pointedly.

“Do you want me to tell you the truth?” Blaine asked, apprehension rising in his voice.

“Always,”

“I just… don’t think he’s right for you.” he blurted out, keeping his eyes in front of him.

Kurt’s heart practically jumped out of his chest, but he kept his face composed.

“May I ask, how so?” Kurt retorted, his feet crunching along.

“Well, he just… I don’t like the way he looks at you. Like you’re a piece meat or something…”

Kurt raised his brow skeptically, secretly praising Peter’s acting skills.

“And listen, I don’t mean to be rude… but did you see him staring at that guy, K?! The blonde at the counter? His eyes were basically glued to his ass!”

Kurt looked at Blaine as if he had just declared one of Broadway legend Patti LuPone’s performances to be simply mediocre.

“How dare you! Peter would never!”

Blaine tried to counter Kurt, head swarming with disbelief, but Kurt stopped him once more.

“Don’t even try Blaine! I was sitting right there! I think I would have noticed!”

Blaine stopped mid-stride, his feet rooted into the snow. the cold started to spread as water soaked the soles of his shoes. His mind couldn’t form words that were both polite and expressive of his aversion, so he simply stared blankly back at his friend.

Jeff’s words echoed in Kurt’s head as he stopped as well, turning to face Blaine where he was now fixed into the ground. If you want the truth, get him drunk, or get him angry.

“Blaine, I’m sorry. I know now that I’m dating Peter, you and I haven’t been able to spend as much time together… but there’s no need to be jealous,”

“Jealous? I’m not jealous!” Kurt looked on as Blaine’s face betrayed his words, “I just think you’re putting looks before personality here, Kurt. and frankly, you can do better,” he spat.

When he’d said ‘better’ Blaine didn’t mean himself. He just wanted Kurt to understand that he was worth so much more than that asshole could ever give to him.

“I don’t exactly have guys beating down my door begging to be with me,” Kurt snapped.

If only you knew Blaine thought.

“So maybe all this is just easy for the charming lead soloist,” Kurt gestured toward Blaine, “But we can’t all be knights in shining blazer. Maybe I can’t do better.” Kurt said vehemently, “Peter is sweet, and cute, and we have a lot in common, and I’m willing to accept his flaws. I just thought you’d be a little more accepting yourself.”

Wait, had Kurt just called him charming? The thought barely crossed his mind as Blaine’s indignation toward Peter negated any thought towards Kurt’s word choice at the moment.

“Accepting? Kurt! He bailed on your date to drive off in his Hummer with some bulky blonde! He barely treats you like a person! It’s like you’re just an object to him!”

“Wow,”

“What, K? Wow what?” Blaine said, exasperated.

“I just didn’t know you’d be so judgmental.” Kurt flipped his scarf over his shoulder as his feet began creating indents in the snow once more, “You didn’t even give him a chance. Are you just making up stories now so I’ll dump him?”

“No! Kurt! I saw him pull up outside and then that guy got into the car with him!” Blaine said, trying to catch up as Kurt’s pace quickened.

“If you saw it happening then why wouldn’t you have told me right then?”

Blaine stopped once more and Kurt advanced a few feet ahead of him. Blaine was speechless. Why hadn’t he told Kurt? Because he wasn’t sure it really was Peter’s car… because he’d wanted to save it as an arguing point?

Kurt had stopped a few feet ahead of him. Blaine felt colder than the snow beneath his feet as Kurt counted each of his breaths, watching the warmth disintegrate with each of his visible exhales, as it dispersed into the chilled air.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine said, taking slow deliberate steps to close the few feet between the two of them, “Not just about that, but for being so hostile and hypercritical towards someone you clearly have feelings for,” Blaine said reluctantly, as the lump in his throat threatened to choke him, “I promise to give him a chance,”

“Good,” Kurt said in a superior but satisfied tone, “Same time tomorrow?”

Blaine looked momentarily mortified.

“Don’t worry, just you and I,”

~.~*~.~

Just as Blaine puts the finishing touches on his Italian essay, he hears three terse knocks on his door.

“’s open” Blaine calls, eyes still on his laptop as he types a heading onto his paper.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” Jeff says as the door swings shut behind him.

“I suppose everyone will be calling me ‘Four Eyes’ by Warblers’ practice?”

“Nah, practice is cancelled, man! Didn’t you hear?” Jeff says, plopping down on Wes’ bed, “Some staff thing’s going down in the Senior Commons in a few hours,” Blaine nods, turning his head back to the screen, “Besides, you’re more of a ‘Specs’ if you ask me…”

“So to what do I owe the pleasure?” Blaine says irritably, spinning his chair toward Jeff.

“You owe the pleasure to one Kurt Hummel,” Jeff says, and for once he is utterly oblivious to what Blaine thought was a very deliberate innuendo.

“W-what?” Blaine’s ears are radiating heat.

“He’s really upset about something. Never seen him so distraught,” Jeff says, running the fringes of his scarf through his fingers, “He said he ‘didn’t appreciate my humor at a time like this’” Jeff was seemingly nonplussed, “Just wanted to ask if I could chill here till things blow over,”

“Yeah, right, sure,” Blaine said distractedly, “Is he alright?”

“I dunno, I’d suggest you see for yourself, but I wouldn’t wish Kurt Hummel’s wrath on my worst enemy,”

“Wrath?! You can’t be serious,” Blaine says, swiftly hopping out of his chair and advancing toward the door.

“You’re not going down there are you?”

“Of course I am! Kurt’s my- my best friend,” Blaine says, and something deep inside him stings just a bit, “I’ve got to,”

“Suit yourself,” Jeff says, and Blaine bolts out the door, “BUT DON’T COME CRYING TO ME WHEN YOU CAN’T PLAY YOUR PRECIOUS GUITAR BECAUSE PORCELAIN ATE YOUR FINGERS!”

Jeff’s voice echoed after Blaine down the hall, and followed him down the stairs as he made his way to Kurt’s room.