Blaine hurried to the airport as soon as he finished up at the school the Friday of Labor Day weekend. He didn't want his friends, Wes and David stuck waiting for him at the airport and neither of them had a key to his apartment since they both lived out of state. He made it a few minutes after their flight landed and he quickly found the pair arguing at the luggage carousel. They embraced, laughing and patting each other's backs overly enthusiastically.

They stopped by to Blaine's flat to drop off their belongings before going to the restaurant where they were meeting Nick, Jeff and Thad for their annual Warbler Weekend. They spotted them at a table in the back and quickly hurried over. Another round of hugs ensued before they all sat down, each talking loudly over each other as the waitress came to get their drink orders. Once she had set their beers down in front of them, Wes stood up.

"Gentlemen, welcome to the tenth annual Warbler Weekend. May our voices never waver in adversity, may we remain dapper and may we always look like the great looking assholes that we are!"

The end of the speech was met with cheers as they clicked their glasses together, the guys laughing as they drink, knowing the toast is only the first of many and will probably be the only one made completely sober. The waitress came back over and took their food order, winking at Blaine as she spun around, a bounce in her step as she went to give the cooks their order. The guys teased him until he started asking them about their lives and families.

Wes and David both lived in Seattle, working at the same law firm. Wes had a new girlfriend, like always, but David's marriage was as strong as ever. Thad's job at the insurance brokerage was going great and he still had the same girlfriend he's had for the past six years. They all teased him about popping the question soon and Thad just shrugged, taking a sip of his beer with a small, secretive smile. Jeff told them about the tour his band was about to go on and Nick caught them up to date on how the club he owned was doing. The waitress and another guy bring their food over then and the conversation was cut short as they sort everything out. The girl started flirting heavily with Blaine, touching his shoulder and batting her eyelashes.

The guys started teasing him, winking and nudging him as her advances became more and more obvious until he was forced to tell her that, while she was very sweet, he was very gay. She rolled her eyes and walked away with a slight huff to attend to another table that had been trying to catch her attention.

"So, Blainers," David said wickedly, ignoring Blaine's glare at the nickname, "tell us about your life now. How are things in that area?"

"Are you asking about my dick, David? How very heterosexual of you," Blaine drawled, pointedly ignoring the question.

"Of course he's not, he's asking about that guy from last year that you wouldn't tell us about," Jeff cut in.

"Yeah, that hot piece of ass you weren't tapping," Nick added, nudging him. Even though Nick lived in New York and was by far closer to him than the other guys, Blaine still never told him about Kurt in any other capacity than as his employer. Now, though, with all of them baring down on him and no longer being Kurt's employee, he opened up.

"Okay, you guys remember the guy I was working for last year, Kurt?" They all nodded. "Well, you know that I quit around New Years but I didn't tell you the reason why because, well, things got a little... heated between us and some boundaries were blurred."

"Tell me more, tell me more," the guys all chorused, ignoring the looks of the other patrons as they parodied the Grease song.

Blaine waited until they finished, casually sipping his beer, before saying, "You guys are assholes. Anyway, he kissed me, I kissed him and things became, well, complicated after awhile. It was basically like he was using me when he was vulnerable and I couldn't take it anymore, so I quit. But then I found that job at the school and when I got my class list, I found out his daughter was going to be my student. And then he shows up on the first day of school, completely clueless to the fact. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it was going to be, though, and we went out to dinner the following weekend." He shifted uncomfortably.

"So let me get this straight," Wes said, his brow furrowed. "This guy sort of used you so you quit your job and now you're once again taking care of his daughter but now the two of you are dating?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty bad," Blaine groused. "There's more to the story, but that's the basic rundown of it." He pouted when he looked up to find the guys staring at him. "Don't judge me."

"So when do we get to meet him?" Thad asked.

"What?"

"We want to meet him," Thad repeated slowly. "If he's that important to you, he should be introduced to the gang."

"Wait, this is Warblers Weekend and Kurt wasn't a Warbler," Blaine pointed out.

"So we make an exception," David said, shrugging.

"Come on, let us meet him," Nick whinged.

"Fine," Blaine yelled, exasperated. "I'll text him and see if he wants to come out with us tomorrow night." At their looks, he rolled his eyes. "Guys, he has a kid, he can't just show up at the drop of a hat."

The guys grumbled their assent, eating as Blaine pulled out his phone. The guys want to meet you

What?

My friends, the ones that are here from out of town, they want to meet you.

Oh god, are they going to haze me or something? I don't know if I could handle it

Blaine let out snort and tilted the phone away from Nick's prying eyes before replying. Ahahahaha, oh god, Kurt, what do you think we are, frat boys?

Well!
And you're too nice to be a frat boy

You say that now but you'll think differently if you come out with us

We'll see

Is that a yes?

Sophie's at her grandparents for the weekend so why not? Yes :)

Blaine grinned and sent him the address to Nick's club, what time to be there and letting him know to dress casual before tucking his phone away and eating his food. Once they had sorted out their bills and paid, they headed to the closest pub. David ordered a round of tequila shots and raised his in a toast.

"To the best friends a guy could ever ask for!"

Though they mocked him, making overly sappy kissy faces at each other, they touched their shot glasses together, downing the shots. Each progressive toast became louder and cruder until Jeff lifted his shot several rounds later.

"To boobs!" he slurred. This was met with cheers and Blaine booing.

"Hey, that's not fair, I don't even like boobs. Can we change it to, like, nipples or something?"

The guys stared at him for a moment until Jeff yelled, "To nipples!"

The rest of the night began to blur together as the guys began discussing all the different types of nipples they had seen. Before he knew it, Jeff, Thad and Nick were collapsing on his pull out couch while Wes and David stumbled along the hall to his bedroom. David kicked off his shoes and slowly climbed in, whereas Wes flopped down face-first, giggling when Blaine tugged off his shoes.

He turned over when Blaine was done and yelled, "To comfy pillows!" only to get smacked in the face by David's hand. He frowned as Blaine took off his own shoes and crawled in between the two of them. His arms gave out, leaving him to face plant into a pillow. He groaned when Wes started pushing his shoulder and hissing, "Blainers!"

"Wha."

"Blainers, Davey hit me," he whinged.

"Wes."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

888

"Mmm, Kurt," Blaine sighed, tightening his fingers in the silky tresses, his hips arching as his body rocked.

"Mmm, Ally," another voice, clearly not Kurt, moaned and that's when Blaine realized that the rocking of his body was due to the fact that David was humping his hip and, upon opening his eyes, he noticed the brown hair he was grabbing in his dream was actually black and attached to Wes' head. He groaned, letting go of Wes so that he could push David off of him, ignoring his whimper of protest.

He managed to crawl off the bed, moaning as a shaft of light peeked through the mostly closed curtains. Stopping in the bathroom to splash cold water on his face did wonders on his outlook, though, before he headed to the kitchen. He heard one of the guys mumble something and then Jeff sat up quickly, his head whipping around before realizing how big of a mistake it was and flopping back down with a groan, jostling Nick and Thad awake. Blaine opened one of his cabinets, the thinnest one that's probably supposed to hold spices or something but it was bare save for a bottle of liquor and six shot glasses. It was the first bottle of alcohol they had ever bought and they only used it once a year. He lined up the glasses and poured a measure of liquor in each as the other slowly began filing in.

They each grabbed a glass and held it up. "To hangover cures," Blaine said, his voice gravelly and dry. The others mumbled along with him, wincing at the too loud sound of their glasses clinking together before they drained them. Early afternoon, after they've all showered and dressed, they headed out the door to the same diner they go to every year for their Warbler Weekend to order food to soak up some of the alcohol still lingering in their systems and to help ease their hangovers. Blaine didn't bother to check his phone until they were seated and their order had been taken by the waitress. He stared for a moment at the missed call notification and quickly called his voicemail, letting out a groan at the message.

Wow, Blaine, Animal? Really? I must admit, however, I'm impressed at the rendition, considering how drunk you all sound. I'll see you tonight.

"Wow, I thought I dreamed we did that," Thad said, having pressed close to Blaine so he could hear.

"Did what?" Jeff asked, not looking up from his coffee cup.

"We apparently called Kurt and sang Animal into his voicemail," Blaine informed them. "He was suitably impressed with our drunken singing skills."

"As well he should be," Wes said, attempting to sound pompous but only succeeding in sounding miserable as his head fell forward, falling on the table and making him moaning piteously at the impact. "Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?"

"Tradition," the rest of them chorused, grinning at each other over their sunglasses, which they all refused to remove upon entering because, damn, the sun was bright even in the shelter of the building.

After finishing their food, the boys headed back to Blaine's flat for the next part of their tradition: the X Men Drinking Game. Each guy chose one character and every time that character used their powers, the corresponding guy took a shot and whenever anyone else not chosen used their powers, everyone took a shot. As usual, Blaine chose Wolverine, Wes chose Professor X, David chose Magneto, Thad chose Cyclops, Nick chose Mystic and Jeff chose Storm. It was fun as always, with epic popcorn battles breaking out by the second movie and constant teasing over each guys chosen character that left Jeff pouting.

"You guys suck," he groused, storming into the kitchen.

"Hey, while you're in there pouting, you should order dinner for us!" Wes yelled. His answer was a finger but they all heard him shuffling about for the number to the Thai place they had agreed on.

By the time the third movie was over and their dinner long since eaten, they were well on their way to be drunk again, all of the food they had eaten throughout the day sufficiently keeping them from being fully gone. They headed to Nick's bar afterwards to wait for Kurt to show. Nick kept a VIP section in the back but, for this weekend, it was closed off, a burly bouncer guarding the roped off section. He lifted it for them, nodding to Nick as they passed through.

Inside the alcove was a small bar, as well as several plush chairs and a couple of couches. Everyone draped themselves over the furniture, content to listen to the music and sober up a little before they started drinking more. Blaine's pocket buzzed and he pulled out his phone to find a text from Kurt saying he was on his way. Blaine reminded him to just give his name to the bouncer outside and he would be let in without having to wait and then directed him to the VIP area.

Nick was teaching them how to mix some new drinks when Blaine happened to glance up and spot Kurt making his way through the crowd. He only had a moment to take in Kurt's tight black shirt, the way it clung to his biceps and chest, his skin tight jeans (oh god, his thighs...) and his messy hair before the bouncer let him pass.

Blaine snapped out of it, standing to greet Kurt and closing the door to the VIP section, the music quieting immediately. "Hey, Kurt! Glad you could make it."

They embraced warmly and then Blaine led him to the mini bar where the others were gathered. "Guys, this is Kurt. Kurt, this is Wes, David, Nick, Thad and Jeff." He pointed to each guy in turn before pulling Kurt forward a bit more. "We all grew up together."

Kurt shook each of their hands. "Nice to meet you, gentlemen."

Nick snorted, pouring whatever he was mixing into a cup and handing to Thad. "You won't be saying that much longer," he joked.

"Yeah, Nick's a real asshole when he's drunk," Jeff pitched in, smirking over the rim of his glass.

"Keep it up, Sterling, and I'll have you tossed," Nick warned, ruining his serious tone by throwing a cherry at him.

Jeff deflected it, making it hit Thad on the side of his head. "What the hell, Jeff!"

"Nick started it!"

"No, you started it by calling me an asshole!"

"Well, you are."

Blaine cleared his throat. "Yeah, forget what I said, I don't know these guys, they must be pod people."

"Oh, yeah?" Kurt laughed.

Wes threw his arm around Blaine's neck. "Oh, Blainers, stop that, you love us."

"Blainers?" Kurt said, a delicate eyebrow rising as he smirked.

Blaine reached up and swatted Wes. "No, not Blainers."

"Blaaaaiiiiiiners," Wes sang.

"What can I get for you?" Nick asked, finally abandoning his argument with Jeff and looking at Kurt.

"Oh, no thank you, I won't be drinking," Kurt said, waving the offering away.

"Aw, why not, Kurtsie?" Wes asked, wrapping his free arm around Kurt.

"Mmm, oh, something bad happened the last time I drank." Kurt's eyes flickered to Blaine's for a brief moment. Wes caught the look but just shrugged.

"Hey, man, don't worry, you're amongst friends!" Thad said. "Drink up, we won't judge you."

"Hell, as much drinking as we do on these weekends, we're the last ones to judge," David pitched in.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Blaine murmured, pushing Wes away so they could have a semi-private conversation.

"It's just..."

"I understand but don't feel like you have to refrain just because of what happened."

Kurt nodded, considering his options. "Can I just get some water for now?" he asked Nick.

"Sure thing."

"Hey, I bet Blaine never told you about the time he tried out for the baseball team," Jeff said, grinning when Blaine groaned.

"No, Jeff, just, no."

"Oh, come on, Blainers," Kurt teased, poking his side, "I want to hear stories from your youth."

"No, you really don't."

Kurt smirked. "The more you resist, the more I want to hear them." He motioned to Jeff. "Do go on."

All the guys tried to talk at once, telling Kurt stories that had Blaine red faced. They eventually got Kurt to start drinking mixed drinks with them and then moving on to taking shots. Kurt was literally crying with laughter after a particularly embarrassing story involving Blaine and a vibrator when Blaine decided he had had enough.

"Oh, Kurtsie, I have to tell you about the time the dean caught Blainers in a dress," Wes said, gasping as he tried to catch his breath.

"Or I could tell him about that time in the eighth grade when you popped a boner in the middle of English," Blaine cut in viciously, glaring at his friend.

"Or we could go out and dance for awhile," Wes said, a blush tinting his dark skin.

"That's what I thought," Blaine said. They all went into the main part of the club, the music loud and thumping as they danced together. Girls seemed to appear out of nowhere, grinding against them. The rest of the guys went with it but it left Blaine feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

After what felt like forever on the dance floor, he and Wes made their way back to the VIP area to get something to drink. They leaned against the doorway, watching their friends. Blaine's jaw tensed as he spotted David and Kurt grinding against each other and he fought down his jealousy.

David is straight.

And married.

To a woman.

They're just dancing.

Really close.

Stop staring.

"Wow, you've got it bad," Wes yelled over the music.

His head turned so swiftly, Blaine thought he might have pulled a muscle. "What?"

"For fashion boy over there, if the glare you're shooting David is any indication. Even after everything he put you through, you've still got it bad for him." Wes was looking at him in that particular way he had, the way that made him want to open up. He managed a nonchalant shrug.

"I like him, yeah, I told you guys that." He tried to tear his eyes away from where Kurt and David were practically fucking on the floor (okay, maybe that was a bit too much, but they were dancing really close) and failed. His eyes traced the hard lines accented by Kurt's tight clothing, his fingers itching to run through the thick, messy hair until it was even messier.

"No, but you've got it bad, man.

"I don't know what to do." Blaine didn't know how Wes heard him over the pounding bass but there he was, his arm wrapped tight around Blaine's shoulders.

"Why should you have to do anything?" Wes asked. "I mean, he used you, why would you even want to talk to him again?"

Blaine glared, shrugging the arm off. "It's not like that, he-"

"Blaine, the last time he kissed you, he was drunk off his ass and just wanted to make himself feel bettter."

"No, Wes-"

"Are you seriously defending his actions?" Wes quirked an eyebrow.

"Not really, but there's more-"

"I don't think he's worthy of you."

Fire burned in Blaine's eyes as he glared at his friend. "Are you going to let me talk or just keep interrupting?"

"Well, interrupting causes funnier outbursts, but I'll let you talk."

"Kurt didn't do it to hurt me, he was just vulnerable. We've talked about it and he's apologized to me, multiple times. And maybe it's partially my fault for leading him on or something."

"What?"

"Well, I didn't exactly push him away the moment he kissed me and I sort of kissed him on Christmas. I mean, I'm not sure which of us leaned in first and-" He cut himself off at the look on Wes' face and sighed in exasperation. "Look, I'm not saying we're going to get together or last forever or anything, but we're going to work on the issues and see where it takes us." He glared at his friend. "What is your problem, anyway? You seemed real buddy-buddy with him an hour ago."

Wes grinned. "Relax, Blainers, I just wanted to make sure you were serious about him." He wrapped his arm around Blaine's shoulders again, squeezing and leading him back onto the floor. "Let's dance!"

The rest of the night was split between the dance floor and the VIP room, aside from a brief moment when Jeff cornered Kurt in the men's room.

"You better not hurt Blaine," he slurred, his heavily alcoholic breath washing over Kurt's face.

"I fail to see how mine and Blaine's relationship is any of your business," Kurt replied, trying to keep the sneer out of his voice.

Jeff stood up a little straighter and stared him in the eye. "It's all of our business because we're his best friends and he's always had it rough when it came to guys." He blinked slowly. "We just want him to be happy."

Kurt couldn't help but be a little touched by how protective Blaine's friends were. He laid a comforting hand on Jeff's arm. "I swear, I'm going to do everything in my power not to hurt him this time." Jeff smiled a bit sadly and they headed back out into the pulsing rhythm of the club.

After much cajoling, they successfully got Kurt to their level of drunkenness and snickered as they watched him and Blaine gravitate towards each other, sitting close when they were in the VIP room and dancing even closer on the floor. They left some time after three in the morning, stopping to eat at a diner before dropping Kurt off at his building.

"Hey, I'm going to take him up, up to his flat," Blaine said, getting out after Kurt. He ignored the catcalls, following Kurt into the building and onto the lift. The moment the doors closed behind them, he backed Kurt up against the wall and buried his face into his neck. Kurt's fingers came up to tangle in the back of his shirt as he let out a whimper.

"Fuck, you smell so good," he whispered, his lips brushing over the pale column of Kurt's neck with every word. He could feel Kurt's breath pick up from the way their chests were pressed against each other, could feel his hot breath against Blaine's cheek. He forced himself to pull back, pressing their foreheads together. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Blaine..." Kurt whimpered, tightening his fingers in his shirt.

He let out a shuddering breath and shook his head. "Not like this. I want our real first kiss to be, to be real and sober." He felt Kurt chuckle as the doors opened to his floor and he stepped back. He walked Kurt to his door and leaned in, kissing his cheek.

"Goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight, Blaine."

The moment he closed the door behind him, Kurt pressed his hand to his chest over his pounding heart, his head swimming with alcohol and something more.