Chapter Nineteen

Even though Kurt was now a college student, he still hadn't been invited to that many parties (or any really, now that he thought about it). Still, even without such experiences it was evident that the party he and Blaine were about to join wasn't your typical college student soiree. This party used actual wine glasses instead of red plastic cups, champagne and an array of mixed cocktails instead of beer, and to Kurt's relief, housed very little, (if any) drunken debauchery. NYADA might be a dramatic arts school but that didn't always mean such social assemblages would be some stuffy affair. Because whether the attendees were gay or straight, theatre student or not, parties could still bring out the best – and worst – in everyone.

In this cause though, it quickly became clear – as Kurt and Blaine set foot into the spacious (and obviously pricey) apartment, that the biggest difference in comparison to other parties was how their sexual orientation actually put them in the majority for once.

"Very nice," Kurt said as he stepped fully into the apartment.

Blaine, who was close on Kurt's heels, took one look at the place and his eyes went wide. "You're telling me," he whispered in agreement.

Just then, a tall and ridiculously handsome looking young man strode up to Kurt, Blaine and their little group. A friendly smile spread across his striking face and Kurt knew instantly that this was none other than their gracious host Matt Holton.

No wonder he was one of the most (if not the most) popular men on campus, both with the female and male student body. Among NYADA's gay community he was practically worshipped but despite his exalted position, Matt had remained humble and approachable.

"Hi all!" Matt said cheerily. "Martin, Geoffrey, Raymond, I'm glad you three could make it."

He addressed each person individually as he said their name and then his eyes fell on Kurt and Blaine, who both had matching dreamy expressions on their faces. "And I see you brought a couple more faces along... wait, you I recognize, you're Kurt right?"

Kurt did his best not to gape but the idea that Matt knew him by name was incredible. "Um yes, yes I am," he stuttered awkwardly. "And this is my boyfriend Blaine, we were both invited along to your party... if that's all right."

Matt grinned at them both. "It's more than all right; you're both welcome to join us in our post blizzard festivities."

"Thank you," Kurt replied, maybe a little too quickly.

If Blaine liked to think he had any natural charm then it was still nothing compared the perfect specimen that was Matt Holton. No wonder Kurt had made such a fuss about him, even Blaine couldn't shake the urge to flutter his eyes at him. It was almost unfair for a person to be this attractive Blaine thought. At least Matt seemed to be as kind as he was gorgeous, and welcoming, as he ushered them out from the doorway. The second they made it to the main room, the boys saw that the party was well underway already.

Upon their appearance, Blaine heard a group of young men cheer and call out Kurt's name. That wasn't so surprising since Blaine knew Kurt was well liked at school, even if he'd confessed to Blaine that he didn't have any super close friends at NYADA yet, aside from Rachel.

Kurt saw the group, and his eyes perked up and he waved back in greeting. There had to be about six of them in total, each one having the same delighted expression on their beaming faces. Now that, did catch Blaine off guard a bit but given Kurt's appeal, he could hardly blame their response. If anything he was happy Kurt seemed to be enjoying himself already.

Kurt gently pulled on Blaine's arm to guide them both over to where the young men laid in wait.

"Kurt! You look amazing, is that shirt Alexander McQueen?" asked one of Kurt's apparent admirers.

Kurt chuckled, "Oh you know it is; it's my trademark brand after-all. Although I don't exclusively wear it either, as you all well know. Sometimes I wish I could afford to though, because it's impossible to look bad in their designs."

"If they have your body frame maybe," another guy teased.

That comment sure sounded like flirting to Blaine but he didn't want to make it look like he were was jealous and really there wasn't much need for that, because Kurt didn't do anything to encourage the attention – he just rolled his eyes in dismissal.

"Stop it; I'll have you know that this handsome young man at my side is my boyfriend," Kurt reprimanded, albeit jokingly. After mentioning his handsome arm candy, Kurt set to properly introducing him to those around. "Gentlemen, may I introduce Blaine Anderson, who is currently a resident of Ohio but not for much longer. You should expect to see him come the fall, no doubt in the halls of NYADA."

Blaine still felt the need to say something, even if Kurt had told them his name. "It's nice to meet all of you, and like Kurt said, I'm Blaine."

Kurt went onto to name each of the young men clustered around them, a few of which Blaine had heard Kurt mention during some of their past conversations. Blaine was happy to note that he didn't feel the least bit alienated among them and that was mainly due to Kurt subtle efforts to include him.

"I had a feeling you were more popular than you were letting on, Kurt," Blaine said.

"Hardly Blaine," corrected Kurt. "These guys come to me for fashion tips and I – in my love of make-overs – usually take the bait without much protest."

"Which is something I know I've come to appreciate since," a new guy who Blaine now knew was named Keaton, said.

"Except the fact that's Kurt become less available lately, which might explain why some us look more subdued than usual," Richard added.

"Let me be the judge of that," Kurt said and his keen fashion eyes soon went around the group, assessing each one of their ensembles at a time. He hadn't even realized people were taking notice of his state of dress at NYADA at first. It wasn't like he was the only gay guy who knew how to dress there after-all. But for whatever reason, this particular group of students had come to him in their moment of need and he felt no reason not to help them out.

"You all look good to me, very flattering, so either my fashion sense is rubbing off on you or none of you were that bad to begin with," Kurt said.

"Does Kurt help pick out your outfits too, Blaine?" Tony asked.

Blaine glanced at Kurt, who appeared to be just as curious about his answer as Tony, and returned his boyfriend's warm smile. "He never goes so far as to choose my outfits completely, not unless I were to ask him to. I love it when he helps me though, so I do ask his opinion quite a lot and his suggestions always produce good results. I've never looked better actually, as far as I'm concerned. It makes me regret that I wear a school uniform," he explained.

Upon this news, Kurt pulled out his phone and quickly brought up a photo of Blaine in his blazer for all to see. The boys' response was to break out into various 'oos' and 'awws' and Blaine took the flattery in stride (he still blushed a bit though).

"Thank heavens for private schools, huh," Tony remarked.

Kurt laughed, "That's what I said!"

While Blaine was no stranger to being the centre of attention, in those cases, people normally talked about things other than how dreamy he looked in his blazer. Not that he was about to complain because who would, not with how adorable and relaxed Kurt looked right now. "I'll be sure to let the Warblers know how popular our uniforms are. Although, this will make it even harder to get them to wear something else for show-choir competitions."

The conversation continued to be about fashion for a long while and Blaine never felt as if he was out of the loop. Kurt would be the first to say that Blaine wasn't fashionably inept in the least. Then their chatter later turned to their personal blizzard experiences and Kurt let Blaine describe how they had been trapped in the loft with Rachel during the whole thing.

"Now I'm glad that I bothered to go for the home for the holidays," Keaton admitted.

"Well speaking as someone who was marooned here during the worst of it, I'm sure ready for class to resume," Briton, the final member of Kurt's fashion fan club, said.

"I know right? During finals I didn't think I could miss being back at NYADA so much!" Kurt exclaimed.

"Does that include dance class?" Briton asked.

"Yes even that, amazingly. We all know if any of us were to let our endurance drop in her class then Miss July would make our lives a living hell."

Blaine was reduced to being a listener as those around him went on and on about NYADA and he felt a pang of envy hit him. Once again he wasn't left out of the conversation and Kurt stopped to explain and references and things for him. Just the fact that Kurt could sense when Blaine wasn't sure about something touched him too. But he quickly saw how his own experience with the student body at Dalton was quite different. Sure he was popular at school, and he was often surround by a large crowd of people but as a result, his connections to people were less personal. Aside from his five best-friends among the Warblers, he rarely saw anyone outside of Warbler related meetings.

The switches from one subject to the next were becoming faster; one minute someone was going on about a teacher's resemblance to a reality TV star and the next everyone was raving about some scandalous affair between two junior students in the musical theatre program. It didn't take long for Blaine to realize that NYADA students sure had a thing for drama.

Before their gossiping could get really out of hand though, Kurt decided they could use a break. "Okay I think it's time Blaine and I go get something to drink, keep talking amongst yourself now," Kurt said.

Blaine happily followed his boyfriend's lead but not before saying his own polite goodbyes. They walked together to the drinks table; Kurt was lightly holding Blaine's arm.

"Sorry if I got too carried away there Blaine, you should have said something," Kurt said.

"If I'd felt the need then I would have but I was honestly enjoying myself," Blaine replied assuredly.

"As long as you're sure, because the last thing I'd want is you to feel neglected."

"I'm sure Starlight, it's sweet of you to act so concerned but we're good."

"Good," Kurt repeated playfully, guiding them towards the drinks table. "I so need to try one of those delicious looking mojito's Keaton kept raving on about."

It suddenly dawned on Blaine why that name sounded so familiar to him. "Wait, isn't Keaton the one who asked you out at Callbacks before?"

"Oh, yes that's right, he did, didn't he?" Kurt wasn't fooling anyone with his fake surprise, much to his own amusement. "He got over it real quick though and I'm glad, since it means we're on good terms now. He's started dating too, so that's probably why he's coming to me for fashion tips."

Blaine took the mojito Kurt handed him and had long drink; so far there were no signs of Thomas, the guy who had gone on an actual date with Kurt. Though if he did show Blaine was determined not to treat him any differently from Kurt's other school friends. But for the sake of playfulness, Blaine decided to tease Kurt about the subject.

"So are there any other guys here who've asked you out?" Blaine asked innocently.

"Hmm?" Kurt stopped sipping his drink. "Oh just Matt..."

"Seriously?" Blaine began to shout, until he saw that Kurt was on the brink of laughter. "Kurt, that isn't funny!"

"I'm sorry but I thought you'd know I was kidding. Honestly Blaine, I'm amazed that Matt even knows my name at all!"

"Maybe he heard about your great singing talents at the winter showcase?" Blaine offered. "I wasn't even there to see if myself, but I didn't have to be to know how amazing you were."

"I bet you say that to all the guys," Kurt flirted, was it him or was his drink effecting him already?

If it was then that would explain why Blaine easily returned Kurt's favour when he leaned in to give Kurt a quick peck on the lips. As much as Kurt loved the gesture he didn't trust himself to keep it up. Were they were back at home, on the other hand, well that would be a different story – up to a point anyway. So instead of making out in such a public place, Kurt and Blaine went back to socializing. Kurt relished the chance to get to introduce Blaine to everyone at the party. It wasn't long before their first drinks were finished and seconds were brought right to them without their needing to ask.

There was no concern that either of them had overdone it yet and Kurt made a mental note to make this second drink his last of the night. Kurt wanted to let loose of course and it wasn't like him getting a bit drunk wouldn't be so bad, he just didn't want to get too sloppy.

In Blaine's case, it appeared as if he didn't need to be drunk to make a splash at the party, all it took was one question being shouted later that night for him to pull focus.

"Anyone up for singing some karaoke?" Matt called out all of a sudden.

Blaine's hand instantly shot into the air. "I am!" He was high on happiness more than booze, although his second cocktail had tasted rather on the strong side. But who was he to disappoint when his eagerness was met with excited cheers.

Kurt joined in on the shouts of merriment, clapping as his boyfriend stepped up onto the small stage at the back of the room. Blaine was sure soaking up the attention as he asked the growing crowd for song requests. Kurt wondered if this was the type of reception he got at Dalton usually; he was the leader of the Warblers after-all and according to Blaine, they were often treated like rock-stars. Quite the contrast to what Kurt had experienced at McKinley. There the New Directions were the lowest of the low, and if that weren't bad enough, he'd taken a back seat to his fellow glee-club members more than once.

The song Blaine finally chose to sing turned out to be 'What is Love' by Haddaway and sure enough, his performance was already causing a stir. Kurt held his proud smile firmly in place but on the inside he was felt a little envious. William McKinley may be a far cry from NYADA and while Kurt did enjoy that difference, the pressure to keep up overwhelmed him at times. Was it so much to ask for Kurt to get a little recognition now and then?

Kurt refused to let any bitter thoughts ruin his day though, and luckily all it took was for Blaine to catch his attention and flash him and cute wink and his spirits were back up again. "Blaine, you're so ridiculous, don't ever change!"

Blaine's moment to shine was over as soon as the song ended and he was eager for his boyfriend to share the spotlight. "If none of you have any objections, then I'd love it if Kurt were to follow me. How about it Kurt, listen to that crowd cheering for you to grace us with your golden voice." The cheers in reply were a unanimous yes.

"All right, all right, if you all insist," Kurt said, standing so he could take Blaine's place. Soon as he got there, Blaine kissed him on the cheek, wished him luck and then hoped off the stage so he could join the audience.

Luckily for Kurt he had a whole slew of songs he could sing without any warning but this time, he chose something that would be less predictable and hopefully just a bit edgy. Maybe it was because of Blaine's impressive rendition of Circle the Drain that made Kurt want to spice things up but whatever the reason, his mind was made up. He could do this. Kurt whispered the song into Matt's ear, making him smirk but he entered the song into the karaoke machine without question.

Out of all of the many songs Kurt could have performed, 'Take it Off' by Ke$sha was not one Blaine would have guessed. But as with any of Kurt's performances, he still killed it on stage as he threw himself head first into the role. Blaine cheeks flushed red and he watched Kurt, who in the blink of an eye had transformed into a full blown sex god (pun intended). As much as Blaine was enjoying the display, he was quickly reminded that it wasn't a private show for his eyes only. There was an apartment of cheering men in addition to himself. Hand it to Kurt for being able to be that hot when no actual clothing was being take off. Blaine of course had always known about his boyfriend's raw sex appeal, he'd just never have to see anyone react in a similar way before – at least not at this level. Some of the audience enthusiasm might be due to intoxication but that was hardly a consoling thought. Blaine trusted Kurt, without question and Kurt most likely didn't realize the effect he was creating. That still didn't mean Blaine had to enjoy watching men look at Kurt so lustfully, and it made his right eye twitch just thinking about it, much less viewing it.

'So this is what jealousy is really like, and I thought it was bad when I found out about Thomas.'

It didn't help that Kurt was mildly buzzed and so he wasn't very concerned about how his provocative dance moves were causing such a ruckus. Towards the end of the number, Kurt did notice Blaine's cool expression but then the song was over. Kurt happily handed the mic to Matt, who took the next song and quickly had the entire room's attention – save for Blaine, who was waiting for Kurt at the edge of the crowd.

"Was it too much?" Kurt asked Blaine anxiously.

Blaine usually found it hard not to give Kurt unbiased feedback about anything he did, since Blaine's adoration for him held no bounds. But this time, his difficulty was more about how he could speak his mind without it sounding like was being overly jealous.

"It was very.... heated," Blaine finally chose to go with. "And everyone clearly enjoyed the show... you must of heard them all cheering."

"I did but most of them are drunk Blaine, I mean look at them now." He gestured to the scene behind him; most were either singing along, waving their hands to the music or screaming like teenage groupies.

"No I see that and you are right; a lot of the guys here are drunk. Sorry, I have no idea what I'm trying to say here." Blaine took a deep breath. "Your clothes stayed on during the number in spite of the song's title so no, I wouldn't say it was too much, Kurt."

Something told Kurt that Blaine wasn't being fully honest with him but he didn't bother to comment. After-all, during Blaine's performance Kurt himself had felt the stirrings of jealousy, as well as envy so he couldn't say he wasn't doing any better in that department. "Thank you, Honeybee. I guess I'm still not used to socializing with so many gay men outside of NYADA."

"I hear you," Blaine said playfully. Out of all of his fellow Warblers, he was the only openly gay member – or to his knowledge anyway. "I'm sure not used to my audience being made up of gay men."

Kurt figured they both could use a little pick me up at this point, so he left Blaine momentarily to grab them each a Shirley Temple (keeping to his two drink rule). He watched Matt took a bow when his own song was over but before he could leave the stage the crowd before him cried out encore. "Our time in the limelight was short lived I guess." Kurt said as he returned.

"Oh well, none of that matters really, not when you're only the only guy for me, Kurt."

In a sultry voice, Kurt replied, "The feelings mutual, Blaine."

At first it seemed as if there was nothing that could challenge the affection between Kurt and Blaine but as they night continued, the young couples' bond was soon put to the test. Starting when the pair went back to socializing and ultimately were separated in the crowd and ended up on different sides of the apartment. They took it in stride, neither wanting to appear as if they were co-dependent on one another, but it was far from easy. Kurt told himself that when Blaine did move to New York he couldn't expect his boyfriend to spend every waking moment at his side. He needed to have a life of his own, as well as his own group of friends, who may take Blaine away from Kurt from time to time.

That was healthy for any couple, so Kurt willed himself to leave Blaine be for a while, and allow him his own moment to shine. Let this party be a dry run for them, Kurt figured, and as lonely as it felt, they would be together again soon enough. He spent the better part of the year away from Blaine and it had never felt this bad before though. 'Stop it, Blaine's doing fine and so am I.' Kurt brought his attention back to the conversation he was supposed to be listening to instead of searching for Blaine in the crowd.

Matt Holton suddenly strolled up to Blaine and held out one of the karaoke mics to him. "I was just about to sing 'That's All' by Genesis and I thought who better than to sing it with me than you, Blaine. How about it? I'd sure like to hear how our voices sound together."

Blaine's face lit up with excitement; he could hardly believe that Matt wanted to sing with him! "I'd love to!" he gushed, a little too eagerly but he couldn't help it, not when Matt had a face like that.

"Great, I knew I could count on a swell guy like you," Matt said, draping his arm over Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine could smell the alcohol on Matt's breath but he didn't find anything wrong with that, he was just being friendly, nor was he coming onto him, so Blaine felt no reason to pull away.

"Listen up, all! Blaine McDapper and I are gonna sing it up good!" Matt yelled.

The group of people around Kurt instantly turned their heads to cheer at Matt and Blaine, who were over by the stage.

"Uh-oh, looks like Matt's setting his hooks in your boyfriend, Kurt," Martin teased.

"Oh he is not." But Matt was clinging a little too tightly to Blaine for Kurt's liking. "I dunno about Matt but I trust Blaine completely and he's free to sing with whomever he wants as well. I mean, it's not like I own him or anything," Kurt said matter-of-factly.

The music had started play and everyone was making their way to the stage area, save for Kurt (and a few others too occupied with one another to bother), who went to sit down on a couch at the other side of the room. He didn't want Blaine to catch sight of his annoyance and ruin his fun, so until he could get his rising jealousy under control he'd keep away. It soon became clear that Blaine wasn't doing anything to encourage the attention he was receiving, both from Matt and the crowd below, but at the same time he seemed to be soaking it up pretty well. Kurt figured Blaine was used to such attention and he could hardly be to blame for his natural charm. Still, Kurt had half a mind to join his boyfriend on stage and remind everyone who he was there with.

"Hey there Kurt, what brings you here?" a voice said from behind him.

Kurt turned around to see Brody was standing there smirking at him. "Do you mean the party or this couch?" he asked.

"Let's go with the couch, because I'm surprised to find you sulking here all alone. Where's Rachel gotten to? Is she here?"

Kurt shook his head; Brody wasn't fooling anyone his attempts to nonchalantly slip Rachel into the conversation. He knew all about Brody's interest in his roommate; it was also the reason Kurt knew him in the first place too. "Sorry, she's not. Rachel went back to Ohio to see her dads."

"Oh well, it was worth a shot," Brody said.

"Is that why you're here?"

"Why? Just because I'm straight means that I shouldn't be here amongst you gays?"

At first Kurt worried that he'd said something he'd shouldn't but then he saw Brody grin at him and Kurt sighed with relief. Phew. Brody was just joking around with him then, thank goodness. Kurt had gotten to know Brody pretty well over the past few months as he attempted to court Rachel. And as a results, Kurt was beginning to feel it was safe enough to let his guard down around the man. It wouldn't hurt him to have more friends at school either. He also knew all about how Brody was currently trying to get back on Rachel's good side after the whole Cassandra debacle.

"No, I just didn't expect to see you here," Kurt replied calmly.

Brody sat down on the couch and settled beside Kurt. "I've actually been here longer than you have. Matt and I are good friends; we were roommates at NYADA for our freshman and junior years."

"Why didn't you come over and say hi?"

"You seemed to be busy enough already."

"Well I'm not anymore so I'm glad you stopped to talk to me, I could use the distraction."

"Something the matter?"

Kurt shrugged. "Kinda. Maybe." he sighed and added, "I dunno, I'm probably just overreacting."

Brody rose from the couch. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks and then you can tell me all about it, okay."

"Oh you don't need to bother..." Kurt started to protest but Brody just waved at him before heading to the drinks table. During the wait Kurt cast a glance towards the stage, just in time to see Blaine rocking it out with Matt. Their first song was over and they'd gone right onto a second and it didn't look as if they were planning to stop anytime soon.

By the time Brody returned Kurt's plan not to take more than a sip of his offered beer and then tossed it aside. Instead, he took a much larger swig of it and let out a large breath afterwards.

"Sorry that took so long, some guy was hitting on me," Brody explained as he sat back down.

"I was wondering if guys here would try to sway you or not," Kurt said.

Brody laughed, "Some have. Can't blame them for trying though."

"You shouldn't have too much to worry about right now, not when most guys are over by the stage."

At the mention of this, Brody craned his head over to the said area and grinned at the antics he saw there. "Seems they're making quite the stir but who's the guy up there with Matt? Does he go to NYADA?"

"That's my boyfriend Blaine," Kurt said.

"Then why are you over here and not cheering him on like the others?"

Kurt cast the duo on stage an icy stare. "I doubt there's any spare room to." The second he heard himself he suddenly felt petty. Where had that even come from? Was all of this pent up resentment from his time in the New Directions being dredged up or something? That would explain things a bit if so, but it was still no excuse.

"I'm no expert but you're not doing yourself any favours just sitting here, Kurt. If you're so bent on leaving him alone then that doesn't mean you shouldn't be enjoying the party just as much."

"Are you suggesting I do something to pull focus?" Kurt actually had no idea what Brody was getting on about. He was becoming more familiar with the man, enough that he considered him a friend but they weren't that close yet. If Blaine were there instead of Brody then he would know Blaine intent straight away; they read one another that well. He missed him so much it was bordering pathetic. Kurt put down his beer, he needed to put an end to his drinking or else he might do something regrettable.

"I'm not saying that at all," Brody said.

"You're no help then," Kurt muttered, albeit teasingly, which Brody seemed to realize, given his wry grin.

As the two continued to chat, some of the people in the room began to sanction off from the stage area to dance together. Brody soon noticed this, so he finish off his beer, stood up and turned to look back down at Kurt. "How about you and I go dance? That should keep your mind off your boyfriend enough so you won't feel so jealous."

The suggestion held merit, but Kurt still hesitated for a moment; would Blaine mind if Kurt were to dance with another guy? He wasn't even sure if Brody meant that they should dance together or as a group with the others who were already there. What made up his mind was when Kurt saw that Blaine was now jamming up on stage with a whole heap of guys, apparently having the time of his life. Kurt nodded at Brody and followed him along, when they made it to the impromptu dance area Brody did end up dancing with him but at an appropriate distance apart still. Brody had never treated him any differently despite his sexual orientation but then, they did both go to a performing arts school. Whether it was the fun atmosphere of the room, Brody's casual demeanour or the booze he'd had that night (it was probably all three) Kurt began to loosen up.

He and Brody moved closer together and their competitive sides made him attempt to outdo one another with their smooth moves.

"Aren't you afraid this might start rumours of you being bi-curious?" Kurt asked.

"Those sort of rumours have been going on since I started at NYADA. Apparently straight men aren't supposed to know about the importance of skin moisturizer." He grinned as Kurt laughed at him before he went on. "Let them gossip all they want. Like I care."

Kurt watched from his spot as Brody suddenly pushed up against Kurt so they bodies were now lightly touching. He didn't feel the least bit threatened by the move, and since there was no sexual undertones to go along with Brody's close proximity, he just went with it. "You must be pretty drunk, huh?"

"Oh yeah but don't worry, I won't do any more than this, okay," Brody said.

While the assurance wasn't needed Kurt appreciated it all the same. Soon they had a good rhythm going on and if Kurt's mind weren't still so focused on Blaine he might have realized how hot and close their dancing probably looked to those around them.

"Someone's been paying attention in dance class, you've really come around with your footwork, Kurt," Brody said.

"Thanks, it's not easy to find someone to dance this close with at times..." Kurt realized how that sounded and he blushed. "You know... to practice for class."

"That explains why you aren't fully there yet. You're not doing that right."

Kurt blinked at him. "I'm not, wait... what am I doing wrong?"

It seemed to be easier for Brody to show Kurt rather to tell him, so Kurt had no real warning when he leaned closer towards him. His blushed red cheeks darkened but aside from that, he wasn't embarrassing himself too much, even when Brody lightly touched his hips, with his hands, to move Kurt's body into a different position. Brody then began to instruct Kurt on the correct movements to make and his directions were easy for Kurt to follow. Soon he was dancing as well as anyone in Cassandra's class and unbeknownst to them, this did not go unnoticed.

It was at that moment that Blaine wondered where Kurt had gotten to so he began to scan the room for any signs of him. He'd been surprised that Kurt hadn't come to cheer him on as he sang; robbing him of the chance to call him up for a romantic duet. He didn't meant to neglect Kurt for so long but getting a chance to sing – and with such a large group by the end of it – felt very familiar to him, since it reminded Blaine of when he was with his fellow Warblers. He still couldn't wait to live in New York but since his first visit to the Big Apple, Blaine had felt a little homesick. That was why he was trying so hard to fit into the party, to prove that he did belong here. There was only so much that Blaine could take and when another song ended he very much wanted to find Kurt and spend the remainder of the night with him. Blaine excused himself to Matt, who let him go without any objections.

He began his search for Kurt but the first person he recognized was not his boyfriend but Thomas, who had caught sight of him as well and was now heading his way.

"Hello Blaine, nice to see you here," Thomas said.

"Hi there, Thomas, yeah, Kurt and I suddenly were invited along."

"Where is Kurt?"

"I was just looking for him actually; we lost track of one another during tonight's festivities."

Thomas decided to help Blaine in his efforts and it didn't take him very long it seemed. "Oh there he is over there," Thomas said as he pointed to the left of them.

Blaine followed Thomas' finger to see that Kurt was in fact there but to his surprise, he wasn't alone. Kurt was dancing with some guy, and even from such a distance Blaine could tell how extremely attractive he was. Blaine wouldn't have minded this so much, if he weren't pressed so close up against Kurt, who didn't seem to mind it at all. He watched them for a moment, in a desperate attempt to give them both the benefit of the doubt before Blaine felt the need to intervene. Unfortunately such a moment never came; in fact, it only got worse as time went on. Kurt kept giggling, in that cute high pitched voice that Blaine thought only he had the pleasure of hearing.

"Who the hell does this guy think he is?" Blaine grumbled angrily. That was it, Blaine couldn't take it anymore, in his jealousy, he stormed off in a huff.

"Blaine wait, that's just Brody!" Thomas called but it was no use, Blaine wasn't in any mood to listen to reason right now.

Kurt was too focused on dancing to notice Blaine's sudden arrival, but the minute he realized, Kurt beamed at him affectionately. "Oh there you are Blaine, I missed you." He planned to introduce Blaine to Brody but something about Blaine's stance didn't add up to him.

"Are you sure, 'cause it sure doesn't look like it to me," Blaine replied begrudgingly.

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Blaine's voice and Kurt had still no idea what had brought this on. "What are you talking about?"

Blaine ignored Kurt's question, turning his attention to Brody, who had stopped dancing by this point. "You mind not grinding against my boyfriend anymore." The fact that Blaine hadn't bothered to say please showed that he meant business.

"Blaine!" Kurt shouted, surprised by his rudeness. "We weren't grinding."

"Sorry, but I disagree."

"Kurt's right; we were just dancing. Yeah we were close but when is that a crime?" Brody said.

"He's just a friend, Blaine." Kurt could barely keep himself from mentioning about Blaine's own actions and how he thought they weren't very innocent either.

"You see, no reason to be jealous Blaine, I'm not trying to steal Kurt away from you," Brody said.

"This is Brody, Blaine, remember how I told you about him?" Kurt said. "So you have nothing to worry about," Kurt told him.

Brody it seemed, had decided it was time for him to leave the 'happy' couple to talk amongst themselves, so he left without another word. Blaine let him go, but he made no attempts to apologize for his actions just yet. Blaine did in fact know about Brody, who he hadn't met yet or even seen a photo of; it hardly mattered if Brody was straight and not a true threat, because that still didn't excuse his inappropriate behaviour with Kurt.

"Why were you dancing with him like that?" Blaine asked as soon as he was gone.

"Am I not allowed to dance with a friend?" Kurt countered.

"Of course you are, but it looked more like you two were dry humping than dancing!"

Kurt's mouth hung open in shock. "I'm not honouring your crazy accusations with a remark! But that all aside, it's not like you're so innocent either, Blaine. Don't think I didn't see you up on stage, with all of those new adoring fans of yours."

"Would you have preferred me to follow you around all night like a loyal puppy? I thought we were just giving each other some room to breathe."

"Are you saying that I was suffocating you or something?"

Blaine staggered back; hurt that Kurt would even think he could say such a thing. "No. I'm not."

Kurt pulled him aside so they were less out in the open. "Then please just tell me what's wrong, Blaine." he pleaded.

"I don't like seeing you dancing so close with a guy Kurt, it makes me feel petty, and jealous and all possessive."

"I understand that now, and for what it's worth, I didn't mean for you to feel any of that. I was just trying to cope with being away from you," Kurt said.

Thomas chose this moment to interrupt the couple's argument, if it could even be call that; it seemed more like they were already heading towards apologizing.

"Um guys, it might be a good idea for you to continue things in a more private spot..." Thomas suggested, gesturing to the crowd of people who were watching them intently.

Kurt suddenly felt as if all eyes were on him and he sighed. "You're right, maybe we should go."

Blaine nodded; he agreed with Kurt but he still didn't want to experience the awkward trip home. He whispered to Kurt that he wanted to let Matt know they were leaving first, as it was the polite thing to do.

Much to their surprise, Matt smiled at the pair and gave them a much needed solution. "Why bother. It's clear to me that neither of you wants to wait till you get home. Go use my balcony, I made it off limits for the party so no one will bother you there. Just don't go so far as to have sex out there okay; believe me, it's not worth the thrill."

Blaine thanked him and he and Kurt headed to the correct door so they could to do just that. Thankfully Matt's balcony had heaters outside so there was no risk of freezing. The cold air was still chilly enough to snap Blaine out of his mild buzz though, which he realized, was a good thing actually.

Kurt was the first to break the ice; once they'd had some time to tell their tempers simmer back down to more reasonable level. "To save us the trouble, let's just acknowledge that we're both equally sorry."

"We should try to explain to one another why we acted like we did, so we can understand what happened," Blaine suggested.

Kurt smiled at him lightly; he wasn't quite ready to forgive Blaine for his rude actions yet but he was glad they were remaining somewhat mature. "I honestly didn't realize Brody and I were dancing so... intimately Blaine; I was too busy feeling jealous over you." Kurt saw Blaine flash him a guilty look but he didn't go so far as to say anything in response. "I see now that I should have just come over to the stage to see you."

"Meanwhile I should have given you more attention instead of singing all of those karaoke songs," Blaine added.

"Your words not mine, but thank you for saying that, Blaine." Kurt shifted a bit closer to Blaine, who was leaning on the balcony edge. They smiled shyly at each other, Blaine looked as if he felt as embarrassed as Kurt and knowing him, he probably did.

"We should have been more honest with each other," Blaine said.

"Seems that way," Kurt agreed, sighing. "It's just hard sometimes, knowing when to let go and when to speak your mind. Or when your attempts to be friendly with someone might be taken and as genuine interest."

"Don't I know it; I've been flirting with you since the moment we first met Kurt," Blaine said.

As much as Kurt was happy that he and Blaine were remaining civil, nothing they'd said so far explained why they'd gone and did what they did. In Kurt's case, he wasn't sure he knew any deeper reason that went beyond simple jealousy.

"I suppose tonight was eye an opener for us. We got our first taste of how being in a long distance relationship might be difficult in some ways, but easier in others. When you're finally living here with me, then we'll have to accept that we can't be together all the time, off in our own happy little world and that we shouldn't want that either. Having time to ourselves is healthy, or else we might begin to feel smothered, or resentful and then we'll stop communicating with each other."

Blaine nodded and smiled at Kurt to show that he agreed with his every word. Neither of them needed to add that they didn't want anything like that to happen; it was clear in their lovestruck eyes. Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt gently on the lips but pulled back before it could go for too long, since their talk was far from over. "We've only been around people who are our close friends and family before now. If I were already living here I probably would have known you weren't really flirting with any of your friends. We've always said we know that we'll need to spend time apart but we didn't get what that actually meant. Also, hearing about how guys have been showering you with attention is very different from seeing it for myself," he explained.

"I know the feeling; all it takes is for me to see a cute guy hover around you and I feel like I turn into a jealous monster," Kurt said.

"Don't call yourself that, Honeybee," Blaine cooed.

"Any idea how we can stop ourselves from feeling possessive?" There was just enough amusement in Kurt's tone so that Blaine wouldn't worry that Kurt was hiding his true feelings from him.

"We'll just need to trust each other I guess," Blaine said.

"Oh, I've always trusted you Blaine, it's them I'm not so sure about."

They came together and cuddled in each other's arms; Kurt leaned his head against the side of Blaine and let out a little sigh.

"I think it's time we both accept the fact that we're going to be hit on sometimes. But since we trust each other, let's promise not to jump to any conclusions before we hear each other out."

Blaine nodded and then kissed Kurt's forehead softly; whispering his promise along with other sweet nothings in his ear. They laced their fingers together in their private moment of romantic bliss. Blaine let out a content sigh. This felt a little too simple for him, enough that he was also worried about it. Time to be honest with Kurt, he supposed, and it wasn't like that was hard to do.

"I almost feel like this is too easy; us making up already," Blaine said.

"We're still in the honeymoon phase Blaine, so it's understandable. Also, I really don't want to mark the end of your visit with a big fight," Kurt replied.

Blaine chuckled, "Me either." He wished it were warm enough for them to remain like this for a while but Blaine was starting to feel rather chilled. "So now what? Should we go back inside before we get frostbite?"

"Well, I dunno about you, but after the emotional ringer we've been put through, I'm all partied out. If it's okay with you Blaine, I just want to go home and go to sleep. I know I said I wanted to see you with your shirt off tonight but I doubt I'll have enough energy left in me to make it worth your while," Kurt reluctantly confessed.

Instead of showing disappointment, Blaine's smiling face brightened at the news. "Going home to spoon sounds good to me, Starlight."

"Then let's head for home," Kurt said.

Blaine smiled as he hurried after Kurt, touched that he had said 'home' instead of my apartment. It wasn't the the worst end to an eventful evening and with a night full of sleepy cuddles ahead of them, the best was still yet to come.
____________________________________________________________________________

A good night's sleep spent wrapped in each other's arms was just what Kurt and Blaine had needed, and come morning their blissful honeymoon state had returned. Neither felt the urge to get out of bed before the other, not even to start breakfast. This was after-all, their last morning together – at least for a good long while. So that was more than enough of a reason to let themselves wake up at their leisure.

Blaine was the first to rise, his eyes fluttered open and fell instantly on Kurt's still sleeping face. He felt Kurt stir and he instantly went still and pretended to drift off again. If he were lucky then maybe Kurt would say something sweet. With his eyes closed, there was no way to tell exactly what his boyfriend was doing, so when Kurt poked him in the stomach, he was totally unprepared for it. He flinched from the attack but managed not to open his eyes and he went limp in Kurt's arms. To further pull off the illusion that he was deep asleep, Blaine began to make fake snoring sounds.

"Oh give it a rest, you big faker. I know you're awake, Blaine," Kurt said.

At first Blaine thought his act was going rather well but once again he was soon proven wrong. This time Kurt went so far as to tickle Blaine and thanks to their many make-out sessions, Kurt knew all of Blaine's tender spots. What finally did it was when Kurt went for Blaine sides and his eyes snapped open. He doubled over with laughter; unable to defend himself from Kurt's quick hands. "All right I give in! Kurt! You can stop it now, I surrender!" Blaine gasped through his laughter.

Kurt grinned at Blaine; victory was his and so took his prize, meaning Blaine, pushing him back down on the bed. He nestled himself on top of Blaine, half lying on his chest; he gazed down at him to softly kiss his lips. They remained like this for a while, enjoying the pleasure of sharing lazy kisses in the morning.

"I really wish this wasn't our last morning together," Blaine said when they finally took a break.

So much for prolonging the inevitable Kurt thought regretfully, oh well, at least Kurt's time with Blaine wasn't over yet. There was still their final week together in Ohio to look forward to. Hopefully that would help Kurt wean himself off of Blaine enough that so he could survive them going back to long distance again. "It was a short but sweet heaven I suppose." He sighed heavily, hugging Blaine's waist with his arms.

As if Blaine had sensed something from Kurt, he asked, "should we finally acknowledge the big elephant in the room?"

"Which one?"

"How we haven't talked about when we'll get to see each other next... and how the reason for that is because neither of us knows when that might be."

"Oh yes, that one. It's true; I have been avoiding the subject. And aside from spring break in March, I honestly have no idea when we could meet up. There could be a long weekend between then but plane tickets are expensive Blaine. I had considered getting a part-time job but if I were to do that I'd have even less time for you, so that idea was quickly rejected," Kurt explained.

"I guess we'll just have to play it by ear," Blaine said.

"I guess so but I'm sure we'll manage somehow, Honeybee. What we should do until then is look at the bright side of things. After-all, we still have one week together, even if it's in Ohio and you'll be back at school."

Blaine rolled his eyes; he knew that Kurt didn't actually dislike his home town as much as he was letting on. "You're right Starlight, I'm gonna spend each day we have together to the fullest..." There was almost a devilish twinkle in Blaine's eyes and sure enough, he suddenly launched himself on Kurt's neck, decorating it with kisses and playful love-bites.

"Blaine! I seriously have enough hickeys from you to hide as it is," Kurt hissed, though he wasn't doing anything to stop his boyfriend's affections. Luckily for them Blaine knew when to stop and he beamed back at Kurt. "Let's go get some breakfast and come back here to pack--" he began.

"-- and then we can drop off your clothes at the storage locker and still make it back to the apartment for one last make out session? I remember you promising something along those lines you know," Blaine finished for him.

"A make out session to top all the make out sessions we'd had so far? Yes I think I like the sound of that." Kurt kissed Blaine again before he sprung off the bed to select his outfit for the day. He pretended as if Blaine wasn't there watching him as he undressed and since he didn't say anything, it was easy for him to.

He didn't look back at Blaine until he was fully dressed and his boyfriend simply smiled at him and got up himself. Kurt took his spot on the bed and silently watched as Blaine returned the favour as he too got dressed. While Kurt would miss him horribly, he couldn't think that Blaine coming into his life was anything but the greatest gift he'd ever received.
____________________________________________________________________________

With the promise to have one final kissing spree before their departure, being forever in their minds, Kurt and Blaine stepped back into the loft with barely contained anticipation. There was only six hours left until their flight but that was more than enough time for them to get the 'job' done.

Kurt closed the door behind him and turned to smirk at Blaine, who was lingering a short distance away and just out of his boyfriend's reach. The matched playfulness on their faces was easy to read, as was the hunger in their eyes. Both of them knew that they would have to tread carefully, or else they might take things farther than intended.

"So, as you know, this is our last chance to lock lips here for a while and I find myself wanting to make it special..." Kurt caught Blaine's panic looked and he chuckled. "But still keeping things at a PG-13 level like we originally agreed to of course," he quickly added to put him at ease.

Blaine leaned back against the edge of the kitchen table. His hands were in his pockets as he watched Kurt slowly advance on him. "Well first off; it goes without saying that every kiss we share is special Starlight, but I do see your point. It almost makes me regret that we didn't have an actual fight last night, since a make-up make-out would be pretty hot."

An idea quickly entered in Kurt's mind. They were performers so they could always pretend that they were fighting. He was just about to suggest it when Kurt thought of something even better and he grinned at Blaine. "Up for a little role-play, Honeybee?" he asked seductively.

Even if Blaine knew that whatever Kurt had in mind wouldn't include them having sex, Blaine's excitement was no less grand. His heart now pounding, Blaine gulped and nodded his head vigorously at Kurt, causing his boyfriend to giggle at his obvious enthusiasm. "Oh I'd say so Starlight; what did you have in mind?"

Eyelashes fluttering, Kurt came towards Blaine but slipped away just before Blaine could touch him; boy was he was enjoying himself – probably a little too much actually – but the same could be said for his boyfriend and they hadn't even chosen what roles they would take on yet.

"Let's say that we're not Kurt and Blaine right now, but instead we're two eligible young bachelors who met at a party and now one of us has taken the other to their apartment so we can get to know each other in a more private setting?" It was hard for Kurt to sound clever when his heart was racing this fast. Just telling Blaine such a scenario was already turning him on. At this rate, they might not get very far before Kurt would have to shout out 'cut!', thus ending their fun before it could fully begin.

"All right," Blaine said easily. "I'll be the one who's brought you home to my luxurious New York apartment, Kurt--" he paused and added, "-- or whoever you are."

"So you brought me back here to, what, seduce me I take it?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shrugged in response. "Maybe but maybe deep down I want to do more than just fuck you. Maybe my real intentions in bringing you here are so I can charm my way into your heart."

"A wise choice, since I don't think I'm the sort of guy who puts out on the first date, if this can be called that even." Kurt tilted his head to the side, playing hard to get was something new for him but he could almost see the appeal. What would it be like if he and Blaine had met so by chance and then had bypassed all formality to come back to Blaine's place? Kurt was glad he was pretending to be someone else, because however much Kurt lusted for his boyfriend, he didn't think he had it in him to be that bold – at least not yet.

It didn't take Blaine long to get into character and when the switch took place it was seamless; his smile turned more smooth than affectionate, his posture straightened and his eyes went into bedroom mode. Meanwhile Kurt's body language, in turn, seemed to project an almost coy playfulness, which significantly helped Blaine remain in character.

"So, tell me, what do you think of my humble abode?" Blaine was about to say Kurt but he stopped himself just in time. "What was your name again?"

Kurt snorted lightly; Blaine couldn't tell if this was a natural response or something he'd intended to do. Either way it would have knocked Blaine's smugness down a peg or two, if not for the fact that they were simply play acting. Blaine draped his arms over Kurt's shoulders and clasped them behind his neck.

"It's Alejandro," Kurt said in an surprisingly convincing Spanish accent.

"Are you Hispanic?"

"Ci." Kurt slipped his arms around Blaine waist to pull him in close so that their chests were now touching. He had that quint-essential 'I want you to kiss me now' expression on his attentive face, but his mouth was not upturned into a full smile like when he usually gave Blaine his typical come hither look. "Or maybe I'm just pretending so I can turn you on even faster..."

Blaine shuddered when Kurt's warm breath tickled his neck. He felt the passion rising in his body; this was working almost too well. "You didn't answer my question about what you think of my place," he pointed out.

Kurt, as he continued to play the role of Alejandro, barely gave the space around them a second glance before he set his eyes back on Blaine. "Very nice, you must have one amazing decorator."

"I do, one who's so very talented, as you can see. I don't think I deserve them actually," Blaine murmured softly in Kurt's ear.

"Have you ever told them this?"

"Are you suggesting that I should call them up -- now?"

Kurt laughed at Blaine's clever comeback; why hadn't they thought to do this sooner? "Forget I said that then, and while we're at it, let's forget the small talk altogether." Yet when Kurt had expected for Blaine to do just that and kiss him, his lips were left disappointedly untouched. Kurt repressed a frown; was he not being clear enough for Blaine or was the person he was pretending to be that much of a tease? If he were in a more vengeful mood Kurt might turn the tables on him but such patience was not with him currently. There was only so much lead-up that Kurt could endure, but of course, he wasn't about to seem too hasty either. "Are you going to keep undressing me with your eyes like that or were you ever planning to kiss me?"

"Sorry, I wasn't sure that's what you wanted. I didn't see you give me the single signal." That hardly sounded like a valid excuse to Kurt but Blaine seemed to be going with it anyway.

It helped that Blaine's hands had moved from behind's Kurt neck to run down his shoulders and then finally, Blaine moved his lips in for the kill. "Here; let me give you my own signal then."

Blaine didn't just gently pressed his lips to Kurt's though, no sir, he went so far as to grab the sides of Kurt's face to kiss him deeply. Pleasure shivered down Kurt's spine from the unsuspected sexual aggression, and his legs nearly collapsed out from under him.

Things were really getting a jump start now and in their eagerness, Kurt and Blaine didn't remain at the kitchen table for very long. They shared a few more fevered kissed and then sought the comfort of the couch, almost racing one another to see who would reach it first. Blaine turned out to be the victor and his prize was the coveted spot sitting upon the arm of the couch. Blaine barely had time to get his balance before Kurt advanced on him. Blaine confidence began to build as they leaned tightly pressed together. Blaine opened Kurt's mouth with his, using his tongue to increase their pleasure and Kurt not only welcomed this but soon joined in. Oh god this was so hot. He didn't even care if he'd given up his playboy persona in the heat of the moment either.

"You sure know how to kiss," Kurt muttered before going back for more.

"Takes one to know one," Blaine replied, hardly caring if his words didn't make full sense.

"I don't even know your name. I'm making out with a stranger..."

Blaine breathed, "None of this feels strange to me at all. But if it means that much to you, you can call me Harper."

Saying Blaine's name, or rather, the pretend one he'd just given, would have to wait until Kurt was coherent enough to speak. At the moment all he could do was breathe heavily and make the odd moaning sound as Blaine kept on kissing his neck. Blood pumping, Kurt knew it wouldn't be long before he reached his breaking point. If he could just hold out for a little longer; maybe he should try some playful banter to help prolong their fun charade.

"What are you playing at here, Harper?" Kurt asked.

Blaine stopped his actions long enough to counter, "Hmm? Can't you tell?"

"If it's my body you're after then I should warn you; you might not like how this will end up."

"What if it's more than that? What if it's your heart that I'm really after?"

Just when Kurt was about to launch off into what he hoped would be a very romantic and touching speech, he caught something in Blaine's eyes, something that appeared to him to be very real. Kurt's integrity shattered at the sight of it; his acting role coming apart at the seams. Oh god, was this it? Was Blaine about to say those three little words that he so desperately had longed to hear? Kurt felt the urge to say it first but he couldn't do it; he wasn't ready. His heart might be at that point already but his voice of reason had another idea.

It wasn't long before Blaine began to pick up on Kurt's potential trepidation but he couldn't guess what was going through his mind. Then, just when he was about to ask him, Kurt leaned forward to kiss him but this was no ordinary kiss. This was the urgent type of kiss that only happened a few times to them so far. In this instance though, the sheer intensity of it sent his body launching back, which caused the couple to fly backwards onto the couch. Blaine shouted in surprise as he went backwards with Kurt ending up on top of him.

"Well, that sure wasn't planned," Kurt said, laughing at the sudden tumble. It was probably for the best anyway, Kurt thought, because if they hadn't fallen like this then who knew what might have happened. In lieu of this, he was content to laugh with Blaine over their awkward clumsiness, that is, until they looked one another in the eye and kissed again.

"Should we keep going still?" Blaine asked a short while later.

Kurt shifted his weight a bit so he could lay more relaxed; their faces were so close that the tip of their noses were touching. Blaine's eyes were fixed upon his, nothing else mattered to them but each other in that moment. There was no need to voice their feelings; they felt it regardless and took a moment to treasure what that meant.

"I'm good if you are," Kurt said finally, breaking the silence.

Instead of voicing his willingness, Blaine chose to show it to Kurt, who seemed – by his own passionate response -- to like his boyfriends wise choice of action. They kissed again and again, never settling for very long before they switched things up for the sake of spontaneity. Blaine whispered Kurt's name over and over, his soft voice like a lover's caress. In this wonderful moment, when he found himself lying underneath Kurt's warm body, Harper was swiftly forgotten, as was Alejandro. Oh well, neither persona would be mourned. Because Blaine's beloved Starlight was never far from his mind.

Their last day together might not have ended with sex, or confessing their love for one another, but it was still by no means uneventful. In fact, Blaine got the feeling that if the walls could talk then they would all say the same thing: 'that was hot.'