Chapter six

Kurt didn't try to hide from the world by refusing to get out of bed the next morning, nor was he too sleepy to attempt it. There were two very good reasons for this onslaught of maturity and the answer was the same for both: Blaine. He and Blaine had talked for a good portion of the night, but they had made themselves, or rather Blaine had insisted, they still try to sleep, since going to NYADA with getting very little rest and having it be voluntary, was sheer suicide. Waking up also meant that he and Blaine could have their very first morning phone call and that was enough to make Kurt move. He rose out of bed with a yawn; it was early, far earlier than he normally woke. So much that Rachel herself, with her well-timed early morning routine, hadn't risen yet, but she would soon. Kurt quickly set to his morning skin regimen and hurried off to their bathroom to take a quick shower. When he returned and had just finished styling his hair, Blaine ended up calling, but not on the phone, on Kurt's opened laptop. Kurt grinned as he scurried over to answer him on Skype, as he got gotten redressed in his night attire. Kurt heard Rachel begin to stir and he sighed, hoping she'd leave them alone as she got ready.

"Kurt, are you already up?" Rachel called out.

Kurt sighed, "Yes." he answered.

Rachel poked her head into his side of the room and smiled at him and Kurt had to remind himself she hadn't done anything wrong or annoying. He was sure this sudden attention stealer named Blaine Anderson was trying for her too. That, and there was the break in their usual home life, of being quite inseparable most of the time, so he knew she had some right. "I was almost expecting I'd have to drag you out of bed today." she stated.

Kurt smirked at her: while she hadn't crossed any lines yet, it was clear she was enjoying the chance to tease Kurt mercilessly about a boy. A fact Kurt tried to remind himself he had done the same thing to her many times over, but it was proving to be difficult as time went on. Kurt was about to make a smart remark when realized he hadn't answered Blaine call on Skype yet.

"Is that Blaine?" Rachel asked, but the grin on her face showed she knew the answer.

"Who else? Now scat, Rachel, go get ready." Kurt shooed her as he went over to his computer.

Rachel, it seemed, chose to be mature enough to notice she was overstepping and made her silent retreat, leaving Kurt alone once more and able to receive his virtual guest. Kurt glanced over in his full-length mirror for one more last-minute check, then clicked the icon and sat down on his bed with his computer on his lap to greet Blaine's image. "Good morning Blaine, you're right on time." Kurt said to him in greeting.

Blaine grinned at Kurt from his spot in his own bedroom, having just woke up himself, though unlike Kurt, he was already half dressed for school, being in his shirt and pants. But then, Blaine had far less of a commute to school than Kurt did, but he did have to drive there and couldn't speak to Kurt while doing so. After talking last night, they made each other log off and go to bed at a decent hour. After figuring out their morning schedules, they had decided to get up earlier than normal, so Kurt could talk to Blaine while he got ready and during his forty-minute train ride to NYADA. That would leave Blaine enough time to head off to school when Kurt arrived on campus and so far, things were going as planned. "Of course, I had to redeem myself." Blaine replied.

Kurt chuckled lightly; it was almost possible to fool himself into thinking they weren't so far away from each other, that Blaine was just in another part of town. It was proving that their choice to use whatever technological media offered back when they were in Lima was a wise one. Now that starting foundation could help them keep a brave face on and try their best to stay positive. "I already surprised Rachel by getting up so early." Kurt said.

"Then why aren't you dressed yet? That hair cannot be bed head, I know, I've seen it... even if at the time I was too busy panicking to get a good look." Blaine questioned.

"I took a shower already and yes, my hair's styled. I thought I'd let you be useful and help me decide my outfit for today." Kurt explained.

For a brief moment, Blaine was at a loss for words from that request; it was a simple gesture, one Kurt probably didn't think much about. But for Blaine, knowing how much Kurt loved fashion and how important his appearance was, it caught Blaine with a wave of emotion. It showed how hard Kurt was trying to include Blaine in his life and that touched him.

"Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt asked, noticing his lack of reply.

Blaine let out a shuddering sigh as he fought to keep himself together, holding back, it seemed was not easy to do, no matter where Kurt Hummel was located. "I'm not sure... I... I'm not used to all these emotions welling up in me..." Blaine admitted.

"I'm guessing I'm the reason?" Kurt asked sweetly.

"You know you are!" Blaine laughed, welcoming the distraction humour brought.

Kurt was torn between acting playful or becoming bashful at the confession, because Kurt could fully relate to Blaine's comments. Kurt found himself being pulled in so many directions since he had met Blaine. Things he had been wishing for, for years, but then when reality hits you it's hard not to be fully blown over and tumble to the floor. Kurt smirked, in a way that's exactly what happened to him after Kurt made his most recent wish, because he had literally fallen on Blaine. "I'm no expert, Blaine, but may I give some advice we would both be wise to follow?" Kurt offered.

"Yeas please." Blaine pleaded with a sigh.

"We need to calm down and just... deal with it. By whatever means we can, like talking to each other about our feelings. Holding things inside never helps, trust me, I know." Kurt began to explain.

"Some things are hard to say out loud, Kurt." Blaine interjected softly.

Kurt paused at that, again he knew exactly what Blaine was trying to say, just as his 'friend' it was too soon and the emotions too sudden to know how to process them. "I know... I have those too... just..." Kurt stumbled.

Blaine smiled at him with affection through their computer screens, they didn't have time for this right now and even if they had, it was a bad road to go down. "Can I give some advice now?" Blaine asked.

"Oh please do." Kurt muttered. "Because I'm horrible at it."

"The fact that we're messing up here means we're being stupid. Really despite having to deal with new emotions, I wouldn't want them to stop. But we do need to stop right now and focus on the positive. Try to keep it light and just enjoy each other's company, even if it's through a phone or computer. This is only the first day into attempting long distance as friends. Sorry I had a moment' s set back there..." Blaine said.

Kurt grinned at Blaine, "Ah, I get the feeling we'll have a lot of those as time goes on. But you're right. So can I show you my outfit options now? Before we run out of time?" Kurt asked, but knowing Blaine's answer already. Kurt set to picking up his computer and walking over to his rolling wrack, where two clothing combos were draped on two hangers, ready for Blaine's feedback.

"Wow, you sure are well organized." Blaine stated with amusement.

"That is an understatement, but sometimes it's more like organized chaos." Kurt replied. He took hold of the first hanger, trying to give Blaine the best view Skype could offer. "So this first option is a new more casual look I've been trying out. At least on campus, because I've discovered comfort is more needed when you live at such as fast pace. Also really, unlike back at McKinley... I don't stand out as much at NYADA, but that doesn't mean I plan to laze it out, I want to look good, make a real impact, wherever I go. Now it's no secret that I have a boarding sweater fetish, so my casual option of that is this. A simple YMC Merino Wool and cashmere blend roll neck sweater, topped off with a scarf and hat since well, accessories are still a must. While the pants I've put with the sweater are from J. Crew. Not as tight as I usually wear, but still well tailored." Kurt explained as he went over each peace.

"I like this option so far, but show me the other so I can make my comments." Blaine urged.

Kurt nodded and hung the first choice up, grabbing the second and bringing it into view. "The second option is the more bold choice, though maybe not by my standards. But I've been maturing up my look for my new location. I bet it's hard for you to see but this dress shirt is from Alexander McQueen, it has humming birds on it. Which might seem a little silly but when I saw it on the rack I had to have it! Let me tell you it's probably good I have to start saving for way more airfare. It will stop me from buying such expensive clothes! I wanted to tone down the bold print shirt with a timeless classic, jeans, which are Burberry Brit Steadman slim fit. Since it's freakishly cold here, as much as I hate to hide it... I figured this chunky waffle grey sweater would go with the shirt nicely." Kurt explained. With the commentary over Kurt held up both options in front of Blaine and grinned at him. "Well, any thoughts?" he urged.

Blaine squinted his eyes, as if he would suddenly get a better answer to give Kurt. He loved fashion himself and often spent a long time deciding what to go with, but he was nowhere near the level of Kurt Hummel. "Well let's see, it's tough through a computer... I wish we had time for you to model them both but, um... I love the second outfit; you have really good taste... but maybe save that for an evening out? You don't have to go with my choice, but if I had to choose... I like the first one, for school anyway. But honestly, don't let me sway you, I don't want to be blamed if it's the wrong choice." Blaine answered.

Kurt laughed at Blaine, "Well Rachel already had a fashion intervention so far, some of her classmates got very... opinionated, but she's enjoying the results of the makeover. I was the one considering on becoming more casual after all.. so your choice just proves I was going in the right direction. You're right, though, the other option is perfect for a night out on the town. Or cocktails maybe?" Kurt teased.

"If you're trying to make me jealous... it's working." Blaine teased back.

"Behave, I didn't say I was going to do those things, or with male company." Kurt pointed out. Kurt then went and turned the laptop around, so Blaine now had a view of his white curtains that covered up around his bedroom area for privacy.

"Am I being punished?" Blaine asked.

"I need to change, Blaine."

"I don't get to watch that?"

"No, I'm sorry, that would be crossing a line... even for us."

"Yeah..." Blaine admitted. He heard the rustling of fabric as he realized Kurt was undressing and he took a deep breath. Blaine fought to keep his imagination from running wild and thus embarrassing him, on a Monday of all days. "I'll use this time to finish dressing myself." Blaine muttered as he stood up and reached for his tie.

"Oh right, I can't wait to see you in your blazer Blaine, will I swoon?" Kurt commented as he finished slipping his pants over his hips.

Blaine laughed, he had a lot of answers pop into his mind but all of them were very flirtatious, it was hard to remember they were trying to keep things simple. "If you're expecting a flirty remark to test me... sorry, not taking the bait." Blaine commented, deciding he could still be playful but less bold.

"Well played, Blaine Warbler." Kurt teased. One of the good things about going with less layers meant getting dressed took far less time. Once he pulled his sweater over his head and adjusted it, smoothing the fabric down with his hands, he turned the laptop around to see Blaine was busy fixing the lapel collar of his blazer in his mirror, not realizing he now had an audience. Kurt certainly felt like swooning at the sight in front of him, eye candy indeed. It seemed Kurt had a thing for boys in blazers, 'Thank god for private schools' he thought with a smile. Blaine was wearing a navy blazer, with red piping and a matching red and navy tie, while his pants were grey. Blaine had described his uniform before, but seeing it in the flesh, on Blaine's pleasing frame, held no comparison to words. "Wow." Kurt muttered.

At the sound of Kurt's voice, Blaine turned back to look at his computer, to see Kurt staring at him and even through the screen, it was clear he liked what he saw. Blaine straighten up and felt self conscious at the moment, but not in a negative way. He saw Kurt look him up and down and he finally got confident enough to relax and strike a flattering pose for him. "You like it?" he asked.

"Oh yes, a great deal, in fact... it's good you're not within my reach right now, Blaine." Kurt admitted.

"What about holding back?" Blaine teased.

"Well, when we have no choice to, I can at least be a little honest." Kurt replied.

"So we're both dressed, don't you have a long subway ride to get to next?" Blaine reminded him.

Kurt groaned and he collected his belongings and placed them in his book bag, swinging it over his shoulder when he was done. Kurt got his phone and looked at the time, he wasn't late, despite their side tracking about emotion. He still sighed, wishing he didn't have to go yet, but he reminded himself this was exactly what he was trying not to do. He loved going to class, where he was learning so much, even when at times, it was hard and overwhelming, he still craved it. "Yeah I better shove off, still able to talk to me for the ride?" Kurt asked.

Blaine himself glanced at the time and nodded. "Yes, I have a half hour until I need to drive to Dalton. So let's switch this conversation to our phones then? But don't call me until you' re on the train. I don't want you distracted in your questionable neighborhood, no matter how early it is." Blaine insisted.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine's request, "I can take care of myself, Blaine, and I'm a big boy. I've gone out at night for food runs... so relax." Kurt pointed out.

"I'll try, but I'll make no promises." Blaine said.

Kurt laughed and closed his laptop, ending their visual talk and quickly brought out his phone as he hurried to the front door. Passing Rachel by, who did a double take and he didn't make it to the door in time for a silent escape.

"What's your hurry?" Rachel asked. She was currently making a quick breakfast, being half dressed.

"You already know the answer." Kurt groaned.

"I have a feeling the answer will always be Blaine for now on, when you do anything out of the ordinary."

"Try to be happy for me then? Sorry, but I'm heading out. See you at school." Kurt said and left without another word.

Rachel just sighed, "Boys." she muttered. ________________________________________________________________________________

The commuters on the J-train bound for the main hub of New York were treated to a well dressed young man, sitting crossed legged on his seat. Dressed immaculately, covered up in a long black wool jacket. He was chattering away, not bothering to be that quiet as he did, only unlike some of the people around him. Kurt was talking to Blaine over the phone, not to the voices in his head.

"Is Rachel going too far with her teasing, or are we asking for it?" Kurt asked Blaine at point blank.

"Oh geez, Kurt, give me some warning. We don't have a lot to go with, it hasn't even been a week since we met yet. Also I just met her but I know I've sort of been hogging you... so I can't blame her if she feels neglected." Blaine answered.

Kurt sighed; he had been dreading that piece of truth being confirmed. "Lord, I knew it. I mean, I'm not trying to flat leave her. It's just... you're hard to... leave be. I love Rachel, she's my best-friend and I'm so glad we came out here together. At first all we had was each other to lean on and get through adjusting and sometimes it was tough. Slowly we've been getting our sea legs, or New York legs, so to speak. Even if you hadn't come into the picture, I'd like to think we'd... un-clamp ourselves a bit. Just since you are in my life now, things are changing at an accelerated pace. Sure we're just friends at this point..." Kurt began to explain.

"Kurt, I thought we'd admitted we're anything but that. We're kidding ourselves if we're going to be able to keep this strictly platonic. We're kind of stuck in the middle, friends, but not boyfriends... but..." Blaine began to lecture.

"I know, I know! Just humour me here, please." Kurt whined.

"Sorry, go on." Blaine urged.

"As I was trying to say, despite us trying to hold back... even when it's only the first day into our foray into long-distance friendship... I'm neglecting her. The thing is, I know that and I don't want to stop. Does that make me a horrible friend?" Kurt asked, worried at what the answer would be.

"Oh no, Kurt, no! I mean yes there's always a chance when people get involved they'll ignore their friends... but it's sort of a given. When you start a relationship, of course you'd want to spend every spare moment with them. Us being not being in the same state doesn't change this, neither does the fact that we're not dating. I want us to be friends first Kurt, because then, if and when we find out long distance works, it will be because we laid out a strong foundation, making our bond that much stronger. Let's not beat around the bush, we're in the start of things, when we have each other's full attention. I like Rachel so far and I know we'll become fast friends, but that doesn't mean I intend to loosen my hold on you." Blaine pointed out.

Kurt smirked, hearing that made Kurt's heart begin to race a little. Being desired, even on a small level was proving to be very addictive. "Okay so it's business as usual? I don't care what other people think Blaine, I want to keep talking to you, whenever and wherever I can."

"I feel the same way, Kurt." Blaine agreed.

"Good, then that's settled." Kurt said.

"What about Rachel?" Blaine asked.

Kurt groaned, there was no forgetting her and he knew that wasn't an option he wanted to take anyway. "No matter how hard we try at keeping in touch. There's going to be times when our schedules will conflict. I have NYADA; you have Sectionals, in addition to your regular classes. Even today, after going over our itinerary, we'll be forced to part for a good portion of the day. I'll try to use that time to talk to Rachel and make her understand things. It will work out..." Kurt said in assurance.

"We're doing pretty good so far." Blaine admitted.

"We are aren't we? Right, I have fifteen minuets left of this lengthy ride. Entertain me Blaine, like I know you can." Kurt urged.

Blaine laughed, he knew it was too soon to tell, but he got the feeling they might be able to prove for some couples, or friends, long distance was possible. _______________________________________________________________________________

Kurt got his chance to talk to Rachel sooner than he had planned, but he knew from experience life rarely went the way you wanted it to. This time Kurt wasn't about to blow her off and the fact that Blaine was occupied with schoolwork, being in the middle of class, wasn't the reason, or the main one anyway. Rachel found Kurt sitting at a table in NYADA's cafeteria, writing in one of his notebooks, ignoring his half finished meal in front of him.

"There you are." Rachel said as she took a seat across from him at the table.

"I did text you where I was." Kurt said smartly, not bothering to look up at her.

"Not on the phone with Blaine?" Rachel teased.

Kurt stopped his hand from moving and sighed, he supposed he deserved the comment, but it was still far from amusing to him. Then his phone suddenly chimed, revealing he had gotten and text and he hesitated, but still held it up and began to giggle. "God he is too cute." Kurt laughed.

"Clearly." Rachel replied.

"Look Rachel, I'm sorry I've been..." Kurt began.

"Totally ignoring me?" Rachel offered.

"Don't be so dramatic." Kurt scoffed. "I haven't gone that far! It's only Monday, Rachel." Kurt pointed out.

"Exactly! It's only been a day since you and Blaine parted and look... it's started already. I get that you miss him, but he can't be your whole world, Kurt. I don't like having to tell you this... but... as much as I hate to admit, Finn was right. We needed to let go and be on our own and not hold each other back. You and I belong here Kurt, in this city; you can't let yourself suddenly want to be back in Lima. We made it; we're going to be on Broadway one day. But not if you don't give it your all..." Rachel began to lecture.

Kurt grumbled at her, she had no right to preach to him, but he made himself see she was doing out of concern, not discontent. "Rachel, honey, I know you're trying... but stop, you're bad at it. You think I don't know all of this already? The fact that I finally found someone I could fall in love with, only for it to be something I never wanted? That he's so far away from me? I can't forget it, but that doesn't mean I'm giving him up. You said it yourself; Blaine and I aren't you and Finn. What happened to you shouting at me that we should be boyfriends already? You're switching back and forth way too much to have any valid points." Kurt warned.

"Okay maybe I haven't thought this through and I'm sorry... I'm just..." Rachel stuttered.

"Jealous?" Kurt offered, mirroring when she interrupted him.

"Kurt, you're trying my patience." Rachel groaned.

"Hey if the tables were turned I might feel the same way. But Rachel, I've always bowed out and stepped aside when you've had men around you. I would hope you'd show the same courtesy to me. I'll try to reel it back in a bit, I don't want to ditch you... especially for a friend who isn't here at my side. So I'm sorry... I'm fine to admit I have no idea what I'm doing." Kurt explained.

"I'm sorry too, I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. Do you love him, Kurt?" Rachel asked honestly.

Kurt squirmed as he began to feel uncomfortable. "I don't know... maybe, it's too soon to tell. I like him, a lot, I'm very attracted to him and I've noticed our instant connection. Our chemistry was pushed into overdrive, for those four days we spent together. Now I think we're paying for that, we're... strained, worn out a little. So its making things very confusing, all I know is I want to keep going, to wherever it may lead. But I won't forget my life here, feel free to call me out if it looks like I'm starting to." Kurt insisted.

"I think I can do that... so what did the text say?" Rachel asked.

Kurt glanced at his phone and smirked at her. "I'm tempted not to tell you. But what the hell, I owe you one. Here." he said, holding up his phone so she could read it.

I don't like that our lunch breaks don't sync up, Kurt. It Sucks

Rachel laughed and Kurt joined her. "Wow, he's adorable." she declared.

"I know right?" Kurt chuckled in agreement. ______________________________________________________________________

Blaine didn't have a best friend like Rachel Berry who was Kurt' s constant companion, but it wasn't like he was left alone in his own lonely world. Blaine had a number of close friends at Dalton and in the Warblers, all of whom hadn't missed the change in him.

"Okay Blaine, time to fess up." Trent demanded as he sat down beside Blaine during their lunch break, Jeff and Nick joining him, along with Rodney, who was a new addition to the Warblers.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, though his expression showed he knew exactly what they meant. It didn't mean he was about to make it easy for them. Wes, David and Thad had graduated the year before, making his group of comrades within the Warblers smaller. But it had brought the remanding trio that much closer to Blaine, which was welcome. He knew it would probably help if he talked to someone about what he was going through.

"Nice try." Jeff said.

"Really? I'd say it was a bad one." Nick interjected.

Blaine sighed, "I met someone, over the break." Blaine admitted. Blaine glanced at his friends and saw their delighted reactions to the confession, he was in for it. But the risk of being pushed to his limits with teasing, didn't make him keep quiet. "It was amazing, we just clicked. He's so freaking attractive too, I mean wow, seriously. But... he's gone and now all I'm left with is this huge void in my heart. Sure we're still talking, but it's not the same." Blaine explained weakly.

"Where is he? You don't seem the type for a casual fling, Blaine." Rodney asked.

"What? NO! It's nothing like that. He's a freshman in college, at NYADA... so he's back in New York and I'm... well, stuck here. We just had four days together but... what we shared over that time, it's hard to believe it was all real." Blaine muttered.

"Blaine! Are you saying you did the deed?" Nick whispered with excitement, straight or gay, it didn't diminish the fact that if one of them had lost their virginity at last, they all would want details.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, we didn't have sex. I'm not that type of guy... even if I sort of wanted to be... I'm human after all. No, we didn't do anything substantial, aside from making out and that was very hot, don't get me wrong. We both decided getting too physical this fast would be stupid." Blaine quickly told them.

"Sorry, but we don't know anything." Trent reminded Blaine.

"So stop interrupting me and I'll try to tell you. It's like this: we met, by chance, the day before Thanksgiving. We started talking, over the phone, computer, and then we spent two glorious days together, where we went on dates. Both were magical, then we had to part and Kurt flew back to Brooklyn. Before you ask, he's not my boyfriend; we're trying to see how we can manage long distance as friends. Or at least... being friends in the sense when we're not ready to fully commit. Not until we get a better idea of how this will all work out. I promised him I wouldn't let myself live vicariously through him. That I'd still live my life here and not spend every moment wishing I were in New York with him. But whenever we're not talking... it's hard not to go there." Blaine finished.

"What's his name?" Jeff asked.

"Kurt."

"He's what, eighteen then?" Nick questioned.

"No, nineteen." Blaine corrected.

"I thought you said he was a freshman?" Rodney pointed out.

"He is, Kurt's a year behind, like me." Blaine explained.

"That's... kind of spooky." Rodney pointed out.

"I'm well aware." Blaine grumbled.

"Oh Blaine, you've got it bad..." Trent announced with a sigh.

"What?" Blaine demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Trent teased.

"I'm not in love with him, at least... not fully. I know that could change at any instant. I think right now it's more, lust mixed with longing. I'm trying to hold myself back, like Kurt and I talked about. But it's proving to be very hard to... be that levelheaded. Before I know it, my heart' s going to belong to him, whether he likes it or not." Blaine admitted.

"Wouldn't that help, though?" Jeff countered.

"Or it could make it that much harder to deal with. Long distance doesn't work, everyone knows that." Blaine grumbled.

"You're being stupid, Blaine: who says it can't for you two?" Jeff argued.

"Stop trying to sound all wise, we're still teenagers for two more years, well for me anyway, you guys have three left." Blaine snapped, he was becoming irritable and his normal polite self was being sweet under grief.

"There's no helping him, guys. He's being stubborn." Trent stated with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, I'm just... I miss him." Blaine apologized.

"You're allowed to be, for the record." Rodney assured him.

Blaine sighed, while the talk with his friends hadn't given him any good advice, he felt better from getting some things off his chest. It was still hard for Blaine to express his feelings, he was so used to keeping things bottled up inside. But when it came to Kurt, he didn't want to repeat his usual mistakes, he wanted to be mature and make it work. Keeping silent wasn't the answer, but he suddenly thought of his usual choice to deal with pent up emotions. "The one thing I know is, this is really going to help our chances at Sectionals. I intend to turn all this conflict in me to my advantage and sing my heart out."

"I guess we should add some love songs to our set list suggestions? Remember Blaine, there's a big council meeting today. We need to get our set list finished and begin rehearsal, don't let us down." Trent urged.

"Blaine might be the captain, but he's not the only council member, you have that shared responsibility, Trent." Jeff pointed out.

"I know, so here I am, reminding Blaine like a fellow council member should." Trent replied, as his voice got all sassy.

"I'll bring it in Warbler practice, don't worry." Blaine assured them. "Kurt won't let me do anything but."

"Then I like him already." Trent laughed, the others all nodding agreement.
___________________________________________________________________________

Somehow the pair survived spending the rest of their day fully apart, not evening having the pleasure to hear each other' s voices to get them through their separation anxiety. Once the afternoon was well underway, Kurt and Blaine only managed to exchange a few texts and never in real time. Being forced to wait until the other was free to reply. The gaps between these small messages got longer and harder to bear as the hours passed. Until Kurt was currently sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, bored out of his mind as he waited for his turn to see his new doctor in the city. Blaine was detained, driving from school to home. Kurt let out a long sigh, by the time Blaine was able to talk, Kurt knew it was likely to be his turn to get inspected. Then even if they did get to chat, it would only be for about an hour until Blaine had to head back out for Warbler practice (which Blaine had finally admitted with Sectionals being a week away) would run late- not by New York standards, but still, Kurt didn't find that fact very comforting. Kurt realized it was silly to mope in a hospital, where there was visual proof around him that he had little to complain about, in the big picture of things. So he hardened up and a smile spread across his face as he focused on the positive. He brought out his phone and decided now was a good time as any to pay attention to his other friend, the loud female one.

Rachel, I'm so bored!

Kurt, stop whining to me, you have Blaine now.

Not right now I don't, he's driving home.

My god Kurt! It's only been one day!

One day, one year, it feels the same.

Stop it or I'll be forced to get all preachy, which you don't like.

Okay, okay, so... what should we do for dinner?

I dunno, we know cooking and me aren't that great a combo.

I could teach you maybe? Show you how to use the frying pan without it bursting into flames.

Sure, but what about Blaine?

He'll be busy for a while, glee club rehearsal. Don't think you're second best.

I know I can't compare Kurt, I'm a girl, and I don't have the right parts for it to be any real competition.

"Kurt Hummel." The woman at the front desk called out.

Kurt grinned: well at least it hadn't been that long of a wait. If he had any luck by the time he was finished Blaine would be free for the train ride home. Kurt quickly typed Rachel a message as he stood up.

Duty calls, getting my wrist looked at. See you at home.
______________________________________________________________________________

"So what did the doctor say about your wrist, Kurt?" Blaine urged, trying to hide his guilt.

"It's healing very nicely, Blaine, so stop with the voice, it's not like you caused the wound to happen. If anything you spared me further injury! I'll have the brace off by the end of the week and I'm already allowed to resume dance class. Which I'm honestly relieved about because missing it doesn't make me feel at ease, given my instructor." Kurt answered.

"Oh yeah right, I can't believe you can go at odds with Cassy July Kurt, it's impressive." Blaine admitted.

"Please, all I've managed to do is not turn tail and run. She's picked Rachel as her main target. I'm just another pair of legs for her to insult and ridicule as we try to survive her hellish class. But the reason I put up with it is because she's amazing and really knows her stuff. That, and I'm already used to being yelled at and insulted, so it just rolls right off my back." Kurt explained.

Blaine leaned back in his chair, being in his bedroom, while he let time pass before Warbler practice, talking to Kurt during his train ride back to Bushwick. Getting through the day had been tough but Blaine was impressed. True, it was too early to tell how they'd manage things, but so far, Monday could be an indicator that they could make it work. "How was the rest of class, did it all come back to you after the short break?"

Kurt laughed, being a bit too loud and he noticed the reactions the outburst bought and he flashed his audience a sheepish grin. He recovered and ignored everyone around him, as most people were doing already, and focused his attention back to Blaine and his question. "Yes, it's hard to forget, though you should know you were a big contender there. But what makes it... easier to fall back into things and give it my all is, this is where I want to be. I miss you Blaine and I wish you were here too, but... I still love my life, no matter how much I bitch and whine about my aching muscles." Kurt admitted.

"I'm glad, this won't work if we close ourselves off from the rest of the world. As tempting as it would be, we need our own separate lives." Blaine point out.

"I think it liked it better when you didn't have all the answers." Kurt teased.

"Believe me I don't, I just put up a good act." Blaine assured him.

"How's glee club for you? Must be demanding, with all your responsibilities."

"It's going to get hectic pretty quick, but the organized type of chaos. We Warblers pride ourselves on how we're classy with everything we do. That's why we don't have a teacher direct us; we have three upper class members form a council. Tonight we're going to finalize our set-list, then get on track and rehearse. We might be more of an a capella group that focuses on vocal, but we are trying to up our game with dance moves. Better warn The New Directions, the Warblers are aiming for Nationals this year." Blaine said.

"I'll try to remember that the next time I talk to any of them. So, even after all that practice, our plans to Skype after you return are still on?" Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded, more to himself than to Kurt because of course he couldn't see him. "Yes, unless you suddenly get the urge to go experience NYC's beckoning night life." Blaine teased, never being able to resist from being playful for long.

Kurt rolled his eyes; proving old habits were hard to break, even without an audience. "Please, even before I met you, it's not like I went out clubbing every night. Yes Rachel and I snuck into a few gay bars but really... all that did is confirmation I'm not into that. At least not yet, maybe a few years from now I'll be ready to strut my stuff and let loose. For now, there's nothing wrong from sitting at home at night and watch shows on Bravo. Rachel and I have gone out now and then, because staying cooped up all the time would be such a waste. But for most people our age, we're probably pretty boring." Kurt commented.

"I don't think you' re boring, you're the most interesting guy I've ever met." Blaine said with adoration.

"Blaine, you're a little biased in that... so you don't count." Kurt muttered.

"What will you be doing, before we'll Skype?" Blaine asked, changing their discussion. It was becoming clear that they were having a very hard staying in the elusive 'friend-zone' even when they were only talking.

"I'm going to teach Rachel how to cook, avoid some fire hazards." Kurt answered.

"What? Did she almost burn the house down or something?" Blaine laughed in response.

Kurt spent the remainder of his trek home telling Blaine about the time Rachel had a date with a fellow NYADA student, Brody. Only to end up burning the duck she had tried to cook to a crisp and Kurt not only came home to a destroyed frying pan, but his stepbrother.

"Rachel dated your brother?" Blaine blurted out in surprise.

"It's a long story, Blaine, one you don't have time to hear. You need to get a move on." Kurt pointed out.

Blaine's face fell at the realization, "I really wish you were wrong this time, but yeah. Time to face the music, literally." Blaine said.

"Bye Blaine, text me when you get back. I want to entertain you tonight, with you being grounded."

"I look forward to it." Blaine replied and ended the call. He let out a sigh, as Blaine forced himself to stand up and head back to his car and face his life, the part that lacked Kurt Hummel and thus, felt like a bad dream.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Rachel ended up proving herself to Kurt that she could be a gracious roommate and when Blaine was home and free to chat, she made her retreat and left the pair of friends to spend their evening together. Kurt had never felt so in sync with another person before, until he had met Blaine Anderson. After hate watching Treme together, they had settled into a long talk, about a number of things. Their lives, their many shared interests and now, their pasts.

"Up for a personal question?" Blaine asked all of a sudden.

"Define personal." Kurt asked warningly.

"Who was your first guy crush?" Blaine asked.

Kurt felt the colour rise to his cheeks, why did Blaine have to ask him that of all things? Great, now he was getting all flustered at the very idea and unlike before, Blaine could see it on his face enough through their video chat curse his high quality web-cam.

"Kurt... are you blushing?" Blaine asked with amusement.

"It's a very embarrassing story, Blaine! One I didn't think I'd have to tell you this early." Kurt grumbled.

"Aww come on, what's the point of having a fellow gay friend if we can't swap first crush stories? We can't do the straight version, because we both know we've never gotten any action... in fact my buddies were pretty bummed when I had to admit we didn't get too far ourselves." Blaine said.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Blaine, there's no straight definition to how we need to talk about romance, or urges, because of our sexual orientation. There's only stupid stereotypes, yes I love to gossip and I usually hang out with girls more than boys... but that doesn't mean..." Kurt began to grumble.

"Kurt! You're complaining to the wrong guy here, remember? I know exactly where you're coming from. Most of my friends are straight, but when I told them about you, they actually asked how I felt, in addition to if we... how did they put it, fooled around." Blaine stated.

Kurt sighed, he was getting defensive for no reason, it seemed even with amazing chemistry, it wasn't so easy to remember how different having a friend, who was just like Kurt, was. "Sorry, I'm not used to sharing this much. So It's hard to remember that I now having someone I can be really... personal with and it end up being rewarding. If you really want to know about my first crush... just... no teasing! It's super embarrassing and something I'm not proud to admit. But it was... Finn..." Kurt finally admitted.

"As in your step-brother? The one Rachel dated?" Blaine blurted out.

Kurt felt like building a wall of pillows to hide under, but he made himself stay still on his bed. The fact that Blaine was surprised but not judging or even teasing him, made him stand his ground. "Yes, see now why I'm reluctant to tell the tale." Kurt groaned.r32;r32;"Uh yeah, little bit. But... I'm touched that you're willing to." Blaine had to point out.

"I stupidly fell for Finn in my sophomore year and I wasn't very... wise with my feelings, or discreet. I thought that I could change his mind. He was dating Quinn at the time..." Kurt began.

"Not Rachel?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"Blaine you naive fool, that story is a dozy..." Kurt warned with a moan.

"We have all night." Blaine said with a smirk.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." Kurt replied.