"Of course," Blaine said, on his feet at once and moving closer to Kurt. "I wouldn't be anywhere else." He didn't have to see the worry in Kurt's eyes. He could practically feel the tension and concern rolling off of his boyfriend in waves. "Is it bad?" Despite what had happened between Kurt and Finn, Blaine couldn't stay angry at the jock. In fact, he felt terribly guilty over having clocked him in the choir room.

"It's not good," Kurt answered tentatively. He sighed and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, leaning down slightly to rest his forehead against the other boy's shoulder. "Broken leg, his arm's in a sling, cracked ribs... bruised..." The words trailed off and Kurt drew in a slow breath to get ahold of himself. "He was only out driving around like an idiot because of me. I never should have... I mean, I didn't think he'd go out drunk, but..."

Blaine embraced him warmly, whispering soothingly, "Hey, it's not your fault." Not about to let Kurt take the blame for Finn's reckless actions, he stressed more firmly, "You didn't make Finn drink, and you certainly didn't force him to get behind the wheel of a car." Whatever drama Finn was going through, there was no sense in it weighing heavily on Kurt. "Please don't do this to yourself, Kurt." He sighed heavily, his concern for the other teen almost overwhelming. "Listen, do want to take a rain check for our weekend?" Blaine hated the idea of putting it off, but he and Kurt being together might not be the best idea with Finn banged up in the hospital.

Kurt stepped back and considered the idea. He hated the idea of giving up their time together. He wanted Blaine so badly that it almost hurt, but at the same time, he wanted their time together to be utterly theirs, tainted by nothing. While Finn was in the hospital, he wasn't going to be doing much but visiting him as often as possible. "Maybe we-"

"Hey, Anderson!" Damien had spotted the other teen from across the large room, but he'd waited until he got closer to actually call out. He had barely caught a glimpse of Blaine at Dalton for most of the year. //Avoiding me.// They only had one class together, and the most he saw of Blaine was the back of his head from the rear of the classroom. He wasn't prepared for just how much it stung to see Blaine so obviously attached to someone else. "Long time no see."

Kurt turned to look at the newcomer and raised an eyebrow at once. He had no idea who the hell the guy was, but he didn't look like someone Blaine would associate with. At all. //How do they know each other?//

Tensing, Blaine recognized Damien's voice and, wearing a tight smile, he turned to greet him. "Yeah, it has been a while. How have you been?" he replied, reaching for Kurt's hand. "This is my boyfriend Kurt, Kurt this is Damien—we both attend Dalton."

"Oh... sorry, I don't remember seeing you there," Kurt answered, still uncertain. While Damien's smile seemed genuine enough, he didn't look at all like someone who belonged at Dalton and even less like someone who would hang around Blaine. The whole package was strange, and Blaine's cold greeting didn't exactly clarify the situation. Normally his boyfriend was warm and polite to a fault. //Who is this guy?//

Damien processed the new information quickly. "Hey, yeah, you're with my buddy the booze hound." He nodded toward Finn's door. "His brother, right?"

The casual dismissal of what had happened to Finn rankled Kurt at once. "I'm here to see my stepbrother Finn, yes," he replied, gaze cold as ice.

The air was electrically charged with sudden tension and Blaine stepped in to defuse the situation. "I'm sorry we can't stay and chat, Damien," he apologized, even though there wasn't anything to be sorry for, "but I promised to drive Kurt back home." Not exactly the truth, however Blaine intended to offer before Damien showed up. "So, if you'll excuse us, we'd better be on our way." Blaine started to gently tug Kurt toward the nearest exit only to pause and toss Damien a painted on smile. "If you're going into Finn's room, would you mind telling his Dad we left?"

"Sure... yeah." Damien didn't even bother trying to look okay with the whole thing, but he knew that there wasn't much that could be done about it. "Drive careful." There was really nothing else to say. He was hurt by Blaine's relative coldness, but the situation was awkward, and it would have been unfair to expect anything else. Instead of dwelling on it - at least for the time being - Damien headed into Finn's room.

**********

"Thank you," Kurt said with a sigh as they headed outside. He hadn't wanted to be rude, exactly, but he hadn't liked the casual way the candy striper had talked about Finn. After a moment, he ventured, "He really goes to Dalton? I don't remember seeing him... and I can't imagine missing that." The guy definitely stood out from his dreadlocks to his pierced nose to the bit of tattoo Kurt had seen peeking out from his open collar. A bit more delicately, Kurt added, "He seemed happy to see you." //At first.//

"He's nothing to worry about," Blaine assured Kurt, squeezing his boyfriend's hand gently. "We only take one class together. The other times I've run into him, it's been... intense." That seemed to be the most appropriate word to describe Damien. "He takes a lot of getting used to. If he's a candy striper, then he must be working off some community service because this doesn't seem like his thing... at all." Leading Kurt into the car park, Blaine fished out his keys and unlocked the doors with a flick of his thumb. He frowned, suddenly concerned and asked, "You didn't mind me getting you out of there, did you? I mean if you want to stay, we can always go back?"

"No... no, I wanted to get away," Kurt agreed with a hint of a smile. "This weekend..." He sighed and offered his boyfriend an apologetic smile. "I... it isn't the right time. I want it to be perfect. It's us, and it should be perfect. I should be here this weekend." The idea of canceling his rather intimate plans with Blaine to stay with Finn was awkward to say the least, but Kurt knew it was the right thing. He'd just be worrying about Finn if he didn't spend time at his bedside.

Blaine exhaled deeply, reaching out to caress Kurt's cheek. "I understand, believe me I do. And you should be here." What kind of boyfriend would he be to begrudge Kurt spending time with his injured stepbrother? "I'm probably the last person Finn wants to see, but I'd be happy sitting in the waiting room with you." It wasn't his bedroom decorated with flowers, filled with romantic candles and soft music, but a hospital waiting room would be Heaven as long as Kurt was there with him.

Kurt brightened at the prospect. He'd been afraid that Blaine would be hurt, that it might set back the relationship recovery they'd set to work on. Instead he wasn't having to face the prospect of the hospital all by himself. The effect was immediate, and Kurt found himself fairly beaming as he climbed into the passenger seat of Blaine's car. "I have no idea how I got lucky enough to have you," Kurt said with a happy sigh. "We'll find another time... a better time." More quietly, he added, "A little delay doesn't mean I've changed my mind."

"Shh... you don't have to explain," Blaine murmured, his dark eyes flickering with tenderness. It never ceased to amaze him how exquisitely beautiful Kurt was. He had an angel's features and full, sensual lips; sparkling, intelligent blue eyes, and a smooth, silky neck. His body was perfection, his ass a miracle of round sculpted flesh. Blaine felt a throbbing in his heart and between his legs whenever he looked at Kurt. Realizing he was staring a little longer than was decent, Blaine felt his cheeks warm as he started the car. "I'm going to keep you company until your Dad and Carol get back home, okay?"

Overhead thunder rumbled and heavy rain began to fall as Blaine pulled out of the hospital parking lot. It took just ten minutes to get to Kurt's house. In another two minutes they were inside, and they were both soaking wet. "God, we're two drowned rats," Blaine observed, nearly slipping on the linoleum.

"Sexy drowned rats, thank you very much," Kurt answered, though he sighed when he looked down at his outfit. "You have a point, though." The downtrodden expression brightened a bit as he suggested, "Strip. We'll dry these, and you can wear something of mine in the meantime." They were a long way from the same size - Kurt was taller and leaner, and Blaine a good deal more muscular - but it would do in a pinch, and Kurt couldn't really protest the idea of Blaine stripped down to his underwear until they got upstairs to get some dry clothes.

How many times had Blaine dreamed of hearing Kurt ordering him to strip? Hot desire pulsed through him, and he immediately felt a pang of guilt for lusting over his boyfriend when Finn was bruised and broken in the hospital. Blaine tried to shake off the feeling as he offered Kurt a wry smile. "You're actually offering me some of your clothes?" he gently teased. "Can the world handle us both looking super fabulous?" Blaine peeled off his damp shirt, which was sticking to his skin, and then kicked off his shoes and tugged off his pants. The rain had soaked him right through, and his wet boxers highlighted his half-aroused state.

Kurt realized belatedly that he hadn't taken a single stitch of clothing off. Watching Blaine strip down had proved far too distracting, and his mouth watered as he took in the view. He caught Blaine staring right back and blushed. "Oh. Right." With far less grace than he might have preferred, Kurt stripped down to his boxers as well before throwing the pile of wet clothes into the dryer. He tried not to focus too heavily on the idea that what he was doing gave Blaine a rather good view of the fact that his boxers were white, soaked, and clinging rather obscenely to his body.

Blaine swore under his breath, then bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to prevent himself from lunging at Kurt. His gaze, focused intently on the mouthwatering view before him, darkened dramatically. Did Kurt have the faintest idea how unrelentingly tempting he truly was? Even as Blaine pondered that question, he was moving forward, wrapping his arms around Kurt from behind and drawing him in close. The contact alone stole his breath away. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about the last time we were together," he confessed, his warm breath gusting out over Kurt's neck. "Did it really happen, or were we both dreaming?"

Kurt shivered at the feeling of Blaine's breath and leaned back into his boyfriend's arms. "Really happened," he affirmed, heart beating a bit faster. He wondered how long they had before his dad and Carol got back from the hospital and felt a quick flash of guilt at even considering such a thing. //Wrong time... isn't it?// "Let's get upstairs." At least then they'd have a little warning if there was a chance of interruption. //Interrupting what exactly?// Kurt put aside such practical questions and turned to kiss Blaine rather thoroughly before he led the way up to his room. The door shut with a comforting click and Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. Hands still on the knob, he turned to face Blaine again with a hint of a smile. "Now... I think there was one last thing we needed to take off."

Blaine could feel incipient sexual shivers all through his flesh. Breathless, his eyes swept hungrily up and down Kurt's frame. Kurt's thick, bulging arousal swelled against the wet fabric sticking with obscene persistence to his skin. It was phenomenally exciting. Quaking and quivering with need, Blaine blinked himself out of the trance he was in and he smiled disarmingly. "Yeah... That might be a good idea."

He hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, tugging them off in one fluid motion. Now that he and Kurt had finally seen each other completely naked, the act of stripping in front of his boyfriend was far easier. No more bashful nerves, only a thrilling warmth. The hardness of his velvet shaft jutted out before him, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Boldly he stepped toward Kurt, closing the gap between them. "Why don't you let me help you?" Blaine whispered, his hands resting on Kurt's hips. He was kissing Kurt's neck and shoulders and, meeting no resistance, began to peel off his boyfriend's wet underwear.

Saying no never crossed Kurt's mind. His eyes fell closed as Blaine helped him out of his boxer briefs. Kurt assisted as best he could without actually getting too far away from Blaine, kicking and shifting until the wet fabric finally fell free. The first contact of their chilled skin together was absolutely delicious. "Oh, god..." He was honestly beginning to wonder why they'd ever waited or been patient when it felt this good to give in. "Love you. And this." As Blaine sucked on his neck, Kurt tipped his head back, heedless of the fact that he bruised like a peach and would probably have ample evidence of just what they'd been doing emblazoned on the skin. "Mmm... don't stop."

Blaine had no intention of stopping. In fact, he very much doubted any power on Earth could have prevented him from thoroughly and completely ravishing Kurt Hummel. "Love you, too," he rasped out, dipping to the other side of Kurt's delicious throat. "Love you more than anything..." His hips churning, Blaine suddenly gasped as his aching length brushed against Kurt's. Electric pleasure surged through him, and he very nearly lost all control right there with Kurt pinned against the bedroom door.

"Not more than... than I love you," Kurt managed even as he gasped. It was hard to remember how to communicate properly when his whole body felt like it was speaking an entirely different - and far more lovely - language. "Blaine-"

"Kurt, we're home!"

The sound of his father's voice from downstairs snapped Kurt out of the momentary frenzy. He cursed and wriggled out of Blaine's grip, fairly diving for his dresser. He threw Blaine a pair of boxers and grabbed some for himself. Knowing none of his slim-fitting pants would do the trick, Kurt settled for giving Blaine some rather well-tailored sweats he'd found during a brief period where he'd intended to start running. The brainstorm had fallen by the wayside as soon as the young man realized that he would have to get disgusting and sweaty on a regular basis to keep up with the activity. "Up here, dad!" he called back reluctantly as soon as he and Blaine were both somewhat decent. "We'll be down in a sec." Looking to his boyfriend, he sighed. "Sorry."

Blaine's heart sank, and the intense sexual rush was quickly replaced by the fear of being pummeled into a bruised and bloodied heap by Kurt's father. Once he was dressed and his prominent arousal had died down, Blaine relaxed and offered Kurt his whispered assurance, "It's alright; there'll be another time." Indulging themselves while Finn was in the hospital probably wasn't the greatest idea to start with. Blaine found it increasingly difficult to control himself around Kurt, especially when his boyfriend insistrf on looking so damned edible.

Kurt leaned in and stole a quick kiss. "Lots of other times," he agreed, taking Blaine's hand as he headed for the stairs. While he didn't want to trap his boyfriend in the middle of any family politics, he wanted a few more minutes of closeness before he released Blaine to go back home. Spotting Carol still looking shaken where she sat on the couch, Kurt immediately offered, "Can I make dinner?" He still felt guilty for having played so large a part in Finn's impulsive actions, and he wanted to do everything in his power to make it right to whatever degree he could.

Carol sniffled and nodded, flashing Kurt a weak smile. "Thank you, Kurt. That would be nice." Not having to cook was one less thing to worry about, and even the smallest things seemed monumental.

"I'll help," Blaine offered, unwilling to leave Kurt's side just yet. Moving into the kitchen, he turned to his boyfriend. "I hope they won't mind my staying a little longer? I don't think I can turn around and go home with everything that's happened. You need me, and this is where I want to be."

"And you're amazing. Absolutely amazing." Kurt grinned over at Blaine and then headed for the fridge. "Hmm... looks like baked chicken it is. I did promise to make you dinner. I'd just expected it to be a bit more romantic." The young man sighed and fished a bag of noodles out of the cabinet before tossing them to Blaine. "You're on pasta duty. There's some alfredo sauce in the cabinet." Though he didn't consider himself a gourmand, Kurt knew he was competent enough and could put together a meal that would at least leave his audience satisfied. "Thank you. For helping. For staying. For..." Kurt spread his hands and finally shook his head. "Everything."

"You don't ever have to thank me, Kurt," Blaine insisted, his smile full of warmth as his dark eyes sparkled at his boyfriend. "I want to be here. There isn't anything in the world I wouldn't do for you." Sealing that vow with another stolen kiss, he set to work helping Kurt prepare the meal. He watched Kurt work diligently, admiring the countertenor's seemingly endless talents. His mind wandered back to the hospital, and Blaine felt his mood darkening over the improbable coincidence of Damien being Finn's nurse. "Kurt," he began, taking a deep breath, “remember when I told you that I'd gotten close to being intimate before? I didn't think there was any reason to get into it, but... Damien, that candy striper looking after Finn? It was him."

Kurt almost dropped the pan he'd been putting in the oven but recovered his composure just in time. He had gotten the feeling that Blaine knew Damien better than he'd said. The revelation that they had been dating - and seriously at that -still came as a shock. Finally Kurt asked quietly, "What happened?"

Blaine flinched a little. He realized he should have been honest with Kurt from the start. "Nothing happened, Kurt - I promise." Exhaling deeply, Blaine moved closer and rested his hands on the counter, either side of Kurt. "You were already dealing with so much, I didn't want to add to it." His gaze, soft and sincere, focused on Kurt as he gently explained, "Then I decided we should never hide anything from each other. Damien and I - well, I don't know if you could even call it 'dating'. Kurt, I was just beginning to figure out who I was when he came along. Things were... intense..." there was that word again, "...and I broke it off."

It was comforting to hear that Blaine had been honest when he said he'd never had a boyfriend before. But what did "intense" mean exactly? After a glance at the door to assure himself that Carol and his father were still in the living room, he ventured, "What... What did the two of you..." He waved a hand uncertainly, "What did you do?" Kurt still had a damn near impossible time picturing his polished, gorgeous boyfriend with someone like Damien.

This was exactly why Blaine had not wanted to open this particular can of worms. "We... messed around," he explained softly. "Made out... a lot." Blaine could feel his skin warming. Telling Kurt about kissing someone else was not high on Blaine Anderson's to-do list. "Damien wanted more, too much more and way too fast... and I wasn't ready."

Kurt nodded slowly, letting himself soak in the information. Though he felt a flare of white hot jealousy, he was rational enough to admit that it wasn't fair of him to hold a perfectly reasonable past relationship against Blaine or be paranoid about it. Heaven knew he had given Blaine far more grief than his boyfriend had ever given him. "Okay," he finally said before smiling. "Well, your taste has obviously improved a great deal since, so I can hardly fault you. I'm... glad you told me." If he'd found out another way, it would have hurt a lot more. As it was, Kurt felt secure knowing that Blaine was being honest with him. "Now, I believe you have some pasta to cook?"

Blaine had all but forgotten about the meal he and Kurt were supposed to be whipping up. "Oh, right, sorry..." Blushing, he turned his attention back to the boiling pot of water on top of the stove. With the pasta almost done, Blaine cast his eyes back over to his boyfriend. "Thanks for understanding, Kurt," he said softly, genuinely relieved. If Finn's stay in the hospital was a prolonged one, then the last thing Blaine wanted was for things to be even more awkward around Damien.

Kurt actually chuckled at that and cast a rueful smile back over his shoulder at Blaine. "Honestly, do I have any room to be a jerk about it?” He gave a shake of his head and sighed. "I don't like the idea of anyone else touching you, frankly, but I knew that it had happened, and... okay, one more question." Turning away from the stove, Kurt fixed a level stare on Blaine. "Not to be rude, but how in the world did someone like you end up even sort of dating someone like him?"

Blaine laughed, "Well, he was the only other gay guy at Dalton." He paused and amended, "That was out, of course." Idly stirring the pasta so that the noodles wouldn't stick to the pot, Blaine's dark eyes couldn't quite focus on the task at hand as his gaze kept insisting on returning to Kurt. "We sorta bonded over that. Only Damien got a little too possessive, if you know what I mean?"

Kurt's eyes widened slightly. "He didn't... hurt you or anything?" If the guy was actually crazy, Kurt was feeling less than confident about leaving Finn in his care, temporary or not. His stepbrother had more than enough issues without some unbalanced jilted lover adding to the mix.

"No," Blaine was quick to reassure Kurt. "He was just really, really intense. Anyway, it's nothing to worry about - believe me." Catching the concern shimmering in his boyfriend's beautiful eyes, Blaine leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to the side of Kurt's mouth. "Do you want me to set the table?" he asked, wearing a sweet smile.

Kurt let the tension melt away and nodded. Despite the bad blood between him and Finn, he knew that Blaine wouldn't have held back if he thought Damien was a real danger. "Yes, please. I'll have dinner out in just a minute." It was pleasantly domestic preparing a meal with Blaine, and Kurt allowed himself to feel the thrill of the extra closeness for a moment. They were moving into new territory. He liked it. A lot.

Once they were seated with Burt and Carol, Blaine found that the warm mood that had grown between himself and Kurt developed into something far more somber. It was only to be expected with so many worry in the air over Finn's condition. They ate mostly in silence, with Carol thanking both him and Kurt once the meal was over and done with. Blaine offered to clear away the dishes, hoping to get another moment alone with Kurt in the kitchen.

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief once the two of them were alone again. He loved his father and he loved Carol, but the oppressive mood had definitely gotten to him. A little shiver passed through the young man, and he set some dishes in the sink before fairly flinging himself into Blaine's arms. "I wish you could just stay," Kurt complained as he rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. The night ahead would be filled with a lot of worry and, if Kurt wasn't mistaken, not a lot of rest. At least if Blaine could be there beside him... but there was no way that was happening no matter how distracted his dad might be at the moment. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Nothing could keep me away." Blaine embraced Kurt warmly, heedless that the parental units might walk in and interrupt them. "I'll drive you over to the hospital to see Finn whenever you're ready." His hands roamed slowly up and down the length of Kurt's back, comforting him and offering him his love and support. "You're not going to be able to sleep much tonight. I know you'll lay there and worry that pretty head of yours. So," Blaine paused and whispered the last bit close to Kurt's ear, "why don't I call you and keep you company?"

"Mmmm... Will you?" Kurt didn't want to keep Blaine from getting proper rest, but a little help distracting himself from reality sounded perfect. "If I haven't mentioned it in the past few minutes, you are amazing." Kurt's voice dropped as he added, "And incredibly hot."

"I was about to tell you the same thing," Blaine replied, his own tone dropping several registers as desire spiked anew in his heart. He embraced Kurt a little tighter, relishing the sensation of their bodies pressed together. His lips brushed over Kurt's neck, and Blaine realized that if he didn't force himself away then he might never leave. "Walk me out to the car?"

After catching his breath and snagging his clothes from the dryer, Blaine said goodbye to Burt and Carol and offered his best wishes for Finn's speedy recovery. The storm which had soaked both himself and Kurt to the bone had passed, and the night air smelled of fresh rain. "As soon as I get home, I'm going to call you," promised Blaine, unlocking the door. "Get yourself a bath, hop into bed and wait for me?"

Kurt blushed and nodded. The husky note in Blaine's voice sent shivers up his spine. "I will. Drive carefully," he added, tone shifting to something slightly more serious for a moment. The idea of something happening to Blaine... he pushed the fear away and stole another kiss before reluctantly releasing his boyfriend. "But quickly."