Finn had already put an enormous distance between himself and the house. He was drawn toward Damien like a magnet, and he had no intention of turning back now. The urge to be bitten and fed upon again was so great that he could barely take a step without trembling. All too soon, however, he became aware of being followed. And Finn turned on his heels to confront his pursuer. "Kurt!" he cried out. "Go back home. Leave me the fuck alone, okay? I don't need you babysitting me, especially when you can't even take care of yourself." It wasn't Finn talking, because Finn Hudson would have balked at the slightest harshest word toward his stepbrother. The hunger to be a vampire's prey had taken over. And he would do anything--say anything--to get rid of Kurt.

Kurt's eyes flashed, and he closed the distance between them. The sudden flare of anger was good. He clung to it since it kept him from thinking about the fact that they were close to the bar, close to Blaine's apartment, so close that he could barely keep himself from sprinting away from Finn to find the vampire and beg for forgiveness. "Is that so? One of us has been trying to get back to normal. One of us has been moping around over someone whose name he doesn't even remember, someone who left him for dead on a doorstep and then tried to kill him again." Letting the anger flow through him until he was almost vibrating with rage, Kurt shook his finger at the other teen. "If he wanted you, he wouldn't have done this, and you know it! You're being an idiot, and I'm just trying to keep you from getting yourself killed!"

"Me?" If Finn had been in his right frame of mind, then he would have been proud to see his stepbrother stranding up for himself. As it was, his senses were clouded with only thoughts of Damien. And the jock lashed out angrily at Kurt. "You're the one who lied to all of us! Sneaking out and seeing that vampire you can't stop thinking about. How the hell do you think I got like this in the first place? Because I was out looking for you!" His words bit into the night air, cold and harsh. Finn's fists clenched, and he was taken aback to discover that he was ready to do anything--anything at all--to be with Damien again. Then, he stopped short. Nearby, somewhere in the darkness, came a pitiful moan. It seemed to snap Finn back to his old self. And he bit his lip, looking pale and decidedly guilty over his verbal assault. Again, the cry floated toward his ears. "What... was that?" he whispered to Kurt, as if the heated exchange had never taken place.

Though he was still vibrating with anger, the sound of pain was enough to shake Kurt out of the moment as well... especially since the low groan sounded so familiar. His heart clenched, and Kurt started running without a thought of saying something to Finn. What he saw when he rounded the corner to the alley only made him feel that much worse. The shock of curly dark hair was all too familiar, but the horrific bands of red across Blaine's skin that were lined with what was apparently silver chain made him feel ill. "Get away from him!" Kurt shrieked to the dirty-looking pair hovering over Blaine. One of them had an IV in the vampire's arm draining away his blood.

Kurt didn't even realize what was happening, but his bright eyes began to glow an electric blue. Anger and a strange sense of power flowed through him as Kurt's fists clenched at his sides. The drainers, who had been glaring at him a moment before, paled at the sight. They still didn't move, and Kurt drew in a breath. As he let it out, Kurt thrust his hand out in a warning gesture. It proved more than a simple warning. The male drainer was thrown hard back against the brick wall by an unseen force while his partner screamed. Kurt looked at his own hand in surprise but did his best to recover quickly, at least outwardly. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave and turn yourselves in. NOW!" The resounding shout seemed to jar both of the criminals from their sudden fear-induced stupor.

They were soon gone, and Kurt threw himself onto the ground next to the vampire. "Blaine? Sweetheart, please... are you... are you okay?" As he spoke, Kurt carefully began to peel away the silver. His stomach turned at the way Blaine's flesh looked beneath the confining and deceptively delicate chains. He impulsively lifted Blaine's marred hand to his lips and kissed it. "Blaine?"

Snapping out of his glamor-induced stupor, Finn helped to run the drainers off. His size gave him a distinct advantage of intimidation, even if Finn had no idea who or what drainers were. As the group disappeared into the night with an IV bag filled with vampire blood, Finn hurried to his stepbrother's side. It was almost as if the argument between them had never happened. He had never been more proud of Kurt in that moment. But, as the jock dropped to his knees, his gaze fell upon the rich, dark pools of blood. And Finn's mind clouded over again...

"Kurt?" It was little more than a hoarse whisper. Blaine sensed his lover's presence, and he tried in vein to reach out for him. But he was far too weak. He didn't even have the energy to open his eyes.

Finn, meanwhile, instinctively knew exactly what was wrong with the vampire. Maybe it was due to his intense connection with Damien, or something else entirely. Either way, he reached for the fallen switchblade that had been left behind. And, without a second thought, he slice his wrist and pressed the wound against Blaine's lips. Euphoria washed over Finn, who trembled at the touch of those soft, cool lips. It wasn't the same as being fed upon by Damien--or Mike, for that matter--but the same sense of excitement he had been missing gripped him.

It happened so quickly that Kurt didn't even have a chance to reach out to stop Finn as the blade lashed across his skin. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind from jealousy to gratitude to a lecture about how stupid it was to use the knife when they had no idea where it had been. Kurt stifled all of the reactions with an extreme effort and continued his shaky efforts to remove all of the silver. Finally the chain was free of Blaine's flesh, and he shoved the length into his pocket. Already some of the wounds were slowly beginning to knit, though the angry red cast hadn't yet left the pale skin. Kurt found himself clutching Blaine's hand tightly in his own. "Finn, that's enough." His stepbrother had lost too much recently to be able to afford to give up much blood no matter what Blaine might need - or what Finn might want. The command seemed to have no effect, and Kurt put as much force into his tone as he could given the situation as he repeated, "Stop."

Kurt's order fell on deaf ears; Finn was too far-gone to stop. He shivered and moaned, lost in the feeling of the vampire feeding ravenously on his blood. Blaine found himself similarly lost; his hunger insatiable. With his strength slowly returning, he reached up and grasped Finn's arm, holding it to his mouth and drinking greedily as the crimson elixir flowed over his lips. His mind fogged, and there was only one goal: to sate his hunger. Blood, rich and sweet, warmed him, and Blaine's baser vampiric instincts took hold. He started to grow aroused from the feeding, now heedless that an anxious Kurt was kneeling beside him. His groans of desire echoed Finn's, who did not care that as the vampire's heath returned his own flagged dangerously.

"STOP!" The command was more than a suggestion this time. Kurt could feel the strange power from earlier flowing through him and gave Finn what he'd intended to be a gentle shove that ended with Finn being thrown back forcefully from the vampire and very nearly into the brick wall. It hadn't been what he intended, but it was better than nothing. He hurried to Finn's side, eyes back to their normal color and thoroughly shaken by the whole thing. //What's wrong with me?// He couldn't think, couldn't even begin to formulate any sort of a theory as he reached for his stepbrother's arm. "Finn?" Kurt pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around the other teen's arm to quickly staunch the flow of blood.

Finn blinked up at Kurt, dazed and confused. He opened his mouth to speak, only to immediately close it again. Hurt and drained, he glanced down and was shocked to see the state of his arm, which Kurt was taking great care of. How had he hurt himself? Finn honestly couldn't remember. He glanced past his stepbrother, catching his breath at the sight of the shirtless vampire stirring on the ground. "What... what happened?" he managed in a hoarse whisper. "Is that... Blaine?" The blood ringing fallen figure's mouth sparked a memory, and Finn glanced down at the red stain seeping through Kurt's jacket. He'd obviously cut himself to feed the vampire. But knowing it still shocked him.

Blaine, his fangs still bared, had felt a momentary pang of rage over being denied blood. Only he still felt weak, and the lust he felt to drink more left him helpless. "Kurt?" he called out, searching for his lover. Had he dreamed that the mortal had found him? No, he could still smell that intoxicating scent that was distinctly Kurt Hummel nearby. Blaine tried to move, tried to get to him... only to fall back with a groan.

"Don't stop holding this," Kurt ordered Finn, only letting go of the jacket when he was sure that Finn understood the command. The pain in Blaine's voice was too much. He moved to the vampire's side at once and couldn't help reaching down to take his hand again. The simple contact was heartbreaking. It was so easy, so right, and Kurt wondered if he'd ever be able to make himself let go again. Though it had been the last thing on his mind when he came over, Blaine's obvious weakness and continued pallor prompted him to ask softly, "Do you need more? You can have it. You need to heal. They took... I think they took a lot of blood."

Blaine was tempted. Oh, he was so tempted to accept Kurt's offer. He longed to taste him again, to be close to him, and to love him. But... it was far to dangerous. Jeremiah was dead, and Blaine feared that he would lose control all over again. "No," he croaked, licking the residue of Finn's blood from his lips. "Thank you, Kurt... no, I can't... I'll be fine." The vampire struggled to his feet--grasping Kurt's warm, comforting hand--only to collapse to his knees. "I have to get back home," he insisted, cursing himself for his folly. "Damien, he can help me."

At the mention of Damien's name Finn perked up. Clutching Kurt's makeshift bandage, he fought against a rush of dizziness as he moved closer to the pair. "We can help," he told Blaine. "Between us, we can get you home."

Kurt hesitated given Finn's condition but then nodded. "He's right. We can help." With his stepbrother's help, they got Blaine to his feet and began the slow trek back to his apartment. It was difficult not to get closer, difficult not to press kisses to Blaine's hair and whisper that it would be fine, that he wouldn't leave again. The very idea of leaving Blaine behind when he was hurt and in pain and needed help was enough to leave Kurt's heart aching. He held the vampire as close as he dared as he and Finn ushered the man upstairs. The walk was surprisingly easy, Blaine needing them more for balance than anything else, and Finn seemed to have snapped out of it enough to truly help.

Though it made his cheeks flush bright red, Kurt fished Blaine's key from his pocket and opened the door for them so that they could get the vampire over to the couch. He still looked paler than usual and woozy to boot. "You should take more," he whispered softly. "You need it. I can tell." And he would have been lying if he said that he didn't, that he wasn't desperate for any touch he could get, any closeness, anything that might keep him there for a few moments more.

Finn had never seen Kurt look at anyone the way he did Blaine. He almost felt as if he were intruding on a very intimate moment. And it still stunned him to think he himself had mindlessly taken a knife to his arm in order to feed a vampire. However, the act had done little to sate his own need. He wanted Damien, and he ached to feel his cool mouth on his throat again. What jolted Finn from his stupor was Blaine's sudden outburst...

"No, Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed with what little energy he could muster. "I already killed someone last night, and I'm not going to do the same thing to you..."

Silence hung heavy in the air. Finn blinked, and then, brotherly concern taking over, he moved protectively toward Kurt. "Wait, you killed somebody?" he whispered, wondering if Damien's warning about keeping Blaine and Kurt apart had more to do with his stepbrother's safety than jealousy.

Absolutely stunned by the confession, Kurt could do little more than stare. "You... couldn't have," he finally answered, the words weak and stupid but the only ones he could find when the ability to speak at all finally returned. He found himself still kneeling in front of the vampire, his eyes searching Blaine's face when the door opened.

"Hey, I-" Damien cut himself off at the sight of the two mortals in the room. "Didn't know you were expecting company." He felt a rush of annoyance at Kurt's presence and an even more annoying flash of guilt at Finn's. Having him hanging around, hot piece of ass or not, was the last thing that he needed. "I need to talk to Blaine."

There was no doubt that the words were a dismissal, and Kurt felt his heart sink. He didn't want to leave Blaine, wanted to understand what in the world the man could be talking about. It didn't make sense. Blaine couldn't kill someone. Though he knew that he should probably take the hint and get moving, Kurt couldn't help reaching for Blaine's hand again. "I... I just want to be sure you're alright..."

Blaine almost squeezed Kurt's hand in return. He had missed the mortal with a palpable longing ache. And it took every ounce of his self control not to draw Kurt into his arms, because he wanted nothing more than to embrace him and to never let him go. But the vampire feared harming Kurt far too much, and he abruptly wrenched himself free of his warm, comforting grasp. "I'll be fine," he murmured, unable to bring himself to catch Kurt's gaze. "Damien will look after me. You'd better go."

Finn, who had been openly staring at Damien all this time, could not help but notice the sting of Blaine's words. If Blaine really was dangerous, then Kurt would be better off without him. "You're welcome," he tossed at the vampire. "You know, for saving your life?" Finn tugged on his stepbrother's arm. "Come on, Kurt. Let's go home." It took a monumental effort to walk by Damien without acknowledging him. But the jock could somehow sense Damien willing him not to.

The door closed behind them with a resounding click, and Kurt felt his legs threaten to give way beneath him. Losing Blaine once had been painful. Leaving him behind yet again was awful. He was hurt, confused - because he couldn't have killed anyone. "He wouldn't... wouldn't do that," Kurt mumbled to himself, finding it difficult to shake off the shock of the evening. For once it was Finn leading him along toward home, and Kurt was grateful. He could barely remember to walk, let alone pay attention to where they were going. Seeing Blaine and going through whatever had happened in the alley were draining away the grace that Kurt had managed to scrape together to handle the situation. Kurt reached out for Finn's sleeve, insisting, "He wouldn't," almost desperately.

In order to distract himself from the magnetic pull of Damien's influence, Finn focused solely on his distressed stepbrother. "It's okay, Kurt," he replied comfortingly. "I believe you. If you say he didn't do it, then he didn't do it." He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the evening's events settling in. His arm throbbed, and his head felt as if it was filled with cotton. Not only that, but his shoes seemed to have turned into lead weights. "Look, I dunno what's wrong with me," Finn confessed guiltily. "I ran out of the house the minute you turned your back... and I don't know why. No, that's not true... I do know. I wanted to find..." He almost said Damien's name, only to choke on his words. "...that vampire again."

Kurt nodded, Finn's acceptance of his protests apparently having mollified him at least momentarily. "I know. He did something... used glamour. It's not your fault." Swallowing, Kurt looked at his stepbrother uncertainly. "Did you see... what happened? With the... the drainers?" He was starting to wonder if he'd had some sort of hysterical episode. Maybe it hadn't really happened at all. Certainly it didn't make any sense to think he could physically move either of the pair, and certainly not without touching them. //It's crazy, isn't it?//

Finn refused to believe it was just a vampire spell that had taken hold of his senses. There was more between him and Damien than that. He was sure of it. But he kept his thoughts to himself. Kurt knew way more about vampires and their ways than he did. That troubled him, because it only added to the innumerable things Finn Hudson couldn't wrap his mind around. "No," he finally answered. "I... kinda spaced out. Did we scare them off? Must have, right?" He paused, his brow furrowing. "But... why were they taking vampire blood. I don't get it."

//It didn't happen. It couldn't have happened.// Satisfied that at least part of the bizarre night was nothing more than fancy on his part, Kurt took a deep breath. "It's... some people take it like a drug," he explained gently. It was surprising sometimes just how innocent Finn could really be. Though the vampire underworld was something he'd only dipped his toes into, Kurt had been enthralled by the idea from the moment they came out of the metaphoric closet. He and Mercedes had spent more than a few nights exchanging gossip and reading up, which had resulted in a pretty clear picture of the culture growing up around the world's newest members. "They say it makes you feel elated, high I guess." Since Finn definitely didn't need another reason to go after the vampire that had attacked him, Kurt cut himself off. Finn didn't need to know what he and Blaine had done together, not more than he did already.

"Oh." Finn would have never have guessed. But it did explain why Puck had been so interested in hearing the details of his and Kurt's encounters with vampires. Having gorged himself on horror movies his whole life, Finn had always associated the act of drinking vampire blood with being turned into an honest-to-goodness member of the undead. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it might be like to taste a vampire that way. But he suddenly found himself more than a little intrigued. //Would Damien let me...?// Finn shook his head. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about things like that. "I guess I really don't know much about vampires," he admitted with a guilty shrug. "What're we gonna do if Mom and Burt are home? They're gonna kill both of us."

"For going to Breadstix?" Kurt answered, trying to sound more flippant than he felt. He gently eased the coat away from Finn's arm, wincing at the realization that it was destined for the trash. "I can patch this up well enough for it to heal if you keep it covered so they don't see it until we're upstairs. I don't think... they don't really need to know about this, do they?" They'd both been stupid in different ways, and Kurt wasn't anxious to get another lecture about how evil vampires were when he was hurting so badly. He wasn't sure his heart could take it. "They can't expect us to stay locked in the house all the time. As far as they know, it was a purely social outing because I burned dinner." And it would be burned by now from warming in the oven for too long, so that was a start.

Leave it to Kurt to think of a brilliant excuse. "Okay, yeah, bro... that'll work," Finn enthused, grateful that his stepbrother had more smarts than he did. "Erm..." He paused again, uncertain and still feeling guilty over his actions. "I'm sorry for being a jerk. You know, about you and Blaine." Finn's gaze shied toward Kurt's, his crooked smile bordering on bashful. "Vampire or not, I guess I didn't really get how much he meant to you till tonight." Indeed, he had never seen Kurt look at any one the way he did Blaine. And, again, it puzzled Finn over why Damien was so dead set against the two of them being together. It sparked another pang of jealousy deep within him, which was becoming more and more frequent.

Kurt swallowed hard, tears shining in his eyes as he looked away. "It's alright. I understand. It... I know it doesn't make any sense, feeling this much for him. I... I can't... I can't explain it." Kurt wrapped his arms around himself and breathed a sigh of relief when the house was in sight again. "I know it makes me seem a little crazy. Or desperate. Both. It's not that, though, it's just... us. Something about it... we..." Kurt shook himself and squared his shoulders, wishing he could just forget it all. "It doesn't matter."

"Wait a minute. It's important to you, so... yes, it damn well does matter." Finn had never been more certain of anything. He reached out and squeezed Kurt's shoulder, taking care not to use his cut arm. "You're not the one running off into the night acting crazy and desperate. That's me." Unable to even begin to explain the frantic need he felt to be with Damien, Finn knew it was nothing compared to what Kurt and Blaine shared. //So, what is it? Lust?// Distracting himself with a quick glance at the driveway, he was relieved to see that he and Kurt had beaten their parents home. They still had time to do something about his wound without anyone else finding out.

Kurt hesitated for only a moment before impulsively wrapping Finn in a gentle hug, mindful of his hurt arm. "Thank you. Now," he added, taking a deep breath and nodding toward the house, "let's get you fixed up." Once they were in the bathroom under between lighting, Kurt found the wound even more revolting. It was a clean cut, though, straight and sure. "It should heal nicely, but you'll have to wear long sleeves." Again the desire to point out that Finn shouldn't have done it in the first place surfaced, but he pushed that back. Gently Kurt cleaned the skin and used butterfly bandages to make sure the edges healed together to minimize scarring. When that was taken care of, he wrapped gauze over Finn's forearm. "That way you won't knock it against something and start the bleeding again. You've lost more than enough blood already."

"Yeah," Finn agreed quietly. Away from Damien's influence, he still longed to be with the vampire... but his head was a little clearer. "I'm gettin' kinda scared, to tell the truth. Man, Kurt... what the hell am I doing?" He shook his head, glancing down at his stepbrother's expert dressing of his wound. "One minute I'm fine, then next... I feel like I'm going to die if I don't give up my blood." Unsure whether Kurt could truly understand what he was going through, Finn was still lost on exactly what being glamored actually meant. "You know, you're awesome at this," he proclaimed, holding up his arm. "Seriously, dude. You could be a nurse or something."

Kurt smiled at the complement but then gave a slight shake of his head. "I don't know about that. Scrubs aren't flattering on anyone, and I'm not sure I'd take very good care of someone I didn't care about already." Nursing his father had been easy because he wanted the man to be safe and healthy. Nursing Finn was easy for the same reasons. Whatever awkwardness there was in the past between them, Kurt loved Finn as part of his family. His tone sobered slightly as he met Finn's gaze again. "You should talk to your mother. Be honest with her. They're worried about you too, and maybe she won't understand quite the same way I do, but she might be able to help." If Carol would just tell Finn what had happened with his father, maybe he'd understand why he was predisposed to falling prey to the vampire who'd been using him, and maybe it would help him to control the need. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, bro," Finn replied, genuinely touched by Kurt's concern. "Whatever this is, I think it's just got to get out of my system." He appreciated his stepbrother's notion of talking with his mother. But when Finn himself had no idea what was going on, let alone how he was truly feeling, then that was out of the question. "I'm kind of... okay... during the day," he offered, sounding a little unsure. "It's when it starts getting late that I go... well, crazy." Finn shrugged, then glanced sheepishly at Kurt. "Do you think we could... I don't know... maybe make a deal? You bunk up with me to keep an eye on me till I'm better?"

"I think I'd like that, actually." While he didn't want to spend the rest of his life being Finn's keeper, Kurt knew he'd get no rest at all if he couldn't be sure his stepbrother was safe. Besides that was the fact that he didn't like the thought of being alone. He didn't entirely trust himself either. If he was by himself at night, he might lose his own sense of what was right, might sneak away to try and explain to Blaine why he'd left, to beg forgiveness and try to find a way to fix things. //Not unless I can convince dad that Blaine isn't like the others.// And with Blaine doubting himself, Kurt didn't know that it would ever happen. He let the hope die away and swallowed hard. "Maybe you can keep an eye on me too."

Finn grinned lopsidedly, and clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Then, it's a deal," he agreed, glad that he and his stepbrother were on solid ground again. "I know Mom and Burt'll probably wonder what the hell we're up to. But we're looking out for each other like bros. I mean, they can't have a problem with that... right?" Suddenly his stomach growled, and Finn realized that his earlier escape meant that both he and Kurt had missed dinner. His most recent loss of blood had left the jock completely famished. "Any chance we can throw something together before the parental units return?" he asked sheepishly.

Kurt rolled his eyes but agreed just the same and led the way downstairs. "Maybe the pasta isn't entirely ruined." He'd put it in dishes warming in the oven, and when he pulled it out, the noodles were dry but otherwise unscathed. "Edible. Not wonderful, but edible." Kurt refreshed both portions with a little bit of sauce from the fridge and then set them down on the table. His stomach rebelled at the idea of food, but Kurt forced himself to eat. After the exchange with Finn, he felt a bit more like himself, and he refused to become a cliche, wasting away and pining. "I think they'll understand - dad and Carol? I think they'll understand, us staying together for awhile."

Finn wolfed down his food, feeling more and more normal with every bite. It was strange, but he didn't quite feel the enormous draw toward Damien. Of course it was still there, only not as strong. Finn felt unsure whether it qualified as a good thing or not. Shaking his head as if to clear it, the jock swallowed down another mouthful of food. "I think you're right," he agreed, downing his soda. "They both know we've been through a lot, and we're just hanging out so... yeah, I don't think it'll be a problem." Finishing up, he wiped his mouth and grinned at Kurt. "You'd make one one awesome chef if Broadway didn't work out," he complimented, pushing himself up from the table. Unfortunately the action was a little too swift, and Finn teetered precariously on his feet. "Whoa--head rush."

Kurt reached for Finn's arm and steadied him, keeping hold of the limb as they made for the stairs. "I don't think falling down the stairs would put you in better shape." As it was, he was glad they'd gotten some food into his stepbrother. With the loss of blood, he probably would have been in even rougher shape otherwise. "I think it's the perfect night for an early bedtime." Kurt ushered Finn into the bedroom to get himself ready before disappearing briefly into his own to change, wash his face, and grab his laptop.

Silly as he felt, Kurt couldn't help the impulse that had been itching at him all day. He determined that Finn was still in the bathroom getting ready for bed and sat down cross-legged on the air mattress before firing up YouTube. It took only seconds before he found what he was looking for and hastily plugged in some headphones.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Finn finished up and emerged wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms. He started to call Kurt's name, only to find the other teenager wearing headphones and engrossed in watching something on his laptop. //Blaine.// Finn recognized him almost at once. Then, something... strange happened as Blaine's features filled the screen. His heart lurched, pumping hot blood through his veins. He felt an irrational surge of lust. It was so powerful that Finn was leaning in closer to take in the view, unaware that his bare chest was brushing Kurt's back.

The sudden warmth against his back made Kurt jump. "FINN!" he hissed, jerking the buds from his ears and slamming the laptop shut. His cheeks were blazing, and he felt stupid both for being so surprised and for what he'd been caught doing. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Kurt swallowed hard and looked back over his shoulder to see Finn all but leering at the laptop. "What?" he demanded, tone suddenly guarded and uncertain.

Kurt's voice broke through his stupor, and Finn almost reeled back in surprise. "N-nothing," he stammered, his whole body warming. "Chill, dude. Seriously, I was just seeing what you were watching." If only it were that simple. He realized with a shock that he had been openly lusting at the image of Blaine on Kurt's laptop. Finn tried to brush the incident off, but there was no denying the fact that he'd felt an intense draw toward the vampire. This confused the already flustered jock no end. But the last thing he wanted was for his stepbrother to know. "So, erm... Blaine used to sing like us?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

That seemed to relax Kurt somewhat, and he smiled softly. "Yes. He was in glee club at school." Kurt opened the lid of the laptop with extra care as if to apologize for the abrupt closure a few moments before and pulled the buds out of the hookup so that the speakers took over. He hit the space bar and the music began to play softly, a harmonic ballad that was a perfect blend of the all-male vocals with Blaine front and center. "It would have been so much easier if I'd met him then... just a year ago... Then he just would have been..." Kurt shrugged. He just would have been Blaine, and there would have been nothing that could have kept them apart.

Finn pursed his lips, finding his gaze inexorably drawn toward Blaine once again. His pulse quickened, and he felt the same rush of desire he felt for Damien suddenly fixating on someone else. It made absolutely no sense to Finn, but nothing about this week could be classified under the heading of logic. Another shake of his head only served to make the jock dizzy, so he opted for diving into his bed and trying to ignore Blaine's mesmerizing eyes peering out at him from the laptop. "Hey, it's better you met at all... right?" he offered, hoping that would be enough to make his stepbrother feel better. "Maybe... maybe I could talk to Burt... you know, about you and Blaine?" Finn surprised himself. Without Damien's voice in his head telling him to keep the two apart, he seemed to be thinking a little more clearly. Although a part of him wondered if he was doing it for Kurt or himself.

"I don't think it would make a difference," Kurt ventured, biting his lip, "but... but if you really don't mind..." He knew it wouldn't matter. His father and Carol had perfectly valid reasons for what they believed. He understood them. Unfortunately understanding didn't make it any easier to be apart from the man he loved when he knew Blaine wasn't a danger to anyone. "Thank you, Finn." Closing the laptop again, Kurt forced himself to lay down on the bed with a sigh. "I appreciate that you're willing to do it whether it changes his mind or not." It was strange, but Kurt realized that all the bizarre things they were going through were serving ultimately to make the two of them closer and more like brothers than ever before.

"You don't have to thank me, bro," Finn replied, suppressing a pang of guilt. "I... I shouldn't've been so against you and Blaine in the first place. You know what you want, you've got a good head on your shoulders... It was wrong not to trust you." Again, he could not fathom why it was such a huge deal to Damien for Blaine and Kurt not to be together. Only the jealousy Finn had felt before did not seem quite as strong. Now he was confused over his sudden, intense attraction to Blaine... which absolutely, positively was the most wrong thing ever. "Erm, Kurt... are you sure Blaine's gonna be okay? He looked pretty messed up after all that."

Kurt swallowed hard at the thought of Blaine after the attack, how broken and pained he had looked. He found himself wanting to throw the covers off and run through the night until he was by the vampire's side again. "Damien was with him," Kurt offered, the words soft and not particularly enthusiastic. Silence fell for a few moments more before he added, "I don't trust him. Damien. I know he's... he's Blaine's family, his sire, and it's my fault that things are the way they are, but... I... I just wish I was there." Kurt buried his face in his pillow for a moment to breathe and stifle the tears that were threatening to fall. Finally he turned his head and asked, "Am I doing the right thing? I... don't want dad to stop trusting me, I don't want to hurt him, but this is... I don't know if I can do this."

"Hey, no you can do anything," Finn replied, shifting over to offer his stepbrother what little support he had to give. "You're Kurt Hummel, remember?" He gave Kurt's shoulder a friendly nudge, hoping he could lift the other teenager's mood again. It was partly his fault that Kurt was suffering in the first place. If Damien hadn't insisted on driving a wedge between the two, then maybe things would have been better. Finn already felt guilt, and seeing how being torn apart from Blaine was hurting his stepbrother only made things worse. Although Damien's glamour, spell... whatever it was... had lessened, Finn still couldn't divulge the truth. Kurt would hate him for the rest of his life if he knew what had really happened. "Look, I don't know if it'll do any good. But I'll try and talk to your dad tomorrow." Finn flashed a hopeful grin. "The worst he can do is say 'no,' right?"

"Right," Kurt agreed with a hint of a smile. He knew that Finn's words would make no difference to his father - might actually have the opposite effect - but the sentiment was sweet all the same. He forced himself to lie back down on the air mattress. It was strategically positioned so that Finn would more or less have to step on it to get out of his bed, effectively blocking him from any late night excursions while Kurt slept unless he wanted to brave crawling over the chest at the foot of his bed. Laden as it was with books, paper, and miscellaneous goods, the odds of managing the task without waking his stepbrother were slim to none. "Get some sleep. We still have class in the morning. At least it's Friday," Kurt observed. It was meant to sound cheerful but fell utterly flat. The weekend would be a long string of hours that Kurt would need to fill with something to keep both his mind and Finn's off of what they were missing.

The events of the day had left Finn completely drained, and it didn't take much effort on his part to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. For the first time in what seemed like ages he didn't dream about Damien. Instead, his slumber was filled with confusing images. He found himself wandering through the night, the streets filled with fog. Searching around, he only became more and more lost and frantic... until he discovered a figure lying on the ground... bound with silver. "Blaine?" Finn dropped to his knees, glancing down to see his wrist streaming with blood. The urge to feed the vampire overcame him, and he was offering himself to Blaine without a second thought.

"Blaine..." he moaned in his sleep, writhing beneath the covers.

Kurt was jarred from a light, uneasy sleep by the sound of Finn's voice. As the murmuring whisper sounded again, he felt his breath catch. Finn was moaning Blaine's name. Actually moaning. Irrational jealousy boiled up inside of Kurt at the thought. It was bad enough that Finn had gotten close to Blaine, had gotten to touch him when Kurt had been turned away. He bit his lip to try and stifle the urge to reached up and shake Finn awake. He needed the rest, and he couldn't control his dreams, Kurt reminded himself sternly. It did nothing to ease the tension twisting inside him. Because it didn't just bother him that Finn was dreaming about the man he was in love with. It bothered him that Blaine could have anyone he wanted. He could be sharing his bed with someone new already, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

The dream went on and on, and Finn was utterly oblivious to the effect his soft moaning of Blaine's name was having on his stepbrother. If he had been coherent enough to realize what was going on, then Finn would have been totally embarrassed and completely appalled. But, as it was, his dreaming mind melted in the ecstasy of being fed upon by Blaine. The vampire had released his wrist, only to lunge forward, pin him to the ground, and sink his fangs into his throat. Finn could feel the hot blood rushing from his body and filling Blaine's mouth. Finn writhed in his bed, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out all over his body as he fisted the sheets. With a sharp gasp, Finn woke... and he blinked in the darkness of the room in confusion. "What the hell--?" he panted out, holding his head in his hands.

"You were dreaming about Blaine," Kurt answered stiffly. He knew he couldn't hold it against Finn. After everything he'd been through the past few days, it was a minor miracle that he was even half sane anymore. //It's a miracle that either of us are sane.// The thought made Kurt swallow hard. He didn't want to end up crying again, but he was on the edge of it. More quietly, his voice ragged despite his best attempts to keep hold of himself, Kurt managed, "Don't tell me about it. I'm sorry, but... don't."

Finn didn't know how to react. He'd never felt more mixed up in all his life. Scared, confused, flustered, and excited, his emotions had been swept up into a whirlpool that threatened to drown him. How could he even begin to explain himself to Kurt when he didn't understand any of it himself? Of course, Kurt didn't want to hear about his dream... But Finn agnozined over having it in the first place. "Kurt, man... I'm sorry, really... really sorry," he stammered out, still breathless. "Listen, I don't know what's wrong with me. The last thing I wanna do is hurt you... or dream about Blaine." Finn shook his head. "I think I've lost my mind."

Kurt shook his head, feeling the cracks that were forming in the cool facade he wore widening. He had kept himself together for everyone, held everything back, hadn't broken down at all. Part of Kurt was proud of the effort and how successful he'd been, but another part was screaming at him that he couldn't keep that up forever. Inside the effort made him thrum with pain trapped just beneath the surface. "It's not you," he managed in a harsh whisper, the sound ending in a broken sound very close to a sob. "I just... hearing you... I just... all I could think about was him... finding someone... someone else..." The tears were flowing before Kurt could even try to hold them back, and he buried his face in the pillow in an unsuccessful attempt to shield Finn from what he felt was an unforgivable lapse. //You're supposed to be the one helping him.//

//Shit.// Finn felt even worse than before. Seeing Kurt in this state was something he couldn't handle, especially because his stepbrother's pain was partly his fault. "Why... Kurt, why would he do that?" he faltered, shifting out of bed and awkwardly resting his hand on Kurt's back. "I saw the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. It's... I've never seen two people so in love. He wouldn't look for anybody else. I know he wouldn't." Now Finn wasn't sure if that was good or bad considering his own tormented and confused feelings. But he couldn't allow Kurt to go on doubting himself or the love he had for Blaine. "You and he'll work this out somehow, bro. So, c'mon, stop worrying." He sighed, tugging the countertenor closer. "Not a lot of good to anyone right now, but I promise I'm gonna help. I really will."

Kurt let Finn's gentle pulling draw him in, and before he knew it, he was sobbing into Finn's shirt and shaking his head. "He won't listen. Dad won't... he... they just want to keep us safe and... but..." He found himself on the verge of telling Finn precisely why Burt and Carol were so insistent on keeping them away from vampires and then thought again. Even upset he couldn't bring himself to hurt Finn that way. Instead he drew back and took a few deep breaths to try and get hold of himself. "I should want Blaine to find someone he can really be with. I should. It isn't fair of me to want him to be alone."

"What you need to do is talk to Blaine," Finn decided, running his hands in comforting circle motions on Kurt's back. "Maybe... maybe we can find a way for you to see him. I mean, if you're sure Burt won't listen. Then, he and Mom don't have to know where you are... right?" He hated suggesting Kurt lie to their parents, but his stepbrother needed this more than anything else. Kurt wouldn't be able to function at all if he didn't find a way to make things work with Blaine. "We can just say we've got late practice... or something."

The idea woke a faint trill of hope inside of Kurt. He felt awful for even thinking of lying to his father all over again, but what else could he do? And surely Blaine had just sent him away tonight because he was upset about what Kurt had said about them not seeing each other anymore. If he could make that right... He looked to Finn finally and nodded. "I... do you think... would you cover for me tomorrow? Just for a couple of hours... I'll talk to Mercedes tomorrow if you're okay with it." She would understand, would help them weave the story. Of everyone, she'd been the most quietly supportive. She knew Kurt well enough to see that whatever he was feeling, it wasn't just a passing fancy.

"It's cool," Finn readily agreed. He didn't want to make a habit out of lying to his mom and Burt, but Kurt needed this whether everything worked out or not. For his stepbrother's sake, Finn hoped he and Blaine could find some common ground. "Now, c'mon... You know I can't stand to see you cry. I know I haven't done a great job looking after you lately. But I'm gonna do better, I promise." He managed a crooked, half-smile. "And you have my permission to punch me the next I dream about Blaine." Finn shrugged, adding, "Still dunno where I stand with the whole liking dudes too thing. But I do not want to get on your bad side."

Kurt couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him actually slugging Finn. "That is probably in your best interest," he agreed, feeling better than he had in days. The possibility of righting things with Blaine was enough to take the sting out of everything else. "And you don't have to take care of me. You keep forgetting that I'm older than you are. Not by much, but... still, your freakish, Frankenstein-like height does not make you the older sibling." Kurt smiled up at the other boy to show that the words were teasing. "Given how much of a mess we both are, we may just have to keep looking after each other for awhile."

"Sounds like a plan," Finn agreed, restraining himself from mussing Kurt's hair lest he draw back a nub. "How about we both try and catch s'more z's?" Although he wasn't in a hurry to revisit his confusing dream involving Blaine, the jock was still dead tired, and he and his stepbrother had several hours left until they needed to be up for school. He tumbled back into bed, pulling the sheet up to his chest as his head sank back into the pillow. "We'll get everything settled tomorrow." //One way or another.// Finn didn't want to give Kurt false hope, but he also didn't to see the other teen hurting over Blaine. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to let Damien use him to keep the pair apart. Even if it meant incurring a vampire's wrath.