Blaine had obviously gotten a little too warm in his 'cocoon of comfort' during the night, because he was now mostly free of it. He was still dozing peacefully, facing the back of the couch, but his right leg and arm were draped across the outside of the blanket and his feet dangled precariously over the edge of the cushion behind him. Oh, and he was half-naked.

Kurt stood motionless for a moment, taking in this beautiful sight and trying not stare too hard at Blaine's perfect little butt, thankfully still clad in tight blue boxers, which was also protruding from the bedclothes. His eyes ran up Blaine's naked back to his toned shoulders and bicep, which was tensed as he clung to his pillow. And of course it would be rude not to check out that exposed leg too ... slim and muscular, just the right amount of dark wispy hair-coverage, fairly nice foot as far as feet went. Kurt shuddered - he seriously hated feet.

Kurt knew that he was going to have to drag his gaze away from his beautiful guest's sleeping frame, and did so just in time, as Blaine suddenly gave a shudder and rolled onto his back, exposing much more of his half-naked torso and flashing the front of those form-fitting boxers.

'Ohdeargod!' Kurt whimpered and spun quickly around, smacking his arm against the bathroom doorframe in his haste to get through it. He slammed the door shut before he could think straight and then heard a loud thud from outside. It sounded very much like a man falling off the edge of a sofa.

'Son of a bitch!' Kurt heard Blaine groan as he gasped for breathe against the bathroom door. He gave himself a little shake and looked down at his arm, and then his heel, both of which were red and very sore. 'This guy's gonna kill me.' He whispered to himself, and wondered if he should open the door to check if Blaine was OK. He faintly heard the kettle being filled and guessed that his friend had survived his little fall - and there was no way he could set foot outside of this room in his current state anyway, as almost catching a glimpse of Blaine's 'modesty' had done some serious things to his own.

He hobbled over to the shower and turned it to full, deciding it might be wise to set the water temperature a little cooler than usual. He undressed and immersed himself under the steady flow of lukewarm water, not even flinching at how different it felt to his usual steaming hot showers. He gratefully let the water wash over him for a few minutes, deciding to refrain from his usual medley of showstopping shower tunes in case Blaine heard him, and clambered out of the cubicle, draping big, fluffy towels around his waist and shoulders. He glanced at himself in the mirror and pulled a face at his tired, bleary-eyed reflection before applying some moisturiser, brushing his teeth and rinsing with mouthwash.

'Not looking, not looking, not looking.' Kurt chanted to himself as he opened the bathroom door and dashed awkwardly into his bedroom, still dripping wet as he slammed the door behind him. The noise resonated in his aching head and he made a little pact with himself never to drink again. Ever.

There was a tiny knock at the door. 'Kurt?' A sleepy voice croaked gently. 'I made you coffee.'

Kurt opened his door just a fraction, catching sight of a slightly less-naked Blaine and cursing himself for not stealing all of his clothes while he slept. 'Hey. I'll be right out.' he breathed in the cheeriest voice he could muster and smiled appreciatively, pushing the door shut and going into what-to-wear panic mode. He heard Blaine enter the bathroom himself and tried not to eavesdrop.

***

A few minutes later, Kurt was sitting on his couch in sweatpants and an NYU t-shirt wondering if Blaine was OK. He was being very quiet in the bathroom, and Kurt couldn't help but picture nightmare scenarios of him having fallen down the toilet or something equally as dramatic.

Kurt glanced down to Blaine's jeans which were still bundled up on the floor. He was sorely tempted to have a little feel around in the pockets, just to check if Blaine's phone was indeed still in one piece, but he chose not to. Besides, his couch currently smelled all 'Blainey' and he was having trouble concentrating on anything at all.

The bathroom door opened and Blaine emerged, all messy curls and obviously-aching body parts. He groaned and lifted his hand in a pained wave, rolling his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck wearily. Kurt tried not to stare too hard at his torso - Blaine's shirt was back on but he'd neglected to button it up, and the line of hairs from his chest down to his navel was very difficult to ignore. As were the boxers. And the legs.

'Mor...ning.' Kurt laughed slowly, taking a sip of his coffee and scooching over to make more room on the couch. Blaine slumped into the seat beside him and rubbed his face with both hands. He opened his fingers and peered back at Kurt.

'So, last night was fun.' He said gruffly, clearing his throat and reaching for his own drink, unable to stop a smirk spreading across his face.

'Yup.' Kurt trilled and rolled his eyes. They both laughed and Blaine leaned back into the couch to stretch lazily, showing off more of that body and brushing his leg against Kurt's knee. Kurt shuddered.

'Ice-skating followed by dancing is not something my body appears to enjoy all that much.' Blaine sighed heavily, still grinning.

'Not to mention all the performing in public and drinking.' Added Kurt.

'Oh jeez, don't remind me.'

'What? You were very good ...' Kurt laughed, '... at both of them!'

'Yeah. Thanks for all the help with not letting that happen, by the way.'

'Hey, I had no idea you were even capable of such things, remember? You can blame that horny brother of yours.'

Blaine laughed. 'Speaking of whom ...'

He reached down to his jeans and produced his cell from a back pocket. Kurt tried not to wince as Blaine began to check for messages.

'Nope, he hasn't surfaced yet.'

'Is your phone ... OK?' Kurt asked as coolly as possible.

'Ummmm - I think so.' Blaine frowned at it and turned it over in his hand. 'Why wouldn't it be?'

'No reason!' Kurt shrugged and took a few more swigs of coffee before rising slowly and giving a stretch. He limped over to the kitchen counter and topped up his mug.

'Why are you limping?' Blaine frowned some more.

'Well, aren't we all questions this morning.' Kurt smirked and leaned against the counter sleepily.

'Seriously Kurt, did you hurt yourself last night? Was it me - did I hurt you?'

Only when you shot an arrow through my heart.

'No!' Kurt laughed heartily and clutched his stomach. 'Oh, please don't make me laugh, cos that really does hurt.'

'OK, sorry.' Blaine grinned, standing up and walking steadily across the room towards Kurt, stopping a few feet away. 'Listen Kurt, I'm really sorry if I said - or did - anything to make you feel uncomfortable last night.'

'What? You didn't. I had a blast.'

'Yeah, but ... before we said goodnight. Did I ... I mean ... was I an ass?'

'Ummm - nope. You were perfect.'

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek and screwed up his eyes, unable to quite believe that he'd said such a thing out loud.

OK, that was just a dream.

He opened one eye and chanced a look at Blaine. It wasn't a dream. Blaine had his arms folded across his chest and was grinning at him, a look of triumph in his eyes as he blinked suggestively at Kurt.

'Perfect, huh? I'll bet you say that to all the boys.'

OK, is he flirting with me now, or am I dreaming that too?

Kurt could feel his cheeks burning now, and hoped that Blaine didn't take that as a sign that he'd known a lot of 'boys' in his time. Blaine took a few steps closer and frowned.

'I'm doing it again, aren't I? Making you uncomfortable ...'

'No, not at all.' Kurt sighed. 'It's just ... I'm just ... I'm not very good at this.'

Blaine turned and slumped against the counter beside Kurt. 'Well, if it makes you feel any better, neither am I.' He groaned.

'Oh sure, Mister Flirty-Face.'

'Kurt, I promise you. Mister Flirty-Face barely even knows how to talk to guys most of the time, let alone flirt.'

Kurt turned to look at his sullen friend, feeling instantly sorry for him.

'So what makes me so different?' He asked quietly.

'I don't know. With you it's just ... it feels ... easier, somehow. ' Blaine turned to face Kurt a little, all the time looking at the floor. 'Like I won't have to try so hard.'

Kurt wasn't entirely sure how to take this new piece of information. Was Blaine implying that Kurt was 'easy', or that he didn't need to be wooed or made to feel good about himself?

'Kurt ...' Blaine said, reaching out and putting his hand lightly on Kurt's arm, brushing the hairs gently with his thumb. ' ... You're kind of an enigma to me. On the one hand I feel like we could've been best friends all of our lives, the way we are around each other - and then at times I just look at you and all I can think about is ...'

'Is what?'

Blaine looked up into Kurt's eyes and just stared for a moment, as if searching for the answer to a seriously difficult question. Kurt's heart was now pounding in his chest, and Blaine's touch had brought goosebumps to his arms.

'This ...'

Blaine gripped a little more urgently onto Kurt's arm and leaned into him, pressing his lips firmly but tenderly against Kurt's and taking in a deep, sated breath through his nose. Kurt, though a little stunned for a second, closed his eyes and opened his mouth ever so slightly, letting out a soft whimper as Blaine caught his bottom lip between his own and tugged on it gently.

The two men stood for a second as their lips parted, leaning their foreheads together and sighing blissfully.

'Wow.'

'Yeah.'

'Umm ...?'

'Yeah.'

They broke apart and laughed with a mixture of relief and bemusement, both seemingly unable to quite believe what had just happened. Blaine swallowed hard and looked up at Kurt again, his face becoming serious but that unmistakeable glint still shining in his golden eyes. Kurt raised his hand to cup Blaine's cheek and brushed it lightly with his thumb, and Blaine's eyes fluttered shut as he savoured the touch.

A sudden door-slam and shout of 'Cooooeeeeee!!' shattered the silence and the boys jumped about a foot in the air.

'Jesus Christ, woman!' Kurt gasped, as Rachel came barrelling into the lounge with a huge grin on her face. ' Don't you ever knock?!'

Blaine snorted and took a small step back from Kurt.

'Did you evict me?' Rachel clutched at her chest in mock horror, and glanced down at Blaine's bare legs from across the room. 'Well hel-lo, Blainers!'

Blaine dropped his head and tried not to smirk. He could tell that Kurt was well and truly rattled by Rachel's sudden intrusion, but couldn't help but feel relieved that something had happened to break the tension between them.

'I'm gonna go ... um ... get dressed.' He gestured to the bathroom and grabbed his jeans from the floor. Kurt couldn't help but stare at Blaine's rear end as he bent over for a second, and then caught Rachel's eye and instantly regretted it. Blaine scurried into the bathroom and quickly shut the door.

'I saw that.' Rachel grinned.

'Mee mee-mee!' Kurt mimicked her tone and pulled a face.

Rachel bounced across the room and grabbed Kurt firmly by the shoulders. 'Oh. My. God, Kurt - what happened?!'

'Very little, in fact. You kinda killed the mood somewhat when you almost broke the door down.'

'Oops. Yeah, but ... he was half-naked. You didn't ...?' She made a lewd gesture and Kurt slapped her gently on the arm.

'My god, you're vile.'

'Oh, so you're just wishing that he'd ...' She made the gesture again.

'Rachel! Jeez.' Kurt heaved a big sigh and pouted at his friend. 'I'm scared, Rach ...'

'Of what, babe?'

'Of how he makes me feel.'

'And that is ...?'

Kurt rolled his eyes and slumped against the counter again, failing to contain the unending grin that quickly spread across his face.

'That good, huh?'

Kurt nodded enthusiastically, even though his head was pounding again and it hurt like hell to do so. The bathroom door opened and Kurt and Rachel's eyes darted to their guest. Blaine laughed at their guilty expressions and screwed up his face, looking towards the exit.

'I'm gonna ...'

'Oh, Blaine - no. Please don't go. You didn't even finish your coffee.' Kurt realised he was sounding somewhat desperate, but he hated the thought of Blaine feeling like he had to leave just so that he could be gossiped about. In fact, right now he just hated the thought of him leaving - period.

'No, really. I have a few things I need to do anyway.' He said, sitting for a moment to pull on his boots and grab his tie from the floor, and glanced over at Rachel. 'Plus, I think I may need to make sure that my brother's still in one piece.'

'Oh, he is ...' Rachel mooned. 'One glorious piece.'

'Ugh. Yeah - going now.'

Blaine walked towards the doorway, poking his tongue out at Rachel jokily and stuffing the tie into his back pocket as he went. Kurt followed closely behind him and undid the deadlock on the door, holding it open with a sad smile.

'So. Um - what now?

'Well, I'm gonna go, and you're gonna get grilled to within an inch of your life by Miss Tina Tactless over there.' Blaine whispered.

'Haha. I'm sorry about her.'

'Don't be - she's adorable.'

'KURT HUMMEL, you'd better not be talking about me out there!' Rachel's voice rang out from the lounge.

'You were saying?' Kurt raised his eyebrows and smirked.

Blaine shrugged. 'What are you doing tomorrow?'

'College ... until four.'

'OK - I think I'm teaching piano until four-thirty, but I could maybe meet you at the coffee house afterward. Say, around five-fifteen?' Blaine studied Kurt's face, hoping that he wasn't being too forward in assuming that Kurt would want to see him again so soon. 'If you want to, of course ...'

'God, yes! I mean ...' Kurt coughed. '... that would be nice.'

'Great.' Blaine smiled. 'OK - um ... bye.' He mouthed, squeezing Kurt's bicep affectionately for a moment before turning to leave. Kurt waved gently and started to close the door. He suddenly changed his mind.

'Wait! You remember how to get out of the building, right?!' He shouted down the hall, and Blaine's head appeared around the corner.

'I think so.' He said, looking up at the ceiling as if mapping out the route in his mind. 'Yeah.'

'OK. Bye Blaine.' Kurt smiled and began pushing the door again.

'Wait! Kurt ...'

Kurt held open the door one more time and leaned his body against it, relishing the sight of Blaine jogging towards him.

'Anderson.'

'What?'

'You're Kurt Hummel, right? That is your name?'

'Uh...huh.' Kurt nodded slowly, not quite sure where this was going.

'I'm Blaine Anderson. It's nice to meet you.' Blaine said, extending his hand.

Kurt looked down at Blaine's hand for a second and laughed, folding his arms across his chest. Blaine waggled his hand and eyebrows simultaneously and waited for the shake. Kurt eventually obliged, and gasped as Blaine pulled him forwards and kissed him again, a little more confidently this time. He swayed gently as Blaine pulled away, and gaped like a goldfish.

'See ya, Kurt.' Blaine murmured with a smile, turning and walking away, slowly releasing Kurt's fingers from his grasp as he went. Kurt watched that mauve tie, tucked into the pocket of those jeans cradling that perfect little ass, as it disappeared from view.

Yep. I am totally screwed.