Consciousness came abruptly the next morning.

There was something very wrong, Kurt stated. First of all he woke up in the morning, not in the middle of the night because some egg sized brain-heads couldn't hold their liquor and decided to celebrate that by singing - or knocking wildly on Kurt's door (which happened seven times over the past months). Luckily for him only drama-arts majors were sleeping in his corridor - so the singing was pretty decent.

Secondly he woke up to bird and nature noises. He hadn't heard a bird in the morning since he moved out of  - oh.

He blinked until his vision was no longer sleep-blurred and indeed the familiar ceiling of his old bedroom wished him a good morning. Yep, he was in Lima all right. And he also had to happen to wake from one of the best sleeps he had since Nancy introduced him to those painkillers to sooth the muscle aches (and resulted into hallucinations of him participating in the Hunger Games, so he never touched them again - but at least he had won and the pills knocked him out in to a very long sleep).

With a moan in satisfaction he stretched himself to the corners of his heavenly big-sized mattress. The bed probably was big contribution to his well deserved sleep. Blindly he reached for his cell phone on the nightstand, half expecting a text from Mercedes just as in High School - but instead it was a good night text from Cooper he missed last night.

And that was his official reminder that he wasn't in High School anymore. He grinned widely. Quickly he sent a good morning reply, knowing Cooper was still asleep.

They weren't going to see each other until Friday and he was certainly not eager to invite him over again - considering he needed to plan a very long conversation with his father. Which he should start to plan now - by bribing him.

To bribe Burt Hummel into talking usually involved one of the following things: sports, cars and in case of getting information: food. Forbidden food. Kurt was happy to witness that the diet he set up over the past year was still in working when he went through the cupboards yesterday and he was not planning on throwing the system away - but some low-fat, chocolate chip pancakes should do the trick.

Kurt knew his father knew him well enough that he wasn't flipping pancakes for the sole purpose of feeding the family, but he also knew his dad wouldn't be able to resist. Carole had already rushed out for a double shift so she didn't have to work on Thanksgiving and Finn would eventually come down because his stomach tells him to do so, but Burt was already in the doorway to the kitchen, watching his son create small pieces of breakfast heaven.

"You have been my son for eighteen years, don't think I don't know what you're trying to do."

"Depends." Kurt swooshed the pan, catching the pancake impressively. "Is it working?" He smirked broadly when his father sat down at his plate, awaiting the first one. Victory was Kurt's. After finishing the batch, he seated himself opposite Burt and gave him the honor of the first pancake.

"Fine, it's working." His father took a bite and swung his arm that Kurt translated as his cue to spill.

"Why were you so cold to Cooper yesterday?"

Burt didn't even flinch, it was obvious he had been expecting the question. Which also meant he already had been going through answers. Without even swallowing the glorious amount of pancake in his mouth, he grumbled:

"Becwause you're my swon." He finally swallowed. "No one is good enough for my son."

Kurt tilted his head. "Dad, you have also been my father for eighteen years, don't think I don't know when you're not telling everything."

He watched his father lay down his fork and knife, taking a deep breath.

"I'm just worried, can't a dad be worried?"

"Yes, of course - about sons getting girls pregnant in college, which I won't, duh. About doing drugs and alcohol -" His dad opened his mouth, "which I don't use or do. And other things like getting lost and stuff, but dad - you met Cooper, you don't have to worry about him or us. He has been nothing but honorable, we haven't - you know, in case you -"

Burt scrunched his face into the all known ‘I don't wanna hear it'-look.

"It's not that, although I'm relieved, because he is quite older than you -"

"Is that the problem? It's only a few years." Kurt's voice wandered soft.

"No," Burt answered and Kurt's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "it's not that. I'm just scared that after being in Lima all your life, you sort of - just jumped into it."

"What? Dad?" He was frowning now.

"You have never met another gay guy than Rachel's," Burt and Kurt hissed in unison at the name, "that girl's dads. And I'm just afraid that you ran into the nearest handsome gay guy and that he is taking advantage of you."

"He's not."

"How would you know? Just because he hasn't," the uncomfortable vibe stretched across the room. "- done things, doesn't mean he uses you for other things?"

"Things like what, dad? Dates? Dinners? Endless evenings of laughter? Because if so, I think I might be using him. Maybe we're using each other, like in a relationship should be."

"But are you sure that you're not just trusting him because he's the first other gay you've met?"

Kurt barked a laugh, mostly because his dad was quite close to the truth - Cooper was the first other gay guy who he met when moving to New York.

"Dad, I go to a dramatic arts school."

"So?"

"Well, not to be stereotypic," he even flinched at himself at the thought, "but don't you think a lot of guys just like me are doing the same program?"

He did have a point: there were twenty-two students in his usual class and twelve of them were female. Of the ten guys, apart from maybe Optimus Jack and Kurt didn't trust his gaydar around three others: six were definitely gay. Chandler had been flouncing to him about his all-male version of Evita every cursed moment they were alone.

"So, what you're saying is -"

"I have met a lot of other gay guys too, not only Cooper. I mean, you met a lot of straight women, but you didn't fall in love with them just because they were female and straight, right? The guys in my class are nice, but I like Cooper. And he likes me. It's not just because he's the first handsome gay guy I ran into, trust me. It's way more."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Burt's shoulders stopped tensing, the uncomfortable atmosphere faded and they stared at each other in the way they always did. It didn't take long before Burt stood up and pulled his son into a hug.

"Then it's okay, sorry if I scared him. The guy knows nothing about football, by the way." Burt grumbled. "I'm just happy to have you home for a little while."

"I'm happy too." Kurt muffled into his father's flannelled collar. "I'm happy too."

They parted at hearing a sleep-muzzled voice, coming from a sleep-ruffled Finn, saying: "Pancakes?"

 For a moment the kitchen returned to a breakfast filled with nostalgia. Pity Carole was missing it.

Thanksgiving at the Andersons was as every year pretty uneventful. It was more or less the same as every family dinner they shared, except there was turkey and maybe some unnecessary candles. And of course Cooper was there to keep the conversation going. But with Cooper being there a whole shiny new topic entered the table chat: Kurt.

Except Kurt was the absolute last thing Blaine wanted to talk about. And hearing the stories about him were even worse. Cooper was really good at detailed telling how they met, their first date - Halloween (the costume idea was so brilliant it made Blaine a little jealous he wasn't the one wearing the Sweeney outfit), and so on.

He was feeling like a supporting role in the charming romantic comedy of When Cooper met Kurt. Blaine scoffed himself for not making up a better title and for not acting Oscar-worthy. So far he was nothing more than the weird little brother who looks like an ape when he wakes up and he managed to be fully embarrassed by his brother. Not to mention his break down after the quite serious talk.

But the unexpected arrival of one Kurt Hummel had triggered other things than just old memories. He heard music. Very soft, undefined and completely lacks of a theme - but there had been something the past few evenings where he was struggling with sleep. So maybe it hadn't been all bad. Music was always good.

"What're you doing Saturday?" Cooper asked during cleaning up the table.

"Uh, nothing? Why?" Oh, God no - not another brother-bonding weekend. Blaine still had scars from last summer.

"Kurt's coming over, and -"

"Oh." Kurt, of course. Blaine rolled his eyes. How could he forget? It wasn't like Cooper had been repeatedly telling their mother that Kurt was coming again before they returned to New York. Good riddance.

"- and well, he really loved your violin-things, God knows why -"

"He did?" Stop blushing, stop freaking blushing. Why would he care that Kurt liked his playing?

"Yes, he kept going on about it in the car. Gjeez, not like the first time someone said you were good, squirt -"

"Don't call me that."

"Anyway, how about we show Kurt our Duran Duran-"

"Oh, God, please don't make me do that." Blaine stared at his brother in horror. Last time they did that was at a talent show and the results weren't pretty. Neither was his ripped shirt afterwards.

"It's just Kurt." No, it is not just Kurt. It is your boyfriend Kurt and my idol Kurt, whom I am not supposed to like because you like him. No. Stop. I don't like Kurt. Why did these thoughts keep on returning? Blaine shook himself out of it.

"Maybe Kurt'll join. He sings phenomenal." Cooper added with a wicked grin.

Blaine froze midway piling up dirty plates. Not in his wildest dreams had he imagined to see Kurt Hummel perform in front of him. Now all he could think about was accompanying him on guitar, piano, ukulele, violin - heck, he'll join with a kazoo. All just to hear Kurt sing live in the music room and not on some stage.

"Okay." Blaine gave in.

"Okay what?" Cooper had gotten distracted - probably by his own reflection in the silver jug.

"I'll join you. On Saturday." Oh boy, he was going to regret this, wasn't he?

"Really?" Cooper didn't sound surprised at all, he always got his way. "Awesome, lil' bro. Just tone in with the belting, we're lucky we still have windows after your Wicked phase."

"At least I don't peptalk myself every morning in the mirror that I'm a studmuffin."

"Well, of course you don't." Cooper grinned evilly. "You can only do that when you're a studmuffin like me."

Blaine rolled his eyes again. He really was going to regret this.

Kurt was leaning against his old Navigator at the Lima Mall parking place. Of all the flashback experiences he had over the past few days, driving was definitely one of the weirdest. Not only did his automatic pilot try to drive him to McKinley, but apparently it still consisted his NYADA motivation CD - a CD that found his graveyard on the side of the road. He had forgotten that for the last weeks of McKinley he despised music and refused to play any in his car. Luckily he was already accepted in to NYU as his back up, but the defeat had scarred him badly. It had taken a trip to Columbus where the touring show of Les Misérables was playing for him to realize that musical theatre still was his dream and future, the school where he would learn it didn't matter anymore.

"Hey you."

Kurt looked up and in the vague mist of his breath, his ever handsome boyfriend walked up to him. Cooper looked down at the empty parking spot next to Kurt's Navigator.

"Should've known you would glare everyone away to keep one free." He smiled, wrapping a coated arm around Kurt to pull him close. "I battled for a spot at the beginning, it was a bloodbath."

"I should've texted you I had a spot."

"Doesn't matter." Cooper took his hand. "Had a good Thanksgiving?"

Kurt didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the entwined hands who were lingering in between them. This wasn't New York, was it worth the risk? Kurt loved holding hands with Cooper - or even an arm slung over his shoulder or waist. But only when he knew it was safe to do so - only when nobody would care. It was possible for them to run into people whom would care.

"Sweet heart?" Cooper lifted Kurt's chin up so they would see eye to eye. "Something wrong? Did your dad threaten to disown you if you continued to date me? Are we Romeo and Juliet?"

"Oh, God, no. I prefer breathing." He frowned. "Dad's fine, next time try to bribe him with something. Manly talk or something."

Kurt's eyes lingered back to the holding hands. It was too risky.

"Well, I'll try to find a manly magazine today and not stare at the pictures. I have you for the staring anyway - hey, what's wrong?" Cooper tilted his head and once again forced Kurt to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yes - I'm spectacular." Kurt regretted his snappy tone immediately.

"For someone who goes to acting school that wasn't really convincing, honey. You know you can tell me everything."

"I know - it's just-" He swayed their hands a bit and Cooper's attention went down as well.

"Oh." He let go. Kurt missed the warm feeling of their skin touching, but it was for the better.

"I'm sorry, it's Ohio and -"

Cooper shushed him, cupping his cheek now. "I know." They shared an Eskimo kiss. "We'll make up for it. Now, let's go shopping." The cheeriness made a fantastic return and Kurt tried to ignore the unusual space between them whilst walking to the grand Lima Mall. It wasn't worth the risk.

Blaine hated the mall. Especially on Black Friday: it was crowded, people were yelling and the entire of McKinley seemed to be there. He hadn't even planned on going shopping today. His main goal for today was to at least start his audition-piece, but faith had made an U-turn when the loud claxon of one Sugar Motta dragged him out of his room. The front-seat window was turned down and consisted of Sugar in some frilly, hideously expensive outfit, exclaiming: "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

Sugar needed to lay off watching Mean Girls.

Blaine wasn't really given a choice after even Tina and Brittany - who were hidden in the dark-tinted car - started to scream that he needed to come to for the sake of glee club, girl time and friendship. After a quick change, he scooted in the back next to Brittany.

"Wait, you all know I'm not a girl, right?" He didn't need to be a part of girl time.

"Yeah, we know -" Sugar sounded disappointed by that fact, "but I read in one of those magazines that it's totally in to go shopping with your gay bestie. Considering I don't know any other gay cuties - you're the lucky one."

Blaine closed his eyes as the car started to move. He needed to stop being such a push over, but then again; being away from his house was a nice change of scenery. Even though it was the mall. Someone touching his hand made him wake up again. He frowned at Brittany, who was intensely stroking the back of his hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused.

"I wanted to know if your skin is just as soft as the last gay boy I touched. We used to hold hands and his lips were really soft, but then he told me he didn't prefer my plumbing, or at least - that's what Santana told me."

Blaine knew very little of the former members of the New Directions, apart from Kurt, but Brittany always managed to bring up Santana in every conversation - even the one about Lucky Charms cornflakes.

"O-kay." Blaine took back his hand carefully, not wanting to startle her by the movement. Brittany was sweet - but she was oblivious and sometimes even rude, but everybody seemed to forgive her easily, because she was Brittany.

Sugar was an awful driver, swaying left to right on the streets to Lima Mall. She probably bought her license instead of actually passing the test. Eventually they arrived at the parking place in front of the mall and parked next to a Navigator. Tina stared at the car for a little while before shrugging, taking Blaine's arm (Sugar on the other side) and dragged him to the current most crowded place of all of Lima. Whoopeteedoo.

"What about this one?"

Kurt turned around and regretted it instantly. The almost fluorescent yellow shirt Cooper was swaying on its hanger blinded Kurt with all its ugliness. They were still in the first store on the list.

"No." Kurt wanted to reach out to put it back, but that inquired touching it.

"Oh, come on - I like it." Cooper's face was filled with joy and amusement. He loved to tease Kurt.

"No, you put that back right now before you cause an accident with that. I, ugh - Cooper!" The shirt was swayed in Kurt's direction, but didn't reach him before it was pulled back.

"I for one think it looks dashing with your eyes." Cooper had officially turned into an annoying sixteen year old. "Maybe I should try it on."

Kurt's eyes went wide. "You are not serious!"

"Oh, but I am." Before Kurt could even sputter, Cooper was dragging him toward the dressing rooms.

"You. Are. Insane." Kurt spat. "Nobody tries on things on Black Friday, you grab and run -" They entered the indeed deserted hall of open curtains and mirrors. "Just drop the shirt and back away slowly-" Unsuspectingly Cooper pushed Kurt into one of the stalls instead of just himself. "What-hmp!" Before another sneering remark could escape his mouth, it was being captivated by Cooper's. The shirt hadn't even made it into the stall and rustling sounds told Kurt that the curtains were being closed. They were alone in an empty dressing room in a department store in the Lima Mall. And Kurt was being pushed up against the mirror inside the stall, feet barely touching the floor and lips being ravished.

A hand skimmed down from his jaw down his chest, avoiding his abdomen by changing course to his side. Kurt gasped into Cooper's mouth when it traced down his hip and lifted his thigh. In an automatic reflex Kurt swayed the lifted leg around Cooper's hip, heel severed into the hallow of his knee.

Cooper's hand rested permanently on Kurt's hip with his fingers digging deep into the soft clothed flesh. Soon his other hand was repeating the same movements and before Kurt could even realize it, he was lifted against the mirror with his legs steadily swung around Cooper's waist. Kissing turned into gasping at each other's lips. He let his eyelids flutter in the thrill of the moment.

They had made out before, mostly on Cooper's couch and on Kurt's bed after the Halloween party. But this was the first time Cooper let himself touch Kurt wherever he wanted without questioning everything. He always asked if it was okay what he did. Kurt had actually gone annoyed by the eternal questions, but he was the one who set the rules in the first place. He wasn't ready to go all the way, he knew that - Cooper knew that, but that most certainly did not mean that this wasn't bad.

Actually. It wasn't bad at all.

The heated breath on his lips coming from Cooper made way down to the tender skin of his neck. His hands were now on Kurt's upper thighs, the fingers were bound to leave some bruises and Kurt didn't give a damn. His breath faltered when the lips placed soft kisses on his neck and throat. He had witnessed so many people violate their lover's necks and Kurt found it ridiculous to watch. It had this weird vampirism feel written all over it, but now he was participating in it - and it was safe to say that Kurt didn't want it to stop.

Kurt moaned at the scalding arousal burning low in his stomach when Cooper bit softly into his earlobe. The sinful stings of the biting, the fingers digging into his thighs and the overall heat of Cooper pressed against him made Kurt mutter inaudible words as a mantra.

The only hearable thing Kurt could huff out was a breathless: "C-Cooper!" before it turned into gasping again.

Blaine had made the great escape.

Sugar was apparently biased by the stereotypical fashionable gay bestie figure that appeared in every chickflick and TV-series. It took a long speech from Blaine about diversity before Sugar got bored and ran off with the other two to a make-up store.

With a sigh of desperation that he couldn't head home because Sugar drove (kidnapped) him, he decided he might as well check some stores by himself. He quickly texted Tina that they should call if they were leaving or getting lunch and made his way into the nearest store that sold menswear.

Inside was the usual circus of the economy squealing at discounts. He watered through the sea of people and ended up near the dressing rooms, which looked like the only peaceful place in the entire mall.

Maybe he should sit the entire girl time out in the food corner, but then he remembered he was all alone and the corner was a famous hangout for jocks. So not only would he be pathetic, there was also a slight chance he would get beat up for it.

He wandered around the store some more before he couldn't take the crowd anymore and he had to decide to whether go outside the mall (where it was freezing) or just hide in the dressing rooms until it was all over. Considering the dressing rooms were nearer and he didn't like the outside cold, he headed into the room. Only one curtain was closed, in front of it world's ugliest fluorescent yellow shirt - no wonder it was outside: who would want to try on that? He also didn't understand why someone was trying on things on Black Friday - if it didn't fit, you sell it online. It was in the handbook of discount shopping: grab, pay and leave.

He almost turned around to leave because he realized there was nothing to do but sit and he might as well buy a magazine or something, but that was until a moan filled the room. His entire body snapped toward the closed curtain.

Oh my God, someone is having sex in a dressing stall on Black Friday. That was strangely kinky.

Now it was definitely time to back out of the dressing room. Watching porn was one thing, but knowing a probably straight couple was doing the dirty in one the stalls was something not even Blaine could be comfortable with.

The moans were mixed with gasps and murmuring. Blaine froze. He knew that voice.

"C-Cooper."

Now he definitely knew that voice. Oh my God. OH my GOD. He couldn't help but slowly walk to the stall, his body and mind were fighting. He wanted to get out and forget it, but he also wanted to know.

It took one glimpse through the small split of the curtain. One glance of his brother pressing up another body against the mirrored wall. One look of Kurt clasped around Cooper, mouth open and eyes closed. They were in clothes - thank holy Mary of God - but fuck: Kurt was fucking beautiful.

His lips were dark pink and glossy with saliva, slightly parted and absolutely gorgeous. The noises he made. Blaine wanted to become the cause of those noises. He wanted to make Kurt moan like that all the time.

Kurt's eyes opened, pointing at the ceiling and Blaine backed away like he burned himself. Without another look he stormed away, tripping - almost falling. He was absorbed by the crowd, but he didn't register one bit of it. All he could think was that this wasn't happening. He was not attracted to his brother's boyfriend. He wasn't.

He couldn't.

A stumbling noise made both Kurt and Cooper freeze in the moment. Startled they clasped together to be as soundless as possible. Cooper hesitantly let go of the spot on Kurt's neck where he had been sucking, his breath heavy on the soon-to-be sore spot.

Somehow they had completely forgotten that they were in a semi-public place. Safe from the cruel outside world by just a curtain.

Slowly Cooper pulled back and came eye to eye with Kurt. The piercing blues of his boyfriend made Kurt breathe even harder, chest heaving against the equally solid one of Cooper. Well this was definitely going in his diary.

Neither of them seemed eager to dive right back in. Cooper pressed some final short lasting kisses on Kurt's lips while his hands let go of the thighs they were holding up, allowing Kurt to touch the floor again. They sighed at the returned height difference.

"We should -"

"Maybe-"

Shy chuckles followed. The concern of talking was flailed away by Cooper as he remotely put his own and Kurt's outfit back together, opened the curtain and walked out hand in hand, Ohio be damned.

---

Blaine was still blindly walking to the nearest exit - or more likely the farthest possible place away from the dressing rooms.

"This isn't happening." he mentally told himself. They were only going to be in Ohio for two more days and then they return to New York and he won't see Kurt again. It was stupid; he was just another boy - his brother's boyfriend, so obviously not available. They weren't even friends yet. Yet? Yet? "The hell is wrong with you, Anderson?"

He continued his indeterminate walking until he ran into a wall - or actually a human. He stumbled back - confused where he was.

"Watch where you going, nerd - oh," The wall of human was of course a Leatherman-jacket wearing jock. "Sprinkling your fairy fag dust in the mall, aren't we?"

Blaine knew that voice from daily comments when walking around McKinley. Scott Cooper had been his personal tormentor the past months. Not as severe as it has been back in Westerville, but still the same old name-calling and slushie dumping. Initially he had been more afraid of the football team than the hockey team where Scott was the captain off - but as by some miracle and threats the footballers had a truce with the glee club. The hockey team was a whole different story. Coach Beiste was set fully on football after a disappointing year and the new hockey coach wasn't even to say the least friendly with the singing group. He was indifferent about it and let his team do whatever they wanted to do - as long as they won.

There had been a few incidents coming close to fights involving fists between Blaine and Scott. It wasn't necessary the bullying that made Blaine want to punch him. Everything Blaine hated about Scott were his misguided thoughts that glee club made him gay and that it was possible to undo it.

"- what do you have to say for yourself now, huh?" Apparently Scott had been talking without Blaine even noticing. The moment someone with a mullet starts to talk, Blaine always zoned out.

He didn't reply and tried to walk away, but Scott and the appeared fellow mullets called him out.

"Wait a second, puff the magic dragon! You think you can just walk into me unpunished?" Scott barked out  a laugh. "That's funny."

"Give it a rest, Scott. Take your bullying holiday." Blaine sighed, muscles tensing - ready to either run or fight.

"Nah, full time job. Guys." Scott gestured for his friends (or more likely followers) to get him. The jock who got the nearest was immediately pushed back again by all the force Blaine possessed. He made quite an impression, because no one dared to come near him again - except Scott.

"It's the mall, Scott - just leave it." Blaine snarled.

"Oh yeah?" Scott chewed his gum nervously. They were drawing attention from the surrounding mass of shopping people. "So why don't we take this outside?" He shoved Blaine, making him trip over his own feet and fall back onto the dirty mall floor.

"HEY!" Two people said in unison and it didn't take much for Blaine to guess who finished their making out in the dressing room session.

Blaine felt someone storm by him, accompanied by the very angry tone of voice coming from Cooper.

"Are you okay?" Someone else kneeled next to him, hands trying to pull him up to a sitting position and then all Blaine saw were the perfect green blue eyes belonging to Kurt. Lower on his face were the two equally perfect lips, still a tad swollen from kissing. His eyes searched Blaine's face to see if anything was wrong and everything was wrong, just not the wrong Kurt was looking for. Blaine was falling. He was falling hard.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked.

Why did he had to be this damn gorgeous? And kind?

Behind them Cooper was still ranting to the jocks, but Blaine could only stare at his brother's boyfriend.

"Did you hit your head?" Kurt's hand changed from his shoulder to the back of Blaine's head, trying to find a non-existent bump, but Blaine didn't want to share that. He was so shocked by the caring touch and the fingers going through his gelled hair that he had completely shut down. "Hm, I don't feel anything." Kurt's eyes flickered back and forth between him and Cooper. "Let's get you up, this floor is disgusting." He put deed to the word, keeping his hands on Blaine's arms after helping him up to make sure he didn't fall again.

"- I will leave report at the mall security, now get lost before I really lose it." Cooper ended his talk with Scott and sent them away. Blaine could feel him approach them, taking over Kurt's hand on Blaine's arm to hold and the other one found his shoulder. Cooper's fingers trailed comforting, but Blaine stared at the entwined hands. The reminder that Kurt was with Cooper hit him as a slap to the face. They had been making out not fifteen minutes ago and the sounds they were making didn't sound as a short fling. There was nothing to do than just to accept it. He didn't want to, he practically refused, but he had to.

"You okay?" Cooper asked and Blaine finally nodded.

"I can't believe it," Kurt muttered, "I knew it's hard to change, but I had a bit of hope." He carefully untangled their fingers, eyes flickering across the food court to make sure no one saw it.

"You want me to drive you home, Blaine?" Cooper asked. "Or drive behind you?"

"It's fine if you do, if you want to go home with your brother." Kurt quickly added. Why did he have to be so damn nice? And sweet? And fucking beautiful?

"No, I'm good - I'm with friends." It had seemed ages since Blaine had spoken, his throat even hurt. "I'll go find them and the jocks are gone-"

"I need to go to security." Cooper interrupted. "We can't just let them get away with it."

"Coop, it's fine." Blaine shushed. He really wanted to get away from them. Space. He needed space as soon as possible, preferably now. "I'm going to find them, everything's fine."

"Blaine-" Cooper sounded concerned.

"It's fine, go continue sh-shopping with Kurt. I'll see you at home."

"You sure?" Kurt asked on his term, sounding equally concerned. Why? Why did Cooper met him? There had to be more gay men in New York, and he met Kurt.

He nodded once again, took out his phone and called Tina to ask where they were - praying that they weren't in a lingerie store.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Kurt said while he was dialing. "Can't wait to hear you play." He smiled and Cooper slowly coaxed him toward to a store that hopefully didn't have dressing rooms.

"Play?" Blaine asked confused with the phone against his ear shell.

"Yeah, violin - or piano. Tomorrow?" Kurt frowned a bit. Blaine still didn't understand what he was talking about until it hit him. Shit. Blaine needed space and instead he was receiving him, Cooper and Kurt in the Anderson music room.

"Oh, oh yeah right - see you tomorro- hey Tina." Blaine quickly turned away to talk to Tina. After he was done, he turned around and Kurt and Cooper were nowhere to be found. He was standing in the crowded food court of Lima Hall with a cell phone in his hand and his head in a place it shouldn't be­ - at all.

Kurt watched Blaine talk on the phone as Cooper guided him away. He was probably talking to Tina and it did Kurt great joy that Blaine had glee club friends. Not that Blaine seemed as much as a loner as he was during High School, but seeing him being pushed down released something in Kurt that he couldn't place.

Why did Blaine leave Dalton in the first place? Kurt had read so much about the zero tolerance policy that he almost took the step of transferring. He even almost went spying on the competition, but his conscience didn't let him - and he was tired of doing things people ordered him to do. Junior year had been a black hole. His senior year had started happier with Rachel and the thought of them going to NYADA together. Pity it had ended in another black hole.

His shopping mood was close to dead, but Cooper's attempts to make him smile were adorable. Even though he wasn't really good at hiding his worried look when he thought Kurt wasn't looking.

"Shall I sing tomorrow?" Kurt asked when they walked by trails of clothing. "I mean, I'm totally going to abuse your little brother on playing on his violin, maybe I can sing in return?" Kurt knew many talented people (Tisch was overloaded by them), but hearing Blaine do a Katy Perry song on his violin and from the stories that Cooper told him about his other musical qualities, Blaine was indeed a talented bastard. And maybe a bit little.

"I bet he would like that." Cooper smiled. "I know I will."

Their shopping trip was shortened because of lack of motivation. Kurt did buy some things just for the pleasure of it, even though he was sure he could find all that stuff in New York. He was really missing New York and Nancy. They needed to start planning the makeover he was promised. Plus the reveal of the annual summer play would be revealed just before Christmas break. Every first year was looking forward to it, mostly because when rehearsals started classes were cut short. Nancy and himself were already teasing each other who would get the lead in the unknown musical and to be honest; Kurt really wanted a good part in it to show off his belonging on stage.

Cooper dropped him off at the Navigator, shoving all of the bought goods into the backseat. He leaned in for a short kiss.

"See you tomorrow." he whispered and headed off to his own car.

With a sigh Kurt headed home.

That night Blaine couldn't sleep. He wasn't even trying. Instead he sat at his desk with his music notebook open in front of him and for the first time since several weeks: Blaine was composing.