Thankfully, Kurt's little outburst at Warblers practice seemed to have done the job. When Kurt and Blaine came down for breakfast the next day, everyone did their best not to look at them for too long. The way they all desperately tried to avoid staring was almost as weird as the staring itself but Kurt definitely preferred this solution.

Now that he didn't feel uncountable pairs of eyes on them wherever they went it was much easier toentwine their hands between classes or exchange quick kisses when they felt no one was looking. On more stressful days when they didn't get to see much of each other, one would pull the other into abandoned corners or alcoves and kiss them breathless before they had to part again. No one dared to comment on their disheveled hair or askew ties.

The more time Kurt spent at Dalton, the more confident and at ease he became. It had been weeks since he'd been shoved or insults had been thrown his way and though he felt he shouldn't get used to the safety Dalton provided as quickly as he seemed to, he certainly wasn't going to complain. Everything was safe and welcoming and lovely and for the first time in his life, Kurt felt like he was right where he belonged - a feeling he wasn't too well acquainted with, seeing as being a hybrid made it hard to feel as accepted as he'd wish to be most of the time.

The safe, warm bubble he was in only lasted so long, though, as those bubbles tended to. It was the morning of their first competition when everything went downhill. Kurt had somehow managed to forget that they were going to Sectionals even with the constant reminder that was Warblers practice until late in the evening almost every day. Or rather, he hadn't forgotten that they were going to Sectionals, but the implications that accompanied it.

This was Kurt's very first time singing in a competition, in front of an audience, on a brightly lit stage. A brightly lit stage where everyone would be looking at him and he wouldn't be able to hide - any part of himself. At least they hadn't thrust a solo upon him just yet. Mere days before he'd be a bit put off by that, now he couldn't be more grateful. His nerves were kicking in and he was anxious to the point where he wasn't sure if he could stomach anything for breakfast.

Blaine noticed of course, as soon as he finally woke from his dead-like sleep. He shot him a worried glance but didn't say anything when instead of voicing his thoughts, Kurt disappeared into the bathroom to shower. He still didn't say anything when it took Kurt quite a long while to come back out without the shower having run in that time. He did say something, however, when he returned from his morning shower to find Kurt curled up under his bed, tail twitching irritatedly.

"Kurt, I think it might be better if I call the aid," he said quietly, hesitantly approaching Kurt's hide-out. When Kurt merely hissed at him, teeth bared and eyes narrowed, Blaine knew it was time to step back and do just that.

Not knowing what to do, he dropped into Kurt's desk chair, worriedly watching him as he seemed to crawl further under the bed with each passing minute, waiting for the aid to arrive. It was horribly frustrating, feeling so helpless and having no idea what he could possibly do to make Kurt feel better. How did you talk to someone overtaken by their animalistic instincts? And Blaine didn't even want to imagine how embarrassed Kurt would feel once he'd be back to his usual self. Blaine just hoped he wouldn't shut him out for long over it. Kurt had a tendency to pull back into himself when he felt he'd made a fool out of himself and it hurt Blaine to watch that process, knowing that he couldn't help out without causing him to pull away even further.

Thankfully, the aid arrived not too long after, before Blaine could get lost in his negative thoughts. He was supposed to be the energetic, charismatic lead singer. His current bad mood wouldn't do on stage.

"Hi," the woman greeted him, out of breath from how fast she'd come over, eyes already searching the room for Kurt. "Where is he?"

"Under the bed, this one," Blaine murmured, motioning to Kurt's bed, not daring to raise his voice any more than that. Who knew, maybe it would scare Kurt off even more if he heard him.

"Oh, poor honey," she cooed, getting down on all fours and slowly crawling towards the bed. Blaine just stared at her, mouth agape. "Come on, Kurt. There's no need to hide under here. You're safe, no one in this room wishes you any harm." Blaine couldn't see what Kurt did in response, but he could very well hear his answering hiss.

"It's all good, Kurt," the aid tried again, her voice soothing and quiet but never condescending. "Come out, we can talk about what had you so nervous." Not saying another word, she slowly backed away from the bed, still on all fours. Once she'd brought a few feet between the two of them she rose into a kneeling position, watching Kurt expectantly, her fingers swiping over the floor in the same rhythm a tail would.

Holding his breath, Blaine waited for what was to come. To his surprise, Kurt actually crawled out from under the bed a few minutes later, ears pressed to his head, tail twitching and eyes narrowed, but leaving his hiding place nonetheless. Slowly and very deliberately, he moved each limb, until he was kneeling opposite from the aid, his tail starting to swipe over the floor to match her fingers. The aid just smiled at him, never changing the rhythm, breathing deeply, gaze locked with Kurt's.

They stayed like that for a while, Kurt watching her every movement when he wasn't staring into her eyes. Bit by bit, the tension left his body. His tail moved slower - the aid immediately matched her own movements to the new rhythm - and his ears perked up again, his eyes no longer narrowed. His fingers loosened their grip on his pants and he sat less rigid. After a few minutes, he sluggishly blinked his eyes open and they seemed much clearer, the look in them much more Kurt than before.

"Do you want to talk about it or do you need another minute?" the aid asked, voice still soft and warm and not the least bit judging. Kurt just shook his head, sending her a look from under his eyelashes, his left ear twitching a bit. Blaine knew what that meant. It was Kurt's go-to sign that he wanted his ears scratched. He shifted in his seat, about to jump up and give Kurt what he needed until he remembered that would probably scare Kurt off again in his current state. The aid sent him a questioning look, turning around slowly. Her smile was encouraging, though, and taking an example from her behavior, Blaine decided that maybe it would be for the best if he addressed Kurt directly.

"You want your ears scratched?" he asked, hesitantly, unable to suppress the wide grin spreading on his face when Kurt smiled shyly and nodded. "Can I?" Another nod and Blaine was slowly getting out of his chair. Immediately, Kurt tensed again upon looking up at him, his ears glued to his head, tail swishing faster. Remembering how the first thing the aid had done was getting down on all fours - and now that he thought about it he thought he remembered having read somewhere that cats didn't appreciate it when someone towered over them but dealt much better if you approached them at their eye level - he crouched down, slowly. After a second, Kurt's posture relaxed again. Sending him another reassuring smile, Blaine took his time crawling over to Kurt, carefully reaching out for his ears when he was close enough.

Kurt didn't move a muscle, only butting his head against Blaine's hand when he started to scratch behind his ears, smiling at him. Blaine smiled back, keeping up the movement, enjoying the way Kurt melted into his touch and started purring softly. Blaine started caressing his ears in every way he'd learned Kurt liked, his chest fluttering with the thought that even when he was being overruled by his instincts, Kurt still let him in to some degree and even leaned into his touch.

After a while, Kurt pulled away again, eyes much more aware, an embarrassed flush starting to spread on his cheeks. He averted his eyes from Blaine's and Blaine let his hand fall down to his side, unsure what to do.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" the aid jumped in from behind them and they both startled a little, having forgotten completely that there was someone else in the room as well.

"Yes," Kurt said quietly, eyes closed and breathing deeply.

"So, what was it?"

"Sectionals." He blinked his eyes open, throwing Blaine a nervous look.

"But you were fine just yesterday," Blaine murmured, reaching out until his hand was laying palm-up between them, a silent offer. To his relief, Kurt accepted it, entwining their fingers, looking back and forth between him and the aid.

"I didn't really think about it until this morning. It's going to be my first performance in front of an audience and I was just... overwhelmed by the image of so many people staring at me, I guess. I like the applause but I don't like being on display so much." Kurt blushed, his eyes drifting back to the floor.

"Why does it bother you so much?" the aid asked, still sitting in the same spot she'd been in for the last half an hour or so. She didn't seem too inclined to move anytime soon.

"I guess I'm just... afraid of people? I've been bullied a lot for being a hybrid and on stage is one of the few places where I actually let my guards down and having people insult me for what I am after I bared myself to them... It's worse than the regular insults in passing in the hallways." Kurt still didn't look up from the spot on the floor he'd fixated, but he responded in kind when Blaine squeezed his hand.

"And do you think that will happen?"

"I have no idea. And that scares me even more than when I know what to anticipate, even if it's bad." Kurt looked so lost and sad and vulnerable in that moment, so much more than he usually let himself be, and Blaine couldn't suppress his urge to cradle him in his arms and hold him close for another second. So he didn't. With a huff, he pulled Kurt into his embrace. Kurt went pliantly, burying his face in Blaine's shoulder, his arms coming around Blaine's waist automatically.

"I'm not sure if there is anything more I can do to help you right now, Kurt. Of course I'm accompanying the Warblers to Sectionals but nothing I can say or do is going to change how people will react to you on stage. I'm sorry." She reached out for Kurt and he took her hand after a moment of hesitation, offering her a weak smile.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," he said, his gaze wandering to Blaine, smile widening. Blaine beamed back at him and held him just a little bit tighter.

"Okay, I see how it is," the aid laughed, finally getting up from her by now surely sore knees. "Let me know if it gets too overwhelming or if I can do anything at all to help you. Other than that, I guess I'll see you at your performance. Good luck!" And with a last cheerful wave she was gone, leaving them alone in the room.

The second she was out of the door, Kurt pulled out of Blaine's embrace, blushing bright red and still averting his eyes. "I'm so sorry you had to witness that," Kurt murmured, sounding awfully close to tears and that was something Blaine just couldn't bear. Kurt never should have to cry around him - or ever, really - especially not out of shame.

"Hey," he said softly, grabbing Kurt's hand and waiting until he looked up from the floor to meet his eyes, even though it took quite a while. "Don't be. It's part of you. I know you don't like it when your cat instincts take over and you feel like you have no control but that doesn't make you any less perfect in my eyes, okay? You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I can't promise you that everyone at Sectionals will love you, as much as I'd like to and think they should, but I can promise you that I will be there at your side no matter what and that I won't let anybody hurt you, darling." Still sniffing, Kurt threw himself into Blaine's arms, almost knocking them both over.

"Thank you," he choked out, nuzzling his cheek against Blaine's neck. "That really means a lot to me. And you really don't mind? It didn't make you... uncomfortable?"

"With you? Never." Blaine started gently petting Kurt's back, rubbing soothing circles into the tense muscles. "Though I have to say it did make me uncomfortable how helpless I felt. I had no idea how to make you feel better, I just sat there until the aid made it here."

"Blaine," Kurt said, pulling away slightly so he could look at him, an incredulous expression on his face. "You don't have to do anything! It wasn't your fault and there isn't much you could have done, anyway."

"But obviously, there is. I'm sure I could learn a thing or two about how to deal with those kinds of situations from the aid. I want to be able to help you when things get to be too much," Blaine murmured, gently brushing Kurt's bangs from his forehead before cradling the side of his face in his palm. Kurt looked at him with such warmth in his eyes that he couldn't help but pull him into a long, sweet kiss.

"I want to do the same for you," Kurt whispered when they pulled away for breath, his eyes searching Blaine's. "Aren't you nervous at all?"

"Of course I am!" Blaine laughed. "I think it's always a little nerve-wracking to go out on the stage and perform for an audience. But I've had my fair share of experience by now and it gets easier to handle. Though I have to say I'm not entirely inconsolable that we missed out on breakfast."

Kurt chuckled and fell back into the embrace, both of them clinging to the other. It was then that a particularly horrendous thought crossed Kurt's mind.

"Oh my God, what if it happens again in front of the others? Or even worse, on stage?" The sheer panic in his voice made Blaine's heart constrict painfully.

"Then I'll be there and we'll get through this together, okay?" Blaine asked, pulling him even closer. "Or do you want to stay here? It would be a shame, you've been so excited for that performance and you're really good. I'd hate for this to get in the way of your happiness. But if it's what you want I'm sure the Warblers will manage."

"Please," Kurt huffed tearfully into his shoulder. "Wes would kill us if I'd just drop out of the performance last minute."
"No, he wouldn't," Blaine chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's hair. "He's too afraid of you ever since Monday."

They laughed together for a minute before Kurt took another deep breath and sat up from where he'd slumped into Blaine's arms.

"I'm not going to let my fears and insecurities keep me from what I really want, what I was born to do. I'm a star and if the judges can't see past the tail, then screw them," he huffed, holding his head high.

"Now, that's my Kurt," Blaine grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Now let's get ready and show the world just how big of a star Kurt Hummel is."

At first, Kurt had thought that with Blaine at his side, he could indeed be fine with the situation. As it turned out, he wasn't. Or at least he was pretty sure that that was the reason he was hanging in the curtains of the green room, hissing down at a positively terrified-looking Nick and Jeff.

"Blaine, are you sure this is a good i-"

"Yes, Wes, thank you very much. I know what I'm doing," Blaine brushed Wes off as he slowly approached the curtain.

"Kurt? Will you come down please?" Kurt just blinked down at him, one ear perking up at the sound of the familiar voice, the other still pressed flat to his head. His tail gave a little twitch but he didn't hiss this time. He didn't look very much like he'd understood or was inclined to obey anytime soon, though, either.

"It's fine, you can come down." Blaine's tone remained calm and soothing and he never broke eye contact with Kurt. Kurt's ears were both twitching now, all his attention on Blaine, his tail flicking around his legs. He sniffed slightly and with a soft smile Blaine slowly, deliberately stepped forward until he was close enough for Kurt to catch his smell. It was warm and a little spicy and boy and raspberry hair gel and so Blaine. It was like coming home.

Kurt's eyes fluttered shut as he inhaled the comforting scent, his ears and tail stopped twitching. When he opened his eyes again they were clear, he was much more aware of his surroundings and no longer panic-stricken as he looked down at the warm smile Blaine offered him. It wasn't too long though until he remembered that he was hanging high in the curtains of the green room, minutes away from his first big performance in front of an audience, all eyes on him.

"Oh God," he moaned, hiding his face in the folds of the heavy material he was clinging to.

"It's okay," Blaine tried to soothe him. "No one's going to judge. Just, come down, please? It's a bit scary to see you up there."

"I can't," Kurt whispered, squeezing his eyes tighter shut and digging his nails even further into the fabric.

"Why?"

"The height," Kurt mumbled, hoping no one would hear him. It was embarrassing enough that his friends had had to watch him lose his shit and climb up a curtain, hissing and batting at everyone trying to touch him or get in his way. Admitting that he was scared of heights and couldn't even get down the curtain he'd climbed in his previous state? That was bit too much for one day.

"Oh." For a moment, Blaine sounded so dumbfounded that Kurt was tempted to open his eyes just so he could see the look on his face. But then he remembered that looking down would just remind him of his current position and the sea of Warblers staring up at him, so it wasn't all that difficult to quell the urge.

"I could help you down," Blaine's voice rang back up to him after a few seconds, sounding much more confident.

"How?" Kurt asked, carefully blinking one eye open to give Blaine a skeptic look, forcing himself to concentrate on his face and not the ground below. It wasn't all too difficult.

"Just... jump into my arms? I'll catch you, I promise," Blaine smiled up at him, eyes wide and sincere, arms held out for him.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to break something. Especially not right before a performance. Where you're the lead singer."

"I'm sure, Kurt. You're not that high up. Or very heavy, at that. I think I can manage. Do you trust me?" He looked so vulnerable in that moment, as if he were the one taking the huge leap of faith. And maybe he was, too, just asking that question.

"Always," Kurt replied with a smile, closing his eyes for a second and taking a deep breath. "Ready?"

"Ready."

And just like that, Kurt let himself fall. The next time he opened his eyes, he was in Blaine's warm, strong hold, greeted by his brightest smile. "Thank you," he whispered, so quietly only Kurt would hear him.

"You're welcome," Kurt chuckled, nuzzling into his chest for a second before nudging Blaine to let him down again. It wasn't until his feet touched the ground that he became aware of all the eyes on him. Or the aid and his father in the doorway, clapping with huge grins on their faces.

"Dad!" Kurt whined, hiding his face behind his hands, blushing brightly. He'd known it had been a bad decision to invite his father to Sectionals. But then again he knew Burt wouldn't have missed it for the world, whether he was invited or not, and he didn't even have words for how thankful he was for his father's support.

"What? We're proud of you, kid. Both of you." And he looked at Blaine with a smile that made him blush bashfully, too.

"Thanks, Burt." They were grinning at each other and Kurt smiled, pleased that they got along so well.

"Now that we're done with this impressive display," Wes threw in from the other side of the room where he had set up a table with David that was covered in what looked like a military strategy plan "would you mind returning your attention to the task at hand? We still have Sectionals to win."

Everybody rolled their eyes at him, groaning in unison, too busy to notice the wink Wes was giving Kurt. For a moment, Kurt froze in disbelief. Had Wes actually just pulled the annoying council member card just to distract from Kurt's humiliation? It would seem he had. After a moment (and Blaine nudging him in the ribs), Kurt smiled back hesitantly and received a huge grin in return. Maybe Blaine hadn't been exaggerating as much as Kurt had assumed and he had actually made more friends than he'd thought possible before he'd come to Dalton.

Kurt gave his Dad one last hug before he had to leave and then the Warblers were already gathering for their performance, finally entering the space behind the stage.

"Oh God," Kurt whimpered at the sight of the thick curtains, knowing all too well what would expect him behind them. How was he going to survive standing in the spotlight for everyone to see for the whole three songs?

"Relax," Blaine murmured soothingly into his ear, so close behind him that Kurt could feel his body heat on his back through both of their clothes, starting to gently massage Kurt's shoulders. "You'll be great out there, I just know it." Kurt just smiled at him and leaned back into the touch, purring slightly until Wes made a sign for them to be quiet and get ready, causing Kurt to flush in embarrassment as he realized that he'd just purred audibly in front of the Warblers. He calmed down a bit when he realized that nobody seemed to care, except for Nick and Jeff who had their heads together, glancing in his direction every now and then as if they were planning something. And though that rarely meant something good Kurt knew them well enough by now to not even think that out of the ordinary.

Just when he thought he'd maybe get over his panic before they were on, Wes motioned for them all to position themselves. Kurt stepped into place beside Blaine, trying to remember how to breathe.

"Has anyone ever literally died on stage?" he whispered, back to staring at the curtain in horror.

"Kurt!" Blaine tried to suppress a chuckle but Kurt could see it all too clearly in his eyes.

"Okay, okay, you can judge me for that one," Kurt murmured, giggling nervously before giving Blaine a sideways glance.

"I think it's adorable," Blaine replied with a smile, his eyes so wide and trusting and full of adoration it actually helped calm Kurt down somewhat. "I think you're adorable."

Kurt really laughed at that, ears twitching before perking up again, his tail waving around their legs. They shared a smile and Kurt was just about to return the sentiment when the Warblers were announced and Wes shot them a dirty look until Kurt had uncurled his tail from Blaine's calves so they could enter in proper formation.

The moment they actually got on the stage, Kurt felt eerily calm. The stage lights were blinding and hot but Kurt didn't mind, they were keeping him from thinking too much about the audience and the warmth felt good on his clammy skin, uncomfortably sweaty from his panic attack earlier. His ears and tail stopped twitching but he hardly noticed, too concentrated on his part of the harmony and not missing his cue.

They opened with Teenage Dream and it was just as swoon-worthy as the first time he'd heard Blaine sing that song. The glances he snuck at Kurt definitely weren't half as subtle as Blaine probably thought but Kurt wasn't going to complain anytime soon. They weren't plentiful enough to count as unprofessional and cost them the competition or anything, really. Kurt just let the pleased flush spread on his cheeks, his stage smile becoming that much more real whenever he caught Blaine's eyes for a short second.

Hey Soul Sister brought even more life into the audience. Even though Kurt couldn't see much of them thanks to the blinding lights he could feel the energy coming off of the Warblers and reflecting from the people sitting in front of them and it made Kurt a bit high in a way only Blaine's kisses and touch could beat. He could feel his fake smile becoming an actual grin and he started enjoying being a part of the team more than he thought he would, though he had to admit that little jolts of jealousy ran through him as he watched Blaine taking the lead. He did an amazing job and his voice was as perfect as always but Kurt couldn't help wondering what it would be like to be up front, to be the one everyone was dancing behind. He just hoped that one day soon when he'd feel up to the challenge, preferably when he wasn't caught on a performance high, he'd be given the chance to try it.

By the time they came to their rendition of I Gotta Feeling, Kurt was sure they couldn't lose. Everyone was out of their seats and they were all having fun. At first he'd been skeptical if an a capella version of a Black Eyes Peas song could really sound all that good but there was no denying it did. When they were through with their choreography Kurt was sweaty and exhausted and happier than he could remember ever having been. The feeling solidified when Blaine offered him a grin over the heads of their fellow Warblers.

He hardly remembered any of the time between their own performance and waiting for the announcement. He watched his old school's Glee Club and while they weren't bad, Kurt didn't worry that the Warblers could lose. They had been brilliant and he was sure they had this in the bag. Which was why he was pretty crestfallen when it was announced that it was a tie. The others around him cheered as if they'd never heard better news in their lives but Kurt just stared incredulously at the announcer before his eyes wandered over to his former classmates. To his utter surprise, some of them were looking right back at him. Slightly uncomfortable, Kurt averted his eyes and pressed closer to Blaine's side, letting himself be overtaken by his teammates' joy.

They were on their way to the green room to get their things and head back to Dalton to celebrate when two of the girls from the other group stopped him.

"Kurt?" the one on the left said, a pretty black girl Kurt was rather sure was called Mercedes. He thought the Asian girl on the right might be Tina. Though neither Mercedes' tone nor their facial expressions seemed particularly threatening, Kurt was still glad when he felt Blaine step up beside him, winding a comforting arm around Kurt's waist. The girls looked incredulously at the arm, their eyes growing even wider when Kurt leaned into the touch, his tail flicking behind them anxiously before it curled once more around Blaine's legs.

"Yes? Can I help you with anything?" Kurt knew his tone wasn't exactly the most welcoming, but he wasn't really looking forward to having to converse with anyone from his old school.

"We just wanted to apologize," Tina said with a gentle smile. "We were really sad when we heard that you'd transferred and we're really sorry we never did anything to protect you from the bullying or help you out. It's partly our fault you're no longer at McKinley and we really miss you there." Kurt just raised an incredulous eyebrow. Apart from having been humiliated publicly every chance the jocks had gotten, Kurt was pretty sure he hadn't left much of an expression at McKinley.

"We really mean it," Mercedes added. "I know you think nobody noticed. I think we all thought that of ourselves at some point. But we did and we're so sorry we didn't even try to help you out or let you know that you're not the only one at the bottom."

"I-" Kurt blinked, not sure what to say. "Thank you, I guess. That actually means a lot to me." He hesitantly smiled at them and they beamed back at him in response.

"We were wondering-" Tina threw Mercedes an anxious look, who offered her an encouraging nod. "We were wondering if you'd maybe consider getting coffee with us someday?"

When Kurt just stared at them perplexedly, Mercedes took over. "Just, when you left we finally realized what we might have lost. I always liked you and I thought about just talking to you so many times, but I was too scared to do it. I thought I was already bullied enough and didn't need even more on my plate and I'm really sorry for that."

"I felt the same," Tina jumped in when Mercedes paused. "And I'm sorry, too. But we thought, maybe, if you'd give us a second chance, we could see if we might end up being good friends? I always wondered what it would be like."

For a moment, Kurt just stared at them, still speechless. He could feel Blaine trying to hide his huge smile in his shoulder but Kurt knew it was there regardless. Kurt was pretty sure he would never get why Blaine was so ecstatic about other people liking him.

"I- yes, sure, why not?" Now all three of them were grinning at him and before he knew it he had two new numbers in his phone and a coffee date on Saturday. They even readily agreed to Blaine accompanying him because Kurt wasn't sure he could do this on his own right away. Everything and everyone related to McKinley still sent chills down his spine, even if Mercedes and Tina had never been anything but nice to him - one of the reasons why he'd agreed to meet them and see where this would be going. Because if he was honest he'd always wondered what it would be like to have more than the inevitable small talk during a class project with them. They were two of the very few people Kurt had been able to see himself ever being friends with at his old school.

"What are you grinning about?" Kurt teased on their way back to the green room to catch up with the rest of the Warblers, gently nudging Blaine in the ribs. "Did I miss a joke?"
"No," Blaine grinned, nudging him back. "I'm just happy that you're happy. And that people appreciate you the way they should." Kurt just rolled his eyes at him, but he couldn't help the way his heart was fluttering in his chest at Blaine's words. Of course Blaine noticed the way his lips tried to twitch into a fond smile and quickly pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth, giggling delightedly.

When they finally entered the room everyone else had already packed up their things, but they still waited patiently as Burt pulled Kurt into a bone-crushing hug and congratulated him over and over again, so clearly proud of his son that Kurt wanted to cry and never let him go ever again. Somehow though, Blaine managed to convince Burt to let Kurt stay at Dalton for the traditional Warbler celebration after a competition, forcing them to separate sooner than Kurt would have liked to.

He forgot all about wanting to spend the evening with only his dad and Blaine, however, when they returned to Dalton only to be greeted by a mass of cheering boys in blazers. Obviously, a lot of the students had been watching the competition and even more had stayed over that particular weekend just so they wouldn't miss a possible victory. As it seemed, a tie was more than good enough for them, too, and they were greeted with whistling and hollering and everyone was beaming at them so much that it promptly brought Kurt's performance high back. It still hadn't worn off when they finally wormed their way through the masses and got to the choir room.

The sight in front of him almost literally stole his breath. Someone seemed to have informed their classmates back at school right after the announcement because there was champagne and gourmet snacks of all kinds the likes of which Kurt had only ever seen in magazines or on TV. When he voiced that thought to Blaine, he just chuckled. "Oh no, that's just the usual set-up. They always do that after a competition, usually to console us when we lost." Kurt was still gaping at what could only be called a buffet when Blaine dragged him along to get something to eat.

At first, Kurt thought it was a rather tame evening. After all, it was a group of well-mannered prep school boys gathering, far from the chaos he'd heard a party at McKinley tended to be. Everyone was standing or sitting in groups, talking and eating, a few with champagne flutes in their hands. Kurt refused with a sarcastically raised eyebrow when Jeff offered him one with a smirk and Blaine abstained as well. Kurt had the impression that he might not want to be the only one drinking out of the two of them and not too long after that, Kurt didn't only see the reason behind that but also became incredibly grateful for his choice. Because as tame as the evening had started, it surely didn't remain that way.

Not even two hours in someone had dragged not only much more alcohol but also a karaoke machine into the room and it didn't take long at all until Nick and Jeff were up in front of the room screaming the lyrics to some Top 40 hit while clutching their beers. They were chased off after a few songs only to be replaced by a few no less intoxicated Warblers and that way it continued. Someone was continuously yelling the lyrics to some party-fit song or other up front while the rest joined in when they felt like it. Most of the group had already dissolved into tiny circles. From what Kurt could tell, one was playing Spin The Bottle, another one Never Have I Ever and a third might be onto Strip Poker if the blazers and dress shirts flying left and right were any indication. Kurt wasn't too sure since he averted his eyes as soon as he noticed.

"So that is a usual Warblers celebration party?" Kurt was pretty sure he'd never again see that many mostly straight guys making out with each other outside of Dalton's hallowed halls. Not that he minded the view, as much as it made him blush to admit it. It wasn't like anyone besides Blaine could see him and he looked just as flush so he had no room to judge.

"Yup," Blaine nodded, eyes fixed on one of the older Warblers pulling one of the newbies into what looked like a rather passionate kiss. A dare maybe? Kurt was pretty sure that circle had moved on to Truth or Dare. "Probably not what you'd expect after watching this uptight little group for a while, but David always told me it's probably because they act so serious all the time that all hell breaks lose when they're allowed to be themselves."

"And have you ever been the heart of the party?" Kurt asked, meaning for it to be teasing but ending up much more curious and maybe a slight bit jealous as his eyes drifted back to the boys that were still kissing, much to the hooting pleasure of their closest teammates.

"Not really," Blaine shook his head, blushing. "Not my cup of tea, though I did get a kiss out of it here or there." His eyes strayed back to the kissing boys and the rest of the by now mostly shirtless crowd. "God, I really want to kiss you right now," he groaned. It obviously hadn't been meant to be said out loud, though, as Blaine blushed bright red and tried to pull back a bit.

"Then why don't you?" Kurt breathed into his ear, leaning closer, tone inviting.

"But... The others... Weren't you the one telling them that we wouldn't make out in front of them?" Blaine stammered, searching Kurt's eyes for something he obviously - and to his visible relief - couldn't find.

"Well, it's not like many of them would notice right now, anyway," Kurt chuckled, Thad choosing that exact moment to run past them with his shirt held out like a flag, singing what Kurt was pretty sure was the national anthem of France. "And besides, that was during practice. Unless you mind?" Kurt had to bite his lip to keep from grinning, he already knew what Blaine's answer would be.

"Well, if you're sure-" Kurt nodded. "Okay then. I'm very much not opposed." They giggled and then they were leaning in, Blaine going straight for Kurt's bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth to nip and bite playfully only to soothe it over with his tongue immediately after. Kurt moaned into his mouth, retaliating by capturing Blaine's top lip in return and letting his slightly longer canines scrape over the soft flesh. He knew that was a surefire way to drive Blaine crazy ever since Monday.

As expected, Blaine surrendered to the feeling and let Kurt's lip go, opening his mouth in a breathless gasp and offering Kurt the opportunity to slip his tongue in. Kurt gladly accepted and he was just licking at that particularly sensitive spot behind Blaine's teeth, earning him a glorious moan, when they heard someone clear their throat right next to them. Startled, they jumped apart, only to find that it had been Wes - and that most of the room's inhabitants were staring at them with wide eyes, most of them uncomfortably lustfully so.

"Would you guys mind taking this to your dorm? We don't want to impose and you don't have to wait the party out. You're probably going to have more fun on your own, anyway." Wes smiled at them, subtly nodding to the crowd behind them. Kurt could already feel the hot blush on his cheeks with the knowledge that almost everyone had been watching them and while it didn't necessarily feel bad Kurt was a bit embarrassed and a lot not ready to make out with Blaine for everyone to see and judge. Knowing the Warblers Kurt wouldn't be surprised if they gave them marks the next day. He took one look at Blaine and they silently agreed, thanking Wes before heading back to their dorm through the spookily empty halls.

They fell onto the bed the minute they were through the door, but the kisses turned sweeter and much more languid as soon as they were on the soft mattress, the exhaustion of nerves and the performance finally kicking in now that they had some privacy.

"I don't wanna be sleepy," Kurt whined against Blaine's mouth after he had to break a kiss for a huge yawn for the third time in a row. "I want to keep kissing you forever."

"Same here," Blaine murmured, sliding his lips over Kurt's once more before nipping at the corner of his mouth for a bit. "But we're both really tired right now and we have all the time in the world. Sleep, darling," he added teasingly when another yawn escaped Kurt. Kurt just growled at him, swishing his tail against Blaine's leg and baring his teeth, but rolled over nonetheless, pushing Blaine off of him to curl up on his side.

"Did I ever tell you how incredibly adorable you look when you sleep curled up like that?" Blaine said softly, running a hand through Kurt's soft hair and scratching lightly behind his ears.

"Bite me," Kurt hissed, leaning into the touch despite his words, a faint purr running through his body that brought him even closer to drifting off.

"You're feisty when you're sleepy," Blaine chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to Kurt's forehead before he pulled his hand away and rolled out of bed.

"Hey, no, where did you go?" Kurt cracked one eye open to follow Blaine's movements around the room, scowling at him.

"I'm going to change and then we're both going to sleep, darling," Blaine replied cheerily, gathering his pajamas from his bed.

"Come back here!" Kurt whined, rolling onto his back and draping himself as invitingly as possible on the sheets.

"Kurt!" Blaine laughed, the sound dying in his throat as he swallowed harshly when his gaze found Kurt. "I don't think that would be a very good idea tonight." His voice was suddenly a lot more hoarse and he tried to cover it up by clearing his throat but Kurt had still heard it. And it had sent a dangerous thrill through him. So maybe Blaine wasn't wrong. Sleeping in the same bed tonight would only lead to things they both weren't ready for just yet, things Kurt definitely didn't want to happen when they were both half asleep.

"Fine," he sighed resignedly, starting to strip out of his uniform. He could hear Blaine slipping into the bathroom to do the same and not for the first time Kurt wished they could just skip the awkward new (and first) relationship phase and get straight to the point where they could sleep in one bed without question, where they could have sex and strip around each other comfortably. Even more than he wanted to explore every last crevice of Blaine's body and have Blaine in turn do the same to him, Kurt wanted the domesticity, the simple everyday actions done in tandem without even having to look, the way he remembered his father and his mother had been around each other. Kurt was as sure as one could be that one day, he and Blaine would have just that, but it was such a long wait until then and Kurt wasn't all that well-known for his patience. With a sigh, he finally finished the last button on his pajama top and slipped under his blankets, trying to fight off sleep until Blaine would come out of the bathroom so they could say goodnight.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait for too long and when he saw Kurt was still awake, Blaine immediately made a beeline for him to press a sweet kiss to his lips. "Sleep well, darling."

"You too, honey." They looked at each other for a moment and there it was, that one glance into the future. Kurt knew just by looking into Blaine's eyes that he felt it, too, that he could see it just as clearly. They smiled at each other one last time before Blaine turned to slip into his own bed, but, as he wriggled further under his own blanket and watched Blaine fight with his, Kurt thought that the scenarios in his head might not be as far into the future as he'd feared.