"Okay. Spill it."

Kurt and Mercedes are curled up together on Mercedes' bedroom floor, -- she's a little bit better now, though still coughing and sniffing every now and then -- his head on her shoulder, the movie playing on the TV long forgotten since Kurt can't pay attention to anything since that damn Friday night.

He hates being so freaking smitten, but he can't help the smile that appears on his face whenever his mind goes back to that moment in front of Blaine's house two nights ago. Blaine's face was so close, lips so full and inviting and, oh God, his eyes. They were a mix of green, hazel and gold and Kurt kept looking at them during that entire night -- when they danced, when they drank, whenever he looked over at Blaine sitting on his passenger seat -- and, even if he tried, Kurt wouldn't be able to define its color in a million years.

His lips are even softer than what Kurt imagined. And his kisses... God, his kisses. They are sweet, caring, but at the same time passionate, intense and... Sexy. 

Kurt blushes at the mere thought.

He remembers a sweaty hand against his face, hot breath against his cheek, trembling lips touching his own. Blaine is intoxicating, and for some bizarre reason, Kurt doesn't want the feeling to stop. 

And just when Kurt thought he was getting over his stupid, ridiculous crush...

Mercedes slaps his arm, rudely interrupting his train of thought.

"Damn, Kurt. What the hell is going on with you?" She shifts against him, making him lift his head from her shoulder and look at her properly. Suddenly, her annoyed expression turns into one of realization and her chin drops, eyes widening comically. "Kurt! You met someone at Scandals, didn't you? Oh my God, why didn't you tell me?" She slaps his arm again, but this time she has a big smile on her face and her eyes are glistening with happiness.

Shit. What if Blaine doesn't want anyone to know about what happened? He was drunk, after all. Not I'm-so-drunk-I-can't-even-walk drunk, but drunk enough to do things he could regret the next day. What if he gets mad at Kurt if he tells Mercedes? He doesn't want Blaine to be mad. He wants Blaine to keep looking at him the way he did that night and to keep kissing him exactly like he did in front of his house. He wants him to keep touching Kurt like he did before their lips met, and he wants him to smile that toothy smile of his every single day. 

Oh, Mercedes is asking him something. Right.

"I- What?"

She laughs and jumps a little, grabbing Kurt's arms and smiling animatedly.

"Kurrrt! Tell me!"

"I-" he looks down at his hands. Kurt wants to tell her. What happened Friday night is probably the most amazing thing that's ever happened to him, and he wants to share it with his best friend. He knows he can trust Mercedes, and he just... He needs to tell her. "Can you keep a secret?"

"You know I can, boo." She smiles softly, giving his arm a squeeze before letting her hand drop to her lap.

"I saw Blaine at Scandals."

"No shit." Mercedes' mouth opens. "But... He's dating Rachel!"

Kurt's heart drops. He has no idea how, but during the haze of the last events, his mind has completely forgotten about the girl. He stops himself from thinking about it and says instead, "I know. But it's true. He was right there, just when there was this cute guy talking to me."

Kurt tells her everything. From the moment where he left Cute Blond Boy sitting alone to the dancing and drinking, from Blaine staring at him on his car to the exchanged kisses. He tells all the details, taking in her reactions and trying not to think too much into the situation.

"Oh, Kurt..." Mercedes says when he stops talking, and Kurt bites his lip at the sadness on her voice. "You... He was drunk, right?"

"Yeah."

She takes his hand and holds it between both of hers, looking right into his eyes. "Promise me one thing?"

"It depends."

"Don't get too disappointed if he ignores you at school tomorrow, okay?" Mercedes says very carefully, like her words might hurt Kurt if she isn't careful enough. "It's just... Even if he kissed you more than once, he still was drunk, Kurt. Drunk enough that you had to drive him home. And then there's Rachel..."

"I know. And I know there's absolutely no way I won't get disappointed with this all, -- disappointed being an understatment -- but I... I really like him, Mercedes."

Mercedes lets go of Kurt's hand to throw her arms around him in a strong, fierce hug. "Just try not to hurt yourself."

Kurt smiles against her shoulder. "I promise I will try."

Kurt doesn't hear from Blaine since the night at Scandals.

Until he does.

He's in History class, trying to concentrate and write down some notes, only partially succeeding. Kurt is never, ever going to admit it, but his eyes still sting from the earlier occurrences. It turns out... Mercedes was right. He is disappointed. 

(Even if that's a huge understatment.)

It was during lunch, and his hands were shaking in anticipation. Blaine would be there, and even though they wouldn't, um, do anything, he was looking forward to seeing him after what happened. Mercedes kept sending him those (kind of) scary warning looks that said, don't do this to yourself, you're just going to end up heartbroken. 

Still, Kurt sat on their usual table and kept his eyes where Blaine sits everyday, trying to be nonchalant and failing spectacularly. 

When Blaine walked in on the cafeteria and his eyes caught him, though, his heart already started breaking. He was smiling, Rachel under his arm, football friends following them, but his smile didn't match his eyes at all and it looked so forced that Kurt almost felt sick. It was nothing like those genuine, too happy smiles he directed to Kurt that Friday night and Kurt found himself missing it. 

He wanted to see that glow on Blaine's eyes again.

Kurt kept watching, Mercedes concentrated on her food, and felt a knot on his stomach when Blaine leaned down to kiss Rachel when they were all seated. Then Blaine removed his arm from around her to hold his fork, and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Kurt smiled. But Blaine didn't smile back.

Instead, he looked down at his plate and didn't smile once during the entire lunch. 

Kurt hates it, but he can't help the terrible feeling in his gut whenever he thinks about it. Why didn't he see this coming? Of course Blaine was going to ignore him. Nothing would change just because they kissed, no matter how wonderfully amazing those kisses were.

Maybe I was the only one who felt it. Maybe he didn't feel the overwhelmingly strong sensation of rightness that I did when we  kissed. Maybe it was just me who felt the hair all over my body stand on end like our touches were electric, magnetic. Maybe the glow on his eyes were nothing but my naive imagination seeing too much, hoping too bad. Maybe it was just me.

Kurt shakes his head and tries to pay attention on the teacher again, only to be surprised by the curly-headed girl sitting on front of him sneaking a note on the top of his notebook.

He looks at her and she just shrugs, like she has no idea what it is.

Looking around to see if there's anyone watching, Kurt grabs the folded note and hides it under his table before opening it.

I'm sorry.

- B

Kurt feels his heartbeat fasten, and his breath catches. He looks over to where Blaine's sitting at the other end of the classroom, head resting on the wall and arms curled around himself. When he catches Kurt's eyes, he gives him a small, sad smile, only the right corner of his mouth curving up. 

Kurt's heart breaks just a little bit more.

Nonetheless, he smiles back, though he is completely sure that his smile looks just as sad as Blaine's.

Don't worry. It's ok.

Kurt writes, folds the paper and pokes the curly-headed girl's shoulder, motioning to Blaine's direction with his head and mouthing "please?". She rolls her eyes and sighs, tapping the boy sitting in front of her and whispering something into his ear, probably asking him to pass the paper to Blaine.

When the small piece of paper is finally handed to Blaine, Kurt watches as he unfolds it carefully, like it holds something precious. While he reads, his tense shoulders relax a little, his legs uncross, and he looks at Kurt. 

This time, his smile is a happy  one.

As Kurt is distracted with Blaine and the note, the teacher leaves the classroom mumbling something he doesn't hear and then Blaine is sticking his book and notes inside his bag, suddenly and rapidly making his way to the empty chair behind Kurt.

Kurt can hear the noise of pencil on paper behind him and he bites his pen to keep from smiling too much. Then he feels fingers against his shoulder and, when he looks to the side, Blaine is holding him a new piece of paper.

No, it's not. Let me make it up to you?

Kurt's heart could have been knocked right out of his chest. He tries to hold the pen betweem his sweaty fingers and writes:

And how will you do that?

It takes only a few seconds for Blaine to hold the note back to him.

Meet me at my house tonight? At 7? I promise my lasagna will make you forgive me.

Kurt bites his lips. Is this really happening? There's no way this is really happening. Blaine Anderson, the guy Kurt has been crushing on ever since he first laid eyes on him, -- he admits it now, okay? -- the same guy who kissed him so sweetly and passionatly a night not long ago, is asking him over to his house?

Oh, God. That's not real. This is not my life. Things like this don't happen to me, how can something like this, so amazing and precious, be happening to me?

Kurt hesitates a little before handing Blaine the note again, but he does it anyway.

It's a date.

Kurt is a trainwreck. An absolute, total, ridiculously nervous trainwreck. 

Ok, first: He has never been on a date before, and that alone is reason enough to freak him out.

Second: he spent two hours -- two freaking hours! -- going through his clothes and going crazy over what to wear, and he always knows what to wear. Always. Okay?

And third: he's going on a date with Blaine. Blaine, who talked to him when he was crying alone under the bleachers while feeling like disappearing. Sweet, heartfelt Blaine, who borrowed him his clothes and gave him his first dance with a boy. 

Who gave him his first real kiss.

Am I trying not to freak out? Because it's not working. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

Kurt sucks in a ragged breath, closing his eyes and counting down to three. His finger wander over Blaine's bell, and he opens his eyes. 

But-- what if it's not Blaine who answers? What if his parents are home? But then, Blaine wouldn't invite him over if his parents were home, right?

Right?

"Oh, for the love of-" he mutters, finally pressing the bell. His heart is beating really, really fast, but he ignores it. He has to, for the sake of his sanity.

But then... Then Blaine opens the door.

That's ridiculous. That's- that's not even fair.

Blaine looks... He looks ridiculously gorgeous. His hair is perfectly styled with just the right amount of gel in it, clothes casual but elegant, -- a black v-neck and really, really tight jeans that Kurt was most definitely not looking at --  and a beautiful smile playing on his pink, full lips.

"Hi," Blaine greets, reaching for Kurt's hand and pushing him away from the cool breeze, closing the door behind them. "You look..."

Blaine lets the sentence trail, shaking his head and smiling shyly. 

"Thank you," Kurt smiles back, feeling his blood rush to his face and making it bright scarlet. "You, too."

Blaine looks up at him from under those stunningly too big eyelashes and squeezes Kurt's fingers. "Come on. I believe I promised you delicious food."

Conversation is easy between the two of them. After Blaine guides Kurt to the kitchen and pulls off the chair for him to sit, -- seriously? He's also a gentleman? -- it contrasts between "Oh my God. Oh my God, this is- that's the best lasagna I've ever eaten! How did you do this?" and discussions about Vogue and fashion and just the silliest things that makes Kurt giggle and shake his head. Blaine asks about Glee Club and Mercedes, and Kurt asks about football and somehow they end up talking about Blaine's family.

Kurt learns that Blaine has a very loving brother named Cooper, and laughs at the stories Blaine tells just to prove how ridiculous his brother is. He also learns that his parents are... Difficult. He listens intently as Blaine explains that yes, he knows his mom and dad love him, ("I'm their son, they have to,") but they don't love the things that make him who he is. Kurt offers advice, even if he thinks they won't do Blaine any good, -- sometimes words just aren't enough -- and they talk and talk until Kurt finally gets a smile out of Blaine.

Not once do they mention Rachel.

During the entire meal and conversation, Kurt feels Blaine's foot rubbing against his own. Up his ankle and down, up and down, almost like a caress, a promise of more. 

It makes his insides tingle and his chest expand.

When they're both finished, Blaine puts the plates on the dishwasher -- and Kurt doesn't notice just how well those pants hug Blaine's ass, not at all -- and comes back, grabbing Kurt's hand again and saying, "Do you want to watch a movie? I have some we can pick from in the living room, and I have chocolate and ice cream.  I mean, if-"

"Sounds perfect." Kurt interrupts, smiling down at him and letting Blaine push him into the living room.

He sits down on the big, comfortable sofa as Blaine turns on the DVD player. They choose to watch Rent and Kurt is kind of (a little) impressed to know that Blaine owns a movie like this one, though - well, Blaine has been impressing him a lot lately.

Blaine excuses himself for a moment and climbs up the stairs, leaving Kurt alone for a moment but returning quickly, one big blanket in hand. He puts it on the empty space next to Kurt and makes a weird gesture with his hand, holding up a finger in a motion that says "just one more thing..." and disappearing into the kitchen.

He returns with a pack of ice cream and a big chocolate bar, holding two spoons in one hand and the food on the other. He smiles at Kurt and takes a moment to sit beside him, quickly wrapping the blanket around them both and holding a spoon up at him.

Kurt shivers at the proximity, but takes the spoon and tries to make himself comfortable on the sofa.

But then... Blaine is opening his arms and biting at his bottom lip, eyes big and shining, looking at Kurt expectantly.

"Come here," he all but whispers. Kurt can see his adam apple bobbing, can hear the hesitation on Blaine's voice. But he goes, anyway. They both ditch the spoons and Kurt shifts, resting his head against Blaine's shoulder, heart on his throat, and Blaine circles his arms around him. Kurt does the same -- one arm on Blaine's waist and the other resting against his chest, feeling the boy's heartbeat fasten against his fingertips and smiling when he notices it's just as fast as his own.

Blaine rests his cheek against Kurt's hair and presses play.

Kurt pays attention to the first five minutes of the movie. Then, the feeling of Blaine's broad chest against his hand start to drive Kurt crazy as the seconds go by. He can feel Blaine breathing, can feel the muscles of his legs twist where they're tangled with his own under the blanket, can feel Blaine mouthing the lyrics of the song playing on the screen. 

And when Blaine removes his hand from Kurt's waist to grab Kurt's own hand, intertwining their fingers together and keeping them where they were already resting against his chest, Kurt is sure that his heart can be heard in other planets.

There is nuzzling. Blaine rubs his nose against Kurt's ear, temple and cheek, repeating the movement again and again and even resting his lips against Kurt's skin once, keeping it there for only a few seconds before going back to the nuzzling. Ear, temple and cheek. Ear, temple and cheek; until Kurt turns his face and looks right into Blaine's huge hazel-green (Kurt still hasn't decided its color yet) eyes.

Just when Kurt thought the nuzzling was over, Blaine rubs their noses together and gasps, squeezing Kurt's hand a little.

"You have no idea," Blaine murmurs, his tone light and so very low, almost inaudible if Kurt wasn't paying so much attention, "of how much I want to kiss you."

Kurt closes his eyes at that, moving his hand from Blaine's waist to cup his cheek instead, heartbeat going so fast that Kurt wonders for a second if that's what having a heart attack feels like.

"So do it."

Kurt hears Blaine's gasp before feeling the boy's lips against his. The first touch is light, simple, with just enough force to know it isn't an accident, like Blaine is testing the water. The second is more confident, Blaine's open mouth closing on Kurt's, tongues meeting in-between and  bodies shaking. Their fingers are still linked together, and the position should be uncomfortable but it's perfect, and when Blaine's free hand come to Kurt's neck to hold him even closer, he melts. 

And that's it. Kurt is gone.

They spend what's some good fifteen minutes exploring each other's mouths, leaning into each other and exchanging sweet, languid kisses that turned into passionate, almost desperate ones. They kissed to the sound of Rent playing on the background, characters singing about a candle and the movie long forgotten, hands on cheeks and waists and necks. 

Blaine pulls away and Kurt tries to find his lips again, completely by instinct, and Blaine giggles before pecking his lips one more time. 

Kurt laughs a little and looks at Blaine, taking on his kiss-swollen lips and dark eyes, the dimples next to his eyes from the big smile on his face, and runs a thumb across Blaine's bottom lip. His breath catches when Blaine closes his eyes and kisses the pad of his finger, hugging Kurt tighter.

Blaine is caressing his face, thumb running up and down his cheek, when he whispers, "you have no idea of what you do to me, do you?"

Kurt shivers and kisses him again.

"Blaine?" He asks when they part, noses bumping together and foreheads touching.

"Mm-hm?"

"Are we just going to pretend that there's not, um," Kurt swallows, "stuff we need to talk about? L-like how you and Rach-"

Blaine interrupts him with another kiss and Kurt forgets what he was going to say. Why is he talking, anyway, when this gorgeous boy is right here, giving him the most amazing kisses in the whole world?

"Not tonight, ok?" Blaine whispers, thumb still running through Kurt's face. "I just want to... Tonight, I just want to be with you. No pressure, just... This. Us."

He demonstrates by squeezing Kurt's waist and leaning down again, kissing him sweetly.

And Kurt... Well, Kurt wants that, too. He wants that night with Blaine more than anything he has ever wanted in his entire life, and who is he to say no to such a request?

So he lets Blaine kiss him and he kisses back, a warm sensation of true happiness sweeping through himself for the first time in a very, very long time.