The first rehearsal back after National's for the New Directions was interesting because there were more people crowded into the Warbler room at Dalton Academy. The girls from Crawford Country Day were, in all honesty, pretty good vocal singers, but they lacked the performance chops that the other groups had. They were considered a "stool" choir, meaning they were a singing choir that didn't move. They sang traditional choir songs, mostly in Latin, and were nothing to brag about. They might have been considered average in their choir competitions, but it was no wonder they never tried to turn themselves into a show choir.

The news of Kurt and Blaine's reconciliation was obvious the second Kurt walked in the door because Blaine immediately stood up, his face lit up like the night sky on the fourth of July. He had saved a space for Kurt to sit next to him and greeted him with a hug and a peck on the cheek before they sat down. They sat hand in hand while they listened to Wes and David ramble on about how next week they will start doing full dress rehearsals and today was the day to nail down final acts and set lists.

There were a few performances of featured soloists and when the council asked if Blaine would like to give a preview of his feature, he declined, saying it wasn't ready yet.

By the end of rehearsal, it was decided that as the third ranked show choir in the Nation, the New Directions would get more spots than the Crawford Country Day choir to sing. The opening group number would be an accapella version of 21 Guns by Green Day and the closing number would be an accapella version of Use Somebody by The Kings of Leon. The New Directions would be performing a song they'd done before as the closing number before intermission: Born This Way by Lady Gaga. Everyone was excited to see this number because they hadn't seen a choir do it before. The opening number to the second act would be The Warblers singing Animal by Neon Trees. David took over the parts that Kurt sang when they performed the song originally before Regional's.

Kurt asked Finn to let him have the car after practice because he said that he needed to settle some things with James. Finn offered to stay in case he needed back up, but Kurt insisted on not needing any muscle. "I just need to talk to him, that's all. Tell Dad that I'll be late for dinner, but I'll be home before curfew." He paused. "Please stress the BEFORE curfew part. He's kind of mad at me for sneaking out last night."

"Yeah, sorry I'm a crap liar."

"It's okay. I'm grounded for the weekend, but it's no big deal. Thanks for trying though."

"I gotta be honest, I don't feel that bad for you. I get grounded all the time and you never do. Considering all the things you do that you don't get caught for, I'm surprised your luck has only run out this morning and not years ago."

Kurt chuckled and Finn handed the keys over. Blaine joined them right before Finn left and laced his fingers with Kurt's, bringing their hands up to his lips and kissing Kurt's knuckles. Kurt smiled back at the gesture, but his smile faded when over Blaine's shoulder he saw James in the background looking uncomfortable and also what appeared to be a slight annoyance. Looking back to Blaine, Kurt said, "Why don't you head upstairs to your room and I'll be up in a bit? I'm going to go talk to James."

"Um. No. I'm not going to go upstairs and leave you alone with him."

"Blaine, it'll be fine. I just need to talk to him, that's all. Like, a closure thing. I just want to make sure that there aren't going to be any more problems for us because of him."

"He didn't really do anything, Kurt."

"You two had sex while you were with me. It doesn't matter if he planned it or not; he's still the face I see in my head when I think about it. I don't see Thad filming it; I don't see the kid who drugged you both; I see you and I see him. I also see how mean he was to me before all this and I see how many times he tried to get with you. So, to me, he's done plenty that warrants a talk from me."

"I still want to be here for you while you talk to him."

"No. I need to do this alone. He and I will be fine. If he really is trying to change and be a nice guy like you say he is, then there shouldn't be a problem." He kissed Blaine's cheek. "This is just something I need to do… for me. Please?"

Blaine stared sharply into Kurt's eyes. It's not that he wanted Kurt nowhere near James and it wasn't that he thought James was being inauthentic. It was that he was worried about what James might say to Kurt and make Kurt upset. He was surprised at how quickly he'd reverted back to his "must protect Kurt" mode. Blaine breathed out hard through his nose and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Blaine sighed. "I'll be in my room." He leaned in and pressed his lips to Kurt's, parting his mouth slightly and feeling the smoothness of the underside of Kurt's lips. Kurt shivered in pleasure from the intimate kiss. "Don't keep me waiting too long." Blaine winked and smiled devilishly.

He was walking out of the room before Kurt had a chance to say, "I won't."

Kurt caught James just before James left the room from the exit on the other side of the Warbler room. "Hey. Can I talk to you?"

Kurt's first thought of what James was feeling was right. James was annoyed. "I'm busy," he snapped.

"No you're not. You just don't want to talk to me. I can see that you're bothered by seeing Blaine and I together. Can we please sit down and talk?"

"I don't want to sit and I don't want to talk; not with you, so let's cut this short and just ask me whatever it is you want to know."

This caught Kurt by surprise. He didn't anticipate James being nice to him, but he at least thought that he'd sit down and talk with Kurt. "Oh. Um. Okay," he stammered. "Does it bother you that Blaine and I are back together?"

"Yes."

"Is it because you want him to be with you?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to get over him and let him be with whomever he wants without trouble from you?"

"That's easy to say when you're the one he wants."

"So you do understand that then? That it's not you or anyone else that he wants… It's me."

"You're loving this aren't you? Rubbing it in my face that no matter what happens, he'll always choose you?"

"I'm not loving any part of this. I'm just trying to figure out if you're going to leave us alone? If you truly care for Blaine then you'll let him be happy."

"I can make him happy."

"No you can't! That's just it; you don't get it!" Kurt shouted in exasperation. This stunned James into silence. "Blaine doesn't want you. He slept with you and doesn't want you. You helped him and he doesn't want you. You made a deal with him that results in a date that he made requests for you to not touch him and you still don't get that he DOES NOT want you. How much rejection are you going to take before you get it through your skull that he's never going to want you? Why are you doing this to yourself? There are plenty of other guys in this school that would be better for you. Ones that are AVAILABLE. But instead, you beat yourself up, pining for a guy that is in love with someone else." Kurt was huffing his breath now. He was frustrated with James for his lack of understanding, but also felt bad for him for not letting himself be happy and move on.

James licked his lips. "Are we done?"

"Not yet. Blaine said you're trying on the nice guy look. Prove it. Are you going to leave us alone?"

James' eyes shifted back and forth from eye to eye on Kurt's face. "Yeah. Whatever."

"No. Not 'whatever.' I want to hear you say that you're going to leave us alone. No more trying to talk him out of having feelings for me by making fun of me, no more hitting on Blaine, no more anything. If you two were friends, that's fine, but I don't want to hear that you're being a dick and trying to get between him and his happiness. He's been through too much this year to deal with much else, got it?"

"Yeah. Got it."

"Thank you."

James made motion to walk away with Kurt watching him, but turned back after a few steps. "You really don't mind if he and I became friends?"

"It would bother me at first, but I trust him and I trust his judgment."

"You trusted him before and he had sex with me."

"And if you had any self respect you wouldn't have let it happen because you knew that the guy you claim to care for would have been crushed and feel disgusting for having done it."

James turned his eyes to the floor. "I'll leave you both alone," he said after a minute or two of silence.

Kurt watched James walk away from him, feeling an infinite amount of sorrow for him. He silently wished him happiness and began making his way to Blaine's dorm room.

He tapped on Blaine's door when he reached it and Blaine opened it quickly like he had been standing there the whole time waiting to open it for Kurt. Blaine quickly grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him in, shoving the door shut with Kurt's body.

"As much as I'd love to have sex with you, right now; I don't have time," Kurt said between breaths and kisses.

"Who said anything about sex?" Blaine answered before attaching his lips to Kurt's neck. He sucked softly on the soft part of Kurt's silk skin and trailed his lips down Kurt's body until he was on his knees.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked, his chest heaving from his heart racing.

Blaine looked up with a cheshired grin. "I'm going to suck your dick if that's okay."

Kurt blushed. "Um." He smiled. "Ya-yeah. That'd be-um- I think I'd be okay with that."

Blaine began unbuckling Kurt's belt and undoing his pants. "I love it when you get like that, you know." He palmed Kurt's groin over his underwear.

Kurt moaned under Blaine's touch and dropped his head back to the door. "L-like wuh-what?"

Blaine leaned forward and caressed his lips over the fabric. Kurt moaned again, touching the back of Blaine's head gently. "When your head is too confused to think and you stutter your words." He wrapped his hands around to Kurt's ass and dug his fingers into Kurt's skin through the fabric of his briefs. Kurt let out a loud moan when he felt Blaine's lips kissing around his groin again.

Kurt gasped when he heard a knock come from the other side of the door behind him. "I don't want to be a cock-block or anything, but do you think you can keep it down?" Blaine recognized the voice as his Residential Advisor.

Blaine didn't hesitate in standing up, and picking Kurt up, wrapping his legs around his waist. "Got it!" he yelled out to the door and carried Kurt over to his bed. He gently dropped Kurt to the mattress and took no time pulling down Kurt's pants, which might as well have been painted on, and his briefs.

The head of Kurt's dick was already leaking pre-cum and Blaine licked it all off with a flat tongue. He slipped his tongue inside his mouth and swallowed it all as he began pumping Kurt's cock in his hand and kissing his hips.

Kurt moaned and bit his lip so hard he wouldn't be surprised to find that he drew blood. Blaine licked Kurt from base to tip and finally gave Kurt what he needed by taking Kurt into his mouth completely.

He rolled his tongue on the under side of Kurt's cock and let one hand massage the beautiful boy's balls while his other hand ran itself up to caress Kurt's chest and stomach. Kurt ran his hands through his own hair and across his chest, never being able to keep still for more than a couple seconds. He moaned and whimpered and curled his toes inside his shoes, unable to control anything he was doing.

Blaine began to bob his head faster down onto Kurt and was able to feel Kurt's body tensing like he was close.

"Uhng! Yeah. Just like that. Oh fuck. B-Blaine. Uhng! I'm g-gonna-"

Before Kurt had a chance to finish his sentence he was exploding himself to the back if Blaine's throat. Blaine kept Kurt in his mouth, swallowing every drop until Kurt's smooth cock stopped throbbing.

Blaine tucked Kurt gently back into his briefs and pulled himself up to kiss a very out of breath Kurt. "Fuck!" Kurt gasped.

Blaine giggled. "You're welcome."

"Shit. Can you get any better at that?" Kurt said sarcastically.

"Mmm… I don't know. Wanna find out?"

"Oh God, I don't know if I have time to find that out today."

"When do you have to leave?" Blaine asked.

Kurt craned his neck and looked at the clock. He laughed. "Five minutes ago."

"Damn. Really?" Blaine pouted and kissed Kurt with an open mouth. "Can't I keep you the night? You're already grounded."

Kurt groaned and rolled off the bed. He put his pants back together and pulled Blaine up to him. "Walk me to my car?"

Blaine grabbed Kurt and pulled him close, kissing him hard. "I love you so much."

"No more than I love you."

Blaine stroked the side of Kurt's face and hair lovingly before placing a gentle kiss on Kurt's cheek and then his lips. "Come on, my love, let's get you home before you're grounded for more than the weekend."

Blaine walked Kurt to his car, never letting go of his hand until the door shut. "You're coming over tomorrow, right?"

"Of course."

"Pack a bag in case I can convince my dad to let you stay the night."

"Drive safe. Text me when you get home so I know you got there okay."

Blaine kissed Kurt through the open window and smiled as he watched him drive off.

Still being able to taste Kurt, he swirled his tongue around his mouth, thinking: That beautiful creature is in love with me and I him. To what higher power do I owe the greatest thank you?