Then there was a beeping. A loud sound that was shaking our entire world and making it crumble at the corners. Suddenly all the bullies of my past were climbing down the walls of our little escape, with pointed teeth.

All of them.

Every single person who ever even looked at me funny was suddenly part of the army that was crawling demonically towards Blaine and I. I went to clutch onto Blaine, but he was just that bit out of my reach. He was trying to get to me too, but it was like my arms just couldn't surpass that pin-head distance separating us.

I kept trying to call out for him, but that dryness from before kept me from forming words, my throat burning.

The army fell upon me and pushed me through the sand, breaking apart the world...

I woke to Blaine's worried expression in the natural light and the sound of my alarm clock

"Kurt. Kurt, you're dreaming. Wake up."

"I'm, I'm up," I responded, my throat painfully dry. "Can you get me a glass of water?" I asked, my voice extremely rough and scratchy.

"Yeah, sure," Blaine said, the bed wavering as he padded over to the bathroom in jeans and a t-shirt.

I immediately missed his presence, but he returned quickly and I downed the water, my body most likely dehydrated from the salty Chinese food we had eaten for our early dinner.

Blaine gathered me up in his arms and kissed my forehead. "What were you dreaming about?"

I shrugged, the dream already quite hazy and disjointed. "I don't remember much. I think it was about the bullies again." I rubbed my eyes, pleasantly aware of his hands sliding up and down my legs as he held my entire body. I leaned against his chest, allowing him to take care of me, a casual action that I only allowed very few to do. My father probably being the only other.

Blaine smelled like Blaine and I almost drifted off again. Most boys smelled like boy. A weird musk scent that many seemed to produce that smelled like usual body spices, clean sweat, and an undetectable third ingredient. Blaine however seemed to always radiate the smell of cinnamon and comfort, for lack of an actual scent.

When Blaine tried to explain to me what I smell like, he always said coffee (even if I hadn't drank any) and that clean smell after the rain mixed with the slightest hint of vanilla. I hoped those were compliments.

Blaine's chest made tremors under my cheek as he chuckled, my half-lidded eyes opening a bit at the sudden movement. He rubbed my arm and kissed my hair again. "Okay, now don't fall asleep on me. We have play practice in 45 minutes."

I groaned and nuzzled my face into his arm, wanting to fall back into my afternoon nap. Then something registered.

45 minutes.

"Blaine!" I screamed, jumping up from bed and running to my bathroom, taking in my appearance. My hair and clothes were all disheveled and it took us 20 minutes alone to drive to school. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" I asked while I filled my spray bottle to mist my hair.

"Kurt, you look fine-"

"Shut up Anderson!"

We were somehow able to pull ourselves together and get to school within 5 minutes of our call time.

"Hey guys," Artie greeted us just as we were hanging up our coats in the boy's dressing room. "So Blaine, we're going to try to run through as much as we can without stopping today. How are you doing with Act 2 Scene 3?"

"Fine. Kurt and I worked out all the kinks last night when we were practicing."

I hoped Artie didn't notice the blush that kept to my ears when I was not about to add that our practicing led to other acts that were not exactly line-reading. The bruises on my hips were welcome reminders of that.

"Good. And Kurt, a lot of the guys need to be re-fitted. Don't tell Mercedes, but though she did well with the girls, the outfits for the guys are really loose."

"No problem. Just give me 20 minutes."

Artie nodded, then wheeled himself towards Tina who was dancing dangerously close to a bunch of music stands.

I linked his arm with Blaine's and walked around backstage, looking for the other guys.

"Puckerman, Finn, Mike." I curled a finger towards myself. "You're with me. Comon.'"

In the backroom, I had Puckerman standing on a crate, measuring the inseam of his pants.

"Woah, dude, be careful down there," Puck said, fidgeting as he said so.

"I promise I won't stab you in the balls, Puck." I pinched the fabric, then carefully inserted another pin.

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

Another few minutes passed, Finn, Mike, and Blaine chattering somewhere to the side.

"Alright Puck, almost done, then I'll get onto Blaine."

"No you won't," Artie said, wheeling by. "Blaine, we need you now. You're going on in a second."

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. I stuck another pin into Puck's pants then walked over to the miscellaneous box to throw a belt at Blaine's chest. "Here, just use this for now."

"Okay. See you soon, babe," Blaine said as he turned to walk out.

"Hey," I said. He turned around and saw my smirk, he stepped back and kissed me on the lips, twice.

I watched him leave, momentarily sedated to the rest of the world.

"Stop with the puppy eyes and finish my pants," Puck complained.

I turned on my heels, shooting my best bitch-face at him. "Remember, I'm the one with the pins."

He shut up for a few seconds while I finished up. He took his pants off for me and I hung them up so I could actually sew them later, then gestured for Finn to take his place.

Finn's pants were overall okay, but once again, the inseam was totally off.

Puck laughed lightly behind me. "Going straight for the crotch again I see, Hummel?"

I smirked. "Yep. See, the pants you guys have are pretty good, but I'm guessing that Mercedes got a little shy when it came to the crotch seams. Luckily, this is an area I am well educated in."

As soon as I said the words, I regretted them, and hoped Finn wouldn't ask-

"Why?"

I coughed and tried to act busy while casually responding, "I've had to refit a lot of my pants in the crotch area."

"Too small for your pants, Hummel?" Puck jeered jokingly again.

I blushed and responded, "The opposite actually."

A moment of complete silence and then Mike said, "Seriously? No offense, but really?"

I looked back over at them. "I love tight pants, but my dick never quite fits off-the-rack. So I have to let them out usually."

Puck and Mike exchanged a glance, then held out their palms to me, I slapped them with a chuckle.

I went back to Finn's pants, shaking my head as I did so.

Puck sat back in his chair, relaxing until his next scene. "You know what I just noticed. You and Blaine always give each other little kisses to each other during play practice and at after-school Glee club meetings, it's kind of adorable, but I've never seen you two kiss during school. What gives? Is Blaine a bad kisser?"

I blushed a bit. "It's really sweet of you Puck to notice. And it means a lot to me that you're not disgusted by it-"

"Why would I be? You're my boy now."

I blinked a few times, genuinely unsure if this was the same Noah Puckerman who used to throw me in dumpsters.

"Anyways," I continued. "Don't worry, Blaine is an amazing kisser but...we're still always afraid that there will be a bully who will come out and attack us or something stupid. You couldn't understand because you've always only been involved with women. No one looks twice when you kiss a girl, but in this small-minded town, it's a big event if two guys or girls make out...and there are...other problems."

Puck nodded, absorbing this information. "I'm sorry dude, I wish it was different."

"So why do you two kiss around us?" Mike asked.

I tilted my head. "I can be comfortable around you guys. Around the Glee club. It's...it's something I've never felt before around friends. And even looking at all of you now, it's amazing who I'm friends with. I mean, seriously, Finn is now my brother. And Puck, you used to throw me in dumpsters! And now you're actually one of my closer friends."

"Same here man," Puck replied. "And like I've said before, I'm so damn sorry about all of that."

"I know, you've apologized a million times. And thank you."

I worked in silence for a little while longer and finally got to Mike's pants, having to fix the bottom cuff as well for these because he ripped them in dance rehearsal earlier that week.

"What was the 'other' problem that you mentioned?" Finn asked.

I almost face-palmed if it wasn't for the pins in my mouth that would kill me if I accidentally swallowed. Leave it to Finn to fixate on the things you accidentally mention and don't want to talk about. "Don't worry about it."

Brittany ran past the dressing room and popped her head in. "Rachel wants to re-do all of the scenes in the first Act with her in them so you all have at least 20 more minutes. Kurt, do you want to go help me find the gauze?"

"N-wait, what do you need gauze for?"

"Well, Ms. Pillsbury keeps saying 'break a leg' so as stage manager, I think I should be ready for the scene when everyone breaks their legs, even if I can't find it in the script." She sprinted off.

Oh Brittany. Sweet, lovable, Brittany.

"Spill it man, what are your other problems with kissing him in public? Do you need me to beat someone up?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah Kurt, just tell us who we need to get."

My face must have been burning red when I turned around and sat on the ground. I knew I would probably never get another chance like this to be open with the other guys. I had asked Finn about my "little problem" a month ago, but looking back, maybe he wasn't the best guy to ask advice from. "Would you guys mind if I asked you about...cooling off?"

"Seriously? You haven't gotten over that yet?" Finn asked.

I threw my best bitch-face at him. "Oh like you haven't!"

"I so have!"

Puck laughed. "Finn, don't even act like I haven't seen you with all those awkward boners."

Finn blushed and grumbled, "I'm guessing Naked Rachel Berry isn't working for you."

I smirked. "It worked for a little while, but I developed an immunity."

"Are you guys having sex?" Puck asked.

Finn snorted. "Just a bit!" he said sarcastically. "I think I could make a bouncy house out of all the condoms they use!"

I almost stabbed Finn with my needles. Almost.

Puck nodded as if Finn hadn't just said the most embarrassing thing he'd ever uttered. "But you're still easily excited? Hey man, that's just your body's makeup. I'm sure Blaine isn't too unhappy with your little problem though, am I right?"

I had to look away when I answered, "You can say that."

"Well then why fight the power?" Puck asked.

I looked at Puck again who failed to see the problem that I had...and I had to admit, I was beginning to not see this as a problem either. I think the real question I wanted to ask them was making all my other quibbles seem more important than they really were.

What was my real underlying problem then?

Oh, yeah. I still hadn't topped Blaine. But could I ask them about that?

I stared at the floor. "Hey Puck...can I ask you something that is really, really intimate?"

"Absolutely, buddy."

"No offense guys, but I can't listen to this conversation. It's weird enough to walk in on your brother, like, three times. I don't need to know the nitty-gritty details now. Wanna go get a soda, Mike?" Finn said.

"Sure."

I fiddled with my hands, unsure of how I was going to ask this. "Blaine and my sex life is amazing. We do it all the time...but he's never let me- no, 'let me' isn't the right term. I never feel I know how to ask him for me to-to top."

Puck leaned back in his chair, thinking.

"You are the entire other half to your relationship. You should be able to give as much input as Blaine. Don't feel embarrassed about it. Do you need me to tell him to bend over and take it like a man?"

I waved my hands. "No! But thanks Puck, I think I just needed to be reminded of that. I'll bring it up with him soon."

"Promise? I don't want my boy to not be taken care of right."

I smirked. "I'm a big boy, Puck. Thank you."