Kurt counts the death toll every day it's too high to remember. Too many deaths. Too many people that could have been saved.

Their little gay group has doubled in size, and they go taping up posters of the effects of the disease around the city. So far Kurt has received three calls from angry club owners complaining that his little stunt is going to put him out of business. So be it, Kurt thinks. At least they're alive.

At the next meeting they want to talk about support groups for those who've lost loved ones. It was Elliott's idea, and both Kurt and Blaine were immediately on board with it. The others at the meeting love it too. Except for Sebastian.

“I think it encourages the idea that people can still go out, get sick, and their loved ones won't care to get them help until it's too late,” he explains.

“That doesn't even make sense,” someone scoffs.

“What I'm trying to pitch,” Elliott intervenes, “is a place is where people can go to discuss ways this can be avoided. People who have lost someone close to them have experienced it first hand, so they know the effects.”

“Okay, but how many guys in New York City are actually in committed enough relationships to stick around until the end?” Sebastian sneers.

A few angry gasps erupt from the group. Elliott stands up taller and says coolly, “As a matter of fact, not all of us whore around. My boyfriend of two years died a few months ago, thank you very much.”

Sebastian just rolls his eyes. Kurt narrows his eyes and opens his mouth to begin tearing him apart, but Blaine pulls Sebastian out into the hallway before he can do anything.

“I think it's a great idea,” someone quips.

“Yeah,” someone else says. “Can we kick Sebastian out?”

People start muttering about how they want him out, and Kurt wholeheartedly agrees with them. Something about those steely blue eyes gives him the creeps. But he knows he can't kick him out of the group if he's here to help.

“We have to keep this an inclusive place,” Kurt says.

He dismisses the group then goes out into the hallway to check on Blaine. He's still talking to Sebastian in a hushed voice. Sebastian says something that makes Blaine laugh, then they hug and Sebastian leaves. Blaine turns to walk towards Kurt.

“What was that about?” Kurt asks, jealousy tinting his voice.

“Nothing, he just told me something funny.” Blaine gives Kurt a quick kiss. “Can we go get something to eat? I'm starving.”

Kurt stares at Blaine for a moment before asking, “What did you tell him?”

Blaine shrugs. “I just explained that if he doesn't want to be here, he doesn't have to be, and that people are very serious about this.”

Kurt grins. “That's my boy.”

He leans in for another kiss and the two walk out to the nearest restaurant they can find. They finally settle on one of their favourites and sit outside to soak up the late summer sun.

They go through their normal conversation--How are you? How was your day? Can you believe so-and-so said this?--then they notice someone handing out fliers for something. The guy comes around to their table and hands them two. Kurt skims over it quickly.

“It's a meeting or something,” Blaine says.

“‘For anyone interested in halting this murderous disease',” Kurt reads.

“Sounds like just your thing,” Blaine teases.

It does. Kurt wants to go so badly, just to see what it's like. He wants to meet people just as passionate as he is about stopping this. People that aren't like Sebastian.

“It's tonight. You should go,” Blaine tells him.

“Will you come with me?” he asks. Blaine gives him an apologetic look.

“I'd love to, but I have a dental appointment tonight, remember?”

Kurt shakes his head. “I swear, you're the only person I know who actually goes to their medical appointments regularly.”

“That's not true,” Blaine says. “Every gay man in the city goes to them now.”

He had a point.

* * *

Kurt arrived at the venue early. The meeting was supposed to start at seven o'clock, and it was only six forty-five. He didn't want to risk missing a single thing, and being the over-ambitious man he was, it was only natural that he arrived early. He had brought Elliott along because he wanted to go, so the two of them stand outside awkwardly waiting until more people show up.

“What if nobody comes?” Elliott wonders out loud. Kurt shakes his head and bites around his cuticles.

“People have to come,” Kurt says.

They wait a few more minutes and sure enough people arrive. Single men, pairs, even some women show up. The guy that handed Kurt and Blaine the fliers appears, a smile on his face. He looks at everyone and thanks them for coming, then escorts them inside. The hall is small, but everyone fits inside. There are enough chairs for everyone and Elliott and Kurt take a seat near the front. The fliers guy stands in front of everyone with two other guys beside him.

“Okay, attention everyone!” fliers guy shouts. He waits until everyone quiets down before he begins again. “All right. Thank you for coming. As you know, there's a crisis in our community. The medical professionals have finally given it a name: AIDS. Our job is to make everyone aware of the effects of this killing machine.”

He pauses and points to the guy on his right. “This is Brent. He's a medical reporter for the Times. He's been trying to put as much light as possible on the crisis in the paper.”

“Clearly not enough,” Elliott mutters. Kurt has to suppress a giggle.

“Now that we've put a name to the virus, it should be easier to get word around about it,” Brent explains. Someone in front of Kurt and Elliott raises their hand and Brent nods at him.

“I see what you're trying to get at, but ‘AIDS' doesn't sound very scary,” the guys says.

“That's why we have to make it scary,” fliers guy says. “I've noticed some fliers put up around the city with pictures of what the disease does to you. It's a good start, but it's not graphic enough.”

Kurt frowns. He raises his hand, and fliers guy nods at him. “How graphic do you want these pictures to be?”

“We need people to be so afraid they won't even look at one another. Nobody knows how this disease is spread. For all we know it could be spread by looking at each other.”

Brent rolls his eyes and says, “Well, it's not actually possible that it's spread by looking at each other, so you're all fine on that front.”

Everyone chuckles lightly.

“How are we going to get these scary pictures?” someone asks.

“I'm glad you asked.” Fliers guy points to the guy on his left. “This is Jacob. He's an artist, a very good one at that. He's proposed that we don't include pictures. We have to accuse people of something they hate being accused of. What's one thing gays hate being called?”

“Faggots?”

“Cock suckers?”

Jacob rolls his eyes. “No, you idiots. Ignorant. We hate being called ignorant, especially by the straight community. A lot of the straight community is ignorant of the fact that we are people too, and if we accuse ourselves of being ignorant, then maybe, just maybe, we'll talk some sense into people.”

Kurt is highly doubtful this will work. Maybe it's just him, but he really doesn't care what people think of him, much less what straight people think of him. He bets that most of the others in the community couldn't care less about what straight people think, as long as they get to have sex whenever they want. But everyone in the room seems to think it's a good idea, so maybe he's wrong.

“Obviously we're open to suggestions,” Jacob says. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

For the next two and a half hours, everyone throws around different ideas. Kurt is actually surprised that it took so long; it certainly didn't feel that long. When fliers guy--whose name is actually Ben--dismisses the group, he tells everyone that they'll meet next week at the same time.

Kurt and Elliott dodge the crowd and make their way back out into the street. They begin walking to the subway station and Elliott scoffs.

“They're lunatics,” he says. Kurt shrugs.

“They're certainly approaching this with a different approach than I would,” Kurt says.

“Accusing people of being ignorant! That's so dumb,” Elliott continues.

“I guess.”

Elliott gives him a look. “What, do you not think that's the dumbest idea you've ever heard?”

Kurt shrugs and they get onto the platform to wait for the train. “I mean, maybe it will work. You never know.”

The train comes barrelling down the track and Elliott shakes his head. “I think it's stupid.”

They don't speak for the rest of the ride. Kurt gets off a stop before Elliott, and he waves goodbye before getting off. He can't wait to get home and cuddle on the couch with Blaine and tell him all about the meeting. When he gets to the apartment, he can hear the gentle hum of the television.

“I'm home!” Kurt calls, bounding into the living room. Blaine is on the couch, his eyes shut and his mouth open the slightest bit. Kurt chuckles and sets his bag down on the coffee table. He grabs their polaroid camera from the bookshelf. He brings it up to his eye and clicks the shutter, and the contraption makes a loud noise that wakes Blaine up. He takes a moment to process everything, then grimaces at Kurt.

“You didn't,” he says.

Kurt giggles. “I did.”

He sets the camera and the picture down on the coffee table and snuggles next to Blaine on the couch. Blaine coughs a little bit.

“So how was the meeting?” he asks.

“It was good,” Kurt says. “They've got a name for it now: AIDS, apparently. They're thinking of accusing people of being ignorant in their campaign posters.”

“Hmm,” Blaine says. He coughs again before saying, “And do you think that will work?”

Kurt shrugs. “I don't know. Maybe. Elliott thinks it's the dumbest thing he's ever heard.”

Blaine chuckles. Then he says, “Hey, so, Sebastian called me earlier. He's invited us to some beach party this weekend.”

Kurt frowns. “Why?”

“I don't know,” Blaine shrugs. “I guess he's trying to make it up for offending people at the meeting this afternoon. He invited all the guys from the university.”

Kurt makes a hmph sound in the back of his throat and focuses on whatever Blaine is watching on the television. He doesn't like that Sebastian is calling Blaine. He's not jealous and he knows that Blaine would never cheat on him, but there's just something bad about Sebastian that makes his skin crawl. Like he doesn't even care that people are dying, he's just there to pick up guys.

“Come on, Kurt, we should go!” Blaine pleads. “It's going to be fun.”

“You know, I think he just wants to get in your pants,” Kurt mumbles. Blaine rolls his eyes and kisses the top of Kurt's head.

“You know that I'm yours, and nobody else's. Besides, you're way cuter than he is.” Kurt sits up to look at him. Blaine smiles and gives him a peck on the lips. “Please?”

Blaine whips out his puppy dog eyes and Kurt groans. They both know he can't resist those eyes. Blaine begins to make whimpering noises and Kurt laughs. He grabs a pillow and throws it Blaine.

“Fine,” Kurt caves. “But I swear, if he tries to make a move on you, I won't hesitate to punch him.”

Blaine smiles. “I wouldn't put it past you. Now come here and give me a kiss.”

Kurt rolls his eyes, but let's Blaine pull him into a kiss. It's sweet and intimate, but not too rough. Kurt wants to stay like that forever, in Blaine's arms, kissing him.

It's Blaine who pulls away first, coughing again.