But it was all wrong. If anyone found out what he was and that he'd been kissing Kurt, he'd be kicked out of the Hawks and probably run out of Lima. He couldn't let that happen.

He had jeopardized everything when he let himself follow Kurt. He'd put everything on the line by letting his feelings get in the way.

He had to cool his head. He had to focus. He had to avoid Kurt.

"Blaine?"

He looked up and saw Trent looking down at him from the doorway of Wes' apartment. He was badly bruised from his confrontation that day with the Titans.

"Are you coming inside?" Trent asked. Blaine felt a surge of sympathy for him. Trent had not complained one bit about his injuries. From the moment he'd returned to the Hawks he'd pretended like they weren't even there and had instead relayed Kurt Hummel's ultimatum like it was a particularly funny joke.

Blaine thought of Kurt and his resolve to forget about him strengthened. It wasn't just himself he was doing this for. He was doing this for all the Hawks. He was doing this for Trent. Trent, who Blaine had protected from the moment they met. If he hadn't been fooling around like an idiot today, he might have been there for Trent when he needed him.

"Yeah, "T"." Blaine said with a smile. "I'm coming. Not that anyone can get any sleep anyway, in this god damned heat."

He got up to follow Trent inside when something caught his eye. Something had moved in the corner of his vision. He looked down over the side of the fire escape, his heart pounding just a little bit faster, but all he could see was darkness.

He shook his head and went inside.
* * *

Kurt pressed himself against the wall beneath the first landing and didn't even allow himself to breathe as he waited for Blaine to go inside.

Finally he heard the door shut and his lungs began working again.

This was some very cruel cosmic joke. It was Blaine. Blaine Anderson, the man who was slowly destroying Kurt's life, was the one who had been singing with that beautiful voice.

Kurt groaned as he slid down the wall.

All the warm, pleasant feelings he'd had before now spoiled and twisted in his stomach. They'd been perverted by the knowledge of where they had originated from.

This had to stop now.

Kurt pushed himself to his feet and started running down the street back towards his home. He had to forget about this. He had to forget about Blaine.
* * *

When dawn came, the war was on. The Titans kept a constant patrol of the streets and the Hawks did everything they could to undermine their enemy. Fights broke out everywhere. Fear and hatred choked the air just as much as the unbearable heat which grew steadily worse and worse as the days went on.

Both Blaine and Kurt avoided each other, thinking it was safer to fight other opponents, then to risk getting close. Kurt urged the Titans on, keeping their morals intact and very aware of the sort of mutiny that might occur if he didn't. He kept insisting that if they could just undermine Blaine and strip the power he had over the Hawks then the gang would dismantle. This goal kept the Titans focused.

For Santana, who existed outside the conflict and only got snatches of it from gossip and brief conversations with Kurt, the rising heat only meant that she had to constantly retouch her make up since it kept melting.

She carefully applied another coat of bright red lipstick before examining herself in the mirror. Her mind flitted to Kurt as it often did lately. He'd often had troubles in the past but it hardly ever made him look the way he did the past few nights when he dragged himself into the club.

"Hun, you look just downright pathetic right now," she'd told him at one point. He didn't answer but instead looked like he was attempting to stab her through with his eyes.

Santana sighed and glanced for only a brief second at a frame beside her mirror before heading back out into the club. She mingled for a while before noticing a particularly handsome young man sitting near the door looking dejected. She decided to pay him a visit.

"Hey there, good looking." She said, taking a seat next to him. He glanced up at her, but looked down again as if hoping she might go away if he just ignored her. "Something getting you down? Maybe I can help. I'm excellent at giving advice." He remained silent. "Got someone on your mind?" He looked back up at her and then slowly nodded. Santana congratulated herself mentally on her excellent intuition.

"Tell me your name," she said. "I'm Santana, by the way."

"Blaine," he replied, still looking a little bit wary of her. Santana's mind began to whir as she heard the name and she looked at the man before her as if she only just laid eyes on him. He fit the description, and it wasn't like Blaine was a popular name. This must be Blaine Anderson. She leaned forward in interest.

"Well, Blaine, why don't you tell me more about your troubles?"

He sighed and spoke as if he were choosing his words very carefully. "It's like I've been infected. I can't get… this person… out of my head, no matter how hard I try to forget."

"Ah love," said joked Santana.

"No, I hate him," he said. Blaine seemed to realize what he said and he tried to correct his mistake. "H-her." Of course Santana already knew that Blaine was gay. It was the word "hate" that caught her attention. If Santana was interested before she was riveted now.

"Him," she said firmly. "You meant him. I can tell." Blaine looked terrified and Santana tried to wear her sweetest smile for him. "It's alright, honey. Your deepest, dirtiest secrets are safe with me."

Blaine still looked terrified and ready to bolt. Santana decided to switch to nastier tactics. She leaned forward and spoke softly to him. "Or we can do it this way. Tell me who this person is that you hate so much, or I'll expose you to all of Lima City."

Blaine looked murderous at this threat. "You think I'd trust you?"

"You don't have much of a choice." She said. "Tell me, and this entire conversation including the fact that you ever walked through those doors will be a complete secret. Don't, and everyone will know about what you are."

Blaine seemed to struggle for a long time. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, and spoke barely above a whisper. "It's the leader of the Titans."

It was like Santana had just been told that it was Christmas day. This news was just too good. Blaine Anderson was getting worked up over her Kurt Hummel. Her mind was a whir and she took Blaine's hand. What if this was the way to finally unite the Titans and Hawks once and for all? What if she could bring Kurt some peace and happiness?

"Alright, before you throw yourself off a building you should really think about this, because it sounds to me like you're fighting your true feelings because you think they're completely wrong. But maybe they're completely right."

Blaine didn't answer. He tore his hand away from Santana and left, perhaps afraid that she'd try to blackmail him some more. Santana hoped her words had some impact. She would stay true to her word and not tell anyone about the encounter because she hoped that if she could gain Blaine's trust she could play cupid in this little story.

* * *

All fighting was temporarily put aside when Finn's wedding finally arrived. Despite the ongoing tensions Finn and his fianc� Rachel were still determined to follow through with their plans. They arranged for a proper ceremony and it was held on a beautiful Saturday evening.

Kurt was Finn's best man. Rachel looked gorgeous in her mother Shelby's dress, and Kurt made sure all the Titans wore their very best for the occasion.

Tears filled both Finn's and Rachel's eyes as they said their vows, and Kurt looked on with a broad smile as Finn kissed the bride. In that moment they were a normal couple completely in love and the problems of street were forgotten.

They held a reception in the local gymnasium. It seemed like half of Lima showed to share in the dancing and drinking.

As Rachel ran off to socialize Kurt caught Finn's eye and groom crossed the room to embrace his brother in a tight bear hug, all concerns for manliness far from their minds in favor of joy and love. Kurt patted him on the back fondly before pulling away.

"Congratulations, Finn" said Kurt.

"Thanks, dude," said Finn with a wet smile. He looked up over Kurt's shoulder and his smile altered slightly into one of pity. "Hey Mom." Kurt turned and saw Carol approaching with his Aunt Anne by her side.

Carol's eyes were brighter and more alive than Kurt had seen them in a long time, though her face was stilled lined with care and worries.

"Finn, I'm so proud of you, sweetie," she said, her voice only partially slurred. She wrapped her arms around Finn's middle, and he held her like she might break at the slightest touch.

"Thanks, Mom," he said.

Kurt looked at Anne questioningly and she mouthed to him that Carol was doing well but that she had indeed had a couple of drinks that evening.

"I wish your father had been here to see this," said Carol still buried in Finn's chest.

"Me too, Mom."

"And Burt," she added, turning to Kurt. "He should have been here. He would have been so happy to see Finn settling down with a nice girl."

"Yes, I'm sure he would. Though I'm sure he would have tried to convince him to get an honest job first," said Kurt.

"I went and visited him before the ceremony today," she said. "Anne drove me, and it was such a nice day out there on the hill. And we left a pretty little wreath of flowers. And I told him we were getting along-" her words dissolved as she burst into tears. Anne pried her off of Finn and congratulated him before leading her away back to one of the tables in the corner.

Finn and Kurt looked at each other for a long time before Finn nodded and turned away to rejoin Rachel.

Kurt sighed and headed for the temporary bar to get himself another large drink. Though as he approached his eyes widened and his insides began to boil. Leaning against the make-shift bar was Blaine Anderson.

It was a shock to be so unexpectedly close to him. Despite his efforts Kurt had not been able to get Blaine out of his mind. He'd even dreamed about him. And now seeing him made Kurt feel like his stomach was doing back flips. He tried to pull himself together and realize what Blaine being there meant. Kurt cast his eyes around and sure enough, now that he was looking for them, he began to notice other Hawks mingling with the other partiers around the gymnasium. How had they gotten in unnoticed? Kurt turned back to Blaine and all previous thoughts of steering clear of the man evaporated in the heat of his rage.

He approached and hissed "What are you doing here, bastard?" Blaine jumped and turned to look at him a mixture of expressions passing over his face before he forced it into a satisfied smirk which Kurt longed to wipe straight off of him.

"Why, I'm just enjoying the party. We all are," Blaine said indicating his gang members. Kurt grabbed the front of Blaine shirt.

"You lowlife! I will drag you out of here and beat the life of you!"

"And ruin your beloved brother's beautiful wedding with a big commotion?" asked Blaine. The two men stared each other down until Kurt finally raised his voice.

"Titans! We have vermin!" They were by his side in an instant. He forced Blaine to the floor and looked up them all. "Find all the Hawks in here and throw them out!" he instructed. They dispersed and Kurt picked Blaine up from the floor and began dragging him outside. He was surprised when Blaine hardly put up any fight at all.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked Blaine once they'd reached the dark street outside.

"What makes you think I want anything? We've become so close it seemed remiss for us to miss such an important celebration." His said in a mocking voice. Kurt glared at him. Then he pushed Blaine away and began stalking back inside.

"So that was your mother huh?" asked Blaine to Kurt's back. Kurt rounded on him. Perhaps because of the liquor he'd been drinking that night or because he was too filled to the brim with conflicting feelings to care, but Kurt found himself replying truthfully.

"Stepmother. Finn's mother,"

"So you two are stepbrothers," Blaine mused. "Never would have guessed, you act so close. So which one is your dad?"

"Dead and buried. Six years ago." he said tersely. Blaine was silent for a long time. Then he said something that caught Kurt by surprise.

"I'm sorry." Kurt's eyes snapped up to him and he saw that Blaine was not wearing his usual smug grin. His face was grim and his eyes seemed very distant.

"What do you care?" Kurt asked.

"No one should have to lose a father so early in life," he replied sincerely. "I think, maybe I understand. You lost your birth mother when you were young, too?" He must have read the truth on Kurt's face because he continued. "You cling to everything you have so desperately because you're used to losing everything precious to you. I'm sorry."

Kurt felt like he'd been hit in the gut. Blaine's statement was so accurate, and was filled with such sympathy. Kurt tried his best to deflect the discussion.

"Well from what I hear you chose to lose your father and mother. You ran from home."

If Blaine was surprised that Kurt knew this information he didn't show it. Instead he fixed Kurt with a sorrowful look that shook his very core.

At that moment the rest of the Titans began to emerge from the gym dragging the remaining party crashers. Kurt watched as his gang members punished the intruders with a quick beating. Then he cast one last look at Blaine, and headed back inside.

The rest of the party passed smoothly with no more interruptions from unwanted guests. Kurt was barely present for it. His mind was still outside with Blaine. Blaine, the man he had kissed without thinking. The man who made him feel things he couldn't control. The man whose voice enchanted him. The man who seemed to be able to read him so well. The man he hated.

* * *

After they were kicked out of the party the Hawks did not attempt to return inside. Their goal had merely been to ruffle the Titan's feathers and with that deed done they were more than happy to take advantage of having the city to themselves for the night. The caroused the streets, drinking and being generally rowdy.

Blaine, however, did not join in. He slipped away at earliest opportunity and returned to Wes's, deep in thought. His mind wandered back to Santana and her advice. Talking with her had been frightening to him. She seemed to have to ability to strip him bare and leave him exposed. He wanted her to be wrong. He had no feelings for Kurt. He couldn't. Not even when his heart fluttered from being so close to him after such a long time. Not even when the thought of Kurt losing his family made him sick with sadness and sympathy.

He climbed up to Wes's apartment and grabbed his guitar before heading out to his normal perch on the fire escape. He played for a very long time wishing for the music take his thoughts away. But Kurt kept penetrating his mind and he found himself singing the song he'd sang the day of the kiss.

Love me tender,

Love me true,

All my dreams fulfill…

Then suddenly he realized he wasn't singing alone. He stopped playing and listened closely, but the other voice stopped too. He looked around trying to find the source of the voice, but he couldn't make out anything in the dark. He started playing again, but this time he didn't sing. He vamped the chords of the song inviting whoever the stranger was to join in.

To his delight the phantom voice finally begin to sing again. It was weak at first, but even before it gained more confidence Blaine thought that it heavenly.

For my darling,

I love you,

And I always will.

When the song ended silence hung in the air once more. Then Blaine spoke.

"You sing beautifully." The voice didn't respond. "I know you're still there." Another long pause. "No one is around. I'm the only one here, I swear." After another long pause Blaine put his guitar down and placed a hand on the ladder so he could climb down.

"Don't come down!" said the voice. Blaine froze. He recognized the voice.

"Kurt Hummel?" Blaine heard feet slapping the pavement. "No! Don't go! I'll stay put." The running stopped and Blaine sat himself back down on the landing of the fire escape.

"Why should I stay?" Kurt asked.

"Why are you here in the first place?" Blaine replied.

"Why did you leave home?" Blaine was a little startled by the question. It was a long time before he answered.

"I've lied to every single person who has ever asked me that." He began. "I always say that I hated my parents and hated my life so I left the first chance I got." Blaine paused. "I never say that my dad caught me kissing my neighbor, a boy, and disowned me."

"Do you make a habit of kissing boys?"

"Do you?" And then Blaine asked again, "Why are you here?" Blaine longed for Kurt to answer this question. This time Kurt didn't deflect.

"I can't get you out of my head. I hate it. I hate you. I can't stop thinking about you."

"I can't stop thinking about you." Blaine's heart was racing. Did Kurt really share his feelings? He moved to descend the ladder.

"Don't! Don't come down here." Kurt threatened and Blaine stopped.

"Then what do you want?" Blaine asked.

"I want you to leave," said Kurt.

"You know I'm not going to do that."

"I'll kill you."

"You won't," said Blaine simply. "You won't because you don't hate me. You don't hate me because I know what you're going through right now." Somehow he felt so sure about what he was saying.

"You don't know-"

"Yes, I do, because I feel it too. I know how terrifying it is."

Kurt took off running again and this time Blaine didn't try to call him back. He was too overwhelmed and still completely lost.