Kurt settled back into life at McKinley easier than he initially thought. He was grateful to have full use of his wardrobe again and to be in the same classes as his friends. He found the only thing he was missing from Dalton was seeing Blaine everyday. Even though they hadn't been talking much lately, Blaine's presence was a comforting part of Kurt's day. He knew he didn't have to miss the other boy so much if he would just apologize and make amends; but it was easier to miss Blaine than to deal with the realities of it all. Kurt liked Blaine just as much as Blaine liked Kurt, but then there was Landrick… Kurt liked Landrick too, which was convenient since they were going out.

Junior prom was quickly approaching and Kurt was excited to ask his boyfriend. This was the first school dance Kurt was actually looking forward to going to. He hadn't been threatened by any school bullies lately and he finally had someone to go with.

It was weird not seeing Landrick everyday at school, but it allowed them to go out on dates and enjoy the limited time they saw each other during the week. Kurt invited Landrick to Breadstix to make his prom proposal a memorable occasion.

They enjoyed their pasta and chatted about nothing in particular. Kurt was smiling and realized he felt happier in that moment than he had in awhile. His funk was gone, and though he still wished he could work things out with Blaine, everything was looking up now that he was back at McKinley. He was so giddy about prom, he didn't notice the disinterested look Landrick had on his face for most of the night.

"Landrick, may I have your hand please?" Kurt asked with a smile dancing across his face.

With a less than enthusiastic look on his face, Landrick slid a hand into Kurt's.

"Sooooo…" Kurt started.

"… I think we should break up," Landrick finished.

Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "What?!" He yanked his hand away from Landrick's.

Landrick just shrugged. "I don't really want to go out with you anymore. It's just too much effort for something that wasn't really working. Like, you're not at Dalton, and I think this has run its course."

Kurt's jaw dropped. He knew it wasn't easy to date someone at a different school, but he didn't think that he and Landrick had hit any sort of rough patch recently. This all seemed very out of the blue. "But…"

"What were you going to say?" Landrick asked as he checked his phone for the time. "Earlier?"

Mouth still hanging open, Kurt shook his head. "I was going to ask you to my junior prom."

Landrick smiled at the mention of the dance. "Aw, I remember my junior prom. My boyfriend and I had so much fun."

"Well, wasn't that nice for you and your boyfriend?" Kurt scrambled out of his side of the booth and grabbed his jacket. "Goodbye, Landrick."

…

"I can't believe he did that," Rachel said as she passed Kurt the bowl of popcorn. "He's an idiot, Kurt. He didn't deserve you to begin with."

"Thanks, Rach," Kurt mumbled as he shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "But you saying that is not helping." He chewed and shook his head. "I can't believe I got dumped two weeks before prom. And I didn't even see it coming. I'm that person."

"Kurt…"

"You didn't tell your brother yet, did you?" Kurt looked over at the wall that connected Rachel and Blaine's bedrooms. Blaine was over at Nick's to watch a movie, so there was no risk of Kurt running into him at the Berry house that night.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "No. I promised I wouldn't say anything to him… but you should tell him, you know."

"Why? So he can rub it in my face and tell me 'I told you so?'" Kurt shoved more popcorn in his mouth, ashamed that he was taking his anger out on Blaine who wasn't even there to defend himself.

"You know he would never do that," Rachel said gently as she rubbed his arm.

Kurt frowned, "I know." He sighed. "What I am going to do, Rachel? My boyfriend dumped me and my best friend – well, my best friend besides you – isn't talking to me."

Rachel shifted around until she was kneeling in front of Kurt. She took both his hands in hers and looked him square in the eye. "Kurt Hummel, will you go to junior prom with me?"

Kurt chuckled and cracked a sad half smile. "Rachel Berry, I would be honored to." She squealed and threw her arms around his shoulders and gave him a bug hug. "You're a great friend, you know."

"And you are going to get through this," Rachel whispered in Kurt's ear before she kissed him on the cheek.

…

The next morning, Blaine came home from spending the night at Nick's to find Kurt and his sister seated at the island in the kitchen. They were finishing up eating breakfast when Blaine walked in to get some juice. He saw how miserable Kurt looked, his eyes puffy and red, and tried to back out of the kitchen as quickly as he could.

"Oh! I'm sorry… let me just grab something to drink and I'll be outta your hair." Blaine made his was to the fridge and quickly yanked open the door to grab the carton of orange juice.

Out of his peripherals, Blaine saw Kurt and Rachel give each other significant looks while he was getting his juice.

"No need to rush, little brother," Rachel said loudly as she got up from her barstool. "I think maybe you should sit down and drink your juice in the kitchen."

Blaine looked confused as she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him down onto the barstool she had just occupied. "Um, okay."

Rachel kissed her brother on top of his head, and then did the same to Kurt before she left the kitchen.

"Well that wasn't awkward," Kurt muttered to himself before looking up at Blaine. "Hey."

"Hey," Blaine replied quietly.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Kurt blurted out, "Landrick dumped me."

Blaine was not expecting to hear that and his eyebrows slid up in shock as he quickly tried to process the information Kurt just told him.

"I'm sorry," Blaine said quietly. And he was. He might not have liked Landrick, nor did he think Landrick deserved to be with Kurt, but he had made Kurt happy and that was the important thing. Yes, Blaine was relieved that Kurt and Landrick were no longer together, but he got no joy out of seeing his friend so sad.

Kurt narrowed his eyes and sized up Blaine, waiting for the other shoe to drop even though he knew it likely wouldn't. After a few moments, his own expression softened and he slumped over in his stool. "You are, aren't you?" He should have known that Blaine wasn't going to rub anything in his face because Blaine was his best friend and even though Kurt knew he hurt Blaine over the past few months, Blaine was still genuinely sorry for the demise of his relationship.

Instinctively, Blaine brought a hand to Kurt's back and started rubbing small circles. He wasn't usually a touchy-feely person, but this was something his dads would do for him when he was younger and the motion always settled him down and made him feel better. "I feel like I let you down, Kurt. I know this is much too little, too late, but I should have been more supportive of your relationship with Landrick. That was selfish of me... and I'm really, really sorry."

Kurt shook his head, "You don't have to apologize, Blaine." He involuntarily leaned into the back rub. "Ugh. Can we please just go back to being us again? I miss not seeing you at school and I can't stand us not talking."

"It's not that easy, Kurt," Blaine sighed softly. "To just go back to how things were." If Blaine were being honest with himself, he didn't want them to go back to how their friendship was before because he still wanted more. But, he knew it was too soon to talk with Kurt about feelings. However, he also knew he couldn't keep functioning without Kurt in his life. "But I miss you too and I promise that I will try to not shut you out anymore."

"Thank you."

...

The night of McKinley's prom seemed to sneak up on everyone. Kurt found himself in the Berry's living room, nervously waiting for Rachel. In lieu of a traditional tux, Kurt had fashioned himself a kilt inspired by the late Alexander McQueen. He looked the perfect blend of masculine and feminine, with not a hair out of place.

"I don't know how it could possibly take you longer than me to get ready, Rachel!" Kurt half-shouted, half-muttered to himself. He spun the corsage box around in his hand, killing time while Rachel finished getting ready.

He was about to shout again when he heard someone gasp, "You look amazing, Kurt."

Kurt looked up to find Blaine already in his pajamas, making his way to the staircase in the hallway. "Why thank you. You look... ready for bed or something."

Blaine looked down and eyed his Dalton hoodie. "Yeah, I was thinking of watching a movie and catching up on some sleep. Just another crazy Friday night in the Berry household…"

"You could have come with us, you know."

Blaine shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about his lack of enthusiasm and cover up the pain behind his eyes. "I'm just not much for school dances."

Kurt instantly recalled Blaine saying something about not dancing much after a middle school dance, but before he could bring it up, Rachel made her entrance and all attention was on her in her gorgeous pink prom dress.

"Oh my god, Rachel, you look stunning," Kurt mused as he leapt up off the couch and crossed over toward his friend. He threw his arms around her and they squealed giddily. "You look like a princess!"

"I know, right? I'm pretty!" Rachel took a step back from Kurt and spun around, making her dress billow out before it settled in elegant waves on the floor.

"You were always pretty Rachel. But tonight, you're breathtaking. I'm going to go grab your wrap, as you seemed to have forgotten it. Meet you by the door in five?" Kurt waited until she nodded before sprinting up the stairs to her room.

Blaine smiled as he walked over to his sister. "You look beautiful, Rachel," he told her as he gave her a hug. "Beautiful."

Rachel beamed. "I feel beautiful. I can't believe I'm going to my junior prom!"

Her smile was contagious and Blaine couldn't help but give her a grin. However, when he heard Kurt start to walk back down the steps, his eyebrows furrowed and he leaned in to give his sister another hug, though this one was more desperate. "Keep him safe, Rachel. Please keep him safe."

"Keep who safe?" Kurt said as he walked into the room to find Blaine holding onto his sister.

"Nothing. Just…" Blaine shook his head as he let go of his sister. He flashed her a pleading look as Kurt handed her her wrap. "Just… have fun, okay? Take lots of pictures." Blaine tried to give Kurt and Rachel and encouraging smile, but he was too overwrought with fear for Kurt. The last dance Blaine went to, he spent the next week in the hospital with some broken ribs and a concussion. He didn't want Kurt or his sister to suffer the same fate.

Once outside, Kurt opened the car door for Rachel before jogging around to the driver's side and hopping in himself. They both buckled up, but before Kurt pulled away from the curb, he turned to Rachel and asked, "Why was your brother acting all weird?"

Rachel frowned and sighed through her nose. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this."

"Rachel. Tell me, or we're not leaving."

"Fine." Rachel looked back at her house before turning back toward Kurt. "Blaine got beat up at a dance in middle school and he ended up in the hospital for a week. That's why our dads pulled him out of public school. He's acting weird because he's worried about you… He made me promise to keep you safe."

Kurt's jaw dropped. As much information as he managed to coax out of Blaine over their friendship, he had no idea the extent of his bullying experience. "Oh my god. How didn't I know that? I mean, I know he was bullied, but… why didn't he tell me?"

Rachel shrugged. "Blaine doesn't like people to know. I'm sure he would have told you eventually because you're important to him." Kurt's cheeks flushed as pink as Rachel's dress, which caused Rachel to smile. "I'm glad he's important to you too."

…

Kurt and Rachel held their breath when they arrived, hoping their presence would not cause a riff in the surprising calm that seemed to have settled over the dance. Couples were gripping each other and swaying to whatever Top 40 song was playing at the moment. The decorations were tacky and the punch was too sweet. It was so cliché that Rachel and Kurt couldn't help but grin at its perfection. They were at their junior prom and everything was going smoothly.

Until it wasn't.

Neither Kurt nor Rachel could have guessed that the announcement of Prom King and Queen would end up being the turning point of the night. Rachel wasn't nominated, but some of their friends from New Directions were, so they eagerly awaited the announcement of that year's prom royalty.

Kurt clapped politely when it was announced that David Karofsky was crowned Prom King. Karofsky had apologized to him multiple times over the past few weeks and though Kurt was nowhere near ready to forgive him for months of torment and stealing his first kiss, Kurt was grateful that the other boy seemed to have stopped picking on Kurt and was no longer a threat to his well-being.

After Karofsky was crowned, Principal Figgins returned to the microphone and announced that the Prom Queen winner was a write-in vote. As everyone in the room looked around to see if they could guess who the new Prom Queen was, Kurt was mortified to hear his name read aloud over the PA system.

As his peers slowly began to laugh and clap, Kurt turned where he stood and bolted out of the gym and down the hall. He heard Rachel yelling his name as she ran after him, but he didn't slow down until he got to the end of the hallway. When he could run no further, Kurt's legs gave out from under him and he slid to the floor, body wrecked with sobs and humiliation.

"Kurt!" Rachel shouted as she limped down the hallway. She had taken off one of her shoes and was trying to wrestle the other one off as she chased her friend. "Kurt!"

Kurt's head was buried between his knees as he continued crying. "I'm so stupid. I thought that everything was fine since no one was making fun of me or beating me up, but I'm just one big anonymous practical joke." He looked up at Rachel, eyes red and tears falling with no sign of stopping. "Everyone hates me."

Rachel shook her head. "No. No, Kurt. There are people who love you, I promise you. Please don't let those assholes ruin your night. They're just jealous."

"Ha," Kurt laughed sarcastically through his tears. "Nobody is jealous of me." He wiped his nose on his jacket sleeve, not even caring about his clothes by that point. "I can't go back in there."

"No one is making you, Kurt. We can stay here the rest of the night, if you want."

Kurt dropped his head back down between his knees and tried to steady out his breathing. Rachel looked over at how miserable her friend looked and snuck her phone out of her clutch. She put it on silent and texted a quick message to her brother.

"Come to McKinley asap – Kurt needs you. Please."

…

Blaine was tucked in bed in the middle of watching Singin' in the Rain when his phone buzzed. Without looking, he thrust his hand onto his nightstand and grabbed his phone. He read the message from his sister and then bolted out of bed. He looked down at his pajamas and then frantically around the room, trying to figure out what to put on before he left. His Dalton uniform was draped over his chair, so he pulled off his pajama pants and hopped into his gray slacks from earlier in the day.

Within minutes, Blaine was dressed in his blazer and running toward his car. He texted his sister to see if Kurt was hurt, and was relieved to find out that he was physically okay. Rachel indicated that Kurt got voted Prom Queen and she needed help.

During the five-minute drive to McKinley, Blaine's mind raced, wondering how Kurt could have been voted Prom Queen. He then remembered that Kurt was wearing a kilt and felt extra bad that his best friend was humiliated and how people probably felt justified voting him Queen since he was wearing what looked like girl's clothes.

Blaine pulled into the student lot of McKinley and quickly put his car in park. He ran across the parking lot toward the hallway near the gym because that's where his sister said she and Kurt were. The door was locked from the outside, so Blaine frantically knocked to get his sister's attention.

Rachel quickly got up from her seat on the floor next to Kurt and ran over to the door to let her brother in. She gave him a huge hug when he stepped inside the building. "Thank you for coming! I didn't know who else to text."

Blaine gave his sister and small smile and then looked over at Kurt, who had since looked up and saw his best friend was there.

"Blaine!" Kurt said in surprise, quickly trying to wipe away the last of his tears and straighten his hair so as not to look like his life was falling apart. "What are you – why are you – I… Oh, Blaine."

Blaine slid down onto the floor next to Kurt. "Hey."

"Hey," Kurt said through tears. Blaine set his hand on the floor in between them with his palm facing up. Kurt looked down at Blaine's hand and then put his hand on Blaine's and threaded their fingers together. "Thank you for being here."

Rachel watched the two boys as they sat in silence. Their fingers shifted subtly, as if they needed the motion as a constant reminder that the other boy was actually there.

Within a few minutes, Kurt's breathing slowed down and the tears stopped. He looked over at Blaine who offered him a smile, then up at Rachel. After taking a deep breath, he declared, "I'm going back in there, and I'm getting coronated. I'm going to show them that even though they whisper behind my back or vote for me for Prom Queen, they can't touch me."

Blaine and Rachel couldn't help but grin at their friend. They were so proud of Kurt for being so brave when faced with such adversity.

Kurt and Blaine got up from their spots on the floor. Kurt walked determinedly back toward the gym doors while Blaine held out his arm for his sister. Smiling, she looped her arm through his elbow and the Berry siblings followed Kurt.

Once in the gym, Kurt made his way through the crowd and practically skipped onto the stage. Though Blaine and Rachel knew he was nervous, Kurt assumed a confident façade and strode up to the microphone. As Principal Figgins crowned Kurt prom queen, Kurt leaned into the microphone and mused, "Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton." Someone guffawed and suddenly more people were laughing and a smattering of applause grew into a thunderous roar. Blaine's heart swelled to hear everyone's sudden support for Kurt. He was in awe how Kurt was able to spin such a truly horrifying moment into something that celebrated his uniqueness.

However, Blaine's pride in his friend quickly turned to fear when Principal Figgins announced that it was time for the traditional Prom King and Queen dance. Kurt's eyebrows shot up underneath the bottom of his crown as he was shoved toward the dance floor with Dave Karofsky. Blaine knew this was the same Karofsky who kissed Kurt. The same Karofsky who was in the closet because he was too scared to come out. The same Karofsky who made Kurt's life a living hell.

From the stage, the band started playing ABBA's "Dancing Queen," and Mercedes was handed a microphone. Though she had a concerned look on her face as she watched her friend stand in the center of the floor with his biggest bully, somehow she managed to start singing on cue.

From his spot across the gym, Blaine could see Kurt and Karofsky talking quietly between each other. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he could see Karofsky's back tense up before he slowly turned and walked away from Kurt. Blaine watched Kurt's body shudder and saw the boy look around, as if he were lost.

Before Blaine realized what he was doing, he started walking toward Kurt. He heard his sister shout his name, but his eyes were locked on the other boy, who desperately needed to be found.

Kurt's back was to Blaine by time he was within a few feet of him. Not wanting to just reach out and scare Kurt, Blaine cleared his throat and asked, "Excuse me?" Kurt spun around and saw Blaine standing nervously behind him with a hand extended out. "Um, may I have this dance?"

A wave of relief washed over Kurt as he broke into a grateful grin. "Yes. Yes you may." He took Blaine's proffered hand and wrapped the other around Blaine's shoulder. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand tightly before sliding his other around Kurt's waist and gently holding him as they began to sway to the music.

Blaine's eyes were locked firmly on Kurt's face as they danced in a small circle. Kurt was looking around the gym, eyes wide as they scanned the crowd. After seeing Rachel grinning like an idiot, Kurt's shoulders relaxed and he was able to bring himself to focus on the boy whose arms he was in. Blaine let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in as Kurt leaned in and whispered "Thank you" into his ear. Blaine blushed and smiled, though he was terrified to be dancing in front of a room full of strangers who had just voted Kurt Prom Queen.

Soon other people began dancing around them and Kurt and Blaine were no longer on the spot. As the song picked up, they fell out of hold, though remained close to each other as they danced among the other members of New Directions. The club formed a circle around the boys and they were able to actually enjoy the final dance of the night. Blaine and Kurt had legitimately happy smiles on their faces as balloons dropped on the crowd from overhead. Somehow one of the worst nights of Kurt's life didn't seem so bad anymore.

…

In lieu of going to after prom, Kurt had been planning on having a sleepover with Rachel. He still ended up back at the Berry household, but found himself sitting cross-legged on Blaine's bed instead of Rachel's. Blaine leaned against the headboard, not quite sure what was about to unfold.

Blaine's Dalton uniform was thrown in the hamper and Kurt's kilt was hung neatly on the back of Blaine's door. Both boys had changed into sweatpants and t-shirts and were nervously looking around the room, scared to make eye contact with the other. It was Kurt who broke the silence first.

"I don't even know where to start, but we obviously need to talk," Kurt said slowly, eyes wandering up Blaine's chest to his face.

Blaine bravely locked eyes with Kurt and nodded in agreement. "I know."

With a half smile, Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. "So how do we do this?" Blaine shrugged, not knowing where to start either. He still had feelings for Kurt, but he honestly didn't know how Kurt felt about him and he was too nervous to ask. The night was overwhelming so far, and Blaine was honestly scared that Kurt was sitting on his bed right then. After a few moments of silence, Kurt shifted from where he was sitting and crawled up toward the head of Blaine's bed. Blaine watched as the other boy carefully situated himself next to Blaine so that there was still a few inches of room between them. "Is this okay?" Kurt asked as he looked over at Blaine. The younger boy nodded. Kurt placed his hand in the space between them, palm-side up and looked at Blaine again. Blaine looked from Kurt's face, down to the hand, and then back up at Kurt. Slowly, Blaine rested his palm on top of Kurt's and linked their fingers together. Kurt sighed and his body relaxed, squeezing Blaine's hand in the process.

Both boys closed their eyes and breathed deeply for a few moments while they collected their thoughts.

Just when the silence was becoming deafening, Blaine spoke softly. "I was so scared for you tonight."

Kurt opened his eyes and looked over at Blaine. The younger boy's eyes were shut tight, but Kurt could see a tear threatening to slide down his cheek. Kurt frowned at Blaine's pain for his own situation. "Rachel told me about what happened to you in middle school." Blaine's eyes snapped open and he looked at Kurt in panic. "I made her do it. Please don't be mad. It's just - you never told me. I'm so sorry, Blaine. I didn't know…"

Blaine shook his head. "I don't like to talk about it. I was going to tell you… Kurt, sometimes I just want to tell you everything… but," he stopped abruptly to collect himself. His heart was racing, but he was so scared of saying too much too soon. Kurt could see that Blaine had something more to say, but was holding it in.

"Please don't shut me out, Blaine," Kurt murmured quietly.

With his free hand, Blaine tore at his hair, trying to find the words. "I kissed you, Kurt." He swallowed hard and kept going. "I kissed you and told you how I felt. And I know you were with Landrick at the time, and it was unfair for me to unload on you like that, but…It's just… I don't know where we stand."

Kurt sighed sadly. "That's my fault, Blaine." He thought carefully about how he should word what he felt because he didn't want to keep ruining his relationship with Blaine. "When you kissed me… It felt so right. But, I was with Landrick, so I knew we couldn't… And it wasn't fair for me to push you away like that, but say that nothing had changed. Everything changed and I was just too scared to deal with it. I shouldn't have expected you still be my best friend when I wasn't treating you how you deserved to be treated." Kurt could feel Blaine tense up next to him, but kept going. "I wasn't there for you, and I'm sorry." There were a few moments of silence while Kurt's apology hung in the air. Before Blaine could react, Kurt made a confession. "I know where you go, you know. At Dalton. On my last day, I followed when you ran off after you were late coming out of Warblers practice. To that bathroom? You go there a lot, don't you?" Kurt waited until Blaine looked him in the eye. He watched as tears glassed over Blaine's hazel eyes and the younger boy eventually nodded. "I should have chased you sooner, Blaine."

Tears started falling down Blaine's cheeks before he could bring his free hand up to stop them. Kurt's face crumbled, not knowing if what he said was what Blaine wanted or needed to hear, but he knew he had to clear the air.

"I don't want to run anymore, Kurt," Blaine mumbled.

"Then stop," Kurt whispered as he brought their hands up to his lips and kissed Blaine's knuckles one by one.

The tension in Blaine's shoulders melted away a little bit more with each caress. His heart raced, hopeful that what was happening was actually happening, and not just some dream that he would wake up from. "Kurt." The older boy's name slipped from his lips like a secret.

Kurt turned toward Blaine and his eyes darted quickly down to the lips that just uttered his name. It was Kurt who leaned in first, allowing Blaine just enough time to take in a breath before their mouths met in the middle. Small moans escaped the back of both of their throats as Kurt brought a hand up to Blaine's neck and threaded his fingers through the curls at the base of his hairline as he deepened the kiss.

Blaine pulled away after several moments of passionate kissing, cheeks red and pupils blown with want. Kurt's face was equally flushed, and his was breathless as he spoke. "What's wrong?"

With a small smile and a shake of his head, Blaine chuckled softly. "Nothing's wrong. I just – I'm worried tomorrow I'm going to wake up and find that this was all a dream."

"What if I promise to stay with you tonight? No funny business or anything," Kurt rushed to add as Blaine's eyebrows shot up at the proposal to spend the night together. "But, I missed you so much and I don't want to leave you right now. I just want to hold you for a while. Is that… is that okay?" Blaine was afraid to say anything for fear of breaking down again, so he just nodded through his tears. "I have to go tell your sister that I won't be spending the night in her room, but I'll be right back. I promise."

As much as Kurt didn't want to move, he slid off the bed and made his way toward the door. Before exiting the room, he looked back at Blaine on the bed and smiled. His heart filled with joy as the younger boy beamed back at him.

Kurt walked up to Rachel's door and knocked, even though it was already open. "Come in," she replied and then smiled when she saw her friend duck his head in the doorway before walking over to her bed. "Hey you! Did you guys talk?"

With a smile, Kurt nodded before settling himself on the corner of Rachel's bed. "We did. And there's still some stuff we have to discuss, but your brother and I are going to be okay." Kurt grinned, thinking about the kisses he and Blaine just shared. "Maybe more than okay."

Rachel grinned, happy her friend and brother seemed to work everything out. "That's great, Kurt!"

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. "Um… about our sleepover tonight..." Kurt's cheeks flushed pink. How do you tell one of your best friends that you'll be sleeping with her brother?

Luckily Rachel seemed to get the hint without Kurt actually having to say the words. She smiled at him and nodded her head in understanding. " I kind of figured as much." She gave him an exaggerated wink.

His eyebrows shot up as high as they could go. "We're not going to – I mean, nothing's – we're just sleeping. Honest." Kurt stammered, embarrassed.

Rachel swatted Kurt's arm. "I know, silly. I just like to see you get all defensive." She smiled when he realized he was overreacting. "Take care of each other Kurt. I love you both, you know."

Kurt slid off the bed and gave his friend a smile. "We love you too."

"Do you love my brother?" Rachel wondered aloud as Kurt headed toward the door.

He stopped and smiled to himself before he turned around. He didn't know how to answer her question. Kurt cared about Blaine and liked him an awful lot, but was afraid to use the l-word just yet. He knew he was on his way, though. "Goodnight, Rachel."

After shutting Rachel's door, Kurt tiptoed back to Blaine's room and closed his door behind him. Kurt was surprised that he didn't feel nervous at all. He was so exhausted from the dance and his earlier talk with Blaine that he was just looking forward to a decent night's sleep next to the boy who made his heart full.

Blaine smiled as Kurt buried himself under the blankets and sidled up next to him. Kurt leaned over and kissed Blaine on the lips before settling back onto his pillow. "Goodnight Blaine."

"Goodnight, Kurt."

Both boys fell into a peaceful slumber, legs tangling together in the night.