When Blaine looked up after the words fell, he was met with wide blue eyes and a slightly open jaw. Kurt looked… shocked? Confused? Concerned? It was… strange. Definitely not the reaction Blaine had been expecting, and he was trying to think of something more to say when Kurt finally seemed to find his voice.

"Blaine…" the boys eyes were full of something that seemed almost like pity, and it had Blaine wanting to curl up in a ball and take back his admission. He felt like he had said something wrong and it was painful. "If this is about the party and the dare… We were all really drunk, Blaine. Theres no reason to think that getting all hot and bothered while intoxicated has any bearing on your sexuality. I mean, hell, I made out with Santana for Christs sake. Doesnt mean Im going to sign up for football and hook up with the cheerleaders now."

Oh. So the only reason Kurt was reacting this way was because he thought Blaine was only just now coming out. As in like, coming out, like for the first time ever. He couldnt help it. He started laughing hysterically, leaning against the wall of the bathroom while Kurt stared at him like he had lost it.

Before Kurt could say anything about the sudden hysteria, Blaine forced out words in place of the laughter. "Kurt… oh god, Kurt, you didnt really think I was just coming out for the first time in a fucking bathroom after getting bashed, did you?" He shook his head and wiped at his face, the laughter and smile completely clearing away the pain and fear from the locker incident. "Ive been out for a while now. Its actually why I ended up in Dalton. Bullies put me in the hospital in Freshman year and I… well, I guess I just ran away from my problems and… hid. I didnt want to get beaten up here, so I just opted to climb right back into that old closet I guess." The smile was gone now, replaced with a heavy frown and some self-loathing in hazel eyes.

"Oh." Kurt looked at him and tilted his head, seeming to study him for a minute. "I warned you on your first day. About how theyd say you were gay for spending time with me. And… and you still spent time with me? Even though you were trying to avoid just that?" Those eyes were so full of emotion all the time, Blaine could barely function as he looked into them. He licked his lips as Kurt spoke again. "Youre really brave, you know that? Thanks for… everything."

The blush on Blaines face was soft, but definitely there. "Uh… youre… welcome?" His confusion just made the other boy laugh. It was hardly any time before Kurt finally cleaned the blood from Blaines cheek and lectured him on using the right creams to make sure it didnt scar.He was pretty sure they were getting way too close to flirting at this point, but it made his head dizzy in a good way so he didnt want it to stop.

Of course, they were brought to awareness of the need for this flirting fun to stop when Blaines stomach let out an angry growl. Right. They were basically skipping lunch. That probably wasnt a good plan. They grinned at each other and left the bathroom in higher spirits, joining the rest of the Glee club at their usual lunch table and just having a good rest of the lunch period. It seemed like Blaines doubt and fears had melted away when he finally admitted his secret to Kurt, and he told the rest of the Glee kids hed be staying after school today if theyd have him back.

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It felt so good to belong. Blaine was welcomed back with open arms, because apparently almost everyone in the Glee club understood exactly how terrifying the jocks could be and how hard it could be to choose Glee over safety. They also promised that he wasnt alone in his attempts to survive each day without some act of violence toward him, and they banded together to protect him just as they all tried to do for Kurt. They didnt even know the truth yet, and they still guarded him from the pain. It was… amazing. Blaine had never felt so much camaraderie in his life, even with the Warblers, and he was so happy the jocks couldnt even get him down.

When he inevitably had his first swirly on the last day before Thanksgiving break, it was Puck who stormed into the bathroom after the jocks and ended up knocking Azimio to the floor. Once it was just Karofsky who had his hands on Blaine, the shorter boy was able to show off his muscles and skills that boxing had developed, catching the jock with a swift left hook that had a bruise growing on his eye and nose, blood dripping from his right nostril, and Blaine and Puck escaping the bathroom without anyone being the wiser.

From that point on, he had a new sort of respect for Puckerman, who had taken him to the locker room to get showered and tossed one of his McKinley Football tees at Blaine so he didnt have to wear a shirt with toilet water on it. Blaine was so comfortable with the rest of the group that he even confessed to them during lunch on that last day before break that his parents would be gone the whole week off and he had no one to celebrate Thanksgiving with.

There was some serious consideration about having a party at his empty mansion of a house, but they decided to wait for New Years when he assured them his parents would be schmoozing somewhere out of state- possibly even out of country, so instead they just decided that they would have their own little Thanksgiving feast after Black Friday shopping, which Kurt told Blaine he had to accompany him and the girls for.

So, that was how Blaine found Kurt at his doorstep Thursday night, carrying a rather huge turkey and some other supplies despite Blaine having bought everything he thought theyd need other than the bird. "Um, Kurt? Its not Friday yet. I thought you were gonna pick me up on the way to the mall to meet the girls..?"

The taller boy just shook his head and laughed softly. "Oh, Blaine…" He rolled his eyes as he pushed past his friend and into his house, making his way straight to the kitchen despite never having been there before. "We have to get things started tonight in order to leave early enough for the sales, silly boy. Havent you ever done the Black Friday dance? And you call yourself gay." The way he shook his head at Blaine made the shorter boy snort.

"Im not exactly that much of a stereotype you know. Hell, I even passed under your scrutiny. I think that wins me some kind of gay achievement award or something." This time it was Kurts turn to snort in amusement, even as he opened the fridge, cupboards, and pantry, pulling out all the supplies and rolling up his sleeves.

Blaine watched him, feeling somewhat self-conscious about the baggy sweats and old tee he was wearing. He hadnt exactly gotten fancy today. Or really presentable. At least he wasnt lounging in his boxers though, right? He ran a hand a bit awkwardly through his loose curls, letting it fall to scratch his stubble. He hadnt shaved in a couple days, either.

Kurt looked over at him with a bit of heat in those dancing blue eyes before washing his hands and pulling the turkey toward the sink. "You gonna wash up and help me or just stare all evening?"

The grin on Kurts face was contagious, at least thats what Blaine figured as he felt his own mouth pull up at the edges and he stumbled over to the sink to scrub up. "So what all do we need to accomplish tonight, oh great chef and master of Black Fridays?" He teased, sticking his tongue out at his friend as they worked together to clean the turkey, Blaine utterly impressed with the fact that Kurt wasnt disgusted by the neck and innards.

"Well, well get the bird ready and have it cooking while we shop tomorrow. We can prep the casseroles so theyre ready to put in the oven, and well make all the desserts tonight, too. I was going to just bring over one of the apple pies I made, but Finn couldnt help himself and ate a whole half by himself, so I was forbidden from stealing the other one." He smirked at the thought of his step-brother getting stared at by his mother while Burt just muttered about his ability to act as a human garbage disposal eating them out of house and home. It had been a fun holiday, to say the least.

Blaine nodded to the plan and started helping as best he could, working hard not to get in the way and even putting his own little flair on some aspects of the meal. The two of them worked together in the kitchen as if it was the most natural thing ever, weaving an intricate dance between the counters and even singing some of the songs theyd been considering for Regionals.

By the time theyd finished all the prep work for the next day, it was getting kind of late and they both muttered about how early they had to get up for the shopping extravaganza that was Black Friday. Kurt yawned and Blaine just grinned at him. This was the most domestic a holiday hed ever had, and he was really enjoying himself.

"Alright, nap time," Blaine said, reaching out to steady Kurt as he almost nodded off standing in the kitchen. "Come on, everythings ready for tomorrow and youll be mad at me if youre too tired to shop." He led the boy up the stairs, helping him remove his layers along the way since his tired fingers didnt seem able to grasp the idea of buttons. It was kind of adorable, in Blaines secret opinion, and his smile had yet to fade.

Once Kurt was clad in only his tight black jeans and a plain white undershirt, Blaine was about to ask if he needed sleep pants or anything and lead him to the guest room that was just done the hall. Instead, Kurt dropped onto Blaines bed and grabbed one of his pillows, burying his face in the plush material and inhaling the scent that was so clearly Blaine.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched the boy he had more than a small crush on laying in his bed breathing in his scent. Oh holy hell, this was just not fair. Then the boys voice sounded, muffled by the pillow but still clear enough for Blaine to have to fight back a whimper. "Too tired. Pants uncomfortable. Argh."

Kurt rolled onto his back then, eyes just barely open, and undid his fly, tugging the tight pants down over his hips and tossing them unceremoniously to the floor. Obviously he was pretty tired if he didnt even worry about just tossing his clothes around. Blaine was left gaping at the boy, now clad in nothing but an undershirt and some snug black boxer-briefs. Oh sweet Jesus, he wasnt sure if he could even move.

"Blaaaaine," Kurt whined, rolling onto his side and hugging the pillow again. "Bed time. Sleep. You arent skipping shopping just cause your tired." His eyes were closed again, but the brunette patted at the space beside him on the bed before tugging at the blankets. Okay, so they were going to share a bed tonight. No big deal. Blaine could be cool.

Letting out a shaky breath, Blaine slid under the covers and started to nod off almost as soon as his head touched the pillows. It wasnt until the shrill alarm was blaring at 4 AM that he came back to consciousness and realized Kurt had somehow ended up in his arms, and neither of them seemed upset about it.

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Shopping went smoothly all things considered. Everyone was tired, but they were also excited even if a bit cranky, and Blaine had thought ahead enough to pack thermoses of coffee for them all as well. Not all of the girls went, it turned out, since Santana had no desire to wake up that early and she had Brittany stay over at her place the night before, Quinn was determined to be there while the food cooked since nobody really trusted Puck and Finn with the task of not burning Blaines house down. That left Blaine, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel.

Blaine had a feeling he knew exactly what he was getting himself into, and sure enough about four hours and a few bruises later, he was standing outside Macys with arms loaded down with bags as Kurt checked something on his smartphone. "Okay, I think weve hit pretty much everything that was time-sensitive now. The only other things I have on my list are online deals, so unless you girls have anywhere else to go..?"

The shorter male couldnt even get mad about not being asked about his own shopping needs. Hed made it pretty obvious that he was mostly there to be a pack mule. It wasnt something that bothered him, though. He was actually really enjoying himself.

They left after agreeing that there was nowhere else in the mall they needed to stop, heading for Kurts Navigator which comfortably fit all of them and their purchases. Tina asked if they could stop at Michaels for some costume adornments that were on sale that day, thinking ahead for designing their Regionals outfits.

Having no desire to get into it about costume design and his many opinions on the matter, Kurt stayed out in the car with Blaine while the three girls went on their mission in the craft store. "Sorry I dragged you out for all this. I mean, I didnt really expect Rachel to deem you the designated bag-carrier like that."

Kurts voice made Blaine clear his throat from the passenger seat. He was surprised hed even registered what the other boy had said, since he was so distracted by his own thoughts. This was pretty much the best holiday hed ever had, and Kurt had no idea. "Dont apologize. Please. This is… This has been the best day. The best, Kurt." Hazel eyes sparkled as he looked at his companion. There was no way to put into words how happy Blaine was. It was just… he finally fit in somewhere. He had a pseudo-family in the Glee club and it was amazing. It felt like some emptiness was finally filled in his chest.

Of course, there was still a small hole there and his heart fluttered at the very thought of filling it, too. He watched Kurt lick his lips to wet them and found himself biting his own bottom lip. He wanted to kiss Kurt. He wanted it so bad. But, he hadnt talked to Kurt at all about the fast-developing crush that was taking over his mind since hed realized he was holding his best friend in his bed the previous night.

Instead, Blaine shook himself out of his own mind and just smiled a goofy, giant smile at the brunette. "I just hope the guys havent managed to burn down my kitchen. I dont think my parents would be too pleased if they came home to a happy son and a pile of ashes where their house once stood."

Kurt had laughed at that, and the little bit of nervous tension between them virtually evaporated. The girls returned a few minutes later with a couple bags of accessories and whatever else Kurt didnt want to know about, and he pulled the Navigator out of the crowded lot, heading back to Blaines home and the rest of their friends who would have been there for a couple hours by now.

The rest of the day was full of fun. They sang, danced, ate, and even played a few games in front of a cheerily popping fire in Blaines ridiculously unused fireplace. It was so much fun, and Blaine couldnt even be sad when they had to call an end to the party and he was left with a dishwasher full of now-clean dishes and a fridge full of leftovers.

Everyone sent texts that theyd made it home despite the newly-fallen snow on the roads, and Blaine fell into his bed with aching cheeks thanks to the smile that hadnt faded from the day before. His life was perfect. Hed go to school on Monday and even if he got slushied or tossed in the dumpster, he wouldnt care. Because he had friends who were like a family and he finally fit in somewhere and he was finally feeling confident enough that maybe, just maybe, he could be himself all the way and not have to worry anymore.