"You told your mother what?"

Blaine has to pull his phone away from his ear at Kurt's shriek  (there's no better way to describe the noise that had just come from Kurt). Blaine had known to expect some sort of reaction when he told Kurt what he'd promised his mother, but he hadn't quite expected Kurt to be this worked up about it.

"I don't see what the big deal is," says Blaine, rolling over onto his front, playing with the spare threads of his bed linen.

"Of course you don't, Blaine," Kurt huffs in his ear. "You're still in the closet. You don't know how good it feels when you're finally out."

Blaine furrows his eyebrows. He knows he should probably just be polite and let it go, and he doesn't want to pick a fight - especially not with Kurt - but the condescension in Kurt's voice is obvious. Blaine doesn't want to hear it, especially when he had called Kurt in the hope of getting some relief from the hostility that he's been feeling from his father.

"You know what?" says Blaine, his temper rising. "You're right, Kurt. I don't know what it's like to be out, which is why what I've done so far seems like such a big step for me. And I was really kind of proud of myself until you started trying to take that away from me."

"No one's trying to take that away from you, Blaine!" Kurt insists.

"Then stop being so condescending!" demands Blaine. "This is my coming out, Kurt. I'm doing it on my terms."

"It sure doesn't seem like it," says Kurt, and it's the scoff to his voice, the way that Kurt seems to think that he knows what's best for Blaine more than Blaine does, that gets to Blaine the most.

 "Well it does to me, alright?" Blaine snaps. "Look, you didn't see how torn up my Mum was. She was worried and she was freaking out."

"That still sounds awfully like you're doing it for her," says Kurt, but Blaine can hear him backing down and beginning to watch his words.

"Sure. Maybe I'm doing it with her in mind. But it's not like I'm doing it because she doesn't like who I am. I'm doing it to protect her. You can't honestly tell me that you've never held back for someone you love?"

It's a fruitless plea for understanding, Blaine thinks - until his words are met with silence.

"Wait, have you?" Blaine asks again. Because to Blaine, Kurt seems like the definition of courage and individuality. But if Kurt, of all people, had held himself back....

"I did it for my dad," says Kurt quietly. "A sing-off...years ago. Me and this other girl were fighting over who would sing Defying Gravity at Regionals for my old school's glee club. I had just properly come out, and people were giving Dad all kinds of phone calls. I blew the High F so he wouldn't have to worry about what would happen when his son sings a girl's song."

"Wow," says Blaine in a hushed whisper. He knows how much Kurt loves pulling focus - at least, whenever it's for a good reason. "Kurt, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to do that."

"And you shouldn't have to hide who you are when you don't want to," says Kurt. The antagonism, at least, is gone from his voice, kindness having taken its place. "It's not your job to protect everyone from something that's not meant to hurt people."

"I know," says Blaine with a sigh. "But you understand, don't you, Kurt?"

"Yes," Kurt admits. "I'm sorry for going off on you. I guess I got all excited for you. I kind of lost track of the fact that not everyone can come out all in one go like I could."

"That's okay," says Blaine. "All this election stuff is nearly over anyway. After all that, Mum won't be so worried and I'll come out. And hey, maybe I'll finally have a boyfriend and we can double date with you and Harry."

"Yeah..." says Kurt, his voice sounding distant. "I have to go, Blaine. But I promise you, I am happy about how far you've come. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Kurt," says Blaine, a grin forming immediately on his face at Kurt's words. Because as good as it feels, in itself, to have finally come out to his parents, it's definitely nice to have Kurt be proud of him. Because Blaine wants him to be.  

Blaine's dad doesn't bring it up. In fact, he doesn't say anything to Blaine all day. But Blaine can't handle the silence. Even the way Blaine's mum looks at him, as if expecting him to have an outburst any second and willing him not to, becomes too much. So that afternoon, at Kurt's suggestion, he packs an overnight bag and tells his parent's he's going over to Nick's for the night. But once he's in the car, he gives his driver Kurt's address.

Save for security at the gates, Finn and Kurt are the only two home, with their parents still out in Ohio. But to Blaine's surprise, Finn puts up a slight resistance when Kurt guides Blaine towards his room.

"Hey, what about the open door rule?" Finn asks from the couch, eyebrows furrowed as Kurt's about to shut the bedroom door.

"Okay, first of all, I never hold you to that when we're home alone and you want to have Rachel over, so a little reciprocation would be nice," says Kurt testily. "And besides, do you honestly think that Blaine's gay?"

They hadn't even told Finn, Blaine realises then. The Hummels really did keep secrets when they promised to.

"Right," says Finn nervously, looking past Kurt to Blaine. "Sorry, dude. I'm just so used to Kurt bringing home gay dudes all the time."

"And thank you for making it sound like I get around," says Kurt.

"Hey, you know I didn't mean it like that," says Finn defensively. "It's just that you're always bringing girls home, and the only dude you ever brought over was your boyfriend,  but I guess that's kind of stopped now that you two broke up-"

"You two broke up?" Blaine blurts out, looking from Kurt to Finn and back again.

"Oh," says Finn. "Shit."

"Have a nice night, Finn," says Kurt tersely, before closing shut the door.

He takes Blaine's bag from him and places it in a corner, as Blaine looks around at Kurt's room. It's the same as before, apart from the bowls and packets of junk food covering the bed and bedside tables.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Blaine asks softly, watching Kurt busy himself with moving some of the packets off his bed

"Because it never came up?" Kurt says with a shrug.

"Do you want to talk about it?" says Blaine cautiously. "Or talk about why, or-?"

"I'm fine," Kurt suddenly snaps, straightening up to face Blaine. A beat, then, "I'm sorry. But I'm fine. I'll be fine, just"- he smiles, but it doesn't quite meet his eyes - "I was going to have a night in, bingeing on junk food and watching The Notebook. If that's alright?"

"Of course," says Blaine automatically. Because anything with Kurt is a lot better than being at home right now. Besides, he kind of has a soft spot for The Notebook, even if he'd never admit it to Nick or Jeff.

 "So," says Kurt, sorting through a stack of DVDs he has piled up on his shelf. "You ever had any crushes on straight guys?"

Blaine supposes this is how Kurt wants to forget about Harry, and, seeing as it'll mean they'll get to know one another better, he's only happy to oblige.

"Tonnes," says Blaine automatically. Kurt turns his head to look at Blaine, an amused expression on his face. "Well, okay, not tonnes. But pretty much everyone I've ever liked is straight, save for the occasional gay celebrity. I don't really know any gay people, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," says Kurt. He settles down on his bed with his laptop on his lap and The Notebook DVD case in one hand, gesturing at the space next to him.  Kurt loads the DVD on his laptop as Blaine settles down beside him.

"All the straight guy crushes must have been annoying though," Kurt says thoughtfully after a while.

 "Not really," says Blaine with a shrug. "I mean, I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyway, what with Dad and all, so maybe that's what made it easy."

"Huh."

"What about you though?" asks Blaine, leaning back against the headboard. "You ever liked someone you could never have?"

Kurt's cheeks flush a deep red as he fumbles with placing the laptop on the bed in front of them. Kurt's embarrassed, and Blaine tries not to stare, but truthfully he thinks it's one of the most endearing things he's ever seen.

"Kurt, you're blushing!" Blaine can't help but tease.

"Okay, before you say anything, it was a long time ago," says Kurt, his eyes fixed on his laptop where he's clicking through the DVD menu. "But I had a huge crush on Finn before our parents got together. And yes, he knew about it."

"Wow," says Blaine. "That would have been awkward."

"I got over it," says Kurt, though he grimaces. "We both did. And then when I first met Sam I kind of had a crush on him too."

"So you kind of like jocks, then?" asks Blaine, trying not to get too disappointed as he thinks about what Kurt's told him about Finn, Sam and Harry, and how they both fit the stereotype.

"I don't think it's that," says Kurt. "Finn was a bit of anomaly - an awkward one which we choose to conveniently forget - but I think with Sam it was more because I thought he was gay at first and, okay if you saw him, you'd probably think he's cute too. Like, he has these lips. But then I found out he's as straight as the rest of them, so I started playing cupid because if I can't have him, who better to date him than my best friend."

"Right," says Blaine. "But what about Harry?"

Kurt's face falls.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," says Blaine.

"No, don't," says Kurt. "We've always been completely honest with each other, right?" He takes a moment to think. "I think with Harry it was like...he was the first guy to show an interest in me. That sounds kind of sad when you think about how long I've been out for, but it's true. It's not like I'm anything special."

"Kurt," says Blaine disbelievingly. "How can you even say something like that?"

"Because I've never really been given any evidence to the contrary," says Kurt with a shrug of indifference.  "I can talk myself up in my head all I want, but it's the truth. I thought Harry would be the one to show me different, but in the end it turned out that he was a lot more interested in who my father was than he was interested in me."

"Kurt, I doubt that, c'mon," says Blaine.

Kurt settles back against the headboard, looking thoughtfully across at Blaine. Blaine tries not to watch where Kurt is chewing on his lower lip.

"Do you want to know why Harry and I broke up?" Kurt asks quietly.

"Sure," says Blaine gently. "I mean, only if you feel comfortable telling me."

"He got angry that I was spending so much time with you," says Kurt.

Blaine stares at Kurt, dumbfounded. As much as Blaine cares about Kurt, the first thing he feels is shock. Kurt had managed to keep Blaine's sexuality from Finn, and yet he tells Harry?

Blaine's thought process must be clear from the look on his face, because when he doesn't say anything, Kurt's eyes widen.

"Oh my god, no, I didn't tell him!" he hastens to say. "God, no! Of course not, Blaine. But Harry didn't even like that you and I were friends. He reckons it's counteractive to the cause, or something."

"I'm sorry, Kurt," says Blaine. "I didn't realise that us being friends-"

"Don't," says Kurt, shaking his head. "Don't apologise when there's nothing to apologise for."

"You'd still have a boyfriend if it wasn't for me," counters Blaine.

 "A boyfriend who'd be trying to control my life," says Kurt heatedly. "I don't need someone to tell me who I'm apparently not allowed to be friends with. I can make those decisions for myself. I mean sure, I thought that having someone, anyone, would be better than no one, but not anymore. Not if he's trying to say that what we have together is wrong."

"Although," Kurt adds as an afterthought, his voice gentler. "I have to admit, I was kind of hoping to find a high school sweetheart. But maybe that's silly of me."

Blaine smiles.

"That's not silly," he says, quite liking the thought of it himself. "I think it's really a really nice idea, to find someone when you're so young. Someone who understands you and someone who you discover yourselves and each other with as you grow up. Someone to love for years..."

Blaine trails off, gazing fondly at Kurt, who is thankfully completely oblivious, humming his agreement as he reaches for the bowl of popcorn on the bedside table. Blaine's gaze drops down to Kurt's lips, and he's just thinking how nice it would be if he could lean forward, right here and now, and kiss him, when -

"I think it's because it's what my parents had, you know?" says Kurt, turning his head to face Blaine. "I grew up seeing how they were just so in love and I kind of learnt that that was what love is. You find someone when you're a teenager and you marry them and things are just so ...perfect."

"It sounds like things were really great when your mum was around," says Blaine kindly.

"They were," says Kurt. "But what Dad and Carole have is pretty great, too, you know. I guess I just always imagined finding myself a high school sweetheart."

"Hey, you still have a few months," Blaine offers.  

"I guess," says Kurt, and something flashes in his eyes as he looks at Blaine, something a lot like - no. Blaine's not going to let himself get his hopes up over something so indefinite. Especially when it's gone a second later, when Kurt shakes his head, as if chastising himself. "I don't even know why I'm complaining. I'll be chasing New York boys - no, men - in a few months, if all goes to plan. A high school relationship probably wouldn't last that long after graduation if we have to go long distance. And I want to live in New York after school. If he doesn't as well, then what's even the point? I don't think I could have a casual fling for a few months only for it to end when we graduate."

Under different circumstances, Kurt's words would have crushed Blaine's spirits. But the fact of the matter is that Blaine, also, wants to be in New York for college. And Blaine can't help but feel that everything, slowly but surely, is falling into place.

He doesn't let Kurt know that, though. He doesn't say anything significant, or ask anything of Kurt. He can't just yet - not when Kurt's just gotten out of a relationship. Blaine's waited for this, and he's willing to wait a bit more to make sure it all falls into place perfectly.

Yet despite all this, despite Blaine not giving Kurt any hint that he wants more than friendship, despite the fact that Blaine's careful of what he says and does, they still end up cuddled up together. And after the movie ends, after Kurt's gone through half a box of tissues for his tears - which Blaine suspects are only caused, in part, by the movie - they both slip under the covers. They lay there, almost touching but not quite, sharing whispered conversation, until Kurt falls asleep mid-sentence.

And as Blaine drifts off to sleep minutes later, he can't help but feel that suddenly the world seems like such a perfect place.