Yeah. I did pretty good this morning, Kurt thought as he checked his hair in the mirror. He turned a little to make sure he had everything under control and headed for the kitchen when he was satisfied.

"Good morning. Are you feeling better today?" He asked when he saw Blaine in the middle of a bowl of cereal. He poured a cup of coffee to put on the table in front of Blaine before he poured one for himself.

"What? - oh yeah, I'm better. Thanks," Blaine said and grabbed for his cup. He had nearly forgot how bad he was feeling when he went to bed the night before.

Kurt arranged his cut-out fruit artistically on his oatmeal and sat down at the table opposite Blaine.

"Good. Ready for shopping? Cause I'm looking for the perfect new years outfit - and no. One can never be too early in preparing one's new years outfit," Kurt declared.

He was adorable. Blaine couldn't hold in a chuckle as he sought refuge in filling his mouth with cereal so he could turn it over in his head before answering.

"Sure. And I'm assuming you already have sketches for my outfit as well?" He asked as he took his bowl to the sink.

"No one knows me like you do," Kurt trilled and drank his last mouthful of coffee and followed Blaine.

It was good. Blaine was back to be himself and there was no need to worry anymore.

He was probably just having a bad day, or a headache, Kurt told himself.

xXx

To watch Kurt twist and turn in a colorful variety of different clothes could only be heaven. He kept asking Blaine how the shirts looked, if he should have taken a tie in a different color or if the jeans were too tight on his ass. Yeah, this was definitely one of Blaine's favorite ways to spend his weekend.

The afternoon felt endless and Blaine had absolutely no complaints. Kurt dragged him from store to store and made him try on different pieces so he could judge them. This was one of Blaine's great ego-boosters since it gave Kurt a wide opportunity to tell him how the clothes were fitting his body.

When they had spent so many money even Kurt thought it was bordering on mental they agreed to go to The Lima Bean for coffee. As Blaine sat down to get them a table Kurt went in line. Blaine hurried to text his order to Kurt to make sure he got his favorite but heard a buzzing from Kurt's coat on the chair next to him.

"Here you go. Medium drip, right?" Kurt smiled and put a cup on the table in front of Blaine.

A whip of affection slashed through Blaine's spine. Kurt knew his coffee order, he remembered it from the times they had gone out for coffee. It seemed so immensely ridiculous to be touched by something so ordinary but to Blaine it was a blessing. Somehow his coffee tasted a million times better this afternoon.

Kurt was happy. Not only had he found the fabric he had been looking for to achieve the perfect effect with his new years outfit and he had got a pretty good deal on his brand of choice hair products, his day with Blaine had also been filled with laughing and talking. He would really miss that once he had to leave for New York, so he made a mental note to remember telling Blaine how much he wanted him to come visit him.

"Kurt? Hi! It's so good to see you! You look fabulous today!" A voice said and a spark of ice instantly shot through Blaine's nervous system. He looked up to see a blonde boy rushing over to sit on the chair between Kurt and Blaine, pulling the chair so he close to Kurt that he was nearly sitting in his lap.

"Hi Chandler. I believe I mentioned him," Kurt said and directed his last comment to Blaine before he turned back to the boy - Chandler. The boy who sent Kurt texts that made him giggle like a schoolgirl, the one who made Kurt stuck with his nose in the display on his phone, the one who made Kurt bouncingly happy in the morning.

"This is my brother Blaine," Kurt explained to Chandler who simply shot Blaine a look as if he was weighing him out for a fight.

"You don't look alike," Chandler said with a raised eyebrow.

"No. I wish - but we're actually only brothers via our parents - his mom married my dad, and now we're one big, happy family," Kurt sighed and sipped his coffee.

Blaine scooted together in his seat, wondering if he could sneak out of there unnoticed. Chandler started asking Kurt about New York and to Blaine's great misfortune he was, apparently, also headed for The Big Apple in the upcoming year's fall.

Kurt and Chandler chatted - which was; Chandler talked and talked. He was asking questions and telling about himself, giving Kurt suggestions and Kurt was politely answering and tried involving Blaine in the conversation - Chandler naturally doing his best to ignore Blaine.

"Blaine, are you alright?" Kurt asked when he noticed how uncomfortable Blaine was looking. He was wearing the same depressed and pained expression he had been wearing all Friday and he hadn't really touched his coffee.

"I think I'm just gonna go home," Blaine excused and stumbled to his feet.

A shot of worry washed over Kurt as he watched Blaine practically shrink in front of him. He hurried to his own feet and put a gentle hand on Blaine's arm.

"Are you feeling sick? I'm gonna go with you," he said maternally and felt a need to protect his brother take over.

"Of course not, Kurt. I know the way home. Just stay and have fun," Blaine said and nodded at Chandler who sent him a triumphant smirk by the sign of him getting Kurt to himself.

"Don't be silly. I'll drive you home. Come on. It was nice chatting, Chandler."

And that was it. Kurt grabbed his coat and walked with Blaine to the car. The entire drive home Kurt's phone was buzzing, but even though he ignored it flatly Blaine curled in on himself with his head resting against the window.

"Blaine, is there anything you need to talk about? Or just… vent, or something?" Kurt asked when he let his bags drop to the kitchen table. He turned to face Blaine who was on his way to the stairs.

Please don't be with stupid Chandler. Be with me instead!

"No. I'm just tired these days. You didn't have to leave just because I wanted to. Thank you," he said and did his best to sound tired and not like he was on the edge of an emotional breakdown.

"Yes. I did. I couldn't let you come back to this empty house alone if you're not feeling well. Now just go and get better, and I'll cook some dinner," Kurt said firmly. There was no way he was letting Blaine feel bad for him having left the coffee house.

"Thanks, Kurt -"

Let me kiss you.

"Anytime," Kurt smiled.

Blaine turned around and fled to his room where he let his bags drop to the bed before he fell face forward onto the bedspread with a sound mostly resembling a wounded animal.

xXx

As promised Kurt cooked dinner. When Blaine was done showering he came down to find the table laid up with salad and grilled chicken. Kurt had baked whole-grain blueberry muffins and put Top Gun ready on the DVD - Blaine's favorite movie.

"What is this?" Blaine asked, still depressed and had really just planned on getting some food to bring to his room so he could soak around in his own misery.

"I - you've seemed so sad lately, and I just wanted to cheer you up. I don't like it when you're sad, Blaine. We might be brothers, but that doesn't mean I'll have to enjoy watching you suffer," Kurt sighed and poured water into the glasses on the table.

The mention of them being brothers stung, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to care at the moment because this was so sweet and considerate. Kurt had gone through all of this trouble for him.

"Kurt, you are - the best," Blaine choked out, stopping himself before his mouth ran over with words inappropriate for brothers to share.

"I'm glad you like it. Now come eat before the chicken gets cold," Kurt smiled and sat down, Blaine following his lead in a heartbeat.

They spent dinner talking about their day and discussing the different clothes they each had bought. Mercedes was having a glee club dinner/party in two weeks and Kurt was planning his outfit for the occasion, Blaine naturally being called in as judge.

As soon as they were finished eating Blaine rushed to clean up. He told Kurt to go to the living room and make ready for the movie. Meanwhile he would take care of the dishes and leftovers.

His spirit was sky high and he couldn't help hoping that if the evening turned out chilly Kurt would share a blanket with him later. Not that Blaine would ever be brave enough to snuggle close to him, but the feeling of Kurt being willing to share a blanket with him was enough to make him warm inside.

When Blaine came to the living room Kurt had put on the movie and the movie was filling the screen. He was curled up in a corner of the couch and as a punch to the gut for Blaine he was giggling like crazy.

"Oh hey. I just… got a text. Did you finish the kitchen?" Kurt grinned, trying to suppress a chuckle. He had changed into his pajamas and were wearing the fluffy socks Blaine had bought for him one day he was sick. Usually that would have made Blaine giddy but right now he couldn't care less.

Everything inside Blaine tied up. He couldn't if the text was from Chandler, but there was just something about the way Kurt was acting.

Blaine nodded and came over to sit in the corner of the couch furthest away from Kurt. Suddenly he wasn't much in the mood for watching a movie anymore, but he couldn't just leave Kurt now that he had made such a big deal out of it for him.

The entire movie Kurt was sitting with his phone, holding his hand over his mouth to not burst into laugher from whatever was going on. Blaine kept silent and curled up against the armrest. He wished that he didn't but he kept sneaking glances at Kurt and he felt sick because he had to witness that.

It didn't seem like Kurt had noticed it. Maybe he figured that he was just soaked up into the movie, or he was simply too caught up in his own world of his phone and Chandler to care. Either way Blaine tried convincing himself that he didn't care, so when the movie was finished he got to his feet and went to bed. Kurt called after him, but at the moment he didn't have much heart for manners.

After an hour there was a knock on the door, but Blaine didn't say a word. If there wasn't any reaction hopefully Kurt would think he was asleep.

The change in Blaine was terrible. Kurt was getting worried, but he had no idea what to do about it. The mood swings were unpredictable, and the way it seemed to be consuming Blaine to take over every part of him and get in the way of enjoying himself was saddening.

xXx

The next day continued like that. Only worse.

Blaine stayed in his room all day and didn't even come out for coffee or food. He told his mom that he had homework but in reality he just didn't want to be in the same room as Kurt when there was a big chance of him being obnoxiously giggly over texts from a certain annoying blonde.

"Hey kid. There's a game on. Don't you wanna come watch?" Burt asked when he came to Blaine's room after everyone had finished dinner. It wasn't because Blaine had felt like letting him in, but there was just something about Burt he couldn't turn down.

"I'm not really in the mood. But thanks," Blaine said apologetically.

He knew that Burt loved their times in front of the TV watching sports and engaging in it together. Burt had never wanted any other son than Kurt, but it didn't take him long to admit that when Kurt had grown up and shown more interest in tea parties than baseball he had been slightly disappointed. He had loved the hours he and Kurt had spent together on Kurt teaching him to cook or bake, but he had still longed to take him to a football game instead.

"Oh… anything you wanna talk about?" Burt asked a little awkward, as Burt does it best.

It had been hard for Blaine to get used to having a male in his life that actually was interested in him and actually meant it when he said that he wanted to listen if he needed it. Sometimes Blaine played with the thought of calling him dad, but then he remembered that it would only make it even more real that Kurt was his brother and he quickly pushed the idea away.

"No, I'm just… I guess I'm just affected by the season changes. I'm tired and stuff," Blaine shrugged, but he knew that it wouldn't be so easy to convince Burt. The man had an impressive talent of sensing when something was up.

"Alright. Listen - I know I'm not your real dad, and this whole thing can't have been all sunshine for you. You're a teenager, and with your being gay and your… situation, life hasn't exactly been in your odds to begin with," Burt started, his fatherly tone on.

Blaine felt a chill run down his spine. Sometimes he forgot that Burt knew about his different anatomy because no one talked about it. It wasn't taboo, it simply wasn't reason for conversation in any way. And Kurt didn't know. If Kurt had known he would never be able to look him in the eyes again.

Every now and then Blaine had a breakdown. Like when they had the mandatory sex-ed class in school and he was forced to sit through boys not only talking about their own perfectly normal and healthy genitalia but furthermore their jokes about him not having the right ones because of his sexuality. Sure, no one knew how spot on they were in their mocking, but that definitely didn't make it any less painful. So Blaine would call his mom to his room when she came home and he would cry in her arms and tell her about how emasculated he felt and how he would never find someone who could love him because he was an abnormal freak.

"Add to that, your dad wasn't exactly understanding so your mom ended up with me. I may not be into all of that… clothes and what not you boys like. But I'm still a man - like you. So if you ever feel like you have anything you wanna talk about, or any questions, you can come to me, Blaine. Because to me you are just as much my son as Kurt is," Burt tried explaining.

For a moment Blaine nearly threw his arms around him. It wasn't like he didn't know that; Burt had said it before and he appreciated it, but every time Blaine couldn't help feeling overwhelmed that despite Burt not being his biological father and not having any true obligation to care about him he still did. And to hear someone refer to him as male made his inside swell and tears press.

"Thanks. I… thank you," Blaine stammered out. He never knew what to say in those situations. At first, after he and his mom had just moved in with Kurt and his dad, when Burt had tried talking to him one-on-one he had been close to scared. He was only a kid and he didn't know when he was allowed to speak or not. At one time Blaine had accidentally called Burt "sir" even though he had struggled to hold it in. Burt had laughed and told him to feel free to use his first name.

"Okay. Good, kid. As long as you know that just because your ol' man isn't here it doesn't mean you won't have any dad to talk to," Burt sighed and turned back to the door to leave.

Right when he had opened the door he stopped. He pushed the door closed again and turned back to Blaine who was sitting on the bed.

"This… this thing with you - being a little down and stuff lately… Is that a - is that something about boys?"

I wish your son was in love with me the way that I'm in love with him, Blaine's brain raced off track.

"No it's just… I think I need more vitamins or something," Blaine tried and knew that a statement like that wouldn't mean much to a man like Burt Hummel.

"Okay. Cool. Cause… I'm not really sure I'm the right to have that discussion with. That would probably be better to talk to your mom about. Or Kurt - you should discuss your hypothetical boy problems with Kurt. He can relate to it and stuff," he said.

Blaine wanted to disappear. He feared that his face had burst into flames. How could Burt be so spot on? He definitely wasn't planning on talking to either his mom or Kurt about his current heartache.

"Thanks, but I'm good. There's not really -"

"That's fine. Just suggesting. Don't lock yourself away for the rest of your life. We're starting to worry about you," Burt closed patiently and left the room.

Fuck. He hadn't convinced him in the slightest. Burt knew something was bugging him deeper than just lack of vitamins and sunlight. Being alone with Kurt had made him hypersensitive to the troubles of gay boys.

If only Blaine's problem hadn't been so inappropriate and horrifying he would probably have felt safe. But with the conditions of life it only made him more uneasy - not to mention feel guilty.