The weekend conspired to keep them out of Kurt's bedroom, and Kurt was secretly glad of it. Everything was so confusing when they were alone together, when shirts came off and hormones started raging. He appreciated the chance to enjoy spending time with Blaine without that constant pressure. Especially now, with this joyous but nerve-wracking revelation of being in love, which seemed like it should have made things clearer but in reality just made them all that much more complicated. It didn't answer the question of what he should do, and it certainly didn't make it any easier to think about the possibility of having sex.

Saturday was the Regionals competition for New Directions. Blaine drove out to watch them perform, and met them backstage after it was over to join in the jumping up and down and squealing over their first-place finish. Kurt managed to get Mr. Schue to look the other way and let him drive back to Lima with Blaine instead of taking the bus back as required by school policy.

It was a long road trip, and somehow they ended up listening to the soundtrack of The Lion King in the car. Listening, of course, meant singing along—sometimes in unison, other times taking parts and trading lines and coming up with their own harmonies. It was a pure, innocent kind of fun that neither of them had indulged in for a long time.

"I miss being a little kid," Blaine said after Hakuna Matata ended. "Things were so simple when I was ten years old. Why can't life always be that way?"

"I know what you mean," Kurt agreed. "Growing up is not all it's cracked up to be. All these worries about responsibility and college and ... relationships and stuff ... sometimes I just want it all to disappear and go back to throwing tea parties for my stuffed animals."

Blaine grinned. "You used to throw tea parties for your stuffed animals?"

"Tea is very important!" Kurt said defensively.

"I think it's adorable."

They spent the evening at the New Directions victory party at Breadstix, talking and laughing with all of Kurt's friends and breaking into random songs and dances every few minutes. Blaine seemed right at home in the crowd, flirting his way through a duet with Rachel before getting into an intense debate with Sam about something involving superhero capes. Kurt sat watching him, marveling at the ease with which Blaine made friends. He'd met most of Kurt's friends at least once before, but he hadn't seen them often. Yet here he was, making his way around the room as if it were filled with people he'd known for ages.

Every few minutes, though, Blaine found some excuse to return to Kurt's side. He'd whisper a newly-acquired piece of gossip in Kurt's ear, or ask his opinion of someone's outfit, or suggest a song to perform. None of it was necessary at all, but he seemed to draw comfort from a moment beside Kurt, before he was off again into the crowd. Kurt smiled when he realized the pattern, pleased that he could support Blaine in this way.

It was late by the time they left. Kurt thought about inviting Blaine in for coffee when he dropped him and Finn off at home, but the light in his parents' room was already off and he thought they probably wouldn't appreciate it. So they just said goodnight and confirmed their plan to meet at Mercedes's birthday party the next day.

Because Mercedes had to have a birthday the same weekend as Regionals. As if all of them hadn't seen enough of each other by now, what with all the extra rehearsals and then the competition and the afterparty. She'd decided to mix things up by making it a board games party, which made Kurt roll his eyes at the lameness. But when he walked in the door, he found Blaine already there, lying on the floor with his chin in his hands and his legs kicked up in the air, around a Settlers of Catan game board with Sam, Puck, and Brittany.

Blaine hoisted himself up into a sitting position. "Kurt! Do you want to play? You could be on my team."

"Hey, hey, that's not fair. We're playing individuals," Puck said.

Kurt walked over. It looked like the game was already well underway. "That's okay, I'll play later," he said, running his fingers through Blaine's hair. "Looks like Mercedes and Rachel and Santana are starting Pictionary. I'll go do that." He could practically feel Blaine's eyes on him as he walked away.

They were in the middle of a raucous round of the game when the food was delivered, so Kurt didn't immediately get up to get himself a plate. A few minutes later, he was surprised to see Blaine walking up with two plates of food. He handed one to Kurt, then sat down on the floor at his feet because there was no room left on the couch.

Kurt was honestly touched that Blaine had thought of him. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said, not realizing he was using the pet name he usually saved for the bedroom. He reached down and rubbed the hair at the base of Blaine's skull. Blaine practically purred.

Santana made a gagging face. "Your sub is so adorable it's literally giving me diabetes."

"Thank you?" Blaine said, his inflection making it almost a question. "But I'm not his sub."

"Could have fooled me," Santana said, rolling her eyes.

Blaine looked up at Kurt, his eyes wide. "Should I not do this?" he asked softly. "Bringing you food and sitting here like this ... does it make you uncomfortable?"

"It's lovely, sweetheart, and you should sit wherever you want to," Kurt said, using the endearment intentionally this time. Santana was right on both counts, though. He was acting like Kurt's sub, and he was absolutely adorable. And it made Kurt feel that everything was perfectly right in the world.

Blaine rested his head on Kurt's knee and Kurt smiled peacefully. They'd need to talk about this, as soon as they had a chance. Next weekend, Kurt thought. It was a discussion to have in person, and Blaine was planning to head back to Dalton right after the party, so there was no time for it today. Kurt lit up when he realized that next Sunday was Valentine's Day. It would be the perfect opportunity to make a romantic gesture and ask Blaine to be his boyfriend.

Kurt walked Blaine to his car a few hours later, holding his hand. It was still broad daylight, with plenty of time left for him to drive back to Dalton by dinnertime.

"I had a great time this weekend," Blaine said.

"Me too," Kurt said, smiling. "I'm sorry we didn't get any time to ourselves, though."

"It's okay. I like your friends."

"I'm glad you get along with them so well," Kurt said. They stopped at the side of Blaine's car. Kurt turned to face him and took Blaine's other hand, swinging their arms together between them. He wanted to kiss him. He missed it. They hadn't kissed all weekend, and Kurt was practically vibrating with the desire to press his mouth against Blaine's and show him exactly what he felt, all the thoughts that had settled themselves in his head without a word said out loud.

But it wasn't a thing they did. Sure, they kissed all the time, but only while they were playing a scene. A kiss goodbye was something different. It was something romantic and personal, and Blaine would know the difference, certainly. It would start a whole discussion, and there wasn't time for that now. Or else it would leave Blaine confused, and Kurt didn't want to do that. Besides, it would spoil the romantic Valentine's Day surprise.

So Kurt gave him a hug instead, and told him to drive safely and send a text when he got home so Kurt wouldn't have to worry. And Blaine hugged him back and gave him a mocking, "Thanks, Mom," and they laughed together. And then Blaine got in his car and drove away, leaving Kurt on the sidewalk feeling ... longing.

Just a week. He could wait a week.

-----------------------------------

"Tick tock, Anderson."

Blaine looked up from where he was doing his math homework in the library. Sebastian slid into the chair across the table from him. "What do you want, Sebastian?"

"More than two months gone, and the word on the street is that you're still no closer to finding a dom. Rumor has it you're wasting all your weekends with that New Directions boy even though he doesn't even want you. Are you that much of a lovesick puppydog, Blaine? Come on. Just because someone fucks you once doesn't mean it has to be happily ever after for the rest of your life."

"It's none of your business," Blaine said. "And where did you even hear all that?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "This is a boarding school for teenage boys. Does anyone manage to keep secrets? And besides, it is my business. Because another month or so will roll around, and you still won't have a dom, and this time you're going to end up on your knees in front of me. We both know it. Why not set it up in advance? That way I won't have to cancel plans to save your ass. Or ... you know, whatever else I'm going to do to your ass."

"That's not going to happen."

"Oh yeah? You've got some other brilliant plan?"

Blaine closed his math book and stacked his notebook on top of it. The truth was, he had no other plan. He was down to just a handful of names left on Wes's list, after a series of miserable lunches and coffee dates, not to mention several outright rejections in both directions before even getting that far. As much as he hated to admit it, Sebastian was probably right about how this would end up.

"Is this all just some kind of game to you?" Blaine asked, annoyed.

"Yes," Sebastian said without a hint of shame. "Sex is fun. Having sex with lots of different people is exciting. Convincing guys that they want to have sex with me? A game of skill and cunning that plays out differently every single time. Why shouldn't I enjoy it? I'm always safe, it helps people, everyone's happy. It's totally a game. You should give it a try."

"That's just ... not my attitude toward sex," Blaine said.

"Well, maybe it should be." Sebastian smiled mischievously, his eyes sparkling.

Blaine picked up his books, lifted the strap of his messenger bag, and stood up. "Goodbye, Sebastian."

"I'll keep my calendar open," Sebastian called as Blaine retreated out of the library.

Back upstairs in his room, Blaine unfolded the list yet again. There were only four names left. Tom, a senior at Dalton who he'd gotten along with fine but didn't find remotely attractive. He wondered how important that was, really. Nick's brother Alex, who went to Harvard and would be visiting Ohio in a couple of weeks. He had a date already set up. Jared, a sophomore at OSU who was from Columbus and was a friend of a friend of a friend. Blaine was a little wary of the tenuous connection, but maybe it would be less awkward than having sex with the cousin or brother of one of his friends. Tom. Alex. Jared. And Sebastian.

Blaine sighed. Sebastian was right. Time was running out. This was no time to be picky. He opened his laptop and shot off an e-mail, sending a message along the chain of friends to this Jared guy at OSU.

-----------------------------------

Jared was a big guy, very tall and muscular and with a commanding presence that was noticeable from a distance. He was waiting in the lobby of the restaurant when Blaine walked in on Friday night, and he was immediately recognizable from the picture he'd sent.

"Hi, I'm Blaine. You must be Jared."

"Good to meet you." Jared locked Blaine's hand in a handshake that was so firm as to be nearly painful, reaching out with his left hand at the same time to clasp Blaine's bicep. He let go and signaled to the hostess, who grabbed two menus and let them to a booth.

"Let me help you with your coat," Jared said, and before Blaine could say a word his hands were on Blaine's shoulders, peeling off the outer layer. "Here, let's lay both our coats on this bench, and we can sit together on the other one. Easier that way."

Blaine accepted the wordless invitation to scoot into the booth first, and without really thinking about it found himself trapped between the half-wall at the end of the booth and the larger man blocking the way out. Jared was sitting slightly too close to him. The bench was made for two people to sit together, in a group of four, but Blaine felt mildly uncomfortable with Jared's leg almost touching his. He squished his body closer to the wall, in search of space that wasn't there.

Jared handed him a menu. "If you can't make up your mind, I'm happy to choose for you," he said, winking.

And just like that, Jared's hand was on his thigh. Blaine stiffened at the unexpected touch. "I'm sorry, but ... I don't feel comfortable with that right now. Could you please move your hand?"

Jared moved his hand onto the table, but turned and glared at Blaine. "Making demands already? We just met two minutes ago. I thought you were supposed to be a sub."

Blaine looked down at the table. "I'm sorry. It's just, we barely know each other and I'd rather—"

"Most subs like to be treated this way, you know," Jared said in an annoyed tone.

"Actually, I think most people don't like to be treated this way, but a lot of subs are intimidated into not speaking up for themselves." Blaine blinked at the words that had just come out of his own mouth. This was not going to go well.

"Don't talk back to me," Jared snapped. He looked at his watch. "Five minutes, no talking. Think about how you should behave." He turned away from Blaine and studied the menu.

Blaine focused on his breathing to avoid panicking. He stared at the menu, but he couldn't read the descriptions of the food without feeling mildly nauseous. The waitress came by, and Jared ordered both of them sodas without even consulting Blaine for his opinion.

After an interminable amount of time, Jared spoke again. "Okay, five minutes are up. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Blaine avoided meeting his eyes. "I want to go home. I'm sorry, this isn't going to work out."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, Sir. I'm sorry. Could you please get up and let me leave?"

"I come all this way out here, offer to buy you dinner, and you up and run away on me because I touched your fucking leg? Who the hell do you think you are?"

A few heads turned in their direction. Blaine scanned the restaurant, wishing he could just disappear, but he was still trapped in the booth. "I'm sorry, please, could you get up so I can leave?"

Jared slammed his fist down on the table, drawing more stares, but he got up. "No wonder you can't find a dom, you little freak. Nobody wants a stuck-up, cocky sub like that. Good luck when you get Sick and collapse on the fucking street, see who comes to help you then."

Blaine grabbed his coat and fled to his car. Fortunately it was only about a five minute drive to Dalton, because he wasn't sure he could have made it any farther. He ran up to the dorms and went straight to Trent's room, crying.

Sebastian found him and Trent still there later that night, surrounded by candy and potato chip wrappers from Trent's emergency stash. Sebastian punched the wall. "I knew it was you. Goddamn it."

"I'm not in the greatest mood right now, Sebastian," Blaine said. "Whatever you're mad at me about, can it please wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at that asshole Jared," Sebastian said.

"How did you even hear about that? I haven't told anyone but Trent and he's been here with me the entire time. He hasn't even touched his computer or his phone."

"I know everything," Sebastian said with a smirk. "No, seriously though, I was at Scandals and this dickhead walks in ranting and raging about a 'cocktease Dalton student' who screwed him over in some incomprehensible way. Touching all the subs and making them uncomfortable, major asshole. I knew you were out on a date tonight, I figured it was probably you. But don't worry, I got back at him for you."

"You ... what?" Blaine asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing dangerous. I provoked him until he got himself kicked out of the bar. They confiscated my fake ID, though. The sacrifices I make for you."

"I ... thank you?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I can get another ID by next weekend. I'm a regular at Scandals, they all know I'm underage and they don't care as long as I keep quiet."

"That's ... you're quite a character, Sebastian."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sebastian said with a laugh. "Seriously, though, did he hurt you? Because if he did, I'll go back and find him and kick his ass."

Blaine couldn't help laughing. Jared was probably twice as big as Sebastian. "No ... he was handsy and he called me a lot of names when I told him to stop, but he didn't actually hurt me."

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said, and for once in his life he looked serious.

"Not in any way your fault," Blaine said.

"I know. But I can sympathize, can't I?" Sebastian turned to leave. "Let me know if I can do anything else, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Thanks."

The door swung shut behind him.

"What was that?" Trent asked, confused.

"He's trying to get into my pants," Blaine said.

"Hmm."

"It might work."

Trent raised an eyebrow. "You were so against it before. If you can't find a dom you like, why not go to a professional? There's no shame in it. It's easy and not complicated with messy feelings like real life."

"I thought about it but ... I want it to mean something. It doesn't have to be true love, it could be just friendship and caring about each other, but I don't think I can completely separate sex from feelings like that."

"But Sebastian ..."

"He's actually kind of sweet, when you look past the front he puts up. I could do worse."

Trent sighed. "You could do better."

-----------------------------------

Blaine had trouble sleeping, and he woke up on Saturday morning feeling stiff and achy. It was probably just tension from all of yesterday's stress, he reasoned, but there was a chance it could be the first signs of his next Sickness. It was a bit soon for that, though. He should have at least a few weeks left. But he'd heard that after the first time, most people had symptoms that came on more gradually, over the course of weeks instead of all at once.

He took a hot shower, trying to ease the tension in his muscles, and then did some yoga stretches back in his room. He swallowed a couple of Tylenol pills, and then went down to the dining hall and ate the healthiest breakfast he could manage, with an extra glass of orange juice in case he had a cold coming on.

None of it seemed to help very much at all. He was still stiff and uncomfortable when he got into his car for the long drive to Lima. And still unsettled from his horrible date the night before. He put on some peppy music to try to clear his head, but that was just as ineffective as the cures he'd tried for his physical discomfort.

Kurt answered the door with an excited bounce, but it was all Blaine could do to give a half-smile back. Kurt's expression changed to worried immediately. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Blaine had a firm policy of never telling Kurt about his dates with other guys, and he was not about to break it now. It wasn't that it was a huge secret. Kurt must know that he was dating, looking for a dom. Kurt had actually told him to do that, way back when they had first met, and even though he'd never mentioned it again, the order still stood. Especially once Kurt had made it clear that he had no intention of being Blaine's dom. But Blaine didn't want to make Kurt feel uncomfortable, or make it Kurt's problem, even just a little bit, by complaining about the difficulty of finding a good dom. So he'd resolved to keep all of that to himself.

"You look miserable," Kurt said, still looking very worried.

"I've been under a lot of stress lately. Especially yesterday. And then I didn't sleep well last night. It's not a big deal."

"Come on upstairs," Kurt said. "You can rest, at least. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Blaine shook his head, but after they were in Kurt's room with the door closed, he changed his mind. "Actually ... I've been feeling kind of ... um ... we didn't do anything last weekend. Together, I mean. And I wonder if what we've been doing might have been masking the symptoms of ... I mean, it's not enough to stop me from getting Sick, but maybe it's been making me feel better just on a day to day basis?"

"Oh..." Kurt looked surprised.

"I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to," Blaine said quickly.

"No, I ... I'd like to. I want to help you feel better. Do you have anything in mind, in particular?"

"Could you just ... lie down on top of me? I don't know, somehow I just want to feel your weight on me."

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, of course. I can do that."

-----------------------------------

Kurt had planned to avoid temptation today and save everything for Valentine's Day tomorrow. But he wasn't about to let Blaine suffer for his secret plan. Anyway, it wasn't like Blaine had asked for any kind of intense scene. This should be doable. He watched Blaine take off his shoes and sweater and sit down on the bed.

"Do you want to take your shirt off, too?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shook his head. "No, I don't want it to be ... sexual, I guess."

Good, Kurt thought. They were on the same page. "All right. Go ahead and lie down for me, sweetheart."

Blaine arranged himself on the bed, moving stiffly. Kurt was wearing just jeans and a t-shirt. He hadn't been planning on leaving the house today, and he was at the point where he felt fine dressing casually around Blaine. He kicked his shoes off and knelt up on the bed, then straddled his legs across Blaine's thighs and lowered himself down carefully to press their upper bodies together. He reached for Blaine's hands and interlaced their fingers, bringing them to rest beside Blaine's shoulders, his own forearms pushing Blaine's down onto the bed with gentle pressure. He stretched his legs out, one leg between Blaine's, the other just to the side.

"Is this all right?" Kurt asked softly.

"Mm-hmm," Blaine mumbled, barely a breath.

"Is it helping?"

Blaine hummed a tentative affirmation. Kurt watched his face carefully. Blaine's eyes were slipping shut, and his facial muscles seemed more relaxed than they had a moment ago. Kurt thought he felt some of the tension seeping out of his muscles, especially in his arms and shoulders.

Kurt let his head fall forward and to the side, resting on the pillow beside Blaine's head. He pressed a kiss into the side of Blaine's neck. "Such a sweet boy," he whispered into Blaine's ear.

"I always feel so safe when I'm with you," Blaine breathed.

"I will always keep you safe," Kurt promised.

There was a hint of a smile on Blaine's lips as he drifted into sleep.