I see my training clothes neatly folded on my bed when I leave the bathroom. A tall person who is dressed like a servant is about to leave the room.

"Hello." The boy turns around. Short dark hair, a tall lean figure, an anxious expression on his face. His brown, sad eyes somehow remind me of Finn.

"Who are you?" I ask him while he watches me closely. I take a step closer to him and he leaves the room.

Confused, I sit down on the bed and run my hands over the soft bedclothes.

A few moments later, I hear a knock on the door. I roll my eyes as I hear Rachel Berry's excited chattering about the training. I get up and open the door.

Quinn is standing behind Rachel, already wearing her training clothes and looking at her feet.

"Kurt! You're not dressed yet?!" Rachel's voice makes me jump. She shoos me back in the room and urges me to dress. Hesitantly, I give in and put on the soft trousers and shirt. I don't have a chance to escape this anyway. Maybe I'll learn something useful for the arena.

At breakfast, Rachel chats about sponsors with Jesse while Quinn looks at her empty plate. I lay my hand upon hers and she smiles at me. It doesn't reach her eyes.

"Don't worry," I mutter and rub her knuckles soothingly. She shoots me a thankful glance and takes a sip from her orange juice.

"So, let's talk about your strategy for the arena." Rachel leans forward, her voice hushed. Jesse rolls his eyes. "Leave it, Rachel. They won't stand a chance."

My fork clatters on the plate and suddenly all eyes are on me.

"Is that what you've been telling the tributes every year?" I ask angrily. "That they won't survive?" Jesse shrugs and looks at his plate but I'm not finished yet.

"You won't even try to help us?"

"What's the point in helping you?" he laughs. "What am I supposed to do? Tell you that everything's going to be fine? That both of you will leave the arena alive? This isn't going to happen so why get your hopes up?"

The chair I've been sitting on crashes to the floor as I stand up. Jesse is standing too, glaring at me with his dark blue eyes. I return the glare, all of a sudden noticing the sadness in his eyes.

After what feels like eternity, he finally breaks the tense silence.

"Fine." He looks at me one more time, turns around and leaves without having finished his breakfast.

I sit down again, hands still trembling. "What was that about?" Quinn asks. Rachel looks at me with a horrified expression on her face.

I shake my head and take a bite of my roll. There's something about Jesse. Something he won't tell, he won't let show. And I will find out what it is.

Throughout breakfast, nobody says a word, not even Rachel. I eye her suspiciously but she doesn't seem to intend on talking any more.

After we've finished, Quinn and I are led to the elevator that would take us to the training rooms below the ground level of the building.

The elevator ride is relatively short. We're not the first ones to arrive, the tributes from 1, 3 and 11 are already preparing for the training.

Cloth squares with the number 12 are pinned on our backs.

While we wait for the other tributes to arrive, I try to keep my eyes down, attempting to avoid Blaine's gaze. I can feel his probing eyes on me. My cheeks are flushed and I quickly turn my back to him.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asks worried. I nod and smile at her. She smiles back, briefly touching my arm before she turns away.

Finally, the last tributes arrive and we begin with our training.

There are experts in each skill at their stations. These stations teach surviving as well as fighting skills.

"We should stick together," I whisper and Quinn nods. None of the other tributes stay together.

As the hours pass, I realise that training isn't that bad. Quinn and I learn some useful skills for the arena; a snare to trap animals and other tributes, making shelter, how to handle weapons.

Throughout lunch, which we have in a seperate room with the others, I catch myself glancing to Blaine every now and then. He's sitting with the girl from 11 - I think her name is Becky - and chatting with her. Sometimes he would throw his head back and laugh, or just listen to the girl and smile.

"Uhm, Kurt?" I look at Quinn who's smiling at me. "What?"

She laughs. "You like him."

"What? No!" I feel a familiar heat spreading on my cheeks and drop my eyes.

Quinn lays her hand on top of mine. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone."

I whisper a "thank you" and squeeze her hand. If anyone would know about this... I don't want to imagine it. What would my father say? Would Finn understand it?

But then I remember that I'm probably not going to leave the arena alive, and abandon the thought of my family finding out about me. No one will ever find out.

Quinn's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "He likes you too."

I try to hide my red face and hope that lunch will be over soon.

The next couple of days pass in a similar way. We train, we eat, we sleep. I get distracted by Blaine, Quinn mocks me about it and urges me to speak to him.

I don't talk to Blaine until the last day of the training.

Quinn and I are at the throwing-knives station. We're already pretty good, though Quinn seems to have difficulties with the thought of throwing a knife at another human being.

"Mind if I join you?" My body tenses at the sound of the familiar voice. Quinn, cordially as ever, invites Blaine to watch us for a while and eventually show us his skills too.

I feel his eyes on me the whole time and try to focus on the target in front of me. Blaine seems to be content just watching us. Watching me. He doesn't make a move to try it himself.

After the training, he finally speaks again. "Kurt, can I talk to you for a minute?" Quinn looks at me knowingly and enters the elevator without me.

Blaine walks up to me, looking around as to make sure no one else is listening.

"Look, I-- Can we talk in privacy?" I swallow hard and nod even though it might not be a good idea to be alone with him.

Blaine smiles at me. "Okay, see you... you know where." He winks and leaves as well.

It doesn't take long to find out where he wants to meet me.

-

Back in my room, I take a quick shower and change my clothes, both excited and terrified to meet Blaine alone.

I make my way to the rooftop where he's already awaiting me.

"Hello," I say quietly. He grins at me and I look away. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Blaine chuckles. "You were great at training. You might have an actual chance of winning this thing."

"You could have told me that earlier though, in the training rooms," I say, raising an eyebrow. "What do you really want?"

"Okay," Blaine mutters, not smiling anymore. "I want to make a deal with you."

I sit down on the edge of the roof and seconds later his body is beside me, our thighs pressed together.

"A deal?" - "I want us to be... allies," Blaine says, barely audible. I look at him and see that he's staring at his hands.

I smile gently at him. "I've been thinking about this too." He glances at me and I quickly add, "And Quinn. There's no way I'm leaving her behind." - "And Becky," Blaine says.

I smile and nod. The thought of how stupid it is to tell him this grazes my mind. Blaine doesn't look very strong but I've seen what he's able to do with a spear. Is it wrong to trust him?

"Kurt, I--" - "Yes?" Blaine looks away and shakes his head. "It's stupid," he mutters, more to himself than to me. "I've never... I'm not..." He stands up and walks away from me. I follow suit, looking at him worried.

"I don't even know what I'm doing here," he says while running his hands through his thick curls. "I shouldn't be bothering you."

"You're not bothering me," I blurt out before I can stop myself. "What did you want to tell me?"

Blaine looks at me carefully. "I... I don't know." He continues to stride and I watch him. Funny, I think, a few days ago it was vice versa.

"I don't... It's just so... And you..." - "Are you trying to tell me that you can't form a coherent sentence?"

Blaine laughs. It sounds humourless. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone."

Just as he is about to turn around, I grab his arm and force him to look at me.

"Kurt, what are you doing, I--" I take a step closer. The smell of perfume and something unique yet familiar is suddenly everywhere.

Blaine stops talking and stares at me. I stare back. Stare into those beautiful, golden eyes. They're too close. I breathe in Blaine's scent and try to hold on to it. Blaine lifts his hand, his fingers touching my heated cheek.

It would be so easy to close the gap, to wrap my arms around him, to press my lips against Blaine's.

"I have to go," I say quietly and let go of his arm. Blaine's lips part slightly, as if he wants to say something, but he just nods. I turn around and leave.