The boys made their way back downstairs where Finn, Carole and Burt were watching Toy Story 3.

"Oh my gosh, I love this movie!" Blaine exulted, rushing down the stairs and plopping himself on the couch next to Finn, who glanced at him curiously before returning his gaze to the TV.

Kurt followed at a more sedate pace, settling into the third space on the couch and leaving several inches between himself and Blaine. After a few moments, Kurt began to lean back into the couch. An arm snaked around his waist, tugging him to the left. Startled, he squeaked in protest as Blaine dragged him closer, pulling Kurt snugly to his side. "You should cuddle with me," Blaine whispered. "Your family won't mind."

Kurt cast a glance at Finn, whose eyes were still focused on the TV and then at his parents. Burt was sitting in the recliner, and Carole had brought a chair from the kitchen and placed it next to the recliner. Their hands were laced together, faces relaxed, their bodies leaning towards each other slightly.

Blaine was right. His family wasn't paying any attention to them at all. He snuggled closer to Blaine, leaning his head on Blaine's shoulder and resting his left hand on Blaine's hip.

Each of them had seen the movie before-even Finn-but the ending still brought tears to everyone's eyes. Burt and Finn were blinking rapidly while Carole, Blaine and Kurt had tears sliding down their cheeks.

Burt grabbed the remote, shutting off the DVD player and the TV. He stood up and peered out the window.

"Storm's getting worse," he commented. He turned to look at the boys. "You should probably call your parents, Blaine, and let them know you're staying with us. I don't want you getting hurt trying to drive home in this mess."

Kurt felt Blaine tense against him, his body closing in on itself slightly. Blaine's eyes slid shut for a moment, and Kurt looked over at Carole who was looking at both boys with concern in her eyes.

"Blaine, honey, why don't you give me your parents' number and I'll talk to them?" she offered.

Blaine opened his eyes. "Umm...sure. That would be great." He and Carole rose, walking to the kitchen to make the phone call. Kurt remained on the couch, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. Now that I think about it...none of us really know anything about Blaine's parents. I hope they don't mind him staying here tonight...

Blaine slowly followed Carole into the kitchen, head down and shoulders slouched. Carole laid a hand on his cheek, and he jerked away sharply.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Carole asked.

Blaine bit his lip, then sighed and said, "My parents are very...rigid people." He tried to choose his words carefully, wanting to be honest with Carole without presenting her with bad impression of his parents.

"Will they be upset that you're staying here?"

Blaine looked away, shifting uncomfortably. "If the weather weren't so bad, they would never let me stay here, even though you, Burt and Finn will be home."

Carole laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "Tell me your home phone number, sweetie. Maybe they'll be more understanding if I'm doing the talking."

Carole reached for the phone as Blaine recited the number. Carole pressed the phone to hear ear, waiting for the Andersons to answer. Blaine sat at the table, fingers drumming nervously on the table.

"Mrs. Anderson?" Carole queried. Blaine's hands froze as he listened to Carole speak with his mother.

"Hi, my name is Carole Hummel..." her voice trailed off, and Blaine strained to hear what was being said but could only make out indistinguishable sounds.

"Mrs. Anderson." Carole's voice had lost its cheery politeness. "I wanted to speak to you regarding Blaine staying here for the night." Blaine heard the noises start up again, but Carole continued speaking. "The roads are in terrible condition, and the wind is far too strong for Blaine to be able to drive home safely."

Blaine was shocked. No one ever continued speaking when his mother interrupted. He could only imagine the expression on her face.

"There's no reason for you or your husband to risk your lives coming to pick up your son. He'll be perfectly safe here for the night, and we'll send him home after breakfast."

The noises started again, louder than before. Blaine turned around to see Carole's face go stark white, her eyes widening and anger sparking in her eyes.

"That's enough." Carole's face was slowly flushing red, her eyes shining angrily.

"I am looking out for your son's well-being and for my son's as well. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to risk their lives driving in this weather. This was neither Kurt's nor Blaine's idea; I suggested he stay after Burt told me about the storm."

Blaine stood up, slowly walking closer to Carole, straining to hear the conversation.

"...you're giving your son the opportunity to take advantage of mine!"

Blaine's jaw dropped open. Carole gasped.

"Victoria, this conversation is finished. Blaine is staying here for the night, and you and your husband will stay at yours. We'll see you in the morning."

She ended the call and pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.

"...Carole?" Blaine asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Carole set the phone on the counter, reaching out and clutching the boy close. Blaine could hear her sniffing quietly, as if trying to hold back tears.

Over Carole's shoulder, Blaine saw Kurt standing in the doorway, eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked tentatively. "Is everything alright?"

Blaine stepped away from Carole.

"We're fine," Carole said.

Kurt quirked a brow, disbelief obvious on his face.

"We can talk about it later," Blaine said, his eyes pleading with Kurt to drop the subject.

Kurt opened his mouth to reply, and the kitchen went dark. The hum of the refrigerator ceased, and the three in the kitchen realized the power had gone out.

"Well, that's inconvenient," Carole said as she slowly stepped around the kitchen to the cupboard where the flashlights were stored. She grabbed three and clicked one on. Neither Kurt nor Blaine had budged an inch since the lights had shut off.

Carole handed a flashlight to Blaine. "Why don't you boys head up to Kurt's room for now? If the power doesn't come back on soon, the rest of us will probably head to bed as well."

Blaine clicked his flashlight on, then grabbed Kurt's hand and led the way upstairs.

The boys slowly made their way to Kurt's bedroom, arms around each other's waists and their legs nearly tangling as they walked up the stairs. Blaine kicked Kurt's bedroom door shut, and they made their way to Kurt's bed. They sat side by side, in a semi-awkward silence.

"...so..." Kurt said after a few moments. "I'm actually kinda tired, even though it's barely 9 o'clock..."

Blaine laughed softly. "Me, too," he replied, glancing at Kurt. "How about we just go to bed?"

Kurt remained silent.

"Hey." Blaine bumped his shoulder with Kurt's. "Look at me for a sec."

Kurt's eyes darted sideways, barely meeting Blaine's. Blaine rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Kurt's cheek, turning his head so he could gaze into Kurt's blue eyes.

"I know that the phrase 'sleeping together' has become yet another way to say 'having sex,'" Blaine said, and Kurt's cheeks started to turn pink, "but I'm not really thinking about that right now. For one, your entire family is here right now and the possibility of being interrupted is incredibly high." The blush on Kurt's face deepened. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to deal with that now. I'd like to avoid it entirely, if possible. And for another..." Blaine placed his other hand on Kurt's face and leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. "I really, really just want to cuddle with you." He pressed a kiss to Kurt's nose.

"To know that if I wake up in the middle of the night, you'll be right there, and I can touch you, instead of wrapping myself around my body pillow and wishing you were there." A gentle kiss to one cheek.

"To know that I can listen to you breathing all night long, instead of the stifling silence in my bedroom." A kiss to the other side of Kurt's face.

"To know that you're really, truly here with me, and I'm not just dreaming of sleeping next to you." A soft kiss to Kurt's lips.

Kurt's eyes drifted shut briefly before he smiled and said, "All right. But I get to sleep on the right side this time."