"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Kurt said, glaring at his cheerleading coach.

"Watch your language, Hummel, and I am dead serious," Sue replied. "This kid is one of the best competition cheerleaders in the country and we need him if we're going to win Nationals this year and giving me the most national championships in the history of high school cheerleading."

"But co-captain?" Kurt was in shock – he'd busted his ass for three years to become captain of the Cheerios and some new guy gets to waltz in and take his title away from him?

"Are you questioning me, Hummel?"

"No, Coach Sylvester," he said with a defeated sigh. He might not have liked the idea of a co-captain, but he knew better than to argue with Sue Sylvester because she had the power to destroy him and everything he'd worked so hard for.

"Good. Now get the hell out of my office."

"Yes, Coach Sylvester." Kurt shouldered his bag and walked out of his office, meeting his best friend and partner in crime Santana Lopez at the end of the hall.

"What did the she-devil want?" she asked as their steps fell in line, students parting to let them pass.

"We have a new co-captain." The word "co-captain" felt like acid in his mouth.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently he's some champion cheerleader. Sue recruited him because she's crazy and wants to win."

"She doesn't think we can win on our own?" Kurt shrugged, taking his history book out of his locker. "Well, we'll just have to give him hell, then."

"This is why I keep you around." He smiled, linking their arms together as they walked towards Santana's first class.

"And here I thought it was for my good looks," she said, flipping her long ponytail. Kurt laughed and bid her goodbye at the entrance of her math class, continuing on to his own, saying hi to various friends as he went.

"Kurt, bro!" Kurt groaned. It's not that he didn't like Puck – they were in glee club together and all the Cheerios and football players were friends, after all – but sometimes he had the tendency to be a little obnoxious. "How was your summer?"

"Puck, you saw me all summer," Kurt reminded him gently.

"Oh... right. Well, you still single?" That was another thing about Puck – he was weirdly invested in Kurt's dating life. Or, lack thereof, he should say.

"You know I am."

"Well, that's a damn shame," an unfamiliar voice said. Kurt turned to see one of the most attractive boys he'd even seen. His black hair was slicked back with too much gel, but he somehow made it work. He was muscular, but not grossly so, which his tight red polo emphasized. His jeans were almost sinfully tight and Kurt tried (and failed) to look anywhere but at them.

"Excuse me?" he asked when he gained the ability to speak again.

The boy sat down in the seat next to Kurt. "It's a shame that someone as hot as you is single." Kurt just stared at him and it took all of his strength not to let his jaw drop. Never in his life had he been hit on, especially not by someone who looked like he belonged in a movie in the 40s. "Oh, I'm Blaine Anderson, by the way." Kurt said nothing, unsure if he could even form words. "What's your name, gorgeous?"

"...Kurt Hummel," he eventually said.

"Well, Kurt Hummel, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Thankfully, Mr. Monroe chose that moment to start class. Kurt tried to pay attention to the lecture on the syllabus, he really did, but the more time passed, the harder it became. To his left, Puck kept trying to shove notes at him and to his right, Blaine had positioned his chair so that his and Kurt's legs were pressed together under the table.

It was definitely going to be an interesting year.

Blaine was in two more of his classes that morning – English and Chemistry – and at lunch, he claimed the seat next to Kurt. "Who the hell are you?" Mercedes asked, glancing up from her lunch.

"Blaine Anderson. I'm new here."

"Any reason you decided to sit with us?" Rachel snapped (she didn't take kindly to newcomers).

"I like the view," Blaine answered, staring at Kurt.

"Oh, would you look at the time," Kurt said, feeling hot under Blaine's gaze. "Santana, didn't we have to go do that thing?"

"Wha – Ow!" she yelped when Kurt kicked her under the table. "Oh, right,thatthing. Yeah, let's go." They both stood and dumped their untouched lunches in the trash.

As they walked away, Kurt heard, "You can't run from me forever, gorgeous," and he blushed furiously, ducking his head and hurrying Santana out of the cafeteria.

"Well, someone's got a crush," Santana deadpanned once they were alone.

"He's obnoxious," Kurt countered, leaning against the wall.

Santana shrugged, leaning next to him. "So is Puckerman and I slept with him. Look, Kurt, I'm not saying you have to go and freaking marry the guy, but it's obvious that he wants you. So, why not take advantage of that?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at her. "You think I should sleep with him? I haven't even known him for 24 hours. Besides, he really irritates me." Okay, that wasn't completely true. Sure, Blaine was probably the most forward person he'd ever met and he'd clearly missed the life lesson on personal space, but he intrigued Kurt at the same. He was very obviously gay, like Kurt himself, but what fascinated Kurt was how open he was. Kurt was by no means in the closet, but he knew where the line was at McKinley, even for the captain of the Cheerios.

Oh, well, he eventually decided. Blaine would learn soon enough.

"Hate sex is hot," was all Santana said. Kurt rolled his eyes and shoved her. She laughed and shoved him back just as the bell rang. "Now, come on, let's go to class and pretend like we care."

Blaine wasn't in any of Kurt's afternoon classes, but that didn't mean that Kurt didn't think about him. A lot. In ways that he probably shouldn't. It had gotten to the point that by the end of the school day, he welcomed Cheerios practice because it gave him something to think about other than Blaine.

"All right, you half-wits, listen up," Sue barked and everyone snapped to attention because that's what they were supposed to do. "We have a new member and hopefully he'll be able to whip you into something that resembles a cheerleading squad. Get in here, Anderson!" she yelled and Kurt's heart stopped. She didn't mean....

Blaine walked into the gym, clad in the same uniform that Kurt himself wore, and winked when he saw Kurt.

"This here is Blaine Anderson. He is arguably the best male cheerleader in the country and he's your new co-captain." Something deep inside Kurt's chest growled and he and had to ball his hands into fists and bite the inside of his cheek to keep from exploding. "Well, what are you standing around for? You're not going to get me another national championship trophy to hold over Will Schuester's head by just standing around. Move it!" she shouted into her bullhorn, shoving Blaine roughly with the other hand. He stumbled for a moment, but quickly regained his balance and went to stand in between Kurt and Santana.

"Hey, gorgeous," he whispered.

"Watch it," Santana warned.

"Shut it!" Sue yelled. Blaine and Santana fell silent as they started what ended up being the most grueling practice Kurt had ever endured. By the end of it, he was positive that Sue had made it that way to showcase how talented Blaine was because that motherfucker had barely broken a sweat while the rest of them would probably need days to rehydrate.

When Sue finally released them, Kurt grabbed his bags and would have run out of the gym if his legs didn't feel like jelly. So, he settled for the fastest pace he could manage, hoping that it was enough to get out of the school and into his car before....

"Hey, gorgeous, wait for me." Before that happened.

"Leave me alone, Blaine."

Of course that did nothing to deter Blaine, who simply jogged in front of Kurt and made it so he couldn't get into his car. "Are you mad that I didn't tell you I was on the Cheerios? Or are you mad because I'm better than you?"

"I'm mad because you're an obnoxious asshole who won't leave me alone." And, okay, maybe he was a little pissed that Blaine was better than him.

"Aw, come on gorgeous," Blaine pouted and god damn it why was he so cute? "Don't be like that."

"I have a name," Kurt said. "And can you please move? I have to get home so I can make dinner for my dad." Kurt knew that if he wasn't there, Burt would just order pizza or Chinese or something equally bad for his health. And he quite liked having his father around.

"Not until you give me your number." Kurt rolled his eyes and tried to get around him, but Blaine moved with him. Knowing that there was no other way he was going to get home (and also because they were co-captains which meant that they'd have to spend some sort of time together) Kurt took the phone that Blaine held out to him and typed his number in. "Thanks, gorgeous," he said with a wink, moving aside.

Kurt got in his car and waited until Blaine walked away before hitting his head against the steering wheel. His phone vibrated not ten seconds later and he pulled it out of his bag. Instead of an unknown number (because he wouldn't put it past Blaine to have already texted him) he saw Rachel's number. Even though he was way too tired to talk to her, he opened the message anyway and almost dropped his phone.

Forgot to tell you that I talked to your new *friend* today. He said he could sing so I invited to join glee club! xoxo

Fucking. Perfect.