A clangy, noxious sound burst to life, ripping into the blissful silence of morning.  Blaine groaned, rolling away from the machine.   He didnt hate his alarm clock with the same degree of intense, passionate loathing that Kurt bestowed on his, but Blaine definitely wasnt a fan. The thought of Kurt was enough to drag Blaine to full consciousness. He sat up, gently pushing the off button of the faithfully blaring alarm. When Blaine slept in Kurts bed with him, which was fairly often, he generally tried to get to the alarm first or better still, wake his owner with a fresh mug of coffee and a smile. Blaine dragged himself out of the soft, warm cocoon hed formed overnight, tugged on his bathrobe and padded quickly to the kitchen. The room was dark and still. He was the first one up...again.

Hed discovered fairly quickly that the household as a collective shared a mutual disgust for mornings.  Even Rachel, the consummate early bird, frequently slept in now that she had rehearsals long into the evening. Blaine started brewing coffee, flipping on the huge double-pot behemoth of a coffee maker, and began cutting fruit slices. If the first several pieces didnt make it to the platter, well, he was the only one around to notice. Next he slid some crackers and cheese slices onto a plate. He opened the large wooden box on the counter, selecting a variety of bread products to fill a decorative bowl. He set the bowl next to the platter, eyeing a particular bagel perched near the top balefully. It sat there, mocking him from its place next to a whole-wheat roll.

The bagel in question was liberally seeded with chocolate chips. They winked at him from their places in the dough, scattered like little brown stars popping through a tan sunset. Blaine had discovered that he loved chocolate chip bagels.  Like, really loved them. The problem was, so did Finn.  And this was the last one. Finn knew it too, because hed mentioned it the previous morning.

Blaine dutifully ignored the bagels sirens call, turning to get coffee supplies out and lined up next to the brewing pot.  When he turned back, the bagel was still there. He grabbed an apple slice from the fruit platter.  Not long ago, anything from that platter wouldve seemed a divine treat, even the cantaloupe. Blaine had no strong feelings for cantaloupe. Chocolate chip bagels however... 

Ten minutes later the coffee was done and Blaine was pouring a large cup, adding skim milk and a single pump of fat-free hazelnut flavoring to Kurts favorite mug.  A freshly washed plate sat in the drying rack, thoroughly scrubbed free of toasted bagel crumbs. Maybe Finn would forget, or think someone snagged it yesterday.

Blaine glanced at his watch and hurriedly made his way to Kurts room. The covered form of what he presumed was his owner was curled in a ball, his face completely submerged under a pillow. Blaine slid onto the bed, leaning comfortably against the headboard.  He turned the alarm clock off before it could sing out the song of its people and waited patiently, sipping from the coffee he held. A few minutes later Kurts face surfaced from under the blankets.  His eyes were squeezed shut in denial of daylight, but his nose was on the alert, sniffing delicately at the air.

"Coffee?" 

"Indeed. Cmon sleepyhead. Sit up for me," Blaine encouraged fondly.

Kurt groaned, slowly pulling himself upright. Sky blue slits appeared in Kurts face as his eyes reluctantly opened, seeking out the beverage.

He glared fiercely at Blaine when the slave took a drink. "Mine," Kurt growled in a croaky voice as he reached for his mug.

"And good morning to you as well, grouchy," Blaine told him, handing over the coffee.

Kurt ignored him in favor taking a large drink, leaning back against the headboard next to Blaine. He sighed contentedly, leaning his head against Blaines warm shoulder.  A few minutes later, he was up to actual communication. "Hi, sweetie.  Thank you for the coffee. Sorry I crabbed at you." 

Blaine smiled, running his hand through the designers hair while he could still get away with it.  "No problem. I know better than to expect sunny smiles and prose in the morning." 

"Hmm," Kurt concurred, diving back into his mug. They stayed that way for a bit, letting the quiet morning and good company fill the silence. Blaine was still, relaxed and calm while Kurt leaned into him.  He usually kept himself fairly contained, especially in the morning, though Kurt had discovered that under the right conditions he could actually be fairly hard to shut up. Kurt considered that progress.

Glancing at the clock, Kurt groaned. He wasnt exactly late, but he wasnt early either.  He reached across Blaine, giving up the mug when Blaine reached for it and pulled his phone off the charger to check his calendar and messages.  "If you drink all of that Ill be forced to end you," Kurt commented conversationally, without looking up from his phone.

"I wouldnt dare," Blaine responded easily, still drinking. Historical evidence disproved Kurts statement, and even if Blaine did end up finishing it he could just go to the kitchen...

Loud cussing echoed resoundingly from the hallway. Hell.  Blaine dove backwards, pushing pillows aside as he tried to slide in between Kurt and the headboard. Kurt watched the maneuver curiously, reclaiming his coffee before it could spill.  A scruffy Finn appeared a moment later at the doorway, wearing white and red heart-boxers under an ancient McKinley Football tee.  "Kurt, your damn slave stole my breakfast," he announced angrily.

Kurt arched an eyebrow, leaning forward to rest his arm on a raised knee.  Blaine took the opportunity to slink further behind him.  "What, theres suddenly no food in the entire kitchen?"

"Of course there is, thats not the point.  Yesterday there was one chocolate chip bagel left and I called it.  I went through the whole bowl and its gone.  Blaines the only one that could have done it, he set up breakfast this morning," the large man declared, pointing an accusing finger in Blaines direction.

"Travesty," Kurt murmured, watching his half-brothers theatrics in amusement.

"This is serious, Kurt. I called that bagel," Finn argued plaintively.

"Oh, I fully appreciate the gravity of the situation," Kurt told him, his expression serious. He twisted around to look down at Blaines partially hidden form behind him.  "Did you set up breakfast?" Kurt asked as golden eyes peered up at him.

"Yes."

"Thank you, that was considerate." 

Blaine nodded against Kurts back, taking in Kurts smile and the warm twinkle in his eyes.

"Blaine, come out of there," Finn demanded when Kurt showed no intention of addressing the issue at hand.  Blaine wedged himself further into his spot behind Kurt, mostly for show. Mostly.

"I dont think hes coming out anytime soon," Kurt remarked, sipping his coffee.

"He needs to be taught the importance of respecting food calls," Finn argued.  He took a step into the room, hastily backing out when Kurt gave him his bitchiest death glare. "You need to do something about this."

Kurt nodded, his expression serious. "This is indeed a grave matter.  I recommend that you take it up with whomever is responsible for buying groceries, particularly if its been known since yesterday morning that this prized pastry was the last of its kind."  The designated household shopper glared at his brother wordlessly from the doorway.

Blaines body shook with laughter behind Kurt.  Finn heard the chuckling and shook his head in mock frustration.  He marveled that the slave had come so far out his shell in such a short time.  And he was beyond surprised that Blaine would have the audacity to take the last of anything from the kitchen.  It meant he felt genuinely secure in his place among them, and trusted that he didnt need to fear pain for his actions.  Finn vividly remembered just a month ago, when the slave had fallen to his knees, cowering when Finn saw him take a cookie. Hed trade a whole lot more than bagels for that trust. Even chocolate chip ones.

"We have a problem," Kurt told the lump behind him. "Hes between me and the kitchen and Im out of coffee." 

Blaines tousled head popped up behind Kurts shoulder, warily observing the large, unshaved form leaning against the doorway.  Finn crossed his arms and scowled, trying to look imposing.

"I think we can take him if we work together," Blaine said, a smile he couldnt contain tugging at his lips.  "You take off your shirt and stun him with your beauty and Ill sneak past him while hes distracted."

"Im pretty sure my brother is unconcerned with me in any state of undress."

"Not completely true. Youre so pale Id probably hurt my eyes from the glare," Finn countered.

Kurt scowled, pulling himself out of bed.  Enough of this, he was out of coffee and he needed to get going. He wasnt that pale.  "Shoo, oaf" he told Finn as he headed for the door.  "Ive things to do."  Blaine got out of bed as well when his shield disappeared.

Bagel thief, Finn mouthed at him.

Prove it, Blaine dared back from his spot behind Kurt.

Kurt shook his head at the two of them.  He walked past Finn, tugging his brother along with him as he walked. "Come on, you.  Lets go to the kitchen and Ill make you chocolate chip pancakes. Deal?"

"Oh, hell yeah!"  Finn crowed.  That was even better than a bagel.  "But none for the disrespector of food calls," he announced.  Blaine padded softly behind them, unconcerned.  The day Kurt denied him food for any reason the earth would quit turning on its axis.

"Pancakes cannot be contained, Finn," Kurt responded, deadpan.

The siblings bickered all the way to the kitchen.  Blaine set out the plates and silverware in a stack before sitting on a barstool, leaning on the breakfast bar with his own coffee.  Finn winked at him, taking the next stool.

Rachel popped up a few minutes later from the basement, sweaty and panting from her workout.  With a heavy sigh, Kurt pulled out the vegan egg substitutes and another bowel.  Quinn and Sam emerged from Sams room at the growing noise, settling onto bar stools with sleepy greetings to the assembly, snacking on the food Blaine had set out earlier.

Blaine sat quietly, not hiding, just taking it all in.  Rachel squeezed his shoulder in greeting as she walked by, talking animatedly about how fantastic her last rehearsal had gone, despite the directors clear lack of vision. He smiled back at her.

Blaine couldnt believe this was his life now. He honestly couldnt think of a single thing about it that hed change. Then gorgeous blue eyes met his as a plate of fresh chocolate chip pancakes topped with thin banana slices slid into place in front of him.  Kurt smiled, sliding nimble fingers through Blaines wild curls before turning back into the kitchen.

Well, maybe one thing.