Christmas vacation had come and went all too quickly, and Kurt inwardly cursed that with all the extended family events, and the impromptu visits from friends, he didn't get to spend nearly as much time with Blaine as he expected to, much less wanted to. Now he was back in his dorm room listening to Trent do that weird whistle-snore he didn't have the heart to complain about to the teddy-bear boy in the bed across the room and trying desperately not to touch himself as he thought about Blaine all dressed up for the Friday dinner he had attended at Kurt's house. Kurt had a hard enough time masturbating at home, let alone in a shared dorm room, given how embarrassed he felt about doing it.

It wasn't that he was ashamed of doing it. He knew the reality. He was a hormonal teenager that had a lustful fixation on a guy. It would be more concerning if he didn't want to masterbate. It was more that he disliked the sticky aftermath, and the way he knew that he was dabbling in a fantasy by thinking about Blaine while he stroked himself.

He was also afraid of making any noise. He couldn't be held responsible for the sounds that came out of him when he was sexually stimulated - even if he was the one controlling them at the moment. He did not want to accidentally wake up Trent with those sounds and then have to coexist with him in what would definitely be the awkward aftermath.

So Kurt rolled onto his stomach, nuzzling his face into his pillow and trying to think about unsexy things. The dark ring in the common toilet, the way Finn and Puck had tried to out-fart one another last weekend, or, dear lord, Rachel.

That did it. Kurt silently thanked her for being the best cool off image he could think of. Not that she wasn't pretty - in a female kind of way. It was because she was grating and he had spent so much of his time in New Directions biting his tongue whenever she started up about her talent or her need for yet another solo.

He thought about his conversation with Mercedes earlier. Finn, Puck, and the football team had apparently been at each other's throats in the locker room after their game today. The Glee club football players against the rest of them. He reminded himself to give Finn grief later on for not telling him himself.

He imagined he was probably mentioned in the ruckus. It was no secret that the guys in Glee club harbored a lot of anger towards Karofsky for forcing Kurt out. Truthfully, Kurt loved it. It took him leaving McKinley to realize just how much he actually meant to that group.

Mercedes had also told him that they were still taking care of Blaine for him, insomuch as they were sitting by him in shared classes and keeping him company when they saw him - though Mercedes noted they never seemed able to find him at lunch.

Shit... he had thought about Blaine again.

Think about Rachel, think about Rachel...

You want some good gossip? -B

You know I always want good gossip. Dish. -K

Coach Beiste made the football team join Glee club for the week. -B

NO WAY! -K

Way. Team building or some shit after what happened at the last game. -B

How do you know this? -K

Smart chick told me. Anyhow, Mr. Butthead and Beiste had to break up a huge fight in the choir room between the Glee jocks and the Jerk jocks. -B

Oh my gosh! Was anyone hurt? -K

Unfortunately no. -B

Unfortunately? -K

Well if I had been there I would have taken the opportunity to leave some permanent marks on Karofsky. -B

Well it's good that you weren't there then. -K

Which is why I'm rejoining. -B

What?! -K

If only for this week... should be some good drama, and if I can get an excuse to punch him, I'll take it. -B

Blaine Anderson! You are not to fight him! -K

Just try and stop me. Mr. Butthead already said I could rejoin if I wanted. -B

Be reasonable. -K

Not in my vocabulary. -B

Blaine... -K

How could you possibly stop me if I wanted to anyhow? -B

Just... please. -K

We'll see. -B

"God that boy of yours is hot Kurt." Mercedes was informing him over the phone.

"He's not mine Mercedes.. but he is hot." He admitted, leaning back on his bed and thankful that Trent had gone out with some of the other Warblers so he could have some peace.

"Damn I know. We were doing Zombie camp..."

"Zombie camp?"

"Oh. It's prep for the halftime show we're putting on with the football boys. The cheerios got pulled from the game and Glee club, and so we're all doing the halftime show together. It's going to be so amazing!"

Kurt wished Dalton had the quality of gossip that McKinley had. He always felt out of the loop on McKinley gossip now, and Dalton always ran a little too smoothly - which was a catch-22 really. Things were smooth at Dalton because of the zero tolerance policy. There was a lot less drama to fuss over here.

"Well I look forward to seeing it. Finn invited me to a game for once."

"Anyhow... Damn! Blaine can dance... and whenever one of the football boys said anything remotely insulting, he just side eyed them. You know how he does that right? Scared the shit right out of them. They didn't make a peep at all."

Kurt smiled as he thought about what that must have looked like. He was familiar with the way Blaine could throw his gaze on someone from any direction and they would just stop in their tracks. He just wished it hadn't taken him so long to realize that Blaine had only ever used it on the bullies and jocks at McKinley.

"So then we're practicing putting on zombie makeup and Blaine tells Brittany that he'd only let you put makeup on him..."

Kurt grinned stupidly at that, but remained silent to let her continue.

"... and Karofsky makes a comment about you and Blaine being butt buddies or something... though I think he thought he said it quieter than he actually did because he realizes that Blaine hears and starts freaking out, grabbing a chair and holding it in front of him defensively even though Blaine hasn't made a move... just looked at him."

Because those hazel eyes are so powerful.

"Karofsky is going on about how he can't be touched and all that and everyone is just watching him, and Blaine hasn't even done anything but look at him. Mr. Schue and Coach Beiste escorted Karofsky out and I guess his dad had to pick him up."

Kurt let out a low whistle. "Wow... Well, maybe now he appreciates how jumpy I was around him..."

"Oh Kurt. Blaine was so smug afterwards. He knew he freaked out Karofsky and he just looked so damned pleased with himself."

"So long as he doesn't actually fight with him Mercedes. I don't want Blaine in jail."

"Oh Kurt, none of us do. You know he stopped Artie from getting mass slushied a couple days ago? He saw it about to happen and just walked up beside Artie and suggested that if the group of football players encircling Artie wanted to lose the ability to enjoy jerking off, then they should go ahead and slushie him and Artie. They ran away pretty damned fast."

"Rachel is still none too pleased about his return though." Mercedes continued. "But she's been in a funk ever since her and Finn broke up anyhow, so it's not like she's any less pleasant than normal."

"He was so right about that... she totally crossed the line making out with Puck." Kurt added. He was really beginning that the conversation was one-sided since he had nothing to offer Mercedes in terms of juicy gossip.

"Totally... anyhow... Coach Sylvester is trying to make Brittany get shot out of a cannon for the Cheer Competition and..." Mercedes continued on, and Kurt sighed, just listening and allowing himself to be filled in.

Dalton was great, but he missed his friends and being part of the action.

The hockey team slushied the football players. -B

What?! -K

Yah. Rick the Dick Nelson told Karofsky that he had turned gay by being in Glee and then they all got slushied. -B

Oh my gosh... -K

So the football team refused to be in Glee club so Beiste kicked them off the team. -B

What does that mean then? -K

It means that unless they can find another four players, that they'll have to forfeit the game. -B

Well... can't they do that then? -K

No idea. Thought you'd just find it amusing that Karofsky got something sticky in his face, but not the kind of sticky he really wanted. -B

Oh god Blaine! The mental image! -K

LOL. -B

You are despicable. Really. -K

"Hey son..." Burt said once Kurt had picked up the call. His dad was talking in a hushed tone, as if he was trying to keep from being heard.

"What's up dad?"

"Look... Blaine just showed up here and asked if he could stay the night..."

"Is he alright?!" Kurt immediately panicked.

"Yah... he said his dad showed up at his house and he just wanted to be somewhere else while his dad was there."

Kurt let out a sigh of relief. His dad's unspoken plan to make the Hudson-Hummel house a safe place for Blaine had worked apparently.

"Anyhow.. since you're not back until tomorrow night for the weekend, just wanted to make sure it was alright with you if he used your bed."

Oh yes. Blaine in his bed. There was nothing he thought about more.

"Of course dad... thanks for looking out for him. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Love you son."

"Love you too dad."

More than you will ever know.

"So... I might have joined the football team." Blaine admitted when he saw Kurt the next day.

"You what?!" Kurt shouted, then immediately saw the glances from the other patrons in The Lima Bean where they had met for a coffee and dropped his voice, "Why would you do that?"

"I told the girls in Glee about only needing four more players and they decided they should join... sans the Cheerios of course, which meant they only had three out of the four... and then they all pleaded with me to join up too... which I was totally against... but fuck are they insistent when they want something!"

Kurt just looked Blaine up and down with an open mouth imagining him in those tight football pants. Thank goodness he had his own room back for the weekend.

"So I really need you to be there and cheer us on tomorrow night..." Blaine murmured, taking a sip of his usual medium drip.

"Of course! I mean... I don't understand a thing about football, but I do love an excuse to show off a new scarf!" It was true, despite his dad's best efforts, Kurt didn't know a thing about football and he had actually played last year as a kicker.

"So now we'll both have had a stint on the football team." Blaine mused, rolling the cup between his hands to warm them up. It was a chilly January and he never seemed to have the foresight to wear any gloves.

"I guess so... though frankly, yours is much more legitimate. What's your jersey number? I want to make a sign."

Blaine snapped his head up to look at Kurt. "Don't you fucking dare."

Kurt frowned and looked away, feeling completely taken aback as feelings of rejection started to fill up within him. He doesn't want people to know about our connection... he's ashamed of me.

"Oh fuck... Kurt..." Blaine reached over to place a hand on Kurt's, causing his breath to still from the touch. "I just don't want you to go to the effort when I'll only be playing for this game. I don't want to be just another one of the jocks at the school. Plus I don't need a letter jacket - I have a great leather one."

Kurt made a weak smile and squeezed Blaine's hand back, accepting his explanation.

"Besides... I honestly forgot the number already. I had one practice and spent most of the time telling your brother and Abs'n'Lips to shut up. They were at one another's throats because they both think they should be in charge."

"Honestly, why doesn't Finn tell me these things? I bring him a nice warm glass of milk every night I'm home in the hope we might have a nice lady chat."

"Really? Warm milk?"

"It's delicious!"

They looked at one another for a moment and then both burst out laughing at themselves. They were the least likely of friends and yet here they were.

Kurt was tucked between his dad and Carol in the bleachers. He wouldn't go to professional sports games, or follow them, but not only was his brother playing in this game, but so were most of his friends now.

He was afraid.

Not for Finn, or Blaine, or any of the guys for that matter. He was afraid for Mercedes, Rachel, and Tina. They were small and completely unathletic. It wasn't that he had a thing against women in sports. He just had a thing about those three women in sports. He was afraid they would get tackled and hurt... or worse.

He had watched enough of the big guys last year turn into sobbing messes because of a hard tackle, and was eternally grateful that, as the kicker, he had been spared from being on the field for that part of the game. He wouldn't have lasted very long.

He wondered if Karofsky had been checking him out in those tight pants last year like he was now checking Blaine out. It wasn't hard to see him on the field. None of the other boys, or girls for that matter, were quite so nicely packaged in that uniform. Plus, his curls were creeping out from under the edges of his helmet. He was number 26.

His dad informed him that Blaine was playing in a guard position and so it was his job to keep the other guys off Finn. He was certainly doing a good job of it too, even sending one guy to the bench after he tackled him too hard. Maybe football would be a good outlet for Blaine to get rid of some of the pent up rage he had.

Despite that, they were losing abysmally. The girls would drop to the ground during each play to stay out of danger. Any worries Kurt had about the girls were long gone as they had made themselves out to not be a threat, so therefore no one was going to tackle them.

At least, until the ball bounced in front of Tina and she grabbed it and ran across the field. He held his breath the entire time, and then gasped when she was tackled and lay on the field still. Not Tina. He had never gotten the chance to fix her wardrobe issues...

But she got up after what seemed like forever and the crowd cheered. It was the first time in the whole game that an advance had been made by McKinley, and it had been made by sweet, quiet Tina. He never would have guessed it.

"Kurt! I need your help!" Blaine had run up to him in the stands as the teams left the field in preparation for the halftime show.

"Right!' Kurt left his place in the bleachers to help Blaine with his zombie makeup. He never asked why Blaine would only let him do it, just happy that Blaine felt so comfortable with him that he insisted on Kurt doing it. Kurt was going to make sure he was the best zombie in the pack of them.

"Just... stop... moving..." Kurt directed as Blaine bounced under his makeup brush. "Honestly. Just pretend you're a statue!"

Blaine chuckled and flinched with each touch of the brush. "It fucking tickles though! Can't you just put on some stick on scars or something?"

"Absolutely not. I will not cheap out on your wounds. Now bite your tongue and stay still."

As Blaine squirmed under him, Kurt slowly moved himself forward, until he was straddled over Blaine who was sitting on a stool. He had to keep him from moving, and that required limiting his ability to wiggle away from Kurt.

It was just a good thing they were the only guys in the girl's changeroom and the girls had already gone to help the guys with their makeup by that time. Kurt had a leg over each side of Blaine's lap and was leaning right against him to restrict him from moving as much as he could, though Blaine still wrinkled up his nose whenever the makeup brush went across his face.

Blaine looked amazing though, and as Kurt lifted up his brush after putting on the finishing powder, he smiled down at Blaine admiring his work.

"You're about two inches away from our junk touching." Blaine said stoically, looking back up at Kurt with his zombie face.

Kurt immediately jumped back a little yelp, realizing that, yes, he was straddled right over Blaine in a very compromising position. So involved in his makeup artistry, he hadn't realized how close he had moved in, and how very intimate the situation would have been if he wasn't holding a color palette and a set of brushes.

To that Blaine laughed and stood up, admiring himself in the mirror while Kurt tried, to no avail, fan the blush off his cheeks.

"I look fucking awesome!" Blaine declared, lifting and tilting his head to see himself in every angle in the mirror.

"You do." You always do...

"Well let's do this thing then!" Blaine stated, running out the door and allowing Kurt to catch the breath he had been holding. Once he had gathered all his things, he went back up into the bleachers to sit with his dad, who gave him one of those 'I know something happened but I'm not going to ask' looks with a twinkle in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

The mash-up of Thriller and Heads Will Roll was epic, and had Kurt dancing in the stands. Of course he knew all the moves to Thriller - what theater loving gay teenager didn't? From his peripheral vision, he saw Karofsky run out on the field with all the football players, that Puck had somehow managed to convince to perform, and Cheerios, that Finn had talked into coming, and dance along - though as far from Blaine as possible. His Blaine, who was dancing right at the front of the field, as close to Kurt as was possible. He just wished the makeup could stay on for more than the halftime show.

So when the team came back out on the field for the second half, still all in their makeup, and Blaine still among them, Kurt was both elated and confused. His makeup skills would not be put to immediate waste, but why, if the team had returned, was Blaine still playing?

He couldn't ask though, so he sat back and watched as the team climbed their way back into the game until they were three points away from at least tying. Then, in a last ditch effort, they spooked the other team by chanting 'Brains' and got the quarterback to fumble the ball, allowing them to make a final touchdown and win the game.

Kurt was pretty sure he was airborne for at least ten seconds when he jumped for joy in the stands.

That night, to the family's pride, Finn was named M.V.P. A late night celebration dinner was called, attended by the Glee club - as well as their families and friends, Kurt included. As he sat by Blaine and picked at the greasy pizza that the boys had voted on having, he posed the question.

"Why did you keep on playing in the second half?"

Blaine swallowed his bite and grinned back at Kurt, "I'll let you know when I figure it out myself."

Kurt smiled back, and then at Carol's behest, snuggled against Blaine's side for a picture.

He had Carol send him that picture immediately, and by the next day it was in a frame on his desk in his bedroom.