***********Kurt & dale************

"Shit he's here!" I stop suddenly and Dale bumps into me before a half-naked girl.

"Eww! A little warning next time with your emergency stop...." I throw him a look "I just touched her breast.....I need a drink or an acid wash!" He moans pushing to the front of the bar.

"Enough of the dramatics you copped a feel for free....most guys would find that a bargain!" his face says it all and I burst out laughing, I'm starting to regret the couple of drinks I had beforehand I might be a bit tipsy already.

"Don't Floppy! I just groped a girl! My mother would be so disappointed......" he turned back around as a red head came up to take his order, she was definitely trying to get some action if the way she leant over the bar to flash her chest was anything to go by. "Can I have two beers? Thanks!" he flashed a smile at her as she stroked his arm gently and took the bill from his hand.

"Oh honey! You are so going home with a girl if you don't be careful....." he huffily hands me a beer and turns his back on the red head to prove his disgust. "And poor Marc will be all alone after I talked you up so much!"

"Very funny! I'll have you know that these lips have only ever been used on my mom!" I burst out laughing as he clearly tries to work out what is so funny. "Ewwww! That isn't even what I meant and you know it! I just meant I'm a gold star gay! No girls...."

"Except your mom apparently.....I haven't mentioned this deal breaker to Marc yet..." I punched his arm softly and he caught my hand pulling it down and squeezing it tight. "Ouch I give, I give!!"

"Victory is mine!!" he whispers across my face before kissing my fore head, catching himself when it's too late. "Oh uh sorry..." he quickly lets go of my hand and I grasp his shoulders tight to stop him moving away.

"It's ok! Friendly! It's not like you cupped my balls or grabbed my ass...." Ok I was definitely tipsy. Dales face had gone scarlet and he stood open mouthed but the voice that came up next was not his.

"God dammit! That was awkward do your balls and ass feel underappreciated?" I didn't need to turn round to know it was cooper standing staring at us wide eyed. "Dale! Nice of you to make it! I hope scarecrow is not plying you with too much booze......there is only one guest stripper to night and that's the birthday boy!" I could picture the poses he was pulling clearly and dales face definitely confirmed my suspicions.

"Happy birthday coop!" I whip round to hug him and hopefully dissolve the situation me and my potty mouth just created. "Having a good time?" I pull back to see coop watching a blonde waitress stalk past us.

"Of course I have my five favourite things on the planet...."

"Wait up five? Boobs, booze, what's the other three?" I swig out of my beer bottle trying not to pull a disgusted face.

"You, squirt and the devil...." Oh I see where this is going. "It would be nice to get a pic of us all back in the same state don't you think?"

"Not a chance in hell cooper! You're not blackmailing me to go over there...we are both here isn't that enough?"

"Not really-"

"Hey old man come show me how you can shake it!" Santana screams from the booth in the corner as she climbs up on to a lighting pole.

"COMING!! God I hate her sometimes!" he downs the rest of my beer before high fiving Dale and walking off in her direction whipping his head over his shoulder to mouth 'this isn't over with a matching sinister face.

"Phew! What??" I had dramatically wiped my brow and then looked at Dale who was frowning.

"Number one...that potty mouth will get you in a lot of trouble young Hummel......number two just because Cooper has a lot on his plate doesn't mean I am going to let you wimp out of talking to Blaine." He sat on the bar stool that had just been vacated and let me sit onto his knee draping my arms around his neck. "You have to talk to him at some point Kurt!"

"I know! God you're so sensible! But does it have to be tonight?" I snuggle my head into his shoulder.

"Well I heard from a little birdie he leaves tomorrow so it's the only chance you've got...." He taps my back gently and I hum in thought.

"Ok maybe just another drink first......" a little Dutch courage never hurt anybody.

********Santana*************

"Oh my god this is heaven!"

"Finn shut the trap and gets your butt to the bar for some drinks! What? Why are you staring at me like that?" God why did berry have to bail on this party? Now I'm stuck with Frankenteen on my own, although.......

"You called me Finn! You never call me Finn...." He looked warmed by this occasion to be fair I never call him that. I knew the sailor named jerry would not be my friend.

"Whatever lard butt! You know you should go get a closer look! Being off leash for one night is an opportunity, I won't tell Grandma!" this would be perfect lose the lumberjack find a cute girl get out of here before drama ensues.

"Thanks Santana! I owe you-"

"If you hug me, I break the jaw Hudson...." He firmly put his arms back down by his side and I love my ability to repel men in that instant. "Go!" I shoo him with my hands before punching my fist is the air. "Ok ladies who would like to do a few body shots with me?" I instantly catch eyes with a very tanned blonde in the corner and motion to the back room.

****************

A while later (after a very heavy make out session FYI) I straighten up my shorts fix out my makeup and hair in the disgusting mirror before heading back out to the party. As I strutted through the doorway someone coughed to my right and I whipped my head round in the direction stumbling a little on my heels. Great!

"Please tell me you weren't doing what I think you were doing?" His eyes though pulling a disgusted look had an amused sparkled behind them.

"Please like you can comment! How many groupies have you hooked up with?" his eyes fly open in surprise. "Yeah we saw all those pics on Facebook! We don't live in the 20's we are in the real world like you would realise if you weren't so far up your own ass these days..." he pulls me in to the wall and maintains eye contact with me the entire time.

"Tan! Come on! I haven't done anything wrong here! I'm single, I made out with a few guys, that's not breaking the law!"

"But its hurting Kurt! Or don't you care about that? Fuck sake Blaine don't even get me started on that twitter picture last week...." He looked half confused, half vacant and fully intoxicated with drink. How can you even get that wasted at a family dinner?

"What picture?" his hiccup at the end didn't go unnoticed by me.

"The one of you with some guys dick in your mouth? In a fucking shady corner of a night club Blaine! What was that all about? You must have known it would get back to us!"

"Holy shit!" at least he had the decency to look mortified, all colour drained from his face. "San I swear I didn't know! I mean I can't even really remember it to be honest just that he said I was cute and -"

"That's what someone gets when they think you're cute? I don't know what they would get if they loved you....you know like Kurt does? Oh wait I know what happens you disappear off the face of the earth...." I poke him in the shoulder as he closes his eyes a little.

"He........he doesn't love me....he thinks he does but its dapper Blaine that he is in love with.....not who I am now....im disgusting.....worthless..." I notice then the tears falling freely from his face and I do the only thing I know how. I lunge at him curling my legs around his waist and pushing both my arms against the wall to stop us from tipping over and attack his face with kisses.

"You.are.not.worthless.or.disgusting.....even if you do smell more boy like than my bumble ever would! And I love you! Always just try and talk to Kurt..... He puts up a tough front but you know what he's like.....what now!" I ask at his pathetic face.

"He's just with Dale and Cooper.....I need to get him alone for it...." He looks nervously into my eyes and I can't help but worry the confidence he once had is gone. That energy, that life, I realise I haven't seen it since before the Christmas break in photos or real life.

"Don't worry short stack....aunty snicks will sort part of this problem right now......just hide behind the booth so Kurt doesn't know this is a conspiracy..." I wiggle out of my shoes and climb on to the tabled reaching for the lighting pole "Hey old man come show me how you can shake it!!" that will get coopers attention....

********Cooper************

"FUCKING HELL BLAINE! Stop drinking that like that!" I try to grab the bottle but he continues to twirl with it chugging down lethal amounts of the beverage.

"No Jose is my friend!!! He understands me...... I might just marry Jose!" he wiggles the bottle in front of me and I manage to pull it out of his hand "HEY!"

"Tough Blaine! No more naming your tequila José and calling him your friend! It doesn't make drinking the bottle big or clever!" I slap the back of his head in a very mom fashion.

"Cooper you don't understand! Nobody understands!" he throws himself into the booth backwards.

"I can see a familiar face that knows and loves you who could understand....." I trail off seeing Kurt enter the building. Blaine's head is up in a flash peering over the back of the chair trying to watch him unseen, but as if he can sense it Kurt looks over stopping in his tracks and knocks the guy behind him into a waitress.

"What's Dale doing here? I thought you said they broke up?!" his vice goes all high and crackled.

"He told me he did.... But he keeps telling me it's none of my business if I ask him things.... I think he thinks I just run and tell you everything...."

"You do coop....."

"Not about this I didn't"

"And this could have been the one time knowing what his feelings were would have helped me prepare.....douche!" he tries to punch me but stops looking in Kurt's direction. "Shit he's pulling him in, they are going to kiss! Cooper do something!" he shoves me out of the booth and I go over as quickly as I can to see dale kiss Kurt's forehead.

"It's ok! Friendly! It's not like you cupped my balls or grabbed my ass...."Kurt squealed in a flustered voice. Dales face had gone scarlet and he stood open mouthed staring at Kurt as I approached.

"God dammit! That was awkward do your balls and ass feel underappreciated?" Kurt didn't turn around, he was probably mortified and Dale just stood there still gaping "Dale! Nice of you to make it! I hope scarecrow is not plying you with too much booze......there is only one guest stripper to night and that's the birthday boy!" I struck my best muscle pose to make them bulge out and pouted my lips for affect before wagging my tongue close to Kurt's ear.

"Happy birthday coop!" Kurt rounds to hug me and I can't help but think, why the fuck is Dale your date? And if I should ask it aloud any politer. "Having a good time?" when he pulls out to look at me I pretend to be checking out a waitress to hide my inner thoughts.

"Of course I have my five favourite things on the planet...." This is perfect get him away from dale and over to Blaine!

"Wait up five? Boobs, booze, what's the other three?" Kurt swigs out of a beer bottle and gags behind his hand.

"You, squirt and the devil...." Perfect just keep smiling. "It would be nice to get a pic of us all back in the same state don't you think?" yes it is a great plan cooper! High five to the birthday boy.

"Not a chance in hell cooper! You're not blackmailing me to go over there...we are both here isn't that enough?"

"Not really-"no of course it's not I want you and my brother to fall in love and have lots of babies and you to be my brother in law!

"Hey old man come show me how you can shake it!" great Santana! Where is Blaine hiding now!

"COMING!! God I hate her sometimes!" I down Kurt's beer to do him a solid, before high fiving Dale and walking off in her direction whipping my head over my shoulder to mouth 'this isn't over' to a very discontented Kurt.

When I reach Santana's corner she pulls me up beside her and plops a sloppy kiss to my lips and I look behind her to see Blaine and Finn in a heated discussion..... Not getting involved it's my birthday! When I look back to Santana I see her watching me carefully.

"Why didn't you tell me Kurt was back with Dale?" I shimmy down the pole earning a holler from the crowd around us as I try to straighten back up.

"They aren't, they are just being friends.... Kurt didn't want to lead him on but they enjoy each other's company. Why not stay friends if they can?" she weaves her hands over the top of me and spins in a few circles.

"Well did you tell Blaine that?"

"NO!" she stops pressed firmly against the pole and me.

"No? Why not? He's going crazy thinking-"

"Don't you think it's good to make him sweat? He has been acting pretty shitty recently, regardless of the reason..." she shrugs her shoulders flicking her hair for dramatic effect.

"Tan I am all for joining in a scheme....but this is Kurt and Blaine.....they need to talk! And Blaine needs Kurt to boss him around and sort his life out!" she stops to look at me seriously for a minute.

"That was truly heart felt garbage!" I shrug feeling embarrassed "Old man look!" I turn to where she is pointing and see Kurt and Blaine sitting in a booth together.

"The world is as it should be!" I pronounce in my best Dumbledore impersonation. "I'm away to strip....." I hop down and head to the stage.

About an hour later I'm in the centre of a group of drooling girl still in my boxers when I see a coiffed head run past me towards the door and I follow it instantly. Only when I'm outside do I regret it as a bitter spring chill blows across my body and I realise a lack of clothes was not smart. I see Kurt however on a bench not that far ahead of me a rush over noticing his hunched over position. When he hears me hiss at the cold metal touching my bare skin he looks up through blood shot eyes.

"Just leave me alone cooper....." his voice is low and gravelly

"What happened?" I can't stand seeing Kurt like this despite the pneumonia beginning in my chest and my drink consumption threatening to reappear I can't leave him.

"It doesn't matter coop..." a cab pulls up and Kurt stands to get in it "Just have a good night, and for god sake put on some pants! I'll call you later." He turns sadly and gets in the car breaking down and I can't help but feel my younger brother may be responsible for this.

***********Blaine***********

As soon as Santana gets cooper away I get up to head towards Kurt when a hand grabs my shoulder and turns me around. My heart plummets to my feet at the angry ogre like stare I'm receiving. Finn was not to be messed with when it came to Kurt.

"Hey Finn I'm just-"I go to move away from him and feel his hold tighten.

"Oh no you don't!" I gulp and it's obviously visible as Finn lets me go but continues to stare me down "What exactly is your problem just now?"

"I don't have a problem Finn!" I go to turn around but he's there blocking my path just as fast. "Do you have a problem?"

"let me see....." he walks towards me holding up his hand "you leave Kurt, then when he tries to help you...you shut him out, you forgot his birthday and then when he told you he was in love with you....you just mumbled! Then you have all of these pictures with groupies making him feel like shit AND to top it off that picture turns up on twitter....." he has listed these off on several fingers and I feel like a shit to be honest like that it sounds bad but then at the same time I had my own problems going on too.

"Blaine how much do you drink these days? Because you never used to be that into it and I've seen you down a lot since we got here-"

"I do not have a drinking problem Finn!"

"That's what people with drinking problems say Blaine" I heard this already from cooper and my dad but they don't understand it's the way of the stage...

"I don't have a problem Finn it's just the way things on the road are.... I'm not saying I have a problem but I'm in a situation where we work hard and party harder.... I don't rely on the booze I just does it because it's there..." Finn is trying to argue back but every so often a girl goes past and distracts him. I take the time to look around and see Kurt sitting in a booth on his own. This is my chance now or never. "Finn ill speak to you later go enjoy your Rachel free night ok?" I don't give him a chance before I'm off in Kurt's direction, palms sweating, knees threatening to give way but I push through it. I get to the back of him and watch as he fiddles with a couple of cherry stalks on the table tying them in to some sort of flower.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I whisper out shakily and will myself to calm down as he tilts his head back to watch me with wide eyes. I don't know how long we stood like this but the alcohol had made me heat up and I felt small beads of sweat on my forehead and Kurt obviously found his position uncomfortable as he had to move his neck in circular motions, meaning to see his face I had to walk round and sit down to be face to face with him.

"Hi..." his voice was neutral not giving anything away.

"Hey!" my voice quavers showing exactly how nervous I feel about sitting here and I silently curse his inner diva as he chuckles through the tension.

"Totally not awkward...."

"Where's Dale?" I don't mean to sound bitter, but I can't help it. Kurt's eyebrows frown don onto his face in confusion and I don't understand why.

"HEs talking to Marc..." his head nods over to the bar where Dale is laughing loudly to my brother's friend. Now I'm the one with the confused look on my face. "We aren't together anymore Blaine... I didn't think it was fair to keep dragging him along after....what I said to you." He's picked up the cherry stem flower and is spinning it between his thumb and fore finger.

"Kurt can we talk, about what you said?" his eyes look sad and don't match the smile he is giving me just now.

"We don't have to Blaine- it's clear what your thoughts to this situation are. I don't need you to try and make me feel better. I'm not good enough for you....I am trying to deal with it." His head is up and shoulders back but there isn't confidence seeping out through his pores it's an act and I know it.

"That's not it at all-"I don't quite know how to say what I want without being a douche. "It's hard to word it..."

"Ok! How about this...just be honest okay?" I nod silently and down my drink concoction which burns my throat going down. "Are you coming home for the end of senior year?"

"No" he stills for a minute and even in my haze I know it's to not let his guard down and be the sensible one for this.

"Are you coming to new York?" I shake my head and look down to avoid the glare I suspect will be aimed at my direction.

"Are you attracted to me?"

"Yes" he lets out a slight gasp but quickly continues.

"Do you have any feelings for me apart from that?"

"You're my best friend of course I do!"

"That's not what I meant...."

"I don't know....I mean you can't know those things right away!"

"I did, I knew even if I tried to deny it at the start I knew." I don't know what to say to that, it's hard to separate Kurt my friend from Kurt anything else. "Ok let's try again, would you kiss me? Be intimate with me if that position arises?"

"Yes!" I'm even surprised at how quick that came out.

"How many guys have there been since you knew how I felt?"

"15. I only slept with two though" Kurt tries not to look shocked but I see his jaw drop slightly.

"Would you be willing to try a long distant relationship if we tried this?"

"No. it's too hard with temptations as it is never mind that added pressure of having someone back home."

"Then you don't love me!"

"That wasn't a question..."

"Ok how about this! You going to try and be there more for your friends instead of being out wasted every night?"

"It's not that easy.....I can't not spend time with the band....they are friends too" he stood up abruptly and I couldn't help but panic. "Kurt where are you going?"

"This isn't the bumble that I know and love.....as a friend or more! You're drinking all the time, you're getting it on with all these strangers, and you're not even trying to stay in contact with your friends... I don't know who you are anymore but it's not somebody I like very much right now." He stares at my shocked face for a few seconds before sighing. "I'm done Blaine"

"Don't leave cooper will be sad you didn't stay..." I'm clutching at straws "besides we haven't even fooled around a bit or anything" in hindsight probably not a good thing to say.

"So you don't love me but think its ok to try and sleep with me? You are unbelievable! I'm not losing my morals, I don't want to have sex with you I want to be in a loving relationship, I matter and have too much respect to do that!" he turns on his heels to move away from me. "Don't call me until you realise how much of a dick you are right now and change it."

"Kurt this can't be over! We are best friends it can be the end!" I get up to try and follow him but he whips back around so we are face to face.

"Then how come it is?" his starts to cry and I can't reach out to comfort him as he's off towards the exit. I sink back into the booth and take a few deep breathes to not cause a scene, if Kurt doesn't like me like this then fine I don't need him, I don't need anybody. I'll get a recording contract or become a musician full time and make new and better friends. All I need to do is have a couple more drinks and this will become a hazy memory....

************************

The next morning the door bells loud shrill noise wakes me up, when I open my eyes I realise I've passed out on the kitchen island with an apron as a cover. Everything is sore especially my head as I get up off the counter and head towards the front door. Glancing at the clock I realise its 2 in the afternoon, mum and dad will be long gone for the day and I have a couple of hours before I get picked up. I pull the door open and this is the last person I expect to see.

"Burt?"

"I think me and you need to talk kid.....don't you?"