Annie walked into the kitchen to find her uncle eating a bowl of cereal at the table, flicking through channels on the TV.

“Good morning, Uncle Burt.” Annie said, pulling a bagel out of a basket on the counter.

“Morning, Annie. Any sign from the boys as you came through?” Burt asked, looking up. Annie shook her head. Burt nodded.

“I checked in on them last night and they were already asleep at half past ten. They should be up soon, but I have to get to work. Tell them I’ll come home over lunch and we’ll talk.” He said, and Annie nodded. He looked up at her again. “You know, Annie, you’re starting to look a lot like your mother. Man, she used to tease me and Elizabeth.” Annie smiled.

“She’s told me this before, but how old were you when you started dating Aunt Elizabeth?” Annie asked, trying to remember as she sat down at the table across from him.

“Elizabeth and I were fifteen, freshmen in high school. Your mom was two years older, of course. She was so angry your grandpa allowed Elizabeth to date before she was sixteen.”

“But he liked you.” Annie said, remembering the story. Burt nodded.

“Yes. I was head over heels for Elizabeth long before she realized I existed. But I better go. Remember to tell the boys, so they’re ready. Just… just don’t disturb them, okay?”

“Okay, Uncle Burt.” Annie said, “I guess I’ll see you at lunch.”

Kurt opened his eyes, to find Blaine still curled into his chest, his curly black hair soft under his chin. He had fallen into a very conscious sleep last night, not sure what to do. He had fallen asleep next to Blaine a few times, and this topped the first time on the amount of hell that could be involved. After that first, awkward time, the rest had been peaceful after trying something new between them.

This time it was because Blaine’s world had been ripped apart.

Looking at the sunlight coming through the window, he sighed. Blaine mumbled and turned over a little bit, a cur landing just where it tickled right below his bottom lip. He tried to blow it out of the way, but it wouldn’t move. He reached up to smooth it out of the way, and Blaine fidgeted again, this time clearly waking up.

“Kurt?” He mumbled into the younger boy’s chest, making Kurt’s heart leap.

“I’m here.” He said softly, stroking Blaine’s hair. Blaine exhaled, tilting his head to where his forehead was flush against Kurt’s chest.

“It wasn’t a nightmare, then.” He said, and Kurt gave a strangled groan and held Blaine close. The two remained quiet until Kurt’s stomach growled.

“You’re hungry.” Blaine said, and Kurt shrugged.

“You going to come upstairs with me?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Blaine mumbled, rolling over to sit up and rubbing his eyes. The boys went about brushing their teeth and combing their hair, and Blaine used the restroom while Kurt sat doing his lotion routine.

“I don’t feel so great,” Blaine said, walking back into the bedroom as Kurt dabbed away some extra lotion. “You have my hoodie, right? I don’t think I grabbed one…” he mumbled, looking around. Kurt got up and went to his drawer and took the red hoodie out, handing it to Blaine.

“Thanks. I’m still going to let you have it, I just want to wear it for now.” Blaine said, sighing.

“Don’t worry about it.” Kurt said, kissing him on the cheek. Blaine slid the hoodie on over the t-shirt he was wearing with his pajamas.

Kurt couldn’t help but notice just how cute Blaine looked. His hair was just barely combed, still misshapen from sleep. He hadn’t bothered to shave, and had the tiniest bit of stubble visible across his chin. The hoodie came down over his fingers, unlike when Kurt wore it and it was too short on his wrists.

Kurt loved this boy, loved him so much it physically constricted him to see Blaine so sad. Sure, he knew he loved Blaine while they were laughing, joking or singing together. He was almost physically overwhelmed by it when they were fooling around. But seeing Blaine so completely vulnerable gave Kurt a grasp of just how much he would do to for Blaine to be happy and carefree. It wasn’t because of all the things Blaine had done for Kurt, or even the contrast between the confident Blaine Kurt had always admired and this tiny, sad little man. It was just love and the need to do all he could.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine from behind, his shoulders bending over Blaine’s and his arms crossing the boy’s chest as he nuzzled his face into the side of Blaine’s head and the dip of his neck. He kissed Blaine’s jaw and felt the older boy sink backwards into his arms. He held tighter, wrapping Blaine closer as Blaine released more and more tension until only Kurt’s presence was holding him up.

And he began to cry.

Kurt allowed Blaine to turn around in his arms, pulling the older boy to him even tighter than before now that his soft front was available as opposed to the solid line of his spine. Blaine was still basically limp in his arms, digging his face into Kurt’s chest as he cried.

“I’m sorry I’m like this. I shouldn’t be like this.” Blaine said, bracing himself in an attempt to pull away. Kurt pulled back on him tighter.

“It’s okay, Blaine. I’m here. “ Kurt said, pressing kisses along the top of Blaine’s head.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with me like this. You shouldn’t even have to see me like this.” Blaine said, pulling his arms up and trying to wipe at his eyes. Kurt pulled his hands down gently, leaning in and pressing his lips against Blaine’s slightly open ones. Blaine’s lips were soft and dry, the delicate curves pliant under the press of his own. Blaine allowed Kurt to kiss him as he clutched at the younger boy’s shirt, wavering in his arms.

“Please don’t feel like you can’t cry in front of me.” Kurt whispered, taking his lips off of Blaine’s and moving his hands up to Blaine’s face, bracing his elbows around Blaine’s shoulders as he wiped tears away from Blaine’s face with his thumbs. He looked straight into Blaine’s hazel eyes as he spoke, noticing the scared expression there that he worried wouldn’t fade. “Blaine, I love you. I’m here for you whenever you need me.” He said, stroking Blaine’s face with the gentlest touch he could manage. He swallowed and looked into Blaine’s eyes. “I always will be."

Kurt wasn’t superstitious, and didn’t believe in jinxes. But he knew from experience that his life tended to work like dramatic foreshadowing, and just when he assumed something, it went wrong. The idea of always being there for Blaine didn’t scare him; it was actually what he hoped for more than anything. But saying it out loud, offering it up to that world of irony and hurt, it scared him more than anything.

But Blaine needed to hear it. The older boy slumped into Kurt’s touch at the sound of the words, wrapping his arms around Kurt in turn and sighing into his chest.

“Thank you.”

Kurt kissed the top of Blaine’s head again, stroking his back gently. They stayed like that until Blaine’s breathing evened out and his eyes dried.

“We can go eat now. Really.” Blaine whispered, and Kurt kissed his temple.

“We’ll lay back down after breakfast.” Kurt said, and Blaine nodded. Kurt clutched his hand tightly, and the two walked upstairs and out into the kitchen.

Annie was sitting fully dressed at the table, reading a book. She looked up to see the boys.

“Morning.” She said quietly, putting her bookmark in her book and standing up, walking to them. “Finn’s at football practice. Uncle Burt and Carole are at work. Uncle Burt says he’ll be back at lunch to talk to you.” She said, looking hesitantly at Blaine. Blaine nodded. Annie’s voice was quiet and soothing, if hesitant. He felt a little embarrassed that she knew, but the kindness in her face was so like Kurt’s that he couldn’t help but be grateful.

“Thanks, Annie.” He said quietly, and the slightly older girl quickly stepped forward and pulled him down into a hug. They hugged for a few seconds before she stepped back, and Blaine gave her a small smile.

“An, do you know where my notebook is? I need to cancel with the people who signed up for me to measure them today.” Kurt said, taking Blaine’s hand back. Annie gestured to the counter behind her.

“Right there.”

“Kurt, you can still do your appointments.” Blaine said, tugging on Kurt’s hand. Kurt shook his head and flipped the notebook open to his time slots.

“It’s fine, Blaine. Besides, if Dad wants to talk at noon, I’m not even sure we’ll make it to practice today.” Kurt said, pulling his phone out of his pajama pocket.

“You don’t need to stay home from practice for me.”“Don’t be stupid.” Kurt said, scrolling through his contacts.

“Wait.” Annie said, and the boys both looked up. “What do we tell Rachel and Mercedes?”

Kurt turned to Blaine, who sighed.

“Do you want me to explain it to Rachel now?” Kurt asked, and Blaine nodded. Kurt flicked to Rachel’s name and dialed as Annie helped Blaine find some Toaster Strudels and make them for himself and Kurt.

“Hey Rach … A lot, actually … Yeah, that’s actually why I’m calling. It didn’t go well.” Kurt said, and Blaine imagined sinking into the ground to avoid the embarrassment. “Yes. He’s at my house. I don’t know if we’re going to make it to practice today. … Yeah, he’s right here.” Kurt said, and held his hand over the bottom of his phone as he looked over at Blaine. “She wants to know if you can talk.”

Blaine nodded and took the phone gently.

“Hi, Rachel.”

“Blaine! Are you okay? Do you need anything? Did anything happen except kicking you out? If something happened, we can find some people who can…”

“Rachel, I’m okay.” Blaine said, and Rachel shut up immediately. “I have everything I need for now, thank you.”

“You have stuff, though?” She asked again, her voice quieter and less assertive.

“Yeah. I got two bags out, so that’s the basics in terms of clothes and a few other things like my laptop. Oh, and my guitar.”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything you need that I can bring you?”

“I think I’m good, Rachel. Thank you.” Blaine said.

“Okay.” Rachel said softly. “Text me if you think of something.”

“I’ll see you later, Rachel.” Blaine said, and the line went dead. He looked up to Kurt, who was putting the toaster strudels on a plate.

“Well, hey, I’m going to get back to my book. Let me know if you guys need anything.” Annie said, giving him another hug before picking up a box of crackers and her book from the table and walking out of the room.

“You’re really not expecting me to eat these, are you?” Kurt asked, scrunching his nose. Blaine smiled and kissed him on the cheek, putting the phone back in Kurt’s pocket.

“You can’t expect me to eat four by myself.” Blaine said, picking up the icing packets he had put on the edge of the toaster to melt. He opened one and began to write with it across a pastry, the words blending together and looking more like indistinguishable loops than the words “Eat Me.”

“Is that the strudel talking or you?” Kurt asked, and Blaine laughed, picking it up and holding it up to Kurt’s mouth. Kurt shook his head, and Blaine tapped it against Kurt’s lips, some of the icing sticking to his mouth in a white string. Blaine tried to distract himself from the imagery it entailed, and instead grabbed Kurt’s ass firmly in his hand. Okay, maybe that wasn’t distracting… but when Kurt gasped Blaine firmly slid the pastry into his mouth. The younger boy made a face and bit down, tearing a piece of the pastry and eating it. He tried to make the most disgusted faces possible, but he ducked his head back in for a second bite willingly.

Blaine watched him eat, his little teeth sinking into the pastry and chewing it quietly. When he finished, Kurt took a pack of icing and began to write on a second pastry, his words distorted with the cooling icing. Blaine looked over and smiled as he read, “These things are GROSS.”

Kurt held the pastry up, and Blaine devoured it quickly, making the most obscene noises he possibly could, making Kurt giggle, especially when he started acting like he would bite Kurt’s fingers if they were in the way.

Blaine reached over for another strudel, picking up a third pastry and writing in jerky letters, “Hurry up I want to go cuddle,” the last letters trailing back up the edge as he ran out of room. Kurt snorted, but did indeed eat the pastry a little quicker this time, smiling up at Blaine with his big, bright blue eyes. After he finished he started to lick the filling off of his lips, but Blaine leaned in and kissed him, sucking the berry filling off before pulling away, his eyes soft.

Kurt grabbed the last pastry and filling packet, blocking it from Blaine’s sight with his shoulder. When he held it up to Blaine’s face, Blaine reached over and took Kurt’s other hand gently, entwining their fingers as he ate the pastry that said “I [a big heart took up much of the pastry] U BLAINE” in choppy white letters.

“Good morning, Rachel.” Hiram said, taking a sip of his coffee as he walked into the living room. “You look down, Starlet. Everything okay?”

“I’m just worried about Blaine.” Rachel said, closing her magazine. Hiram frowned.

“Did things go poorly with his parents?” Hiram asked, looking back into the kitchen. Leroy quickly walked up to join him.

“They kicked him out.” Rachel said quietly, looking up. The men exchanged glances, and Hiram bit his lip.

“Where’s he living?” Leroy asked.

“He’s at Kurt’s now. I don’t think he’ll be able to stay there long.”

“Rachel, let us know if he needs anything, okay? We’re going to go talk.” Leroy said gently.

“Okay, Daddy.” Rachel said, smiling up softly from her chair as her fathers exited the room.

“Kurt, Blaine!” Burt called, walking into the kitchen, bags full of fast food in his hands. The boys entered the room dressed lazily, their slow movements indicating that they had been lying down.

“Dad!” Kurt admonished, and Burt put the bags down on the table and raised his hands in surrender before pulling out two salads and a burger.

“I have a feeling your boyfriend is actually carnivorous.” Burt said, passing Blaine the burger and pulling out an accompanying bag of fries.

“I eat meat…” Kurt pouted smiling. Blaine grinned.

“Actually, it’s omnivorous, seeing as I do eat some plants.” He said, and Kurt just stared at him and blinked a few times before laughing as the two boys sat down.

“I brought Annie some chicken nuggets, too. Would you mind if she sat with us?” Burt asked, and Blaine shook his head.

“She’ll find out eventually.” He said, and Burt called Annie into the room. Finn followed her in, arguing about what sounded like Harry Potter.

“I don’t see what your problem is, it’s not like it made a huge difference. And the fight scene was cool!”

“It made a huge difference, Finn. The integrity of the story lies on the power of love, not the battles involved. The deaths and their implications were more important than adding fight scenes.”

“Umm, no, the point of the story is that Voldemort dies.” Finn said, and Annie literally smacked herself in the forehead.

“Don’t argue with her, Finn.” Kurt interrupted quickly. “She wants to be an author and has twice your grade point average. She knows her books.”

“This isn’t about books, this is about movies.” Finn said, and Kurt thought his cousin might actually faint. “Any food for me?” He said, looking around.

“There are two burgers in that sack.” Burt said after taking Annie’s food out for her and handing him the sack. Finn got the hint and left the room, taking out a fry and eating it as he went.

“I like you even better now.” Blaine said to Annie, who grinned and sat down. Burt sat down as well, and after a minute of everyone beginning to eat, he looked up at the boys.

“First thing’s first. I need to know what happened last night.” Burt said, and the boys sighed. They exchanged glances, and Blaine began to explain. He told Burt about the direction to have Kurt over, and the pressure of what would happen if they were found out. He grew exceptionally quiet and stared at his food as he told Burt and Annie how his father had treated Kurt. He felt guilt wash over him at having let it happen, not being able to look Burt in the eye. Then he told them all what happened after Kurt left, and what he had been able to pack.

And he told them about saying goodbye to Jessie. Kurt made a strangled noise in his throat and started stroking Blaine’s back as he told them about how scared she was that she wouldn’t even be allowed to look at a picture of him.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, and then Burt nodded.

“But no violence.” He said, and Blaine shook his head.

“No, Sir.”

“Blaine, you don’t have to call me Sir. I don’t want you to.” He said, and Blaine gave a small smile.

“Now, Blaine, is there any chance that this can blow over and be fine?” Burt asked, and Blaine shook his head.

“No. I think it’s genuinely over now.” Blaine said, and Burt nodded his head.

“I think you know as well as I do that we’ll need to find something more permanent for you, but until then you are more than welcome to stay here. And I don’t want you to feel in any way obligated to us. If anything, we’ll make that father of yours pay; he sounds like he has a lot of money.” Blaine smiled.“Thank you.” He said quietly.

“Is there any family we can contact, Blaine?” Burt asked, and Blaine shook his head.

“I don’t have any aunts or uncles, and my grandparents live in New York. I’d rather… I’d rather stay near here for now, if I can.” Blaine said, and Burt nodded. “I don’t expect to be able to still go to Dalton,” he went on, “But I don’t want to go too far right now.”

“You want to go to McKinley.” Burt said, and Blaine nodded, looking down again.

“Yes. I just… I just want to be where I know at least some people.” He explained.

“That’s understandable.” Burt said. “Do you know any families in Lima?” He asked gently.

“Not well.” Blaine said, and Burt nodded.

“We’ll figure something out. I’m going to put myself in charge of figuring it out, Blaine.” Burt said, and Blaine looked up in gratitude. “But I do need to get in contact with your father. I think the four of us need to have a little chat.”

“We can still make it to practice if you two want to go.” Annie observed after Burt left, angry after having to leave a message with Brian Anderson’s secretary instead of getting through to him himself. Kurt looked over at Blaine, who shrugged.

“I need to talk to Wes, anyway.” Blaine said. “And David, too, I guess.”

“Okay.” Kurt said, walking to the counter and picking up his keys. “HEY FINN, WANT TO RIDE WITH US TO PRACTICE?” He called, and Finn came bounding down the staircase.

“Full lid?” Annie asked, and the three boys looked at her like she was crazy. She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, former-White House-correspondent’s daughter. Mum’s the word?”

“Are you British?” Finn asked, and Kurt couldn’t help but think that he and Brittany were perfect for each other.

“It means don’t talk about it.” Kurt spelled out clearly, and Finn nodded, comprehending, and looked at Blaine like the rest of them.

“Yeah. I mean, don’t strain yourselves to keep it quiet or anything.” Blaine said, shrugging. “But I’d rather it not be the new gossip.” He said, and the three nodded.

As soon as they walked into the auditorium, Blaine was overtaken by a cooing Rachel Berry. She held him tightly, ranting quickly about how she was so sorry about what happened to him and how she hoped he was alright, and that he didn’t need to be there and if he felt like crying she would completely understand and he could leave immediately, and…

“Hi, Rachel.” Blaine said, his voice constricted by how tightly she was holding him. Annie stepped up and pried Rachel’s arms, away, leading her over to the side with a gentle hand on her back.

“Sorry, I just…” Rachel began, but Blaine held up a hand.

“It’s fine, Rachel, really.” He said, leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “But can we avoid the subject?” He whispered, and she blushed and nodded.

“Rachel.” Came a deep voice, and Jesse walked up and put an arm around Rachel’s shoulder. She tried to sidestep back toward Blaine, but the boy held her in place. Finn scowled.

“Jesse.” He stepped forward. Jesse kept his cool.

“Gentlemen.” He nodded to Finn, Kurt and then Blaine. “Sorry, don’t think we’ve met. Jesse St. James.” Jesse said, extending his other hand. Blaine raised his eyebrows, but took it.

“Blaine Anderson.”

“Oh, so you’re Kurt’s boyfriend.” Jesse said flatly. Both boys raised their eyebrows. Rachel was still trying unsuccessfully to get out from under his arm.

“How did you know that?” Kurt asked, his tone dripping with suspicion.

“I do my research, relax. Have to know what’s going on with everyone’s favorite underdog show choir.” He turned to Annie and frowned. “But I’m not even sure who you could even be."

“Annie Shriver. Kurt’s cousin.” Annie said primly, crossing her arms.

“Charmed.”

“Introductions are nice and all, St. James, but instead of you asking who people are maybe I should ask why you have your arm around my girlfriend when she clearly doesn’t want it there.” Finn said sharply, taking another step closer. Jesse glanced down at Rachel.

“Method acting. I am playing her love interest, you know. Didn’t realize you were uncomfortable there, Rachel.” He said, letting go. Rachel quickly backed away over to Annie.

“Yeah, well, how about you have some consideration when you’re doing your acting, hmm?” Finn said rather unimpressively, attempting to make up for it by looming over him.

“Of course, how foolish of me.” Jesse said, stepping back and gesturing to them all before walking away.

“Asshole.” Kurt muttered, his eyes following Jesse and settling upon two boys he favored a great deal more.

“Did you say you needed to talk to Wes and David?” He asked Blaine softly. The older boy nodded and saw where the two were, standing with Nick and Trent and doing something involving a bouncy ball.

“Yeah. I’ll go do that.” He said, and Kurt waved him off. Blaine walked down to his four possibly former classmates.

“Hey, look who got away from the embraces of love!” David said, smacking him on the back. The look Blaine returned him was anything but amused.

“Realize which school you go to, Blaine?” Trent asked jovially, and Blaine allowed them all to laugh at his expense before taking Wes and David by the elbows.

“I need to talk to you two.” He said, and both boys looked at him sharply.

“Sure.” Wes said, and shrugging to the two others, they followed him outside.

“Blaine, are you okay?” David asked, now paying attention to Blaine’s face as they got out into the sunlight. Blaine sighed and looked around, and after seeing that the coast was clear, looked back up to meet their concerned expressions.

“My dad kicked me out.” He said quietly, gulping as he saw his friends’ mouths fall open.

“Like… like for good?” Wes asked, staring at him. Blaine shrugged and looked down.

“I think so, yeah.”

“Why?” Wes asked.

“In a word? Kurt.” Blaine said. David let out a frustrated moan and sat down on the stone wall of a flowerbed. Wes shortly joined him. Blaine sat down right where he was in the middle of the sidewalk, picking grass from a break in the cement.

“Are you coming back in the fall, then?” David asked after a while. Blaine shook his head.

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, there goes our best candidate to replace Thad on the Warbler Council. But, Blaine… where are you living?” Wes asked. Again, Blaine shook his head, curling his feet up to his body.

“I don’t know. I’m staying with Kurt for now, but I have to find somewhere else.”

“Anything we can do?” David asked. Blaine looked to Wes.

“I told Jessie that if she needs me and can’t get ahold of me, to find you and have you help her. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Wes said, nodding. Blaine smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it. Really, if there’s anything we can do, you know you have us, right?”

“Right.” Blaine said, gratitude seeping through him.

“Even if this school does steal you from us like it stole Kurt.” Wes continued, and Blaine couldn’t help but laugh.

“Mercedes, are you back here?” Kurt called, walking backstage. “I need to know your thoughts on… whoa.” Kurt said, backing away at the sight of his best friend kissing a certain familiar blonde boy in the green room. “Uh, whoops, sorry.”

He started to turn tail and run, but Mercedes caught him by the back of his collar and turned him around.

“Hi!” She said brightly, and Kurt turned back around and then frowned.“What is on your head?”

“My new weave, don’t you like it?” Mercedes said, swishing the long black weave around her face and grinning.

“Uh, umm… I’m going to go sit down... right…” Sam said awkwardly, walking past and down through the stage and into the seats.

“It’s not very you.” Kurt said carefully, and it was true. Mercedes’ usual shoulder length style fit her personality much better than this long glamour style with bangs and light curls.

“We’re going to be seniors. New leaf. Are we about to start?” Mercedes asked, rushing. Kurt liked this less and less.

“Mercedes, why exactly are you looking for a new leaf?” He asked, and she floundered before managing something coherent.

“Because I like it?”

“You like it?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.

“It’s just taking some getting used to.” Mercedes said, starting to drag him back to the auditorium.

“Annie!” Artie said, wheeling up to her. Startled out of her reverie, the short girl looked down and smiled.

“Hi, Artie!” She said, sitting down on the edge of an aisle seat and facing him. “How are you?” She asked, and Artie shrugged.

“Oh, you know. Decent.” Artie said, and Annie nodded.

“I hear you’ve had some girlfriends.” She said, cocking her head. Artie rolled his eyes.

“I think I’ve learned that girls can be more trouble than they’re worth.” He said, sighing and looking over at Brittany, who was braiding Santana’s hair on the floor in front of the stage.

“The blonde, right? And the Asian girl? They’re pretty.” Annie said, looking over at them. Tina and Mike were trying to find ways to adapt the character of Tiger Lily into tap. Artie sighed again.

“I’m pretty sure they’re both more interested in others than in me.” He said softly, and Annie frowned.

“Well, then, they’re silly.” Annie said, reaching over and squeezing Artie’s hand. He smiled at her.

“What about you?” He asked, “Still terrorizing every boy who comes near you?”

“Basically.” Annie said with a little smile, laughing.

“You’d think at least one of them would have gotten brave by now.” Artie said, but Annie shook her head. “Not even down in Illinois?”

“Especially not down in Illinois.” Annie said, and Artie shook his head in disbelief.

“Ridiculous. The one girl I know can fend for herself, and she doesn’t even get a chance.” Artie said.

“You make it sound like all boys are monsters.” Annie teased.

“Sometimes we can be.” Artie said, glancing back over at Brittany.

“Kurt!” Wes and David said, patting him on the back as he joined them halfway back in the auditorium. Blaine gave him a small smile and took his hand gently.

“Uh oh, looks like Jeff is arguing with the scary one about wanting a solo again.” Wes said, looking up. And sure enough, there was the bottle-blonde Warbler arguing with Rachel by the sound booth.

“She doesn’t look scary.” David said, and Blaine and Kurt’s eyebrows shot northward.

“Oh, she’s scary, trust me.” Kurt said.

“Horrifying. In the best-intentioned way possible.” Blaine said, and Kurt rolled his eyes.

“Only occasionally. Most of the time she’s just diabolical.” Kurt said, though he didn’t really believe his own words.

“Well,” David said, frowning and looking back to the minuscule girl at the sound booth, “I think we better run an intervention regardless. Come on, Wes.” He said, and the two went off.

“How’d that go?” Kurt asked, putting the hand not in Blaine’s on his boyfriend’s arm. Blaine sighed.

“As well as it could. What’s on Mercedes’s head?” He asked, looking up. Kurt sighed.

“She’s ‘turning over a new leaf.’ Which tells me that something’s up, probably with Sam.”

“You don’t think he’d tell her to do that, do you?” Blaine asked.

“No. But there’s also the fact that it looks eerily like Santana’s hair.” Kurt said.

“What does this have to do with Santana?”

“He dated her. And Quinn. Actually… shit.” Kurt said, putting his face in his hands. Blaine peeled them off gently.

“Care to explain?”

“Mercedes has been eating all diet food and salads when I’ve seen her lately.” Kurt said, rubbing his forehead into his hand. “Dammit, Mercedes, we’ve been down this road before.” He said, rubbing his forehead.

“You think she’s doing all of these things for Sam?” Blaine asked, and Kurt nodded.

“I don’t have time to worry about it right now, though. Come on, let’s start practice.” He said, and the two walked to meet Annie, the glossy Mercedes and the newly liberated Rachel on the stage.

Upon arriving home that afternoon, Burt was already waiting for them in the living room.

“Have a good practice?” He asked the four kids staying under his roof, and they all shrugged and nodded a little bit. “Finn, your mother wants you up in our room, she needs to vacuum under our loveseat and won’t let me lift it.”

“Got it.” He said, and darted up the stairs. Getting the drift, Annie excused herself to get back to reading, citing that she was at a really exciting part.

“Your dad got back to me this afternoon, Blaine.” Burt said, and Blaine nodded, dry-mouthed. “He’s willing to meet us tomorrow evening for dinner, if that’s okay with you.” He said.

“Yeah. That’s… that’ll work.” Blaine said, still nodding.

“And one more thing, the Berrys called. They’d like to have you over for lunch tomorrow.”