Blaine fought the urge to rub his temples.

“I understand where you’re coming from, Mr Hummel, but I think you’re misinterpreting the text.”

“So, you’re saying that Juliet wasn’t foolish to just leap into a relationship with Romeo?” Kurt baited, keeping his gaze on Blaine. “From where I stand, Juliet could have saved herself a whole lot of heartache, and, oh, I don’t know, death, if she had thought rationally about a boy she had just met!”

“It isn’t about if Juliet was being foolish,” Blaine replied, shifting from where he perched on the edge of his desk. “It’s about the fact that these two star-crossed lovers were never meant to be. Sure, they were a nice couple while they were alive but what’s to say that their relationship wouldn’t have been toxic if Romeo hadn’t been banished?”

“I just think that Juliet shouldn’t have jumped when she saw Romeo, he’s nothing special.”

“Kurt, you’re taking this out of context, it’s a love story.”

“Sure, a love story that ends in tragedy,” Kurt retorted.

“Maybe, when you’re older, you’ll understand a thing or two about love, but right now, we’re in an English class–”

“Don’t presume that I know nothing about love because I’m still in high school, Mr Anderson,” Kurt cut in coldly. Blaine could see the epic ‘bitch face’ that Kurt had told him about forming on his beautiful face. “Just because I’m only eighteen doesn’t mean a damn thing when it comes to love.

“In fact, I’m willing to bet that I know a lot more about love than you do, Mr Anderson.”

The resounding ‘oohs’ from the other students snapped Blaine back to reality. “Kurt, that is out of line.”

“For an English teacher, you probably don’t know the first thing about love.”

“Kurt, I’m warning you.”

“Struck a nerve, have I?”

“Get the hell out of my classroom!”

The classroom fell deathly silent as Kurt packed up his books and left the room.

Blaine glanced around the rest of the classroom. “Finish reading the Act and work on your papers,” he said, moving to sit behind his desk. He concentrated on marking the papers from his fifth period class, trying not to let his anger get the better of him.

It was one thing for Kurt to be pissed off at him, but it was another to openly use that annoyance in the classroom.

They hadn’t spoken for the better part of a week since Kurt told him that Jeff and Nick knew about their relationship.

Blaine had endured his first weekend, in a long time, without Kurt. He had noticed the difference when he got home from work on Friday night and Kurt hadn’t been there with titillating stories about his own week.

He had gone to sleep in an empty bed, and even though Kurt had only slept over a few weekends in a row, it was still enough to make Blaine miss him.

The moment the bell rang to signal the end of class, Blaine let out a sigh of relief. That had to have been the hardest lesson he had dealt with all year. He waited until his students had left before putting his head in his hands. He took off his classes and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, letting the pressure distract from his thoughts.

There was a soft knock on his door a few moments later and Blaine looked up, slipping his glasses back on his face.

“Sally, hi,” Blaine said, moving to stand. “What brings you down to this end of the school?”

“I just heard some interesting gossip,” Sally said as she made her way into the classroom.

“Yeah?” Blaine prompted.

“Mmhmm,” Sally nodded, perching on the edge of one of the desks. “I just heard from three different students, in passing, that you blew up at a student in your class today?”

“That’s out already?” Blaine asked, shocked. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Just because he was teaching in an all boys school, didn’t mean that gossip didn’t flow as freely as it did with girls. He bit back a strangled groan and ran his hand through his curly hair.

“Want to tell me what happened?” Sally prodded.

Blaine sighed. “I lost control of my temper,” he started. “And one of my students kept baiting me and I told him to get out of my class.”

“Which student, maybe I can have a talk to him?”

“Kurt Hummel.”

“Kurt? Really?” Sally asked, raising her eyebrows. “I’m surprised. He’s normally quite… Well, reserved isn’t the correct word, because he can snark better than anyone I’ve ever met but he doesn’t normally treat his teachers with disrespect.”

Blaine shrugged. “Maybe he was having a bad day, too?”

“Speaking of, what has got your panties in a twist?” Sally asked, shifting slightly on the desk.

“It’s nothing,” Blaine said.

“Clearly it is,” Sally insisted. “You don’t just tell students to get out of your class for no reason, Blaine.”

“Fine,” Blaine mumbled. “I had a fight with my boyfriend last week and we’re not speaking at the moment.”

“Oh, honey,” Sally said, reaching over to pat Blaine on the shoulder. She slapped him upside his head a moment later.

“What was that for?” Blaine exclaimed.

“That’s for being an idiot,” Sally said. “I don’t know what the fight was about but you need to fix it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone looking so sorry for themselves since my cat got his head stuck in the grill behind my refrigerator.”

Blaine gave her a scowl but relaxed immediately. “I just don’t know how to fix it.”

“Start with flowers,” Sally said. “If he’s as amazing as you say he is, he’ll appreciate the gesture. Then,” she continued. “I suggest you start begging for his forgiveness and hope that he accepts.”

“How do you know it was my fault?” Blaine protested.

“You just yelled at a student in your class,” Sally said like it was obvious. “Clearly, it was your fault.”

Blaine couldn’t even bring himself to argue. “You’re right,” he said. “I’ll talk to him tonight, if he’ll accept my call, that is.”

“Good boy,” Sally said with a smile. “Now, scoot, Principal Gibbons wants to see you in his office. He heard about the yelling too.”

Blaine groaned. “Thanks for telling me,” he said, closing over his briefcase. “Let’s just hope he forgives me as quickly as you did.”

Sally beamed at him. “Unlikely but if you play your cards right, he might.”

She winked at him and left the classroom. Blaine sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose from under his glasses. He and Kurt hadn’t spoke for almost seven days now. He knew his frustration was showing but it was pretty silly to let it out on Kurt during their lesson. He needed to fix it.

Blaine locked his classroom as he left and he caught more than a few students staring at him as he walked down the corridor. He ignored the glances and the whispers and headed straight for the Principal’s office, feeling much like he was a student who had just been caught setting fire to one of the chemistry labs.

Blaine knocked on the door. “You wanted to see me?” he asked.

“Blaine, come in,” Frank said, waving him in. “Close the door, too.”

Blaine nodded and closed the door behind him. He sat in one of the seats facing Frank’s desk and waited, nerves bubbling in his stomach.

“So,” Frank started. “Want to tell me why you’re yelling at one of your best students in the middle of a lesson?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Blaine said immediately. “I took my bad mood out on him and it won’t happen ever again.”

“Blaine,” Frank said, peering over the top of his glasses at him. “This isn’t like you. You’ve never shown any kind of anger like this in all of the years I’ve known you, what’s going on?”

Blaine took a breath. “Sorry, sir,” he said. “I’ve just been having some relationship problems and we were discussing Romeo and Juliet in class today.”

“Ahh,” Frank said like it explained everything. “While I understand your passion on the subject, you really do need to keep control of your temper in the classroom. We have a standard to follow.”

“I know, sir,” Blaine nodded, licking his lips. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Frank stared at him for a moment. “See that it doesn’t,” he said. “You may go now.”

Blaine nodded once more and stood, exiting the room. Once he was safely in his car, Blaine let out a shaky breath. He picked up his phone and dialled the all too familiar number.

“Kurt?”

“Calling to yell at me some more?”

“No, of course not,” Blaine said guiltily. “I wanted to apologise. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that today.”

“…Go on.”

“I was hoping that we could meet up?” Blaine started. “I’d prefer to apologise in person. If you want to see me, that is?”

“I guess I can accommodate that,” Kurt replied. “I have a lot of homework tonight. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow is perfect,” Blaine said, grinning. “I’ll cook.”

“I’ll cook,” Kurt replied. “Just get some more groceries; your fridge was nearly empty the last time I was there.”

The call ended and Blaine couldn’t stop smiling. He felt better already.

“I really have to go,” Kurt said between kisses.

Blaine wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt’s middle and made a soft noise of protest. “Do you really have to?” he asked, slipping his hand to cup Kurt’s bottom over his black skinny designer jeans.

“I do,” Kurt replied. “You’re making this hard.”

“Am I?”

“So lewd, Mr Anderson,” Kurt whispered, kissing Blaine hard.

Blaine grinned and squeezed Kurt’s hip with his free hand. “Fine, fine, go,” he said and he pulled back completely. “I don’t see why you have to go, though.”

“Of course you don’t,” Kurt replied, picking up his bag. “As far as the world is concerned, you’re here, marking papers or whatever it is teachers supposedly do after school finishes for the day. I, on the other hand, have a Warblers practice to get to and I’m running late as it is.”

“This is so unfair,” Blaine said childishly.

“Hush, you,” Kurt replied, pulling his shirt straight. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kurt leant forwards, kissing Blaine one last time before he disappeared.

Blaine grinned and locked the door behind him. He headed into the kitchen to start on dinner when there was a knock on the door.

“Come back for more, have y- Wes! Hi,” Blaine said, as he opened the door.

Wes frowned slightly. “Who were you expecting back?” he asked as he stepped into Blaine’s apartment.

“No one,” Blaine replied, closing the door. “How are you?”

Wes shrugged off his coat and hung it on the back of the door. “I’m good,” he answered. “Have you started dinner yet? I’m starving.”

“Not yet,” Blaine said, crossing back into the kitchen. “I was about to cook. Or would you prefer to order in?”

“Order in; I could use a disgustingly large pizza.”

“Uh oh, trouble in paradise?” Blaine asked as he took two beers from the fridge, handing one to Wes.

“Work paradise, yes,” Wes said and he launched into a tale of just why he was working for the most incompetent people apparently known to mankind.

Blaine ordered the pizza and sat on the couch with Wes, listening to his friend vent. By the sounds of his story, he really needed it. Wes seemed to have a lot of pent up frustration in relation to studying, working and being able to juggle the two.

“Normally the study doesn’t bother me,” Wes stated. “You know me, I love academia but everything is just piling up. I’m this close to breaking.”

“Wes, it’s fine,” Blaine said. “Or it will be fine. Yes, I know you and I know that you’ll handle it all spectacularly, ace every class you have and still have time to spare.”

Wes shook his head, smiling. He fiddled with the label on his beer bottle. “Listen to me rambling, I’m sorry. How are you? Sally said there was trouble with your boyfriend?”

Blaine flushed. He hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Wes about his relationship. They had both been working hard and Wes was a lot busier than Blaine was. He didn’t want to bring it up in conversation, only to have to lie to his best friend. He hated thinking about lying to him, let alone lying to his face. Wes didn’t deserve that.

However, Blaine couldn’t just tell him the truth, either.

“We’re fine now,” Blaine replied. “We had a silly fight and we’re as good as new.”

“Good,” Wes said. “What was the fight about?”

Blaine was saved from answering as his doorbell rang, indicating that the pizza had arrived. Both men took a box each and sat back down on the couch. They chatted about their jobs while they ate, not really getting into anything heavy, which Blaine was thankful for.

After they had eaten, Blaine cleared the nearly empty boxes into the kitchen and grabbed two more beers from the fridge. He put the television on so they could watch the football match that was on and relaxed.

“You know, I was beginning to think I was going to have to set you up with someone,” Wes said at half time.

“Huh?” Blaine turned his attention to Wes, focusing on him.

“I’m just saying I’m glad you have a boyfriend,” Wes started. “I was getting worried that you were lonely… That you weren’t dating because of what happened with Michael.”

Blaine tensed a little. “No, it’s okay,” he said. “I honestly wasn’t even looking for someone. He just… walked into my life.”

“I’m glad he did,” Wes said. “Whoever this guy is. I want to meet him, mind. Anyone who can make you happy like this deserves a medal or something.”

Blaine threw a cushion at Wes’ head. “Hey! I resent that.”

Wes grinned. “I’m happy for you,” he said.

“Thanks,” Blaine replied. “I’m happy for me too.”

After the game finished, Wes stood and gathered his belongings into his pockets. “I had better go.”

“Thanks for visiting,” Blaine said. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“You too,” Wes nodded. “Hey, you and your beau should double date with Sally and I some time. We could go bowling or go out for dinner.”

Blaine nodded meekly. “Sure,” he replied. “I’ll definitely think about it.”

Wes smiled. “Take care, Blaine.”

Blaine waved good bye and closed the door behind him. He leant against it and let out a long sigh. He pushed himself off it after a moment and cleaned up their empty beer bottles, thinking about what Wes had said about double dating.

In a perfect world, Blaine wouldn’t hesitate to double date with his best friend but he didn’t live in a perfect world. He despised that he couldn’t talk to Wes about how amazing his boyfriend was – how Kurt made him feel and how utterly in love he was. He knew it was the safest option, though. He couldn’t tell anyone for fear of losing what he and Kurt had.

Blaine had already botched it up once, he wasn’t about to do it again.