Blaine waited until after he'd eaten dinner and was alone in his room to text Kurt.

To Kurt: Hey. :)

The reply was almost immediate.

To Blaine: ...Hi.

To Kurt: Um, how are you?

To Blaine: Alright.

To Kurt: So, I was thinking. Tomorrow's our last day before Winter break is over.

To Blaine: ...Yes, Anderson. That's correct.

Blaine sighed. Did Kurt really need to keep calling him Anderson? They were dating now. No matter how secret it was, they were dating. He hoped Kurt would come around soon.

To Kurt: You don't want to be seen with me, like, ever, right?

To Blaine: Right.

To Kurt: That's going to make it a little harder to plan a date.

There was a long pause before Blaine got a reply this time.

To Blaine: ......A...Date?

To Kurt: Yes. People who are together tend to go on dates, you know. So, tomorrow night. Want to come over to my place for dinner? My parents won't be here, so you don't have to worry about meeting them, or them finding out. We could just eat dinner and watch a movie.

To Blaine: Sounds fine. I'll be at your place at around six?

To Kurt: Sure. :)

Kurt had regretting making plans for a date with Blaine that night since the moment he had agreed to it yesterday evening.

He had never been on a date before. He usually went to parties, found the least unattractive gay guy there, found some room in the back, and then went home. That was what his love life consisted of. Could that even be called a love life? He thought not. He didn't really have a love life. He had a sex life. But what was this thing with Blaine? It wasn't love. Not yet, at least. But it was definitely more than sex.

Why couldn't it just be sex, though? Why did Blaine have to go and ruin everything?

He'd sworn to himself that he'd never be in a relationship. Never let himself open up enough for a relationship to even be a possibility. He'd been working on building up his walls for ten years now, and then Blaine came along and knocked them down within a few months. What was he, a bulldozer?

But there was no point in canceling the date now. He had no other plans for the night, so why not go to Blaine's? Maybe he'd be pleasantly surprised.

Who was he kidding? Of course he wouldn't be pleasantly surprised.

He finished up the finishing touches on his hair, and went downstairs to tell his father where he was going.

"Hi, dad."

"Hey, kiddo." Burt smiled at his son. Sometimes Burt's smile pained Kurt most of all. Would his father still smile at him that way if he knew how horrible Kurt had become?

"I'm going to have dinner at Blaine's tonight, if that's okay."

"Blaine? The kid that came over to do homework with you a few weeks ago?" Burt asked.

"That's the one." Kurt said, feigning a smile.

"Good. After I only saw him the one time I was worried you guys hadn't gotten along as well as I'd hoped you would. He seems like a nice fella. I'm glad you've got yourself a friend, Kurt. I know you've got Santana and Brittany, but sometimes I feel like you're too good for them. A little more mature or responsible or somethin'."

Kurt just smiled and nodded. If only his dad knew how wrong he was. Out of all the Cheerios, Kurt was among the worst of them. Sleeping with anyone he could get his hands on. Well, until Blaine had come along.

Maybe he could change. Become a better person, for his dad. But did he want that? Part of him did. Part of him wanted to be someone his dad could be proud of. But to do that, he'd have to knock down all of his walls. Not just a hole big enough for Blaine to fit through. And he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

"I'll be back by eleven." Kurt told his dad.

"Alright, kiddo. You have fun. Tell Blaine I said hi."

Kurt just nodded as he walked out of the kitchen.

The drive to Blaine's went by in complete silence. His mind not even making a peep. It was like he'd shut his brain off, too afraid to start thinking, because lately, when he started thinking, all he thought about was Blaine.

He arrived at Blaine's house and got out of the car, walking up to the front porch as if on autopilot, and rang the doorbell.

When Blaine answered, he looked surprised. "Kurt! You're early."

"Am I?" Kurt asked, taking a glance at his watch. It was only a quarter after five. "Dammit. I'm just...really out of it today. I can...I can go and come back. I just...I'll go." Kurt began to turn around, but Blaine grabbed his wrist.

"No, Kurt. It's okay. Come on in."

Kurt took a deep breath and went inside, taking off his coat, and setting it on a nearby chair.

"My dad says hi." Kurt said quietly.

"You told him you were coming over?" Blaine asked.

"Of course I did."

"Oh. I'd just expected you to lie. Figured you didn't even want your dad knowing you were hanging out with me." said Blaine solemnly.

"I didn't tell him it was a date. I just...I said I was coming over for dinner."

Silence.

"He really likes you, you know." Kurt said. "I don't see how, because he's only met you once. But he does. He said you would be a better friend for me than Brit and Lopez, because I'm too responsible and mature for them." Kurt laughed bitterly. "So, without knowing it, he pretty much said you're too good for me, considering I'm just as bad as the rest of the Cheerios."

Blaine looked sad and thoughtful. "Hey, no. Hey." He said, putting his hand on Kurt's back from where they were still standing awkwardly by the door, neither one knowing what to do. Having a boyfriend was new territory for both of them. Blaine lead Kurt over to the couch and sat next to him.

"Well, it's true." Kurt said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.

"If I was too good for you, would you be in my house right now? If anyone's too good for anyone, it's you who's too good for me."

"Blaine, I'm a horrible person. Not just to every other person, but to you as well. How can you say I'm too good for you?"

"You're one of the most popular kids in school, Kurt. I'm in Glee. You're embarrassed to be seen with me. So what else am I supposed to think?"

"Being popular doesn't make you a good person, Anderson. You're the last person who I thought I'd have to explain that to. I hate myself. I hate the way I treat others, because I know what it's like being on the other end. But it's what I have to do to make it through high school. But you...You don't care about that. You're better than that. You are who you want to be, and you don't let anyone-" Kurt cut himself off. "You know what? I didn't come over here for this. Why is it that every time I see you lately I just keep opening myself up more and more? I don't want this. I want to go back into my little bubble and hide. From...Everything."

Blaine sighed, standing up. "I'm gonna finish dinner."

Blaine went into the kitchen, and finished chopping up the tomato and mushrooms he'd been working on when Kurt had arrived. He tossed them into the pot with his homemade spaghetti sauce, and then dumped a box of noodles into the boiling water on the other side of the stove. He stirred them periodically until they were perfectly cooked, and then served up two plates, setting them on the kitchen table.

He went back out into the living room.

"Dinner's ready." He informed Kurt. "I hope you like spaghetti." He smiled, just a little, still saddened by their conversation from beforehand. He wished Kurt wouldn't get angry every time he let himself open up. Opening up was a good thing, and Blaine was determined to get Kurt to realize that, no matter how long it took.

They walked into the kitchen together, and Blaine pulled out Kurt's chair for him, determined to be gentlemanly.

"Thank you." Kurt mumbled under his breath.

They ate in silence for a while, before Kurt looked up.

"This spaghetti sauce is delicious. Where'd you get it?"

"I made it, actually." Blaine said.

"You...You made it? Like, from scratch?" Kurt asked, impressed.

"Mhhm. It's sort of my specialty."

Kurt just hummed a little in acknowledgement.

They finished dinner, and Blaine cleared the table.

"Come on. Let's go watch a movie." Blaine suggested.

Kurt nodded, following Blaine to the living room.

"You can pick." Blaine said, pulling out his collection of DVD's.

Kurt walked over, looking through them. It didn't take long before he was pulling one out, exclaiming "This one!"

Blaine was pretty sure he hadn't meant to get so excited, but he was glad no matter what. He liked when Kurt smiled.

"Rent?" Blaine asked, taking the DVD from Kurt and popping it in the player. "Aren't you supposed to hate musicals?"

"What the Cheerios don't know won't hurt them." Kurt informed Blaine. "Besides, how could anyone hate Rent?"

They sat awkwardly next to each other on the couch, neither wanting to sit too close. By the time the movie was half over, however, they were inching closer together without even realizing it.

Blaine decided he wanted to take Kurt's hand. But should he? He was pretty sure the only other times they'd held hands had been when Kurt was crying. How would Kurt react if he tried to hold his hand now? He decided there was only one way to find out.

He reached over slowly, taking Kurt's hand in his. He felt Kurt tense, but only for a moment, and then he was holding Blaine's hand just as tightly as Blaine was holding his, setting their joined hands on the couch between them.

Blaine caught Kurt taking peeks at their joined hands periodically and couldn't help but smile.

Kurt really was beautiful. He had caught Kurt singing along to most of the songs quietly under his breath. He was pretty sure Kurt had thought he couldn't hear him, or else he was just so wrapped up in the movie he hadn't even realized he'd been doing it. But Kurt had the most breathtaking voice Blaine had ever heard. It was too bad he'd never join Glee. They'd sound so much better with Kurt's voice in the mix.

By the time the movie was over, they'd both scooted so close to each other that their sides were touching, and they had ended up practically in the middle of the couch.

As the credits rolled, Blaine looked over at Kurt. Kurt must have felt Blaine's gaze on him, because he turned his head to look at Blaine as well.

Blaine's breath caught in his throat as he looked into Kurt's eyes. They were so gorgeous and blue, and Blaine could swear his heart was about to beat right out of his chest.

And then he saw Kurt's eyes flicker down to his lips, and then back up again. It was the faintest of gestures, and if he had blinked he would have missed it. But it was enough for him to know that Kurt wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss Kurt.

He leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and taking Kurt's mouth with a gentle kiss. It didn't last more than a second, and then he was pulling away.

Kurt grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him forward again, and kissing him this time. Not quite so gentle, with a little more force and urgency. Their lips moved together at a rhythmic pace, and Blaine could feel his heartbeat speeding up. He felt dizzy. Why was he getting this way now? He'd kissed Kurt before. But this one felt different. Even different from the one outside his car on the abandoned road yesterday. But he couldn't place what was different about it. All he knew was that he liked it.

Kurt laid them down, so he was on top of Blaine, and continued kissing him. He moved his tongue past Blaine's lips, and licked the roof of his mouth lightly. Blaine shivered at the feeling. And then Kurt was unbuttoning his shirt with slow sure fingers, his hands roaming along the expanse of his chest, once the shirt was entirely unbuttoned. Blaine let out a soft whimper, loving every minute of this.

And the Kurt was unbuttoning his pants.

"Kurt." Blaine breathed.

Kurt just hummed in response.

"Kurt, wait." Blaine said.

Kurt sat up.

"Wait for what?"

"Can we just...Just...Not do this tonight?" Blaine asked.

"Why not?"

"Because...Look, Kurt, I-" Blaine wasn't sure what to say. He wanted Kurt. He did. There was something about the way everything felt tonight that made it feel more real than any of the times they'd been together before. But he wanted Kurt to know that they could spend time together as a couple and not do anything sexual. "I don't want you to feel like we have to have sex, just because we're alone together. I mean...We don't...We don't have to."

Kurt sighed in aggravation. "I know, Blaine. But I want to."

"I know. And so do I." Blaine admitted. "But...Can we just not tonight? Please?"

"Fine." Kurt huffed. He got up moved to the other end of the couch.

"Hey, wait." Blaine said. "I didn't say you had to stop kissing me."

"What's the point of kissing if you're not going to let me get into your pants?" Kurt asked.

"See? This is exactly why I don't want to do any...sex stuff tonight. You know, people do kiss for reasons other than sex."

"Like what?" Kurt scoffed.

"Like...Like because they care about each other, and they just want to be close to each other." Blaine said, scooting over so he was right next to Kurt.

"Some people might do that. But I don't." Kurt informed him.

"Maybe you didn't used to," Blaine said "but you're going to now."

And then he leaned forward slowly, taking Kurt's lips in a slow kiss, licking along his bottom lip, before slipping his tongue inside Kurt's mouth. He brought his hand up to cup Kurt's cheek, and Kurt tangled his fingers gently into the hair at the base of Blaine's scalp. After a few minutes, Blaine pulled away.

"See? Like that." He breathed out, his face still only inches away from Kurt's.

"Okay." Kurt said. "Okay, fine. That was enjoyable."

Blaine smiled a huge smile at Kurt's words, and Kurt shoved him playfully.

Blaine was happy to have Kurt interacting with him in this way. He just hoped Kurt wouldn't get angry about it.

"I have to go. Curfew's at eleven."

"Not that I want to keep you out any later, but when have you ever been home by curfew?" Blaine asked.

Kurt scowled at him, but Blaine could tell he wasn't really mad.

He walked Kurt to the door.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"No, you will not. You will look the opposite way at school tomorrow, and make sure that absolutely no one suspects a thing."

"Got it." Blaine said, leaning over and quickly kissing Kurt on the cheek. He could feel Kurt blushing beneath his lips.

"Goodnight, Blaine." Kurt said, feigning annoyance.

"'Night." Blaine said, as Kurt walked out the door, and he closed it behind him.

Blaine sighed softly to himself.

He was pretty sure the date had been a success.