It’s not his first competition, not by a long shot. He’s done fencing and polo and dressage for years now, and a competition is really just a performance after all, and there’s no denying that he’s a damn good performer. But this is his first Sectionals with the Warblers. This is big. This is important. He is nervous.

It doesn’t help that the council voted to give him both of the solos. He knows he’s good; he’s not so modest as to deny that, but so are Nick and Jeff. So is Kurt. He would have been thrilled with one of the solos; he’s flabbergasted by both of them.

He’s also scared shitless. It’s one thing to make a error during an individual fencing match that costs him points or the win, it’s quite another to flub a note, or miss a step, and have it deny all of the Warblers a chance at Regionals. He’s not going to be the reason his teammates, his friends don’t win this. He has to do right by them.

Blaine gives it his all that night, like he does for everything. He doesn’t have it in him to half-ass anything. He loves this so much - the lights, the blending of voices, the infectious smiles of his Warblers. It’s a new and unexpected thrill to look over and see Kurt two-stepping to his left. He knows how disappointed Kurt was when he’d had to tell him he wouldn’t be getting a solo this time. How the expectant, hopeful light in his eyes had faded to resignation.

It had hurt something deep in his gut to put that look on his face. He thinks, he hopes he’ll find someway to make it up to him. to put happiness back into those eyes. But Kurt is next to him now. His nerves are showing more than Blaine’s, but he settles into it, begins to have fun with it, and Blaine can’t help his laugh when he sees a smile break out on Kurt’s face.

He can’t see past the stage lights, but he knows Cooper is out there somewhere in the audience. And that he’s smiling too.

When it’s all over, Blaine can’t help but be a little miffed that they’ve tied with the New Directions. Seriously how does that even happen? He’ll take it though. It means they get to move on.

In the chaos of backstage he loses Kurt, but he finds him again in the lobby watching the New Directions as they board the bus to head back to Lima. His old friends are exuberant in their own well-deserved victory. Kurt’s back is turned to him, but Blaine knows the shape of his broad shoulders under the blazer, the intricate brown of his hair, the way he’s holding his elbows to keep from reaching out to his friends.

“Kurt,” he says, placing a hand on his shoulder. It’s tense under his palm.

Kurt startles and turns to look at him. He’s not crying, but his eyes are certainly misty.

“Come on,” Blaine says. “I want you to meet my brother.”

Kurt lets Blaine pull him through the crowded lobby towards a tall man who’s standing off the side. He’s wearing a grey cardigan with a dark shirt underneath it. His jeans are so perfectly fitted Kurt thinks they may even be tailored. Kurt blushes when he thinks that the Anderson Ass must be genetic.

The man waves when he catches sight of them, a wide smile breaking out across his face. His teeth are white even from a distance. Kurt is struck by how attractive Blaine’s brother is, not that Blaine isn’t attractive, but it’s something he tries not to dwell on.

He looks like Blaine, but he doesn’t.

His face is more angular than Blaine’s; his jaw cuts a sharper line, though their chins square off similarly. Their noses share a shape, but the end of Blaine’s is rounded where this man’s is pointed. His hair is just as dark, but it’s wavy rather than curly - a thick sweep pushed back from his forehead. His ears are larger than Blaine’s, though Kurt would never tell Blaine that his ears are tiny, even if they are. Their mouths are the same though, turning up at the corners in a near-perpetual smile. But his eyes are blue, and Kurt wonders what side of that family that comes from, and which one of them looks more like their mother, and which one like their father.

Kurt fights back a smirk when he realizes thick eyebrows must be an Anderson Family trait.

He’s taken aback when Blaine practically flings himself into the taller man’s arms. He’s usually so reserved, so goddamn dapper that this sudden display of physical affection throws Kurt for a loop. He hangs back a bit, watching as the other man hugs Blaine fiercely, bringing Blaine up onto his toes.

“That was so good, Blaine. I'm so proud of you,” he says, finally releasing him. “Didn’t I tell you Train was the way to go? And you doubted me.”

Blaine rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah. It won’t happen again, all-knowing brother of mine.”

The man shakes his head fondly and attempts to ruffle Blaine’s carefully styled hair. Blaine ducks away, swatting at the hands. There’s a happiness in his eyes, an openness, that Kurt hasn’t seen before. It warms him, and makes him ache for something he didn’t know he was missing.

“Stop it,” Blaine whines, crinkling his nose in mock disdain. He straightens his blazer and tie with an exaggerated twitch. “Pest. I can't take you anywhere. Anyway, Cooper, now that you’ve embarrassed us both, I want you to meet a good friend of mine.”

Kurt puts on a smile as Blaine’s brother, Cooper, turns to him. His eyes are a piercing blue as they rake over his face. He knows Cooper is taking his measure in one look. He holds his breath and hopes he’s not found wanting.

“You must be Kurt,” Cooper says finally, extending his hand, and he’s got a toothy smile that Kurt has only seen a few times from Blaine. Each time it had make his stomach swoop and his heart race. It has a similar effect coming from Cooper, but for entirely different reasons.

“I see my reputation precedes me,” Kurt says, shaking Cooper’s hand and internally sighing in relief.

“Well, Blaine here talks about you all the time. Won’t shut up about you.” Cooper throws a wink at Blaine. Kurt is fascinated, and pleased, as a blush rises to Blaine’s cheeks, pinking his ears.

“I wish you’d shut up,” Blaine mutters under his breath and Cooper just smirks at him. This must be what it’s like to have a brother, Kurt thinks. He can only hope that he and Finn develop a tenth of what Blaine and Cooper clearly have between them.

Cooper catches the way Kurt looks at Blaine, his eyes flickering to his face and away again, when Blaine isn’t looking, and files it away. He knows what his brother is like, and he knows that Kurt doesn’t yet know, doesn’t understand what it is to be an Anderson. Cooper’s help is probably going to be needed here. It's a challenge he's eager to take.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr-”

Cooper shakes his head fondly. “Oh god please don’t call me Mr. Anderson.”

“I suppose ‘Neo’ is out then, too?”

Cooper laughs, sneaking a quick peak at Blaine. He almost rolls his eyes at the Blaine is looking so adoringly Kurt. His brother really is dense sometimes.

“I’m going to like you, aren’t I?” Cooper says, and he knows it true. He and Kurt are going to get on swimmingly.

Now it’s Kurt’s turn to flush. He’s not used to this, to people openly accepting him at first sight. To have someone look him dead in the eyes and like what they find there. It happened with Blaine though, and Kurt is finding that it feels good. It feels hopeful.

“Well in celebration of your win, Blainers here and I are going out to dinner,”

“Don’t call me that,” Blaine interrupts. “God.” He sends an imploring look to Cooper. Not in front of him. It just makes Cooper laugh again. Sometimes it’s all so worth it to be a big brother.

“Blainers?” Kurt mouths at Blaine, eyebrow quirked and smirking, and Blaine's flush deepens to an ugly purple.

I’m doomed Blaine thinks.

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Cooper pushes at Blaine’s shoulder a little. “We’re going to go grab some dinner to celebrate. You should come with us.”

Kurt’s mouth drops open a little. “Oh, I, I don’t want to impose on a family-”

Cooper cuts him off with a protesting noise. “Nonsense. Any friend of Blaine’s is a friend of mine. Well, except for that Wes kid. He’s dependence on his gavel worries me. Besides, I won’t take no for answer, so don’t bother.”

Kurt is shocked when Cooper actually loops his arm through his own, linking their elbows. People, boys, men don't tend to touch him, not on purpose, and he spends a lot of time making sure he doesn't accidentally touch them.

“We can swap embarrassing stories about baby brother here. I have so very many.” Cooper throws another wink at Blaine, who splutters and gapes adorably, before pulling Kurt away.

Blaine watches helplessly as Cooper and Kurt walk off, heads bowing together, whispering conspiratorially. He knows they’re going to team up against him. It makes his heart flutter a little.

Oh god what have I done?