"Blaine? Aw c'mon kid, don't go fallin' asleep at your boyfriend's graduation -- he'll kill you -- and me for not waking you."

Blaine glared at Cooper as he lifted his hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. The two brothers were seated with Burt and Carole in the April Rhodes Auditorium at McKinley waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin.

"Is it my fault he dragged me out of bed at six a.m.? I don't get out of bed before eight if I don't have school, Cooper. You of all people should remember that." he slumped back in his chair, picking idly at a stray thread on the sleeve of the white button down he was wearing. "besides, in my world, it's still yesterday. I don't have to think about him leaving --"

"You don't have to think about that for a while." Cooper cut him off, his hand curling around his brother's and squeezing carefully. He regretted his action when he saw the teen supress a flinch. "Come on, B...let's just sit here and support Kurt and the rest of your friends, okay?"

Blaine nodded, his hands moving from messing with his shirt to mess with the blue bowtie he had donned for the occasion.

Cooper sighed. At least he'd been able to convince his brother to tone down the gel (he'd been caught trying to flatten it over his skull just after Kurt had left the Anderson house to pick up his cap and gown back at the Hummel-Hudson's house), as well talk him out of the bright red capris and going without socks, thrusting his old gray uniform slacks from Dalton, along with some dark socks and black dress shoes into his arms.

He knew Blaine wasn't normally this out of whack when it came to his clothes...even if he did still suspect that Kurt had an outfit diagram hidden somewhere that dictated what his boyfriend wore.

He had seen the same sort of behavior right after Sadie Hawkins. Although, that had combined with nightmares, depression...and a silent treatment that had lasted nearly two weeks before Colin had set him up with a psychologist.

And Cooper would definitely be giving said psychologist a call before he left for Los Angeles.

---

"Hannah Adams." called the principal, Ms. Lewis.

Hannah turned to face Cooper and gave him a smile that sometimes still made his knees go weak before walking across the stage to recieve her diploma.

Cooper turned his head and quickly scanned the crowd before smiling in relief. He could easily spot his grandparents, eight-year-old Blaine sandwiched between them. He had to supress a chuckle at seeing his little brother's excitement.

"Cooper Anderson!"

He grinned broadly at the sound of his name before striding across the stage to accept his diploma.

Once it was in his hand, he made his way to the photographer ('pose...turn into it, remember?' it was what his drama teacher, Mr. Reynolds had told him sophomore year).

When the ceremony was over, the first thing he did was find Danny and Haley, who were, predictably, making out near one of the janitor closets.

"You two are disgusting." he teased.

"I didn't complain when I caught you two going at it in the girls' bathroom near the office junior year, did I?" Danny shot back when they broke apart. "Where's Blainers?"

"With my grandparents." Cooper said, "C'mon, I'm dying to get out of this robe."

"Good thing too," Hannah smirked. "Yellow looks terrible on you."

"Gee thanks, Hale." he muttered, reaching up to unzip the yellow graduation robe before shrugging it off and draping it over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go find them."

The three eighteen-year-olds made their way back into the now more empty auditorium, where Colin and Heather Anderson were waiting with Blaine.

"Coo!" Blaine yelled, launching out of his chair and into his big brother's arms.

"Blainers!" he laughed, hugging the child tightly. "Did you have fun watching us graduate?"

Blaine's brow furrowed, his hazel eyes narrowing slightly as he bit his lower lip.

"It was okay watching you, and Haley and Danny," he said seriously. "but then it got really boring."

"It did? Did you see me strike a pose for the photographer?"

"Yeah. I dunno why though, it's not like you were modeling it or something."

Danny laughed.

"Blaine speaks sense! God you acted like you were a Victoria Secret Model or something!"

Cooper rolled his eyes, relinquishing his hold on Blaine.

"Sure, Danny -- I hid my bra and undies under my shirt and pants."

"Make-up in your locker?"

"Duh."

Blaine was busy showing Haley his plaid bow-tie.

"You like it? Grandma and Grandpa got it for my birthday!" he said excitedly, practically ripping it off of his neck as he tried to show it to her properly.

Hannah giggled and knelt down, batting Blaine's hands out of the way to fix his tie.

"It's very you, Blaine -- very special." she assured him.

"Alright kids -- graduation party is at our house remember?" called Colin. "Coop, get Blaine back in record time in the station wagon and I might lift that current ban on the jeep!"

Cooper made a face at his grandfather before nodding.

"Not a word," he told Danny before offering Blaine a piggy-back ride, which the curly haired boy happily accepted. "Let's go!"

"Rachel Berry." called Figgins.

Rachel smiled brilliantly as her name was called and walked across the stage to accept her diploma. Traditionally you were supposed to hold applause until all the graduates had recieved their diplomas, but nobody really held to that.

Cooper grinned at seeing Rachel's dads on their feet, cheering like crazy. Blaine didn't move, though he did smile a little as he watched a few more students cross the stage before the next name he knew was called.

"Michael Chang."

Blaine did applaud lightly this time, and when Mike flashed him the thumbs up after taking his diploma, he did the same, grinning just a little.

"Quinn Fabray."

There was a fair amount of applause for Quinn, particularly from the girls who'd been on Cheerios with her."Finn Hudson."

Blaine and Cooper both applauded, though it was lost amidst Carole's cheering and those of the other seniors who'd been on the football team.

"Kurt Hummel."

Kurt seemed to hesitate for a second, looked out to where Cooper and Blaine were seated. Blaine sat up a little straighter, gave the brunette a small smile, and nodded.That was all his boyfriend needed to see before walking across the stage to cheers from Burt and Carole, as well as Cooper (if he wolf-whistled, nobody said anything, though it got a weak chuckle from Blaine).

"He's going to be amazing in New York." he murmured softly, his tear filled hazel eyes following Kurt's every move as he made his way offstage.

---

After graduation was over (Schuester had nixed the performance), everyone went back to the Hummel-Hudson house for a party. Blaine didn't interact much, just stayed on the couch curled up next to Kurt.

However when Kurt vacated the seat to go get a drink, Mike promptly took his place.

"Hey." he said quietly, bumping his friend's shoulder. "You okay?"

Blaine nodded, but he didn't smile.

"Sorry about Saturday," he said softly.

Mike arched an eyebrow. Why the hell was Blaine apologizing for something he'd had no control over?

"It's fine, Blaine -- I wasn't mad or anything --"

"Don't lie to me, Mike."

"Why would I lie? Blaine, you had some scary stuff happen to you --"

"You mean my psycho of a mother? She definitely qualifies as 'scary stuff'." the now senior looked over at his friend. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay fine -- we won't talk about it." Mike shrugged. He wasn't going to pry if Blaine didn't want him to. "but you are definitely coming over and hangin' with me before I leave for Juliard. Got that?"

Silence.

"Right?" Mike tried again.

Blaine sighed, but he smiled and nodded, and then surprised the other boy by bumping his shoulder.

"Okay."

---

If Blaine had ever been looking forward to anything less in his life -- besides Kurt's graduation -- it was Cooper leaving to go back to Los Angeles.

The two had come to Port Columbus with their grandparents and Kurt, who'd wanted to say good-bye as well.

"I want you to stay." Blaine's voice was so quiet that Cooper barely heard it. He could feign ignorance, but he knew his brother wouldn't believe him.

Shit. Don't cry...Don't cry.

"I've got to, Blaine -- it's my big break --"

"I don't care." Blaine's face was impassive, but the trembling of his lower lip gave him away. "Don't leave, Coo. I don't -- I can't --"

Oh God.

"Listen to me." Cooper reached over to hug him tightly, fighting the urge to cry and failing miserably. "Blaine -- come on bud, don't cry -- don't make this harder than it is --"

"It shouldn't be hard!" The teen burst out, "It should be easy for you!" he wiped at his eyes, swearing quietly. "Please Coop --"

"I won't be gone long." Cooper promised. "I'll be back by Christmas, and for your birthday, and for your graduation. Then the summer is ours, okay? We'll do whatever you want."

Blaine looked at him hopefully.

"Cedar Point?" he asked.

Cooper laughed.

"You got it." he hugged his brother and laid a kiss on the top of his head. "Call me if you need anything. Anything, Blaine."

The curly haired boy smiled.

"Okay."

Cooper looked over at Kurt.

"You take care of him, you got that?" he said, pointing at his brother and wiping at his eyes before moving to hug his grandparents.

"Of course." Kurt's arm curled around Blaine's waist, holding him close. "Work on your pointing -- I don't think that was dramatic enough."

"Screw you."

"No thanks, your brother does it pretty well." Kurt smirked.

"Oh my God," Cooper groaned. "In the future please feel free to leave all references to your sex life out of conversations with me."

"And us," said Colin, giving Blaine a meaningful look that caused all three boys to laugh.

Blaine smiled.

"You sort of asked for it, Coop." he said, staring at the ground. "Have fun shooting that movie. You'll be awesome. I know it."

Just then, an announcement blared over the speakers:

Flight 4531 Columbus, Ohio to Los Angeles, California is now boarding at Gate 26.

Cooper slung his backpack that he was using as a carryon over his shoulder and hugged Blaine one more time. Going for months without seeing his kid brother -- that was going to be hard...not that he hadn't done it before, but given what had happened with their mother it was all the more difficult.

"Love you Coop." Blaine tapped him on the chest, face buried in his t-shirt.

"Try not to plaster your hair to your head while I'm gone okay?" was the response. "I love you too squirt."

Blaine felt Kurt's arm wrap around his waist again, his lips brush against his cheek as they watched Cooper walk toward security -- after promising Heather that he'd call when he landed.

"You okay?" Kurt asked the senior softly.

He could have told the truth. He could have said that he was freaking out, because how was he supposed to get through any counseling sessions, or Kurt's leaving for New York, or his senior year --

He lied.

"I'm fine."

He had two and a half months to figure out how to cope with Kurt leaving and facing McKinley without him...he could do this.

At least...he thought he could.

So he let Kurt lead him out of the airport, to his Navigator after promising his grandparents he would be home by midnight.

I'll be fine...he thought. I have to be...I have to try...

-Fin-