"That's right," he nodded, accepting the cup before leaning back in his seat in her room and crossing his legs.

"And Brittany saw him and had a, for lack of a better word, freak-out."

"Pretty much," he shrugged. "I wasn't there when it started, but she was just rocking back and forth in the corner of the gym, and then just latched onto me when I got there. She started crying, and muttering about Eddie, and then this jerk wants to help, and even I thought it was Eddie. I almost slapped the smirk off his face." He grinned at the thought, and then sighed. "Okay, so I probably wouldn't have. But just seeing his face. And then finding it wasn't even him, but some random ridiculous coincidence that shouldn't even happen. And then realizing that it was a smirk, and not just my feelings about Eddie that made it so. I mean, seriously, Q, the guy oozed jackass."

Quinn laughed at that before covering her mouth, and shrugging apologetically.

"No, it's okay. I'm being dramatic, I know," he sighed again, and rubbed at the back of his neck. "It's just...of all places, why here? And Coach Sue? I feel like I should have known, I mean, with the blonde hair and blue eyes..."

"Kurt, stop," Quinn said gently. "You can't do that to yourself. There are a plethora of blonde-haired, blue-eyed people in this world. You can't think you should have known with those being the only factor."

"Did you just use the word 'plethora'?" Kurt asked, brow raised, and she laughed a little.

"It's from my word-a-day calendar. I've been hoping I'd get the chance to use it." Her smile turned to a serious expression as she went on. "The point is, Kurt, I don't want you to take this personally. It is a ridiculous coincidence, as you said, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I know," he groaned and put his head in his hands. "But I can't just let it go...Brittany--"

"I know, Kurt, I know. And I'm not saying you have to let it go completely. I'm just saying you can't fuss yourself over this boy. What you can do, is be there for Brittany. If she needs to cry, you let her cry. If she needs to scream, you let her scream. And you need to let her know that she has two very important people who love her very much." He looked up with narrowed eyes, and she smiled a little as she said, "I mean you and Sunny, of course. And I'm sure your friend Rachel loves her, too, if you all have been friends as long as you said last week."

"Oh, yeah, Rachel," he waved the notion off. "She's a little crazy, but yeah, she's got enough love to go around."

"I'm sure," she smiled. "So Brittany already has a really great support group. And you said that Coach Sue kicked her nephew out when she realized what the problem was?"

"Surprised the hell out of me, but yes, she did," he shook his head, still in disbelief at the thought. "I'll probably have to explain more in depth to her. Maybe give her a call this weekend," he frowned.

"I don't envy you that. I've sat through a few of her practices, and let me tell you, that woman is something else. Nothing like my own cheer coaches in college and high school. Though we might have gotten farther with her," she mused, tapping her fingers on her knee, and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"You wouldn't last under her direction. I've sat through a few practices myself, you know."

"Don't underestimate me," she frowned, and Kurt snickered a little, before she went on coolly, "You'll probably need to be specific with the coach. She's understanding as far as she has the knowledge, but if you ask her to take things on faith, well, she's not quite so understanding there. But she will do anything for her girls. She'd hate me for saying so, but she's a regular Mother Hen."

"Strange as that sounds, I think I believe it," Kurt sighed. "But what should I do for Brittany? I mean really do. I hate just standing on the sidelines, being helpless."

"So find ways to distract her, then. Make cookies. Read a book together. Throw a dance party."

"Quinn."

"Or take her to see The Nutcracker at the end of the month. She'd like that, the dancing?"

"Yeah," he nodded slowly, starting to smile. "Yeah, she would. And so would Sunny."

"See? Perfect."

"Yeah, except that's not until after Thanksgiving."

"Which is next week."

"So until then...? What?"

Quinn sighed and flipped a stray blonde strand out of her eyes, grumbling under her breath as she pondered the situation. After a moment, she stood and walked into her office, quietly humming to herself. Kurt frowned, both at the action and the song that was so familiar, and yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Quinn?"

"I'll be back in a minute," she called, before resuming humming, and his frown deepened.

"Quinn?"

"Patience is a virtue," she sang to the same tune.

"Damn it, what is that song?"

She laughed as she walked back into the room, a notebook in her hands, and Kurt wondered, not for the first time, just how old she was. He had never been rude enough to ask, but he sometimes found it hard to believe that she had a degree and was more than a couple years into her career. He spared a thought to wonder if he could get Brittany to ask, but shook it away. Even though Quinn would never get mad at the sweet, simple blonde, he would know where the question came from, and feel just as rude and guilty as if he had been the one to ask instead.

"So that's what's bothering you, hmm?" He stilled at her question, afraid he had asked anyway, when she went on. "It's just an old song I sang back in high school. I told you I was in glee club, right?"

"Yes. But never mind that. What was that song?"

Instead of answering, she grinned, and started to sing.

"The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you..."

Kurt snorted a laugh and shook his head.

"Oh, no. I've awakened the sleeping giant."

Quinn made a face before laughing as she sat down across from him once more.

"If that was your way of telling me I should turn to God," he went on wryly, "I think you're talking to the wrong person."

"Like you don't go to church every Sunday," she snarked back, and he rolled his eyes.

"Please. I go for Brittany. And because I need somewhere to show off those beautiful Sunday dresses I make for Sunny. She's a hit with the preschoolers, you know. Completely ahead of the trends."

Quinn only shook her head fondly, and opened the notebook to a blank page.

"So you would be okay if I put 'Get involved at church' on the list of ways to distract Brittany?" she asked sweetly and he shuddered.

"Spare me." He leaned forward to watch her as she began to write. "A list, huh?"

"I like lists," she said simply. "They're so nice and easy to follow."

"Sure. What are you writing?"

She cleared her throat and began to read.

"Number one. Make cookies. Number two. Read a book together. Number three--"

"If you put 'Throw a dance party' on there, I might have to smack you, Q."

She smiled and continued, "Number three. Do her hair."

Kurt laughed and settled back into his chair.

"I love you, Quinn."

She grinned up at him, before she continued writing.

"Everybody does," she replied, and he laughed a moment until she said, "Since I'm making this list, why don't you make a list concerning why you and Blaine aren't dating yet?" He sputtered the drink he had just taken, and she went on calmly, "You would have sent me a text the instant it happened, Kurt, so don't even try to worm your way out of this."

"Quinn--"

"So why are you two still single? You texted me late Tuesday night that you'd confirmed his sexuality. Was there something else you needed to confirm?"

"So many things, Quinn, before we even think about the dating stage."

"Never mind that you're already in love with him," she said simply, and he nodded.

"Never mind that I'm already--Quinn!"

She grinned at him once more and he scowled.

"So, what's stopping you from admitting it?"

"There is nothing to admit," he declared. "And even if there were, he hasn't contacted me once since then."

Her grin fell immediately, and she reached a hand over to touch his.

"Oh, Kurt..."

"It's my fault," he sighed, shaking his head, but gripping her hand tightly in his nevertheless. "It was our third meeting, and I introduced him to Sunny."

"Oh, Kurt...you mean you hadn't even mentioned her?"

"He was still under the impression that I was straight, Quinn. You think mentioning a kid would help with that?"

"So you introduced them instead?"

He winced and a half-laugh escaped him.

"I know. So...ugh. It was just a spur of the moment thing. I was going to introduce him to Brittany, thinking, quite right, I might add, that she would help with the whole 'I'm gay' thing."

"Called him a dolphin, did she?" she asked fondly, and he laughed again.

"Yeah. And added the 'too,' so he had to ask what she meant by that as well, and..."

"So that worked out. But then Sunny..."

"She was just there, you know? I mean, she's always there. And so was Blaine, and then we were listening to Wicked, and we all sang together..."

"Let me guess. Sunny was Glinda, Blaine was Fiyero, and you were Elphaba."

"Oh, it was magical, Quinn. You wouldn't believe it," he sighed, smiling, and she smiled fondly back.

"I've heard Sunny wailing on Popular before."

He grinned at the thought before his smile fell and he sighed again, and Quinn frowned in concern.

"So what happened, Kurt?"

"I don't know. I don't know. He was getting along with her great, and neither Rachel nor Brittany managed to scare him off over supper, and Sunny was sitting in his lap almost the entire time, and they were laughing and talking, and I had this thought that finally, everything was going my way, and it was just...perfect."

"Nothing's perfect, Kurt."

"Apparently," he replied, and grimaced. "And it's four days now that I haven't heard from him. So I guess he's just a great actor and this all was too much for him."

"Or maybe," she suggested gently, "He's had a rough week, and didn't have time for a chat."

"Come on, Quinn. Not even a text message?"

"It's possible. Maybe he'll text you this weekend."

"Yeah right. If he was gonna text, wouldn't he do it yesterday? Weekends start on Friday for most college kids."

"Well, Blaine isn't most college kids, or you wouldn't have fallen for him, Kurt."

"Ugh, don't you think I know that?" he groaned before eyeing the list that she was still scribbling on. "Are you seriously going to write down every single thing I could do to distract Brittany from this incident? I have a mind that I'm highly capable of using, you know. Your preliminary ideas might spark ones of my own, or, heaven help us, I might come up with something completely original."

The blonde shot him a look, and he braced himself for the fiery retort.

"I was just adding that you should maybe plot out how to seduce Blaine together," she said and Kurt flushed immediately.

"Quinn. I'm not trying to seduce anyone!"

"Sure you're not. First step, though, is that you should text Blaine first. Because maybe," she went on over his protests, "He's a little shy."

"No way. Did you not hear me say he got along with my family great?"

"Some people are funny like that, Kurt. One-on-one or in small groups, they're absolutely fine. But any real pressure, like from a larger group or, I don't know, say, a phone call or text, and they freak out. So you're going to have to step up and make the first move."

"But I like the romance of being the pursued, not the pursue-ee."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you were the girl in this relationship," she said blithely and his eyes flashed.

"I think that is the most offensive thing I've ever heard you say Ms Fabray."

A smile twitched at her lips, and she asked, "So did it work?" and he groaned.

"Yes, damn you." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glared at her before opening it up. "I'll make the first--oh."

She paused at his tone and cocked her head to the side.

"What's up, Kurt?"

"I have a missed text. From yesterday at about three. Huh." He laughed a little and looked up at her abashed. "I guess I didn't think to check my phone for anything after Britt's break-down."

"Well, don't just sit there. Open it."

He clicked on the message and felt his breath rush from his lungs as he read.

From Blaine Anderson: Hey, what are you up to this lovely Friday afternoon?