Blaine rushed back to his apartment for a quick shower and to change his clothes. Much to his surprise Santana and Anna weren't there to pester him or ask a ton of questions about his whereabouts last night. He was going to avoid that conversation, particularly with Santana, for as long as possible. Especially since he wasn't entirely sure where he and Kurt stood at the moment. They were hooking up certainly, and Blaine thought they could call each other friends, or maybe even something a little more, but the thought scared him. What if this all ended in disaster?

He raced down to the bus stop and made it to campus just in time for his shift. It wasn't until he walked inside the building that he remembered who he shared his mid-day shift with.

"Well, well, if it isn't the cock loving hobbit come to tell me all of his adventures with a certain bad boy," Santana intoned as soon as she caught sight of him.

Grimacing slightly Blaine moved behind the desk and took up his usual chair. The man Santana had been checking out was staring at him, looking terrified by Santana's words. "You'll have to forgive her," Blaine told him quickly, charming smile plastered on his face. "She's got a bad case of Tourette's. She's been blurting out that phrase for the past week. Feel free to report it to our manager, though. I know I'm sick of hearing it every time someone walks through the door."

As Santana handed the man his book he rushed from the building without a backward glance. Santana didn't even seem to care or notice as she turned to Blaine. After a few seconds of looking him over she smiled widely. Blaine gave a mental groan, because he hated that look. That look told him that she knew he'd gotten laid and no amount of evasive answers was going to get him out of telling her the details.

"Oh, I bet Hummel's roommate loved listening to you two go at it last night," Santana quipped, scooting closer and grabbing his hand. "Details, Blainers. Now. How hard did that bad boy pound you?"

"What bad boy?" Blaine shot back, pulling his hands from her grasp and fishing his laptop out of his bag. "I fucked an RA last night, not a bad boy."

"You– wait," Santana eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "He blew his whole cover. That little pr– "

"He decided to be honest with me," Blaine snapped, glaring at her. "Something I wish you understood more about."

"Oh, please, I know plenty about honesty," Santana retorted.

"Oh, so that Brittany girl didn't break up with you because you were lying to her and making her believe ridiculous things so she would be mean to other people?" Blaine said harshly, and he knew as soon as he'd said it he'd gone too far, even if it was true.

"Go fuck yourself," Santana spat, pushing her chair down along the desk until she was as far away as possible.

The next two hours were silent. Blaine felt horrible for what he'd said, and the pain he'd brought up, but he also knew it was true. He wished Santana would stop lying and manipulating other people to be who she thought they needed to be, but he didn't know the likelihood of it happening anytime soon.

By five o'clock their relief arrived and Santana disappeared without a word to him. Blaine was just getting ready to chase after her when a voice shouting out across the courtyard made him halt.

"Blaine, over here!"

He spun around to find Kurt, Burt, and Carole seated at a bench about fifteen feet away. With one more glance at where Santana had disappeared Blaine headed over, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Hey," Kurt greeted, smiling and looking as nervous as Blaine felt.

"Hi," Blaine replied, glancing at Carole and Burt.

"My um, we wanted to see if you wanted to go to dinner with us," Kurt told him, his eyes shifting in the direction of his father just slightly. Blaine took the hint for what it was. Burt had insisted on this meet up and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Sounds great," Blaine said cheerily despite how nervous he was about what was bound to be an interrogation. He didn't even know where he and Kurt stood. How was he supposed to explain that to Kurt's father? "I'll use one of my guest meals for you guys."

"Oh, that's sweet, but we're fine just paying," Carole replied, linking her arm through his and ushering him towards the dining hall a few buildings over.

Blaine was surprised by how fast she walked, but the reason for her speed dawned on him when she whispered, "Burt's going to do his best to separate you and Kurt so he can grill you. He's very... protective."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Blaine muttered, glancing over his shoulder to see Kurt and Burt trailing far behind them. He looked back at Carole and decided to be honest with her. After all she was warning him of his impending doom, so she seemed to be on his side to a certain degree. "What's Kurt been telling him? About us, I mean. We're sort of... I'm not," Blaine stopped, feeling flustered because he wanted to say he and Kurt were friends, but he also thought he wanted more. If Carole told him Kurt had said he didn't want that he'd feel like an idiot.

"Mostly he's avoided the subject, but he said you two are friends," Carole answered, giving him a kind smile.

Blaine smiled back as they turned into the dining hall entrance. Carole reminded him of his own mother in a lot of ways. She was gentle and kind and easy to talk to. His heart also soared a bit at the fact that Kurt considered them friends. Something of what he was feeling obviously came across on his face, but Carole laughed a little and patted his arm.

"You two are very cute together," she informed him as they joined the line waiting to get into the dining hall. "I don't think Burt has anything to worry about. Not the way he thinks he does at least."

"What do you m– "

"Since when do you power walk?" Kurt demanded, falling into step behind him and Carole. Burt eyed him sharply and Blaine smiled slightly.

"We're doing a fitness month at the hospital," Carole lied smoothly, giving Blaine a little wink. "I'm getting quite good at it, even if Burt can't keep up."

Yes, Blaine definitely liked Carole.

Blaine woke up in a cocoon of warmth, his face buried in the crook of Kurt's neck. For a few moments he kept his eyes shut and enjoyed the feeling, the way Kurt's arms were snug around his chest and the way his face seemed to fit perfectly against Kurt's neck. He curled his fingers tighter around the sleeve of Kurt's tank top and breathed in deeply.

The past few days had flown by. Dinner with Burt and Carole hadn't been nearly as disastrous as he'd thought it would be. As soon as they'd sat down Blaine had made a point to explain things to Burt before the other man came up with an elaborate way to corner him. He'd taken Kurt's hand in his and said they were friends for now since they were still getting to know each other. When his own words had matched Kurt's explanation Burt had relaxed some, though he still kept shooting them looks. The looks had made Blaine feel weird, because they reminded him of Santana's looks. Not because Burt knew exactly what they'd done the night before (though Blaine had little doubt that the man had pieced it together), but because Burt realized what Blaine was beginning to feel.

Under his cheek Kurt's chest rumbled as the other man grunted and then snuffled loudly. Blaine turned his face into Kurt's neck to hide his smile. Last night have been... different. After Burt and Carole had left Saturday evening they'd gone back to Kurt's room again and had sex. Sunday and Monday night they'd come back here to his room and done the same, but last night they hadn't. For the first time they'd come back to one of their rooms, watched television, curled up together, and fallen asleep. Kurt had met him at the library towards the end of his shift, and even though they'd both been exhausted from classes and auditions Kurt had still decided to come home with him.

Despite the part of his head bellowing at him to remind him that Kurt was only a friend, he couldn't help but think that last night they'd behaved like boyfriends would.

"Hrmmrph," Kurt groaned, twisting slightly in Blaine's grasp and trying to roll towards him.

Blaine followed his motion, rolling off Kurt's chest and onto his side until they were face to face. He glanced around his room to figure out what time it might be, but everything was still fairly dark from what he could tell. There was a little bit of dull light trickling in through one of the blinds, but nothing that made him think it was time to get up yet.

Kurt was still sleeping peacefully beside him, his hair falling into his eyes. Blaine reached up and brushed a few strands back and snuggling in closer to Kurt's warmth. He felt calmer than he had in a long time while he was lying right here. His arms slid back around Kurt's body, hugging him close as he nuzzled his face against the other man's neck.

"Kurt, wake up," he murmured, pressing a lingering kiss to the underside of Kurt's jaw. "Wake up, birthday boy."

"Hmm?" Kurt grumbled, turning his face into the pillow. The movement gave Blaine even better access to Kurt's neck.

"Wake up," Blaine repeated before attaching his lips to Kurt's neck. Slowly he sucked a path up the other man's neck, along his jaw and then up to his lips. He pressed his own firmly against Kurt's, moving slowly and working to coax Kurt's mouth open. Finally Kurt started to respond to his advances, parting his lips and letting Blaine's tongue dip into his mouth.

"Morning," Kurt yawned as Blaine pulled back, and kissed the tip of his nose. "Ugh, you've got horrible breath."

"Yours smells like shit, too," Blaine retorted. "You didn't sneak out to rim some other guy last night by any chance, did you?"

"Piss off," Kurt growled, blowing in his face.

Blaine crinkled his nose at the smell. "Ugh, gross. You could have at least brushed your teeth when you got back."

Kurt glared at him, and suddenly his hand grabbed Blaine's ass and tugged him forward until they were pressed tightly together. "Why bother if I'm about to do the same to you?"

"Oh, really?" Blaine gasped. "I'm pretty sure I should be doing that to you. It is your birthday after all."

Just as quickly as the lust and rough playfulness had appeared it vanished and Kurt's grip loosened.

"It's– you don't have to do anything– "

"But I want to," Blaine insisted, leaning in to kiss Kurt once more. "I promise it won't be anything huge or expensive, okay?"

"I– all right," Kurt agreed, still looking uncomfortable at the thought. "Just... we barely know each other. I don't want you going all out for me. You didn't even know my birthday was today until Carole said it fifteen times at dinner."

"She wanted to make sure I'd remember the date, I think," Blaine commented, brushing a few more stray hairs off Kurt's forehead. "It won't be anything crazy, or... more than friends," Blaine said uncertainly. Quickly he rushed to add, "Unless you want it to be, but– "

"No, that's... we could just do what we always do," Kurt offered.

"You mean fuck?"

Kurt smiled, looking slightly bashful. "Birthday sex is always a fantastic gift idea."

"Hmmm, I'll keep that in mind for later," Blaine agreed. But secretly his mind was trying to figure something else out. He wanted to find a way to show Kurt how much he was starting to mean to him, but the thought terrified him. What if he scared Kurt off? What if he scared himself off? He might be feeling things and acting differently with Kurt than he normally did with other men in their situation, but that didn't have to mean anything. Even if he'd never felt safer than he felt right now tangled up with Kurt that didn't mean he was falling in love – that didn't mean he'd found a place for his heart to call home.

"Good," Kurt mumbled, letting his eyes drift shut again. "I'm going back to sleep until you decide to get me off then."

"Don't you have class?"

"Birthday skip day," Kurt informed him drowsily.

Blaine propped himself up on his elbow, cradling Kurt against his chest and stroking his cheek until his breathing evened out again. Behind him a fist knocked against his door and then it creaked open.

"Blaine?" Anna's voice called softly. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah. Is it time for class already?"

"Get up, blue balls," Santana's voice said louder. The door creaked open more and Blaine rolled over enough to see her come strutting in. They'd started talking again on Sunday and while neither of them had mentioned their fight at work on Saturday, they'd both reached a silent, but mutual understanding about it.

"I... fine," Blaine sighed, deciding that he'd skipped enough last week after his first night with Kurt. As Anna stepped into his room, Blaine rolled back towards Kurt. "Hey, we're going to class, okay?" He pressed a sweet kiss to Kurt's forehead and the other man mumbled in acknowledgment. "Lock the door when you leave."

Kurt grumbled some more and flopped over onto his stomach as Blaine crawled out from under the covers and stood up.

"Oh, did you two discover a way to have clothed sex then?" Santana asked, eyeing his pajama pants and tank top.

"We uh, we didn't have sex last night," Blaine admitted quietly as he shuffled over to his dresser and started to change.

"Then what did you do if you didn't do each other?" Santana demanded. Blaine turned around as he tugged his shirt off. Santana was looking curious, but Anna's expression caught him off guard. It was hopeful, bright, and rather unnerving. Almost as though she knew something he didn't about himself.

Blaine shrugged as he buttoned up his jeans. "Dunno. We watched a movie, and... yanno, like, snuggled together. Ended up falling asleep. Been a long week."

Now Santana was giving him the same look Anna was. A huge, radiant smile had taken over her features as Blaine pulled his shirt on and grabbed his bag.

"Why are you two looking at me like that?" he finally demanded when they reached the bus stop.

"Because you're really fucking stupid," Santana retorted sharply. "It is so obvious."

Baffled by her words, Blaine watched her climb onto the waiting bus. He turned to Anna as they let a few other people get on. "What are you two on about?"

"You two make a really cute couple," Anna said bluntly as she brushed past him and handed the driver her bus pass to clip.

"We– I– what?" Blaine squawked as he followed her onto the bus. The driver yanked his bus pass from his loose grip and clipped it."We're not tog– "

"Then why do you two fuck like bunnies half the week and then cuddle on the one night you don't?"

"We're... Kurt and I," Blaine stammered as he tugged down into a seat next to Santana. Anna dropped down behind them and hugging him around the shoulders from behind. "We're friends," he concluded. "That's it. We're barely even friends at that."

"Uh huh, sure," Santana drawled, pinching his cheek condescendingly. "Two 'friends' who fuck and cuddle and give each other heart eyes. Oh, and go out to eat with the other's parents."

"That wasn't planned," Blaine argued as the bus jolted and started down the road. "It just happened."

"Falling in love just happens," Anna supplied from behind him. She pecked him on the cheek where Santana's fingers had just pinched his face.

"I am not in love," Blaine growled. "I don't do that kind of stuff. It just ends with– if I was I– I'm just not."

He scowled at them both as the bus pulled out onto the main road. The girls exchanged another look and Blaine glared at the head of the man in front of him. Kurt was great, of course he was, and Blaine definitely liked him. That didn't mean he was in love. Being in love had never ended well for an Anderson. Blaine wasn't going to make the same mistake his parents and brother had.

The three of them shared their first class of the morning, Ancient Civilizations at eight sharp. Throughout the lecture Blaine ignored both of them, even shifted down their row several seats when they kept trying to whisper to him and pass notes. After that they both started to bombard him with text messages. By the time class ended at ten to nine his anger had mostly vanished just so they would stop pestering him.

He and Anna headed off to through Music Theory class while Santana took a break for an hour better classes. During the walk over Anna remained silent as she hooked her arm through his. The only sound was the snow crunching underfoot and the buzz of other students chattering as they passed by them. Once they arrived at their new destination they took their usual spot at the back desk and started to unpack.

Nobody else had arrived yet, but it was normal, especially for a Wednesday. A lot of their classmates skipped this class on Wednesdays because Professor Blankenship only went over whatever they'd read about or been assigned to compose. Nothing exciting ever happened and the elderly man always forgot to take attendance.

"Blaine, I'm sorry if we upset you," Anna apologized quietly as she pulled out her notebook. "We just want what's best for you, that's all."

Blaine sighed in defeat and ran his hand though his curls. "I know. Don't worry about it. I'm just... " he paused, trying to decide how to phrase what was going on in his head. "Just trying to figure this all out myself still."

Anna nodded slowly. "He's really good for you," she mentioned. "I haven't seen you smile that way in a long time."

"He's... he's everywhere," Blaine confessed. "In my dreams, at work– "

"In your bed," Anna added in, smiling slightly.

Blaine's lips twitched, but he forced the smile down and only nodded. "Yeah, he's a lot of other places, too," Blaine finished as his stomach swooped just from the idea that he was, in fact, in love with the other man. There really wasn't much he could say to deny it, even to himself.

A few people filed into the class. Blaine watched them quietly before saying, "It's his birthday today. I wanted to do something for him. Nothing with money or anything. He didn't want that, just... something simple. Like a song or something."

"One with meaning," Anna deduced, still smiling. "A way to tell him how you think you're feeling without having to say it aloud."

"I– yeah, I guess," Blaine agreed uncomfortably. "But I've got classes all day and I can't even think of a song to play. Then I'll have to learn it and– "

"I think you already picked the song," Anna told him with certainly. "You even said the name just now."

"What– "

"He's everywhere, is what you said. Everywhere."

"What do you– oh, oh! That's... but all of the lyrics won't fit– "

"That's never stopped you before," Anna reminded him as the bell rang and the professor strolled in.

How little her words irked him should have surprised him, but he barely processed them. Anna was certainly right, too. Once in his sophomore year of high school he'd serenaded his crush by singing to him – at his place of work – about keeping his sex toys in the drawer. Blaine didn't think he could do much worse than that.

"Do you think you and Santana can keep him out of the apartment for a few hours?" Blaine whispered as their professor started to drone on. "I need to figure out how to play it, and which instrument and– "

"I'm on it," Anna muttered, sliding her phone out of her pocket and starting to type. "We'll take him to a long dinner, and you can just skip your evening class."

Blaine nodded gratefully, already playing the tune in his head and starting to arrange it. The lyrics weren't completely the sentiment he was going for, because Kurt was definitely still around when he woke up, but it was a decent way to try to explain how he felt.

After spending a relaxing morning lounging in Blaine's bed, Kurt took a shower, and returned to his hall to make sure nothing insane had gone down. Rachel had greeted him at the front desk, told him a few new gossipy tidbits about one of the love triangles going on between three girls on their floor – two roommates on his side, and the invasive third party on hers – then rushed him upstairs for his birthday presents and a movie marathon.

Needless to say, his day was pretty fantastic. At dinner he ran into Anna and Santana, only to be dragged to the little local restaurant a few streets over for a birthday dinner. By the time the wait staff arrived with his free piece of cake and sang a rousing, but off-key, birthday song he was getting suspicious. Any mention of Blaine and his whereabouts was immediately deflected. Blaine had wanted to do something for him for his birthday, but the thought that this much time and preparation was needed made him nervous.

They were friends, with a lot of exciting benefits admittedly, but Kurt didn't think they were more than that. The thought of being more than that scared him. Blaine was a great, nice, charming guy, but what if he – like every other guy – was only interested because Kurt was convenient?

The girls prolonged dinner for another twenty minutes before Kurt finally snapped and demanded they leave.

"Okay, this is just ridiculous," Kurt told them abruptly, standing up. "I already know Blaine's up to something because he told me himself that he was, so let's just go. We paid half an hour ago. They're going to kick us out eventually."

Santana rolled her eyes, but got up. "I told you Hummel wouldn't let us keep him here for that long."

"He just needs a little bit longer– "

"Oh, shut up," Santana snapped. "Even when something's perfect Blaine still expects more from himself. Let's go. I have an exam to study for."

Anna clenched her jaw, but Kurt shushed her quickly and tugged her out of the restaurant. The short bus ride to their apartment was silent except for Anna's constant stream of text messages. Kurt had a shrewd idea of who they were with, but he didn't call her on it. If Blaine needed more time wouldn't it make more sense for her to not text him every other minute so he could finish up... whatever he was doing?

He was certainly intrigued by whatever Blaine had planned, and a little nervous and excited. There was no real set reason for why he was so much more excited for this than he'd been for any of his friend's gifts, or even his family visiting, but there was – and always had been – something about Blaine that kept him interested. It was one of the main reasons he'd spent so much time "studying" at the coffee shop on campus, and then had given in to Santana's plan. Getting close to Blaine in any way was all he'd really found himself wanting, and whatever the other man had planned tonight was bound to be perfect.

As soon as he stepped through the front door of the apartment Anna and Santana rushed off to their respective rooms. Two doors slammed closed, more loudly than was strictly necessary, and then it was silent. Unsure of what was awaiting him, Kurt slowly wandered down to the hall, only to see Blaine poking his head out from his room.

"K- Kurt! You guys are... um, early."

"So I gathered, mystery man," Kurt remarked, restraining himself from leaning in for a chaste kiss. Instead he tried to look past Blaine into the other man's room. What he'd been expecting to see he didn't know, but his heart sunk a little when he found the room looked no different than it had that morning. "Gonna tell me what this birthday surprise is now?"

"I uh," Blaine stammered as a shrill whistle echoed down the hall from Santana's room.

"Get some!"

"Oh my... "Blaine trailed off, looking embarrassed. "I'm just going to murder her in her sleep one day, I swear."

He ushered Kurt into the room, closed and locked the door, and moved over to the space across from the bed where several instruments were set up. The sight of Blaine's acoustic guitar propped up against the keyboard, instead of its normal spot on its stand, make Kurt's heart stutter in his chest. Listening to Blaine play at the coffee shop had been the main reason he'd fallen so hopelessly in love with Blaine last year.

"I know you said nothing expensive, so I figured I'd do what I do best, being a music major and all," Blaine rambled, pulling Kurt over to sit on the edge of the bed.

Kurt complied as Blaine continued to explain himself nervously, picking up his guitar and sitting down beside Kurt. He arrange the instrument and turned to face him, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"It's um, I just picked it out and figured it out a few hours ago. At first I tried to arrange it on piano because the original was too fast for what I had in mind, but then it didn't work so I tried an acoustic version and all of the words don't really fit, but... it's just," Blaine paused, looking hesitant and bashful. Kurt's stomach gave a tremulous swoop as he reached over and stroked Blaine's cheek to try to calm him down. "It's just how I've been feeling, or starting to feel, lately. So, um, here goes... "

Blaine settled the guitar in his lap once more and then started to strum softly. The tune was vaguely familiar to Kurt, though he couldn't quite place it until Blaine began to sing.

"Turn it inside out so I can see

the part of you that's drifting over me"

The song Blaine was playing hit him like a bolt of lightning. It was older, from his elementary school days, but it had been hugely popular back then. The version Blaine was playing for him right now was softer, and slower, but like with all the songs he'd heard Blaine play in that little coffee shop it was raw and beautiful to his ears. When he allowed himself to realize that not only was Blaine playing for him, but that he was playing to him and him alone his breath stuck to his throat.

Blaine looked up and met his eyes nervously, bashfully, as he continued to sing. Kurt's chest expanded almost painfully at the hopefulness in those eyes, and he started to tear up some, because sitting here, being serenaded like this was something he'd dreamt about. Not just after he'd started watching Blaine at the coffee shop, but even back in high school. He'd wanted to find someone who could share his passions with him, who would show him how much he meant to them with their music. Of course he'd secretly hoped Blaine would do that for him someday, but since he'd never even been able to get up the courage to approach him all those nights he'd thought that was simply wishful thinking.

"Cause every time I look

you're never there

and always there"

To Blaine the words might not all fit with what he was trying to convey, but to Kurt those parts seemed to fit himself so perfectly. For years he been searching and hoping to find someone like the man next to him, to find someone he might be able to give his heart to, and Blaine's sincerity right now was making his stomach flip like it had that first night he'd caught sight of the other man. If Kurt hadn't already known it was this easy to fall in love he wouldn't have believed it was happening to him once again with the same man.

"Cause you're everywhere to me

and when I close my eyes it's you I see

You're everything I know that makes me believe

I'm not alone"

Kurt clamped his hands together and pressed them against his lips, covering the ridiculous smile that was taking over his face.

"I recognize the way you make me feel

it's hard to think that you might not be real"

He thought he understood what Blaine was trying to admit to, what Kurt himself was still trying to grasp a year later, but maybe this time... maybe this time his heart wouldn't end up crushed. Maybe this time he'd finally found a haven for his heart to share with another.

It felt like something inside of his chest has grown wings and was trying to take flight. Knowing that Blaine was feeling even the slightest bit of what he did made him feel so much freer and happier. For once he wasn't just making all of it up in his head, or trying to convince himself that the guy he was messing around with felt more the slightest connection. Blaine was giving him all of that proof he'd longed for right now.

"And when I touch your hand

it's then I understand

The beauty that's within

It's now that we begin"

Blaine's voice faltered just slightly on the last line, and for a gut-wrenching moment as Blaine started up a final chorus Kurt thought that was another line that meant the opposite of what Blaine was trying to say. But Blaine shifted in closer, twisting so that his chest and the guitar faced away from Kurt. Still strumming and singing softly, Blaine tilted his head in and captured Kurt's lips briefly, murmuring the last words against Kurt's mouth.

"So tell me

Do you see me?"

Speechless, Kurt let his eyes drift open, finding Blaine's face centimeters away. His eyes were bright and nervous as they stared at each other. Blaine's last words hung in the air, and even though Kurt usually felt like the one who had to ask that it was incredible to finally have someone else just as hopeful about their relationship as he was.

"I've never seen anyone more clearly than I see you," Kurt whispered, treading his fingers into Blaine's curls and pulling him back in for another kiss. This one was deeper; slow and sensual like so few of their kisses had been, but to Kurt it was the most breath-taking moment of his life.