�And this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you."

And then, Blaine's face came closer and closer and he could feel his breath and his hand on his face and was he really going to do that?

Apparently, he was because now his lips were on Kurt's and moving against them – and Kurt just couldn't.

So he raised his own hands to Blaine's shoulders and pushed him off, his eyes wide as he started at the other boy who seemed very surprised with the turn of events. "Stop," Kurt exhaled heavily, his hand clutching the table.

"I – Sorry?" Blaine panted with a small frown and tilted his head. His face was blushing with the obvious confusion about what was going on and maybe because of the fact that he was just pushed off the boy he was kissing.

"I can't," Kurt shook his head and dropped his gaze to the table. He couldn't look at Blaine, it gave him feelings and he couldn't decide if they were good or bad ones.

"Why?" was all Blaine said. Kurt knew it had been a good decision not to look at him because he could hear the hurt in his voice and knew, it would be even more evident in his face.

"Because," Kurt said quietly and bit his lip before he went on. "I just can't. I'm not going to settle as third choice. Which I am. You couldn't get Jeremiah and it didn't work out with Rachel either, so you've decided to give it a shot with me." He said and swallowed thickly.

"Kurt, no…" Blaine reached out for him, But Kurt just pushed his chair back and got up, starting to pace the room.

"Don't, Blaine."

Blaine just shook his head and got up as well, leaning against the table as he watched Kurt walk back and forth. "Look. You're not my third choice. Jeremiah was… a crush. I think I believed I needed to get a boyfriend to prove myself something. And Rachel… well as sweet as she is, that was when I had my moment of doubt. I'm gay, Kurt. And what I felt for Jeremiah or Rachel can not compare to what I feel for you."

"Funny you only realize that after they both turned you down." Kurt snapped and crossed his arms, refusing to stop moving around.

Blaine flinched with a bit of hurt but shook it off as he took a deep breath. "I think I tried my best not to realize it before." He stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurt asked and shot him a quick look before focusing on anything but him.

"You are my best friend, Kurt. I was scared that if I allow myself to admit that my feelings for you were developing into something…" he waved his hands around, trying to find the right words, "… more romantic, that I would mess all of this up and end up losing you as a friend too. And I can't do that, I can't lose you. So I settled with only being friends as long as that meant I'd still have you in my life."

Kurt sighed quietly and stopped in his tracks to finally look at Blaine for longer than a second. "Why now, then? Just because I sang about a dead bird?"

Blaine tilted his head to the side and eyed the boy in front of him, glad that he had stopped to look at him for a moment. "Because when you sang, that was you. That wasn't the boy who wore a school uniform or who was scared or who was trying to impress anyone. That was just Kurt Hummel being himself. That was the boy I am in love with." He said softly.

"Y-You're in love with me?" Kurt asked timidly, his voice an octave higher than usually. Because really, no one had ever been in love with him. So far, he had been the one mooning over boys – boys who had been mainly straight. And now this gorgeous, kind and charming gay boy was telling him he was in love with him.

"Of course, I wouldn't have kissed you if I wasn't." Blaine said and pushed himself off the table to slowly walk over to where Kurt was standing. "Kurt…" he said quietly and reached out to brush his fingertips over his cheek. But Kurt backed away and walked over to the piano, sitting down on the bench in front of it and trailing his fingertips absentmindedly over the keys.

"You don't believe me?" Blaine asked, his voice dipping into sadness a little and Kurt sighed and silently shook his head. "I don't know. No one ever felt this way for me."

Blaine made his way over to where Kurt was sitting and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "I know. But I do, Kurt. I really do. You're a beautiful, amazing and caring boy. And… I'm in love with you." He said again.

Kurt's lips curled into a slight smile and a warm feeling spread in his chest. Slowly, he leaned back against Blaine and closed his eyes for a moment while the other boy's hands slowly kneaded his shoulders. They remained silent for a moment before Blaine spoke again.

"Can I kiss you again?"

"I-I'm not sure…" Kurt admitted and pulled himself away from Blaine a little so he wasn't fully leaning against him anymore. The other boy walked around the bench and sat down next to him before he leaned forward to get a look on his face.

"Why?"

"I-I have never kissed anyone before. Well, at least no one I liked, I'm probably no good at this… and my first kiss wasn't exactly…" he was cut off when Blaine took one of his hands in his own and simply held it.

"I haven't kissed anyone ever either. I am just as inexperienced as you, Kurt. But I am sure, together, we'll figure everything out. And I'm sorry, I didn't think about that when I kissed you… I should have. I'm sorry." He said timidly and now it was Kurt's turn to shake his head.

"No, no. It's not that. It was different, you were… sweet. You didn't force yourself upon me. It's just that…" he trailed off and shrugged, looking down on his the hand that was holding Blaine's.

"What, Kurt? Come on, tell me." He squeezed his hand encouragingly and finally Kurt swallowed hard and nodded.

"Do you remember that time we were… practicing in my bedroom? In front of the mirror?" he stuttered awkwardly and a blush creped up in his cheeks.

"When I tried to talk about sex with you and you threw me out." Blaine said matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Kurt blushed even harder at Blaine's bluntness, "Sorry about that by the way."

Blaine just chuckled and waved it off. "It's alright. But what about that?"

Taking a deep breath, Kurt bit his lip as he spoke again. "I- I'm still not very… comfortable with that topic. And I know kissing will eventually lead to more and…"

"Hey," Blaine cut him off with a finger under his chin that tilted his head up to meet his eyes. "I know you're not comfortable with those acts of intimacy yet and that's totally okay. I'm not going to rush you into anything. It's just kissing. It's the sexiest it gets for now." He winked. He winked. Kurt's heart made a funny little skip and he sighed like the lovesick teenager he was.

"Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you kiss me?"

Blaine smiled softly and brought one hand up to let his thumb trace his cheekbone before he very slowly leaned in and barely brushed his parted lips against Kurt's before making any real contact. The kiss was slow and sweet and very innocent and everything Kurt loved.

When the kiss finally broke, Kurt blinked at Blaine a couple of times before he felt in the condition to talk again.

"I'm in love with you too." He whispered and couldn't help the giddy feeling arise in his stomach.