New York 1/9/2013 6:45pm

“Dude, Im about as physically aggressive as you are so you should know how serious I am when I say that if you dont listen to Blaine and let him explain what happened that I will totally come to NY and kick your ass. This is not my story to tell, but things are not how they seem and you will end up feeling like shit if you don't give him this chance. Not to mention you guys are perfect for each other which is why he needs your support so fucking much, okay?”

Kurt was stunned by Sam's outburst. Normally he was so calm and quiet, but that seemed to make things feel more serious when he did lose it. It also meant that there was substance and emotion behind it and that is what gave him pause. “Okay Sam. I was already coming in this weekend to see my dad, so I will make sure to talk to Blaine while I'm in. Do I even get a clue about what's going on and how you know about it but I don't?”

“No, like I said it's not my place to tell you what's going on. Just remember who he is and listen to him with an open mind. I know youre hurt, but he is too and you can help each other heal. As for how I know? Well, since you left, he and I have gotten pretty close and he's pretty much my best friend. I'd like to think I'm his too, but I know thatll always be you. I listen to him when he talks and Im here with him so I can see a lot of things you probably can't over the phone or Skype. Plus, you were really busy and werent even taking his calls for a while before Thanksgiving.”

“That's not fair, Sam! I'm in another fucking state and I'm trying to deal with a new place to live, a new job that I love but stresses me the fuck out more than I like to admit, I'm getting ready to start college that I can barely afford and I'm living with Rachel Fucking Berry! Do you really think that I have it so easy here? I'm tired all the time, I'm lonely and I miss all of you guys so damn much but this is my dream and I feel guilty for wanting to be home so bad. Can't you understand that?”

Sam was quiet for a while before he asked quietly, “Did you ever try to say any of that to Blaine?” Sam stopped speaking at the sound of Kurt's sobbing on the other end of the call. This was certainly not the reaction he had expected from one of the strongest and most determined people he had ever met. He had honestly expected Kurt to be stubborn about the issue and possibly even hang up on him after making several snarky and biting comments but crying was not even in the top ten things he thought might come from this call. “Kurt? I know what it's like to miss your friends and your family. Believe me, I'm someone who knows all about that first hand, but I also know that you have to let your friends help you through this stuff or it'll start to drive you nuts. Is there anything I can do? Anything at all to help you because I feel really crappy making you cry when I wasnt trying to do anything more than get you to see what was going on from somebody not so close to the situation.”

Kurt grabbed the ever present box of tissues that had taken up residence beside his bed since the fight with Blaine. He wiped the tears from his face and gave a tiny smile that Sam wouldnt see but made Kurt feel better and then replied, “Thanks Sam. You're a really good friend and I don't think Ive noticed that before. Im sad to say that must say something bad about what kind of friend I've been. I appreciate your offer and I know that I will be taking you up on it soon, but I have to think about some things first. Ive gotten so caught up in the craziness that is my life lately that I haven't really seen what was going on with the things that are the most important to me. Im not going to ask about what is going on with him, but I have to ask if Blaine is okay. Just your insistence that I talk to him makes me worry and I know how emotional we both are and now that scares me to think what might be happening with him while Ive been in this ridiculous bubble in NY. Please, can you tell me that much?”

Sam thought for a few minutes about what he could or should say. Would he be betraying his friend's trust in him by saying anything or could he give just a little update without revealing anything and ease another friend's mind about what was going on. “Listen, I know you're worried,” he started off slowly. “I'm not gonna say much other than what I already did. Blaine is hurting and he really needs you to listen to him. You might have to push a little to get him to talk about the real issue, but he really wants to talk to you about what's going on with him. You might get pissed off at some of the things he has to say, but I think if you tell him what you told me before that hell understand a little better and I know that you both will feel better. Just… Do me a favor. Please. I really need you to promise that you'll hear him out and not walk out on him, okay? He really needs that.”

“I promise Sam. I'm coming in on Friday night and I'm going to try and set something up with Blaine for Saturday afternoon. Today is Wednesday; do you think he would be home for me to text him now? I'd rather not talk to him because I know hed be able to tell Ive been crying.”

Releasing a relieved sigh, Sam replied, “Yeah, he should be at home. And I think texting would be good because I'd hate to get my ass kicked for making you cry.”

Laughing, Kurt said, “I really appreciate this Sam. I think I needed a little outside intervention to get me to pull my head out of my ass and do this. I kinda wish I was there because I feel the need to hug you right now.”

“Hey man, I know what it's like to be too far away to see what's really happening. That's what happened with me and Mercedes but I don't want to see that happen with you and Blaine. How about I pass on the phone hug to him tomorrow when I see him at school? Sound good?”

“That sounds perfect Sam. Thanks again. I'll let you know about my little plans that I might need help with if you don't mind. It won't be much.”

“Don't worry about it. If it helps get Blaine back to normal and you two talking again, I'll do whatever it takes.”

“Great! I'll probably text or email you details later if that's okay?”

“Sure, do you have my email address? It's MagicSam@gmail.com.”

“No! Like Magic Mike??”

“Yeah, I set it up when I was still stripping and just never got around to changing it. I kinda like it though.”

“It suits you,” Kurt giggled. “Well, I'm going to get off of here and text Blaine before it gets too late. Thanks again Sam.”

“No problem, Kurt. Just let me know what you need me to do and I'll get it done. Talk to you later.”

Kurt stared down at the screen of his phone for several minutes before taking a deep breath and typed in a quick text.

  To Blaine: (7:35)

  Just got a call from Sam and was thinking about you. How are you?

  To Kurt: (7:38)

Doing okay. Happy hearing from you! :)

  To Blaine: (7:39)

  :) I was wondering something

  To Kurt: (7:39)

What were you wondering?

  To Blaine: (7:41)

Are you doing anything this Saturday afternoon?

  To Kurt: (7:45)

Nope, not unless you count homework. But that will probably get pushed off until Sunday as usual. ;) Why?

  To Blaine: (7:51)

  I'm going to be in Lima to see dad and I was wondering if we could get together? We really need to talk.

  To Kurt: (7:52)

Of course! When? Where? And if you don't mind me asking, talk about what?

  To Blaine: (7:56)

  I just thought it was time we talked things out. We've been ignoring them for too long.

And we can meet when and where you want. Since it will be a pretty intense conversation.

Probably.

  To Kurt: (8:03)

Yeah, we have. I'm glad you're going to let me explain.

I really need to. For both of us.

Oh yeah! How about my house at noon. I can make lunch.

As usual, the parentals are nowhere to be found.

  To Blaine: (8:05)

  That sounds good. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to be ready for this.

I'm kind of nervous to be honest.

  To Kurt: (8:08)

Me too. But there are things I really need to tell you.

I hope you won't hate me. :(

  To Blaine: (8:15)

  No matter how mad I get at you, I could NEVER hate you. xo

  To Kurt: (8:18)

:D I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I love you SO much!

  To Blaine: (8:22)

  I love you too. You're still my best friend.

  To Kurt: (8:25)

You're still mine too.

  To Blaine: (8:29)

  I know! Sam told me. :p

  To Kurt: (8:29)

o_O

  To Blaine: (8:34)

  *whispers* He sounded jealous. Don't tell!

  To Kurt: (8:39)

Oh! LOL

Btw, are you gonna yell at me on Saturday?

  To Blaine: (8:43)

  I don't know, but I don't think so. I think I'm finally ready to just listen.

  To Kurt: (8:45)

Okay. Thank you. XOXO

  To Blaine: (8:46)

  You're welcome. xo

Gotta run. I have one more chapter to read before class tomorrow morning.

See you Saturday?

  To Kurt: (8:48)

Okay, I have to finish up my essay for history too.

Can't wait to see you this weekend! :D

XOXOXO

  To Blaine: (8:51)

  Me either. I've really missed this.

I've really missed you.

Night!

xoxoxoxo

  To Kurt: (8:52)

Night! xoxoxoxoxo

  To Sam: (9:01)

I don't know what you did, but I think I owe you coffee.

And maybe a car. LOL!

  To Blaine: (9:05)

  ???

  To Sam: (9:07)

I'll explain tomorrow.

But thanks!

  To Blaine: (9:08)

  K cu@schl

  To Sam: (9:09)

Really? You can't type out words?

  To Blaine: (9:11)

  Yes I can. Bite me. How was that?

:-p

  To Sam: (9:12)

Much better! LOL!

Night!

~KB~KB~KB~

Blaine walked into school Thursday morning carrying two cups of coffee and wearing the first genuine smile that Sam had seen on his face in months. His heart felt a little lighter and he knew that he had done the right thing by calling Kurt. “Hey Blaine! What's up with the double-dose of caffeine this morning?”

Laughing at his friend's teasing, Blaine handed him a cup saying, “Grande iced caramel mocha with extra whipped cream. For whatever it was you said to Kurt to make him text me last night.”

Taking a long drink of the sweet treat his friend had offered, Sam debated what to say about his call to NY last night. “Listen, I really didn't say that much. Mostly threatened to kick his ass if he didn't listen to you because you needed to explain and he would feel like crap if he didn't let you. I think that he was already thinking about it because he really didn't take a lot of convincing and that really surprised me. I sorta got the impression that he just maybe needed a push or something. And I know for a fact that you really need to talk to someone other than me about what happened that night.”

With a pensive look and a quick sip from his coffee, “Well, whatever it was that convinced him, I'll take it. I can't wait to see him on Saturday but I'm so damned scared to tell him what really happened Sam.” Looking quickly at his friend's compassionate face, he continued, “What if he hates me? What if he thinks I'm damaged goods or something like that? I don't know if I could take that coming from Kurt.”

Sam quickly pulled Blaine into a hug before he started crying which he knew was always a possibility when he talked about “That night.” He knew just the thing to take the other boy's mind off his problems for a few minutes at least. Leaning in closer, he whispered into Blaine's ear, “Just so you know, I'm passing along this hug from Kurt. And you might want to check out your locker too.”

After giving a small nod of thanks to the blond, Blaine turned his back and opened his locker to find a surprise in the form of a small yet beautiful bouquet of flowers.  There was a note attached and when he looked back, Sam just pointed to the note. Blaine pulled the card from the flowers and smiled while reading words he knew were from Kurt, but was written in Sam's shaky handwriting.

  Blaine,

I know that we have been through a lot together, both good and bad, but I want us to try and look past those things and have a fresh start. I know you want more, but I'm just not ready for more than friendship yet, but that doesn't mean that I won't be in the future and it definitely doesn't mean that I don't still love you more than I probably should. You know how I am with symbolic gestures, so here is the first in our new beginning. This bouquet has six different flowers in it and they all mean something very special. Pay close attention, please because there are a few you may not recognize.

  First, there are two yellow roses and I am using them for two different meanings so one is for apology (both yours and mine) and the other is for friendship. Lavender is for devotion. Even when we were just friends, we have always been devoted to each other. Now, the rest you may not recognize so I'll describe them as well as define them. There should be a medium-sized bright pink flower that sort of looks like a snowball. That is a peony and it means bravery because you have always been the bravest person I have known, even when you don't think that you are. Next is a white flower with a lemon yellow center called plumeria. This one is for new beginnings. The last two are both kind of star shaped and the blue one that looks like a puffy star is a forget-me-not. Other than the obvious, I included that one because it means true love. No matter what happens, I will always love you and you will always be my best friend because you know and understand me better than anyone other than my father. I think you should possibly get a medal for that instead of a flower, but maybe later. :) The last flower is a reminder of when we first met and the texts you kept sending me. It's actually an herb called borage and looks like pink stars. Simply put, it means courage.

  Like I said before, I'm not trying to give false hopes that we will go right back to where we were and be totally in love and together, but I am tired of having a million little things I want to tell you in a week and feeling guilty for wanting to call or text you about them. I miss you being there and I miss being there for you. I'm really glad that you have good friends like Sam because at least I know youre not alone and that was something that worried me more than anything else when I left.

  I'm not sure how much I will be around until I get to town so you might not hear from me until we see each other on Saturday. I have classes until three and go into work for a few hours to get everything cleared up before I leave for my long weekend and then have to pack and have classes tomorrow until noon then I have to be at the train station at 2:30. I don't know how I'm going to do it because I read the times wrong for the train and I don't get in until 5AM. Finn is really pissed, but he's going to pick me up in Toledo then drive me home to sleep for a few hours before we get together. Luckily I have my phone and laptop so I will be able to have things to do and not go completely nuts even though there is no wifi, but I will probably be kind of tired when I see you. I'm trying to get into the quiet car so I don't have to deal with tons of super loud people for 14 hours since I have a paper to work on, so I won't be able to talk, but feel free to text me to distract from the trip if you feel like it. I'm sure I'll need it!

  Take care of yourself and I'll see you soon, Kurt

A quiet sob escaped from Blaine's lips before he threw himself at Sam while muttering, “Thank you. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!”

Sam returned the hug while chuckling. “That was kinda the reaction I was expecting so I'm glad I wasnt disappointed. Are you gonna be okay until Saturday? I know your parents are out of town, but I doubt that Burt would mind you staying over tonight. When are they supposed to get back, do you know?”

Blaine steps back and gives Sam a small grin, “Thanks, I think I'd like that. I hate being in that huge house alone. I'm not sure when mom and dad are coming back, but I know that it won't be until at least next weekend. They had some kind of fund-raiser this weekend for his law firm and then mom was planning on doing more shopping than anyone would ever need to do. Even Kurt!” Sharing a laugh with Sam, he continued, “I would feel better if you would check with Burt about me coming over though. I don't want to just spring it on him when I show up at the dinner table.”

“Dude, you know he thinks you're practically family! I think he was almost as upset about you and Kurt breaking up as the two of you were. Why else would he have taken you to NY for Christmas as Kurt's gift? I will definitely call him at lunch. We should really run though. It's almost time for homeroom and we're gonna be late!”

Both boys ran in opposite directions and into their classroom just as the bell was ringing. Artie and Wade looked up at Blaine's abrupt entrance and give him smiles. Blaine returned them and took his seat while catching his breath and realized that he was still holding the little bouquet from Kurt. “This should be interesting,” he thought to himself.

In a lightly teasing voice, Artie whispered, “Oooo! Look who got flowers! Something you need to share with the class?”

Stifling a giggle, Blaine looked at Artie with a straight face before quickly sticking his tongue out at him and crossing his eyes. He looked all of four years old and was quite proud of the loud guffaw that came from his unsuspecting friend causing the teacher to pause in taking roll and give a dirty look to silence him. Sheepishly looking over, he mouthed, “Sorry!” before turning back around and listened to the morning announcements. As the bell rang announcing their release to first period, Blaine hung back and gave a small smile to Wade and Artie before giving a stage whisper, “They are from Kurt.”

Unique made her first appearance of the morning in the form of a loud squeal before grabbing Blaine in a quick but sincere hug. “I'm so happy for you! Does this mean that you are back together?”

Artie chimed in quickly, “Yeah, because that would be fantastic! You guys were great together.” They continued to chat while making their way to history which they all shared while Blaine explained what was going on. Both of the other boys shared in his excitement as well as worried about their friend and what might happen if things on Saturday didn't work out as well as everyone hoped they would. Everyone in Glee had noticed Blaine's decline since his break-up with Kurt, but no one knew what to do to help. They would all be thrilled to see the two back together because as a couple, Blaine and Kurt gave everyone hope. Against all odds, they made things work.

~KB~KB~KB~

“RACHEL! Come on, we're going to be late again!”

Racing out of the bathroom putting on her coat, Rachel ran past Kurt and grabbed her messenger bag and then his hand and pulled her roommate out the door with her. “We won't be late, Kurt. I just had to brush my teeth. We will be at the subway in two minutes and then at NYADA in forty giving us fifteen to grab coffee and head to the torture chamber.”

Laughing at her dramatics, Kurt chided, “You really must give it a rest. Just because Ms July doesn't think you're a prima donna doesn't mean that her dance class is torture. I'm the one starting a semester behind, but you don't hear me complaining do you?”

Snorting in a very unladylike fashion, Rachel responded, “No, I don't need to hear you because I can see the disgust on your face every time we go there. Besides, she loves you since you complimented her on her abs the first time you met her. Suck up. You will get the hang of everything once you get in the swing of things. If you need help, you've got me and Brody. You could also have Adam if you really wanted him to help.”

Glaring at her waggling eyebrows, Kurt decided to shock her for a bit of silence on the ride to school. “I'll have you know that I only went out with Adam once for coffee and he was adorable, but there was no chemistry. I think he reminded me a little too much of a gay male version of Brittany since he's always smiling and has a really quirky sense of humor. But at least he doesn't call me a dolphin or a unicorn. By the way, did I tell you that I've got a date with Blaine on Saturday? We're finally going to sit down and talk about what's going on with us instead of ignoring all of the difficult issues we have and doing the whole awkward small talk thing we have been.”

Wide-eyed, Rachel stared at Kurt as they sat down on the subway before screeching at him, “WHAT??? When did this happen and why didn't you tell me about it? Are you getting back together? Do you still love him? Does he still love you? What are you going to do? Does your dad know?”

So much for the quiet, he thought while placing a silencing finger over her lips. He started talking in an exaggeratedly slow pace, “Rachel, listen to me carefully. Take a breath before you pass out please?” Seeing the quick nod, he removed his finger and went on, “Now in order, last night. You were out until late with your boy-toy. Not yet but I reserve the right to change that answer at a later date. Yes. Yes. We are having lunch and talking about what happened and what is going on with us. And lastly, not yet but I have a feeling he will be happy about it. Any more questions you'd like to throw my way this morning?”

A pensive look remained on Rachel's face the rest of the train ride to school. While they walked to get their morning coffee, Kurt finally broke the silence asking, “Did I break you? You haven't spoken in almost fifteen minutes and outside of class and making out with my brother or your boy-toy that is a record.”

Giving him a dirty look, she replied, “Would you please stop calling Brody my boy-toy! As to your other question, no you did not break me, I was just thinking. I'm glad that you are going to finally talk to Blaine. I think it would make things better between the two of you no matter where you decide to go with the relationship. Now that we've all had time to think things over, don't you think it odd that Blaine would actually cheat on you when he go so upset over your text messages to Chandler? It never sat right with me how he could have been so upset about texts then he went out and actually slept with someone else.”

“I know, I think that's why it hurt so badly. He had gotten so pissed off at me to the point of almost breaking up but then he did what he did. I'm just finally ready to sit down with him and find out what happened. I'm kind of worried though.” Giving her a quick, side-eyed glance, “Rachel, he said he hoped that I wouldn't hate him when I found out what happened. Sam said that it wasn't what it seemed and if I didn't give him the chance to explain I would feel like shit later. What could that all mean?”

Taking a quick sip of her coffee while giving him a confused look, “Sam?”

“Oh yeah, that's how this all started. Sam called me last night, totally out of the blue and threatened to kick my ass if I didn't actually let Blaine explain himself to me. You know I have wanted to do that for a while now, but I think I just needed that extra little shove to get me to do it while I'm home this weekend.”

Pulling him into a quick, one-armed hug, she said, “I really don't know, Kurt. I do know that you two are beautiful together and not just because you are both so handsome. You two fit together like puzzle pieces. That's why I always thought it was so cute that the first song he ever sang for you was Teenage Dream. I'm a little worried about what it might mean after hearing what Sam said and that he was being all protective like he gets when he's upset too. Remember when he and the other Glee guys threatened Karofsky for you?”

“Yeah, I really appreciated that but now that I know what was going on, I almost feel bad. Although he is in a much better place now. Who would have ever expected him and Sebastian of all people to get together?”

After almost snorting coffee out of her nose, Rachel finally recovered before saying, “Sebastian Smythe turned out to be a decent person, but is he really dating David Karofsky?”

Giving her a satisfied smirk, Kurt replied, “Yes he is. I reintroduced them the last time we ran into each other at Scandals just before leaving for New York and they really seemed to hit it off. Surprisingly, I'm emailing regularly with both of them and they seem to be very happy and keeping each other's inner bully in check. I was happy to hear that since I know that the Warblers were trying to get Blaine to come back for a while after we broke up and they sent Sebastian to talk to him about it originally.”

Coming to the door of the dance class, Rachel paused and said, “I'm glad that things are working out for them both and that it means other people aren't getting pulled into their craziness. Now, we need to get ready for Cassie.”

~KB~KB~KB~

Blaine did end up staying over with Sam at the Hummel residence and he was happy that everyone seemed alright with him being there. Burt gave him a wink when he casually mentioned hearing from Kurt that they were getting together on Saturday, causing a deep blush to quickly color his cheeks. Carole got a huge smile at this news and Finn of course congratulated him before continuing to shovel food into his mouth. Blaine felt the need to explain that they weren't really getting back together. “We're just getting together to talk things out so we can get past all of the problems we've had and move on. We are both missing having our best friend around, and it may lead us back to where we were before, but we really don't know for sure yet. I'm really glad that you guys approve though. It really means a lot to me to know that you're rooting for us.”

Burt gave him a big smile before patting his shoulder and said, “Blaine, you're like another son to me and I would be ecstatic if you guys got back together. I have to say though, I'm happier to hear that you two are finally gonna talk things out than I would have been to hear that you were just getting back together while ignoring the problems. I know from past experience that keeping secrets or ignoring problems can cause nothing but pain and sorrow. I know my son. Now that he's ready to stop being stubborn and listen to you, you just need to be honest and tell him everything so that you two can move on. Keeping things bottled up will be the first thing to end a relationship because something always manages to come out at the exact wrong time. Also know that even if you and Kurt don't get back together that you will still be a part of this family. Got that?”

Blaine could feel a lump in his throat and tears threatened at the thought of this being his family. “Yes sir,” he said with a smile and a small salute. He added quietly so that only Carole and Sam heard him, “I wish this really was my family.”

Carole leaned over and gave Blaine a quick one-armed squeeze before asking if he would help her clear off the leftovers when they were finished. He gave her an odd look, but smiled and said he would. When everyone else had left to watch TV or play video games, Carole came over to Blaine and took his hand and led him over to the table to sit down again. He was giving her a very confused look, but she just smiled and kissed his cheek before pulling him into a tight hug. “Just so you know I wish you were ours too.” Hearing those words broke down the few remaining walls that Blaine had and suddenly he was quietly sobbing on her shoulder. This woman, his ex-boyfriend's step-mother, had just casually yet sincerely said more caring words to him than his own mother had in years. One of the things that had drawn him to Kurt was his devotion to his family but once he met them, he understood something he never had before. This was a real family. It wasn't a cardboard cutout image of one like his own, but an honest to goodness, real American family who cared for each other and helped each member get through any hard times they had. He was also starting to realize that he was now a part of this family whether he was with Kurt or not and that was a little overwhelming for him. He had felt so very lonely and inadequate as a son for so very long that having everyone casually telling him that he was family made his heart burst with joy. He was finally part of something again and it felt wonderful.

Carole realized what must be going on within Blaine's mind and just let him have his cry. One thing women knew better than most men was how much better a good cry could make you feel. It was like the tears were rain washing away your troubles. She had seen how often this boy was left alone and it made her sad to think of parents who could treat their own child as if they weren't even there. She continued to hold him close, whispering soothing words to him until he was all cried out and then she sat him down again and got him a cold glass of water to soothe his throat. “I want you to know that I might not understand exactly what you're going through, but if there is ever anything you need to talk about, I want you to come to me or to Burt. I know you're good at taking care of yourself, but you're still a boy and you shouldn't have to do that yet. Will you do that for me?”

Wiping his face with the damp paper towel that was handed to him, Blaine smiled up at Carole and nodded. “There are a few things I would really like to talk about with an adult, but I need to talk to Kurt first. Is that alright? Can I come back to you maybe next week or something like that?”

Sitting beside him, she grabbed the boy's hands and looked him directly in the eyes before answering, “You can come to us anytime you want to, sweetheart. I know that there is something that you've been holding on to for a long time and I completely understand that you need to tell Kurt first but when you're ready, just come to us. We'll listen and do whatever you need to help you get through whatever it is.” After a quiet thank you, she gave him one more kiss on the cheek and then pulled him up and led him back to the kitchen where they spent the next twenty minutes in comfortable conversation while putting away leftovers and loading up the dishwasher. Swatting his behind like she did Finn's, she told him to go have fun for the rest of the night before he came over and gave her another tight hug and thank you. On his way up to Sam's room, he passed Finn in the hall and said quietly, “You are really lucky to have a mom like Carole.”

Giving him a slightly perplexed look, Finn replied enthusiastically, “Yeah, she's the greatest! I'll be nice and share if you want?”

Laughing at his antics, Blaine nodded at that and went to find Sam. Plopping down on the bed beside his friend, he gave him a big smile. Sam returned the gesture and asked quietly, “Did tonight help you feel any better? You look like you're feeling better.”

“Yeah, tonight was exactly what I needed. Burt and Carole always make me feel better and like I matter. Glee does that too, but not in the same way. Do you know what I mean? Am I sounding like an idiot?”

Laughing at Blaine's expression, Sam interrupted before he could get going on a crazy rant, “I know exactly what you mean and you don't sound like an idiot. They make me feel the same way. Like you're family and cared about even though you're not technically a part of the family. It's really a nice feeling.” Smiling over at Blaine, he continued, “I'm glad that you came over tonight. You spend too much time alone. Are you coming over tomorrow night too?”

Shaking his head, “No, Kurt will be back and I don't want to make him uncomfortable being here when he gets home. We're going to be meeting at noon at my place and I need to get everything ready. I'm making lunch so I have to grocery shop and clean and all of that kind of stuff. Besides, I'll probably be texting Kurt while he's on his train,” he added quietly with a shy smile.

Pulling Blaine close under his arm while wrapping his arm around him, Sam said, “I'm happy for you, dude. I know you guys have been texting every once in a while but this seems like its more back to normal. You are gonna tell him the truth about Eli and what happened, right? You need to talk to somebody besides me and I have a feeling that Kurt is gonna have the same kinda reaction that I did. Just give him a chance, okay?”

“I hope you're right. I'm definitely going to tell him what happened. I know you want to have me talk to someone else too, but I don't think I can do that. Its gonna be hard enough telling Kurt, but I did tell Carole that I wanted to talk to an adult about some stuff so I might talk to her or Burt depending on how Kurt reacts.”

“Okay dude. I'll let it go for now since you're gonna talk to Kurt. Do you need any help getting ready for Saturday? I don't mind helping.”

Cuddling closer to the blonde boy, Blaine smiled and said, “Thanks Sammy but I'm keeping things simple. I'm making lasagna and garlic bread and pretty much making a pillow fort in the living room in front of the fireplace for us to talk after we eat. I seriously need to clean my bedroom because it looks like a paper bomb went off in there after that stupid week of essays we had last week! It shouldn't take too long though. Most of the stuff just goes in the trash. And of course, like any other healthy seventeen-year-old male,” both boys looked at each other and laughed while saying in unison, “Hide the porn!”

Pulling back far enough to look inquiringly into Sam's eyes, “Are you sure you're not gay? Because you are awfully good at the cuddling thing for a guy.”

Ruffling Blaine's hair slightly, Sam smirked and replied, “I guess it's from having my little brother and sister. They love to cuddle.”

“Sure, we'll say that's the reason,” Blaine giggled as he moved down to lay on the pillow at the top of the sleeping bag he was using for a bed. Seconds later he was hit in the face with a flying stuffed animal.

~KB~KB~KB~

“Rach, are you sure you don't want to come with me? It's only fourteen hours on a crowded train. With no wifi.”

Shaking her head and smiling at her roommate, she said quickly, “No, Kurt. I don't want to spend that long on a train with too many people and not enough to do to make me not go crazy.  I love you, but sadly not that much. Besides, I have a date with Brody and an empty apartment. I plan to take full advantage of the situation.”

Smirking back at her, Kurt scolded, “Do I need to lock my bedroom? There will be no hetero-love in my room! I will lock it.”

Looking genuinely shocked that he would even suggest that, Rachel stuttered, “What? Why would you think we would do that in your room? I only meant that we could walk around naked or be loud when we're fooling around…”

Before she could get any farther, Kurt stuck his fingers in his ears and started screaming, “Lalalalalalalala… I do not want to hear about what you plan to do to each other while I'm gone. I was joking but I can see that now you're trying to traumatize me before I can catch my train home. Why would you do that Rachel? You said that you loved me but I don't believe you anymore! Now I'm going to have gross hetero-sex images of my best friend burned into my brain the whole fourteen hours I'm stuck on that train and it is all your fault Rachel Berry!”

Laughing so hard that she almost fell off of the sofa, Rachel gasped out her apologies between giggles. “I'm sorry, Kurt. I don't know what I was thinking. Here let me paint a better picture for you. Think of a certain someone with a sexy English accent doing a naughty striptease for you while singing the song you heard him singing when you met.”

He tried to glare at the hysterical girl before finally losing it and joining her in the loud laughter that filled their apartment, he snorted, “I really do hate you now. I will never get that ridiculous sight out of my head. I think I need to bleach my brain now! How could someone so good-looking be so fucking clueless? I mean really? Who other than Mr. Schue would think that an acoustic version of Baby Got Back would be even remotely sexy? Even if he does have one of the best asses I've ever seen.”

Holding onto each other to avoid tumbling to the floor, neither one noticed when Brody came in. He was getting very used to seeing this kind of thing when he came over to his girlfriend's apartment. He still had to ask, “What started it this time guys?”

Between the two, they managed to get out enough words to help Brody understand, “Adam.” “Stripping.” “Baby Got…” Then they both dissolved back into giggles and now Brody was joining them. He had heard about how Kurt and the other man had met while he was singing a “stripped down version” of a ridiculous rap song from the 1980's. “Okay children, I get the idea. Unfortunately, we have to get going if we're going to get Kurt to the train station in time for his train. It leaves at 3:45, right?”

Nodding, Kurt moved back to his bedroom to grab his suitcase, messenger bag and laptop case. He had a paper due next Friday for his Theatre History class and he planned to get that out of the way along with most of the other homework he still had while stuck on the train. He only hoped that he would be able to get into the quiet car so he wouldn't be disturbed. “Okay, I'm ready. We're taking a cab, right? I can't see these bags working well on the subway.”

“Actually, I have my car outside. I don't use it much in the city, but I thought this would be a nice opportunity to take it out for a little spin, plus it saves the cab fare.”

Leaning in to kiss her boyfriend, Rachel beams, “Thank you for being so thoughtful. Let's go!”

  ~KB~KB~KB~

  To Blaine: (3:51pm)

  Would it be wrong to scream at a woman with a child throwing a tantrum in the QUIET CAR?

Because I'm about to!

  To Kurt: (3:59pm)

I don't think so, but you would be breaking the quiet car rules too if you screamed at her.

  To Blaine: (4:02pm)

  Damn you and your sensible nature.

I didn't need to anyway. A conductor(?) just asked her to go to another car.

Happy Kurt is happy again.

  To Kurt: (4:10pm)

That's good to hear! I like Happy!Kurt! :)

  To Blaine: (4:15pm)

  You've been reading Harry Potter fanfiction again, haven't you?

  To Kurt: (4:16pm)

Why do you say that? *shifty eyes*

  To Blaine: (4:19pm)

Because you were using the ! to describe moods like they do in fanfic.

Come on, you know you were! Who was it this time? Harry and Draco or Harry and Snape?

  To Kurt: (4:23pm)

  Fine, I was reading a little. And it was Harry/Snape.

And it was really good too, so :-p

  To Blaine: (4:25pm)

  *smh* I'm talking to a toddler!

A toddler who likes Snarry porn!

  To Kurt: (4:28pm)

Hey! It wasn't porn!

Not really.

Besides, it's not like I have a lot of options these days.

Other than left or right and Snarry or Drarry. :-p

  To Blaine: (4:35pm)

  Sorry, they just came around for tickets.

I can't believe you are reading Potter Porn!

*snickers* I know what you mean about options though.

If I remember correctly, I preferred right and Snarry.

Always did like my men dark and greasy.

Or crunchy since that's what the gel feels like!

  To Kurt: (4:42 pm)

I think you broke me.

I'm not exactly sure what to say back to that other than to defend myself.

I prefer fiction to pictures/movies because I have a very vivid imagination.

I prefer right as well but left occasionally makes a decent bit of variety.

Alan Rickman is one of the sexiest men alive, but then again so is Tom Felton.

You are the sexiest ever though.

MY HAIR IS NOT GREASY! OR CRUNCHY!

  To Blaine: (4:52pm)

  Oh NO! I didn't mean to break you!

You don't need to defend yourself, I was just teasing.

I remember your vivid imagination and have always loved it.

They do say variety is the spice of life. Although toys or kink can be interesting too. ;)

Totally agree on both Rickman and Felton.

No I'm not, but thank you for the sentiment.

I know it's not greasy but it is a little crunchy.

  To Kurt: (4:55pm)

o_O

I think we need to discuss this more.

What is this kink you speak of?

  To Blaine: (4:56pm)

  There are many kinks, just as many if not more than ice cream flavors.

As for discussing more? Nope, not gonna happen. Not now.

You may be alone in your lovely bedroom with the big fluffy bed, but I am in a train car.

Surrounded by way too many people to make this conversation comfortable.

And no way to “resolve” the issue.

  To Kurt: (4:58pm)

Awww! *pouts*

I'm sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.

Thought it was just fun. :(

  To Blaine: (4:59pm)

  I wasn't THAT kind of uncomfortable, silly!

I meant the kind of uncomfortable that comes from too tight skinny jeans over an erection.

:-p

  To Kurt: (5:02pm)

Oh okay. :D

Am I bad because I'm now even more interested in having that conversation?

  To Blaine: (5:02pm)

  You are evil.

But not bad.

~KB~KB~KB~

The afternoon and evening continued with numerous flirty and silly texts passed between the two boys as well as others from Rachel, Mercedes, Sam and Finn. He had brought a small cooler bag filled with drinks and snacks for his long trip so had a soda and sandwich around 8:30 and had been working on his paper on and off the entire time between texts. Kurt was starting to get very tired around 10:30 so he told everyone that he was going to try and take a nap. He had been lucky and managed to nab the lone single seat in the front of the quiet car so his bags were safely acting as a footstool and he wasn't being squished by the enormous woman who had gotten on in Utica, NY. Now that it was time for him to take a nap, it was a little difficult to turn off his brain, even though he knew he needed the sleep if he didn't want dark bags under his eyes for his date with Blaine tomorrow. Was it a date? If not, what was it? Did he want it to be a date? Were they doing it again and skipping over the talking part and trying to put themselves right back into the middle of a relationship? Why were things always so damned complicated? These thoughts and many more were what finally drug Kurt down into a restless sleep.

At 2:20, he was startled awake by the loud snoring from the man seated behind him. Deciding that he might as well stay up, he pulled out his laptop from its case and booted up only to see that by some miracle that there was an internet connection. Kurt quickly pulled up Facebook to waste some time since he really didn't feel like doing more homework right now. While he was waiting for his browser to open to the page, he quickly checked his phone for new texts. There were a few, most of them saying good night. There were also a few emails, but the one that caught his eye was from Blaine.

Dear Kurt,

I just wanted to let you know that I can't wait to see you tomorrow. I've been making my “secret sauce” and will have your favorite lasagna and garlic bread for lunch and I've got one of our pillow/blanket forts set up in the living room in front of the fireplace so that we can be comfortable while we talk about entirely uncomfortable subjects. I know that you said that you wouldn't hate me no matter how mad you were, but I really hope that's true. I love you and I really need you to understand what happened and just how badly I feel about everything. I never meant to hurt you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't imagine losing you forever. I'm probably making you more nervous than ever with this crazy message, but I just wanted to get that out of the way before we talk. To make sure that you know that I know I screwed up and will probably never forgive myself, but also that I'm going to be nervous while we're talking and you might have to press the subject to get things out of me like you always do. Thank you so much for coming into my life and thank you again for allowing me to explain my stupidity. I love you more that you could ever know.

Yours always,

Blaine

Kurt had to wipe away a tear after feeling the desperation in the short email. What the hell had happened to his beautiful man and why was he feeling so guilty over something that was sounding more and more like it wasn't his fault at all. Looking up from his phone, he saw that Facebook was up and that Blaine was on chat so he opened up the chat screen and sent a quick hello.

B: Hey there! I thought there wasn't wifi on your train.

K: There wasn't supposed to be, but it was here when I woke up and turned on the laptop so I'm taking advantage of it. :)

What are you doing up so late? I know your sauce doesn't need constant attention. Btw, I just read your email and I can't wait to see you either.

Your plans sound great.

B: :D YAY! I'm glad you like them. I was worried it might sound a little too silly with the fort and everything.

K: Nope, not at all. I was not happy with how you were talking about yourself again though

You are not stupid!!! And I am nervous too, but we will get through this together.

Just like we always do. :)

B: I know, I know. I can't help it sometimes. I will try to remember that I'm brilliant. ;)

Oh yeah, you asked why I was up so late. I couldn't sleep. I fell asleep in bio since we had a sub who showed a stupid movie and the nap seemed to take care of me sleeping tonight too.

K: I know how that is! It's hard to stay awake in some of my classes too.

Especially things like Theatre History where I already know just about everything already!

The two talked late into the night until Blaine finally started falling asleep around 4am and Kurt played a few games then read for the remainder of his ride. When he came into the station, he was almost immediately grabbed by a very tall person and swung around like a ragdoll. Both laughing, Kurt started smacking Finn to let him down before he broke something that he couldn't afford to replace. Grabbing the larger of the bags, Finn led Kurt out to his car and after stopping at a diner on the way, they reached the familiar house they both called home just before 6. Kurt dragged himself in and after getting hugs from his father and Carole; he made his way up to his room. He dropped his bags, stepped quickly into the bathroom for a short shower to get the travelling grime off of himself and changed into his pajamas. He slid into his bed to take a nap for a few hours, planning on getting up at 9:30 which would give him enough time to see his family and get ready for his date before making his way to Blaine's house by noon.

~KB~KB~KB~

Kurt woke up feeling more refreshed than he had expected after only three hours of sleep, but when he looked at the clock he started to understand. It was not 9:30 when he had two and a half hours to socialize, shower, primp and drive to Blaine's, it was actually 10:48 so he only had a little over an hour and that meant that he would be late. The drive alone was thirty minutes and there was no way he would be able to complete his shower, hair, moisturizing routine, and primping over his clothes as he was expecting to be able to do. He would have to call Blaine, but first he had some yelling to do. Stomping down the stairs still in his pajamas, Kurt went straight into the living room where, as expected, all of the men in the household were congregated watching some sporting event on television. Stopping in the doorway, hands on his hips, best bitch-glare in place, he then started his rant. “Who the hell turned off my alarm?? I had things I needed to do this morning and I wanted to spend time with you guys before I went to see Blaine, but apparently no one cares about that!”

Burt, Finn and Sam all whipped around at the first screech and then started to cringe at the implications of what they had thought would be a nice gesture. Yes, they wanted to make sure Kurt got enough sleep but they hadn't thought about the fact that he was supposed to be meeting Blaine at noon and that he might not have enough time to do things that he may have wanted to before leaving. Feeling bad since it was his idea, Burt spoke up, “I'm sorry son. I asked Sam to turn off your alarm since you looked so tired when you got in this morning. We didn't realize how late it was or we would have woken you up sooner. Why don't you just call Blaine and reschedule for later? I know he wouldn't mind.”

“That's not the point dad! I know he wouldn't mind rescheduling but he went to a lot of trouble cooking lunch for us and we are both really stressed out about this talk and what is going to come from it. Can't you understand that I would like to get that stress out of the way as quickly as possible so that I could enjoy my weekend with you guys? I've missed you guys like crazy and wanted to spend as much time together as possible and make some time to see a few other friends as well. Now, I've got to go get ready to leave. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but if it's going to be late I'll make sure to call.” Shoulders drooping slightly, Kurt made his way up to his room and pulled out the outfit that he had painstakingly put together with Rachel and Isabelle's help. He turned on the hot water and hung the clothes on the back of the door so that the steam would remove any wrinkles from being shoved into a suitcase while he grabbed his phone and sent Blaine a quick text saying that he may be a few minutes late since his alarm was sabotaged. He got a response back less than a minute later that it was okay and he would be waiting for him to arrive since he was running a little behind with the lasagna too. Breathing a sigh of relief, he managed to turn his facial and hair time from an hour into half that and he was dressed and dashing for the door by 11:30. If traffic wasn't bad, he might actually be on time.

Poking his head back into the living room, he said a hasty goodbye and made his way to his car and plugged in his iPod and phone before turning on the engine and pulling out onto the familiar street. He made this trip almost without paying any attention. His car seemed to know the way without any input from Kurt and he was almost surprised to see Blaine's house come into view as he rounded a corner. He felt his nerves tense as he parked and got out to walk the short distance to the front door. Would things be awkward when he went in? Would they be able to talk about what they needed to talk about? Would he decide to damn the conversation and just jump Blaine? Shaking his head to clear the insecurities away, he raised his hand to knock as the door swung open to reveal a wildly smiling Blaine. “I heard you pull up. How are you doing?”

The shining smile broke through all of Kurt's doubts and he pulled him into a tight hug. “I hope this is okay. I just really missed you.”

Blaine returned the hug and held on for all he was worth. He knew that this might be the last time they would do this and he was taking advantage of the opportunity. “This is more than okay. I've missed you too, Kurt. Come on in before we both freeze,” he said while chuckling. Pulling Kurt in by the hand, he moved them into the kitchen where he was putting the finishing touches on their lunch. “I've got everything just about done. I just need to slice everything up and plate it all. You've got perfect timing. How did you manage to get ready so quickly? You never take less than an hour for your moisturizing and dressing and hair.”

Kurt stuck his tongue out at Blaine and just said, “Talent.”

He smirked and said, “Yes, I remember that talented tongue. But I meant your time management.”

Kurt was frozen for a moment as his brain tried to melt at the mental images that Blaine's flirty words brought, but he recovered and scowled at him, “You know that is not what I meant, Blaine Warbler. I am talented in many ways, I will have you know.”

Walking over to his beautiful ex, Blaine put a hand on Kurt's arm before gazing into his lovely eyes and said, “Yes, I know that too. You are one of the most talented people I know and I am so proud to have you as a part of my life. No matter what that part is.”

Kurt melted again and grabbed him in another tight hug. “You have got to stop saying things like that to me or you are going to make me cry before we even get to the serious talking. Or possibly before we even make it to the table for lunch.”

“Nope, we will have no crying this early in the day. Let's grab our plates and go eat then we can have our talk. How long do I have you today, anyway?”

Both boys grabbed their lunch and moved to the table that was already set up with drinks and silverware for their meal. “You have got me for as long as we need. I told everyone that I wasn't sure when I was going to be back but I would call if it was going to be late.”

They continued on with the small talk and catching up while they ate and soon they were taking their plates to the sink where they rinsed everything before loading it into the dishwasher and turned it on to work while they talked. Taking a deep breath, Kurt took Blaine's hands and quietly said, “It's time. You ready for this?”

Fear showed in Blaine's eyes briefly then it changed to determination. He was going to talk about this if it killed him and then he was going to make sure that Kurt didn't hate him before begging him to still be at least his friend. He nodded and grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge before taking Kurt's hand again and leading them into the living room. He smiled at the memories of the times they had done this before, either for movie nights or sharing secrets. He supposed that's exactly what was going to happen here today. He was going to share a secret with the man he loved and hope that he didn't hate him afterwards. They both sat and got settled while every possible outcome ran through both of their heads along with a multitude of questions from both sides. Kurt turned to Blaine and sat across from him, looking directly in his eyes and took both hands in his own before asking, “Can you tell me what happened?”

He took in a shuddering breath then the words started falling from his lips,” When you were still here, I knew that we would be together but I also knew that you were miserable. You loved me and what we had together, but you really wanted to be in New York. That's why I encouraged you to go, because I could see your spirit dying in pieces every day you stayed here. I think I was a little naïve when this started because I really did expect to be coming up every other weekend and that we would be able to stay as closely in touch while you there and working as we would have here. I found out pretty quickly that wasn't how things worked and I started to get a little more depressed every day.” Pausing to take a deep breath, Blaine quietly continued, “One thing you don't know about me, that I probably should have shared a long time ago, is that I have struggled with clinical depression and lingering self-esteem issues since the whole dance thing at my old school before Dalton. I haven't had to take meds for a long time, but I was always told that it might come to that again but I didn't want to believe it. I knew that you were pulling away just because of the lack of time you had and not because you didn't love me anymore, but there was always that little voice in my head that kept saying I was fooling myself. I am going to say this now before I go into anything else. I love you and I am not blaming you for anything at all. I blame myself for everything that happened and I know that the issues I have are my own and not because of anything you said or did. Can you accept that and still listen to what I was feeling then?”

Kurt squeezed his hands tighter and leaned in to kiss Blaine on the cheek. “I know I played a part in this too, Blaine. Don't try to say that I didn't because I know better. I've had time to look back at things and I see how wrong we both were for not talking to each other and hiding what we were truly feeling. Sam said something to me the other night that really hit me and made me start yelling at him but then he asked me if I had tried to say any of these things to you and I realized that I hadn't. If we had both just shared our feelings, things may not have turned out like they did. I want to tell you what I told him before you go any farther so that you might see how I really did play a part in this and you don't need to keep beating yourself up over every tiny thing. I was still getting used to living in a new place so far from home and all of my friends and family other than Rachel, I had a new job that I loved but was so very stressful where I was freaking out trying to get everything done the way it should have been done. I missed everyone so fucking much I couldn't stand it and I was living with the biggest diva in the whole of New York. On top of all of that, I was feeling so damned guilty that I was doing what I had been dreaming of for so long, because I still wanted to be back here where I had everyone who loved me and I knew I was safe. Does that change how you're seeing anything that happened yet?”

Blaine was shocked into silence while still holding on to Kurt's hands as if they were his only link to reality. His mind was spinning with all of the things Kurt had just told him and he did start to see things a little differently. They had both been lonely, insecure and longing for something they couldn't have at that moment and they just reacted differently. “Yes, that does put things into a bit of a different perspective, but I still need to tell you my side of this too. Thank you for sharing that with me though. I think it might just make some of this easier to tell.” He looked back into those beautiful eyes that had captured his heart from the first meeting, even if he didn't realize it until later and he gave a small smile and squeeze of his hands before continuing. “You started cancelling dates and stopped answering my texts or phone calls. You seemed to be pulling away and realistically I can see things differently now, but at the time I truly thought you were starting to fall out of love with me. I needed something to keep myself busy so Sam and I decided to run for Senior class President and Vice-President. I tried to talk to you about it and get input on things like posters or platform ideas, but you were so excited about your new job that it just didn't seem to matter. The final straw was something I don't know if you will even remember. It was a scheduled phone call at lunch while you were at work and you were answering the phones. I was getting really upset and had been feeling more lonely and out of control but still couldn't admit that I should go back to my doctor and get back on my meds for a while, but when I tried to tell you how much I missed you, you just said you did too and that I would be there in two weeks. You ended up having to go and said that you couldn't call me back because you would be working until midnight and then pretty much hung up on me while I was saying that I loved you and it felt like something inside of me broke. I knew that feeling from before, but it still didn't hit me that I wasn't thinking clearly. I was only seeing that you didn't want to talk to me and the depression started throwing things way out of proportion in my mind making me think that you didn't want to see or talk to me, that you weren't in love with me anymore and that I was all alone.”

Kurt stopped him briefly by pulling him into his arms and hugging him tightly to his chest while murmuring apologies in his ear for several minutes before releasing him, handing him a bottle of water and saying, “I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I couldn't see you like that and not have you in my arms any longer. Would it be alright if I kept holding you while we're talking?”

Blaine gave him a watery smile and agreed, “I think that would be really nice but the rest of what I have to tell you is about what I did and I'm not sure if you would really want to be holding onto me while I'm telling you that stuff.”

“Blaine, I played a part in this and I need to accept responsibility for what I caused. I know you did things and that you cheated, but I feel like I helped push you into it now that I'm hearing things from your side and looking back at what happened. I want to hold you because I need to feel you close while we're having this conversation but if you would rather not, I understand. It is completely up to you.”

“As much as I want to be in your arms, I need to be able to look you in the eyes while I tell you this stuff,” he said sadly.

Kurt understood and then had an idea that might help both of them, “How about you sit in my lap? That way we can look at each other but still be holding on as well.”

The brilliant smile on Blaine's face let Kurt know that he had come up with the perfect compromise. They shifted around until they found a comfortable position, Blaine sitting in front of Kurt with his legs over the other boy while wrapped in the warm cocoon of his arms. They could even lean in and talk with foreheads touching like they used to if it felt right. Letting out a happy sigh, he continued on with his story. “A little later that day, I was sitting alone in the choir room singing and I went on Facebook. There was this guy that I had met through David from Dalton who had been trying to chat me up for a while. I didn't want anything to do with him because I had you, but I was feeling so alone that I just wanted to be with someone who wanted me. Someone who would make me feel attractive and not like a loser. He sent me a message calling me sexy and asking if I wanted to come over and I ended up going. It didn't feel right, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. He's older and goes to Ohio State. When I got to his dorm, he asked if I wanted to watch a movie so I said okay and he gave me a drink that I thought was Sprite but turned out to be a vodka-tonic. You know what a lightweight I am when it comes to drinking. That thing hit me like a ton of bricks and when he started getting a little flirty I let him. I'm so ashamed. I know I should have stopped him, but I didn't. He had his arm around me during the start of the movie and then leaned over and kissed me. I kinda pushed him back saying that I had a boyfriend and he apologized and backed off but gave me another drink. This went on for a while and I guess about 3 drinks in I stopped saying no to the kisses. It still didn't feel right because I wasn't kissing you and I knew that you would be mad, but the alcohol seemed to override the commonsense part of my brain. When he started trying to get my pants open, that's when I started saying no again. I stood up and tried to leave, but my legs didn't seem to want to cooperate. He laughed when I fell back down on the couch and said that I didn't really want to leave. He started kissing me again and I tried pushing him away again but he just laughed saying that I was playing hard to get. When he finally got my jeans opened he shoved his hand in them and seemed to be pissed off that I wasn't hard so he started-” Blaine paused and took a sip of water and seemed to gather his courage again before continuing on, “He started jerking me off and of course I started getting hard, I'm seventeen for god's sake. I get hard from a strong breeze. Anyway, he kept on jerking me off until I was completely hard and then he slid off the couch and pulled my jeans off. I was still trying to stop him, but I was a lot drunker than I had realized and he was a lot stronger than me. So, he opened his pants and grabbed a condom that I hadn't seen sitting there from the table and then I started really freaking out. I told him that I didn't want to do this and that it was a mistake but he kept saying that he would make it good for me and that I should just let it happen. I was crying at this point and that seemed to make him even madder than he already was and he started calling me a baby and a cock-tease. I could feel his fingers trying to get me ready and I was trying to pull away still but he had me laying down on the couch now and, um, well we ended up having sex.”

Kurt was holding Blaine so tight that it was almost painful, but he felt like he deserved it for hurting Kurt. Tears were streaming down his face and he noticed Kurt was looking like he was bouncing from livid to disgusted and back. Blaine tried to get up, but Kurt pulled him back and kissed him on the forehead after handing him a tissue before he began to speak. “So what you are telling me is that this animal raped you? And you are feeling guilty because you couldn't fight back? But you are blaming yourself because you were desperate for attention and thought a friend of a close friend wanting to hang out would be better than being alone?”

“It wasn't rape, I went there of my own free will and things just got out of hand.”

Kurt looked at him with shock on his face before saying, “Did you say no?” Small nod. “Did you try to push him away and leave?” Another small nod. “You specifically told him you did not want to fuck him because you had a boyfriend but he still kept going?” Nod. “You were crying and saying no when he started fucking you?” Nod. “What is this fucker's address because I am going to go and rip his balls off and shove them down his throat and then we are taking you back to your therapist?”

Blaine didn't know what to say at Kurt's outburst. Sam was right, this was pretty much the same reaction he'd had when Blaine had finally broken down and talked to him about what happened. He didn't understand how they didn't see it was all his fault. He had gone over there and even though he didn't want it, he knew it was a possibility. “No, Kurt you're not going to do that! I don't understand why you're mad at him but not at me. I'm the one who cheated on you. I went over there and drank and kissed him before anything else got out of hand. This wasn't rape.”

“Baby, you are not seeing this from the right point of view. You are seeing this through the depression-distorted vision of what happened. Do this for me, close your eyes. Okay, now picture Tina. Mike just left for college and she is really sad and lonely. She decides to hang out with a guy friend of hers that she knows from that Asian camp they worked at. When she gets there they start watching a movie and the guy gives her a drink. Then another and another. The whole time he is pushing her to make out with him. She finally gives in because she's drunk and doesn't know better but when he puts his hands up her skirt she tries to stop him. She can't stand up because she's drunk. The guy pulls off her panties and even though she is saying no he starts doing things to her. He pulls off his pants and puts on a condom and pushes her down and fucks her. Was that rape?”

Blaine's eyes shot open and he looks as if he's going to be sick, “Of course it was! How can you even ask that? Oh wait-” His eyes get bigger and bigger as he thinks about the similarities in his story to the imaginary one Kurt played out and he starts to see that something very wrong happened that night that was not his fault. Quickly he stood up and ran to the bathroom where he proceeded to throw up his lunch. He felt Kurt's calming presence behind him and then a soothing hand rubbing circles on his back which helped bring him back to himself. He mumbled apologies while wiping his mouth and flushing the toilet and then he seemed to realize exactly what happened. The tears were back and suddenly he was wrapped in strong arms while he cried his heart out. How could he not have seen what had really happened here? Kurt was right, his depression was playing with his mind to the point where he couldn't think straight anymore. He had been violated and then blamed himself and made his boyfriend think that he had voluntarily cheated on him. He was such a fool. He should have seen the signs. He felt himself being led back to the nest of pillows and Kurt helped lower him down until both of them were lying side by side holding each other as tightly as they could.

He noticed that Kurt had started speaking and tried to start paying attention to what he was saying, “-your therapist. Have you seen her recently or should we try to find a new one for you?”

“I'm sorry, but I missed the first part of what you said. You asked if I've seen her recently and I did see her just before starting at McKinley. Mom wanted to make sure that coming back to public school wouldn't cause any problems. I really like Linda and she knows my history so I would like to see her again. I believe I even have her card in my wallet. Let me look.” He quickly found Dr. Linda Pierce's card and handed it to Kurt. Looking at it curiously, he looked back at Blaine and asks, “Did you know that this is Brittany's mom? Not that she will say anything to Brit! But it's kind of a coincidence, huh?”

How had he never put that together in his mind? Linda was great though and he trusted her to not say anything to his friend. “I don't know how I missed that, but she's really awesome. I still want to call her. Should I call the emergency number she listed? What do you think?”

Kurt nodded and pulled Blaine close again before saying, “Yes, you will call her right now or I will because this is something that needs to be handled as soon as possible. Do you want to make the call or do you want me to?”

He looked at Kurt as if he was the most precious thing on earth and to Blaine he was. This wonderful person in front of him was so generous and caring that he was willing to do anything to make this horrible situation better for him. He beamed back at him and quietly asked if he would mind calling. Kurt agreed and immediately dialed the number listed as an emergency contact on the card. There were several prompts listed as options including one to renew a prescription and the one they needed which was to speak with the doctor herself. They waited a tense couple of minutes while the call was connected and then rang several times before they heard a polite, “Dr. Linda Pierce, how can I help you?”

Kurt started to speak slowly, “Um, Dr. Pierce, my name is Kurt Hummel and I am here with a former patient of yours who really needs to talk with you if you have some time. His name is Blaine Anderson.”

“Of course I have time for him, dear. Just give me a minute to get to my office.” The boys heard a quiet conversation that sounded like the doctor excusing herself and then shuffling while walking. The doctor started speaking again as soon as they heard the click of a door closing, “Thanks so much for holding on. Now what can I do for you boys? You said that Blaine needed to speak with me?”

“Yes ma'am, he is just a little nervous and I offered to make the initial call to get in touch with you. He's right here with me. I'm going to pass the phone to him if that's okay?”

“That's fine. Thank you for being such a good friend and offering your help, Kurt.”

Kurt passed the phone to Blaine who looked terrified but still took it and started talking, “Hi Linda. Thanks for taking my call on a Saturday. I'm afraid that I'm having a bit of a relapse with my depression and I think I might have to go back on my meds. The signs have been there but I just didn't see them for what they were until Kurt made me see how blind I was being earlier today.”

“Oh Blaine, we all go through tough times. Don't beat yourself up for this. I would be happy to have a quick session to evaluate whether we need to put you back on your medication or not and if we might need to set up a few sessions as well. If you like, we can even do a Skype session right now if you feel that you really need to talk to someone immediately.”

Kurt heard this and saw Blaine's hesitation. He hit the speaker button so that both of them could talk and hear what was going on before chiming in, “Dr. Pierce, this is Kurt again and we've got you on speaker. I hope that's alright. I just wanted to say that I really think that Blaine needs to talk to someone as soon as he can but he looked like he was about to back out and I don't want to see this get any worse than it already is.”

“Thanks again for your concern for Blaine. It sounds like he has a lot of support in you and that he will need itfrom what you both have said. You are welcome to sit in on the phone or Skype calls as long as Blaine consents and from what I'm hearing in the background that sounds like he is agreeing. Now, would you boys like to come in or would Skype be better?”

Kurt looked at Blaine and seeing how fragile he looked, he made the decision himself. “Dr. Pierce, would it be okay to come in. Blaine is very hesitant to talk about this and apparently I'm only the second person he has told about it and it happened months ago. I'm really worried about him and I think seeing you in person might help him a little more than talking to a computer screen.” He pulled the shaking boy closer to hug him tightly while they continued their conversation.

“I completely understand Kurt. It sounds like that may be the best thing. My address is on my card and Blaine knows where my office is so just let me know when you will be here so I can have everything ready.”

“Thank you so much Dr. Pierce! I have a quick question for you though. I'm a friend of your daughter's and I was wondering if your office is in your home because Brit knows Blaine also. They are in Glee club together.”

Chuckling, the doctor replied, “I thought I recognized your name Kurt. Brit has mentioned you several times. My office is in my home, but there is a separate entrance and Brittany isn't home at the moment. Santana is in town and they went out for the day so you can come over with no worries of being seen.”

“Great! We should be there in about twenty minutes. Thank you again.”

Once the call was disconnected, Kurt turned to Blaine and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and then pulled him up from their nest of pillows and blankets where they had been so comfortable. “Come on, baby. We need to get you out of these clothes and into some clean ones and get those teeth brushed so we can go, alright?” He led Blaine up the stairs to his bedroom and walked in. He nudged him towards the bathroom and got a small grin in response to his offer to find clothes. Blaine washed his face and then brushed his teeth and now he felt much more human than just a few minutes ago. He was starting to get his equilibrium back and it was helping with his confidence as well. He walked out of his bathroom and found Kurt holding a pair of jeans and a soft, long-sleeved tee and cardigan for him to wear. There were even clean socks and boxers laid out “just in case.” This was just what he needed. He needed to see the caring expression on Kurt's face and how lovingly he was being taken care of. He went to give him a hug, just because he needed it and then started changing before he heard the quick gasp of surprise when he dropped his pants. Blushing a lovely shade of crimson, Blaine apologized only to get a squeaked, “No problem.” Chuckling to himself, he finished dressing and then grabbed Kurt's hand and led him out to his car. Kurt insisted on driving because Blaine was still shaky and he didn't want them to be in an accident on the way. Blaine pointed out the second driveway that Kurt had never really paid attention to and pulled in to a small parking lot that looked to be big enough for about four cars.

Blaine led Kurt to the door of the office and knocked. The door opened revealing a very attractive woman in her mid-to late thirties who ushered them into a comfortable looking office. She gave Blaine a squeeze on the shoulder and shook hands with Kurt before leading them to a couple of chairs in front of her desk. “Now, let's get down to business. What's happened that's got you so upset Blaine?”

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and gave him an encouraging smile. This gave him the courage to launch into his explanation while the doctor listened. She was good at keeping an open and nonjudgmental expression on her face while making notes on a pad in front of her. Once he was finished, Linda started asking questions. She was wonderful at getting to the heart of the problem with as little fuss as possible. She asked when things had happened and what happened after the events of the night. She even asked Kurt a few questions to get things from a different person's perspective. “Boys, I'm going to be honest here. I haven't had a case like this in quite a few years because many males are too ashamed to report the assault, especially in a small town like Lima. I want to commend you for letting someone know about this. I would like for you to file a formal complaint with the officer that I'm going to give you the name of and you can talk to him about what can be done now. Since you are under eighteen, Blaine, I'm required by law to report this as well. It has been several months since the incident, so I'm not sure exactly what they will have you do other than file the report. The next thing we are going to do is get you a new prescription for your anti-depressants. You were right that the signs were there but you overlooked them. You also didn't tell those closest to you what was going on so that they could help look for them. I want you to promise me that you are going to talk to your friends about what you are going through. You would be surprised how many people would understand at least to a certain extent. You will also set up regular weekly appointments with me for the next two months. We'll see how things go from there and figure it out as we go along. Does this sound acceptable, Blaine?”

“Yes, I think that I can talk to a few people about what happened and I want to tell a few people about my depression also. Is it going to be weird if Brit is one of the people I tell? And Kurt would you be upset if I talked with Burt and Carole?” He was given two negatives and made a decision. He wanted to run this by both Kurt and Linda to see if they thought it would be a good idea, because it had been running through his mind since Linda mentioned telling some people about his issues. “I had an idea that I would kinda like your opinions on. I was thinking about maybe trying to get everyone I want to tell together and do it all at once. I think I would feel a lot better if I knew that I only had to do this once more.”

“I think that sounds great. If you want to do it this weekend, I can talk to dad and I know that he would be cool with you doing this at our house.”

“I agree with Kurt. This is a way for you to get to all of your friends at once and I'm sure that they will all be willing to help in whatever way they can. I'm really proud of you for coming up with this on your own Blaine. It shows me that you are already trying to come up with ways of facilitating your recovery.”

A short time later, Kurt and Blaine were heading out to get Blaine's prescription filled and head to the Hummel residence to talk with Burt and Carole about having their gathering descend on them. “Do you really think that your family will be okay having all those people there for me? Especially with the weird circumstances.”

Kurt turned to look at Blaine and gave him a swat on the back of the head before saying, “Blaine, you know that you are a part of my family. Dad told me what they said to you the other night so I know that you've heard it from them as well as me. They love you and this is a huge deal. They will be hurt if you didn't want to include them in this. Besides, Carole thrives on get-togethers like this. She loves having a full house that she can cook for. We'll just stop by the store and pick up supplies on the way and then we need to make a list of who you want to be there. We can even include a few people on Skype if you want to try and have Cooper there. What do you say?”

Blaine practically threw himself at Kurt in thanks. He knew that he wouldn't have been able to make it through this without him and told him as much. “Thank you so much for helping me with this. I know we're not together-”

Kurt interrupted before he could get any farther, “That is another thing we need to talk about, but we will leave that for right now and finish our little outing and go talk to dad and Carole. Deep discussions will be tabled until after planning and prep sessions, okay?”

Smiling back at his love, he nodded. They continued to finish their errands and Kurt had made sure to call his father somewhere along the way and let him know that he and Blaine would be over around 6:30. They were a little early and all of the grocery bags they were carrying gained them a raised eyebrow and confused look from Carole. They unloaded and put away everything then called a family meeting to talk about tomorrow. Sam was included and when he came downstairs, he headed to Blaine to give him what looked like a much needed hug. Soon, everyone was assembled in the living room and Kurt sat beside a very nervous Blaine. He decided to help the flustered teen and start off things with a little explanation, “Okay guys, I know that you are all wondering what's going on. I think that Sam probably already knows about as much as I do, but when Blaine and I talked today some pretty serious things came out and they are things that he needs help with. They are also things that he needs to share with a number of people so we were hoping that it would be alright if we had some people over tomorrow and explain everything all at once to everybody. Would that be okay with you guys? We would cook all the food and we already bought the groceries, but we can always do it at Blaine's house-”

Burt interrupted what looked to be a very long and complicated ramble and said, “Of course we don't mind. We've known for a while that something was up with you Blaine, but we could tell that you just weren't ready to talk about it yet. I'm glad that you are now and we definitely don't mind having people over here if it will help you out. Is there anything we can do to help? Anything you might want to tell us ahead of time that would make it easier on you?”

As Blaine looked into the open, honest and clearly concerned faces surrounding him, he felt tears start to fall and was pulled closer to Kurt. He dropped his face onto his shoulder and whispered to Kurt to fill them in on as much as he thought they should know ahead of time. “Well, he's not quite feeling up to this yet so he wants me to tell you a little bit. I won't get into the major things until tomorrow, but I think you all should know that Blaine has suffered from depression for several years. It wasn't a problem for a while but his therapist said that emotional events can cause things to pop back up when least expected. The signs were there, but because of the depression, he wasn't really in the right mind set to see them for what they were. He also thought it wasn't an issue anymore so he didn't think it was necessary to tell anyone that he might need help. Needless to say, my move and all the stress from senior year didn't help but something big happened and it has been affecting him pretty seriously for months now. It was actually the cause of our break up and we didn't even know until we were talking earlier today. Way too many misunderstandings happened and too little communication. I think we should leave it for there right now and everyone can hear the rest tomorrow, is that okay?”

Everyone nodded in agreement before coming over to offer up hugs, kisses and brotherly pats on the back to show their acceptance of Blaine and their willingness to support him. Kurt had one more question for his dad before they started the rest of their preparations for tomorrow, “Dad, would you mind if Blaine stayed here tonight? I don't want him to be alone in that big house of his after such an emotional day. And maybe tomorrow too, now that I think of it.”

Looking fondly at both boys, Burt nods and smiles, “That's fine. I don't like the idea of him being alone either.”

Kurt sprung at his father and wrapped him in a very enthusiastic hug, “Thanks so much, dad! I love you. We're going to run back to pack a bag for him, make the phone calls to invite everyone and we should be back in a few hours. Carole, don't worry about food or anything like that. We're planning on telling everyone 1:30 tomorrow so we'll have plenty of time to get it all ready then. We might stop to pick up a few more drinks though, is there anything you need for us to pick up?”

~KB~KB~KB~

By eight, Kurt and Blaine were finished with the final shopping they needed to do for tomorrow, had packed a bag for Blaine to stay at the Hummel-Hudson residence for at least two nights and were now starting to make phone calls to the people that Blaine had decided that he wanted to tell. There were most of the New Directions, some Warbler friends and even Ms. Pillsbury since she would need to know as the school's Guidance Counselor. Blaine had been quite surprised when Kurt had suggested that he might want to invite Sebastian and David Karofsky, but when he heard about the changes in both boys and thought about having a few other gay male friends to talk to, he decided that it was a good idea. He had also requested that Kurt contact Rachel, Mercedes and Mike as they were still close, but he made it clear that he did not want Brody in the apartment while Rachel was on Skype and also that he didnt want her to mention any details of the conversation with anyone not present during the meeting that Blaine had not approved of beforehand. This was a very serious problem for him and he didn't want to have strangers to him knowing intimate details of things that had happened and he knew how Rachel was about sharing secrets.

When Kurt made the phone call, Rachel was surprised and a little reluctant to throw her new boyfriend out but knew that if Kurt was asking this of her it must be serious so she agreed. He also made the call to Sebastian and David since he was the one keeping in contact with them. To say that Sebastian was shocked to be invited to something at Kurt's house that was concerning Blaine would have been a major understatement. He was curious about the circumstances, but quickly agreed to come and bring his boyfriend with him as well. What Kurt hadn't told them or Blaine was that from his correspondence with Dave, he knew that he was being treated for depression since his suicide attempt the previous year. He also knew that one of the major factors in Sebastian's remarkable turnaround was that his parents had insisted that he go into therapy after hearing what he had been accused of doing to Blaine last year. He hoped that they could help each other in dealing with the problems that would face them during their recovery.

All calls were completed by nine and everyone was going to be available to meet with them tomorrow at 1:30. There would be thirteen people from New Directions, eight Warblers including Dave, four Skype participants and three adults to oversee the proceedings in the form of Kurt's parents and Emma Pillsbury. Both of them were exhausted, but they knew that they needed to finish off their interrupted conversation from this afternoon before they headed back to Kurt's to settle in for the night. They made their way back down to their little nest after taking Blaine's things to the car and then snuggled together before Blaine started to talk.

“I know that we've made some pretty big breakthroughs this afternoon with what you made me realize but I have to ask what's next? I really need your help to try and make it through this now that I finally understand what happened. I know that you will be there because you've proven that this afternoon and evening. My only real question is where do we stand, as a couple?” Blaine's face was practically hiding in the neckline of Kurt's sweater, and he could tell that his ex was thinking things over very carefully due to the completely altered situation. Nothing was as it had seemed and it almost knocked Kurt off of the safe little wall that he had built around his heart since the break-up.

Leaning back just enough to gently tilt back Blaine's face and look into his beautiful eyes, Kurt started talking, “Well, I think that I would like to have an active role in whatever needs to happen to get you back to being healthy in all ways. I know that I played a big part in the problems that we made for each other in this relationship but I also know that we both need to accept that we weren't alone in the creation of these issues. I want you to be able to admit that we both did things wrong without laying all of the blame on yourself. I need to stop laying all of the blame on either myself or you depending on the day and my mood after realizing that what you said about me pulling away was true. I need for us both to work on sharing more of what we are feeling about our relationship, even if it's something bad. We are way too much alike in that way. We both tend to keep our feelings bottled up until they explode for no good reason and we really need to stop that. It isn't healthy and it hurts everyone involved in the situation. I would like nothing more than to go right back to where we were and be absolutely in love and determined that nothing could break us apart, but I also know that isn't really a good thing for either of us. It would put us right back to ignoring problems and not working on what is best for the both of us.”

At hearing the last comment, Blaine's face dropped in disappointment and he started to pull away from Kurt before he was pulled tightly back into Kurt's arms. “I wasn't finished. What I was going to say next is that I can't go back to being just your friend. I love you too much for that to work out and I want to be able to pull you into a hug or hold hands or kiss you. Things that friends don't normally do, but boyfriends do. If it's alright with you, I would like to start over. I want us to go back to the start and take things slowly just like we did when we first started dating. We'll go out for dates and hold hands. We'll talk on the phone every night or at least email or text and make sure that we know what is going on with each other before we go to bed. If we have to miss a date or phone call then we have to let the other person know and give the true reason. There will be no lying or embellishing the truth saying that you're overwhelmed with homework when you're really emotionally overwhelmed by something. We need to build trust in each other again. The kind of trust that leaves us secure in our relationship even if we are states and hours away from each other. The kind of trust that means we can say whatever we want or need to and know that it will be accepted and not involve any kind of judgment. Do you think you would want that? Do you think you can make yourself talk to me even about the hard things?”

Blaine is quietly contemplating what Kurt has just told him and he is amazed by this man once more. After all of the things that he's put him through, he still wants to have Blaine and all of his emotional baggage in his life. Looking at him with all of the love in his heart, he tells Kurt in a broken voice, “Of course I want that. I love you so much and I will make sure that I tell you everything that is going on with me. Are you sure that you want to put up with all of this shit right now? I know you're crazy busy with school and work and Rachel, but I don't think I could ever turn down time with you.”

Kurt pulls him tighter to his chest and kisses him gently on the lips, pulling away before it could grow more intense. “I love you too, Blaine. I want to help you get better and I know now that you didn't cheat on me and that makes me sad because we wasted so much time being sad, angry and apart when I could have been helping you recover. I want to make something very clear to you also. I know that you were assaulted and while I am happy to hold you and kiss you, for now that is as far as things will go. I have a few girlfriends who have been through a rape and even though they thought they were ready for a more physical relationship, when they actually did it, they felt even worse about themselves than they had before. So for now, we are back to no visas for anything south of the equator. Is that okay?”

Blaine wondered if this was really because Kurt thought he was dirty or something like that instead of something for his benefit and thought that he should start this new relationship out in the way that they had talked about. In perfect honesty, so he asked Kurt, “Is it really because of that or are you not sure if you want to be with me physically anymore because I'm dirty and tainted?”

Kurt gave him a small smile that was both full of pride and also showed his irritation, “I just told you that we were going to be honest, remember? That means that what I told you was the truth. I don't think you are dirty or anything like that. I do know that you are emotionally a little fragile because of what you went through and that we need to be a little more careful than we were before. I will say that I want you as much as I always have, but my physical desires are not even a consideration when we need to make you feel safe, secure and loved. This relationship has never been about sex. It was a nice part of it in the past and I'm sure it will be in the future as well, but for right now, we have other things we need to focus on. I am perfectly content to continue on with masturbation as I have been. I believe it was you who informed me that was why it was invented, wasn't it?” Kurt asked with raised eyebrow and flirty smirk.

Blushing prettily, Blaine laughed and quietly said, “Yes, I think it was. Are you okay with doing that again though? I thought you had mentioned going out with that guy from the Glee club at NYADA. I don't want to cause any problems for you if you really liked him.”

Blaine stopped talking quickly when Kurt burst into laughter. Shaking his head quickly and holding up a finger to signal giving him a minute, Kurt quickly composed himself and started to tell his short but quite funny story of Adam and how they met. After hearing the initial song, Blaine was practically in tears and had fallen down to lie on one of the pillows laughing hysterically after hearing about Rachel's comment from yesterday morning. “I thought I was so lucky to get a date with him and then after going out, I realized why he wasn't with anyone. He's very sweet and intelligent conversation while listening to that accent was awesome, but honestly reminds me a little of Brittany without the wit. I suppose it was just the universe's way of telling me that I was supposed to be with someone else.”

Blaine finally stopped laughing and turned his flushed face to Kurt and smiled brightly before grabbing him and hugging him tightly. “Thank you for believing in me and for being willing to wait. I don't know how I could possibly do this without you beside me.” Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on Kurt's lips before putting his head on his shoulder while still holding on.

  ~KB~KB~KB~

After making their calls earlier, Kurt had spoken with Carole to let her know how many people would be there tomorrow and to let her know about all of the supplies they had gotten and what they would be making for tomorrow. She had also let him know that since she knew the boys would be out late with last minute details, she had decided to do what she did best: Bake! There were brownies, several different kinds of cookies and two cakes. This would go perfectly with the light lunch they were planning of pasta salads, sandwiches, chips and sodas. They would also be making large quantities of tea and lemonade just to make sure everyone was taken care of.

One thing that he made sure of telling Carole was the fact that David Karofsky and Sebastian Smythe would be there tomorrow. He knew that she had seen both boys since they had become friends and that she would be able to let his father know in the least upsetting way possible. He thanked her profusely and explained his reasoning which she whole-heartedly agreed with. They would be ready for the influx of teenagers tomorrow and Blaine would have his own little army of supporters to help get him through this tough time. Carole knew that Blaine had something terrible that must have happened to him because the young man that she knew would never have done the things that he claimed to without a damned good reason. Her maternal instincts were on edge at not being able to help one of her own, but after tomorrow she hoped that wouldn't be an issue any longer. Now all she had to do was tell Burt about the two unexpected guests.

  ~KB~KB~KB~