"Chug! Chug! Chug!"

Several boys were chanting in a predatory circle around them as Kurt and Wes stood in the center, emptying the final contents of two beer bottles into their mouths. Warblers rehearsal had taken a dark turn.

***

Kurt had taken delight in sharing the embarrassing tale of Blaine's exploits at what he was now referring to as 'The Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza'. It had been even more enjoyable to fill them in on the few days that had followed, including the curly-haired Warbler's bi-curious disaster of a kiss. Blaine had shot daggers at Kurt with his eyes while he spoke, but they both knew he wasn't seriously angry. There weren't many secrets among the group of boys—it was bound to come up eventually, and Kurt was a fantastic storyteller.

That was when Wes had taken a stand. "So let me get this straight. You two traitors were willing to attend Miss Barbra Berry's horrid house party, but you skipped out on the last unofficial Warbler gathering?" The dark-haired senior raised a dubious eyebrow. "Disappointed."

"I had that Christmas performance the next day," Blaine protested. "I had to keep it classy!"

"Fine, then." Wes swivelled, hands on hips, towards Kurt. "So what was your excuse?"

"I had a final," Kurt lied. The truth was that he'd felt uncomfortable being around the others without Blaine by his side. He still felt like somewhat of an outcast in the close-knit group.

"I see..." Wes pursed his lips and glanced around at the others who were lounging about the rehearsal room, listening in. "I decree then that we have a do-over. Tonight. Who's in?"

Several of the boys grumbled about being tired, but numerous eager hands shot up into the air. "We can use my room," Jeff offered. "My roommate's home for tonight."

Wes nodded his approval and addressed the two so-called traitors with a devilish grin. "If you think a New Directions party is hot, wait'll you see this."

***

Kurt magically managed to drain his beer first, his eyes watering. He really wasn't a fan of the taste, but it was all they had. Wes followed soon after, swinging his own empty bottle by the neck between slack fingers like a pendulum and flashing Kurt an impressed smile. "Not bad for a baby penguin." That was one story that Kurt regretted sharing.

He felt a slap on his back and turned to see Nick standing behind him, the term "standing" being used loosely. He was leaning heavily on the Jeff's roommate's bedpost. "You're one of us," he spoke loudly into Kurt's ear. The statement was responded to with a hazy grin. Kurt wasn't even sure which drink he was on. He knew that the number was well north of three.

"I have a proposal to make!" Thad stepped into the center of the crowded room and threw his hands into the air.

"But I've only known you for a year!" Nick stumbled out from behind Kurt, his hand clutched to his heart, speaking theatrically. "Oh, alright. The answer is yes, Thad Harwood. One million times yes!" He grasped one of the arms that Thad had thrust into the air, stepping closer. "Draw me like one of your French girls!"

Kurt erupted into inebriated giggles along with the rest of the group. He took the moment to take his seat on the bed behind him, feeling the thrum of alcohol in his head and across his face. From the other side of the room, Blaine made eye contact with him, a fist pressed to his mouth to stifle laughter. The boy's curls had begun coming loose from their gel, and his hazel eyes sparkled inquisitively, as if to ask having fun? Kurt's response was to beam and grab another bottle from the large box on the floor in front of him. He wasn't completely sure who had procured the booze, but with over half-a-dozen teenage boys participating, it was most likely someone's older brother.

He removed the twist-off cap and raised the beer in a salute to Blaine. The other Warbler did the same with the bottle he'd been nursing and removed his fist from his face to take a long gulp, their eyes never leaving one another. Kurt felt warmth spread across his chest, and it wasn't just because of the beverage.

"No! No! No!" Thad was responding, shoving Nick, who fell in a heap into the arms of David. The two tumbled a few steps backwards into a wall. It simply made them burst out into more laughter. Thad was still fake-glaring at them for interrupting his speech. "My proposal was that we play a game, since we all seem to be well on our way to being properly shit-faced." His ever-so-slight slurring over the words was proof of the assessment.

"Spin the bottle!" Jeff cut in, an excited look in his eye.

"NO!" Kurt and Blaine snapped at the same time, catching each other's eyes once again, amused. Blaine plucked the bottle from his lap and stood up, climbing over limbs as he made his way to Kurt's side of the room.

"Hey," he whispered with a charming grin, flopping onto the bed, his hand falling behind Kurt to catch his balance.

"Hey," Kurt replied, whispering as well, although he wasn't sure why. Blaine kept his hand behind him, leaning a little bit closer than was normal. Kurt closed his eyes and took another swig, trying really hard not to breathe in the familiar scent of Blaine's cologne. God, he knew that there was nothing going on between them, but did the boy really have to make it so hard?

Thad interrupted the buzzing of Warblers discussing what game they should play. "I think we should play Who's In Your Mouth." There was cheering.

Kurt's jaw tightened, and his knuckles paled from his grip on the bottle. Baby Penguin or not, that was one game that he had heard of. He glanced to Blaine, who noticed his deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"Guys..." Blaine started, his concerned eyes still on Kurt. He didn't get the chance to continue.

"Oh noooo!" Nick cut in from where he was now sitting on the floor, still almost in David's lap. He was laughing at Blaine's worried face. "Not that kind. We do a more... PG-13 version."

Blaine looked around, confused. Apparently he had the same understanding of "Who's In Your Mouth?" as Kurt. Jeff provided explanation. "You weren't here last time. It's basically just seven minutes in heaven with an element of mystery." His eyebrows danced suggestively.

Kurt looked at the boy beside him on the bed, who shrugged apathetically. Apparently it sounded good to Blaine. Nervousness bubbled in Kurt's stomach, but he nodded his approval to Thad. So they were going to do this then.

"Excuse me," David spoke from behind Nick, who was now leaning into his chest comfortably. "What about the straight boys? I mean, I love this adorable lug," He shook Nick by the shoulders, and the boy emitted an elated guffaw. "But I'm a fan of girls."

"Oh come on," Wes responded, narrowing his eyes. "Ever since you and Celia broke up, you've totally been looking for some action. It's just kissing, David. It's not like anyone's going to stick their hand down your pants."

David's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "And you're telling me you're okay with it?" It was kind of an amusing conversation to Kurt, considering the fact that David was sitting cross-legged with his arms draped across a very drunk Nick.

"Yeah," Wes countered, jutting his chin in the air. "Why not? I'm single now. I love the ladies, but I also love my Warbler pals. What harm is a little drunk making out going to do?" No one contested. Kurt noticed Jeff's smug grin.

"Glad we're all agreed then." Thad gestured grandly with his beer, sloshing some of it onto the sleeve of his uniform. Kurt winced. Those blazers were a pain in the ass to dry clean. "The rules are as follows. We will draw names. The first person drawn has to be blindfolded and they will sit and wait in a room. The second person has to go in and—"

"Bom chicka wah wah!" Nick exclaimed in a high voice, his eyes closed as he leaned against David's shoulder. The taller boy stroked his hair affectionately.

Thad chuckled before continuing. "Or... you know... make out with them. The first person isn't allowed to use their hands at all, because that would make it too easy to guess."

"We should tie them up!" Jeff interjected. "Somebody cheated last time." He shot a pointed glare at Nick, who was still preoccupied with practically purring like a cat beneath David's fingers on his head.

"I like the way you think, Sterling. Kinky." Wes winked seductively at Jeff, who brought his legs a little bit closer to his chest.

"Fine, fine. We'll bind their hands," Thad went on, clearly growing a little bit frustrated at all the interruptions. "And the second person can't speak, obviously. They'll recognize their voice. Everyone gets seven minutes, and then the second person will leave. Someone will be sent to come get the other person when we're all inconspicuously situated and ready for guessing."

"What happens if you guess right?" Blaine spoke up again from Kurt's side. He sounded genuinely intrigued, which was surprising. Hadn't he been fairly... lacking in experience? Kurt swallowed anxiously.

"Then that person has to be the next guesser. Otherwise, we'll pick names again." Thad stated matter-of-factly. Kurt was enthused to be spending time with his friends, but he couldn't deny that this whole situation was intimidating. He'd only kissed two people in his life, and one had technically been due to sexual assault. Neither had left him with a sense of security in his own 'mouth-to-mouth' abilities. Still, he couldn't very well bow out. He'd already been awkwardly quiet enough as it was.

"You'll be fine." He was startled by another whisper from Blaine, who must have been paying close attention to his expression. The boy was less than inches from his ear, their faces so close that if he turned his head, their noses would touch. Why did his friend always seem to sense what he was thinking? Well not always, he added to himself. There are a couple areas that he seems to have trouble picking up on.

Without turning towards Blaine for fear of initiating accidental physical contact of the face, he murmured, "I don't know if I can do this." The other boys were busying themselves with scrawling names on slips of paper and depositing them into a fedora that Jeff had found hanging in his closet. Pulling names from a hat. How traditional.

"Just do it. I'm gonna." Out of the corner of his vision, Blaine's eyes looked like they were pleading. He really couldn't resist that. Why did it matter so much whether or not Kurt participated? He was sure there'd still be quite enough rambunctiousness to go around.

"Okay," he agreed, releasing a sigh. He leaned away a bit to finish his beer. Lucky number four. Or five? Who cares, Kurt thought. Everything was just a tiny bit blurry, and that was probably for the best.

"And we have winner number one!" Wes held the black hat in the air and Thad plucked out a slip of paper.

"Nick the Wasted Wunderkind!" Thad announced to the room. Nick scrambled to his feet, David grunting under his weight as he pushed upwards.

The tipsy boy graced them all with a failed attempt at a curtsy. "First I would like to thank my Mom and my cat, Lord Byron, for this award. I really couldn't have done it without them." He pressed two fingers to his lips and held them up, staring adoringly at the ceiling. "And thank you, God!"

"That's enough with the speech, Mel Gibson." Wes laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. Nick looked down and pressed a smacking kiss to his friend's cheek. "Let's get you tied up."

"Not so fast," Jeff stopped them, causing Thad to groan in impatience. "Whose room are we going to use?" He flashed Thad a 'hey don't get bitchy with me' look.

"We can use mine," Kurt volunteered, digging his key from his pocket and leaning to place it in Thad's hand. Because he'd transferred so late in the semester, he'd managed to procure a single room to himself. It came in handy, especially when one of the others were sexiled from their own dorms and needed an extra bed to crash in.

"Perfect!" Thad clapped his hands. "Wes, would you do the honors?"

"Love to." Wes skilfully undid his tie from around his neck, yanking it from his collar. He placed it over Nick's eyes. The younger boy's lips parted in an excited 'oh' shape as he was blindfolded. "Now his hands. Somebody lend me a tie."

Kurt felt Blaine maneuver beside him, and soon a red and blue striped tie was being tossed into Wes's open hand. "Thanks."

"No problem," Blaine winked. Kurt noticed that his collar and first few buttons were now hanging open, revealing a very light smattering of hair over a tan-skinned sternum. Stop looking you creep, he scolded himself.

Wes led Nick from the room and down into the dim hallway. Kurt could see the boy almost trip as they shut the door behind them. While they waited for Wes to return, the boys shared entertained glances, some taking the opportunity to finish their drinks.

The door opened and clicked shut, and the dark-haired senior soon returned to the circle. "Alrighty. Next victim." He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically and gingerly extracted another name.

"Well, well, well. It's none other than Mister Not-So-Bi-curious himself, Blaine Anderson." His eyes glinted mischievously as they landed on Blaine. Kurt felt Blaine's deep sigh on his shoulder. "Have fun babysitting. Let us know if he's still better than Berry."

"Why is it always me?" Blaine mumbled as he unfolded his legs and stood, sulking.

"Excuse you," Kurt replied, raising an eyebrow up at him. "Who was it who had to drag you home last time when you did your whole Miss Hannigan impression?" The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Kurt hadn't actually minded. In fact, it had been quite relieving to know that Blaine had made it out of Rachel's house and away from her poorly-dressed-desperate-drunk-girl clutches.

Blaine rolled his eyes, but reached out to pull Kurt's head towards him with both hands. He pressed a thick kiss into his hair before releasing him. "Thank you, my knight in impeccably-tailored armor." That goofy grin was on his face again. The one that made Kurt's stomach do Nastia Liukin-like flips. The older boy didn't open his mouth to retort.

They all watch as Blaine shuffled out of the room, giving them all once last pout before disappearing down the hall. Kurt felt a stab of jealousy. Blaine was going to be in his bedroom. Making out with another guy. It was not exactly the christening he'd hoped for his dorm room.

"So..." Jeff stretched, his legs bumping into David's in the small space. "What do we do now?"

"We wait," Thad flopped down into the empty spot beside Kurt, making himself at home by placing his hands behind his head. Apparently they didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes of watching Jeff and David kick playfully at one another, battling over the open space on the floor for their legs, Kurt heard the door open. Blaine staggered into the room, hauling a still-blindfolded Nick, his hands already unbound.

"He figured me out almost right away," Blaine confessed, not looking overly upset about it. Nick just grinned over his shoulder.

"It was the hair gel. Jesus Christ, Blaine. You smell like you bathe in raspberry preserves." The boy pressed a nose to said gelled hair and inhaled. "Not that I'm complaining. Also, I'd recognize that tongue anywhere." Kurt flinched slightly.

"I didn't even use tongue," Blaine removed the tie from the boy's head with his free hand. Nick blinked several times in the light before extracting himself from Blaine's grasp and settling onto the floor like a falling leaf. "That was all you. It was like a beer-breathing Ronald Reagan was lobbying to tear down the Berlin Wall on my face."

"He's a prude. He wouldn't even open his mouth," Nick informed them all with a stage whisper from behind his hand. Blaine aimed a gentle kick into the boy's side, which just caused the drunk Warbler to crumple into a fit of giggles. "Stop! I'm ticklish!"

"That's what you get," Blaine added, nudging him several more times with his toes, causing more gargled laughter.

"Alright, alright, thugs. Break it up." Wes stepped in, swatting them apart. "You know what this means? It means you're next, Anderson."

"Oh goodie," Blaine said almost apathetically. He pulled the other tie that he'd presumably removed from Nick's wrists earlier from his pocket and handed both of them over. He turned and put both hands behind his back for Wes to bind. The senior did so, then placed the blindfold over the younger boy's eyes and began to lead him roughly from the room. He returned much more quickly than he had with Nick, most likely because Blaine wasn't smashed.

"I've already got the name," Thad informed the senior, holding out the paper. Kurt had been turned away and had not noticed his friend reaching for the hat from beside him. Wes stepped forward to receive it from Thad and, reading it, his lips curled with sudden interest.

"Kurt Hummel," he said with drawn out syllables and emphasis on the "t". Kurt's pulse tried to make a sudden escape from his throat. Wes eyed him in a way that he couldn't decipher before clapping him on the shoulder. "Go get 'em, tiger." Kurt stared at the hand on his own shoulder for a second, wondering if Wes could feel how hard his heart was hammering through his jacket. His mind kept picturing his embarrassing conversation with Blaine on Valentine's Day and how he knew that his friend wasn't looking for a relationship and how he also knew that every time Blaine accidentally brushed his hand, Kurt still sighed inaudibly and... It was just bad. How could he just walk into a room and put his lips on Blaine's?

Before he even had a chance to protest, Wes's hand was squeezing him and yanking him to his feet. Oh God, I'm also drunk, he recalled as he quickly became aware of his loose limbs. Kurt needed to escape, but the senior seemed to have caught onto his hesitation, because he was now being guided to the door in a very firm grip. Once in the hallway, Kurt turned to see Wes's face peeking out, a stunning white smile adorning it. "Don't let us down." And then the door closed, and Kurt didn't have a key and the only place he could go to was his own room where Blaine was waiting. Shit.

He trudged down the hallway as if he'd just RSVP'd 'yes' to his own execution. On the bright side, at least he wouldn't have to feel jealous anymore. Just embarrassed, ashamed, self-conscious, and probably a whole other slew of negative emotions once he woke up in the morning and was entirely sober. One would think that Kurt Hummel would be excited by the prospect of making out with his crush of several months, but in all of his various, wide-ranging fantasies, this had not been the setting. His door stood ajar, and Kurt pressed a hand to it. He could sit and wait in the common room, but then the others would know that he chickened out, and there would most likely be a big scene. Better to just get it over with and play it off as if it was nothing. He gave the door a push and it swung open.

It was dark inside, but from the light leaking in from the hallway, Kurt could see the form of Blaine, tied up and seated on his bed. Okay, so maybe that had been one of the fantasies. The blindfolded boy perked up at the sound. "Hey."

Silently, Kurt slipped in and shut the door behind him. The moonlight streaming through the window provided just enough visibility for him. He was still a little bit dizzy, so he tip-toed carefully over to stand before Blaine. Sensing his movements, the boy tilted himself so that they were facing. "How's it going?" Blaine asked, infuriatingly calm, knowing that Kurt couldn't very well answer. He regulated his breathing, trying desperately not to sound as if he was moments from hyperventilating. Well, might as well do this.

Kurt leaned down and gently pecked Blaine on the lips. They were soft, and he could feel the very-slight stubble that was beginning to grow on his friend's face from not having shaven since that morning. Nick was right, Blaine did smell like raspberries. He pulled back and stood up straight.

Blaine pouted beneath the fabric on his face. "A peck? Am I really that bad?" It was just teasing, but Kurt had to resist the urge to respond "No. Not at all." But Blaine was right. A small kiss on the lips was certainly not what the game was intended for. He inhaled, exhaled, and then placed a shaky hand on Blaine's shoulder. He could do this. He'd be fine. The thought echoed Blaine's words from earlier. Kurt tried again with a little bit more force.

He felt Blaine smile against his mouth, and the boy muttered. "Much better." He hadn't really seemed that interested in the game when he'd left. Why was the Warbler suddenly egging him on? He didn't really have time to think about it, because Blaine pushed his bottom lip between Kurt's own, parting them. He drew in a quick breath through his nose, which made Blaine hum in approval.

Despite being restricted to using no hands or sight, Blaine was managing to take control. He opened his mouth to coax Kurt's to do the same. The taller boy obliged, hardly believing that this was happening. The peck had felt pleasant, but this... this was enough to fuel his infatuation for at least another year. Blaine's tongue swiped the tip of Kurt's front teeth imploringly and dammit, if this was going to be his only chance at making out with his high school crush, he was sure as hell going to do it right.

Kurt fell to his knees, keeping their lips locked, and Blaine bent to assist. The younger boy slid his tongue deeper into Kurt's mouth. How in the world did he get so good at this? He pushed upwards against his friend's kiss and massaged with his own tongue. Blaine groaned shamelessly, and the noise pushed Kurt further. He wrapped his arms around the boy's neck and pulled him in.

Blaine tilted his head to break the contact, and Kurt's heart sank. But then his friend spoke, "God, you're good at this." Really? The disappointment completely melted away into incredulity. This was happening, for real, and Kurt wasn't even making a fool of himself. He tightened his grip and rushed in for more. Blaine eagerly consented, and their lips moved slowly with long, drawn out kisses.

Kurt felt Blaine bite down lightly on his lower lip and give it a tug. He was smoothly snaking himself further onto the bed, and was pulling Kurt with him. The older boy drew himself away to get to his feet, and Blaine sank downwards onto the mattress, adjusting to comfortably situate his hands behind him. Despite being in such a vulnerable position, he seemed perfectly composed. "Come on." Blaine's voice was low and husky, sounding just as confident as he did standing in front of the acapella group every afternoon. The words caused a pang of arousal in Kurt. Jesus.

He climbed onto Blaine, careful to support his weight on his arms as he crawled forward. He nudged the boy's chin upwards with his nose to gain better access and brushed his lips softly against Blaine's. The pair of hips that Kurt was straddling rose up off the mattress towards his own, nearly making contact. Blaine hungrily took Kurt's bottom lip with his teeth and sucked on it. Kurt could feel himself hardening and closed his eyes. Everything was progressing so quickly. His forehead brushed the silk fabric of Blaine's "blindfold". The younger boy's hips leapt upwards once more, this time hitting their target and oh. Blaine moaned loudly, and Kurt could feel the vibration against his teeth. He could also feel the shape of Blaine's erection, his own rapidly growing. He guided his abdomen downwards along with Blaine, maintaining the amazing contact.

Blaine didn't seem to mind Kurt's weight on his hands and arms. He thrust again, and this time there was no distance to cover. Kurt's elbows buckled a bit, and he rutted back, causing Blaine to tilt his chin upwards and whimper. "Shit, yes, K—" The word caught in the boy's throat, and Kurt stilled his movements, his eyes fluttering open. Was Blaine seriously about to say his name? Did he know? "Fuck," Blaine continued after a rough swallow, and he bucked upwards again. Stars appeared in Kurt's vision. He closed his eyes and let his head fall down next to Blaine's neck. He turned to press a kiss to the damp skin there, and felt the boy's chest jump. Kurt's hands flew up into Blaine's hair where the gel had completely lost its hold. He tangled his fingers in it as they moved against each other in fluid rhythm, revelling in the friction of fabric.

There was a tightening sensation in Kurt's stomach, and he worried that he was seriously going to come in his pants. Based on the sharp panting from above his ear, Blaine wasn't too far away either. Luckily, Kurt had his face buried in his pillow, so his own heavy breathing was muffled.

"T-take off my jacket. Shit. Or at least unbutton it..." The command from Blaine was almost a whine. "Please."

Kurt lifted himself on an elbow to grant Blaine his request when there was a sharp knock on the door. He felt Blaine's long sigh of disappointment on the side of his face. Kurt lifted himself up, his erection still heavy and painfully constricted by his trousers. A small sliver of light blossomed on the floor and Jeff peeked his head in. Kurt was kneeling above Blaine, who was still breath was still coming in quick bursts as he lay on the bed.

Kurt caught Jeff raise both of his eyebrows in surprise before motioning soundlessly for him to come out. Kurt held up a finger for the Warbler to give him a moment, and Jeff nodded, slipping back out. He sighed and got off the bed, looking down at his pants. How the hell was he going to walk back in there like this? He'd need a moment. Kurt took a few deep breaths to calm his body, hoping that there wasn't anything too humiliating in his near future. Blaine seemed to be in the same boat, groaning as he strained to sit upwards with no help from his hands. "Hey, do you uh... think you could at least untie my hands? I know it's technically against the rules, but..." Blaine sounded winded. Kurt crawled onto his bed and kneeled behind the boy, gently undoing the tie around his wrists. Without much light to go by, it took a while.

"Thanks," Blaine flexed his fingers when Kurt finally got him loose, and he reached to catch one of the older boy's hands behind him, surprising him. "You know, it really sucks that we had to stop so soon. That was... amazing." He gave Kurt's palm a squeeze before releasing it and turning around, facing him.

Kurt really wished that Blaine wasn't blindfolded. He wanted to see his eyes, to gauge if he truly meant what he was saying. It would also be nice to know whether or not Blaine even had a clue as to who he was speaking with—flirting with, it seemed. It was hard to believe that his friend would just say something like that to some anonymous person, but there was no way for Kurt to be sure yet. His mind flashed to the moment earlier when it had seemed Blaine was going to call out his name.

"Can I just..." Blaine didn't wait to finish. His hands made their way blindly up Kurt's shoulders to his face. The older boy just sat very still, not protesting even though rules were being broken. His dark-haired companion held his chin gently in his hands before pulling him forward to bring their lips together. It was incredibly soft and tender, nothing like the frantic, sweaty groping before. Kurt melted into it, letting his eyes fall closed. They stayed like that for a minute, kissing, undemanding and sweet as the room cooled down around them.

"I guess you should probably go. They'll think we fell into bed." Blaine chuckled as they parted. Even in the dark, Kurt could tell that his lips were pink and swollen. His curls tangled messily on top of his head, and he looked utterly gorgeous. Kurt brought a hand to stroke Blaine's wrist gently and nodded. He reluctantly stood up and began straightening himself. They'd been gone well over ten minutes. He wondered if the Warblers would say anything.

As Kurt left the room, he heard Blaine call out to him one last time. "Miss you already!" He smiled to himself. That dork.

The harsh light in the hallway burned Kurt's eyes as he stumbled into it. It was like setting foot on a completely different world. His mind was finally grasping everything. All of it. He had to lean against a wall. Each mental image of Blaine begging and swearing and...and then the sweet kiss at the end. All of it was present and vivid in his head. He no longer felt intoxicated. Reality had taken its hold. What was going to happen? Did Blaine even have any idea who he'd been talking to?

He needed to compose himself. Kurt had to head back to his friends. He took slow steps towards the door to Jeff's room. He knocked lightly, trying to figure out how he was going to explain the hold-up. The knob twisted and he was confronted with the sight of Nick in a headlock under Thad's arm. Wes was holding the door open for him. "Glad you could re-join us. We thought that you'd maybe retired for the night."

Kurt didn't respond to the statement, because he couldn't think of anything to say to Wes. Instead he just pointed towards the fray that was happening. "What's going on?"

"Oh," Wes rolled his eyes towards the struggling boys. "Nick was betting that he could take Thad down if they ever got into a fight. Fat chance." The senior's gaze returned to Kurt's face, and he felt a blush creep up his cheeks. "So what happened?"

"We made out," Kurt shrugged and stepped inside, trying hard not to let on that he was completely reeling with shock. It probably wasn't working. "You should go get Blaine."

Wes kept staring for a moment with that same unreadable expression from earlier. "Alright," he said finally, and he pulled Kurt's key from his pocket and left down the hall.

The other boys didn't pay too much mind to Kurt as he sat down, except for Jeff, who was eyeing him curiously. "You guys looked like you were pretty into it. Did he really not know that it was you?"

"I don't know." Kurt responded. It was true. He certainly hoped, but he couldn't be sure.

"Maybe he didn't say anything because he wanted it to keep going," Jeff said thoughtfully, his eyes flicking to the two drunk boys in the center of the room who were still struggling, albeit half-heartedly.

"Maybe." Kurt's heart lifted. It would make sense, if that was the case. A clicking sound signalled Wes's return. He held the ties in his hand, and Blaine followed him into the room, grinning that wide dopey smile.

Thad and Nick stopped fighting at once and glanced up, amused, as if they hadn't just been trying to drag one another to the ground. "Somebody had a good time." Thad smirked at Blaine's mussed curls and dreamy expression.

"You'd be right," Blaine countered, unashamed. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw David subtly raise an impressed eyebrow at him.

"Better than you did with me?" Nick pretended to be hurt, pouting and all. Thad reached out to smack him lightly again on the arm.

Blaine laughed. "Sorry to break it to you, Nick, but it was in fact better." The boy's hazel gaze flicked ever-so-briefly to meet Kurt's, and it caused nervous fluttering in his belly. He knew. He had to know.

"I'd hope so. You were gone long enough," Wes added, tossing the ties onto Jeff's bed. "Now you've gotta guess. Who's your Cinderella, Prince Charming?" He pulled out a chair from one of the desks in the room and sat backwards on it, facing them.

Blaine stood in front of them all, pressing a finger to his lips and glancing around. He can't be serious, Kurt thought. He has to know. The dark-haired boy's eyes shone with what appeared to be playfulness. "Hmm...Was it... Thad?"

"You wish," the accused boy responded skeptically. He took a moment to pointedly eye Blaine's swollen lips. "Or maybe it's me who should be wishing.

Blaine just laughed and moved to sit. Kurt stiffened when the boy took a seat directly beside him, their sides brushing right up against one another. Then Blaine laid his head on Kurt's shoulder, listening to the others bickering about who would pick the next name from the hat. Nobody really seemed to notice the two of them, or maybe it was purposeful ignorance.

Kurt just sat there as Blaine leaned against him, unsure what to do or say. The boy knew. He had to. And now he was right there, smelling so good and warm and Kurt just wanted to pull him even closer. In what he considered a bold move, he turned his head to bury his nose into Blaine's hair, just for a second. The boy nuzzled Kurt's shoulder with his cheek, and he felt his heartbeat quicken. It seemed to be an unspoken understanding that he knew—knew that it had been Kurt there with him in the room. That it had been Kurt who had been "so good at this". The older boy wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed or proud, but he certainly was elated. He just wondered why Blaine hadn't guessed him. Either way, it was nice not to be forced to return to the room right away.

The boys played a few more rounds of the game, but it seemed to be rigged. Nick was chosen every time, first to guess, and then again when he accurately pegged Wes and then David the next round. The third time his name was pulled from the hat, he threw his hands up. "You guys are cheating! There's no way I would be called that many times!" He'd slurred. Thad and Wes wouldn't admit to it, but they'd broken into a fit of snickering.

After that, everybody gave up on the game and resorted to just lying around as their buzzes wore off into sleepiness. Blaine never really left Kurt's side, apart from once to go to the bathroom. They were always somehow touching, be it the shorter boy leaning on him, or placing his hand on top of Kurt's, or resting his legs in his lap. Kurt really didn't know what this meant or what to make of it, but he was pleased nonetheless. Several times, he caught Wes watching him with a knowing smirk. Kurt would just return it.

At the end of the night, Jeff herded them all from the room, complaining that his roommate would be back the next day and something about everything smelling like dirty socks whenever he was there. Kurt ended up walking a little ways behind Blaine and Wes in the hallway, using one arm to support a near-unconscious Nick who would probably be staying with him in his room.

"So, did you have fun? Get properly wasted?" Kurt heard Wes questioning Blaine as they walked, or in his own case, struggled. Nick smelled like a brewery and seemed to be putting forth less effort to stay upright with every step.

"Fun? Yes. Wasted? No. I never even finished my first beer." Blaine's light laughter echoed in the quiet hallway. The revelation was true—Kurt hadn't paid mind to it, but he had not seen Blaine take a drink since they'd first toasted one another from across the room. Blaine had been completely sober. The thought put a smile on his face. As he yanked Nick into his room and dropped the boy onto the spare and eventually curled up for sleep himself, listening to Nick's soft snores, the smile never faded. Not even a little bit.