Blaine thudded down onto the stage floor glumly. The auditorium was mostly dark at this hour, and all of New Directions had left for the evening, even Kurt. His clenched and unclenched his fists in his lap, trying and failing to push down the anger and hurt filling him.

Cooper just had to show up now out of the blue. Just when his life was finally back on track and he had the most amazing boyfriend. Even his father had stopped commenting on his "phase" every other night. Until Cooper showed up four days ago and turned his world upside down again. Blaine didn't think Cooper meant to do it, he hoped he didn't, but it still hurt for everyone important to him to suddenly shove him aside in favor of his brother.

Cooper, the big hot-shot Hollywood actor.

The son with the perfect grades and the pretty girlfriend.

The one who'd juggled classes, the Warblers, soccer, and boxing while at Dalton.

The son his parents had always wanted instead of the accident they'd hoped would give them a daughter.

Everyone overlooked him when they had Cooper to gush over. And even though Blaine tried not to be jealous or upset, he couldn't help it. His parents adored Cooper. They'd been home for dinner every night since Cooper came to town, had forced Blaine to sit and endure being belittled and compared to Cooper in ways he could never measure up. Once his brother left he'd be back to eating alone every night, because they weren't proud of him. He wasn't Cooper so he wasn't good enough for them.

Even though Cooper had up and disappeared, leaving them all without even a goodbye six years ago, he was still the good son – the better son.

"Now and then I think of when we were together," Blaine sang softly to himself. In his mind he could hear the music playing along with his voice, the same way he always did.

Music was his one true passion and Cooper even managed to snatch that away from him. He'd had the whole Glee Club parading around gushing over him earlier. They hadn't shut up about his fantastic solo, and how he must have shown Blaine everything he knew about performing. It had always been that way. Blaine would try to do something, play something on an instrument or sing something or even attempt something athletic and then Cooper would outshine him. And despite it all he'd worshipped his older brother. Loved everything about him and how he always took that extra moment to smile at him and encourage him the way their parents never did.

"Told myself that you were right for me

But felt so lonely in your company

But that was love and it's an ache I still remember."

His voice grew stronger as he continued to sing, growing until it filled the auditorium – the same way it had when he'd performed in West Side Story. The same way it had during Sectionals and Regionals when only his friends had bothered to come support him.

"And I don't even need your love

But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough

No you didn't have to stop so low"

Cooper had been gone for seven years and suddenly arrived in a whirlwind of charming smiles and Hollywood lights right into McKinley's hallways. As much as it had hurt for Cooper to leave him like that, it somehow hurt more for him to return so suddenly. To return and once again take over his life and just smile, tease, and laugh at him.

"Now you're just somebody that I used to know," Blaine continued, louder now, his voice cracking slightly as he neared the end.

As the music faded away inside his head he dropped to one knee, trembling slightly from the emotions swirling through him. Why couldn't everyone just appreciate him for once, even when Cooper was standing next to him?

Instead of silence filling the auditorium at the end of his song, applause started up. It was loud and clear, echoing from the space behind him and out into the empty rows of seats.

Blaine whipped his face up so fast his neck cricked. He'd expected to see Kurt standing there, or even Rachel, but it wasn't. Cooper was standing several feet behind him, beaming and clapping for him. Blaine swallowed thickly as his stomach gave a funny twinge, because Cooper looked so... proud. Proud of him – Blaine – not proud of himself.

"Damn, B," Cooper said, whistling softly. "I knew you had a voice, but that... that was amazing."

Blaine shrugged uncomfortably. "It was... I was flat at the beginning and then at the e– "

"You were perfect," Cooper cut in, walking up and tilting Blaine's face up to look him in the eyes. "You're... I'm so proud of you, B, even if I don't say it."

"Or if you disappeared without a goodbye?" Blaine retorted harshly.

"I– Blaine," Cooper started, sounding frustrated. "I'm... sorry. I thought if I left things would be better for you. That Mom and Dad would fawn over you without me around but, I just made it worse and... I'm just sorry, kiddo. I didn't want to cut you off, but I thought that's what you wanted."

"I never wanted to say goodbye to you," Blaine whispered. "You're the only one who- who ever cared and then you were just gone."

Cooper yanked him forward, and Blaine fell into his brother's warm embrace. "I'm back now, B. I'm not going anywhere this time, okay?"

They stayed like that for a few moments, arms tight around each other's chests as Blaine tried to stop himself from crying. This was all he'd wanted over the last seven years. For his brother to come back and apologize. For Cooper to hold him against his chest and tell him he was proud of him like he used to.

After another minute, Cooper pulled back and took Blaine by the shoulders, leaning down slightly to look him in the eyes.

"I am so proud of you, Blaine. You're so damn talented and you barely even see it. You're so much braver than I could even be when I'm acting," Cooper told him gently. "The way you're so open and out there like you are with Kurt. Even when they beat you down you didn't try to change anything about yourself. You're still that brave little boy who used to defend me to that bastard that lived across the street, even when he laughed at us."

Blaine laughed a little at his brother's words. He remembered that, just barely since he'd been six, but enough to know it was true. The boy across the street had gone to school with Cooper and teased and taunted him because he was too perfect. Blaine had always stood up to him, even though Cooper had ignored his words.

"I've missed you, Coop," Blaine mumbled against his brother's chest.

Cooper's chin pressed against his hair. "I missed you more," Cooper replied. "But not all this gel. It's all over my chin hairs. Ugh!"