Furt Almost Killed Klaine

I.

Walking out to the parking lot, Kurt's eyes hadn't even adjusted to the sunlight before he was airborne and spinning. His indignant squawk of surprise was met with laughter.

"Dude, I missed you sooooooo much!"

Kurt was about to protest (both to being called dude and to being lifted) when his stepbrother saw fit to punctuate the sentiment with a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

A shrill "FINN!" preceded Kurt violently scrubbing his face with his sleeve. Normally he wouldn't dream of treating clothes this way, but it was just his Dalton uniform (which was dapper and proper but absolutely nothing to write home about when it came to style) and Finn had just slobbered all over him. It was disgusting.

And the larger boy had the nerve to just laugh.

"A year ago, you would have so killed for me to do that."

"And two years ago, I actually considered wearing pleated pants. Must we rehash my past mistakes?"

"What do hash browns have to do with anything? Did you miss breakfast?"

The lighter boy would have loved to treat Finn to the patented "Kurt Hummel Bitch Please" look. However, even with his arms crossed and a well sculpted eye brow raised and his lips pursed in an unimpressed fashion, it all meant very little when his feet couldn't touch the ground.

"Is there a reason I'm still in the air?"

Finn shrugged. "I just missed you, dude." Suddenly, he wouldn't meet Kurt's eyes. "The house is, like, totally weird without you. Glee too. And we didn't get much time to be a family before you moved here so… I just don't want to put you down yet."

And just like that, Kurt's tiny scowl turned into a watery smile and he was throwing his arms around Finn's neck, hugging him tightly as the strong arms keeping him aloft squeezed him back, Finn's chin resting on Kurt's shoulder.

"I missed you too Finn."

The hug lasted a long while but never got awkward. Kurt couldn't even bring himself to care about being still being in the air. He and Finn really were a family now and that was a great feeling.

Only when Kurt was pulling back, ready to re-enter reality, did either of them notice the world around them.

"Um, Kurt? You know your not-boyfriend who's totally into you?"

Kurt's cheeks burned, but he hid it with annoyance.

"You mean my friend who just happens to also be gay? He has a name, not that you've bothered to learn it."

"Well, whoever he is, he's standing right there. And he's kinda staring at us."

Kurt tried to turn, almost twisting himself out of Finn's embrace (the larger boy finally saw fit to lower his stepbrother) to find that, indeed, Blaine was standing in the entrance to Dalton Academy. And, true to Finn's word, he was staring at the pair looking confused and a tad shell-shocked.

Kurt quickly straightened his blazer; embarrassed that Blaine had seen such an undignified display. A hand patting down his hair (another unhappy squawk that made his cheeks burn yet again) reminded him that Finn was still there.

"Don't worry Kurt." His stepbrother admonished with a smug smile. "You're very pretty."

Batting away the large hands that had dared to touch his hair, Kurt ran to Blaine, eager to avoid further embarrassment.

"Blaine!" He said, a little out of breath.

"Hey Kurt." His friend (really, they were just friends) asked rather distractedly, his eyes flickering back to Finn. "Sorry to impose on your…" Blaine trailed off, not entirely sure what he was interrupting.

Kurt scoffed, waving the apology away. "Please, as if you could ever be an imposition to me."

As soon as the words were spoken, his jaw snapped shut, his once burning cheeks now ice cold as all color drained from his face. And he thanked Blaine's parents for raising such a dapper young man because the other boy merely smiled at Kurt's awkwardness.

"Glad to hear it." He was still smiling. Kurt hoped that was a good sign.

Finn didn't give him much time to dwell on it.

"Kurt, dude, we gotta go." Finn continued talking over Kurt's half-hearted (Frankenteen never listened so really, what was the point?) protest at being called dude. "Burt will so kill me if I don't get you back in time for tonight's game."

The pale boy rolled his eyes. "Ah yes. What a travesty it would be for me to miss the kickoff to yet another game on the television and the following hours you two will spend yelling at the screen. You are aware that the players cannot hear you, right?"

Finn grumbled a dark "Party pooper" before noticing they still had an audience. "You guys were done, right? Cause I totally got to get Kurt home."

Both sets of eyes were now on Blaine, who fumbled for a moment, (and if that was the cutest thing Kurt had ever seen, well that was nobody's business) before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a spiral notebook, promptly handing it to Kurt.

"You left this in French class." He explained quickly. "See you Monday?" He was still rather flustered (read: adorable, for Kurt's thoughts on the subject) but sounded hopeful, which was silly because of course he would see Kurt on Monday.

"Absolutely!" He was maybe a little eager in confirming this fact, but again, his stepbrother did not give him time to dwell on this interaction.

A large hand took a hold of his and suddenly he was being yanked towards the large truck at the other end of the parking lot. Kurt waved and stuttered out a quick goodbye to Blaine as Finn full out ran to their vehicle.

On the road, Finn kept holding his hand, smiling at him every once in a while.

"It's good to have you home little brother."

"I'm two months older than you, Finn."

"Dude! You totally killed a warm and fuzzy moment!"

II.

Kurt was at the kitchen table, studying for a French exam, when his brother (they had decided to just drop the "step" title as they were so much closer than that) decided to come in.

He'd always been aware that Finn was taller than him, but the fact that Finn could kneel behind a chair that Kurt was sitting in and still be taller was just ridiculous.

A heavy, slightly annoyed sigh left him as arms wrapped around him from behind, a chin resting on his shoulder. He could practically hear the lopsided grin.

"Kurt, honey?" Came a sweetly pleading voice.

"Yes Finn, darling?" He responded in a placating tone.

"Have I told you how totally and completely awesome you are?"

"Am I?"

"Yeah! And I'm totally lucky to have you. And I'd totally, like, do anything for you. You know that right?"

Kurt glanced sideways, staring hard into the face that was so close to his own.

They held each other's gaze for a long while, testing the determination in each other.

With a final eye roll, Kurt conceded. "Fine."

With smug grin and triumphant "Woo-hoo!" Finn was on his feet again, walking out of the kitchen, pumping his fist in the air. Kurt merely shook his head, returning to his notebooks as silence once again reigned over the kitchen.

"Uh… What just happened?"

Kurt looked up, meeting the confused gaze of Blaine Anderson, his study buddy for almost every class exam, including the French test for the end of the week. He gave a small smile at his friend's (yup, still just friends) befuddled expression.

"That was just Finn asking me for a favor."

Blaine swallowed thickly, seeming uncomfortable. "What kind of favor?"

Kurt couldn't help his smile. He was relieved that he, personally, hadn't done anything to make Blaine uncomfortable and he was now reminded that he had someone in his life genuinely concerned not only for his well-being but also for his treatment. How could he not smile?

"It's nothing. Don't worry. I haven't been sold into slavery or anything. Carole's picking up an extra shift tonight and Finn is useless in the kitchen so he's been begging me to cook something for dinner."

All discomfort was gone from Blaine's face, replaced by amused curiosity.

"You cook?" He asked, a teasing smile on his face and one eyebrow in the air.

"I am extraordinary in the kitchen." Kurt said airily, glancing back down at his notes, trying to seem nonchalant. "I would cook more often but clean up is such a hassle and I only have so many hours in a day for school, Warblers, homework, and skin care. But one night certainly won't break me. And, as I said, Finn is useless."

"That's very chivalrous of you, to be his culinary knight in shining armor." These words were just a tad sharper than the previous teasing had been. But Kurt was already occupied with conjugating verbs so he merely gave a tiny shrug.

"It's impossible to say no to that kicked puppy face he makes. Fabulous as I am, I'm only human. How am I supposed to resist those big brown eyes?"

III.

Carole's curiosity was aroused the moment she heard the polite knock.

She wasn't expecting anyone to stop by and the Glee kids just came through the door like they lived there (sometimes it seemed like Puck and Mercedes did but that was beside the point) and door to door enthusiasts of any kind never came by after dinner.

As she opened the door, a skeptic look must have covered her features because the young man's smile fell immediately and he began apologizing.

"I'm terribly sorry ma'am. I must have the wrong address. I'm looking for the Hummel residence."

Carole stared hard at the dapper gentleman in disbelief (Ma'am? Really?) And then, realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Blaine!" She shouted, thoroughly scaring the boy.

"Yes?" He asked timidly.

Carole put a hand over her mouth to cover her laughter. She must look insane right now but she was just so excited to meet the boy her son (just as Kurt was simply Finn's brother, he was Carole's son) had gushed on and on about.

"Oh, sweetie I'm so sorry. I just didn't recognize you right away. Come in, come in."

Still looking confused (and more than a little scared) Blaine followed her into the living room. Despite the situation, he remembered his manners. He quickly offered Carole his hand, and even threw in a tiny bow.

"Blaine Anderson. I'm a friend of Kurt's at Dalton Academy and we're in the Warbler's together."

"Pleasure to meet you." She bit her lip to keep from giggling at this adorable formality as she shook his hand. "I'm Carole."

His head tilted to the side in a curious manner, which was, again, completely adorable (Carole was starting to understand how Kurt had become so infatuated so fast. Was this guy for real?) But then, she saw his mind working behind his eyes, trying to figure something out.

"Finn's mother?"

Carole nodded. "That's me. The boys are downstairs in the basement having their weekly movie night. You can head on down if you like. I'm sure they won't mind."

He was still in deep thought, just offering a small thanks and polite smile before heading towards the stairs.

Carole sat herself back at the kitchen table, going over some paper work. Down the stairs she could hear the door to the basement creak open and waited to hear the voices of the three boys.

Instead, the door snapped shut and hurried footsteps came back into the front of the house.

"Everything all right?" Carole asked as Blaine spotted her at the table.

A shaky nod was the only response she got. Suddenly, he was pulling sheet music from his blazer pocket, giving far too much, and yet a very distracted, effort into straightening the folded papers.

"I-I just wanted… I, uh…" Blaine cleared his throat, pulling himself together. "I came to give Kurt this. Wes changed the harmonies for a number we're considering for competition."

Carole frowned at Blaine, more than a little worried. "Did something happen down there, sweetie?"

The charming smile was back, brighter than ever. "Oh, no. They're asleep and I didn't want to wake them. It's my fault for coming over without calling. Just make sure Kurt gets these and is ready for rehearsal on Tuesday."

She was still suspicious, but decided to let it go. "Ok, I will."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson. I'm sorry for disturbing your evening."

"Not at all Blaine. And call me Carole."

A quick nod. "Goodnight then, Carole."

And the boy was gone.

The moment the door was closed, Carole went downstairs, unable to help her curiosity for the second time that night. Peeking into the basement (Carole and Finn had moved back in with Burt and Kurt and the family would have a new house in the summer but for now, would stay in the Hummel home) to see what position her boys were in.

She literally couldn't stop the "Awww" that escaped her.

Finn was lying on his side on the little sofa that faced the TV, taking up the whole length of it on his own. Kurt was on the same sofa, curled into a little ball, Finn's head in his lap. One of Kurt's hands was on Finn's stomach, apparently having fallen asleep mid-tummy rub. The other hand was gently stroking Finn's short hair. Both boys were fast asleep.

While Carole was watching, Kurt shifted slightly in his sleep. Finn immediately whimpered as his pillow moved and scooted himself closer so as not to lose contact with his brother. And Kurt resumed the tummy rub to comfort the larger boy until Finn gave a tiny sigh of contentment.

No wonder Blaine didn't want to wake them up. They were just so cute together.

IV.

"EARTH TO KURT!"

Kurt leapt out of his chair, an actual squeak escaping him. A hand placed over his racing heart, he closed his eyes, trying to stop the sudden flow of adrenaline pumping through his system.

A soothing hand was instantly on his shoulder. "Hey, it's ok. Breathe."

Inhaling deeply, Kurt was finally able to open his eyes, giving Wes and David (both of whom been responsible for scaring him so badly) what he wanted to be a withering look but faltered slightly. They each donned a regretful look anyway (it may have been because of the heated death glare Blaine was shooting at his friends, his hand still on Kurt's shoulder) and when they spoke at last, it was much quieter.

"Sorry, Kurt." Wes had always been the more polite of the two. "We were just trying to get your attention."

"Though this does prove the point we were going to make anyway." And David had always been one to get straight to the point.

A heavy sigh, and a look in silent thanks to Blaine, preceded Kurt's questioning gaze.

"And that point would be what, pray tell?"

"That you look like death warmed over." David was also famous (infamous) for being blunt.

Kurt opened his mouth to retort, only to find Wes nodding and Blaine refusing to meet his eyes. Snappy comeback forgotten, Kurt's jaw merely hang open in shock.

"Seriously, Kurt. Go home." David insisted, seeing as no one was arguing with him.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, David." Kurt turned his attention back to the spiral notebook he had been absorbed in  before being so rudely interrupted.

"As much as I hate to disagree with you…" Wes knew firsthand what a dangerous sport going head to head with Kurt Hummel was. Not a pleasant experience but, desperate times, desperate measures. "I'm with David on this."

Kurt glanced over at Blaine, looking for help, only to find his friend awkwardly (that raised flags immediately. Since when was Blaine Anderson awkward?) avoiding his gaze.

"Tell me you aren't on their side?" He pleaded.

"Well…" Blaine seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. "I'm sorry Kurt, but you have seemed a little stressed lately."

"A little? I saw you in the library going over notes and you looked so freaked I thought you were either gonna scream or burst into tears." David had a thing for the dramatics.

"And you know that you're not required to memorize the harmonies for the Warblers in seconds, right? If you need a few moments to sight read, like a normal human being, we are not going to kick you out of the club." It was worse when those dramatics started rubbing off on Wes.

"And I'm afraid even your incredible skill with makeup can't hide the bags under your eyes." Blaine added, as gently as he could. "When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"

"When was the last time you had a real meal?" Wes went so far as to scan the lunch table they were at, as if Kurt were hiding proper sustenance from sight.

"Alright, alright!" Kurt knew when to raise the white flag. "I'll admit it. I've been under a bit of pressure lately."

The other three Warblers exchanged looks, silently declaring that sentence the understatement of the century.

"And we get that Kurt." Wes decided that since their intervention had gotten the target to admit he had a problem, now was the time to be supportive. "We just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself. The last thing we want is for you to unravel."

"So, it's hereby voted that you, Mr. Hummel, go on a mini vacation."

"Oh yes, because I have so much free time on my hands David." Kurt's sarcasm was refreshing to the boys since it had been absent in the pale boy's recent state of anxiousness so his sharp comment did absolutely nothing.

"How about just one night to recharge your batteries?" Blaine always was the rational one. "Go home tonight instead of your dorm. Dinner with your family, a hot bath, and sleeping in your own bed is the best remedy I can prescribe."

Kurt shut his eyes, a happy little sigh escaping him at the thought. He quickly shot Blaine a bright smile.

"Thanks Blaine. Sage advice: as always. I'll head home after Warblers today."

"Oh no, you won't." Wes was in council mode, his hand clenching around the empty air that should have had his gavel, authority practically oozing out his pores. "You will go home the second your last class is over."

Shaking his head, Kurt went to protest, not wanting special treatment and certainly not wanting to seem as though he could not handle the pressure.

Wes held up a hand at the same time Blaine's hand on his shoulder (had that been there all this time?) squeezed to silence him.

"You know the harmony and the choreography we'll be going over today. And, what is the use of a countertenor if he passes out from sheer exhaustion."

The gentle smile shot his way let Kurt know that, despite the lighthearted comment, his friends were sincerely concerned for his health.  And that touched him more than they could possibly know.

"Fair enough. I'll head home after French today."

"Good." David blew out a sigh of relief. "Trust us, this will help, not just you, but all involved. Blaine has been so worried that he's forgetting to do the 'Kurt's letting me touch him' victory dance. I mean, his hand has been on your shoulder this whole time and he hasn't even started blushing yet. This is best for everyone."

Kurt ducked to hide his own reddening cheeks and to ignore the disappointment when Blaine pulled his hand away as if burned. But he didn't bother to hide the smirk as Blaine shot David a dirty look, kicking him under the table, and Wes just rolled his eyes at them all.

As promised, Kurt left Dalton precisely at three-thirty, calling home to give his dad a heads up, his heart warming instantly at the sounds of celebration on the other end of the phone as Burt told the rest of the family that Kurt would be coming home.

Dinner was spent catching up, joking, and just talking. The tension Kurt had been carrying without realizing it eased away in the first few minutes.

And later on, as he lowered himself into the hot water of the bathtub (he had even indulged in bubbles), he agreed with Blaine.

Best. Remedy. Ever.

At least, it was until Finn barged in.

Kurt snapped up into a sitting position, waiting for the intensely awful and uncomfortable moment when his brother would realize what he had walked in on. He was terrified. What if Finn was reminded of the last time they tried to room together? What if he remembered the crush? What if this ruined everything between them and Finn never wanted to see him or talk to him again?

But the larger boy didn't scream or bolt. He didn't even give Kurt a second look. He just lowered the lid of the toilet, using it as a makeshift chair and started talking.

"Kurt, you have got to help me. Quinn is super pissed at me and I don't get why."

Not sure that this was really happening (a little bit afraid that he had drifted off during his bath and that this was some crazy hallucination before he drowned) Kurt scanned the room, hoping something would make sense.

"Finn? What…" He was not sure he would have known what to ask even if he had been allowed to finish the question.

"I mean, so what if I hugged Rachel? I didn't kiss her and it's not like I was touching anything and I hug lots of people. I hug Mom and you and Mercedes, but that was only once cause she's awesome but she scares me sometimes. But, anyway, Quinn didn't get mad about those so why is she mad at me now?"

Kurt's jaw worked for a while, trying to find an appropriate response to this. He struggled until the most obvious words spilled out.

"Finn, I'm taking a bath."

His larger brother furrowed his brows and looked at Kurt as though he'd grown a second head.

"Dude… duh! That's what bubbles usually mean."

Kurt didn't even have it in him to complain about being called Dude. Obviously, his brother wasn't hearing him.

"I'm. In. The. Bath." He stated as clearly as he could.

"Kurt, are you ok?" Finn sounded genuinely concerned now.

"This doesn't bother you?" Kurt asked, more than a little shocked.

Finn shrugged. "We're brothers, Kurt. So you know, whatever. I mean, don't brothers, like, take baths together even?"

And then, he was looking the tub, sizing it up, as if he were trying to see if the two of them could fit.

Kurt quickly pointed a lethal finger in Finn's direction. "If you make one move towards joining me, I will hurt you Finn Hudson."

Apparently being related lessened the impact of death threats because all Finn had to say to that was "Shouldn't I be, like, Finn Hudson-Hummel now?"

Kurt stared at the taller boy for a long while, wondering how this had become his life. He soon gave up on the why, figuring that since it had, he should just get used to it.

Leaning back, trying to relax again, he began explaining to Finn that since Rachel was an ex-girlfriend who still had feelings for Finn, the quarterback's current girlfriend was naturally going to be suspicious of any contact between them no matter how innocent.

They then had a long talk on girls and their rules and double standards and the horrors of dating and relationships. Kurt scripted an apology and compromise, which Finn then quoted word for word to Quinn, soothing their troubles for now. Finn hugged Kurt in appreciation (after Kurt was out of the tub of course) and they went down to the basement and fell asleep talking as brothers (the lucky, close ones) did.

"You look a lot better. I'm guessing the night in did you some good?"

Kurt grinned at Blaine from across the lunch table the next day, nodding as he attacked the salad before him.

"Dinner was wonderful and I got the best night's sleep I've had in a long while. It was very relaxing evening, even with the little hiccup courtesy of a well meaning but admittedly simple quarterback."

"Hiccup?" Blaine titled his head to the side in that adorable way he did when he was confused.

Kurt shrugged it off, not sure he could explain his brother if he tried.

"It was nothing. I just had to spend some of my designated hot bath time discussing appropriate displays of affection. And convincing Finn that my bathtub was not built for two."

Kurt bit his lip to keep from grinning like a fool. The look on Blaine's face was hysterical and just too cute to be legal and did funny things to his stomach and made his heart hammer and surely he was blushing right now. Quickly, he looked down to his salad as Blaine stuttered for a response. He let out a small snicker at his friend's (still just friends, despite everyone's urging and hinting and teasing) fumbled attempts at communication.

"Trust me. You so don't want to know."

V.

If either of the boys' friends were asked (they never were but felt their opinions needed to be voiced anyway) Blaine and Kurt were far too comfortable with each other to just be platonic friends.

Both boys denied this again and again.

And again.

So what if Kurt got a secret little thrill that during one of their study dates (not that kind of date) in his dorm that he and Blaine were on the bed together, their sides pressed tight against the other (it was a small bed, ok) Blaine's head resting quite comfortably on Kurt's shoulder, which let Kurt rest his cheek surreptitiously on Blaine's (miraculously) ungelled curls? That was completely irrelevant.
So was the fact that both were too comfortable for Kurt to move away to answer his phone and merely set it to speaker.

"The one and fabulous Kurt Hummel speaking." He said automatically, smiling to himself as Blaine's shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"Hey there White Boy!"

"Hi Mercy!" Kurt called back cheerfully.

"It's so good to hear your voice, Boo. And how are you doing Blaine?"

The boys immediately sat up at that, staring at the phone as if it could make Mercedes see their looks of shock.

"How did you know I was here?" Blaine asked.

Mercedes scoffed at them both. "Please. As if you aren't sewn to Kurt's hip."

Kurt's cheeks started burning and neither boy could meet the other's eye.

"We have a lot of classes together." Kurt started explaining. "Blaine helps me study because of the heavier workload here. And we have Warblers."

Blaine gently knocked Kurt's shoulder with his own. "Birds of a feather, right Kurt?"

"You did not just make that joke."

"I believe I did."

"Blaine Warbler Anderson, you are the cheesiest dork I know."

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, you wouldn't want me any other way."

"Ok, when you two are done being adorable, I'd like to remind you that I am still here and I called for a reason."

Sneaking glances at each other, the boys were quick to quiet their shy chuckles.

"Sorry Cedes. What's happening?"

"I want to make sure you're coming to the ND get together. It's gonna be off the hook!"

Kurt laughed, rolling his eyes. "Yes, of course I'll be there."

Mercedes gave a happy squeal. "We can't wait to see you, Boo. I'd invite you too Blaine, but every time I mention your name, Rachel starts shrieking about spies and I cannot stand her squawking. So, no Hobbits allowed. No offense."

"None taken." Blaine replied, tickled by the conversation, despite the poke at his height.

Kurt rolled his eyes at his friends' logic (rather lack there of). "Rachel does realize I'm a Warbler also, right? That inviting me over is exactly the same as if you were inviting Blaine?"

"Oh hell to the no! You don't get out of New Directions that easily. You're stuck with us forever."

Kurt smiled, touched by the loyalty. Blaine gently squeezed the paler boy's hand, entwining their fingers, smiling in understanding.

"Thank you Cedes." Kurt said quietly, not looking away from hazel eyes.

"We'd be lost without you, Kurtie. I need my Boo. Brittany needs her dolphin. Tina needs her fashion buddy. Rachel needs competition. And lord knows, we all need you to help us understand your boy."

Kurt's head snapped over to the phone, slightly afraid of what would come out of it next.

"Sweet Gaga, what has he done now?"

"Would you explain to us why Frankenteen is heading all of his homework assignments with Finn Hudson-Hummel?"

Kurt buried his face into his hands (ignoring the sadness at the fact that Blaine had let go of his hand), groaning in annoyance.

"First, explain how understanding Finn became my responsibility."

"Furt, sweetie."

Kurt tried to play off the heavy sigh as irritation, but no one (on the phone or in the room) was fooled. "Right. Furt."

"Uh… Furt?"

Mercedes beat Kurt to the punch when it came to this back story because she knew that if she let the two talk to each other then one would get tongue tied and the other would find it so adorable and they'd get distracted by not-just-friends thoughts. Then she'd drown in sexual tension over the phone (and that should be impossible but they somehow made it work) and that had already happened once during this call. Once was enough.

"That's the union name for Finn and Kurt. ND is full of them. Brittana. Sinn. Pizes. Puckelberry. We pair up and break up more than Kurt changes outfits."

Said fashionista gave an indignant huff, but was promptly ignored.

"Speaking of which, Brittana and Pizes are bringing food. Sinn is the only one we can trust to bring non-alcoholic drinks. Can I count on Furt for plates and cups?"

"Fine, fine. We'll be there. Now let me go back to studying."

"Alright, I'll see you this weekend, Boo. Bye Blaine."

She had hung up before either boy could respond.

Kurt turned to share an amused smile with Blaine but saw the boy rubbing the back of his neck, looking deep in thought and a tad uncomfortable. Kurt was instantly worried.

"Blaine?"

Hazel eyes met Kurt's, a shy smile following. "So…" Blaine worried his bottom lip between his teeth and Kurt couldn't really help being distracted, almost missing the next words. "You and Finn…?"

A quick mantra of "Pull yourself together" ran through Kurt's mind before he could respond.

"Me and Finn… Oh! Yeah. We've had quite a journey. Not all fun, but in the end…" The bond between the friends turned brothers was still hard to put into words.

"Furt?" But Blaine always had the right ones up his sleeve.

"Furt." Kurt confirmed with a smile. "That's one of the main reasons it was so hard to leave McKinley. We had just managed to put all the  painful parts of our past behind us and then I was leaving."

"Is the distance hard on you two?"

This was one of those moments when Kurt had to remind himself to stay in the real world because he was starting to imagine things. Right now, Blaine sounded concerned for Kurt but the paler boy couldn't help thinking that the feeling was not extended to Finn. In fact,  Kurt sensed a touch of coldness in Blaine whenever Finn was referenced.

But that was silly. Blaine and Finn had never really spoken. Why wouldn't the Warbler like the quarterback?

"It hasn't been easy. But we make it work. In fact, Furt may be the one union from New Directions that goes the distance."

With that, Kurt stood, walking over to his desk to retrieve notes so they could get back to studying. His mind was now occupied with homework and Warblers, a small portion filled with vague warm fuzzies about his brother, another portion still on high from holding Blaine's hand earlier.

"As long as you're happy Kurt."

He was too preoccupied to hear the tiny voice. He didn't hear how truly heartbroken it was.

I.

Best. Day. Ever.

No, seriously. Finn and his girlfriend Quinn had spent all day at a mall in Westerville with his brother, Kurt. It rocked.
Being together with Quinn again felt good. Maybe they didn't feel as totally in love like last year, but it did feel nice. Maybe they fought a lot and Quinn could be really scary sometimes, but the good times were still good so that balanced out the bad (right?).

But, having Kurt around was what had really made everything so perfect. He was with them all day and never felt like a third wheel. He talked with Quinn about girl things so Finn didn't have to pretend to pay attention. He also kept Finn from saying something stupid that would lead to a fight. But, the couple of times Quinn said something harsh that could turn into a fight (or hurt Finn's feelings, even though he'd never ever use those words) he'd jump to his brother's defense and make it clear that the blonde couldn't just attack the quarterback whenever she felt like it. Finally, Kurt knew when to back off and give the two time to be a couple without worrying about PDA's in front of another person.

One such moment had Kurt heading for coffee and sending the other two out to the car to wait for him. So Finn and Quinn naturally made the walk a slow stroll through the parking lot, hand in hand, stopping for a moment to share a few sweet kisses while they were alone.

Although, Finn guessed that it couldn't really be the best day when it ended with being punched in the nose.

He was never quite clear on when exactly his good time ended. He had been focusing on Quinn's soft lips and her gentle hands on his shoulders, his on her slender waist. In that very same second, someone had grabbed his arm, spun him around, and thrown a fist in his face, screaming at him.

"You ASSHOLE!"

Quinn shrieked, leaping back. But whoever this attacker was seemed to only have a grudge against Finn. There were a few more punches before Finn made the humiliating discovery that the assailant was drastically shorter than he was. And was wearing a preppy school uniform.

"Blaine?" Finn could barely say the word through the blood gushing from his mouth (the hobbit could hit hard) and was only answered with another strike.

Then the tiny boy (who was way stronger than he looked) was rushing him, taking him out at the waist, knocking him down onto the asphalt where he picked up right where he left off: pummeling Finn's face.

"You (punch) ungrateful (punch) bastard! (punch punch) How (punch) dare you (punch) treat him like that! (punch punch PUNCH)"

"BLAINE!" Finn had never been more thankful for that shrill shriek in his life. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OFF OF HIM!"

Apparently Quinn had run back to the mall and gotten Kurt after recognizing Blaine. The tiny boy proved that he too was stronger than he looked, grabbing the back of that blue blazer and yanking his curly haired friend off of his taller brother. He then stepped between the two boys, a hand on each of their chests, keeping them apart. Finn was completely all right with this, putting his hands up in a non-threatening manner, taking another step back. The Warbler, on the other hand, struggled valiantly against the hands restraining him.
Finn wiped the blood from his face, only really succeeding in smearing it worse across his cheek, before speaking. "Dude! What's going on? Why are you beating the shit out of me?"

Blaine snarled at the football player as if Finn had personally offended him and everything he loved.

"You know DAMN WELL what this is for!"

Finn was now very worried about the sanity of that boy, and felt more comfortable talking to Kurt, who was now looking at him, waiting for a reason to the madness he had just witnessed.

"Uh… no, dude. I…"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Blaine suddenly screamed, fighting with new vigor against Kurt's hold. "Don't you dare lie to him! At the very least you owe him the truth, you unworthy ass!"

"Blaine!" Kurt finally managed to put some distance between the two. "You need to calm down!"

"But…" Blaine was still struggling but football and cheerleading has paid off. Kurt had impressive arm strength.

"Breathe! Just breathe for a minute. For me. Take a deep breath for me."

Doing as he was told, Blaine took several deep breaths, his determination to eviscerate Finn waning. Once his fellow Warbler seemed to lose the sudden homicidal streak, Kurt lowered his arms. He then straightened his jacket, glancing between his brother, who was pressing tentative fingers to his bleeding face, and his friend, who although much more collected, was visibly seething.

"Would anyone care to explain why I just broke up a brawl in front of a Westerville mall?" He asked calmly.

Blaine gestured angrily towards Finn, clearly telling the football player to answer since it was his fault.

Finn just shrugged, still prodding his sure to be bruised face. "I was kissing Quinn and he just started hitting me." He found a particularly sore spot. "Ow!"

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Stop poking yourself Finn. It won't do you any good." Chastising Finn was second nature now. "Now Blaine, why did you have the sudden need to attack him?"

Blaine stared at Kurt wide eyed, as if Kurt had just ask him why he had to keep breathing. Before either could comment, Finn let another hiss of pain.

"Finn Hudson, what did I just say?"

For a moment, Kurt's brotherly (some would say motherly but some would be slapped for saying it in front of Kurt) instinct made him forget about the rest of his surroundings. He marched over to the taller boy, inspecting his face, looking for permanent damage. He made sure to be gentle because, sure enough, Finn's nose was broken and he was going to need several stitches.

"I need to get you to the ER, but you'll live. And, I don't think there will be any lasting marks on that handsome face of yours." Kurt followed the somewhat teasing but still caring remark with a gentle pat to Finn's cheek.

"Unbelievable."

Kurt whipped around to face Blaine. He was embarrassed to admit that he had almost forgotten the other's presence.

At least, he would have been embarrassed if he wasn't already confused by the look of sheer disgust on Blaine's face.

Hazel eyes flickered between Kurt and Finn a few times, landing heavily on the paler boy. So many emotions flew through them and  Kurt was too afraid to identify them, not sure what it would all mean.

Blaine snorted angrily before looking down, turning his back on the pair, and walking away. "Un-freaking-believable."

Kurt rushed forward, gently touching his friend's (he hoped they could still be friends after whatever this was) arm.

"Blaine…"

"No, Kurt!"

Blaine ripped his arm away but faced Kurt once more, and now Kurt was very sure of one of the emotions flickering through hazel eyes.

He now knew for a fact, that hurt was shining at him through unshed tears. But the rest of the beautiful face he so adored was an ugly contortion of anger and repulsion.

"You are so much better than him." Blaine whispered harshly, glaring pointedly at Finn before his eyes were back on Kurt.

"You're better than this."

Kurt wanted so desperately to know what this was, but he had no idea. Tears filled his own eyes as he watched Blaine back away from him.

"Come find me when you figure that out."

Once again, he was watching the retreating back of a blazer.

"Wait. Blaine, come back. Blaine, wait! BLAINE!"

Blaine never looked back, but he could hear the tears slipping over porcelain cheeks. He knew that Kurt couldn't hear the ones leaking from his own eyes.

"Kurt?"

Wiping his face clean, Kurt turned to find Quinn rejoining them.

When he'd first seen the fight, he'd told the blonde cheerleader to wait inside the mall until he could break it up. It may have played into the archaic gender roles he fought so often, but he was not going to let Quinn be hurt on his watch.

She was now standing beside her boyfriend, looking tearful at his bloodied face. But Finn only had eyes for Kurt, not understanding what had just happened but recognizing that the result had caused his brother much more pain than that of a broken noise.

Sniffing quickly, Kurt herded the couple into his car, muttering about hospitals and calling their parents. Neither had the heart to ask about anything else, knowing that the pale boy needed to cling to his composure and control but was barely keeping it together.

Only when they were back at the Hummel-Hudson home, with Finn's face cleaned and stitched and his nose set, did anyone dare to mention the Warbler's name.

"Go find him Kurt."

The brunette boy snorted at the blonde girl's suggestion, busying himself with placing an ice pack over the eye that would turn black on Finn's face in the morning.

"Yes. I should drive an hour back to Westerville and hunt down the mental patient that attacked my brother for no reason. That sounds like a swell end to the night."

"You need to talk to him."

"I don't know…" Finn wasn't keen on the idea of sending his brother out to find a maniac that liked to punch people.

"Shut up, Finn."

Scary Quinn was much more intimidating than hobbit's with right hooks.

"What could we possibly have to talk about?" Kurt asked, pointlessly tidying up the living room just for something to do.

"Hunt him down and find out."

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because you love him."

In the park, Blaine sat on the cold, slightly wet, grass, beside the swing set. He was staring at his bruised and split knuckles. They were raw and bleeding still, even though the fight was hours ago.

Funny. They didn't hurt at all.

Maybe it was because there was already enough pain in his chest, in the vicinity of his heart, that his hand decided now was not the time to complain.

But, he would have rather had every part of his body scream in agony that hear another body sit itself on the swing set beside him. Blaine glared at his knees and Kurt watched the back of his head, both wondering how this had all gone so wrong.

"How are your hands?" Kurt finally spoke.

Blaine flexed his fingers, stalling because he didn't trust his voice.

The chains of the swing creaked as Kurt shifted his weight.

"You broke his nose and he needed seventeen stitches total, if that's any consolation."

"Were you with him in the ER?"

"Yes." Kurt answered softly, not sure why it mattered.

"Then no."

Silence fell over them for a long while after that. Finally, Blaine just had to ask, turning to face Kurt with broken eyes.

"Why don't you hate him?"

Kurt was silent, so confused and hurt because not answering seemed to kill Blaine. And watching fresh tears follow older tracks down his face killed Kurt.

"Why does he still have you? After what he's done, how can you stand by him?"

"Blaine, please. Just talk to me." Kurt begged, his voice trembling. "Tell me why you attacked Finn."

"Because he doesn't deserve you." The confession came out, not as a scream, not as a murmur, but as a choked sob.

Kurt was stunned speechless and Blaine ranted angrily in the silence.

"He has your flawless body, your generous heart, your beautiful soul, and he throws it all away for a short skirt. I couldn't let him get away with that. I wasn't going to stand by and let him treat you like some cheap toy, let him play with you and then toss you aside. I wish you hated him. I hate him! I hate him because…"

Blaine glanced down, shutting his eyes tightly, taking a shuddering breath. This time his words were laced with hurt.

"Because I wish it was me. I want to be the one for you. I want to kiss your cheek because we haven't seen each other for a few days. I want to wrap you in my arms and give you sweet nicknames. I want to fall asleep beside you. I want to be the one you come home to when you're stressed. I want to be the one to go the distance with you. I want to be the one that makes you happy. I wish it was me. But it's not. It's him instead. I hate him because he has everything I want and he doesn't even appreciate it."

Suddenly Blaine was in front of Kurt, sitting up on his knees so they were eye level, his hands on Kurt's shoulders, their faces very close together.

"Please, Kurt. Just tell me you love him."

Blaine's voice shook with hidden cries but, beneath all the heartbreak, there was a steely resolve in his eyes that kept Kurt silent for a moment longer.

"Tell me that he's the love of your life, that you can forgive anything because he makes you feel happier than you ever imagined possible. Tell me that you're willing to work through it because if it isn't him, than it isn't anyone."

Blaine meant every word. If Kurt truly loved Finn, he would step aside. If Kurt loved Finn the way Blaine loved Kurt, then he knew that there was nothing he could do to come between them.

"If you can tell me that, I'll hold my tongue for the rest of our lives and just be your frie…"

But, it seemed that fate had decided to throw the Warbler a bone. Because, at some point during his speech, hands had taken hold of the lapels of his blazer, yanking him towards what had finally silenced him: the soft pair of lips he had known (or thought he knew) could never be his.

For all his indignation at Finn's cheating, Blaine didn't bat an eye at Kurt kissing him despite not having broken up with the quarterback. But, his thought process was not currently at its peak clarity. David had been right about the "Kurt's letting me touch him" victory dance. Only now, it had been replaced by the "Kurt Hummel is kissing me" jubilation. So, rational thinking went out the window.

Soon to follow rational thoughts was restraint. Kurt released his hold on the blazer, one hand gripping the Dalton tie to keep Blaine anchored to the spot (as if Blaine was going anywhere), the other traveling upward and fisting into Blaine's curls (which had come loose from their gel prison during the fight), both hands only serving their purpose of pulling Blaine closer. The Warbler went willingly, his own hand caressing Kurt's face, fingers brushing the soft chestnut hair at the nape of his neck. His other arm wrapped itself around the beautiful boy's tiny waist, pressing their bodies tightly together. And then composure left Blaine as Kurt's tongue pressed against his lips, demanding entrance. A desperate, needy therefore rather unbecoming (not that he really cared at this point) whimper escaped Blaine as he pulled Kurt impossibly closer (and Kurt certainly didn't seem to mind), opening his mouth gladly. They did not part for a long while.

Even when Kurt went to explain the whole misunderstanding, he only muttered against the other boy's lips, never allowing them to lose contact.

"My step-brother, you idiot." He said in a breathy voice that made Blaine have to think the words over many times before he understood.

Much to his own disappointment, he needed a bit more expansion on this subject and had to pull away.

"Wh-what?" Blaine gasped, only putting enough space between them to speak clearly, afraid of letting go and waking up in his room, alone again.

Kurt gave a small smile, reaching up to gently stroke Blaine's face, reveling in the way the shorter boy shut his eyes and leaned into the touch.

"Finn is my step-brother. His mom married my dad. We're related."

Hazel eyes focused on him, searching for sincerity, then looked away in slight embarrassment.

"So that means…"

"The rumors of my commitment have been greatly exaggerated."

Kurt leaned in, pressing a sweet, chaste kiss to Blaine's cheek, but let his lips hover around Blaine's ear.

"I am a free agent, Mr. Anderson."

As Kurt pulled back, Blaine followed, pressing light kisses to Kurt's jaw and neck, whispering against the sensitive skin.

"With your permission, Mr. Hummel, I'd like to change that."

Kurt answered him by pulling Blaine into another passionate kiss.

And that was what led to Quinn finding the two on the couch almost a week later, Blaine leaning against Kurt's chest and Kurt with his arms securely around Blaine, not paying any attention to whatever movie was on the television.

The smile at finding the two faded when she saw her boyfriend sulking at the kitchen table, his head resting on his crossed arms, a sour look on his face. She took the seat beside him, about to ask what was wrong when Finn beat her to the punch.

"Blaine totally took my place."

Quinn glanced back at the living room, before attempting to placate her boyfriend (who could really be such a child sometimes).

"I'm sure you could ask them to move so you can watch whatever game is on. They probably wouldn't mind the excuse to go to Kurt's room anyway."

Finn shot Quinn an exasperated look. "No. Not like that. He took my place with Kurt."

The head cheerleader raised her eyebrows, telling the football player to continue.

"He's always around now. And Kurt won't let me hug him nearly as much or curl up with me on movie night or talk to me in the bathroom cause he says it's weird."

"You talk to him in the bathroom?"

"Well… not like all the time. But whenever I really needed his advice or something and he was in the shower, he'd still listen. Now he just yells at me to get out, which totally sucks cause it didn't used to be that way. It's all Blaine's fault. Stupid hobbit."

Finn grumbled for a moment while Quinn tried to collect her thoughts.

"Let me get this right. You're…" She searched desperately for another word, but to no avail. "Jealous? Of Kurt's boyfriend?"

To her utter shock, Finn nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, first you guys all rag on us for being close. I got all kinds of shit from Puck. Then Mercedes is telling me that I can't be Finn Hudson-Hummel cause it sounds like I'm trying to marry Kurt."

"Are you?" Quinn had told Finn before. She was nobody's beard. "Because this all sounds like now you're the one with a crush on Kurt."

Finn pulled a face like he had smelled something rotten. "Ew! No. He's my brother."

"Step-brother." Quinn was not going to fudge over the fact that Kurt and Finn did not share a bloodline.

However, there may have been a gentler way to say it. But now, Finn looked personally offended.

"Kurt Hummel is my brother." He growled in a way that clearly said "End of discussion" before continuing. "It'd be, like, ingest or whatever."

"Incest, Finn." Quinn said, using her "I'm talking to a very stupid child" voice.

Finn glared darkly at her. "You knew what I meant." He muttered bitterly.

"Is that the only thing keeping you from liking Kurt? The fact that you're related now? Because that is a really poor argument Finn."

"I'm not going to cheat on you with Kurt." Finn knew his girlfriend well enough to know this was where her mind had gone. "Jeez! Why can't I be close to someone else without being into them? Even if he wasn't family, he's my friend and I care about him. Not that way, but, like, a lot."

Finn glanced out at the living room at the pair who was still oblivious to the fight going on in the kitchen and his gaze softened ever so slightly.

"And, like, he's totally happy with Blaine. They're good for each other. I think they're, like, really in love. No way in hell I'd break that up."

He turned back around, again resting his head on his arms. "I just miss being so close to him. I got used to him always being there and now he's with Blaine a lot, which is cool and I'm happy that he's got someone cause he's been through hell and the universe kinda owes him big time. I just…"

Finn trailed off, because when he looked at Quinn, he could see she still didn't understand, not really.

She couldn't see that Finn didn't have a lot of friends, not in the real sense of the word. She couldn't understand how hard it was to forgive and be forgiven. He and Kurt had done that for each other. Also, even when the crush had made him uncomfortable, he could recognize that Kurt had loved him in a way that no one else did. He had loved Finn for Finn. That was all anyone could ask for and was something only Kurt had been able to give. Now that that love was platonic, Finn could enjoy it properly and return it. Ever since Dalton, Finn had had Kurt's almost undivided attention as his only link to home and feeling safe and loved. No one should only have one person to give them that but Finn had felt proud to be that person for Kurt. But now, there was Blaine. It was good and Finn was so happy for Kurt to have someone who cared about him as much as Blaine seemed to. He was just so used to being that one for Kurt and to see affections that were only shown to him now shown to Blaine made him feel a little replaced.

Quinn couldn't see any of that. And he was explaining it as best he could. He gave up, finishing his sentence with a little shrug instead of words, looking back out into the living room as Blaine and Kurt continued with their good time, their mixed laughter floating into the room, putting a tiny (if bittersweet) smile on Finn's face.

"Not to mention, you're straight Finn." Quinn bit out, still holding onto her frustration and insecurities.

Finn rolled his eyes, not meeting her gaze, still staring at the two boys who were so in love.

"Duh, Quinn."

The head cheerleader grit her teeth, remembering that a very short time ago, if anyone had insinuated that Finn had any sort of feelings for Kurt, he would have jumped in front of a truck to prove his heterosexuality. Now, he brushes off being straight and gay as if they don't matter, openly saying that he cares about Kurt even if it's not in that way.

More and more, it's occurring to her that Finn is not the same boy he was back then. That scares her, because despite all she's been through, she is very much the same girl. And could this be the beginning of the end for them?

Another string of laughter rang out, this time Finn's tiny chuckle mixing with them.

How was it that Kurt Hummel had a steadier, happier, stronger relationship with her boyfriend than she did?

Quinn crossed her legs and her arms, trying to contain the slight frustration at the way this conversation was going, wishing that this hadn't turned into yet another fight.

"I think we need to have another appropriate affections talk."

Finn threw his hands in the air. "I haven't even looked at Rachel, I swear!"

Quinn rolled her eyes, even more irritated at the mention of Berry, but trying not to dwell on it (she wasn't that successful but had at least tried).

"No. This is about brother to brother affection."

"Why? I know how to be a brother."

Quinn heaved a sigh. Apparently this brother thing was a sore spot for Finn's pride. She was going to have to tread carefully.

"Because what you and Kurt seem to think is normal for brothers, the rest of us consider foreplay. And if Blaine did all that," she gestured to Finn's still battered looking face. "When he just wanted Kurt, imagine what he would do to you now that he has Kurt."