Blaine chewed on the end of his pen and stared at the page. He had thirty more pages to read, and he was supposed to meet with Julia and Kurt in twenty minutes. The end of the pen moved from his teeth to the top of the table.

"Blaine, you okay?" He looked up at his roommate Reese.

"Yeah...just...stressed? I was tapping again wasn't I?" Blaine laid down his pen, which he had started bouncing off the corner of his textbook. It was a habit, and it drove Reese insane, so he tried not to do it when they were both studying. He wasn't always successful.

"It's cool. I've been killing myself to finish all my papers so I can start studying for my Calc final." Blaine gave a sympathetic smile and pulled open the drawer beside him.

"Here." A plastic pack of foam earplugs flew onto Reese's desk. "I'm probably going to be up all night trying to get this done. I don't want my typing to keep you up."

"Thanks man." Reese tucked the plugs onto his keyboard tray. "It's eight fifteen, by the way. You've got duet rehearsal in a few minutes."

"I know." Blaine murmured, looking forlornly at the book in front of him. He sighed and slipped his pen in the spine before closing it. "Maybe I'll have to cut it short."

Kurt peeked into the room, trying to see if he was in the right place. The books on the walls said first floor library quite clearly, and there was a head of long, glossy dark hair visible over the back of the chesterfield.

"Hi?" The dark head stood and turned around.

"Hi! You must be Kurt." She was tall for a girl, with a pale round face and heavy freckles. "I'm Julia." Kurt held out his hand and they shook.

"Blaine isn't here yet, I see." Kurt glanced around the room and found a study table that was a good place to put his bag and books. Julia flopped down on the couch and gestured for Kurt to join her. "So you're an Eve?"

She smiled.

"Yeah. I'm really excited about singing with Blaine this year. We've been planning to do this song together since last year's concert."

"Oh, you've known him for a while then?" Kurt bit his lip slightly nervously. He was still trying to navigate all the new social strings of this environment, trying not to get tangled and trip up.

"Yeah, over a year and a half at least now. I mean, the schools are partnered for more than just show choir. Drama and social stuff and all that. And he knows my brothers, they were both Warblers. And I'm dating Wesley. It's all very incestuous." Kurt smiled.

"I'm starting to get that impression." Julia tucked a leg underneath her to turn a bit more towards Kurt.

"So you're going to be helping Blaine practise? That's great, cause it can be a real pain to get him to break out of study mode, especially with the added time for the commute. You guys can grab some practice in off moments or at Warbler's practice and stuff. Can you really pull off the full range?"

Kurt nodded, trying to be modest, but enjoying the company of this girl. She was funny, and had the same bright spark that Mercedes gave off in her smile.

"Yeah, I can go up to high F."

"Seriously?" They both turned to the doorway as Blaine's voice carried in.

"Um. Yeah. I've never really performed it, but..."

"That is amazing." Julia insisted. "You're going to be perfect for Blaine."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, feeling slightly tilty in his stomach at the idea of someone liking him how he wanted another boy to, even though the words had been innocent. However, Blaine had stepped back to close the doors to the library, so Kurt couldn't even see his face.

"Well." Kurt clapped his hands together sharply, trying to refocus on the task at hand. "Shall we...get started?"

Blaine observed Kurt for just a quiet moment, before grinning widely and holding out his arm to Julia.

"Madam?"

Kurt pulled his feet onto the couch cushions, readying the book he'd designated for Warbler's business to make arrangement notations. He could be professional. He would be. He would get this right and show that he could support his team faithfully. He would try.

A knock on the door broke into the third verse and both voices fell. Blaine looked up at the mantle clock.

"Quarter to ten. It must be Wes. Come in!" The doors opened up and Wes slipped in with a smile.

"Hey guys. Kurt." He moved immediately to Julia and kissed her softly. Kurt looked away in embarrassment for a moment, only to find Blaine catch his eye awkwardly. A small smile quirked at the corners of the boy's mouth before Kurt swallowed thickly and began to quickly gather his things off the couch.

"How did practice go?" Wes slid his arm around Julia's waist as Kurt slipped his books into his bag and moved to stand next to the others.

"Progressing. It's going to sound amazing." Julia looked to Blaine, who nodded in agreement. "We're going to meet up again on Sunday, and Blaine's going to practice with Kurt between now and then."

"It's good of you to help out Kurt." Wes smiled. He was a bit stiff with him still, which Blaine said was because he tended to be a bit shy and reserved, especially around new Warblers. There had been a few hints of a funny guy behind it though, that Wes had let slip around Kurt. He had dropped some amusing sarcastic comments in the casual minutes after Warblers that had shocked Kurt at first, and reminded him of Quinn. Apparently that loosening up was a sign that Wes liked him. Although Blaine may just have been being nice to Kurt when he told him that.

"It's my pleasure. Really."

"Well, I should get going if I'm going to make it back, even with curfew extension." Julia frowned and grabbed her coat and scarf from the back of a nearby chair. "Walk me out?" She shot Wes a grin and held out her hand. He wrapped her hand in his and followed her to the door.

"Great to meet you Kurt! I'll see you on Sunday!" Kurt returned the sentiment with a small wave. "Oh, and Blaine-" She leaned back into the room for a moment. "Neil said that he would Skype you to set up a date."

"Thanks Jules." The two sets of footsteps echoed down the hall towards the entrance and Kurt rocked back on the balls of his feet.

"I guess we're done here?"

"Yeah. Come on. Let's go." He saw Blaine's hand move to guide him out towards the stairs to the dorms, but didn't feel a touch on his back. When he glanced covertly, he saw Blaine's hand clench into a fist before it slipped into his pocket. They climbed the staircase in mutual silence, broken by distant shouts from common rooms and footsteps, with a few people passing by them with instrument cases or thick textbooks. At the top, they both stopped, knowing they had to go in opposite directions.

"Did you...I'm going to watch The Daily Show with some of the guys in my hall if you want to come." Kurt offered. For a moment it looked like Blaine was going to say yes, but he glanced backwards down the hall and frowned.

"I'd like to but I should really...I have this English Lit assignment."

"Oh, of course!" Kurt tried to sound enthusiastically understanding instead of slightly disappointed. "I guess I'll see you at practice tomorrow?"

"If not before then." Blaine gave him a smile, and walked backwards down the hall for a moment. "Good night Kurt."

"Night." Kurt replied quietly, watching Blaine turn and disappear around the corner.