Rating: K+

Wordcount: ~11,784

Summary: Rachel falls in love with Kurt. Blaine and Finn aren't pleased. From a prompt on the Glee Angst Meme.

A/N: Most of this was written before we started getting spoilers for S3, so please ignore the fact that one of the songs ended up being used on the show. Set somewhere between 'Born This Way' and 'Prom Queen', so Rachel and Kurt's friendship is still in the middle of that awkward transition phase.

Major thanks to B for the beta and rec! Any additional mistakes are my own. And props to penelopesfriend for all the help/support.

All The Good Ones (This is a Gayvention)

"All right, guys, settle down."

Rachel straightened in her seat as Mr. Schuester wrote his latest lesson on the white board. Lately, his ideas for weekly focus points had been somewhat lacking in originality, with frequent dips into whatever he happened to have watched on television the night before. She was pretty sure last week's 'Country Stars of the 1990's' theme had been a category on Final Jeopardy.

The dry erase marker squeaked as he finished.

"'Passion,'" Mr. Schuester said, dotting the 'i' with a flourish.

"You mean with the guy who hates satellites?" Brittany said with a dazed frown. "That's so racist."

Mr. Schuester stared at her, momentarily thrown. "Uh...no," he said. "I've been watching the performance videos of some of the top winners at Nationals the last couple of years, and one theme each of the groups had in common was passion," he said, underlining the word.

"Wait," said Finn, looking confused, "I thought Principal Figgins banned us from singing about sex after Jacob Ben Israel got trampled during the Britney Spears riot."

Rachel nodded in agreement – even though he was dating Quinn now, it was important that Finn see how much she supported him in everything he said and did. It was all a part of her plan to make him realise his unconditional love for her.

Mr. Schue smiled as if he'd been expecting the comment. "Ah, but passion doesn't just have to be about sex. It can be about romance, or ambitions, or even music. This week's assignment: I want each of you to find a song that demonstrates passion for something. Really feelwhat you're singing about."

A few groans sounded out from the risers, but Rachel squared her shoulders. The assignment was uninspired and presented very little challenge for someone as versed in music as she was, but she believed in giving every task your best effort. It was just one example of what made her such an unstoppable star.

"And to kick off the week, I thought it'd be a good idea to do a song from one of the most passionate musicals of our time," their teacher continued, turning around to grab a stack of sheet music from on top of the piano. He held the first page up for them to see. "'The Phantom of the Opera.'"

"Isn't that the one with the guy whose face was burnt with acid and stuff?" asked Puck, his eyes wide. "That's totally sick."

"The Phantom of the Opera," Mr. Schue began handing out the sheets as if he hadn't heard Puck's comment, "is all about passion for music and song, and how that passion can be strong enough to consume people. The title number is iconic for its depiction of two people completely wrapped up in their passion for singing and each other."

Rachel raised her hand eagerly. "Mr. Schuester? I think Finn and I can properly demonstrate the meaning of this assignment for the others. Our undeniable stage presence can only be rivalled by Sarah Brighton and Michael Crawford themselves." She turned in her seat to beam up at Finn. This was the perfect opportunity to remind him of the chemistry they shared.

"Uh." Finn had that adorable cornered look on his face. Quinn elbowed him in the side. "Actually, I think I'm coming down with something." He coughed once, earning a pleased nod from his girlfriend.

Mr. Schuester frowned uncertainly before turning his attention back to the rest of the club. "Um...okay, why don't we give someone else a shot this time?" he asked, looking to each of the guys hopefully.

Rachel's shoulders drooped, her plans for a heartfelt duet with Finn dashed. Her disappointment only grew as the other boys remained silent behind her, Sam looking bored while Mike and Artie just stared uncomfortably at the wall. Without Finn, their club was sorely lacking a strong leading man. How could she be expected to shine without a proper partner backing her up?

Suddenly, Kurt stood, wearing that familiar haughty expression as he made his way to the bottom of the risers. "I suppose it's up to me to do this song justice, then," he said, raising an expectant eyebrow at Rachel. "Phantom may be overrated, but it's still a classic."

The rest of the club seemed surprised – Kurt hadn't pushed for a solo since he'd transferred back – but the look on his face dared them to comment.

Slightly stunned, Mr. Schuester gestured him on. "Yeah, okay, Kurt. If you think you're up for it," he said, taking a seat.

Rachel stood as well, joining him at the front. While he may not have been her first choice for a duet partner, at least Kurt could be trusted to sing the song properly. Next to her, he was probably the only one in the club who could appreciate the brilliance that was Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The music started, and Rachel willed herself into character. The song wasn't much of a challenge for her. She'd had it down since she was five – Phantom had been very popular when her dads had gotten together – and tapping into the heartfelt longing and curiosity of promising young ingénue Christine Daae was a simple task.

She hit each of her notes with exactly the right amount of power, imagining herself on a Broadway stage with thousands of adoring faces staring up at her, entranced by her stunning voice. She closed her eyes as she finished her verse, soulfully depicting the music possessing her like it did Christine.

"Sing once again with me our strange duet–"

Rachel's eyes shot open at the deep timbre of Kurt's voice. She'd almost forgotten he was there, but his pitch-perfect harmony made it impossible to ignore him now. His eyes were on her, like a cat stalking a mouse, a slight smirk on his lips. She watched in shock as he walked a slow circle around her, his voice low and sultry.

"My power over you grows stronger yet."

Her eyes were drawn to his, a strange warm feeling spreading throughout her. She had never realised how amazing Kurt's range was before. It was so rare to hear him sing in his lower register, but he hit each note perfectly. She realised now that that unfortunate 'Pink Houses' incident last year had failed to properly showcase his true talents. Then, his voice had had a gruff, forced quality to it, and his facial expressions and wardrobe had made it impossible to connect to his true feelings on the song. Today, though, his voice was clear and smooth. Eagerly, she began to sing again, their two harmonies blending together as one.

Why had she never truly appreciated how wonderful they sounded before now?

Kurt held her gaze as he drew her toward him, taking a step back for each one she took forward, as if leading her by some invisible leash. There was something captivating in his expression, something she'd never really noticed before. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time, and she couldn't look away.

"I am the mask you wear–"

"–It's me they hear."

It suddenly struck her how attractive Kurt was when he was singing. She'd never really noticed it before, but the way he'd been wearing his hair lately made him look more mature, and his most recent growth spurt meant that she really had to look up to meet his eyes. He was more confident, too – ever since he'd come back from Dalton. He seemed so at home in his own skin. Genuine self-confidence was a very good trait to have; it was the sign of a true star. Finn had admittedly been lacking in it, but Kurt wore it in every expression and movement, his long fingers beckoning her forward.

Kurt would make an amazing leading man, she realised. Maybe the reason she'd never noticed before was because they'd spent so much of their time fighting one another.

Now that she thought about it, though, all of the bickering she and Kurt had done was just like every great love story she'd ever seen. All of the romantic tension between the leading man and woman made them hate and compete against one another. But then that hate slowly grew to respect, and then, just before it was too late, they realised that they were each other's true loves.

Distantly, she was aware that the song was reaching its end, the rest of the glee club joining in, but Rachel only had eyes for Kurt.

He was exactly the type of guy she should be with. They had the same interests, the same idols, the same goals in life. She could see it now – the two of them living in a gorgeous and stylish New York apartment, starring on Broadway, one of those famous celebrity couples who appeared in everything together. Kurt could escort her down the red carpet at her first Tony nomination, and only he would understand how much it meant to her.

It was the dream future she'd always envisioned for herself, and it'd been right in front of her all along.

Rachel closed her eyes as he moved to stand next her, the music swelling up as she belted out the final note.

She was in love with Kurt Hummel.

"For the last time, Finn, I'm not helping you turn our riding lawn mower into a go-kart."

Finn frowned, walking faster to keep up with Kurt as he made his way to his locker. For a little guy, he was crazy fast in a crowd.

"Come on, dude, it'll be awesome!" he said, pleading a bit. What was the point of having a brother who was a mechanic if he wouldn't make you cool stuff? "Puck said he'd pay you."

He made sure to keep one eye on the other students as they walked, watching for threats. He knew he'd dropped the ball last semester when it came to all of the bullying stuff, but he'd made a promise to Kurt and to Burt to do better this time around, and he wasn't going to let them down. Just because Santana and Karofsky had started that weird French-hat club didn't mean that others wouldn't try something if they got a chance. Kurt was his responsibility, and he was determined to be the best big brother ever.

Even if Kurt was technically a month-and-a-half older than him.

"Much as I'd love to help Puck launder his no-doubt stolen money, I'd prefer to keep my record spotless," Kurt said as he opened his locker.

"Hey, not cool," said Finn, feeling defensive. "Puck's not like that anymore. You know he wouldn't risk his probation over something stupid."

Actually, he didn't know where the money was coming from, but he'd heard Puck and Artie saying something about a busker revolution downtown, so it was probably okay.

"The answer's still no."

Kurt pulled out that big can of hairspray he kept in his locker and Finn backed away a bit – he'd learned the hard way not to stand too close when Kurt was spraying it. He'd always wondered how his lungs could take so much of the stuff.

Looking up, he noticed Rachel staring at them from down the hall.

Oh crap. She had that crazy, determined look on her face, like when she was talking about making them matching coffee mugs with their heads photoshopped on to Disney characters and stuff.

He panicked as she started heading straight for them like one of those blue shell missiles from Mario Kart. Quinn had been really scary about him talking to Rachel lately, and he was kind of running out of ways to let Rachel know it was over. It wasn't that he didn't like her or anything, but, well, she'd cheated on him, and that was something you didn't just forget about.

Well, except for all the stuff with Quinn, but that had been a whole year ago, so it was different.

Rachel stopped right in front of them, a big smile on her face, and Finn braced himself.

Wait, why wasn't she looking at him?

"Kurt, I'm so glad I caught you," she said, her eyes wide and focused as Kurt looked up from his locker.

Finn frowned – wait, what?

"I was looking through my closet earlier and I've decided that it's time for a change. I wondered if you might be willing to make some suggestions?" Was she batting her eyes at him? He'd thought girls only did that when they liked someone. Or when they had pink eye. He really hoped she didn't have pink eye – that'd be gross.

Kurt's head perked up like one of those meerkats they were always showing on Animal Planet. "Rachel Berry, are you offering to let me give you a makeover?"

Rachel smiled, and she was totally trying to hit on Kurt. Finn could tell, 'cause now she was staring at him like her eyes were glued open. Huh. He'd never really realised how creepy she could be when she was flirting.

"Well, I know we had our issues in the past with makeovers, but I've always admired your–"

"I'll do it," Kurt interrupted, closing his locker and pointing a finger at her. "Your house, after school. We'll start with the animal sweaters – I'll bring garbage bags and gasoline."

She glanced down at her bright purple moose sweater with uncertainty, but Kurt was already leaving. Smiling like she did when something went her way, Rachel turned, heading off to her next class with a cute little bounce in her step.

Confused, Finn watched them both go. He wasn't really sure what'd just happened, but he really didn't like it.

Rachel hummed to herself as she walked out of her third period chemistry class, feeling the satisfaction that only achieving one's goals can bring. It had been two days since her revelation, and while it was true that Kurt had yet to realise his deep feelings for her, she was confident that they were well on their way to the start of their fairytale romance.

Like any true achiever, she'd broken down her idea into a series of defined steps that were guaranteed to get her into Kurt's arms in no time.

Phase one of her plan had happened the night before, and had meant the sacrifice of a good portion of her wardrobe – including her favourite pink skirt with musical notes all over it, after Kurt had said it made her look like a desperate Hannah Montana lookalike. She could only hope the Goodwill store they'd given it to would let her buy it back once she and Kurt were girlfriend and boyfriend.

She'd even managed to secure a shopping date after school to replace the clothes they'd gotten rid of. While Kurt's taste in clothing was quite eclectic compared to her own, the brilliance of Rachel's plan lay in allowing him to dress her as he wanted. Without even realising it, Kurt would be transforming her into his dream girl.

Rachel just had to hope her dads wouldn't question the expenses being charged to their credit card – Kurt's tastes didn't run cheap, either. She'd have to convince them the makeover was an important part of developing her image as a leading lady.

She squared her shoulders, determined. It would all be worth it when she and Kurt became the new glee club power couple.

Now, it was time for the next stage of her plan: a thoughtful gift that spoke to their connection and future together, paired with a well-placed compliment that demonstrated her high regard for him.

Spotting Kurt at his locker again, she headed straight for him with a winning smile.

"Kurt! I wanted you to know that you did a very good job of blending with the other background singers in glee today. Normally, your voice can be somewhat overpowering in its pitch, but you managed to be indistinct enough to allow me to shine as the true star of the song. It's reassuring to know that my talent will be properly highlighted against a flat backdrop of singers at Nationals."

"Why, thank you, Rachel," Kurt said dryly. "It's always nice to know one's work is acceptably average."

She dropped her gaze as a small thrill of satisfaction ran through her. So far, phase two was a success. She watched him out of the corner of her eyes, feigning uncertainty.

"Of course, it's such a big burden – carrying Nationals all by myself," she said, toying with the edge of her binder. "I– I wouldn't want to let my fellow glee club members down – not when so many of you will likely be called on to provide quotes for my future best-selling biography."

Kurt quirked his eyebrows as he checked his hair in his locker mirror. Rachel couldn't help but imagine how flawless they'd look in their tabloid photos together someday – she appreciated a romantic partner who was as prepared for paparazzi ambushes as she was.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage to steal the spotlight just fine, Rachel," he said, smoothing his fringe into place. "You always do."

Pleased at his praise, Rachel smiled to herself. Time for the second half of phase two.

Shyly, she opened the cover of her binder to produce the gift she'd spent most of that morning working on.

"I realised I never gave you anything to welcome you back into our group, especially after that flash mob you and Puck organised for me," she said. "I know it hasn't been easy for you this year, so I got you something that I think will help."

Accepting the present hesitantly, Kurt paused as he looked down at the photo frame.

"...This is a picture of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John in Grease with our heads glued onto it."

She beamed. She'd realised belatedly that she didn't really have any pictures of the two of them together, but this was even better. Sandy and Danny were just some of the roles they could play together once they were famous and on Broadway. She'd spent most of the night watching Evita on DVD and envisioning their revival of it – Kurt would be the perfect Che to her Eva Perron.

"See, the frame is covered in stars, because they're kind of my thing," she said, helpfully pointing in case Kurt had missed them. "That way, when you feel down, you can think of me, and what an incredible star I am. I always find it very inspiring."

Kurt nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the frame. "Thank you, Rachel. I'll treasure it always," he said flatly, putting it inside his locker and shutting the door.

He turned and left without a goodbye, but Rachel understood that he was probably just overwhelmed. Unlike Finn, Kurt knew the importance of being a star, and could appreciate the significance of such thoughtful a gift. She watched him go, mentally checking off another step of her plan.

Phase two was officially a success.

Blaine's breath caught as Kurt's foot brushed his under their table at the Lima Bean. It was probably an accident, judging by how engrossed his boyfriend was in his story about his latest shopping trip with Mercedes, but Blaine couldn't stop the warm feeling that spread throughout him at the casualness of it.

It was nice, being so comfortable around someone else. He'd never know why it'd taken him so long to see it, but he was grateful he had.

"–and then, Mercedes picked up this truly horrendous pair of jeggings, but thankfully I put a stop to that nonsense before she made it to the changing room. I swear, whoever invented those embarrassments to fashion should be hunted down and flogged."

Blaine laughed at the serious look on Kurt's face.

"Another crisis averted," he said, taking a sip of his coffee and wishing their after-school dates could last longer. It'd been so much easier when they hadn't had to wait all day to be together.

"Hey, you two! Fancy seeing you here!"

They both glanced up to see Rachel Berry hovering over their table, a large grin on her face and a coffee cup in her hand. Blaine smiled, greeting her with a friendly – if not confused – nod. She was wearing a severe-looking trench coat-style dress that he was pretty sure was from Sarah Burton's new collection, and, while stylish, it was a far cry from Rachel's usual GapKids look. He wondered how she'd managed to afford it.

Then again, any parents who would build a stage in their basement just so their daughter could give impromptu concerts probably wouldn't deny her much.

Kurt spared only a glance for her outfit before turning back to his coffee with disinterest.

"We're here every day at four o'clock, Rachel. Everybody knows this."

Rachel seemed not to hear him. She grabbed a chair from another table just as a man had been moving to sit in it, causing Blaine's brow to furrow slightly. Oblivious to the man's glare, she positioned the seat right next to Kurt.

"I wanted to thank you again for the new clothes," she said, watching Kurt with an intense focus. "While I admit I enjoyed the comfort and convenience of my old style – and I still find the corsets hard to breathe in – I know it's good practice for when I'm famous and expected to become a fashion icon to millions."

"Well, I'm always willing to help one of the less style-fortunate," Kurt said primly, though Blaine could tell from the quirk of his lips that he was pleased by the praise.

Rachel nodded, looking up at Kurt through her eyelashes – which Blaine now realised were thickly coated in mascara. He'd never thought Rachel was that into makeup. Even on their date, she'd barely worn any, though that could've been due in part to her Jennifer Cavalleri costume. She always seemed to go more for the 'natural' look – or, as Kurt had phrased it, the 'I don't know an eyebrow pencil from a Sesame Street crayon' approach.

"I know if anyone can appreciate the importance of standing apart from the crowd, it's you," she continued with a soft laugh, leaning into Kurt. "It's just one more thing the two of us have in common."

Blaine had the brief realisation that he was being ignored, but he shrugged it off, sipping his coffee. The strange rivalry-come-friendship between Kurt and Rachel had always confused him, and it was probably best not to interfere with it.

Rachel looked down in a way that was uncharacteristically demure.

"Anyway, I'm glad I ran into you," she said, turning almost full-body toward Kurt, putting herself in his line of sight. "As it happens, my dads have two tickets to the sold-out community production of Chicago in Columbus, but it conflicts with their annual couples retreat in Vermont. So, I thought you'd like to go with me. No one else would really appreciate Roxy Hart's desperate attempts to become a star at any cost like you would. I guess that's what makes us both so compatible."

Blaine frowned lightly – it was a little rude of her to invite Kurt when he was sitting right there across from them, but he knew Rachel probably didn't mean anything by it. She didn't always think about things like that. He couldn't help but feel like he was missing something, though. Watching her press close to Kurt's side again, oblivious to him leaning away from her, he blinked. Was she...flirting?

Huh. He was the first to admit that he could be pretty oblivious when it came to reading signals – it usually took until someone was handing over their number for him to realise that they weren't just being friendly – but he was pretty sure this was Rachel flirting. With Kurt. Right in front of him.

He'd given up on trying to keep all of the McKinley gossip straight, but the last he'd heard, Rachel'd still been hung up on Finn. In fact, more than a few of his dates with Kurt (and not-dates before they were dating, which he now realised had sort of been pseudo-dates to Kurt, which, yeah, again with the poor signal-reading) had been interrupted by Rachel's broken-hearted-and-slightly-manic monologues about why she and Finn should be together.

So, how did hitting on his step-brother fit into that equation?

Kurt had perked up at the mere mention of theatre tickets, an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Stop right there," he said, holding up a hand as Rachel looked poised to continue speaking. "I'll go. Chicago isn't exactly Wicked, but nothing could make me turn down the chance to see 'All That Jazz' performed live."

Rachel grinned, giving Kurt a quick hug that he stiffly returned.

"Great, then it's a date!" she said, standing. "You can pick me up at six. My curfew's not until midnight, so we'll have time to grab coffee afterwards, and then you can drive me home. I'll be expecting your call to work out the finer details."

Blaine and Kurt both watched as she turned on heel and left.

"Well, that was delightful," Kurt said dryly before immediately launching into a discussion of last night's Top Model episode.

Amused, Blaine settled back into his seat again. He still wasn't sure what was going on with Rachel, but Kurt didn't seem too alarmed, so it was probably nothing to worry about.

Besides, from what he'd observed, their club tended to lose interest in stuff pretty quickly.

Finn kicked off his shoes and shut the front door behind him. He grinned, heading straight for the kitchen. It was Wednesday, which meant his mom had a late shift at the hospital and Burt wouldn't be home for a couple of hours.

Plenty of time for a snack with his video games before they came home and complained about him ruining his dinner.

He grabbed a soda from the fridge along with a few necessities from the cupboards. Chips. Oreos. Salsa. Cheetos. Quinn'd probably say he was pigging out, but in his defence, dinners at their house kinda sucked ever since Kurt had convinced his mom to make them all 'heart healthy' vegetable junk all the time. Lettuce was okay in, like, sandwiches and stuff, but a guy can't be expected to live on that.

Hmm. Actually, a BLT sounded pretty good right now.

Finn froze suddenly, spotting a blue and white plate on the counter. He grabbed it, abandoning his snacks as he stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Kurt was in his room, his laptop open to that pink gossip site that sounded like it was written by that hot heiress from the porno but Kurt insisted was far beyond her "mental faculties" to maintain, whatever that meant.

"Why is Rachel making you cookies?" he accused, holding the plate up as evidence. He knew those cookies – Rachel'd given him a whole ton of them after they broke up, with messages spelled out on them like 'I'm Sorry' and 'I Love You' and 'We Didn't Even Have Sex.' That last one had been a really big plate. It'd taken him, Mike, and Artie to finish them all, because even though he was really mad at Rachel, she still made pretty good cookies. And being angry made him hungry.

She'd always made them for their anniversaries and stuff, too, like the anniversary of their first kiss, and the anniversary of their first date, and the anniversary of their first duet in front of a live audience. It used to make him nervous when they were dating, because seeing a plate of them usually meant that he'd forgotten something important and Rachel was about to start yelling at him.

So, yeah, Finn knew those cookies. They always meant something. And he was pretty sure Rachel hadn't cheated on Kurt with Puck.

Kurt waved a hand at the plate without looking away from his laptop.

"She cornered me in the parking lot," he said, sounding distracted. "As if I'd throw away all of my hard work in fitting into my new skinny jeans on a plate full of calories. I don't care what Rachel says – vegan does not equal fat free."

Finn glanced down at the star-shaped cookies with a frown.

The words '#1 Countertenor' stared up at him in pink frosting. The last one had a heart on it. She used to only put hearts on Finn's cookies.

"If you want to eat them, be my guest," Kurt said, idly scrolling down a webpage. "Just don't let my dad have any – I know you're the one who snuck him that Big Mac last week, and I'm not about to let him ruin his health for something Rachel Berry baked."

Crap – he hadn't thought Kurt knew about that. In his defence, though, Kurt had made them all this really gross tofu bean stuff with a French-sounding name for dinner that night. He and his mom kept going on about how good it was for them, and Burt had agreed, waiting until the last plate was cleared to slip the car keys and a ten dollar bill into Finn's hand. Finn couldn't have left fast enough – as far as he was concerned, they deserved that McDonald's for actually finishing it all.

Besides, it was kind of cool to be the one Burt went to for stuff like that. Like there was this weird sort of secret pact between them.

Finn shook his head – this wasn't about what he'd done wrong – it was about Kurt. Kurt and Rachel. And a plate of very incriminating sugar cookies.

"Haven't you noticed Rachel acting weird around you?" he said, waving the plate a bit as evidence. Rachel wasn't really good at being subtle. But then again, Kurt was gay – maybe he didn't know what it looked like when girls threw themselves at you. It probably looked different than when guys did it.

Finn thought it over. Yeah, that made sense – Kurt probably didn't even know what was happening. Once Finn explained it to him, he'd be really upset and shoot Rachel down and then she'd be back to normal.

Shrugging, Kurt said, "I try to avoid devoting any of my spare time to contemplating the inner-workings of Rachel's brain."

"Well, maybe you should, because– because she's been hitting on you," Finn said seriously, pausing for the inevitable freak-out.

Instead Kurt shot him a bored look before turning his attention back to his computer.

"Yes? And?"

"But– but Rachel's a girl," he said, feeling confused – wasn't he going to do anything about it? Maybe Kurt didn't get what a big deal this was. "And she's hitting on you. You don't want that."

Kurt closed his laptop.

"As touching as your concern for my welfare is, I assure you it's unnecessary. Besides, aren't you with Quinn now?"

Finn faltered. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't– I mean, it's not cool to lead people on, dude," he said, frowning.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "She already knows I'm gay, Finn."

"Yeah, well, maybe you should remind her or something, because I'm pretty sure I saw her writing down ideas for a romantic mixed CD in fourth period." He knew it'd been a romantic CD because there'd been at least four songs from Rent on it, and that had always been part of Rachel's go-to date soundtrack.

Shaking his head, Kurt stood.

"I'm already seeing someone, and Rachel's well aware that that someone is a guy. The fact remains that it doesn't concern you either way," said Kurt, ushering Finn out the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Skype date in two hours and I need to get ready for it."

The door shut in his face, leaving Finn alone in the hallway.

Feeling a lot grumpier than he had when he came home, he turned and headed for the stairs, but stopped, his eyes falling to the plate of cookies in his hand. He glared for a minute before taking a bite out of the star with a 'C' on it.

No point letting them go to waste.

The glee club was unruly as usual, Rachel's fellow teammates a loud and immature crowd with no appreciation for proper decorum. She herself sat attentive in the front row, steadfastly ignoring the odd looks Finn had been shooting her when he thought Quinn wasn't looking.

She hadn't been able to secure a seat next to Kurt – Tina and Mercedes had walked in alongside him, leaving her with little opportunity – so, instead she'd made sure to sit directly in his eyeline. He'd spend the whole glee practice unable to stop himself from noticing her.

It was a good thing she'd gone with the red-and-white printed dress that morning instead of the faux-ripped beige one – the giant bell-shaped hips would be sure to catch his eye where they hung out over her chair.

Even if it was really hard to sit without rolling off the side.

The last to enter, Mr. Schuester gave them all a big smile, setting down his messenger bag.

"You guys did a great job with the passion assignment," he said, stopping in the middle of the room. "But I really think we need to get back to our roots."

He clapped his hands, looking excited. "I know we had some issues the last time we tried West Side Story, but I think it has just the right blend of passion and romance for us."

Rachel bounced in her seat, the hoop of her dress adding an extra wobble to her enthusiasm. This was perfect – another chance for her to claim her rightful place as Maria. The daily notes she slipped under the door of Mr. Schuester's office must have finally paid off.

And she knew just who she wanted to play her Tony.

Mr. Schuester was still talking, handing out stacks of sheet music to everyone.

"The judges really seemed to like our romantic duets at past competitions, and I think this could be a great song for Nationals."

Rachel glanced down at the sheet she was handed, another rush of excitement going through her at seeing 'Somewhere' written at the top.

Immediately, she raised her hand and stood, cutting off whatever their teacher was saying.

"Mr. Schue, if I may," she said, smiling graciously to her fellow glee club members as she gained their attention. "I think Kurt and I would be perfect for this duet. Our voices blend like they were made for each other, and our natural chemistry while singing will be just what we need to win Nationals."

She could feel the others' eyes on her. They were probably wondering how she managed to come up with so many great ideas.

Mr. Schuester sighed.

"Rachel, we already talked about this at Sectionals. You and Finn can't always just–" he stopped, frowning. "Wait, you and Kurt?"

Her smile widened as he stared at her. This was a brilliant plan – singing this duet with Kurt at Nationals would require them to be around one another constantly. And once their overwhelming romantic tension was met with a dark auditorium and the power of Sondheim's lyrics, Kurt would have no choice but to succumb to his hidden feelings and admit they were soulmates.

Looking uncertain, Mr. Schuester turned his attention behind her. "Kurt?" he asked.

Kurt was obviously trying to contain his excitement, still sitting primly in his seat. His good posture was really quite admirable. "Far be it from me to refuse a solo. And West Side Story is a particular favourite of mine."

"O–okay, then," Mr. Schue nodded, trying to smile. "I guess we've got our two soloists."

Sitting back down again, Rachel nodded to herself. Everything was working out perfectly.

Taking a deep breath – which was harder than one might think, given the tight boning of her new black tulle dress – Rachel smiled at her reflection in her locker mirror. She grabbed a yellow star-shaped notepad off the top shelf (a gift from her dads after her eighth consecutive Junior Miss Ohio Tap Dance win) and flipped it open.

There, carefully written in rich blue ink, were the steps of her 'Get Kurt to Fall in Love With Me' plan, her smile growing with each check-mark. Finn often criticised her for being too goal-oriented, but Rachel knew that a healthy sense of accomplishment was not only important, but necessary for achieving true success in life. It may not have looked like it, but she was within days of having Kurt as her boyfriend.

Sure, Kurt was still somewhat hesitant toward her, but little by little she was wearing him down with compliments and her charismatic presence.

She shut her locker and began walking a bit unsteadily down the hall. The black studded lace-up ankle boots she'd let Kurt pick out for her were taller than she was used to, and the stiff fabric of her long-sleeve dress itched, but the way Kurt had glanced almost approvingly at her ensemble that morning had made it all worth it.

The makeover had gone a long way in softening Kurt up, but Rachel knew she'd require a secret weapon in order to seal the deal. If she wanted to get Kurt, then she needed advice from the only other person who'd done it.

"I need to speak with you."

Brittany frowned. "Are you the wicked witch? I don't have a dog for you to take, and Lord Tubbington hates long car rides."

Rachel faltered, looking down at her outfit uncertainly, but quickly regained her composure.

"While I normally pride myself on remaining above the common gossip that runs rampant in our school, there are some things one simply can't help but overhear, and it is my understanding that you and Kurt dated briefly last year."

"His face was soft like a bunny's," the other girl said vaguely. Rachel chose to take it as a confirmation. While she found conversations with Brittany a strange and uncomfortable experience, Rachel was confident that somewhere in her very odd ramblings lay the secret to winning Kurt's heart.

Preparing her notepad, her pen poised just above the paper, she smiled indulgently.

"How exactly did you get him to date you?"

Brittany tilted her head. "Well, I asked him if he wanted to tap this, because he reminded me of the big lumberjack from those paper towel commercials, and cleaning products are really hot."

Rachel furrowed her brow, writing 'Tap this?' in her perfect penmanship.

"I see," she said, reading the next question on her notepad. "And what sorts of activities did the two of you participate in together?"

"Sometimes we made out, but usually just when his dad was there," Brittany said, her face screwed up in thought. "Mostly we talked about My Little Pony and he did my nails. He helped me pick out a new raincoat for Lord Tubbington, because his old one didn't match his sunglasses."

Nodding her head, Rachel wrote furiously.

Possible Shared Activities:

– Couple's manicures

– Animal rights protest

– Exhibitionism?

Clearly she had her work cut out for her, but Rachel was positive that if Brittany could win Kurt over, she could as well.

"One last question," she said, smiling brightly. "What kind of kisser would you describe Kurt as – is he sweet and romantic, or does he have more of a passionate, take-charge style?"

While she was confident after dating Puck that she could make herself compatible with any type, it never hurt to be prepared, and knowing his style ahead of time would assist her in putting together an appropriate playlist of make-out songs.

"He kinda laid there like a hotdog without a bun," said Brittany, staring blankly into the distance. "But then we stopped making out because he started dressing like a Ken doll again, and Santana said that meant he was back to being gayer than Clay Aiken."

She stopped and turned to look at Rachel, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. "You can tell Kurt if he wants to get back together, he's too late. I'm already dating Artie, and they have the same plumbing, so I can only sleep with one of them."

Rachel opened her mouth to reply, before realising she had nothing to say to that. She tilted her head in confusion, but Brittany was already leaving, the stuffed head of her unicorn backpack nodding in time as she walked.

Breadstix was fairly empty, that one older waitress who always seemed to be on-shift standing idly in the corner looking bored. She'd moved forward in interest when Rachel entered, but Rachel had waved her off, surveying the thin crowd. She quickly found what she was searching for.

Kurt and Blaine were seated across from each other, their heads bent forward over their clasped hands on the table, talking. The smiles on their faces were small, but familiar, both of them speaking too softly to hear.

"Hey, guys!" she said, sliding into the booth next to Kurt. "What are you up to?"

The two boys stared at her a moment before dropping their hands awkwardly and leaning back in their seats.

"Having dinner. Alone," Kurt said tersely. Their date must not have been going well.

Rachel smiled widely. "Great! I'm starving," she said, unbuttoning her red wool cape as she settled in comfortably next to him. The soft lighting really brought out his cheekbones.

Blaine shifted a bit in his seat.

"Don't you have dance practice right now, Rachel?"

"Yes," she said, pulling her cape off and laying it beside her, taking the opportunity to move that much closer to Kurt. She bet he was a great cuddler. He was taller than Blaine, but she was sure her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder without any unnecessary neck strain. Unlike with Finn.

She smiled again, directing her reply at Kurt. "Unfortunately our instructor has come down with a severe case of syphilis, so practices are cancelled until further notice. I offered to teach the class myself, but none of the other students were willing to concede to my leadership."

Although Rachel knew how important her dance classes were – a well-rounded portfolio would be her ticket to Julliard – Mr. Tische's bad luck actually worked in her favour. It allowed her further opportunity for her ongoing plan: be everywhere Kurt is. The more Kurt saw of her, the more he would think of her, making her too important to forget.

Soon enough, Kurt would come to anticipate her presence – even rely on and expect it.

She waved a hand in the air, flagging the waitress down.

"Anyway, with my whole evening wide open, I simply had to track Kurt down and tell him about this amazing new sheet music store I saw." She'd already special-ordered their matching copies of the complete Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack. She'd always thought she'd make a wonderful Kim MacAfee.

The waitress pulled out her pad and pen. "Can I get you something?"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look.

"Uh, Rachel—"

"Yes, I'll have a lemonade, and whatever Kurt's having as long as it's vegan," she answered, wrapping a hand around Kurt's arm in indication. Kurt gently removed it. He seemed very reluctant about public displays of affection. She'd have to work on that.

She turned back to the two boys as the waitress left, finding them both staring silently into space. Mentally, she checked another point off for herself – such deep-rooted communication problems were an obvious death knell for any relationship.

It was a good thing she'd turned up, or Kurt's night might have been awful.

Blaine rocked back on his heels, feeling a little out-of-place.

The front door of the Berry household was bright red, which made the part of Blaine that could easily spend most of the morning laughing at one of Jeff's terrible puns wonder if it had anything to do with their last name. The last time he'd been there, it'd been a lot darker, and he'd been distracted by those tight pants Kurt had been wearing – which sort of resembled bondage gear now that he thought about it – and worrying about making a good impression on his friends.

Now, though, standing alone on the welcome mat with its slightly disturbing big-eyed cat grinning up at him, he found himself wondering whether Rachel's dads had chosen the colour because they thought it was funny or simply because it was attention-grabbing.

Finally, the door opened to reveal Rachel. She was dressed in an off-white wrap he was pretty sure he'd seen Kate Middleton wearing to a museum opening last month (Blaine was still really amazed Kurt had managed to find so many high-fashion clothes for her in Lima, but then again, Kurt had a knack for doing the impossible).

She stiffened as she caught sight of him, her eyes widening a bit beneath the long red feathers of her ornate fascinator hat.

"Oh, hello, Blaine."

He smiled politely. "Hey, Rachel. Is it all right if I talk to you for a minute?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Of course," she said after a moment, beckoning him into her home with a sweep of her arm. He kind of liked that about Rachel – everything was like an old-fashioned movie with her.

The inside of the Berry household was as immaculate as the outside. He hadn't caught more than a glance at the upstairs the last time he'd been there because Rachel had been adamant about not leaving Puck alone in the basement too long without her supervision. Now, though, he could see pictures of her everywhere as they walked into the living room, only to be met with an ornate trophy case displaying several pairs of bronzed ballet shoes and more trophies than a Toddlers and Tiaras pageant.

"Um, that's quite the collection," he commented awkwardly, realising he'd been staring. It'd probably seemed impolite.

Rachel thanked him with a smile. "It's just a small portion of the honours I've received – my dads are in the process of redoing the spare bedroom to turn it into an appropriate show room for my awards. They want to ensure my entire career is properly documented for when I achieve worldwide fame."

Blaine had no idea what to say to that, except that it was comments like that that made him remember why Rachel was the way she was, so instead he settled for what he hoped was a supportive smile.

She gestured to a striped couch in front of the living room window, taking a seat herself in the chair directly across from it. Blaine sat, doing his best to ignore his surroundings.

Rachel shifted in her seat, a reluctant and falsely-detached expression on her face. "Not to be rude, but I have a meeting with the Black Student Union in half-an-hour and we're going to be voting on my suggestion for a musical re-telling of the Harriet Tubman story for next month's fundraiser."

Clasping his hands in front of him, Blaine organised his thoughts. He'd decided ahead of time that the best tactic was to be honest, and to approach the issue rationally.

"Kurt doesn't know I'm here," he said up front. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel embarrassed at the thought of them talking about her behind her back.

At Rachel's nod, he continued.

"You know Kurt and I don't get to spend as much time together as we used to since he transferred," he said, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees.

A smug look crossed Rachel's face, though she tried to hide it. "Long-distance relationships are generally unsuccessful in people our age," she said, overly-earnest. "I know from experience. Maybe you and Kurt should consider whether you're truly ready to tie yourselves to a relationship that might be doomed to failure."

He felt a surprising twinge of resentment at the dig about their relationship – the distance between them was a bit of a sore spot for him – but Blaine ignored it. Rachel was only lashing out due to her own insecurities.

"Regardless of that, we still enjoy spending time together," he said evenly, looking her in the eye. "And while I'd never suggest that you and Kurt should see less of each other, I can't help but notice that you've shown up on every one of our dates this week. And that's not really fair to Kurt and I."

Rachel was sitting ramrod-straight in her chair, her eyes guarded. "Kurt enjoys spending time with me." Blaine thought that might be stretching the truth a little bit, but it wasn't his place to comment. "You can't decide who he is and isn't friends with. There are pamphlets on things like that."

He held up his hands defensively. "Believe me, I have no intention of telling Kurt who he can be friends with. I just think it's a little inconsiderate of you to keep inviting yourself along on our dates when Kurt and I get to spend so little time together as it is. And, frankly, Rachel, your behaviour lately has been a little–" he winced, searching for the right word– "Inappropriate."

She huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't meant to bring it up so bluntly, but he knew it needed to be said. "Look, don't take this the wrong way, but it's been pretty obvious that you've developed...feelings for Kurt."

Rachel's cheeks reddened slightly, but her expression quickly turned defensive. "I don't see why that should bother you," she said.

Blaine sighed. "You know how girls sometimes say all of the best guys are either gay or taken?" he asked, waiting for a nod from Rachel before he continued. "Well, Kurt's both."

Rachel frowned.

"How do you know?" she asked. "Everyone always just assumed he was gay, but maybe he didn't get a chance to consider whether he likes girls. Or maybe he's bi. You can't say for sure."

Wincing a bit, Blaine sat back. Another sore spot – Rachel seemed to have a knack for finding them. "Would you say that to your dads, Rachel?"

She shrugged, a carefully unaffected look on her face. "That's different – they're both a lot older than Kurt. This is the time in our lives when we're supposed to be figuring these sorts of things out. For all we know, I could be doing Kurt a favour."

In general, Blaine liked Rachel, but it was moments like this one where he really understood Kurt's constant frustration with her.

He glanced to the side, considering a different approach.

"Look, I'd like to think the two of us are friends now, right?" he said, raising his eyebrows entreatingly.

She considered it for a moment before nodding her agreement.

"Well, then," he said slowly, working through the wording, "as your friend, I don't want to see you get hurt by falling for someone who can't return your feelings. I think you're just setting yourself up for disappointment."

Rachel was silent, hurt flashing briefly in her eyes before a look of hard determination settled on her features.

"I'm sorry that you're jealous of what Kurt and I share," she said quietly, her voice like steel. "But you need to accept that you may not be the best thing for him."

She tilted her head in a manner she probably thought exuded sympathy. "You're a good showman, Blaine, and admittedly quite attractive, but I'm a vastly superior singer and Kurt and I share a much longer history. I only hope there will be no hard feelings between us when Kurt chooses our Broadway-destined romance over you."

The twinge of irritation Blaine had felt earlier returned.

"Rachel, this isn't like when you and I went on that date. Kurt isn't questioning himself – he's gay."

She shook her head.

"You don't know every thought that goes through Kurt's mind. How do you know for sure he isn't interested?"

Blaine bit the inside of his cheek, feeling like he was in a punching match against a brick wall. "Fair enough," he conceded. "I don't. But even if Kurt were bi, we're still dating. And frankly, your behaviour has been bordering on rude."

He met her gaze head-on, his expression softening. "I mean, how would you feel if I acted like that to someone you were seeing?"

He was aware he was pleading, but he really wasn't sure how else to appeal to her. Rachel was used to viewing things only from her perspective, but maybe with a bit of prodding, she would see how her behaviour was affecting others.

For a second, he thought it might have worked, Rachel's gaze darting to the side uncertainly, her posture not as stiff. Her eyes were shining a bit as she turned back, but he was disappointed to see their sense of determination had not faded.

"I think if you're that insecure about your and Kurt's relationship, then maybe you should reconsider whether or not you're truly invested in it," she said shortly, the edges of her mouth pulled down in an unhappy line. "I'll stop showing up on your dates, but mostly because that much coffee consumption isn't good for my voice. You should both really think about finding another shared activity. But I'm not going to give up."

She stood, flicking a loose feather from her fascinator out of her eyes. "I assure you I won't hold any of this against you when Kurt and I are co-starring in this summer's community theatre production of Into the Woods. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish writing a song about abolitionism."

Blaine and Kurt were spread out on Kurt's bed, the door to his room open just past the acceptable limit. Blaine was propped up against the headboard, his chemistry textbook opened on his lap, while Kurt lounged on his stomach beside him reading a magazine. McKinley's schoolwork was a lot easier than Dalton's, and he always finished his before Blaine, but Kurt had still managed to convince his dad that they needed these nightly 'homework dates.'

Blaine didn't mind one bit. It was nice spending time with Kurt, and studying alone at Dalton just hadn't been the same since he left.

Today, though, his mind couldn't be further from his schoolwork, a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd re-read the same line five times already, and if anything, his focus was getting worse.

His looked up, staring at the back of Kurt's head. He hated having secrets, and he knew this wasn't one he could – or should – keep from his boyfriend.

He sighed, closing his book and pulling himself up straighter. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Sounds serious," Kurt said teasingly, his eyes still on his magazine and his ankles crossing playfully in the air behind him.

Blaine didn't smile, too busy thinking about how best to break the news. Total honesty was one of the best parts of their relationship, and this weight had been on his shoulders for too long now. He only hoped Kurt wouldn't be mad at him for waiting so long to bring it up.

"Um, I don't really know how to say this," he said, looking down at his hands. "But I've kind of suspected for a while— and– and she confirmed it – that Rachel, um...sort of has feelings for you."

Kurt inclined his head. "Well, it's not like it was hard to figure out," he said. His lip curled in mild distaste. "Her original song in glee club today was entitled 'My Big Closet of Love.' Subtlety has never been Rachel's strong suit."

Blaine felt as if a boulder had been lifted off of him, even as confusion settled in.

"Wait, you knew?"

The look of derision Kurt shot him would've hurt if not for the amusement in his eyes. "Of course I did."

Okay, so maybe their honesty wasn't as total as it could have been, but it still beat out most of the other relationships Blaine had seen. He shook his head.

"So, you mean I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out how to break the news that Rachel Berry's in love with you, and you've known this whole time?"

"'Love' would imply it was about me." Kurt glanced back at him, unimpressed. "Make no mistake – this is about Rachel."

He was glad that the uncomfortable task of informing Kurt had been taken out of his hands, but something about Kurt's nonchalant attitude was putting Blaine on-edge. Why wasn't he upset about this? And why hadn't he said anything before now? Rachel had been trailing Kurt for almost two weeks.

"Doesn't it–" he said, his forehead creased, "doesn't it bother you at all?"

His boyfriend shrugged. "When you've known Rachel as long as I have, you get used to dealing with her tendency to jump into things. She came over last night and made dinner for me and my family, complete with a heart-healthy vegan lasagna for my dad. Finn spent the entire meal glaring at me like I'd stolen his X-Box. I think the only reason Carole let her in the house is because she was hoping to drive a wedge between Finn and Quinn."

So that was why Finn had been so short with Kurt lately. Blaine had been wondering if he'd accidentally walked in on them making out or something.

"Isn't going after another person's boyfriend a little...tactless?"

He hadn't wanted to say as much to Rachel, but her complete disregard for their relationship had been grating on him since their talk the day before.

"That never stopped her with Finn," Kurt said, not even bothering to look up from his magazine.

He frowned. "Shouldn't you do something to discourage her?"

"There's no stopping the Rachel Berry Crazy Train once it gets going," said Kurt, flipping to a new page. "The best you can do is ride it out until it finds its way back to the station."

Blaine narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "You're just enjoying all of the makeovers," he accused.

"In the last two weeks, she's let me throw out all of her clothes, redecorate her bedroom, and get rid of every one of her tacky locker decorations," Kurt hummed happily, not even trying to deny it. "If this keeps up, I might be able to obtain full creative control over her life."

Kurt sounded a bit too invested in that possibility, but Blaine was sure Rachel wouldn't go as far as to let him have that much influence over her. Well, he was pretty sure.

Sensing his unease, Kurt smiled reassuringly.

"Sometimes she gets an idea in her head, and there's not much you can do about it," he explained. "But it's harmless. I'm not going to run off and have tiny diva babies with Rachel, if that's what you're worried about," he tittered, absently crossing his ankles in the air again.

Blaine shifted awkwardly, causing Kurt to look up.

"Oh my god, that is what you're worried about!" he said, looking horrified.

He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. This was the topic he'd been trying to avoid for the past two days. "I'm hardly the person to judge when it comes to confusing feelings."

Kurt sat up, a crease between his eyebrows. "I'm not confused about who I am, Blaine. And I've already been there done that with Brittany."

Right. He'd heard all about Kurt's brief-but-memorable brush with flannel. At the time, he'd thought it was sort of funny. But the situation with Rachel was different.

"Brittany's not really your type."

"Athletic and endearingly clueless?" Kurt said, turning around on the bed to face him. "Actually, she kind of is."

Blaine laughed in spite of himself. "Hey," he said, smacking Kurt playfully on the leg. It all sounded kind of stupid now that he was saying it out loud, but he knew he'd feel better once it was all out in the open. "I'm just saying, you and Rachel have a lot in common. Actually, so do I. You realise if you and I had kids, they'd probably turn out like Rachel?"

Kurt scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Our kids will be fabulous, and much better dressed."

He knew Kurt was joking, but the idea that he had fantasized about their future offspring made something warm pulse inside Blaine's chest. They hadn't even exchanged 'I love you's yet, but Blaine had never felt like this about anyone before. He really hoped he wasn't alone in that arena.

Quietly, he set his book aside and stretched himself out on the bed, taking Kurt's hand. After a moment, Kurt laid down beside him.

"You don't need to worry," Kurt said, his head turned toward him. "Short of Taylor Lautner showing up shirtless at McKinley on Monday, there's no one else I'm interested in dating."

"I know," said Blaine, his thumb gently stroking Kurt's hand, part of him already tensing for the shadow of Burt Hummel to appear in the doorway. He'd known the twinge of jealousy he'd been feeling was irrational (though, he couldn't deny the tiny part of him that was relieved to hear Kurt confirm it out loud). Just because Rachel and Kurt were weirdly perfect for one another didn't mean anything would happen.

He was just being silly.

Blaine smiled to himself as they laid there, Kurt humming the opening bars of Lady Gaga's latest chart-topper. His curfew wasn't for another hour. He could finish his homework in the morning.

The auditorium was softly lit, the atmosphere warm and intimate. Rachel had finally managed to book a time with Kurt to rehearse their duet, taking pains to ensure that it would just be the two of them.

Across from her on the stage, Kurt's deep timbre rang out, his eyes never once darting to the sheet music in his hand. He'd obviously prepared ahead of time, which meant that their duet had been on his mind.

He sounded good – almost as good as she did. It was like he was singing directly to her soul.

Rachel stared into his eyes as he sang, feeling just like Maria and Tony. It was all so romantic – she hadn't even had to bring along a picnic lunch.

Taking a step forward, Rachel's voice joined Kurt's as they reached the final verse. She bet his skin was even softer than it looked. She knew from discussions with Finn that Kurt was very particular about his night-time skin ritual. That kind of care and dedication to personal hygiene was very appealing in a romantic partner.

She reached out, lacing Kurt's fingers in hers as they sang.

"Hold my hand, and we're halfway there. Hold my hand and I'll take you there."

They were singing right to one another now, barely a foot of space between them. She pulled his hand to her chest, clasped between hers, and Kurt gave her an odd look. He must have felt the romantic tension building as well.

"Somehow! Someday! Somewhere!"

They were both breathing hard as they finished, their faces just inches apart. If her life were a musical, this was the part where the orchestra would swell, the audience holding its breath as the dashing leading man and beautiful young ingénue realised they could deny their feelings no longer.

She closed her eyes and pushed up on her toes, pressing her lips against his. His were soft – much softer than Finn's – and she smiled a bit against them, bracing herself for Kurt to sweep her up into his arms.

She felt his hands wrap around her biceps and promptly move her back.

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there."

Kurt levelled her with an unimpressed gaze. "Rachel, what are you doing?"

Momentarily thrown, she laughed shyly. "I thought it would be pretty obvious," she said, looking hopeful.

"I'm gay, Rachel," Kurt said. "You know I'm gay. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Rachel felt a shock of disappointment as she shook her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"We're great together," she said, trying to make him understand. "Our– our voices are perfect for one another, and we're both considerably more talented than our peers. Just think of all the amazing parts we could play."

She could picture it all perfectly – the eclectic little apartment they'd rent in New York, the stylish parties they'd attend, the beautiful daughter they'd have once she was twenty-six and well-established on the Broadway stage.

Kurt looked down at her with a mixture of pity and resignation.

"Just because you sing well with someone, doesn't mean you're soulmates," he said. "I've remained quiet until now, but this is a whole new level of crazy, even for you. In fact, I'd say hoping I'll just magically turn straight to fulfill your heteronormative Broadway fantasy borders on delusional."

Rachel's cheeks darkened as she looked away, hurt. "You're one to talk, after everything that happened with Finn," she said defensively.

Nodding to concede her point, Kurt said, "I think we both had our fair share of stupidity over that boy. Besides, as you so kindly pointed out, my gender ruled me out as a contender in that competition. Just like now."

The sharp sting of tears was building in her eyes, and she blinked, looking at her feet.

"This is different," she insisted quietly. "This is love."

Kurt sighed, trying to meet her eyes.

"You don't love me, Rachel," he said, not unkindly. "You love drama. I should know – I love drama, too.

"It's why you couldn't stop running after Finn. It's why you pursued Mr. Schuester even though he was married and has horrible taste in sweater vests. I suspect it's even why you fell for the lead singer of a rival show choir."

He gave her a pointed look. "And let's not forget – just a few short months ago, you convinced yourself you had feelings for Blaine – also gay – so you could write a song about rejection."

Rachel shook her head as he spoke. "This is more than that," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "We're perfect for one another – we're both passionate, and determined, and– and we both love singing more than anything. We fight a lot, but that's only because we're so alike!" she pleaded, trying to make him understand.

The pity was back in Kurt's eyes. "It doesn't work like that, Rachel."

She sniffled a bit – ordinarily, she could appreciate the artistic value of being faced with such an open dismissal, but at the moment, all she could focus on was the heartache.

"Look," said Kurt, "I know that we've had a bit of a rocky rivalry-turned-friendship, and I realise that – if viewed from a certain perspective – that could seem like the perfect set-up for a Hollywood rom-com starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, but there's a key difference between those stories and this one: Hugh Grant didn't want to run off with Colin Firth." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Well, except maybe in the Bridget Jones sequel – there were some seriously heated looks during that fight scene."

She shook her head again. "But, you and I would be so compatible. I mean, we like the same movies and songs, we have the same hopes and dreams. No one else understands me like you do. I mean, where else am I going to find a guy who can appreciate Barbara and Patty like you?" She looked down, blinking away her tears. "Where am I going to find someone who will put up with all of my crazy moments instead of just leaving me when I screw up?"

Kurt's expression softened. He sighed, reaching out to hold her hands in his. "Rachel, you are a smart, pretty, and extremely talented girl. And I know you're going to find someone – someone who will love you because of those moments, and not just in spite of them."

She shrugged her shoulder, unconvinced. "How do you know I'll ever find someone like that?" she asked quietly.

"Because I did," he said sincerely, the hint of an encouraging smile on his lips.

Rachel closed her eyes, still not quite persuaded. It was feeling increasingly unlikely – given her history – that she'd ever find someone like that. She wanted so badly to be loved, but in the end, they always found some reason to leave her. She'd never been good enough. What if she never was?

Appearing to read her thoughts, Kurt tilted her chin up.

"I have absolutely no doubt that you will one day find a man as – endearingly – insane and marvellous as you are. But I'm not him," he said, looking her straight in the eye as he wiped a tear off her cheek with a handkerchief. She could see the initials B.A. embroidered on one corner and felt a tiny stab of jealousy.

"And until that day comes," he continued, "you are far too much of a star to waste your time running after things you can't have."

She smiled reluctantly, ducking her head as he hooked her arm with his. It hurt, liking someone who couldn't like her back, but maybe Kurt had a point. After all, a year ago he'd been lonelier than her, and he'd still found love.

Besides, it would be nice to have her old clothes back again.

Kurt raised his eyebrows expectantly. Rachel gave a small nod, her eyes dry once more. Together, they walked arm-in-arm off the stage, her other hand lightly gripping the inside of his elbow.

"For what it's worth," Kurt said, leaning in close, "we would've ruled Broadway. But don't tell Blaine I said that."

Rachel laughed quietly, grateful that he seemed willing to move on.

"Are you sure you don't like girls even a little, teensy bit?" she asked, attempting a teasing tone.

"Afraid not," he said, his voice light as they made their way toward the exit. "It's the lipstick. It's just too messy for my liking."

He shot her an appraising look. "Though, for the record, your lip gloss tastes better than Brittany's does."

She shook her head, pushing the doors of the auditorium open, feeling a bit lighter than before. She still didn't have a boyfriend, but maybe she'd managed to find a true friend instead. That had to count for something. And all of this heartache was probably doing wonders for her song-writing abilities. Having a boyfriend could wait.

Arms still linked, they headed to the parking lot, plans for a Julie Andrews marathon at Kurt's house already underway.

Maybe Finn would be there.

The End.

Thanks for reading!

Keep Smiling! ;)

rogueandkurt