None of this would have been possible without my awesome beta Ashley. I can't thank you enough for kicking my butt in gear, fixing all of my improper cAPitaliZaTionS, and telling me that Kurt has a 'waist,' not a 'waste.'

"Kurt, please." Samantha begs, hands clasped in front of her, clearly one second away from groveling at his knees.

"Sammi, I don't even think they'd let me in. I'm kind of admittedly flaming." Kurt continues to rifle through the drawer, looking for an appropriate shirt for Mercedes to wear out tonight.

"They totally will, Kurt! And we'll pay for you. We promise." Sammi really is not going to let this go.

"Listen. I'd rather just go to Mark's party. House parties are more fun anyway. And chances are I'll actually meet a homo there." At least he's hoping he will. He pauses with a red blouse in his hands, deciding if it will go with Mercedes' jeans, and adds as an afterthought, "And I won't sweat as much."

"So how about this; you come to the frat for like, an hour. And we'll pay for you! And if you don't like it then you can ditch us for Mark's. Deal?" Mercedes asks, sitting on her bed in nothing but a bra and a pair of pants.

Kurt really doesn't want to spend his Friday night in a frat house on the other side of campus. His friend Mark is a junior and lives off campus. He's twenty-one and buys Kurt liquor, and his roommate Tom is gay. So he knows that he'll have a better chance of finding someone to dance with and make out with than he will with a bunch of freshman at a frat.

"And if they don't let me in?" He asks.

"Why wouldn't they let you in?"

"Because, Mercedes, not only am I queerer than a two dollar bill, but do you know how many times last year my friends and I were told that they weren't letting any more boys in?" He throws the red blouse at Mercedes. "I think this should work. Try it."

"Okay," Samantha amends, "then if they are at full male capacity we let you leave."

"…and I walk a mile and a half to Mark's house alone. Or I can just go to Mark's house now and catch a bus! Or walk a shorter distance. Yeah no. I choose Mark's."

"Please, Kurt. Please. Just give it a shot. You haven't been to a frat in forever and we haven't hung out in forever and we just really want to party together tonight." Samantha actually is now on her knees groveling. And Kurt pauses for a second staring at her while he decides what to do. He really does miss partying with Sammi and Mercedes, but he'd rather party with them in their dorm or at a house party. He can't stand frats, and he really was hoping to have fun tonight and let loose.

But then Samantha throws his one weakness in his face. "If you come to the frat tonight, I'll give you my half-filled bottle of tequila…for free."

"Fuck. I hate you." Kurt pinches the bridge of his nose, and Samantha knows she's just won the battle. "Fine. Fine. I'm in. Fuck. Ugh. Now I have to go change."

"You do not have to change," Mercedes says while rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm pretty sure I need to change. I'm wearing white. You never wear white to a frat party."

"Alright. Go upstairs and change. Meet us back here ASAP so we can start pregaming."

Kurt leaves the girls in Samantha's dorm room and grabs the elevator up a few flights so he can change. When he gets to his room Mike is still there, getting ready to go out himself.

"Back again?" Mike asks.

"Yeah. Change of plans. Going to a frat now. Wanted to change."

"Ah. Gotcha. Which one? I think I'm headed over to SAE tonight."

"Not sure. Probably whichever one lets me in." Kurt unbuttons his white Oxford and trades it in for a tight fitted blue t-shirt. It's comfortable and looks good on him, and it won't make him stand out too much from the beer-guzzling eighteen year olds in graphic tees. He wishes he could dress it up a bit somehow, but he doesn't bother. There isn't going to be anyone he needs to impress and he doesn't want to ruin anything nice anyway. He figures wearing khakis will make it look nicer, although he's already bemoaning how dirty they will be after he gets beer spilled on them—an inevitability at a college frat party.

But he sucks it up and heads downstairs, ready to pregame with his two best friends. He's contemplating not sharing his newly acquired tequila with either of them. He figures he is going to need as much of it as he can get.

They are stumbling through campus and making their way to Frat Row, arms linked and laughing, and Kurt actually feels pretty good. He's smiling and laughing and he has a good drunk going on. He's not exactly looking forward to shitty beer, but he knows the tequila will last a while. His muscles are loose and he just wants to dance. He knows that he probably won't feel the same once he gets into the party and sees how nasty the place is and how terrible the music is, but for now he refuses to think about it.

When they get to Frat Row it is filled with freshman. The girls are dressed slutty, in high heels and short shirts, and the boys are just in jeans and t-shirts.

They start with the first house, but they won't let Kurt in—said they weren't letting any guys in. But as the trio walks away he sees the freshman pledge, doubling as a bouncer, letting two more guys in. He shakes his head and walks to the next house. There is a bit of a line, so the three of them just wait.

As they make their way to the front of the line, feeling hopeful that boys are being let in, Kurt goes to grab his wallet. He knows that Sammi said she'd pay for him, but he can't in his good conscience let her do it. The girls are in front of him and they get their hands stamped and are told to go on in. Kurt pulls a five out and goes to pay when the door opens and a few guys walk out.

"Hey. Put that money away, you!" A voice says. Kurt doesn't realize that it's referring to him, but the pledge brother who is supposed to take his money doesn't, so Kurt looks up and sees Blaine. "Your money's no good here. Boys, let him in for free. Always let him in for free." Blaine is smiling and obviously a bit drunk. Kurt puts the money back in his wallet and goes to walk inside and meet his friends who are probably already at the bar getting their beer. Blaine throws his arm around Kurt's shoulders and squeezes.

"Long time no see, partner!"

"Blaine, we were partners like a month ago…for a day." Kurt shakes his head, but lets Blaine keep his arm around him, a little confused as to why a boy in his class whom he rarely talks to is letting him into his frat for free.

"Yes, but it was the best day ever!" Blaine moves his arm to Kurt's lower back and pushes him in front so they can walk through the door. "Hey, over here," he says, leading Kurt towards the bar. "I'll grab you a beer. They don't really give them out to guys very often anyway."

When a Natty Light is thrust into his hand Kurt pops the tab and clinks it with Blaine's. "Cheers," he says, and drinks up. It tastes like piss water, but he's too drunk to really care. And he really doesn't want to sober up. He's starting to remember why he stopped going to frat parties after becoming a sophomore.

The dance floor is the most slippery place in the entire world. He cannot even comprehend how people can move on that floor and dance without slipping and falling. The front room that houses the bar isn't much better. Frat pledges are behind the bar handing out beer to every girl that comes by, and the occasional boy. Blaine lets them know that they should always give Kurt a beer. After they down about half of their beers and grab a second for later, Blaine starts walking towards a side room, waving for Kurt to follow along.

This room is smaller and houses a long table filled with Red Solo Cups.

"The Beer Pong Room," Blaine explains.

"Ah, yes." Kurt nods.

"Kurt and I get next round." Blaine drags Kurt to one end of the table before whispering in his ear, "This is the best side to play on."

They wait in the corner while the other teams finish up, talking idly but mostly just drinking their beers and watching the game in front of them. There are about ten people packed into the room. Four of them are playing, the other ones are waiting for their turn or watching their buddies. Kurt hasn't played beer pong in a long time, but he knows that the trick is that the drunker you are the better you are. So when his second beer nears empty he decides to grab another one.

"I'm gonna grab another beer. Want one?" He asks Blaine, who nods. Kurt leaves the room and goes up to the bar. He's expecting to have to wait a bit for the girls to be served and for the one pledge that Blaine talked to to show up and give him a beer. But the minute he gets there the guy behind the bar hands him a beer without question. Kurt's surprised and figures that he's just lucky enough to be the one guy they actually give booze to. He doesn't want to press his luck, but he knows that Blaine wants a drink. So he moves a bit closer to the bar and waves for the guy's attention.

"Can I get one more for my buddy? He's a brother here." Kurt figures he mine as well mention that, assumes it will give him a leg up. The guy hands him another one before turning away from the few other guys that are waiting by the bar and going back to handing out beer to girls. Kurt's too drunk to find this weird. He just considers himself lucky.

He looks around quickly to see if he can find his friends but he can't, so he assumes they're on the dance floor or making out with a boy in a corner. He hasn't gotten a text from either of them, so he knows that they haven't gone home with someone yet.

When he gets back to the Beer Pong Room, as it is apparently aptly named, Blaine is standing right where he left him, chatting amiably with someone else. When they look up and see Kurt, the guy just nods his head and walks away.

"Just in time," Blaine smiles, "we're about to be up!" His excitement is palpable, and Kurt just laughs and hands him a beer.

They've been playing for about fifteen minutes, Kurt has already finished his third beer and is well into his fourth, and they suck. They actually suck at Beer Pong. Who even thought that was possible? They've only managed to knock out a meager three cups, while the other team only has four cups left.

Blaine takes his shot and misses wildly, laughing and drinking more of his beer.

"I can't believe this. I have never played so bad. Kurt! Kurt! You have to believe me!" He smiles and laughs and pokes Kurt's sides and Kurt just squirms and slaps Blaine's arm.

"Oh my God, Blaine. PULL YOUR WEIGHT! You've only gotten one cup!" Kurt feels really good, really loose, and he's never been so physical with someone while in a frat. Especially someone he doesn't even know very well. Especially a boy. Especially a brother.But Blaine doesn't seem to care since he's the one that's always poking and patting Kurt on the sides and the shoulders.

The other team knocks another cup out, and now it's Kurt's turn. He decides to go for the solo cup standing in the front, not surrounded by any others. He's drunk and feeling ambitious when he calls, "Island." He takes his time and aims, then when he goes to throw Blaine pats his back causing him to lose focus and just chuck the ball. It bounces off the table while Kurt screams indignantly at Blaine and slaps him on the back of the head. "YOU IDIOT!" But the ball bounces right into the Island cup before the other team can bat it away.

"Ohmygod KURT. You did it you did it you did it!" And Blaine is on him, hugging him tight and bouncing up and down. "You get to pick another cup to get rid of," he declares, and Kurt just picks one at random.

"Game on, bitches," he says, before turning to Blaine and telling him that he better pick up his weight.

They end up losing the game, but neither of them really cares. They are drunk and happy, and to celebrate their epic loss, as Blaine calls it, they decide to head over to the dance floor. They run into Samantha and Mercedes, who are both grinding with guys, and they somehow all end up in a circle dancing.

"Happy you stayed more than an hour?" Sammi screams across the circle. Blaine looks at him oddly, brows furrowing in question, but Kurt doesn't notice. He just nods his head and goes, "I've never actually had real fun at a frat party before!" He's smiling and looking at Blaine, who's smiling back.

"Next time we'll win! I promise."

Kurt just laughs before replying, "Not with your skills." Blaine laughs harder and pokes him in the sides causing Kurt to bend and laugh and spin and turn to try and get out of Blaine's grasp. They're both laughing, and when they catch their breaths and turn back to the group they realize that they're alone.

"Hey! They left us!" Kurt's a bit affronted. But he doesn't have much time to wallow because Blaine just grabs his wrist and pulls him in closer.

"Oh well. Just us. Let's dance!" Kurt takes a small step back, feeling like he's too close to Blaine but ultimately not caring. There's not a lot of room anyway, so they are still standing close, bodies not touching but occasionally hands and arms graze against each other. They are moving and jiving to the music when Kurt gets a text informing him that Mercedes and Sammi are leaving. He texts back, hold up. I'll meet you out front.

Mercedes texts back and says, no way, cowboy. You're having fun. Stay with Blaine ; )

Blaine leans closer, puts his hands on both of Kurt's shoulders, and says right into Kurt's ear, "Something wrong?"

"Nope. The girls just left."

Blaine's face falls. "I guess you're leaving, too?" It comes out sounding like a question. But Kurt just shakes his head and says, "I can stay."

"Awesome," Blaine exclaims, face lighting up and grabbing Kurt's wrists so they can dance some more. It's hot and humid, and Kurt can feel himself sweating. Blaine's normally maintained curly hair is frizzing out, and Kurt can't help but think he looks good when he throws caution to the wind and lets himself go. They stay on the dance floor for another half hour before Kurt tells him he has to pee. He starts walking towards the bathroom when Blaine grabs his wrist again and leads him to the stairs.

"Those are so nasty. Use the brothers' one upstairs. It's cleaner." Blaine leads the way upstairs and around the corner, and Kurt is surprised to find that the upstairs bathroom is actually pretty well maintained. When he's done, he starts to make his way back downstairs but Blaine seems a bit dejected.

"You okay?" Kurt asks him. But Blaine just smiles and nods, following Kurt back down.

It's almost two in the morning and the party is clearing up. Kurt's starting to sober up and he doesn't really feel like dancing anymore, but he's not quite sure how to tell Blaine that, who seems to be hanging onto him like a sad puppy, afraid to leave his owner.

Kurt just fiddles with his hands in front of him before telling Blaine that he thinks he's just going to head home.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's late. I had fun tonight though."

"I'm glad," Blaine smiles. "Me too."

"So I'll see you in class this week." Blaine just nods, looking a bit sad, and Kurt turns his back and walks through the front door.

"You want to come again this Friday?" Blaine asks Kurt in their shared English class. He's sitting next to Kurt, which is a new thing. He normally sits a few seats away from Kurt or in the row behind him.

"I don't think so. I try not to frequent frats."

"But you had fun! I proved to you that frats can totally be fun!" Blaine's entire body is now facing Kurt.

"Hey! I never said that frats couldn't be fun. I just am not a big fan of them." Kurt tries not to blush when he sees how earnest Blaine's expression is.

"Well maybe I can change your mind."

Kurt guffaws. "Yeah. Right."

"Please?" Blaine whines, and when Kurt doesn't answer he starts to pout.

"I can't. Don't look at me like that! I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I am planning a prison break Friday night. Gotta bust out my drug dealer. He was sent there after bashing in a frat boy's head when he wouldn't pay off his tab. But I'm kind of getting the shakes. Haven't had a hit of crack in a while."

Blaine laughs out loud and shakes his head. "You're something else, you know that?" Kurt gets caught up in this twinkle that he swears he sees in Blaine's eyes, and falters with his response. "Any way I can join you?" Blaine adds, eyebrows lifted towards his hairline.

"You any good with picking locks? Kurt responds seriously, leaning his head on his hand.

"No. But I am really good at charming security guards."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kurt turns back towards the front of the room, Blaine still looking at him.

"Is that a no to the party then?" Blaine asks, trying to sound like it doesn't matter. He's playing with his pen, twirling it between his fingers.

"Sorry, Blaine. I can't this weekend."

Blaine can't reply before their Professor calls class to order. There isn't any group work today, so they don't get to talk the rest of class. When the Professor dismisses them, Kurt rushes out so he can get to his next class on time.

That Friday instead of going to the frat party like Blaine wanted, Kurt gets ready to go to Mark's. He dresses a bit nicer than he did for the frat party: dark wash jeans, boots, and a red button up with the top few buttons undone. He's been to Mark's parties before and they are a lot of fun. It's a strange melting pot of people. Kurt met Mark in a theatre class last year, so there's often quite a few of them scattered around the party. But Mark's one roommate Tom is gay and an Engineering major, so there's also always a few gay people there who are not into theatre as well as some intellectuals who like to have fun. Their third roommate smokes a lot of pot and always invited his weird hipster friends who like to do shrooms and talk Philosophy, but they're usually relegated to the outside porch. All in all, it's a really fun and welcoming place to be.

He shows up with a cheap bottle of wine that Mark bought him a few days ago and heads over to the kitchen to pop the cork open when he runs into Mark.

"Look who finally made it! Haven't seen you around one of these shindigs in a while man!" Kurt struggles with the cork, but when he finally gets it off he cheers and tosses it into the ever-growing pile of corks that Mark and his roommates collect. He then goes to hug Mark, who already seems to have a nice buzz going on.

"Yeah. It's been a while."

"Well, don't be a stranger. We all missed you here," he remarks, while opening to fridge to grab himself a Blue Moon. "Come on. We're all in the living room."

The living room is small and carpeted. The dining room table is moved over to the end and is currently being used as a place to put empty bottles and cans. A few people are dancing, a few people are hanging out on the couches and chairs on the other side of the room talking. Kurt follows Mark over to the sitting area and they sit down together on an empty bean bag chair.

"So did you ever memorize that monologue?" Mark asks.

"Of course I did. We have a run through on Monday."

"You over-achiever, you!" Mark smiles.

A few other people come in and within minutes the party goes from tame to wild. People are laughing and screaming and singing along to music, and Mark gets up to make out with his girlfriend. Kurt stays in the bean bag chair and takes the whole atmosphere in. This is where he belongs, he thinks. In a room full of nobodies then everybody is somebody.

He gets up and meanders over to a few of his friends to say hi. When they see him coming they all scream in excitement.

"Kurt! I haven't seen you in forever!" His friend Sam screams and tackles him in a big man hug. He's more muscular than Kurt, and Kurt can hardly breathe for a second when Sam squeezes him tight. "What have you been up to?"

"Just classes and work. A few parties here and there."

"Well stop avoiding us. And let's grab lunch soon."

"Absolutely."

Kurt's hugging his friend Andrea when Sam claps him on the back and says, "By the way, this is my friend Jason." Jason waves at Kurt and smiles, muttering a small hello.

They all stand in a circle and catch up, and when Outkast's Hey Ya comes on everyone goes crazy dancing. More people join in and soon enough half the party is jammed in the living room dancing. Jason comes up to Kurt and tries to catch his eye.

"You wanna dance?" He asks timidly. Jason is tall. Taller than Kurt and a bit more muscular, but still very lean. He has light brown hair that sometimes seems more dirty blonde when the light hits it a certain way. Kurt didn't realize he was gay, but he's pretty glad he is because he is wine drunk and just wants to dance with someone. So instead of saying yes he pulls Jason in closer and starts to dance. They're practically grinding, touching chest to knees and moving back and forth. When a new song comes on Jason wraps his arms around Kurt's hips, ensuring that Kurt won't go anywhere. Not that Kurt wants to. He feels safe in this embrace. He looks up at Jason and smiles. Jason just looks down and kisses him, right on the mouth. It's light—just a peck. But Kurt smiles into it and pushes back a bit before looking down and blushing. They're still dancing and moving to the music and Kurt loves this feeling.

He's at a party with his friends, he's drinking shitty wine and feeling good, and he's grinding face to face with a guy and nobody cares. Not a single person gives a fuck. He and Jason may be the only gay couple on the dance floor right now, but he doesn't feel like he's standing out in a crowd. He just feels like himself.

After a few more songs he looks up at Jason and asks, "Wanna sit on the couch?" It's a thinly veiled request at a make-out session, and Kurt knows he isn't fooling Jason, but he doesn't want to fool Jason.

"Yeah," Jason replies, and they stop dancing and tangle their fingers together as they make their way over to the couch. People are sitting there talking and drinking and laughing, and Kurt doesn't want to be that asshole who turns the couch into the make-out-couch, so he grabs the bean bag chair and moves it into the corner behind the TV and plops down, Jason following close behind.

They rearrange themselves so Kurt is partly on top of Jason, his legs over Jason's lap.

"Hi." Kurt smiles up at Jason, who looks adoringly back at him.

"Hey yourself." They sit there looking at each other for a few seconds before Kurt puts his hand on the back of Jason's head and moves in for a kiss. It starts slowly, Kurt not wanting it to be an ugly, drunk kiss. Their lips slide over each other's until Jason deepens it, lightly caressing his tongue with Kurt's. They stay like that for a while, just lightly making out while everyone parties around them. Jason nips at Kurt's bottom lip, eliciting a moan out of him, before thrusting his tongue into Kurt's mouth. Finding the position a bit uncomfortable, Kurt moves his legs so he is straddling Jason.

"This okay?" He asks.

Instead of responding Jason runs his hands up and down Kurt's sides, smiles, and nods shyly, then goes in for a chaste kiss that once again turns deeper.

They're just sitting there on the bean bag chair in the corner, partially obstructed by the TV, when Kurt feels something hit the back of his head.

"Hey. Hey, you two. Knock it off. That's my bean bag chair you're sitting on!" Tom keeps pelting what appears to be Cheese Curls at Kurt's head until Kurt and Jason break down laughing, leaning their foreheads against each other's.

"It was fun while it lasted," Kurt sighs, cheeks bright red and lips plump. "Come on, let's dance." He stands up, legs a bit unsteady, before holding his hand out to Jason who grabs it without question. They head over to the dance floor ignoring Tom's muted cries over the purity of his favorite chair, and spend the rest of the night dancing close. They leave some space in between them, and when they part at the front porch, each heading in different directions, Jason kisses his cheek and says, "Any chance I'll see you here again?"

"I'd say there's a pretty big chance," Kurt responds, looking Jason right in the eye.

Saturday afternoon he meets Samantha for lunch at this crappy, greasy Chinese take-out place. They grab their To-Go containers and walk to the park down the street where they snag one of the few open tables and begin to eat. It's quiet for a bit while they just take in the scenery.

"So how was your night?" Kurt starts.

"It was good. Went to the frats. Met a guy. Invited him over." She twirls some Lo Mein around a fork while she speaks. Kurt just quirks an eyebrow at her.

"What? I wasn't going to do a walk of shame. I feel like I'm too old for that. Plus, I'm pretty sure the point of having a single dorm is so I can invite the guy to my place." She shoves a forkful of food in her mouth.

"No judgment here. I'm just hoping he wasn't a freshman."

"Oh God no. He was a sophomore. And before you ask, no, he isn't in a frat."

"So are you going to see him again?" Kurt asks, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"No. We didn't exchange numbers or anything."

"Can you at least share the dirty details?" Kurt asks with a wicked grin, placing his head on his hands and staring longingly at Sammi.

"Hahaha. Fine. But only because I love you." She takes one more bite of food before pushing it aside to talk to Kurt. "His name was Max…I think. He's a sophomore. The sex was actually pretty good. We weren't too drunk. I didn't blow him but he really wanted me to. I told him I'd only blow him if he went down on me. He didn't want to do that, which, to be honest, I was happy about. But it also meant I didn't have to suck him off. It was just plain ol' vaginal sex. He left in the morning."

"Oooh, exciting!" Kurt replies. Eating some more lemon chicken. "Going out again tonight?"

"I think I'm gonna head back to the frats. I don't know. You?"

"Not sure. I want to get some homework done today."

"How was Mark's last night?"

"It was good. Made out with a guy. I had fun."

"A guy, you say?! Gonna ever see him again?" She asks, using the same tone Kurt used previously.

"Maybe. He said he goes to Mark's parties occasionally. Or that he'll come back. He's a friend of Sam's."

"Which Sam? Boy Sam?"

"One and the same."

Kurt finishes off his chicken and grabs his and Samantha's containers so he can take them to the trash bin. When he gets back to the table he looks at Samantha and motions for her to follow him.

"Come on. I want to lay out on the grass. Weather won't be this nice for a while."

They spend about an hour just relaxing on the grass and talking.

"Text me if you want to go out tonight?" Sammi asks before they leave. "I know you're not a frat boy, but it may be better than just staying in."

"Yeah yeah. We'll see how much work I get done." They separate with a hug and a promise to text each other later.

Kurt doesn't exactly expect to give in to Sammi so easily. But it's ten-thirty at night and he has found himself walking with her towards Frat Row for the second time in two weeks, pleasantly buzzed but not at all drunk enough to take on the throngs of horny freshman boys and their equally horny female counterparts.

"Oh God, why am I doing this?!" He exclaims while shaking his head. He runs in front of Sam and does a little dance in the street, shaking his hips. "Come on, Sexy Mama. Let's get our frat dance on!"

When they show up to the frat houses they start walking towards the one that Sam went to last night, but at the last minute she decides that she'd rather go someplace else. "Going to the same frat twice in one week can't be good. Come on." She gestures towards a different house and they walk towards it.

There isn't much of a line, but the minute they get there the pledge brother-turned-bouncer looks at Kurt and says, "You can go in." He stamps their hands and opens the door immediately, motioning them inside.

"That was weird right? Did we just get celebrity treatment at a frat?!" Kurt asks Sammi, voice low.

"We did not, good sir. You, however, did." She pats him on the shoulder before grabbing his arm and heading towards the bar.

"But why would I get special treatment? Flaming homo, remember?"

"Uh, maybe because Blaine is a brother at this frat?" Her voice is oozing with sarcasm, as if Kurt should know the answer to the question without having had to ask it.

"Yeah but why does that matter?" They reach the bar and Samantha goes to grab a beer for her and Kurt, knowing that as a woman she can get as many beers as she wants, but as a man Kurt most likely won't be able to get any.

But when the brother behind the bar sees Kurt, he whispers something to his friend beside him and puts a beer down in front of Kurt before handing one to Sammi.

Sammi laughs, high pitched, and looks Kurt right in the eyes before saying, "It clearly matters. Star treatment, Hummel. Star. Treatment." She punctuates her words with a lip smack before going off into the crowd.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Kurt screams after her. But there's no point because she's already too far to hear him over the loud crowd and the even louder music. He's not sure what to do next, but he knows that standing around alone by the bar is just lame, and going out onto the dance floor of a frat alone is even more lame, so he decides to head over to the small side room Blaine showed him last week and see if maybe he can get in a game of beer pong.

There's already a game going on when he gets there, but he assumed there would be. He really just wants to get away from the throngs of people. He goes to stand over in a corner, feeling weird because he doesn't know anybody. The guy he passes nods at him and raises his beer in a salute. Kurt does the same before taking a sip. He sees the guy whisper to someone standing next to him, and the kid immediately walks out of the room. Kurt hopes that it's not something he did, or worse, because of something he is, but no one here is being rude to him, so he just assumes it was a pledge being forced to do something.

He waits there for a few more minutes, no one coming up to him, but no one really ignoring him at the same time. There's plenty of banter going on around him, and he enjoys hearing it all. People are making fun of the losing beer pong team, while the winning beer pong team gloats and laughs and drinks some more. Kurt's in the middle of deciding whether he should step out of his shell and join the hubbub when he hears a voice coming at him.

"Kurt! You came back!" He looks up just in time to see Blaine come barreling at him, hugging him tight and close before letting him go. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist my charm!" Blaine smiles easily and looks Kurt right in the eye. It's personal, a bit more personal than Kurt was expecting and he doesn't quite know how to handle himself, so he blushes a bit and nods, giving a little half smile.

"Kurt and I have next game," Blaine declares. And no one moans or bitches that they just jumped in front of them in the beer pong line.

"I swear, Kurt, next time we'll win." They're outside on the back porch sitting on one of the picnic tables. There's a few people outside smoking, a few others talking, but it's much more quiet and peaceful out here, and Kurt is happy that Blaine brought them here after their game.

"Yeah yeah. If there ever is a next time." They're sitting next to each other on top of the table, but are angled towards each other.

Blaine nudges his shoulder with Kurt's before leaning back on his hands and saying, "Well, maybe I keep losing so you have to come back and see me." He blushes a bit, Kurt swears he sees it. And when he looks into Blaine's eyes they are so earnest. He feels too hot all of the sudden, like there's something wrong with the situation. He doesn't understand why Blaine would want him to keep coming back to the frat.

He's not sure what to say or do next, so he scoots over a little bit, allowing more room between them. He doesn't miss it when Blaine's face falls and he sits up straighter, running his hands through his unkempt hair before laying them in his lap so he can lace them together, looking nervous and upset with himself. "Frats aren't really my thing," Kurt settles on. When he sees Blaine begin to fidget with his hands he wonders if maybe he said something wrong. He tries to think back on everything that just happened, but he can't really remember if he said anything offensive. He decides to amend his previous statement by adding, "Not that I'm against them or anything. It's cool that you're in one!" It doesn't have the desired effect he hoped it would have, but it does get Blaine to look at him. He looks sad though, and Kurt's not sure why.

"So I assume no more frats then?" Blaine asks, trying to make it come out like a light hearted statement but failing miserably.

Kurt decides to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Blaine just wants to be friends.

"Eh. I don't know. I said that last time and look where it led me." He smiles, and when Blaine looks up he is smiling, too.

"I'm happy you came, Kurt." Blaine looks directly at Kurt when he says it, losing eye contact only after he finishes saying it. He blushes a bit, as he realizes just how honest he is being.

"I had fun tonight."

"So does that mean tonight is over?" Blaine asks.

"Nah. It's way too early for the night to end." Kurt kicks out his legs in front of him, letting them dangle back and forth. He isn't used to this side of their relationship. It is quieter and personal. Kurt is only ever used to talking to him occasionally in class about superficial subjects and bitching about their professor and assignments.

Blaine shakes his head and straightens up a bit. He jumps off of the table and looks at Kurt, devilish smile back on his face, and announces, "Alright then, up and at 'em, partner. We still have time before the sun goes down!"

The awkwardness and closeness of their previous conversation having completely left, Kurt just laughs and stands up, pushing Blaine's shoulder in a friendly manner. "The sun is already down, Blaine."

"Then I guess we'll have to party until it comes back up!" Kurt chuckles and shakes his head, following Blaine back into the party.

They spend the night playing more beer pong, dancing, and talking. They commandeer a love seat and talk about their favorite shows and movies, what their favorite bands are and their least favorite celebrities. It's nothing like the last party, where they danced but kept each other at an emotional distance. Kurt is really connecting with Blaine. They have a lot of similar interests and ideas, and Kurt is surprised to find himself sad when the party ends and he has to go home.

"Want me to walk you?" Blaine asks.

"I couldn't have you do that. I'm fine, Blaine. Thanks. No point in you leaving just to have to come back." Blaine looks a bit confused, but Kurt pats him quickly on the shoulder and goes to leave.

"See you in class," he says, watching as Kurt walks away.

Kurt spends his Sunday writing an essay. It's not due until the end of the week, but he wants to get it done so it doesn't hold him back. It's not very long, only five pages, and he is able to finish it by dinner time. He heads to the dining hall alone and grabs some food, eating in a corner while watching some TV. When he heads back to his room he has nothing to do, and he finds himself reflecting on his night.

He had a lot of fun at the frat—more fun this week than last week. He never realized how well he and Blaine get along, and he is sort of deciding that maybe this is a friendship that can grow and survive out of class and out of parties. He doesn't want to seem too forward by asking Blaine to hang out, but he thinks that he could give it a try. He knows they would have something to talk about. He just hopes that it isn't awkward once you remove the loud music and the alcohol. He also hopes that sober Blaine won't shy away from him in public because he's gay. He doesn't think that would happen; Blaine talks to him and even dances with him in the frat. But still, it's something that's on his mind. He doesn't know what Blaine's frat's stance is on LGBTQ rights.

He can't stop thinking about whether he should or should not initiate a relationship with Blaine outside of getting drunk together. And this is not a subject he is used to having to debate. He's never been too hung up on the pros and cons of being friends with someone.

Kurt groans and rolls over, shoving his head under his pillow and wills his brain to just shut up.

Kurt has English three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So for less than an hour, three times a week, Kurt sees Blaine.

The two weeks after the second time they party together, Blaine grabs the seat next to Kurt. Or, if he gets there before Kurt, places his bag on the chair next to him, only removing it when Kurt walks through the door. He'll smile at Kurt, remove his bag, and indicate with his hand that Kurt should take the newly freed desk.

They talk a lot before class, and their conversation moves from assignments to celebrity gossip to movies, and even ventures a bit into politics. Blaine always makes Kurt laugh, and it's with this knowledge, that for two weeks they have continued to talk and laugh and smile together, that Kurt finally decides that on Friday he will see if Blaine wants to grab lunch with him after class. It's the only day he doesn't have another class after English, so he's hoping Blaine doesn't either.

When he walks into class Blaine is already there, removing his backpack and smiling up at Kurt.

"Okay, so please tell me you actually watched Arrested Development this time. Please, Kurt. I just…I can't keep talking to you if you haven't." Blaine is looking at him seriously, like the fate of their friendship actually depends on his one word answer.

Kurt decides to play Blaine, looking at him straight in the eye, with a stern expression, before quoting perfectly, "I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it." He decides to throw in Lucille Bluth's famous one eyed blink for added emphasis.

Blaine's face breaks out into the biggest smile Kurt has seen yet, and then Blaine actually shrieks and laughs and claps his hands in front of him like an over excited eight year old who was just told he has free range on a jungle gym.

"You actually watched it! Oh my God, Kurt. YOU WATCHED IT!" He's still bouncing up and down in his desk chair and smiling like a fool when Kurt cracks and allows himself to smile back.

"Yes, I did. And you're right. I love it."

"Okay, favorite character."

"Oh definitely Lucille. Without a doubt. But I'm pretty sure I'm Lucille 2. But in male form."

Their professor starts talking, effectively bringing their conversation to a startling halt. But Blaine leans over and whispers, "You don't have a choice. After class we're grabbing lunch and discussing our favorite Tobias quotes."

Kurt smiles back fondly. "As if there's anything else I'd rather be doing," he remarks.

They don't go to dining hall. It's a sunny Friday afternoon, and Blaine asks if he'd be down with grabbing something somewhere to-go, and eating outside in the park at one of the tables. Kurt has absolutely no problem with this.

They head over to Panera and each grab a sandwich and a bag of chips, talking about how classes are going. When they get to the park Blaine leads them over to an empty table under a tree, offering Kurt the seat that's mostly in the shade.

"So, how far did you get?" He starts.

"In Arrested Development?" Kurt asks, but Blaine's nodding before he can even finish the sentence. He starts taking his sandwich out of the bag and answers, "Not very. I haven't even finished the first season. But in my defense, I only started it Wednesday after you bitched me out in class!" He takes a bite of his sandwich.

"Hey. You deserved that bitching out," Blaine responds.

"But in the middle of class?" Kurt grins, trying to make Blaine feel bad.

"Not my fault you have never seen the best show in the history of the world."

Kurt stares at Blaine a little longer than necessary before responding, "Well, I have now. And I plan on continuing."

Swallowing his last bite of sandwich, Blaine tells Kurt, "Well, if you ever want a TV partner to watch it with, you can always ask me. I'd be happy to come." He sounds hopeful, and looks really earnest. Kurt just blushes and nods his head.

"I might take you up on that," he mutters.

They continue talking about the TV show, munching on their chips, but it doesn't last long before it turns into a discussion on how amazing Liza Minnelli is, which then turns into the pros and cons of being Judy Garland's daughter.

"Are you kidding me?! Of course I'd kill to be her daughter." Blaine seems offended that Kurt even has to ask. "She's amazing. God, just her talent alone. I can't…I can't even. Imagine growing up with Judy Garland singing you bed time lullabies and Happy Birthdays and Christmas carols. It would be amazing." He sighs, eyes closing and body clumping as he actually imagines how his life could have been.

"I'd rather be Liza's best friend who's always over at the house. Best of both worlds. I get to grow up with Judy, and Liza for that matter, but I have the added bonus of not having her amazingness ruined."

"How would her amazingness be ruined by being her daughter?!" Blaine asks, affronted.

"First of all, Blaine, I'm pretty sure you'd be her son. Secondly, if I were the best friend and neighbor then Judy would still be this amazing celebrity who was also human. I'd know her more than other people, and I'd understand that she was just a person, but she'd still be this larger than life entity and not just my mom. Moms can be so uncool. I'd never want to be embarrassed by my mom. And moms always embarrass their kids at some point," he defends.

"But Judy Garland would never embarrass me." Blaine replies, putting his hand on top of Kurt's, ensuring that Kurt will listen, and understand the severity of what Blaine is trying to impart.

Kurt just laughs and removes his hand from Blaine's grip so he can throw a crumpled up clean napkin at Blaine's face. "You're so serious. You know this won't ever happen right?"

"Unfortunately I am all too aware of the fact that I will only ever be a friend of Judy, and never her daughter…or her son." He lets out a big sigh, as if this thought plagues him badly. Kurt, however, nearly chokes on his own saliva.

Friend of Judy? Oh my God. Does he know what that means?!

It takes him a few seconds to stop staring at Blaine with his eyes wide open, but he eventually manages to calm down and stop choking on his spit.

"Sorry," he coughs. "Wrong tube."

"Hate when that happens," Blaine supplies. "Anyway, any big plans tonight?"

Kurt takes the shift in conversation as a blessing in disguise. He so does not want to have to explain to Blaine what he just implied.

"Yeah. My friend is having a party. You?"

"Nope. None. Not a single plan. At all. For tonight." Blaine's fidgeting with his bottle of Coke and trying to look at Kurt, but his eyes never seem to be able to focus directly on him for longer than a second.

"No frat party tonight?" Kurt asks, confused. Because it's Friday and the frats are almost always open on Fridays.

"Well yeah, there are some frat parties."

"And your frat? Are they having a party?"

"Yeah, but I don't have to go this week."

"I didn't know you had a choice."

"Yeah. I have a Little who we just accepted. And I'm there for him if he ever needs me. But I no longer need to actually go to the parties anymore. He's able to be there without me. And let's be real, frats aren't always the most fun places to hang out at."

"So you do understand why I don't like them!" Kurt jokes, throwing Blaine a blinding smile. "After all those times you tried to get me to come, you knew all along that they aren't always fun." Kurt shakes his head and snickers.

"Yeah, but they're fun when I'm there," Blaine retorts.

They both grab their trash to throw away, and when Kurt speaks next he does it without thinking.

"You could come hang out with me tonight, if you want. My friend throws some pretty cool get togethers." He almost regrets it as soon as he says it. But Blaine responds immediately, smiling and looking directly at Kurt as if Kurt has just offered him the world.

"I'd love that," he says, before grabbing Kurt's upper arm and squeezing it.

They stand by the trash can for just a second longer, still touching and looking at each other, before Kurt ducks his head and says awkwardly, "I guess I should uhm, give you my number? So you can text me about info tonight."

"Yeah. Yeah. Here." Blaine gives Kurt his phone so Kurt can program his number into it. Afterwards he stands there staring at Kurt, shifting from foot to foot, not exactly sure what to do next.

"I guess I'll see you tonight," Kurt says.

"Yeah. I'll, uh, text you. So you have my number." Blaine waves his phone in the air, demonstrating that he does indeed have a phone and it does indeed have Kurt's number programmed into it.

They walk away from each other, and when Kurt gets back to his dorm he finds that he has a text from Blaine saying, hey. hi. This is Blaine. Blaine Garland? I'm sure you remember me. I'm Judy's daughter. Anyway, just let me know about tonight!

Kurt laughs and throws his phone on his bed before heading up to Sammi's room to gossip with her about her latest fling, who she has slept with three times so far and will hopefully be sleeping with a fourth time tonight.

"Alright, Blaine Garland, you ready to get this show on the road?" Kurt asks when he meets Blaine at the corner of Yard and Pritchett.

"Absolutely. Here, I got this for you." Blaine hands Kurt a small bottle of wine, perfect for one person to sip throughout the entire night to stay drunk.

"Blaine, you didn't have to do that." Kurt takes the bottle and looks at it, before smiling at Blaine.

"I wanted to. You're taking me to a friend's party! You're responsible for me tonight. Thought I might as well give you something in return."

"You make it sound as if I'm babysitting you," Kurt laughs, walking down the street and towards Mark's place.

"You mean you're not?"

"No. You'll have to find another babysitter. I stay away from celebrity children. I hear they're bratty."

"What If I promise you I'm not bratty?" Blaine inquires, looping his arm with Kurt's.

Kurt startles at the unexpected physical contact, and it takes all his effort to continue walking instead of stopping and staring at how their arms interlace.

When he realizes that he just created an awkward moment, Blaine removes arm from Kurt's and bows his head. They keep walking, the silence stretching between them, before Kurt interrupts it.

"His place is this way," he nods down a street.

Blaine follows slightly behind him, one hand in his pocket and his other holding his 40 of Miller High Life. When they get to the party Kurt walks right in and heads towards the kitchen, Blaine following behind him, looking around at the surroundings as if he's lost in another world and doesn't understand what anything is.

After popping the cork, Kurt walks towards the living room. It's past eleven and the party is in full gear. People are littered everywhere, and they have to squeeze through the crowd in order to make their way to the corner near the couches. Blaine grabs onto Kurt's back belt loop, right above his butt, so they won't get separated. The humid atmosphere, the closeness of the party-goers, and Blaine's constant pull to the back of his pants leaves Kurt feeling overwhelmed and in need of air. So instead of stopping by the couches he continues onwards, through the sliding glass door that leads to the second floor balcony. Most of the people out there are smoking cigarettes or weed, but Kurt doesn't care. He just needs some fresh air.

He moves to the corner of the deck and takes a long swig of his wine. Blaine, whose finger is still attached to the back of Kurt's pants, lets go when he feels Kurt try and angle his body towards Blaine's. Not knowing what to do next, Blaine takes a bottle opener out of his pants pocket and pops his bottle cap so he can start to drink.

"Kurt. Can we talk?" Blaine interrupts. He seems really hesitant, his face guarded.

Kurt doesn't really want to get into anything right now. He's not sure what he's feeling, but he knows he feels weird, and he doesn't know why. He thinks it might just be the atmosphere: too many people in a too small building, sweating and dancing and singing and laughing and talking and moving and Kurt just really needs to take a deep breath and calm down. It's sensory overload, but Kurt needs to get over that.

So he takes another deep gulp of his wine, shakes his head back and forth, trying to get rid of his anxiousness, and looks at Blaine with an incredibly obvious forced smile.

"You know what? Let's dance."

He doesn't even wait for Blaine's response, just starts walking into the living room. He finds a small niche where he can fit, and when he turns around he realizes that Blaine didn't follow him. He doesn't care though, is actually a bit relieved. There's been an odd tension between the two of them all night, and Kurt's ready to forget about it. He does this by drowning his sorrows in booze and music.

They've been at the party a little less than an hour and Kurt has finished nearly half his bottle of wine, discarding it on the table that is shoved to the side of the makeshift dance floor so he has both his hands free. He's found a few of his friends, including Andrea and boy Sam, as Samantha likes to refer to him as, and they're all just dancing close together.

Kurt's completely hammered.

His eyes are closed and he's just swaying to the music, not having enough coordination to actually dance. All of the sudden he feels someone encroaching on his space. When the person doesn't leave, Kurt opens his eyes and sees Jason.

"Jason! Hey!" Kurt's really happy to see him. They had fun together last time: dancing and making out. He's kind of hoping they can do that again tonight. He just really wants to forget that Blaine's here.

Jason moves in closer and all of the sudden they're grinding. Kurt closes his eyes again and gets lost in the beat of the bass and the sensation of sharing his personal space with someone else. He doesn't realize that Blaine is watching him from the back wall, but when he opens his eyes and they lock gazes, Kurt stares blankly at him.

Blaine looks upset, that much Kurt can detect. But he just stays against the wall, drinking his 40, and not moving. After a few seconds of staring, Blaine just walks away. Kurt doesn't follow him, doesn't even turn his head to see where he goes. He just keeps dancing with Jason.

He and Jason end up kissing a bit on the dance floor, but something doesn't feel right. Kurt stopped drinking a bit ago, and while he's still drunk, he's sober enough to understand that something feels off. He pushes himself away from Jason and mutters an apology before rushing out to the balcony again.

He sees Blaine out there alone, still sipping his 40, looking at the stars.

Kurt goes over to him. He's not sure why, but his body just takes him there. He stays a careful foot away and leans both elbows on the bannister, taking a deep breath. He rubs his hands against his eyes and over his face, groaning and trying his hardest to sober up, but knowing that it won't happen.

"Hey," Blaine says, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hi." Kurt looks up at Blaine, but Blaine is still looking at the black sky as if it holds all of life's secrets, but isn't ready to share them yet.

"I miss the stars."

Kurt looks back at the sky, realizing for the first time that there are none. The sky is completely black, devoid of all light and life and hope. There's nothing there to wish on, nothing to look at. It's a vacuum, and the more Kurt looks up at it, the more he feels that it's sucking away his thoughts and pretenses. He knows he's not sober, but he suddenly feels incredibly clear minded. As if the night took away all his hang ups.

They're silent for a while. Blaine's still standing ramrod straight, avoiding all contact with Kurt, and Kurt's still leaning against the railing, dividing his time between looking at the sky and looking at Blaine's profile.

For the first time, he notices how good Blaine looks. He's wearing nice, well-fitted khakis with an Oxford button up tucked in. The blue and white thin horizontal lines show off his trim waist and make him look older than his nineteen or twenty years. He's still staring at Blaine when Blaine starts to speak again.

"My friends and I used to drive out to the country on the weekends and just lie out on the ground and watch the stars. I went to a boarding school, but we would just leave on Friday or Saturday nights and skip our curfew, bring some food and games and blankets, and we'd throw mini parties and get togethers in the country, on random farms and parks. It felt so awesome, just being free beneath the stars—beneath the world. There was no one around for miles and we could just be. I used to go there alone, too. Or with just one or two other friends. And we'd just lie on the ground and look up at the stars and like…contemplate our lives. When we didn't feel okay, when there was something wrong. Or even when there was nothing wrong but we just felt wrong. We would just lie on the grass, look at the stars, and be. Isn't that ridiculous?" He laughs a hollow laugh, and Kurt feels the sudden need to disagree with Blaine. To protect him and tell him it's not ridiculous. He hates that Blaine is laughing at himself. But he doesn't do anything, and Blaine continues.

"I miss the stars sometimes. On nights like this. I just really miss the stars."

Kurt knows that there are tears in Blaine's eyes. And he knows that they'll never fall—that they will just stay locked in this prison that Blaine has created for himself.

Kurt feels sick, but he knows it's not because of the alcohol.

They don't last much longer at the party. They silently agree to just leave, and Kurt follows Blaine towards the door and out of the house, leaving behind the throng of happy and drunk college students, all dancing and laughing. Kurt wishes that that was how his and Blaine's night could have gone.

They stand on the front porch for a second, taking in the cool night's air and just trying to forget the stress that the night has bestowed upon them.

"Can I walk you home?" Kurt asks, not sure if Blaine will want him around. He's still weary of getting in Blaine's personal space.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

They make their way back to campus and when they reach Yard and Pritchett, where they originally met up that night, Kurt hangs a left.

"Where are you going? Blaine asks, standing still on the corner.

"Walking you home," Kurt replies, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"But I don't live that way." His voice is soft and questioning.

"The frat is this way." Kurt and Blaine are standing about five feet apart—Blaine on the sidewalk, and Kurt in the middle of the street.

"I don't live in the frat, Kurt." Blaine is looking at Kurt as if they have never met. As if Kurt is this strange creature that does strange things. And it's in this moment that it really hits Kurt; he doesn't know anything about Blaine. He knows nothing beyond his life in English class and frat parties. He doesn't know where Blaine is from, or what his favorite color is, or even his major. They aren't even Facebook friends. It just makes Kurt even sadder. He feels like he keeps letting Blaine down. He sees Blaine right now, and Blaine's never seemed so small than he has this entire night.

Kurt's thoughts are interrupted by Blaine. "I live in Twig."

"Oh. Oh." He repeats himself. "I live in Peterson." They are right across the street from each other. All this time Blaine has been right across the street from Kurt. So close, yet so far. Kurt's always thought that they were from different worlds, and all along they've shared a street. It makes him feel hopeful, like maybe there's still a chance they could go back to normal, and he starts to laugh.

Laughing the tension away seems like the only thing to do, and he starts walking back to Blaine who just looks like a deer in the headlights. Kurt grabs Blaine's arm and loops his through it and starts walking down the street. It's a mirror image to how the night started, but this time Kurt's the one to initiate contact, and neither of them break away.

"Uuuhhhh I'm a hot mess tonight, aren't I?" Kurt laughs. It's a rhetorical question and he isn't expecting a response.

"You and me both," Blaine whispers, a small smile playing on his face.

"Can we pretend this all never happened? I don't know what happened. But it's just been weird. Call it an alien invasion, I don't know. But tonight was weird, right?"

Blaine seems all too eager to agree. "Invasion of the body snatchers," he says. "I'm totally ready to let it all go and leave it behind us."

When they get to Twig Kurt lets go of Blaine and moves to stand right in front of him. Before he can do anything, Blaine leans forward and kisses his cheek.

"Thanks," he says. But Kurt's not sure what he did that's worth being thanked. Blaine blushes and ducks his head. Giving Kurt one more look, he heads inside, leaving Kurt on the sidewalk, jaw open. Kurt stays there for a second touching his cheek before numbly walking across the street.

It's early still, not even one in the morning. He's not sure if Samantha is home but he's willing to take a chance. He grabs the elevator to her floor, hand still on his cheek, walks to her door, and knocks.

She answers in her pajamas.

"I need to talk to you," he says.

She just moves to the side and lets him in.

Monday is the first time he will see Blaine since their outing on Friday night. He's not sure what he's expecting, but Kurt's hoping that things will have returned to normal. They haven't talked at all since then, which leaves Kurt a bit nervous. But when he walks into English class and sees Blaine smiling up at him and removing his bag from the seat beside him, Kurt knows that things will be okay.