Kurt opened his eyes and squinted, a bright light shining right in his face. The gleaming sun lit his whole dorm room, covering almost every square inch of the floor below him. He rubbed his eyes slowly and looked over at his clock, which blinked "7:32" in bright blue font, and he sighed and closed his eyes again, only to be interrupted again by a loud chirping melody, sung by the tiny warbler by his bedside.

"Oh Pavarotti, I get the hint! I'm up! Really, I'm up!" he hissed in a whisper, tapping the cage urgently until the bird quieted down. He threw his covers off to the side, sat on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands, sighing once again. This had become a normal wake-up routine for him ever since he started attending Dalton Academy. He would wake up, his 'voice' of a bird chirped a song just for him, and he would sit for a few minutes, gathering up enough energy and courage to face the day at his new school. He didn't have any problems whatsoever with his classmates and fellow students, in fact he rather enjoyed their company. It was his longing to be with New Directions that made it hard for him. He missed the playful nudges and eye-rolls he and Mercedes would make as Mr. Schuester suggested yet another 80's flashback as their next performance piece. He pined for the fun and boisterous laughter as everyone rehearsed their choreography, Finn tripping over his own two feet and Mike showing off his latest moves. He missed Brittany's random observation of "why the Macarena should be a lunch food option...". As much as he hated to admit it, Kurt even missed Rachel's persistent recommendations of the perfect duet for her and Finn to sing together. So what if they were annoying moments to pretty much anyone else? Those were some of the moments that made New Directions what they were...a family.

Kurt's sulking was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door, and his head shot up at once from the sound.

"Kurt, are you up? Can I come in?" a voice on the other side of the door asked. He recognized that voice right away, and he immediately sat up straight, clearing his throat.

"Sure..." he croaked, and he winced at his voice. He still hadn't fully awoken yet, it seemed. His voice still needed persuading in that department.

The door creaked open and a dark-haired boy with bright-hazel eyes popped in, only revealing his head. He took one look at Kurt's bed-hair and groggy face, and stifled a giggle. Kurt couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the reaction, slightly embarrassed.

"Looks like someone hasn't fully come around yet? You sound terrible. Are you sick?" he said with concern, his eyebrows pulling together. Kurt smirked and looked down, clearing his throat again in a desperate attempt to regain his true voice.

"It's nothing, Blaine. I quite literally just woke up..." he said slowly, emphasizing on his words to make his point. Luckily his voice returned to normal, and he sighed in relief. Blaine's face relaxed at once and he smiled widely.

"Well, good, because we're going somewhere today." he said, opening the door more and leaning on the door frame. It was the first time Kurt had seen him out of the Dalton uniform. He had on khaki pants and a maroon henley shirt, and his hair was ruffled in loose curls. It was a nice change to see Blaine like this, instead of in that same ol' uniform all the time. Kurt snapped out of his trance and remembered what Blaine had just announced. Kurt tilted his head in confusion and his eyes turned into slits.

"We are? What about class? It's..." he glanced at his phone and saw the day on the top. "...Tuesday." he finished, looking back at Blaine with tired frustration. Blaine nodded and clasped his hands together in a dramatic fashion.

"Yes, you are right...but it's also Dalton's 127th Anniversary. The school was founded on this very date 127 years ago, and every year the whole school gets the day off. That's why, in case you haven't already noticed, there's a lack of commotion going on in the hallways and there's an eerie silence all around...everyone's still asleep." he announced, sounding almost a little too excited about the whole event. Kurt mouthed an 'oh' and smiled, liking the idea of a free day. He shuffled on the bed and looked right at Blaine.

"...everyone except you, though..." Kurt added, smirking slightly. Blaine breathed deeply and nodded with a laugh.

"Yes, I am awake...but so are you...I actually figured you'd have no clue about this 'Dalton in-service day', so I got up early to tell you." he said with a smile, seeming proud with himself. Kurt just scoffed and tilted his head, still half asleep and not ready to talk too much yet. Blaine continued. "...you know, I would consider this a blessing. Dalton doesn't get too many school-specific holidays, and mostly everyone here makes the most of their free time...like sleeping." he said, putting his hands in his pockets and chuckling. Kurt sighed and looked down to the ground.

"I guess that's just one of the perks of coming to Dalton, huh?" he said, a twinge of sadness in his tone. Blaine picked up on it right away and his smirk disappeared almost immediately. He closed the door behind him and made his way towards Kurt. He knelt down in front of him and placed his hands on Kurt's knees, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Kurt, I'm sorry it's taking a while for you to get accustomed to life here...I promised you it would get better, and it does. All I want is for you to feel safe and happy here. You understand that, right?" he finished, looking at Kurt for his answer. The new Warbler bit his lip and nodded solemnly, his mind wanting his eyes to look away from Blaine's gaze, but never finding a way to do so.

"I understand...and I DO feel safe here, safer than I've ever felt at McKinley...but-"

"...but you aren't happy." Blaine finished, smiling sadly. Kurt mirrored the smile and chuckled humorlessly . Blaine patted his knees. "...at least not yet. Give it time..." he said, getting up. Kurt watched him in confusion as the veteran Warbler walked over to Pavarotti's cage, opened the metal door and played with the little bird. Pavarotti hopped around Blaine's fingers as they kept following the feathered friend around the rim of the cage, and Kurt watched silently as the 'chase' continued on for another minute or so. He then closed the cage and turned back towards Kurt. "Alright, so like I said, we're going somewhere today. How likely is it that you'll be ready to go by 10 AM sharp?" he asked, starting to walk back towards the door. Kurt shuffled a bit on his bed.

"Oh...I think it's pretty likely. Where exactly are we going, may I ask?" he asked, getting up and straightening his bed sheets, but still turning around to look at Blaine. Blaine grinned devilishly and bit his lip, which caused Kurt to momentarily stop what he was doing and blatantly stare at the dark-haired wonder. Pavarotti randomly chirped a sweet little note into the air, but Kurt never noticed it. He just continued to gape awkwardly. Blaine then made a pouty face and folded his hands again in front of him, seemingly upset.

"I'm so sorry Kurt, but I'm afraid I cant tell you...you'll just have to find out when we get there." he teased, going over to Kurt and playfully patting his left cheek. Kurt's face turned red, both from Blaine's touch and from the frustration of not knowing where he was headed. He only hoped Blaine didn't notice anything. He watched Blaine leave the room, and when the door closed, he shoved his face into a pillow, smirking into it slightly before getting up to get dressed. He just hoped this would all be worth it, although if Kurt could have a day with just Blaine and himself, then he considered it a win.

"Blaine, this has got to be the most CHILDISH thing I've experienced in years , I swear...please enlighten me as to why I've gotta be blindfolded by this silly scarf?" Kurt insisted, folding his arms over his chest and huffing into the passenger seat. They had taken Blaine's peridot colored Lexus GX, only because he had insisted, and Kurt wasn't allowed to know where he was going whatsoever. Kurt bit his lip in frustration and leaned back in his seat. Blaine chuckled lightly as he drove smoothly down the freeway, the radio lightly playing in the car and the gentle hum of the motor filling any silence that ever seemed to arise.

"Trust me, it'll be worth it in the end, you'll see." he reassured, patting Kurt's shoulder in comfort. Kurt jumped a little to the touch, not being able to see the move coming, and sighed loudly as he moved to lean his head against the window. They had already been on the road for almost an hour, and Kurt was getting antsy. He felt Blaine make a right turn, seemingly exiting the freeway and onto another road entirely. His right leg started bobbing up and down, and he could've sworn he literally heard Blaine roll his eyes in response. Suddenly he felt the car slow up, and then when it finally came to a stop, he almost took his blindfold off, but his hand was halted by his fellow Warbler, just short of pulling the knot loose and setting the scarf free.

"Hey-hey-hey there! Relax, Kurt. It's only a red light. We'll be getting a lot of these, I imagine." he reassured, laughter in his words. Kurt groaned and leaned back into his seat, wishing he had at least a clue as to where he was going.

"Why can't you just tell me where we're going? I don't see what the big deal is." Kurt asked, trying his best not to sound annoyed, since he knew it wouldn't help matters any. Blaine hummed lightly and sighed.

"Well, I want this to be a surprise for you. If I took you without the blindfold on, you'd realize where we were headed long before we actually got there. So the blindfold stays, and my mouth stays shut." he concluded, nodding to himself and his finalization. Kurt rolled his eyes, even though Blaine couldn't see them, and started twiddling his thumbs. The light must've turned green, because the car started moving again, and the gentle hum of the car relaxed Kurt enough to keep him from snapping. Every so often he felt like dozing off, but his anticipation over what their destination was kept him from drifting off into a slumber.

It took another ten minutes before Kurt had the urge to speak again.

"Can we turn the radio up at least?" he asked kindly, no longer in a bitter mood. Blaine hummed a happy note.

"Oh, done with the Sour Patch Kid, are we?" he teased, laughter threatening in the edge of his voice. Kurt chuckled lightly and sighed.

"Yes, we are. I'm sorry I was being nasty before. I just don't feel like myself at times anymore." he said, folding his hands. There was moment of awkward silence before Kurt added. "...does this mean you're going to turn the volume up?"

"I have a better idea, actually. Wait just a minute!" Blaine said, and the sound of rattling inside the glove compartment occurred directly in front of Kurt, and this confused him. Only a second later the compartment was closed, and he heard the radio being turned off.

"Blaine, what are yo-" he started, but Blaine shushed him, and he heard him start to hum a unrecognizable song to himself.

"We're going to cheer you up, Kurt. You need a fun song, something that's fun to sing along to...and I think I know just the one. It's coming out of left field though, so don't expect any of your standard favorites." he warned, laughing at the last part. Kurt mouthed an "oh" and waited patiently for the song to start, now genuinely curious as to what song Blaine could possibly be choosing.

All of a sudden a loud electronic noise filled the air, the surround speakers throughout the car projecting the music in superb quality. Kurt listened for a second before the main beat started in the song, and he heard Blaine laugh through the music.

"You're singing along, you know!" he yelled over the beat, and at that same moment Kurt figured out what the song was, and he quickly shook his head, now completely against the whole idea.

"No way, Blaine! This song? By this singer? I'm not really a fan of-"

"Kurt, I've seen your iPod. You've played this song almost 200 times! The jig's up! Besides, no matter if you love or hate the guy, you gotta admit, he has good songs!" he said real quickly, almost too fast for Kurt to understand. Suddenly the first verse started, and Kurt still shook his head. Blaine laughed and started to sing along.

I want your body, mind, soul, et cetera
And one day you will see, you should give it to me
And I don't want anyone instead of you
Oh babe I'm going crazy, come on and give it to me
And I ain't never met nobody better-er
You're someone else's baby

Kurt could practically feel the scarlet red color covering his entire face in embarrassment, listening to the words and hearing Blaine sing them. He was almost positive that Blaine could see the red in his complexion, he didn't need his vision to see that, so he tried his best to hide his face. Blaine kept singing, determined to get Kurt to sing along.

But I'm so sick of living for other people
It took meeting you to realize
I don't want to lose you, I want to keep you
Put your little hand in mine and
Look into my eyes, baby eyes

Kurt, who by now was trying his best to make it seem like the whole thing wasn't happening in front of him, gripped the seat next to him, still blushing like mad. Blaine, who was now at another red light, looked over mid-lyric and saw Kurt's posture, and he smirked. He saw the clutched hand on the seat cushion and placed his hand on top of Kurt's, engulfing it in a gentle motion. Kurt's body eased up almost instantly, and he felt tingles all over. He almost hitched his breath involuntarily when Blaine proceeded to take a hold of Kurt's hand, lacing their fingers together and gripping firmly, signaling for Kurt to let loose at least a LITTLE bit. The crooning Warbler tried to hit the seemingly impossible note at the end of the verse, and he ended up screeching it in laughter, causing Kurt's shell to crack and having him doubled over in guffaws, still holding onto Blaine's hand as he did so.

Oh, you make me want to listen to music again
Yeah, you make me want to listen to music again

The second verse was about to start when Blaine finished his last note of the chorus, and he squeezed Kurt's hand gently. Kurt bit his lip and sighed, completely in awe over the whole situation at hand. He held his head down and grinned, and he started singing the second verse reluctantly.

There had been many moons before I met you
And I don't know when I last put paper to pen
And now you've given me back my "raison d'etre"
And I'm inspired again

Kurt was trying his best not to laugh, but by the time the french phrase escaped his lips, he was giggling like mad and tears were starting to form in his eyes. Those tears never got far, for when they finally fell they were soaked up from the scarf that was still on his eyes, but he didn't care. He was having more fun than he had ever had in weeks, and he had Blaine to thank for it. He pulled his hand away from Blaine's so he could cup his face in hilarity, and he continued to laugh, still trying to sing along to the song. Blaine had to keep from staring at Kurt too long as he was running the risk of driving off the main road, but he was constantly making quick glances at the boy sitting next to him, not having the heart to look away for too long. Kurt's head popped back up and he continued the rest of the verse.

And I know that in some ways, we're kind of evil
I've got my roots and you've got ties
But my heart's no stranger to upheaval
Put your little hand in mine and
Look into my eyes, baby eyes

Kurt sang the high note without any difficulty, causing Blaine, who was now at another red light, to fully gape at him without distraction.

"Are you serious? Here I try to hit that note and you laugh, and then you one-up me and pull a move like that?" he said in mock disappointment. Kurt just shrugged his shoulders and continued to sing.

Oh, you make me want to listen to music again

"Oh, it's on, Hummel...whether you like it or not, it's ON!" he shouted, and the light turned green. He pressed on the gas a little more forceful than usual, which made them both get thrown back into their seats, but it only made Kurt giggle. He liked seeing, alright well at least hearing, Blaine be competitive, especially in something as silly as this.

Yeah, you make me want to listen to music again

This time, Blaine was the one who sang the line, and it took Kurt completely by surprise. He sang it with a competitive edge, more forceful and full of power, but yet still sounding fun and upbeat. Kurt scoffed at the challenge and sat up straight, ready for whatever Blaine had to throw out there.

Oooohhhh... music again
Look into my eyes, baby eyes
I just want to listen to music again

Blaine started the bridge, and he sang it just as soft as the song was intending. Kurt raised his eyebrows, which were hidden under the scarf, and had his arms folded, waiting for his turn. When the section was up and over, Kurt burst right into the runs of the next part, confident in his ability.

Oh, yeah
Woo!
Ohhh yeah

With his notes sounding just like the song, Kurt smiled at this and sat back, happy with the result. Blaine smirked and shook his head. He cleared his throat before the singing started again and leaned a little towards Kurt.

"All together now!" he yelled over the music, and he nudged Kurt's shoulder, and Kurt nodded with what could arguably be the goofiest grin Blaine had ever seen. He sat back in his seat properly and bobbed his head to the music, and soon the singing returned.

I'm so sick of living for other people
Took meeting you to realize
I don't want to lose you, I want to keep you

Put your little hand in mine and
Look into my eyes, baby eyes!

Both of them belted the lyrics out in perfect synchronization , and this time Blaine turned the high note into a lower, more reachable note for himself, resulting in the two of them harmonizing a sweet note along with the song. Kurt smirked a little in response, loving how it sounded.

Oh, you make me want to listen to music again
Yeah, you make me want to listen to music again

The two of them smiled as they sang the last few phrases, and Kurt leaned back in his seat, completely content with himself at this very moment.

Oh, you make me want to listen to music again
Yeah, you make me want to listen to music again!

The song ended and Blaine turned off the iPod to hear Kurt's take on everything. He glanced over at him and giggled, seeing Kurt in his content state.

"I take it that helped? Did it cheer you up?" he asked, turning onto a side road and passing a bunch of housing developments. He always kept looking back at Kurt, waiting for his response.

"You have no clue..." Kurt breathed, and he started into another laughing fit, in which Blaine soon joined in. The kept laughing for what seemed like hours before Kurt sighed and leaned against the window, tears now drowning the scarf that was blinding him. "Alright, next song." he said simply. Blaine smiled happily and set the iPod on shuffle, uncertain but also ready for whatever song they were both going to belt next.

Kurt smiled, knowing that each one of those 200-plays of that song on his iPod was for Blaine.

"Okay, you can take off the blindfold." Blaine said, almost sounding too excited for his own good. He didn't need to tell Kurt twice, because the scarf was off before even finished his sentence. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness They were in the parking lot of someplace, but Kurt wasn't entirely sure where, because they were facing a bunch of trees and shrubs. Kurt looked over at Blaine with confusion.

"You mean to tell me you drove us two hours so we could look at foliage?" Kurt asked, becoming more confused by the second. Blaine laughed and shook his head.

"It might make more sense if you turn around." he said, motioning his head backwards. Kurt quickly switched direction and looked around, and soon it all became clear. He saw the huge brick building sitting right in front of him, and he saw all the people exiting the front doors left and right, some getting into their cars, others hanging out, and even some that were headed towards the tables outside the cafeteria in the back. He He looked at his watch, and saw the time: 12:02 PM.

Lunch time for McKinley High School.

"Are you for real?" Kurt said, his mouth hanging open in shock. His eyes looked over to Blaine, who was stifling a laugh from his expression.

"I mean, if you'd prefer, we could sit here and watch these bushes all day. I have no problem with th-"

"ARE YOU KIDDING? LET'S GO!" Kurt shouted, practically running out of the car, and across the pavement. Blaine had to hurry to catch up with the excited Warbler, but he didn't mind. He was getting a kick out of seeing Kurt like this. He felt it made the whole trip worth it, just for his reaction alone.

"Kurt, wait up! Don't just rush in there!" Blaine then warned, catching up to Kurt, stopping him before he got too far. Kurt caught his breath and gave Blaine a look of frustration, but he didn't whine. Blaine caught his breath as well and cleared his throat. "Alright, I know you're excited, but you can't just run in there and talk to everyone like it's nothing. Aren't there certain people you'd rather not run into right now?" Blaine hinted, and Kurt shuddered at the thought. Karofsky. He nodded his head and closed his eyes. Blaine put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and started walking him back towards the car. "...here's my plan. You said that New Directions practice happens directly after lunch, right?" he asked. Kurt nodded, and Blaine continued. "Alright, so we wait until lunch period is over, and then right after the next class starts, we'll go and surprise your friends. Sound like a plan?" he said, opening the passenger door for Kurt. After looking at the door, back towards McKinley, and then at Blaine, he sighed and proceeded to get back into the car. Blaine shut the door for him and got back into the driver's side.

"That leaves us forty two minutes until lunch is over." Kurt said, looking back at his watch. Blaine started the car back up, which caused Kurt to shoot a glance over at him. "What are you doing? Where are we GOING?" he asked, getting antsy. Blaine just chuckled.

"We're getting lunch, silly. I know this bistro a few miles down the road. They have pretty good service so we should be finished there long before McKinley's lunch time is over..." he stated, backing out of their parking spot. Kurt sighed and leaned back into his seat, looking out the window as his former school kept getting smaller and smaller, until finally they turned the corner and it was out of sight.

"Okay, fine...as long as I pay this time. I still owe you from before!" Kurt insisted. Blaine nodded.

"Sounds alright by me." he said, and he continued driving down the main road, with Kurt now desperately waiting for those forty one minutes and twenty seven seconds to pass, and for him to see his friends again.

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*{Song featured in this chapter was "Music Again" by Adam Lambert...a freakin' good song, if you ask me. Not too big of a fan of Lambert's style, but his music's got me hooked. ^_^

Author's Note: This is my first time delving into the world of fanfiction in a while, so I'm sorry if it started out slow and 'meh'. I'm getting back in the writing groove again, so it should get better. I have the whole story planned out in my head so there'll be no pauses for story development, if you will. lol Thanks for reading! :) ~ Steph