Author's Note: Re-uploading several of the earlier chapters since the original version got deleted because of…technicalities. All good though, I took it as an opportunity to go and have all of those chapters beta-ed, so you'll see some notable tweaking here and there. I wouldn't necessarily say that past readers should go back and re-read the chapters, since the plot development is mostly the same. If anything, there's just more development of characters, reorganization of certain parts, and overall more attention to details. That said, it's a shame I no longer have access to the old reviews to look back on…but I guess that just means you should leave plenty of new reviews! Cheers!

Why am I still here? For the umpteenth time that month, Blaine pondered that question to himself. It was a valid question really, one that he had hoped to find an answer to before the end of the month. But if he couldn't come up with a good reason, then transferring back to Dalton mid-September would be no problem. It was still early in the semester after all.

For now, he tried to shake the thought from his head. As much as the question plagued him day and night, he would never allow himself to be distracted during one of his own performances. This time would be no different. Blaine stood in the center of the choir room, facing an audience composed entirely of the ladies of New Directions…plus Kurt, the honorary female. They all looked giddy and excited, as they always were when Blaine was performing his number for the week…except for Kurt who was feigning interest, though Blaine wasn't in the least bit surprised. Blaine let out a defeated sigh as he looked around him to make sure all the other boys were in place.

As Sam started strumming the first few notes of the song, Blaine found himself wondering again, Why am I still here? There was literally nothing keeping him here at McKinley, not after how he and Kurt had broke up earlier that month. And while he had found new friends in the members of New Directions, none of them could compare to the friends he had back at Dalton, both in terms of quality and quantity. So why then, am I still here? Reluctantly, Blaine forced himself to push the thought aside as he started singing.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset
She's going off about something that you said
She doesn't get your humor like I do

He watched his spectators with steady eyes, noting how everyone seemed to be getting giddier by the minute. He could already see everyone on the edges of their seats, ready to jump up and dance at the right moment. He could also see how everyone was biting their lower lips, trying to restrain themselves from joining in on the chorus too early. Everyone except Kurt of course…and Santana too.
"You go Blaine, you be a home wrecker and steal some straight boy from his girlfriend!" said Santana sassily, smug about her own smart aleck comment. Blaine couldn't help but smirk at the irony of it as he shot a quick glance at Brittany and Artie, before he continued singing.

I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do

Blaine turned about nonchalantly as he sang, swaying in his steps as he crooned ever so coolly. Part of it was just for choreography. The other part was to make sure the guys, especially the new kid Rory, weren't fucking up. Thankfully, Rory seemed to be handling both dancing and back-up vocals fairly well. Blaine glanced gratefully over at Mike; if it weren't for Mike's patience and his devotion to 'dance boot camp,' Rory probably would've been a complete mess right now. Hell if it weren't for Mike, Blaine doubted that he himself could have ever gotten beyond 'waddle-dancing.' It was an amusing thought, recalling how dry Dalton's dance routines were. So amusing, that Blaine lost track of how long he had been glancing (or now staring) at Mike. And somewhere in between the sharp steps of his own dancing, Mike had happened to return Blaine's glance.

But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts
She's cheer captain and I'm just a gay kid
Dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

Blaine almost stumbled through the words and through the steps as he hastily turned away to avert his gaze. He was sure Mike had caught him staring, which was awkward enough already, but he also could've sworn that…Mike had winked at him? Blaine considered it for the briefest of seconds, before turning his attention back to the chorus.

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can't you see?
You belong with me
You belong with me

The girls squealed aloud and finally began singing along, much to Blaine's satisfaction. He loved rousing the group with a fun sing-a-long, and Taylor Swift was the perfect epitome of this. But try as he might to mean every word he was singing, Blaine couldn't help but feel bitter. Bitter, because it was just a month ago that he and Kurt were claiming to understand one another, claiming to have been there for one another, claiming to belong with one another. Now that none of that held true, how was he supposed to go about taking all that back?

Walkin' the streets with you in your skinny jeans
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be
Chillin' on the bleachers thinkin' to myself
Hey isn't this easy?

Truth be told, it was never easy for him and Kurt. It was always a struggle to make things work between them, right down to conversation leading up to their break-up.
"…And that's why we can't work it out," Blaine had said somberly, his gaze transfixed on the floor.
Kurt waited a full minute before speaking. "Can't? Or won't?"
"I mean either or, it doesn't really make a difference…"
"But it does. Maybe it's more a case of you won't," Kurt had said spitefully. "Because I don't see a whole lot of trying on your part."
"Now that's just not true," said Blaine in an even tone, trying his best not to let his guilt betray his voice.
"Is it hm? Is it really?" Kurt asked rhetorically as he dropped Blaine's 'apology chocolates' to the floor.
"Oh is that what you want?" Blaine asked semi-indignantly as Kurt started walking away.
Kurt didn't even look back as he answered resentfully. "Yeeeup!"
"…W–well that's how you get ants!" Blaine smacked his forehead with an open palm. That was literally the only retort he could come up with.
"Yayyy…"

And you've got a six-pack, the best one in this town
I haven't seen it in a while, cause you seem run-down
You say you fine, I know you better than that
That girl won't give you time to burn that fat

Everyone laughed at the words, just as Blaine had hoped. He loved messing with the lyrics, and it always helped when people actually enjoyed it. Still, the laughter offered only a brief reprieve from his angst; nothing could get his mind off the fact that he and Kurt were no longer together. They were over, done for, completely finished. And thus, was how Blaine had given up the only reason why he came to McKinley. So the question persisted: if there was no more Kurt, and if none of the other glee guys came close to swinging his way, why was he still there?

She wears high heels, I wear bowties
She's cheer captain and I'm just a gay kid
Dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

There had to be a reason why he was still at McKinley. There had to be a reason why he felt no inclination to return to his previous school. There had to be a reason for his content with staying exactly where he was and doing what he did, day after day despite the foreboding presence of his ex. But maybe he was thinking about it all wrong. Maybe it was better to be asking why he didn't care enough to go back to Dalton immediately. Maybe it was better to be asking why he still felt at ease performing with New Directions, in spite of his ex. Or maybe, it was better to just stop worrying and questioning altogether and just be satisfied with what he had right then and there. After all, he didn't want to become the tragic story of a man who thought too much about everything, who was too consumed in his thoughts to be able to appreciate the here and now.

Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry
I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams
Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me

Blaine took his time to survey the choir room as he sang the bridge. He looked over each trophy in the choir room, both big and small. He examined the pictures hanging from the walls, observing how the group had grown and changed over the years. Finally, he mentally scanned the halls of McKinley, mapping out each and every corner of the campus in his brain. He did all this, because he rejected the notion of not having a reason to stay at McKinley. Moreover, he was never one to take what he had for granted. There must be some reason keeping him right where he was, and he needed to know what it was. It was just his nature, and to deny it would keep his mind in a state of limbo.

Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Been here all along so why can't you see
You belong with me?

By this point, Mike and Rory had finished dancing and were rubbing up against Blaine, trapping him in a human sandwich. Blaine chuckled as he looked at the both of them: Rory, grinning brightly with a glint of delight in his eyes; and Mike, smiling coyly as he once again winked at Blaine. In the next few seconds, before the instruments picked up again, Blaine took the time to observe each of the faces of the room. Varied as they were, there was one constant between them all: the faces showed genuine from the pure and utter enjoyment of the music, of the miracle that was happening in the room. He'd seen that look many a time before, perhaps with his fellow Warblers back at Dalton, but for some reason it meant more seeing it from the kids of New Directions.

Standing by you waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know baby
You belong with me
You belong with me

Blaine could feel his voice getting stronger as he approached the final lines. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt like he actually meant the words right now. That's how it should be, he thought to himself as he started dancing again. Out of nowhere, he felt a hand grab his own and pull him over. Startled at first, Blaine quickly calmed down when he realized that it was just Mike. The taller held up a clenched fist in between the two of them, as if gripping and sharing an imaginary microphone, and pretended to sing into it. Blaine, not hesitating in the least, gladly joined in.

For some reason, unbeknownst and almost incomprehensible to Blaine, Mike kept looking right at him as they continued to sing. Not looking past him or through him, but actually looking right at him, directly into his eyes. He wasn't sure who realized it first, how embarrassing it was for the both of them to be staring so intently at other, but they eventually broke off eye contact. Nevertheless, Blaine couldn't help but grin goofily as he managed to finish the song strong.

You belong with me
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me?
You belong with me

Mike shot Blaine a quick wink as the song died out. Blaine smiled awkwardly back, mouth half open as if in awe. He had no idea what was up with Mike and all the winking, but he wasn't about to protest. Especially because the rest of the group had rapidly descended upon Blaine to do their post-performance ritual: pats on the back, compliments and congratulations, or the occasional hug. Blaine received them warmly and slowly began to understand how each gesture was but a gentle reminder, a possible validation of why he was still at McKinley. And surprisingly, he was actually content with that sort of explanation.

Mike was the last to approach him, and it was only after the rest had started to exit the classroom.
"Great song choice Blaine, I definitely like how you tweaked the lyrics." Mike walked up to him with an outstretched arm as if to give Blaine a hug. Blaine cocked his right eyebrow slightly. It wasn't that Mike and him didn't get along. But it wasn't like they were on hugging terms either. In fact, he wasn't sure what to make of Mike's excessive winking either. It definitely wasn't something Mike had been doing before though. But as Gay Bro Code dictates, one must never decline a hug when offered one (on friendly terms) and so Blaine thought nothing of it as he extended his own arms to hug Mike back.
"Thanks bro, and I couldn't have done it without you," said Blaine genuinely, so as to foster more confidence in Mike's budding abilities as a singer.

There was an awkward silence as the two hugged. There was also an awkward lump between Blaine's chest and, what he assumed, was Mike's lower torso. Given their height difference, that wasn't too far off an estimate either. Mike didn't say anything as Blaine closed his eyes and slowly turned his face downwards to see what hard object was in between the two of them. He was pretty sure that bulge didn't belong to him, so it must've belonged to Mike. Repeat: that very hard bulge must've belonged to Mike. Blaine's face reddened at the un-dapper realization of what it could possibly mean about Mike. After all, Blaine had always had his suspicions about Mike, especially since there's always been an undeniable and significant percentage of gay Asian dancers. Given that correlation, this could've just been Mike's very obvious, very inappropriate, but very sexy way of saying 'Hey there, I'm gay too.' Blaine had to quell his inner desire to respond accordingly with his own 'How do you do, I came out just to greet you' since he had a feeling that spontaneous dry-humping wouldn't end well. But how else was Blaine supposed to react? Give in to this sudden and unforeseen attraction like some scene straight out of a cheap porno? Or perhaps insist upon taking it slow? He could just adamantly deny Mike, since anything less might make him seem too easy…but what good would come of denying someone who could potentially reciprocate his feelings? But that begged the question of whether there were feelings in the first place! Maybe he should just hit it, quit it, and go back to Dalton! Or, God forbid, Mike just wanted him as a friend with benefits? If that was so, then maybe…

"Wrong hug dude," said Mike with a relaxed chuckle. As Blaine slowly opened his eyes, he began to register that it was no man lump rubbing up against his abdomen; it was just Mike's outstretched hand. The kind of outstretched hand that one bro offers to another, so that the other bro might clasp onto it as they embrace in a slightly awkward one-armed hug with their other free arm. So whereas Mike had gone in to hug Blaine with one of his arms, Blaine had latched himself onto Mike's body with both his arms. And of course Mike would do the bro hug…he was straight after all. Blaine wasn't sure what had possessed him to even think, or hope, otherwise.

Blaine had embarrassed himself plenty of times before, but this one oddly seemed to be more discomforting than usual. So discomforting, that he instantaneously decided that he would transfer back to Dalton effective the next day. Without making eye contact, Blaine let go of his hug, muttered an incoherent farewell, and rushed towards the exit. He would've escaped too, before Mike even had a chance to react, had he not forgotten his bag. Cursing himself for making it even more awkward than he thought possible, Blaine shuffled back into the room, slung his messenger bag over his shoulder, and made a go for the exit once more. But just before he could exit, Mike called out to him.
"Hey Blaine!"
"Y-yeah?" His voice came out with a squeak, darkening the blush on his face even further.
"You do know you belong here right? With me?" Mike asked with a gentle smile on his face.
"…What?" It was all Blaine could ask, for lack of a better question. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Mike had somehow read his mind and was now mocking him openly.
"You know, just like in the song…you belong with me? Might be more appropriate to say you belong with us though. Us being…New Directions. Here. At McKinley." It was Mike's turn to sound awkward, and had Blaine noticed he might've felt more at ease. Instead, he took his time registering what Mike had just said to him.
"But I mean, take the lyrics as you will. Belong with us, belong with me, no biggie," said Mike as he casually winked at Blaine one last time before walking out of the choir room.

Blaine retreated into the hallway once his rampant blushing finally receded. It gave him time to think a little, and recognize that he could and would stay at McKinley. If not for the chance to perform as a part of a very impressive team, then for the sake of the people he had come to know and love here. These were the people who cared for him after all, who supported him as best they could and brought out the best in him. Sure, not everyone in the club was perfectly receptive of him quite yet (which reminded him that he'd have to make amends with Kurt someday soon), but he there people he could count on to be there for him. People like Mike, for instance. After all was said and done though, Blaine couldn't forget the multiple winks Mike had thrown his way all afternoon, nor could he brush the lingering idea that the taller boy had given him a particularly tight hug (even if it was one-armed). He casually tried to dismiss the latter notion, attributing it to nothing more than Mike's amazing biceps and triceps at work.

That didn't stop him from smiling all afternoon though.