Archive of Our Own ^beta

The moment, the last kid was picked up by their parents and left the room, Blaine breathed out a sigh of relief. It is not that he didn’t like being a kindergarten teacher, not at all, he really loved his job, but sometimes taking care of fifteen five-year-olds could get a bit overwhelming. Just like today.

Leaning against his desk, he closed his eyes, breathing deeply a few times, trying to stop the pounding in his head. Even though his kids were sweet and usually fairly well-behaved, today it was Maggie’s birthday, so her mom made cupcakes for the entire group and if there was something Blaine hated, children on a sugar high were definitely it. It made those cute kids turn into little monsters, running, yelling and unable to sit still even for a second, and at the end of the day, Blaine felt like pulling his hair out, and it was barely Monday. Thankfully, it was all over now, but he felt completely drained and couldn’t wait to drop straight into his bed.

Gathering his things, he looked around to check if everything was in place and that he didn’t forget anything. Noticing a few toys scattered on the floor, he put them back in place and, after turning off the lights, he headed to the exit and finally went back home. Apparently, the universe decided his day was exhausting enough and there wasn’t even that many people on the subway which made Blaine’s ride home a bit more bearable than usually.

The moment he entered his apartment and closed the door behind him, his body instantly relaxed and he let out the breath he seemed to be holding from the moment he walked out of the kindergarten. After tossing his bag on the kitchen counter, he moved to the small living room, flopping down on the couch with a loud groan. His body ached after chasing the kids for the entire day and he would be absolutely fine with lying on the couch and not moving at all if it weren’t for his stomach that started growling just when he made himself comfortable. The thought of cooking made him cringe, so he grabbed his phone and ordered take-out instead, he really didn’t have it in himself to do anything that required even a small amount of effort.

While he waited for his food to arrive, he mindlessly watched something that was playing on TV, thinking that even though he was really tired, he really wouldn’t mind if some friends dragged him out of his apartment to have some crazy fun or just to hang out at one of their places. However, the problem was, Blaine didn’t have a lot friends, scratch that, he actually didn’t have any friends. To be brutally honest, Blaine was lonely. Awfully lonely.

It’s not that he was shy or had trouble making friends. True, back in high school he wasn’t the most popular guy in school, on the contrary, he was at the bottom of the food chain, but that’s something that was expected when you were a gay boy growing up in Ohio. There were a few people that weren’t mean to him, but they didn’t stay in touch after graduating and Blaine didn’t mind in the slightest, he wanted to put his high school years behind and never look back.

In college, he made a few friends, but they all went separate ways after graduating and now they only called each other every now and then, usually when Facebook reminded them of birthdays. And finally, at work, Blaine simply didn’t click with his colleagues. They were nice, but they had been working together for a long time and even though it had been years since Blaine joined them, he still felt like an outsider. Most of them were older than him and it seemed that it was a closed circle, even if they met up after work, nobody ever thought about inviting Blaine. And he wasn’t the type to intrude without an invitation.

So there Blaine was, basically friendless, alone in a big city and even though he tried not to let it get to him, sometimes it was getting hard, especially after he realized that the people he hanged out with the most, were the bunch of five-year-olds. Sure, they were cute and Blaine loved them, but, as an almost thirty years old man, it would be nice to have at least one adult friend.

His little pity party was suddenly interrupted by the doorbell ringing – his food was there. After paying the delivery guy, he settled back on the couch, deciding to catch up on a few of the TV shows he’d been meaning to watch. Turning up the volume, he made himself comfortable, preparing for a long evening.

Alone.

The next day, Blaine was putting out the toys and getting everything ready for another day at work when a sudden knock on the doorframe startled him. It was a bit too early for parents to start bringing their kids in, so he turned around, confused, and saw a young Asian woman standing in the entrance to the room.

“Yes?” He asked politely, looking at her questioningly.

“Hi. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of principal Lavender’s office?” She asked, smiling sheepishly. “I’m supposed to start today, but this place seems like a maze…”

“Oh, you’re filling in for Mrs. Hodges!” Blaine exclaimed, grinning widely and walking up to her and extending his hand. “I’m Blaine Anderson, I teach group number five.”

“Tina Cohen-Chang.” She shook his hand with a smile. “You have no idea how happy I am to meet you, I really don’t want to be late on my first day here.” She added with a wince.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to Lavender’s office.” Blaine offered with a smile. After they walked out of his classroom, he led Tina through various corridors until they reached the principal’s office. “I know it seems complicated, but you get used to it. I stopped getting lost a few months after I started working here.” He joked with a grin.

”Now that’s reassuring.” Tina smiled back and after a moment of hesitation and a comforting smile from Blaine, she knocked on the door and went in.

Seeing that it was almost time for the parents to start appearing with children, Blaine decided not to wait for Tina, hoping someone else would show her the way to her classroom after she was done with the meeting. Walking back, Blaine couldn’t help but smile, Tina seemed nice and it would be great to have someone closer to his age working with him. Also, it wouldn’t hurt not to be the only one treated like an outsider and being left out of everything, unless of course it was specifically him that his colleagues had a problem with, but Blaine really hoped that wasn’t the case.

After the kids showed up, Blaine had been so busy that he didn’t even have a chance to see Tina again, but he did run into her when he was leaving the kindergarten later that day.

“Hey, how was your first day?” He asked as they exited the building.

“Not that bad, actually.” Tina replied with a smile. “I didn’t get lost even once and the children in my class seem great.”

“That’s awesome.” Blaine grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sure. And thank you so much for your help.”

“Anytime. I remember how it feels to be new here, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

As it turned out, Blaine was right about the rest of their colleagues. They were all very nice to Tina, but no one had made any effort to help her feel more welcome, exactly like it happened a few years back with Blaine. But this time Blaine could be there for her and they actually started to stick together, sitting together during meetings and chatting in the hallways whenever they had time. It felt good to have an adult friend at his place of work and Blaine couldn’t be happier about that. It was surprising how a place full of so many people could feel so lonely for him, so it was definitely a nice change from what he had been used to for years.

Blaine could only hope it wouldn’t end anytime soon.

“So,” Tina started one day, a few weeks later, as she and Blaine watched the kids play on the playground. “Any plans for tonight?”

“Tonight?” Blaine repeated, looking at her with confusion.

“It’s Friday!” Tina grinned. “Don’t tell me you have no plans, I always have to go out and unwind after a whole week of work.”

“Actually, that’s exactly what I was going to tell you.” Blaine admitted with a small smile. He got so used to staying home all the time that it didn’t even bother him that much anymore.

“Oh, come on!” Tina exclaimed and after a second, her eyes widened as if she had just been struck with a wonderful idea. “Hey, if you have nothing to do, you should hang out with me and my friends.” She offered enthusiastically.

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t want to intrude.” Blaine protested, even though he would actually love that. Tina seemed like a great person and it would probably be a lot of fun to spend more time with her, but Blaine hated to be a burden and feeling like he was imposing.

“I wouldn’t invite you if I didn’t want you to come.” Tina stated matter-of-factly with a determined look in her eyes and Blaine might have not known her for a very long time, but he knew that once she set her sights on something, there was no way of stopping her. “Do you like to sing?” She asked.

“Tina.” Blaine said with a serious expression on his face. “I think you’ve known me long enough to know that I love to sing.”

“Perfect!” Tina grinned. “Our gang always goes to a karaoke bar on most Fridays and, like I said, you’re more than welcome to join us.”

After only a moment of hesitation, Blaine grinned back. “Text me the address?”

“Yes!” Tina squealed happily. “Just a warning, my friends are a bunch of weirdos, but I promise, you’ll love them.”

“I’m holding you on that.” Blaine joked and, suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a loud scream and the two of them rushed to the kid that fell off the swing. But even despite that, Blaine couldn’t stop the bubbly feeling of happiness spreading through his body. Maybe his years of living in loneliness were finally over.

When Blaine reached the karaoke bar Tina had told him about, he took his phone out before entering to text her that he was already there, but, suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a blonde woman, smiling at him.

“You must be Blaine.” She said and her smile only widened at the sight of a puzzled expression on his face. “I’m Quinn, Tina’s friend.”

The confusion melting, Blaine smiled back, shaking her hand. “So, what gave me away?”

“The bowtie. Tina said it’s basically your signature mark.” Quinn grinned.

Laughing, Blaine pretended to stroke his bowtie lovingly. “Well, she was certainly right about that.”

Entering the bar, Quinn looked around and after a second of searching, she grabbed Blaine’s arm and led him to a table already occupied by three people.

“Blaine!” Tina exclaimed, rising from her seat to hug him. “I’m so glad you came!”

Letting him go, she smiled. “I see you already met Quinn.” After Blaine nodded, she gestured at the Asian man seating next to her. “This is Mike, my boyfriend.” She introduced him and Blaine shook Mike’s hand, returning a friendly smile. “And this is Sebastian.” Tina continued, gesturing at the second man that was sitting at the other side of the table.

“Pleasure.” Sebastian drawled, raising his glass in a lieu of greeting and looking Blaine up and down.

“Back off, Bas, he’s off limits.” Tina grinned, but with a silent warning flashing in her eyes. “Unless, of course, you’re interested in a one night hook up with our residential slut over there.” She said, turning to Blaine and nodding in the direction of Sebastian, and sitting down.

“I think I’ll pass.” Blaine replied, taking a seat next to her. “No offense.” He added, looking at Sebastian, making the rest of the group laugh.

“Absolutely none taken.” He said, winking playfully, but without the flirtatious tone lacing his voice anymore and Blaine already made up his mind that he loved the dynamics between these people.

“Where’s Kurt?” Quinn’s voice broke him out of his thoughts and he focused back on the group.

“He texted me that he got held up at the office, but is on his way.” Mike replied and just as he finished speaking, Sebastian started waving to someone behind Blaine’s back. “Speaking of the devil.”

Wanting to introduce himself, Blaine turned on his seat and was about to stand up when he actually noticed the man making his way to them through the crowd, and his body froze and his thoughts came to a screeching halt. There could be a bomb going off in the middle of the club and Blaine probably wouldn’t notice, too immersed with the man, staring at him with wide eyes because he was absolutely gorgeous. The moment lasted only for a few seconds though Blaine could have sworn it felt like hours, but before he knew it, the man was already by their table, so Blaine quickly blinked twice, getting a grip on himself and stood up, just as Tina got up and kissed her friend’s cheek.

“Kurt, this is Blaine Anderson, we work together.” She said, gesturing at Blaine.

“Ahh, so you’re the famous Blaine.” The man said with a smile and Blaine had to try very hard not to make a fool of himself because the guy’s voice was angelic and Blaine could listen to it forever. “Kurt Hummel.” He introduced himself, extending his hand. Shaking it, Blaine couldn’t help but think how soft it was.

“Nice to meet you, Kurt.” Blaine said, mentally high-fiving himself for managing to construe a coherent sentence. “Though you’re the second person tonight that seems to know me which makes me wonder what else Tina told you about me.” He added, shooting an amused glance in Tina’s direction and sitting down, cheering internally when he realized that the only empty seat left was between him and Quinn.

“Oh, she talks about you all the time.” Kurt said, his eyes glinting playfully.

“All. The. Time.” Mike confirmed. “I swear if she hadn’t told me you’re gay, I would have showed up at the kindergarten to kick your ass for trying to steal my girl.” He said with a grin, making Blaine laugh loudly.

“Jesus, Tina, what have you told them about me?!”

After that, the conversation split and Blaine found himself chatting with Quinn and Kurt. They talked about everything, Blaine asking general questions, curious about the group of friends. That’s how he learned that Kurt worked as one of the designers for Vogue, Mike was a professional dancer and Quinn with Sebastian were lawyers, working together since they graduated from law school. To Blaine’s surprise, it turned out that they all went to high school together, but what was shocking about that was the fact that it was a high school in Ohio.

“Tina!” Blaine exclaimed, turning to her to look at her incredulously. “How come you’ve never mentioned you’re from Ohio?!”

“I haven’t? Well, I guess it just never came up… Wait. You’re from Ohio?!”

“Where exactly are you guys from?” Blaine asked curiously.

“Lima.” Kurt said with a grim smile. “A.k.a. the dullest place in the world.”

“We all went to McKinley High School.” Quinn added. “Well, except for Seb, he transferred to McKinley only for our senior year.”

“My previous school burned down, I’m from Westerville.” Sebastian clarified and if Blaine’s jaw was hanging open after he heard about Lima, now it completely hit the table.

“You’re all kidding, right?” He asked with wide eyes. “I’m from Westerville!” Taking in the surprised expressions of everyone, he shook his head disbelievingly before turning to Sebastian.

“You must have gone to Dalton, it was all over the local news after it burned down.” He said and Sebastian nodded in affirmation.

“What about you?” He asked, looking at Blaine curiously. “Westerville North High School?”

“Yeah.” Blaine replied, wincing slightly at the not so pleasant memories from his teen years. “I actually considered transferring to Dalton after, uhm…” He hesitated. “… an incident from my sophomore year. But my mom couldn’t really afford it, so I stayed.”

Sebastian’s eyes flashed with something warm, like sympathy and when Blaine glanced to his right, he saw Kurt looking at him, intrigued, but neither of them pressed for any details for which Blaine was grateful – he didn’t want to ruin a nice evening with a painful visit to his past. Excusing himself, he headed to the bar to get another beer and while he waited, he felt a tap on his shoulder and seconds later Sebastian leaned against the counter next to him.

“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, so I’ll make it quick.” He started, looking at Blaine with a serious expression on his face. “I had a feeling your name sounded familiar when Tina mentioned you for the first time…” He hesitated which, Blaine could tell even after knowing him for barely two hours, wasn’t usual for him. “The incident you mentioned earlier, your name was in the newspapers after that.” He said and Blaine knew exactly what Sebastian was referring to. “It was actually one of the reasons why I chose to transfer to McKinley after Dalton burned down, even though I could have avoided the extra commute every morning.”

They were both quiet for a moment, then Sebastian gave him a pat on the back and then smirked, and just like that, the serious Sebastian was gone. “Now come on, let’s have some fun! The karaoke is about to start.” They went back to the table where the group was discussing something animatedly. What Blaine didn’t notice was the way Kurt’s smile widened when he sat back down next to him, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Sebastian who smirked, winking to Kurt which earned him a glare from him, but it wasn’t quite as effective as it would have been if Kurt weren’t blushing at the same time.

True to Sebastian’s words, the karaoke began a couple minutes later. As it turned out, Tina already put all of their names on the list while Blaine was at the bar, so he quickly went through the possible song choices in his head, wondering what to pick.

Quinn’s name was the first to be called on stage and Blaine listened in awe to her singing Carole King’s So Far Away, her lovely voice laced with a bit of sadness that also reflected in the features of her face. Wondering if there was a particular reason for that, Blaine became pretty sure that there was because it was impossible to miss Quinn secretly trying to wipe her eyes after finishing the song. It wasn’t his business though and he didn’t know her well enough to ask for details, so he let it go. By the time Quinn made it back to their table, she was already calm and collected, just like before, and smiled when they all complimented her performances.

Tina and Mike were up next and when they headed to the stage, Sebastian groaned loudly, burying his head in his hands. “I’m betting fifty bucks they’re gonna sing a sappy, mushy love song, so sweet that it’ll make us all barf.” He mumbled.

“I’m not taking that bet, we all know it’s true.” Kurt snorted and sure enough, seconds later Mike and Tina started singing a lovely rendition of L.O.V.E. “Don’t get us wrong, we love those two.” Kurt continued, looking at Blaine. “But it gets a bit annoying, listening to them serenading each other lovingly all the time while you’re permanently single.”

“And exhausting when a relationship is the last thing you want.” Sebastian added with a roll of his eyes.

“And depressing when you’re in a long distance relationship, not knowing when you’ll see them again.” Quinn said quietly and her song choice suddenly made a lot more sense. Feeling Blaine’s questioning gaze on her, she looked at him, smiling sadly. “My boyfriend is in the Air Force.”

“That’s admirable.” Blaine said carefully, not really knowing what else to say.

“It is.” Quinn agreed. “And you have no idea how proud I am of him. I just haven’t seen him in person for two months and tonight it kind of got to me.”

“And that’s why you have us to drink away your sorrows and to ignore those love stricken idiots.” Sebastian said, raising his glass and then downing the rest of his drink.

“Let me tell you how this night will go, so you’re prepared.” Kurt said, leaning closer to Blaine as they watched Quinn and Sebastian go to the bar. “Those two will be completely shitfaced by the time we go home – Q because she misses Puck and Bas because he wants to keep her company.” Noticing Blaine looking at him curiously, Kurt chuckled. “I know it doesn’t seem so at first, but Bas is actually a great friend. And he and Quinn live together.”

“The three of us had been living together ever since we came here from Ohio, but after graduating from college I could afford my own place, so I moved out. Bas stayed, even though he could have easily lived by himself straight out of high school. His family is rich.” Kurt added, answering a silent question in Blaine’s eyes. “But he didn’t want Q to come back to an empty apartment every day.”

Blaine fell speechless for a moment, thinking about this group of people. How in tune they were, even though they all seemed to be different. Nevertheless, they were a family.

“Hey.” Kurt’s voice broke him out of his reverie. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I’m not that cheap.” Blaine joked and Kurt laughed, and Blaine was sure Kurt’s laugh was becoming one of his favorite sounds. “I was just thinking about how lucky you are, having such an amazing group of people surrounding you.” Blaine said, trying not to let the jealousy taint his voice.

“We’ve come a long way.” Kurt replied, grinning at Mike and Tina who joined Quinn and Sebastian at the bar. “But we’re always happy to get new people into our little gang.” He said, smiling at Blaine.

“I might take you up on that.” Blaine smiled back. “Though I somehow doubt it’s true, seeing it’s been a long time since you all moved here and it’s still just you, a circle of friends from high school.”

“Well, maybe we’re only accepting fellow Ohioans.” Kurt winked. “Seriously though, Blaine, I’d love to know you better, so consider yourself invited whenever we hang out.”

Blaine’s heart fluttered in his chest and he looked down, trying to hide the blush spreading on his face. He was about to reply, but was interrupted by Kurt’s name being called to perform and the rest of the group hurried up to the table. Just as they took their seats, the music started playing from the speakers and Blaine’s eyes widened when he recognized the melody, and the moment Kurt started to sing, nothing else mattered. Slowly at first, his voice grew stronger and stronger until he was belting out every note of I Have Nothing flawlessly, enrapturing everybody in the club.

Seeing Blaine staring at Kurt, wide-eyed, Mike chuckled and leaned closer to him. “I see you’re under the Kurt Hummel charm. It happens to everybody hearing him sing for the first time.”

“He is…” Blaine started, but unable to finish the sentence, unable to find the word that would describe Kurt accurately.

“I know.” Mike simply said and leaned back on his chair, watching his friend with a smile on his face.

Through the entire song Blaine sat still, mesmerized by Kurt’s voice, his talent, well, Kurt’s everything. He probably looked like a fool, sitting there with his mouth wide open, but he didn’t even care, not noticing Quinn and Tina exchange meaningful looks over the table. When Kurt finished singing a loud round of applause roared in the club and Blaine was pretty sure that he was one of those shouting the loudest, but thankfully he wasn’t the only one, the entire group was cheering even though they were well used to watching Kurt perform. When Kurt came back to the table, a huge smile on his face, Blaine wanted to say something, but before any words came out of his mouth, he heard his name meaning it was his turn to go on stage.

“You were amazing, Kurt. Amazing.” He only managed to say before darting away in the direction of the stage. Still in shock after Kurt’s performance, he slowly made his way through the crowd, taking a few deep breaths and closing his eyes to collect himself. Deciding to pick his usual karaoke song, he stepped on to the stage and as soon as the first notes of Teenage Dream started playing, Blaine focused on his performance. Jumping on the stage, singing his heart out, he realized how much he missed performing for someone other than his five-year-olds at the kindergarten. Back in college, he used to do it frequently, but then he didn’t have time. Or company to enjoy it with.

Glancing in the direction of his table, he could see everyone standing and dancing in the rhythm of the song, clapping and cheering loudly when he finished singing and Blaine couldn’t help but laugh, bowing exaggeratingly and jumping down off the stage.

“Oh my god, Blaine!” Tina yelled loudly when he made his way back to the table and it became quite clear that she decided to join Quinn and Sebastian in their drinking because she kept swaying as she tried to hug him. “You sing so well!”

“Tina, you’ve heard me sing a dozen times at work.” Blaine said, looking at her with amusement.

“But not like that!” Tina argued. “You were spec… spac…”

“Spectacular?” Kurt supplied with a grin.

“Spectacular, yes!” Tina exclaimed and then burst out giggling, making Mike hang down his head in defeat.

“I guess this is my cue to take this one home.” He said, ignoring Tina’s loud protest and rolling his eyes at Quinn and Sebastian who were engrossed in a drunken banter. “You’ll get them home?” He asked Kurt and when he nodded, Mike smiled at Blaine. “It was great meeting you, man. We have to meet up soon, so you can tell me more about that game you discovered.”

“Sure thing. Get my number from Tina and we’ll arrange it.” Blaine said with a grin and he and Kurt watched Mike trying to steady Tina and walk out of the club.

“I guess I should get those two a cab as well.” Kurt sighed after they left, glancing at Sebastian and Quinn.

“Are they going to be okay?” Blaine asked, a bit concerned with the state they were in.

“Yeah, no worries.” Kurt waved his hand and he grabbed Sebastian’s arm to make him stand up. As it turned out, it wasn’t that easy to get them outside and into the cab, but with Kurt’s and Blaine’s combined effort, they finally managed and they both breathed deeply when the cab drove away.

“Looks like it’s time to go home.” Kurt said after a moment of silence and took out his phone to order another cab on the app. “Do you live far from here?”

“No, it’s actually two blocks away, so I’m just gonna walk.” Blaine replied, feeling a weight in his chest because he really didn’t want that night to end.

“Hey, would you mind giving me your number?” Kurt suddenly asked, biting his lip and smiling hesitantly, and in that moment, Blaine would give Kurt anything he asked for. “It would be great to stay in touch.”

“Sure, I’d love that.” Blaine grinned, the weight heaving him down gone, replaced by something warm spreading through him. Taking the phone from Kurt, he typed in his number and gave it back, just as Kurt’s cab pulled up.

“I’ll text you. Or call you.” Kurt promised with a smile before getting in the car.

“I’ll be waiting.” Blaine replied. “Goodnight, Kurt.”

“Goodnight, Blaine.”

During the entire way home, Blaine couldn’t help the spring in his step, despite the late hour, and the wide giddy smile spreading on his face. It had been a while since he felt so undeniably happy and he loved this feeling, and he felt like he should get Tina a fruit basket for making him go out with her friends. Still grinning like crazy, he made it to his apartment, he quickly got ready for bed, and that night, for the first time in a while, he fell asleep without a problem, his mind not bothered by anything, the smile still firm on his face even after he drifted away.

The next morning, after he was sure Tina would be awake and hopefully have her hangover under control, Kurt grabbed his phone, shooting her a short text.

Kurt: I want to keep him.

Tina: I thought you might.

Tina: :)

Ever since that night out, Blaine’s life had changed. It wasn’t visible at first sight, he still went to work every day, his usual daily routine was just as it was before, but what was new was the fact that there rarely was a day when his phone didn’t buzz with a text. The rest of the group must have gotten his phone number from either Kurt or Tina because Blaine suddenly found himself replying to their texts almost every day, and that took a while to get used to since most of the texts he had been receiving until now were from his mother or from his brother. However, Blaine happily welcomed that change and that’s how he ended up going shopping with Quinn or going home with Tina after work to have a video game marathon with Mike at their apartment which made Tina fondly roll her eyes at them.

And then there was Kurt.

They had been texting since he gave Kurt his number and while the texts from the rest of the group made Blaine really happy, the texts from Kurt made his heart beat faster and sometimes made Blaine do a little dance around his apartment. It took a few days before Blaine finally admitted to himself that he might have developed a tiny crush on Kurt despite only really meeting him once and ever since, he started wondering if he should do anything about it and if so, what it should be. The problem was, Kurt was so out of his league that Blaine just couldn’t see himself having a chance with him, so he decided that if he got to have Kurt only as his friend, it would be fine. He would be happy as long as Kurt was in his life.

One day, on a Thursday, while he was at work, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. Glancing around the room and seeing the kids were playing peacefully, he took it out and opened the new message.

Kurt: Which classroom is yours?

Blaine: What?

Kurt: The number, Blaine. What number do you have on the door?

Blaine: 22? Why???

Blaine stared at his phone, not understanding what just happened, waiting for Kurt’s reply, but there was nothing, his phone went completely silent, making Blaine even more confused. Suddenly, he heard a light noise behind him and when he turned around, he saw Kurt, leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. His hair was flawlessly styled and the position he was standing in along with his perfectly fitted clothes made his slim, well-toned body look even more amazing than Blaine remembered. He must have stood there, staring at him with his mouth wide open for a while because it wasn’t until Kurt cocked his eyebrow, looking at Blaine with amusement that he regained his composure.

“Kurt! What are you doing here?” He asked as he walked up to the door, smiling widely.

“I was in the neighborhood and decided to visit Tina, and then I remembered that I know one more person that works in this building.” Kurt grinned, glancing in the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting?”

“Not at all.” Blaine replied, unable to keep the smile away from his face. “They’re surprisingly quiet today.” He said, gesturing at the bunch of the kids behind him.

“Good. Because there’s actually something I wanted to ask you and I didn’t feel like doing it over the phone.” Kurt admitted, biting his lip and smiling hesitantly as Blaine looked at him, raising his eyebrows expectantly. “I was wondering if…”

“Mr. A! MR. A!” Suddenly sounded from the room, followed by another voice. “Mr. A, she took my crayon!”

“Excuse me for a moment.” Blaine said, looking at Kurt apologetically and retreated to the classroom to solve the problem immediately, moving quickly to prevent the fight, because knowing from his own experience that there was nothing more dangerous than Amy and Louise fighting over crayons. Separating the two girls and making sure they were at different sides of the room, Blaine glanced around once more and when it was all calm and quiet again, he went back to Kurt.

“Wow, that was intense.” Kurt said with wide eyes.

“Never underestimate a fight over crayons or it can get really ugly very quickly.” Blaine grinned. “But you wanted to ask me something?”

“Ah, yes. Yes.” Kurt started nervously fiddling with his fingers and biting his lip again. “I was wondering if you’d maybe like to go out with me? Grab a coffee or dinner?”

Blaine was staring, his eyes wide with surprise, not believing it was happening, and Kurt must have mistaken his silence as a bad sign because the hopeful expression on his face fell and that was when Blaine recovered from his shock.

“I’d love to.” He rushed to say, not even caring how breathless his voice sounded.

Relief flashing in his eyes, Kurt smiled again, the light blush coloring his cheeks. “Great, that’s great!” He babbled and he was being so adorable that Blaine wanted to kiss him right there. Wait, what?

“So, are you free tomorrow?” Kurt asked, unaware of Blaine desperately trying to silence his mind.

“I finish up around five here, so I’m all yours after that.”

“I like the sound of that.” Kurt’s said in a lower voice, making a chill run down Blaine’s spine. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Kurt cleared his throat. “So how about seven? I know this great little restaurant not far from the bar where we first met?”

“Great.” Blaine smiled, though his head was spinning. “Text me the address?”

“Sure.” Kurt nodded, smiling back. “I should probably let you get back to work.” He said with a small pout.

“Probably, yeah.” Blaine replied with a laugh. “But I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” Kurt repeated and with one last smile, he started walking, backwards so he could still see Blaine. “I can’t wait.” He added and eventually turned around when he almost crashed into a wall.

“Me neither.” Blaine said quietly to himself, watching Kurt walk away until he disappeared behind the corner. When he was sure he was gone, he walked back to his desk, grinning like an idiot and feeling like dancing and singing, so he grabbed the guitar that was standing in the corner of the room.

“Hey, everyone!” He called out, making the kids look up from where they were playing. “How about we sing a song?”

The cheer that erupted in the classroom reflected his mood perfectly and he spent the rest of the afternoon singing different songs, the kids jumping around excitedly and singing along if they knew the words and Blaine didn’t even care that he was a bit more tired than usual when the parents started showing up to collect their kids. Despite the exhaustion, he still felt like singing and dancing, and knowing he wouldn’t have time for that tomorrow, he spent the entire ride back home picking out the outfit for his date. His date with Kurt. Whenever he thought about it, he couldn’t help the grin spreading on his face and he couldn’t be bothered with people that might have looked at him like he was crazy. On the other hand, they were in New York after all, they all probably had seen much weirder things than a man smiling like a lunatic.

After getting back home and making sure the outfit he had picked in his head was actually looking good on him, Blaine settled down on the couch with some heated leftovers, watching TV and trying to distract himself, wishing time would go quicker, desperately wanting it to be tomorrow already. Eventually, he gave up and decided to just go to bed early. It wasn’t easy falling asleep, but somehow he managed and the next day, since he woke up, Blaine had been buzzing with excitement. While he was at work, he was glancing at the clock basically every five minutes, impatiently waiting for the moment when he could go home and start getting ready for his date. It seemed that luck was on his side that day because none of the parents were late, which sometimes happened, and the moment the last kid was picked up, Blaine bolted out of his classroom, wanting to get home as quickly as possible. He briefly wondered if Tina knew anything about Kurt asking him out, but she hadn’t said anything when he saw her earlier that day, so probably not. Knowing Tina, she would have definitely said something if she knew.

Thanks to all the planning he had done the day before, Blaine got ready in a flash, with just enough time to sit down, breathing deeply, and to calm himself. Kurt texted him the address of the restaurant earlier in the morning and Blaine actually knew where it was, just like the karaoke bar it wasn’t very far from where he lived, and since the weather was quite nice, he decided to walk.

When he reached the restaurant, he glanced at his watch, seeing there were still ten minutes until they were supposed to meet. As it turned out, he didn’t have to wait long because barely a minute later he saw Kurt approaching from the other side of the street, smiling widely when their eyes met.

“Hey.” Blaine said when Kurt got close enough to hear him, looking Kurt up and down, not able to stop himself. But before he had time to start feeling bad about it, he noticed Kurt doing the exact same thing to him, and suddenly he was even more glad he spent that much time picking his outfit.

“Hi.” Kurt replied a little breathlessly. “Have you been waiting for long or…”

“No, I just got here.” Blaine interrupted with a smile. “Perfect timing, I’d say.”

“Definitely.” Kurt replied with a small grin and after a few seconds of silence, he gestured at the restaurant. “Shall we?”

“After you.” Blaine said, walking up to the door and holding it open for Kurt. Inside, the server led them to their table and after ordering their food, they looked at each other for a few moments until Kurt broke the silence.

“So, how have you been? Tina mentioned work has been crazy this week.” He asked, looking genuinely interested and just like that, any remains of nervousness Blaine felt melted away, as he started talking about his work and the kids, and how he had to get ready for the parents’ evening that was happening next week. Kurt listened intently and when Blaine realized he might have been hogging the subject a little, he started asking Kurt about his work in return, listening with fascination as Kurt told him all about Vogue and the world of fashion.

Time was flowing and eventually, their conversation moved to Ohio and their younger years, a topic they briefly discussed that night at the karaoke bar. As Kurt recalled his high school experiences, the bullying and how Quinn, Tina and Mike, later Sebastian, all helped him get through it, Blaine felt a heavy weight in his chest, remembering his own past and suddenly he felt an urge to share it with someone. No, not with someone. With Kurt. So when Kurt finished talking, he took a deep breath.

“I haven’t had the most pleasant high school either.” Blaine said, not meeting Kurt’s eye, fiddling with his fingers. Suddenly, there was a hand on top of his and when he looked up, he saw Kurt looking at him worriedly.

“We don’t have to talk about it. I’m sorry I brought it up in the first place.” Kurt said apologetically.

“No, don’t be sorry.” Blaine shook his head, smiling thinly. “Believe it or not, but this is the first time I actually want to tell someone about it.”

Smiling reassuringly, Kurt squeezed his hand, not letting go, giving Blaine all the time he needed. “Has Sebastian ever told you why he chose the school in Lima instead of Westerville after Dalton burned down?” Blaine asked, making Kurt nod and look at him quizzically.

“He said there was a bashing in a Westerville high school, someone got beaten up for…” Kurt cut off, his eyes widening in horror. “Oh, no, Blaine…”

Wincing at the memories, Blaine sighed. “There was a Sadie Hawkins dance at our school, I was a sophomore then. I decided to go with my friend who was also out, we weren’t dating, we just… It was nice to have someone to go with, you know?” He said and Kurt’s grip on his hand immediately tightened. “Unfortunately, not everyone liked it. When we were waiting for my mom to pick us up, we were cornered by a group of jocks from our school. My friend got away, I wasn’t that lucky. It wasn’t pretty, I spent three weeks in a hospital after that.”

When Blaine finished talking, Kurt didn’t say anything, only looking at him with those blue eyes Blaine had been so mesmerized with since the moment they met. A mixture of emotions was flashing in them, understanding, empathy, anger, but not what Blaine was most afraid of, there was no pity in Kurt’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, he was surprised to discover that he somehow felt lighter than before which made him feel relieved that he was able to talk about it without too much pain.

“I’m really sorry, Blaine.” Kurt eventually said, his voice quiet and full of emotion. “It’s not fair that it happened to you. It shouldn’t have happened to anyone.”

After that, they didn’t talk about bad memories anymore, moving to much lighter topics. Blaine sensed Kurt still felt a bit guilty about provoking the conversation about the bullying, so he made sure not to let it ruin the perfect evening they were having. By the time they finished eating, the emotional conversation was all forgotten as they laughed about all the funny stories Kurt told Blaine about his friends (or were they already their friends?). When it got so late that the restaurant would be closing soon, Kurt asked for the check, glaring at Blaine when he took out his wallet.

“I asked you out, this one is on me. You can get the next one.” Kurt said with a wink and Blaine definitely liked the sound of that. When they got outside, they looked at each other, neither of them able to stop smiling.

“I really don’t want this evening to end.” Blaine admitted, noticing that they hadn’t let go of each other’s hands since they left the restaurant.

“Me neither.” Kurt replied, biting his lip. “So how about I walk you home?”

Blaine wanted to protest, saying there was no need, not wanting Kurt to have a longer commute back home, but, on the other hand, that meant he would spend at least twenty more minutes with Kurt, so the choice was easy. “I’d love that.”

As they walked, hand in hand, they talked about some silly things and gossip, just to fill the silence. Much too fast for Blaine’s liking, they reached his apartment building and he looked at Kurt, well aware that he was pouting a little.

“Well, this is me.” He said, but before he had time to add anything else, Kurt leaned in, crashing their lips together. Surprised, Blaine gasped in shock, but he quickly recovered, kissing back just as hard, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s waist. A little moan escaped his mouth when he felt Kurt suck on his bottom lip, biting it teasingly, so he tightened his grip on Kurt, pressing their bodies closer, slipping his tongue into Kurt’s mouth when he gasped. It took a few more minutes or maybe hours when they finally pulled away, breathing harshly, leaning their foreheads together.

“Well, that was one hell of a first kiss.” Kurt muttered hoarsely against Blaine lips. “I’m sorry, I just… couldn’t help myself.”

“Did you see me complaining?” Blaine asked teasingly, pecking Kurt’s lips one more time. “Now, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I think you should spend the night.” Seeing Kurt looking at him with a smirk and arched eyebrow, he rolled his eyes fondly. “Just to sleep, I can even take the couch if you want. It’s just late and I also don’t want to let you go yet.”

“Okay. But only if you have a spare toothbrush I can use.” Kurt grinned and, not able to resist, kissed Blaine again, both of them smiling into the kiss.

“I do. Come on.”

After getting into the apartment, Blaine gave Kurt a quick tour, laughing when Kurt tried to hide a yawn. Realizing he was actually exhausted as well, he took out the promised toothbrush, and when Kurt went to the bathroom, he quickly tossed the cushions of the bed, and he was just finishing up when Kurt came back to the bedroom, wearing only his boxers.

“No funny business tonight, mister.” Kurt joked, noticing Blaine’s eyes looking him up and down. “And in case you’re still considering it, you’re not taking the couch.”

“Yes, sir.” Blaine said with a laugh, heading to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and stripping down to his boxers as well, he walked back to the room, and the sight of Kurt in his bed made his insides do a little flip. He knew it was soon and that they hadn’t known each other for a very long time, but he could already see himself falling for Kurt. He was already halfway there if he was being honest.

Turning the lights off, he crawled into his bed, lying next to Kurt. “I had a great time tonight.” He whispered in the darkness, only a silhouette of Kurt visible in the room.

“Me too.” Kurt whispered back and seconds later, Blaine felt his lips against his, but, much too his chagrin, the kiss was short and chaste. “I’d love to make out more with you.” Kurt said, sensing Blaine’s mood. “But I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself.”

As much as he hated to admit it, Blaine knew he was right. “I know.” He replied. “So, sleep?”

“Sleep.” Kurt confirmed, wrapping his arms around Blaine as he lied on his side, so he had Kurt pressed against his back. “Goodnight, Blaine.”

“Goodnight, Kurt.”

The phone was ringing and Blaine groaned, burying his head in the crook of Kurt’s neck, willing it to stop. When it seemed like his wish had been granted and Blaine was about to fall back asleep, the phone started ringing again, so, resigned, he blindly reached the nightstand where they left their phones.

“Yeah?” He answered sleepily, not opening his eyes, but there was silence on the other side of the line. “Hello?”

“OH MY GOD!” Tina’s scream suddenly filled his ear and he had to put the phone away, opening his eyes and… that was not his phone he was holding. It was Kurt’s. “OH MY GOD, MIKE!” Tina kept screaming on the line, and Blaine groaned, hanging up, and tossing the phone back on the nightstand.

“What is it?” Kurt mumbled, apparently awake as well, opening his eyes and Blaine was momentarily distracted by how beautiful he was, sleepy and pliant in his bed, and entirely adorable.

“Why do you have such a similar ringtone?” Blaine whined, snuggling closer. “That was Tina. Calling your phone. Which I answered.”

“Ah, so that shrilling sound was her doing, I knew it sounded familiar.” Kurt muttered. “How fast do you think everyone else will know?”

“Knowing Tina? She’s already calling them.”

“I bet she’s elated.” Kurt said, more awake now, stretching his arms above his head. “I think she was secretly trying to set us up.”

“That explains why she was gushing about you all the time.” Blaine grinned, feeling like an idiot for not noticing it sooner. Hearing his phone beep with a text, he grabbed it and laughed after reading the message. “I just got a text from Quinn, just exclamation marks.”

“I got one from Bas.” Kurt said, looking at his phone as well. “It says: Took you long enough.”

“So they all think we’re dating.” Blaine started, smirking at Kurt. “But we haven’t even made it official yet.”

Putting his phone away, Kurt turned to look at Blaine. “You’re right.” He said, rolling on top of Blaine, effectively pinning him down. “Wanna be my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson?” He muttered against Blaine’s lips.

“I thought you’d never ask, Kurt Hummel.” Blaine replied, closing the gap between them, morning breath be damned.

They would deal with their nosy friends later.