“I think you got the new guy drunk,” Lynette, another of Mystics’ beautiful bartenders told Kurt.

“What are you talking about?” The night was winding down and the last of the customers were out on the dance floor moving around with wild abandon. Blaine’s band had proven to be a huge success with the local crowd. The real test was still to come with the tourist filled weekend proper.

“The singer for the new band, Shane? Dane?”

“His name is Blaine,” Kurt rolled his eyes.

“Yeah him. Hey don’t give me attitude I was close! Anyway, once you called open season on him and turned your back everyone started buying him shots. He’s acting sillier than a little kid right now, on stage.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s not forgetting any of the words and he’s not getting angry. He’s fine.” In reality Kurt had noticed the charming decline of sober Blaine to happy as hell everyone’s best friend Blaine as the night wore on. “It’s Thursday anyway, nice and quiet. And he’s adorable.”

Oh shit did I just say that out loud?

Lynette was looking at Kurt like he had grown a second nose. “Who are you and what have you done with my favorite head bartender?”

She reached up and grabbed his face in her hands and brought him down to her eye level. “Kurt!” She cried at his nose. “If you can hear me don’t panic. We’ll figure out how to get the demon out of you! I won’t let Justin become an orphan!”

Kurt swatted her away. “What the hell is wrong with you? And shut up about Justin yeah?”

She struck a thoughtful pose. “In the three years that I’ve known you, Kurt Hummel, I have never heard you refer to another man as adorable.”

Kurt fought to roll his eyes at her again. So maybe he had a bit of a reputation to uphold.

“Hot? Yes. Fuckable? Yes. I’d break his back? More times than I can count! But adorable?” She grinned up at him. “You don’t want him to know about Justin? I think you might like him a little.”

“That is out of the question, but I got your point. What’s your point?”

That was part of the beauty at working at Mystics. They all managed to speak each other’s English.

“My point is: you need to teach that boy the ropes. And don’t mess with him or you’re going to regret it.”

Kurt waved off her words a moment too soon.

“Hey, let’s get Kurt back up here one more time!” Blaine laughed into the microphone. “Whaddya say? Come on barkeep! Sing a song with me!”

“Sweet hell I’m a prophet! Get your ass up there, Kurt.” She gave him a firm push. “Make it good for your ‘adorable’ little singer!”

Kurt wasn’t sure why he took offense to the “little” remark.

“I don’t feel like singing right now. It’s almost last call.” He shook his head at Blaine.

“Aw Kurt come sing with me please? You’re breaking my heart up here,” Blaine pouted from the stage.

“Is he seriously making that face right now?” Lynette asked. “Oh for fuck’s sake Kurt,” she whined, “get up there before I start crying!”

“Goddammit! He is not allowed to drink anymore!” Kurt had a fierce argument with himself as to where in the desert he was going to dump the man’s body as he made his way to the stage.

“Oh yay! He’s here! Sing with me beautiful. Looks like I have a new duet partner!” Blaine nodded back to his keyboard player.

Kurt recognized the karaoke standard drunken bar song quick enough when Blaine started to sing to him. Kurt threw himself into the flirty duet. He might as well have a little fun before he read Blaine the riot act.

Blaine really was just a playful man-child. He was all smiles and pouty lips as he danced around Kurt. Every so often a warm hand would come to rest on Kurt's hip and give a gentle squeeze.  And Kurt played right back when he would press their bodies together before shimmying away just as quick.

The song was over far too soon for his liking but he appreciated the moment too cool off.

Another minute of that and I would have stripped him right here on the stage and really given everyone a show.

At least they were met with enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

“Thank you,” Kurt waved to the adoring audience. “Last call folks. Let’s here it for our potential new house band!”

Kurt waited until Blaine was done bowing before taking him by the hand and leading him to the back room for the second time that night. It was quiet in the back, away from the patrons, away from the coworkers. Once the bar was cleared out cleaning would start. They would have at least forty minutes alone before people would be getting ready to leave for the night.

“How much have you had to drink?” Kurt asked.

“Dunno. Lost count after seven or twelve,” Blaine was less steady when not concentrating on performing. “What was that first shot you gave me? It was my favorite.”

“A Washington Apple,” Kurt replied.

“Yeah it tasted like apples. Hey, Kurt?”

“Yes Blaine,” Kurt guided him carefully to one of the sofas in the staff lounge.

“How are you not drunk? I saw you take just as many shots as me.” Blaine was less than graceful as he plopped down.

“The bartenders use different shot glasses than the patrons, they’re not exactly a full shot. People are usually too drunk to notice. And I drank a lot of water. And I’ve been doing this for a while.” Kurt just couldn’t help himself as he ran his fingers through Blaine’s sweat soaked curls and sat down beside him. “Blaine?”

“Mmmmmm, feels good,” Blaine all but purred at Kurt. “I think I either need a special shot glass too or just stick to beer.”

“Yeah you need to pace yourself better,” Kurt smiled down at him. “Blaine do you have anyone who can come pick you up?” Kurt didn’t want to pull his hand away but there was no getting Blaine to concentrate otherwise. He halted his movements and Blaine’s attention was back on Kurt’s words. “Do you have a ride?”

“The friend that I live with is a real dickhead if he gets woken up too early. It is,” Blaine brought up his watch and attempted to focus, “almost four. The other guys live in the opposite direction from me. So the answer is no. I’ll just sleep it off in my car.”

Kurt stared at the drunken mess of a man, horrified at the thought of him sleeping in his car.

“Blaine it’s January. If you stay in your car you’ll freeze to death.”

Blaine frowned and started to rub his face against Kurt’s still hand. “Don’t stop please? What do you suggest then?”

You’re too drunk to be of any use to me tonight. But if you stay at my place there’s no way for me to keep you from finding out about Justin just yet. So that only leaves….

“I’m going to drive you home,” Kurt stroked the curls again. “Will you have a way back to your car in the morning?”

Blaine nodded against his hand. “Wes’ll bring me back.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to give me directions?” Kurt couldn’t hold back his smile.

Blaine laughed. “I can do you one better, I can give you the address so you can program it into your phone.”

After directing the evening clean up Kurt found himself half dragging the inebriated singer through the parking lot of Mystics. A grown man who was proving to be fussier than his own son had ever been in his life.

“I can walk on my own you know.” Blaine huffed into Kurt’s shoulder.

“Well then prove it to me.” Kurt stepped away but had to rush back as Blaine’s legs wobbled. “Yeah that’s what I thought.”

Once Kurt had them both secure in the Navigator he asked, “What direction am I going?”

“That way!” Blaine waved his hand before him.

“Straight?”

“Not straight Kurt,” Blaine voice suddenly turned very serious. “We go forward, never straight. Get it?” Blaine giggled.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he laughed anyway. “Where do you live Blaine?”

Blaine contemplated his fingernails for a moment. “I’m too embarrassed to say it,” he mumbled.

Kurt let his forehead drop onto the steering wheel. “That doesn’t even make any sense. Why is it embarrassing?”

Blaine’s hazel eyes were wide, “Wouldn’t you be embarrassed having to say that you live in Paradise?”

Kurt gave up trying to figure out Blaine’s drunken logic. Everything about the man’s body language was telling him that Blaine was reaching the end of his conscious rope for the night. And that Kurt would be lucky if he got him home before he passed out. Then he really would be stuck with him.

“Paradise is a nice area of town,” Kurt assured him. “Well now I have a general idea of where I’m going.”

“I think,” Blaine blurted out, “that if I want to stay awake and I really, really, want to stay awake, you had better keep me talking. But nothing too deep in case I don’t remember and end up spilling embarrassing secrets.”

“Oh that sounds promising. But for now how about that address.”

Blaine rattled off his place of residency. “So,” Blaine’s head lolled to the side to stare at Kurt. “What brought you to Vegas Kurt?”

Kurt scoffed at the touristy line. “Had to escape the small town mentality of the small town I lived in. Las Vegas is the last port for cynics like me.”

“I don’t think you’re a cynic, I think you’re pretty,” Blaine’s grin was lopsided and undeniably adorable.

He thinks I’m pretty? Kurt’s heart picked up speed. Damn everyone who bought him shots tonight! Including me!

“I’m from Ohio,” Blaine continued. “Your small town mentality can’t beat that.”

Kurt was taken aback. “Oh yes it can because I’m from Ohio too.”

Blaine sat up straighter. “Shut the hell up! Where in Ohio? Did you come here after high school?”

“Um no. I went to New York first for college. I’m from Lima.” Kurt turned onto the southbound I15. Las Vegas was peaceful at this time of the night. Too late for the heavy partiers and too early for the same. The lights from The Strip glowed like beacons clear and crisp in the winter sky. He let the silence continue as he enjoyed one of his favorite sights. He looked back over and saw Blaine smiling at him. “What about you?”

“I ran the other way. I went to L.A. and sunshine. Graduated from UCLA with a degree in music. And as you can see, I’ve come so far since then.” Blaine frowned again. Kurt wanted to lean over and kiss the wrinkles between his eyebrows.

Whoa! Where the hell did that thought come from? Focus Hummel. UCLA? Justin is going to love that. Would, would love that! What is wrong with you right now?.

“I-uh-hear that’s a pretty tough program,” Kurt knew he needed to keep the man talking.

“Well its not easy. What did you study? Where did you study?” Under the slurring Kurt couldn’t help but notice how genuinely interested Blaine sounded.

“I majored in dramatic literature at NYU.”

“That’s cool, NYU isn’t easy either,” Blaine nodded. “Oh look there’s my house.”

Kurt pulled in front of a beautiful Spanish style house set far back on a well-kept yard. In the middle of the desert, grass meant money.

“This looks like a nice house,” Kurt said.

Blaine nodded again. “Oh that it is. It has seven bedrooms. Seven! Who needs that? Especially since its just Wes and me. I live in the,” he raised his hands in the air to demonstrate the air quotes, “‘guest quarters.’ I live in the basement. It is like having my own apartment though.”

Why is he telling me this? Oh God he’s not going to-

“Did you want to come in for a bit? Maybe, keep talking?” Blaine asked with almost pleading eyes.

Kurt’s mind raced through every option he could imagine. He could go in and spend some quality drunken time with this amazingly beautiful man. He could set the precedent to have fun nights at Blaine’s and that would keep him from finding out about Justin for a while. He could turn him down nicely and hope for a sober encounter in the near future. He could turn him down completely and hopefully make a new friend.

The crestfallen look on Blaine’s face had Kurt berating himself for over thinking everything. For all he knew Blaine wasn’t even interested in him in that way.

“Don’t make that face sweetie,” he placed a gentle hand on Blaine’s cheek. He chuckled when Blaine nuzzled against his palm. “It’s after four-thirty and by the time I get home it’ll be five and I have things to do in the morning.”

Kurt leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Blaine’s soft lips. Blaine sighed when he pulled away.

“Rain-check?” Kurt asked.

“Definitely, rain-check.” Blaine’s smile could have put The Strip to shame. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Kurt waited until Blaine disappeared into the house before he pulled away to race home before Justin woke up for school.

He could still feel Blaine’s warm lips on his own, could still see that bright smile.

Oh yeah. He’s interested.