Kurt left for New York right after he had dropped off Nick at his work the next morning. He had been thinking about going with Nick to his office and seeing Blaine but he had changed his mind. He had settled for a text to Blaine with the intention to call him when he got home.

The drive was long and exhausting but Kurt was glad. He concentrated on the road and tried to clear his head from the all bad things that happened the previous day. He was sure he would find the way to fix it. Blaine might have thought it was a break up but Kurt just took the break part of the phrase. They were on a break for Kurt. He refused to admit they were over.

The apartment was empty. Rachel was nowhere to be seen and she hadn’t left a note explaining where she had gone and when she would be back. She didn’t work this Tuesday, so Kurt knew she had to come home eventually. She was too curious of a person and she was dying to hear what had happened to Kurt on Friday. Of course, she had no idea about Monday evening. Kurt didn’t want to worry her. He checked their ice cream supplies and was pleased when he found out they had enough of it for several breakdowns. He made himself comfortable on the sofa in the living room and decided to text Blaine. He knew Blaine would like to know that he had come home safe. Despite their break, Blaine still cared about him and loved him. It was like a mantra that Kurt kept repeating in his head. He knew he needed to get it right quickly otherwise he would go crazy.

“Kurt? How was your trip? I missed you here. I’m so glad you’re home.” Rachel didn’t hide her enthusiasm when she saw him. She sat next to him with a big smile.

“So…Can you tell me now?” Kurt nodded and went to the kitchen. He came back with an ice-cream box and two spoons.

“I thought it wasn’t a bad thing…” Rachel noted as Kurt was giving her a spoon.

“It wasn’t. On Friday. Yesterday it changed to a disaster…” He took a mouthful of ice cream and started to talk.

“Oh my god, Kurt. I’m so sorry. He did for you what Finn had done for me.”

“No, Rachel. You and Finn were eighteen and about to get married. It’s not the same. We are adults and it’s not the end. I’m gonna get him back. You put your career first and it was a right thing to do at the time. But it’s different for me. I don’t care about my career. If I don’t have him, it’s pointless.” Rachel didn’t want to keep Kurt’s hopes up, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him Blaine probably wouldn’t change his mind about them.

“Are you still going to Pittsburg at the weekend?” Kurt’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth. He hadn’t thought about it.

“I don’t know…What should I do?”

“I think you should give Blaine a little time…or maybe ask him what you are supposed to do…” Rachel suggested and Kurt grabbed his phone. He dialed Blaine’s number but after few rings it went straight to voicemail. He tried again but the situation was the same.

“He won’t pick up.”

“Text him maybe?”

“Yeah. That could work. Although he hasn’t responded to my earlier texts yet…” Kurt typed a message and sent it.

Is it okay if I come to Pittsburgh on Friday? – K

I can’t tell you what to do. It’s up to you. – B

Will you meet me if I come? – K

No. – B

For the first time that evening Rachel saw how Kurt’s eyes filled with tears. She hugged him and stayed silent. There was nothing to say to make him feel better.

Someone knocked on Blaine’s door. It was weird. Blaine wasn’t expecting anyone. He wanted to curl up on his bed and cry himself to sleep. As pathetic as it sounded, that was his plan for the evening. The uninvited guest wasn’t welcome at all.

“What are you doing here?” Blaine asked Nick, aware of being rude, but he really didn’t care.

“I bring beer and candies. Let me in.” And he slipped by Blaine inside without invitation. Blaine slammed the door and followed him to the living room with a frown on his face.

“Nick, I’m not in the mood for company.”

“Do I look like it matters?” Blaine threw himself on the couch and took a bottle of beer Nick was offering him.

“I don’t want to hear how big of an idiot I am, Nick. If you came here to give me a piece of your mind, you can go.”

“I don’t think you are an idiot, Blaine. I understand why you did it. I just don’t want you to be alone here. We don’t have to talk about it.” Blaine took a sip of his beer. He had considered Nick his best friend since they were fifteen. Tonight Nick reminded him again why.

“Thanks Nick.” They were sitting in silence, drinking beer and eating candies. After a few bottles Blaine started to feel a little tipsy and his fuzzy mind betrayed him and made him talk.

“I had to do it, Nick. I can’t keep him here no matter how much I wish he’d stay…He got the opportunity after three and a half months of internship. He is really good. He has to go.”

“Blaine, he told you and he also told us that he is not going anywhere. I mean, I know why you ended it. I completely understand. But Kurt doesn’t think it’s over between the two of you.”

“He’ll forget about me. He fell in love with me, he can fall out of it in no time as well.”

“You know, it’s not that easy…”

“Yes, it is. After a few days he’ll come to the realization that I’m not worth it. His boss surely told him to take some time to make a final decision. He’ll go. He has to go.”

“What are you up to Blaine?” Nick watched his friend and he didn’t like what he saw. Blaine had a strange look in his eyes and it’d never been a good sign.

“Nothing…” Blaine wasn’t drunk enough to reveal to Nick all his secrets. He wasn’t going to pick up Kurt’s calls or answer his texts. He would ignore him and Kurt, sooner or later, would give up.

“I don’t believe you. I will certainly yell at you when I find out. And you know I’m going to find out eventually.”     

“Shut up, Nick and give me some candies…”

Kurt tried to stay positive. He’d texted Blaine several times a day for the last month. In the morning, he always wished him a good day, in the middle of the day he typed about whatever interesting things happened to him, in the evening he sent him a goodnight. He never forgot to let Blaine know he loved him in the end of his messages. He called him every day, too. But Blaine never picked up any of his calls, neither did he respond to Kurt’s texts. It was the end of October and Blaine’s silent treatment was slowly getting to Kurt. He didn’t know whether Blaine read his messages. Maybe all his efforts were useless. He just couldn’t make himself give up. Nick, Mathew and Lucas were regularly in touch with him, avoiding the ‘Blaine’ topic, so Kurt didn’t have much information about him. They told him Blaine was doing well and it was all he was left with. He understood though. Their friends didn’t want to get between them. That was what he told himself. Or what he had been telling himself in the beginning. As the time went, he started to think that the guys were just trying to protect him by giving him vague answers for his questions. Maybe Blaine had moved on after he had broken up with Kurt. Getting him back would be a lot harder in that case. However, the thought of defeat never crossed his mind. He continued in his plan, filling up Blaine’s inbox with texts and discharging his phone by his calling.

It’s been a month today and I still refuse to believe you meant it. Pick up the phone or text me, please. I love you. – K

I miss you every day. We used to talk in the evenings. Now they are empty without your voice. I love you, Blaine. – K

Do you remember how you saw Rachel’s show for the first time? How you talked to orchestra members? They’ve been asking for you…They still want to keep their promise. You should come. You deserve it. Love you. – K

You haven’t been responding to any of my attempts for contact in the last four weeks and I have no idea if you actually read this, but I want you to know, that I miss you a lot. I need you in my life, Blaine. I love you so much. – K

“What are you doing?” Lucas asked Blaine when he joined him at the bar. It was Monday, seven o`clock, time for a pool game. Blaine looked miserable, even more miserable than usual and he was glued to his phone. It kept buzzing, but he didn’t answer it.

“Honestly, I don’t know anymore. A month ago, I thought it would have been over by this time. But it’s not. It’s getting worse. I miss him like crazy and I know I’m hurting him and he keeps going and this whole mess is killing me…” Blaine put his head to his hands to steady himself. He wasn’t far away from bursting into tears.

“Why don’t you do something about it then?”

“And what? I’ve been giving him the cold-shoulder for a month. I do my best not to run to him every morning when I open my eyes. I mean…I knew he was stubborn but this is ridiculous. Who would take that kind of treatment? I’m a jerk to him and he persistently writes to me that he loves me every day.”

“Blaine, Kurt’s not gonna give up. You are fighting a losing battle here. Just give up already because he is gonna win either way. You can make it easier. It’s in your hands.”

“He’ll go to Europe and he’ll have a lot of work and he’ll forget.”

“He is not going there. His boss wanted his final answer last Friday and Kurt declined. Look, Kurt is probably gonna kill me, but watching you hurting so much is literally ripping my heart out. He is not planning to stay in New York. He wants to finish the internship and come back to Pittsburgh. He already asked Leah if his old room is available. You don’t want him to give up on his fashion career? Or at least what’s left from it after he rejected to go to Europe? Stop acting like you have a chance to finish your mission and talk to him. Make things right again. He’ll take you back without batting an eye.”

Blaine was off all week long. He was thinking about what Lucas had told him on Monday, still not comprehending why Kurt would have given up such a great opportunity. Nothing seemed to be out of place. He got his daily amount of texts and phone calls, didn’t respond to them as usual, his sleep was broken, his mood on the freezing point. He was sarcastic and ironic, sending biting remarks to his friends although he knew they were just trying to help him. He wasn’t proud of himself, but he couldn’t help it. Kurt was throwing his life away for nothing and Blaine was pissed off.

He stayed at home on Friday. The guys made him go out with them almost every night and he really appreciated it, but he felt like they could use some alone time. He had to drive them nuts. They deserved a break. Of course, nothing ever went his way. The door bell rang an hour later after they had been supposed to meet in the bar. Blaine rolled his eyes and considered not opening the door, but he didn’t want to make them angrier than they’d already been.

“What the hell, Blaine?” Nick shouted as soon as Blaine appeared at the door.

“Nothing.”

“Cut the crap!” Mathew told in a stern voice and Blaine knew their patience hit the edge. He let them in and prepared himself for being scolded.

“You can’t not come without letting anyone know! We’ve been calling you for the last hour! Do you have any idea how worried we were?” Nick was in a rage.

“I’m sorry. I turned off the sound. I didn’t want to…”

“Didn’t want to what, Blaine? Read any of Kurt’s messages or answer his phone calls? Because you’ve been doing a pretty good job of it lately. Damn, Blaine! Don’t you get it? You’re a mess. He is a mess. Just give it up and make up with him. We’ve tried to be supportive and we understand why you did what you did. But it’s pointless now. He is not going anywhere. Someone else got the job.” Blaine was looking at his best friend and feelings of guilt surrounded him. He was hurting Kurt, but he at least had a good reason. But he hadn’t realized so far that he was hurting his friends as well. They were worried about him and doing nothing but supporting him and he treated them bad.

“I’m so sorry. I know you mean well. I know I’m being a total asshole. I just can’t…I can’t let him do it…” Nick calmed down a little after he released all his frustration in yelling. He needed Blaine to see things from Kurt’s perspective or else they wouldn’t be able to cut this vicious circle.

“Blaine, imagine, that you got the offer to move out of the country so you could be, I don’t know, a performer or whatever connected with music and you decided you wouldn’t go because it’s not worth losing Kurt, what would you do if he broke up with you and refused to have any contact with you?” Blaine remained silent, all three of them could see he was deep in his thought.

“You don’t have to answer me. I know the answer. Just think about it, okay? We’ll leave you alone now. But we want to see you at the bar tomorrow evening. The same time, the same spot. Things have got out of control; we need to fix it somehow. Let us help you, okay?” Blaine nodded and it was all the affirmation that the guys needed. They left his apartment and Blaine knew there was a sleepless night ahead of him.