Snickers came from behind him and Kurt whirled around to see what was so funny. He noticed three teenage girls standing in line behind him, but he couldnt tell what they were looking at. He turned back toward the counter, but didnt see anything remotely funny. Once again, he turned back to them and realized they were laughing at him.

"Whats so funny?" he asked casually.

"Well, its just that," the shortest girl covered her mouth, as another round of giggles started.

"Its just that...?" Kurt raised his eyebrows.

"You look like... someone," the tall blonde gasped, flinging her long hair over her shoulder.

"Someone, as in... who?" Kurt placed a hand on his hip. Wherever this was going, he was sure he wouldnt like the answer. But there was no backing out of this now.

"The third girl, a short, chubby girl looked at him and awkwardly shrugged. "You look like the freak that ambushed Blaine Anderson at a party a couple weeks ago," she said.

"Ambushed? I didnt ambush anybody," Kurt said defensively, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Okay, but you forced a kiss on him, so its sort of like the same thing," the blonde snapped.

"Next!" the woman behind the counter called. 

Kurt waved her off. She could wait. This was more important. "Look, you dont know anything about me. You cant even prove that it was me. I suggest you stay out of other peoples business," he said fiercely, hoping hed get his point across.

"If it wasnt you, then why are you acting guilty? Like, why the hell does it even matter to you?" the first girl asked. She narrowed her eyes at him, looking rather mean.

"Sir, can I please take your order?" the woman behind the counter said impatiently.

Again, Kurt waved her off. He stepped toward the girls and said, "Look, maybe it was me and maybe it wasnt, but you need to back off. Your laughter is a petty form of bullying, and thats unacceptable in my opinion. Blaine Anderson is only human, and what he does, or what happens to him at a party isnt really your business."

"It is when its all over the internet," the blonde stepped closer to him, daggers in her eyes. "We werent doing anything wrong, so maybe you should stay out of our business."

"Sir, if youre going to cause a scene in my coffee shop, you need to leave immediately," the worker gave her final warning.

"Fine, whatever," Kurt turned on his heel and stormed out of the coffee shop without a glance back

.

"I thought you said you were bringing coffee?" Blaine asked, several minutes later.They were back at Kurts apartment, and Kurt had promised to buy him a drink earlier that morning.

"Huh?" Kurt asked, setting his keys on the kitchen counter. He looked at Blaine, dazed.

"Are you okay?" Blaine studied him carefully.

"Yeah, Im fine," Kurt lied. Truthfully, he was upset with what had happened. If people were noticing him from that night he outted Blaine, it was only going to cause trouble. Other than work, Kurt hadnt been out much at all. He had been afraid of something like this happening. And now that it had, he didnt want to give Blaine a reason to be angry with him again, so he couldnt tell him what happened.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked, grabbing him by the shoulders. He rubbed them gently..

"Yes."

"So wheres the coffee?" Blaine asked.

"Oh..." Kurt paused, his eyes widening. "The coffee shop I went to was really crowded so I just decided to make coffee. here. I know its not what you wanted, but... yeah."

"Kurt, I dont care where my coffee comes from, as long as I have some," Blaine smiled.

"I just wanted to beat you here," Kurt concluded.

"Okay," Blaine patted his shoulder and Kurt flinched.

Things had been a little tense with Blaine since he had arrived in New York. After resolving that they werent going to regret being friends, Blaine had wanted to be near Kurt more. It was flattering, but still slightly awkward. They hadnt worked out all their feelings. They just decided to accept that they still wanted each other around.

But Kurt was still on edge. He knew that Blaine meant well in his apology, just as Blaine had gotten over the initial shock of Kurts kiss. However, Kurt still didnt like the thought of the anger Blaine showed in the hotel room that day. He didnt want to give Blaine any reason to get that angry again, so he wanted to stay on Blaines good side..

"You know, Kurt, lets not even worry about coffee now. Its almost noon. Wanna make some sandwiches and just throw in a movie for a while?" Blaine gave him a reassuring smile.

"Okay," Kurt nodded.

A loud banging on the door caused Kurt to jump, letting out a small yelp. Blaine eyes him suspiciously, crossing over to the door. Kurt clutched the counter, waiting to see who it was.

"Oh, hi," Blaine said lamely, when he opened the door..

"Blaine? What are you doing here?" the loud tones of Rachel Berry came pouring into Kurts ears.

"Well - "Blaine started.

Rachel cut him off. "Wait, are you two talking again?" she glared at Kurt. "You forgave him for all of this, and you still wont even answer my text messages? How is that even fair? Im your best friend!"

"You dont understand," Kurt said slowly.

"No, obviously, I dont," Rachel said. "Blaine and I were in on this relationship together. We both hurt you, and Ive told you Im sorry a hundred times. You still wont talk to me. He shows up," she pointed toward Blaine, "and you go back to living in your own fairy tale like none of it matters."

"Its not that simple, Rachel," Kurt slammed a fist on the counter. She was so difficult sometimes. It drove him crazy.

"Whats not simple? Id really like to know," Rachel stormed toward him, pausing when she reached him. She glared at Kurt, her eyes full of anger. "tell me, why cant you talk to me, when youre sitting here with him like its no big deal.

"Do we have to do this now?" Kurt rolled his eyes. They didnt need to have this argument in front of Blaine.

"Because I want to know what I did that was so horrible to you," Rachel shouted, determined to get an answer..

"You really want to know?" Kurt took a deep breath.

"Yes."

"I have been living in your world for a very long time," he started.  "A world that purely revolves around you. its always been about your dam solos in glee club or the lead in the school musical. We both got rejected from NYADA, but it wasnt good enough for you. You had to make sure you were one step ahead and went as far as stalking someone until she had to let you in. And then you had to have this role on Broadway, and even thought I did my best to talk sense into you and tell you that you werent ready, you couldnt listen. Oh yes, you were great at Fanny, but you werent ready. You werent ready, because you were so willing to throw it away, after years of dreaming of that role. You threw it away, because you know television would make you a bigger star, and thats all that matters to you. You didnt care that I had feelings for Blaine. You just wanted to fake this relationship, because youre selfish and you knew it would make you look good. I am sick of being one step behind you. I am tired of being on your back burner. I am not going to let yo win again, Rachel Berry."

Rachel stood there, stunned. Tears in her eyes, she hugged herself tightly. She looked from Kurt to Blaine and back again. "I thought you would understand."

"Theres nothing to understand!" Kurt yelled. His body was shaking. "I forgave Blaine, because weve both been in the wrong. Blaine needs a friend, Rachel. I need a friend who can accept me completely, not use me when she needs me."

"I dont use you, Rachel whispered.

"Yes, you do," Kurt breathed heavily. "Sooner or later, youre going to have to grow up and realize the world doesnt revolve around you. Until then, Im not letting you push me around anymore."

She stared at him, her mouth slightly hanging open. In time, she pulled herself together, stood up straight and said, "fine." Slowly turning around, she walked back out of the apartment, tears still falling down her cheeks.

Kurt and Blaine stared at each other. Kurt took a minute to catch his breath, feeling slightly dizzy from his sudden outburst. He sat down at the kitchen table and sighed.

"Bottled that up for a while, have you?" Blaine asked, hands in his pockets.

"You have no idea," Kurt mumbled, burying his face in his hands. He felt emotionally exhausted. From the arguments with Rachel, the unspoken tension with Blaine, and the girls at the coffee shop, Kurt wasnt sure how much more he could take.

"And is that really how you feel about... this?" Blaine asked, motioning between the two of them.

"What?" Kurt asked, pulling his hands away from his face and catching Blaines eye..

Blaine shrugged, "you said you forgave me because we both messed up. Are you just trying to right a wrong?"

"No, no of course not," Kurt stood up again, moving closer to him. They couldnt fight. He had to reason with Blaine.

"Because you also said that I need a friend," Blaine backed away. "I know you originally started this friendship, because you thought I needed help. but I thought we were through with that."

"You did need help," Kurt told him. "You still do. I knew you were struggling with something bigger than you. After hearing a good chunk of your story,  still can see that. I care about you, and I want to give you that friendship that I know you need."

"Oh," Blaine took another step back. His eyes wide like a deer in headlights. It was the same sort of look he had given Kurt after their public kiss.

"Oh? Whats that supposed to mean?" Kurt felt his heart sink. Why was Blaine acting like this?

"Nothing," Blaine shrugged, reaching for the DVD remote..

"No, come on, its something," Kurt said. They had to stop avoiding. If Blaine wasnt willing to argue, and Kurt silently thanked him for that, then they at least had to get it out in the open.

"Im still just a project to you," Blaine mumbled, tossing the remote on the couch. "Youre trying to give me the friendship you think I need. I know all you originally wanted was to make me  a better person."

"Blaine," Kurt whispered.

"You know, I thought I was becoming a better person," Blaines voice sounded shaky. He balled his hands into fists and released a couple times, taking a deep breath. He looked at Kurt and said in a calmer tone,. "I thought, maybe, it was because of you that I was changing. Now I know thats its because youre still trying so hard. Youre the one changing me."

"I care about you, Blaine," Kurt reached out to grab his hand and he pulled back. " just want to help you. Were dealing with a delicate situation, and I just want to get you through it."

"For my own good? For the sake of me not lashing out against other people? For what?" Blaine snapped.

"For you, but its not a project, Blaine. I promise. I told you I think  I love you, and I meant that," Kurt took another step toward him. "I just dont want to see you get hurt."

"Even though you caused the drama in the first place," Blaine retorted.

Kurt gaped at him, "I thought we resolved that part of the issue," he said. 

"Wake up, Kurt!" Blaine threw his hands up in exasperation. "We didnt resolve anything! We just made out, because it felt so damn good, and for that moment, I thought we really had something. I thought, maybe, you missed me, and I thought what we had was something really special. For the first time, I thought I had something real with another human."

"It is real," Kurt said, hating himself for the tears that threatened to fall. He closed his eyes, wishing they would go away. They couldnt fight again. He stood there in silence, trying to find a way to handle this without yelling.

The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of a clock on the wall. He opened his eyes again, to find Blaine sitting on the couch, shaking his head. Kurt quietly said, "What do you want me to tell you, Blaine? Do you want me to admit that this was all just to prove that i could change you? That I purposely outted you? Do you want me to tell you that i spent the last couple weeks hating you, hoping Id never have to see you again?"

"If thats how you feel," Blaine said, staring at the blank TV screen.

Kurt walked over and sat down next to him, "when I first met you, I think I was trying to prove that I could do it. You were an ass, and I just wanted to see what I could do about that. I thought... I hoped I could change your mind. I was worried about Rachel, and I hated the way you treated her, so I thought, if I could knock some sense into you, I could help her."

"And now?" Blaine said.

"You sort of threw my plan out the window when you actually decided to be my friend. I realized how much I liked the idea, of being your friend, even if you did drive me crazy," Kurt placed his hand on Blaines knee, causing him to glance in his direction. Their eyes met and Kurt continued, "and then you played that piano, and I realized how much more to you there was than that ignorant badass you tried so hard to be, and now I honestly just want to hold you in my arms and protect you from the evil in this world. Im so sure of it. Thats what happened in the coffee shop this morning."

"The coffee shop that was too packed?" Blaines thick eyebrows rose.

Kurt slapped his forehead. Why couldnt he keep his mouth shut around Blaine? Dd everything have to come out all the time?

"What happened?" Blaine asked.

"These girls just... figured out that I was the idiot that kissed you and were laughing about it, so I told them to stay out of your business," Kurt bit his lip nervously.

At this, Blaine let out a dry laugh. "Oh, Kurt," he shook his head.

"What?" 

"You cant just tell them to butt out of my business," Blaine grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.. 

"Yeah, thats what the girls told me," Kurt stated.

"Youre not familiar with the business at all. thats been obvious since the day we met," Blaine smiled. "You were cute, storming down those stairs with the idea that you were going to get me to act nice toward Rachel."

"I did get you to like her... at least a little," Kurt said.

"The thing is, Kurt," Blaines tone became more serious. "This business is brutal. If people really have taken that much notice in you, its gonna take more for you to blend. Dont call attention to yourself or its going to stir up more drama."

"Youre stirring up drama by staying silent. Do you know how many people wish you would just tweet something? 

"Its different," Blaine shrugged. "See, youre the piece of meat thes interesting to them. You are what happens to me. So when youre the target, everything you do matters. If we were together, fans would constantly question if you were good enough for me, or whether or not theyd be a better choice than you. Since theres an option that you could be my boyfriend, theyre already judging you. Everything you do counts from here."

"While you get to sit back because everyone loves you," Kurt guessed.

"Exactly," Blaine replied.

"Im not your prize, Blaine," Kurt said, slightly offended. He pulled his handa way from Blaines. Was that really how it was going to be?

"To the public, you are," Blaine replied, grabbing his hand again. he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Kurts and added quietly, "I really do like you, Kurt, and I want to make this work. Im just not sure youre prepared for all of this."

"All of this," Kurt repeated.

"Its a tough business out there," Blaine replied. "You are going to get judged for every little thing you do, and you need to know that now. You cant tell people off for getting in your business, not when you throw your business out there for everyone to see."

"It was a mistake!" Kurt cried, pulling back..

"Doesnt matter. Mistakes count. People want any information. The more mistakes you make, the  more interested the public gets."

"So what do you want me to do?" Kurt asked, feeling completely lost in this mess..

"I want you to lay low for a while. Dont get involved. Ignore people that try to confront you about me," Blaine stared at him. "The more time that passes and nothing happens, the better off well be."

"So what are you going to do tomorrow?" Kurt asked abruptly. 

"What are you talking about?" Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"Dont act like you dont know. I saw the tweet about the show earlier," Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. Since they were finally getting things out in the open, Kurt knew he had to bring this up.

"What show?"

"Surely you had to know this ahead of time," Kurt questioned. "I figured thats why Rachel showed up in New York. You guys have that interview with Kelly and Michael tomorrow."

"Is that tomorrow?" Blaines voice grew higher.

"Yeah, you should see how excited they are to see you," Kurt went on to his phone, pulled up Tiwtter and showed Blaine a tweet he had found on his timeline earlier that morning.

Tune in tomorrow. Co-stars Blaine Anderson and Rachel Berry from the new comedy Sing will be joining us for an interview about the show, music, and romance!

Blaine gulped.

"Can they do that?"

"They did do that," Kurt informed him. "Face it, Blaine, youre going to get asked about me or your short-lived relationship with Rachel,. Youll need a story that wont raise more questions, so you better come up with something good."