The clock on the wall behind the counter told him that Blaine was an hour and fifteen minutes late. His eyes moved over toward Tony behind the counter who caught his eye.

"Sorry, bro," Tony shrugged.

"Yeah, me too," Kurt mumbled.

He didnt show. He wasnt going to come an hour and fifteen minutes late. Blaine was always on schedule. There was no chance he was going to come now.

Kurt picked up the coffee across the table from him. It was cold now. Staring at the empty chair, he sighed heavily and crossed the room, tossing the full drink in the trash.

Kurt hadnt been sure what had made Blaine decide that he was going to buy Kurts drink for him, but he had hoped Blaine would follow through. He had stood Kurt up and it gave Kurt the impression that Blaine wasnt man enough to stick to his promises. He wasnt kind enough to really do something nice for someone else.

"The asshole probably just wanted a free meal," Kurt said to himself on the way to his car.

He was disappointed.  For a moment, Kurt thought he was starting to break through with Blaine. He thought he was starting to see a little of Blaines true colors.

In reality, Blaine was nothing but a brick wall.

Did you go back to New York?

Kurt squinted at his phone screen. he stretched, letting out a yawn. Once he rubbed his eyes, he glanced at the number on his phone and realized he had no idea who was texting him.

Excuse me? he replied.

Climbing out of bed, Kurt made his way into Rachels living room. He sat down on the couch and reached for the remote. The nice thing about Rachel leaving for work so early was that Kurt had the place to himself.

His phone buzzed and he read the next message with a shocked expression on his face.

Its Blaine... Look, Im sorry I didnt show in the coffee shop the last two days.

He was honestly surprised Blaine had bothered him at all. However, if he thought Kurt was going to let Blaine run all over him, he was wrong. Kurt replied:

Whatever, Like you said, its not a commitment. 

Rising from the couch, he made his way into the kitchen. He set his phone down on the counter and went for the teapot. Setting it on the stove, he reached for his phone again.

Blaine replied, Tony told me you were there yesterday and the day before. Im sorry. 

It wasnt enough. Chances were, Blaine wasnt all that sorry. He was just saying it to make Kurt feel better. At least that was what he hoped. Did Blaine care how Kurt felt though? Was he just trying to make himself look better? Was there ever a straight answer with Blaine?

Forget it, Blaine.

He wasnt going to do this. Not now. If Blaine really wanted to show he was sorry, he would have to prove it.

Kurt remained at Rachels apartment all day. He never tried making it to the coffee shop after Blaine stood him up twice. It was Blaines turn to get stood up. 

Around six oclock that evening, Rachel gave Kurt a phone call and said, "Hey, babe. Im working late tonight. I dont want to leave you alone for dinner, so if you dont mind eating late, maybe we can go out and grab something around nine?"

"Sure, you have plenty of junk food here. Im sure Ill find something to eat," he informed her. 

"Great! See you later," she hung up and Kurt moved toward the fridge to find something to snack on.

A soft knock came at the front door and he froze. 

"Blaine?" he gasped, once he had answered the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew Rachel was working late, and I figured you would be here, so I wanted to give you a sincere apology,?" he shifted uncomfortably.

"Come in," Kurt said, shutting the door behind him. It was unusual to to see Blaine acting so polite. It would be more unusual if Blaine really did prove he was sorry.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Kurt asked,

" Waiters fine," Blaine said, following Kurt into the kitchen.

Kurt wracked through Rachels cupboards, still unfamiliar with her set up. He found a cup, filled it and handed it to Blaine saying, "Im a little confused."

"I wanted to talk to you about the conversation we had this morning," Blaine took a sip from his glass.

"Theres nothing to talk about," Kurt shrugged. Blaine had to work for this. He wasnt going to let him get away that easy.

"I could have been more formal about it. I promised you Id buy you coffee and then I ditched," Blaine moved over to the kitchen table and sat down. "Tony said you looked upset after I didnt show up again yesterday."

Following his lead, Kurt sat down across from Blaine. He glanced down at the table and said, "As much as I had hoped youd show up, I wasnt that surprised when you didnt. Disappointed, maybe, but not surprised."

"Why?" Blaine asked.

Sighing, Kurt closed his eyes, folding his hands in his lap. How could he tell Blaine this without making him angry? He was so sensitive to everything.

"Kurt," Blaine said quietly.

Looking into Blaines mesmerizing, hazel eyes, Kurt knew he had to be honest with Blaine. This mission of helping Blaine couldnt stand on lies. Someone had to keep Blaine level-headed, and that required the truth.

He sighed, "because I know you havent changed. I was hoping you had started to, but you havent. Youre still the same asshole I met on set a few weeks ago. Youre still the guy that cares about yourself more than others. You didnt really have any intention of buying me coffee. You just thought it was the right thing to do. I dont know if it was for your image or to get me off your back, but I was hoping it was something more. You were doing this for yourself, not for me.""

"I didnt," Blaine said harshly, setting the glass on the table harder than he meant to. "I mean, at first I thought it was for you."

"But/?"

Running a hand through his thick curls, Blaine groaned, "I dont know." He sat up straight and took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. When he was ready, he looked into Kurts eyes and continued, "I meant to go to the coffee shop, but that morning, I started thinking about you, and how weird this whole situation was getting and I couldnt go. I felt bad, because I knew youd be disappointed, but there was nothing I could do."

Kurt was speechless.

 Blaine was admitting that he felt bad about standing Kurt up. It was the last thing Kurt had expected, and he wasnt sure how to handle the conversation. He still didnt believe that Blaine had changed that much. but he was admitting to feeling guilty. How much did he honestly mean it?

On the other hand, Blaines hazel eyes were full of sadness, rather than anger. It wasnt something Kurt had seen before, and he felt  a pang of sorrow for Blaine. He had successfully proven how sorry he was, and Kurt had to let him off the hook.

"Its not a commitment Blaine, remember?" Kurt finally said.

"I still promised to buy you coffee," Blaine replied.

"It wasnt a promise, it was a deal," Kurt gave him a tender smile. "You can still make up for your end of the deal if you want to."

"How?" Blaine asked curiously.

Jumping up, Kurt threw on a pair of boots in the front hall, and said, "lets figure that out."

Blaine stood where he was, hesitating.  

"Whats the matter?" Kurt stopped.

"I dont want to buy you anything," Blaine admitted.

"Why?" Kurt eyed him suspiciously. Where was he going with this? "Youre not keeping up your end of the deal?"

"Its not that," Blaine moved closer to him. "I just dont see why doing something kind for someone always has to mean buying them something nice. Its like at Christmas time, people always expect presents. But really, youre better off doing something kind for someone. The feeling of gratitude lasts much longer."

"What did you have in mind?" Kurt said, sliding his boots back off.

"I want to take your offer of being my friend," Blaine said slowly. He stared at the floor as he spoke, his eyes narrow. Yet, his voice was soft and full of sincerity. 

Kurt raised his eyebrows, "really?"

"Im not saying were going to see the movies or go ice-skating every other night, but yeah," Blaine stuck his hands in his pockets, continuing to speak to the floor.

"Blaine," Kurt walked over and gently placed his hand on Blaines shoulder.

Slightly jumping, Blaine took a step back out of Kurts grasp.

"Blaine," Kurt said more firmly.

"What?" he met Kurts eyes.

"I was wrong about you," Kurt moved closer to him again, and Blaine didnt move.. "You have changed. Its not a big difference, but its definitely there/ I would love to be your friend."

"Thanks," Blaine gave him half a smile.

Feeling relief wash over him, Kurt grabbed Blaines arm and dragged him over to the couch. He sat down and pulled Blaine down next to him "As your friend, can we... get to know each other a little better?"

"Um..." Blaine looked like he was ready to jump up from the couch and run out the door.

They would have to ease into this. Blaine was so used to being the tough guy, the one that made people fear him. Kurt was sure that this was new territory for him, and it was clear that he was trying to act as normal as possible. It was a softer side of Blaine that had to be taken delicately. Kurt didnt want to ruin this.

"ill start," Kurt reassured him. "its not like we have to know that much. I think wed be more comfortable as friends if we knew more about each other."

"Okay," Blaine sank back down on to the couch..

"Im Kurt Hummel. Im nineteen years old, and Im a student at NYADA in New York," he started.

"I already knew all that, except your age," Blaine informed him.

"Shush, this is my story," Kurt lightly hit his arm.

"Okay..." Blaine said.

"I was born and raised in a hell hole called Lima Ohio. I was bullied all through school, because I was the only openly gay kid there. I was a part of the famous glee club that Rachel cant ever shut up about."

"All the times she;s mentioned that stupid club, she never mentioned you," Blaine gave a soft chuckle.

Kurt smiled, feeling like he was getting somewhere. "It wasnt stupid, Blaine."

"Sorry."

"That glee club saved my life. it gave me a family. Two families, really. My school family that protected me from the bullies, and my own family at home. A kid from our glee club had a single mom that married my dad. He was my brother for a couple years, but he recently passed away."

"I... Im sorry," Blaine said quietly.

"Its okay," Kurt continued heavily. "Its been difficult, but were getting through it. Rachel and my brother were in love. It was magical, and she was so brokenhearted when he died."

"That was why you yelled at me the first day we met, wasnt it?" Blaine said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, it was," Kurt nodded. 

Blaine let out a sigh, "man, I wish I wouldve known. I was such an ass to her."

"Would you really have done anything different?" Kurt gazed into his eyes.

He sat there in silence, thinking. Kurt watched his features turn to stone. His face hardened, his eyes focused on a point on the wall across the room. 

He eventually looked back at Kurt and said, "probably not."

"Why?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shrugged, "I told you before that I dont really like Rachel."

"Didnt we have a good time at dinner the other night? You two sat by each other and seemed to hit it off really well," he said.  Kurt couldnt see where Blaine was coming from on this one.

"Being rude isnt the only front I can put up," Blaine retorted. He sat forward, like he was ready to get off the couch again.

Kurt reached out an arm and pushed him back, "okay, forget Rachel for a moment. What can you tell me about yourself?"

Sitting there like a statue, Blaine thought about his answer again.

"Eighteen," he finally said, 

"What?"

"Im eighteen," he repeated. 

"Okay, but Im sure I could find that in a magazine," Kurt said.

"Or my Wikipedia page?"

Kurt blushed, "that too."

"Westerville," Blaine tried again..

"Ohio?"

"Yes," Blaine laughed. "I came from Westerville Ohio."

"Wikipedia," Kurt sat forward excitedly. He was determined to break down one of Blaines walls.  "Come on, give me something better."

"How about an answer to a question you gave me the other day," Blaine wiped his sweat palms on his pants. If Kurt didnt know better, he would say Blaine was nervous. 

"Go on," he encouraged.

"My brother Cooper wanted to audition for Better Brothers. He begged my parents to take him to LA. My mom wasnt very happy about it, but my dad agreed. He brought me along, because he said going to LA was an opportunity he couldnt let me miss."

"Naturally," Kurt nodded, hoping Blaine would continue.

"Cooper was a hit with the producers. They absolutely loved him. When they told him, they wanted to meet his parents, they brought my dad in, and I went with him, because I was too young to be left alone." He took a deep breath and continued, "They began to discuss arrangements about my brother with my dad, and Cooper was telling me all about his audition. So..." he paused, He turned away from Kurt and went back to looking at the spot on the wall. 

"So?" Kurt pressed. 

"They saw me and Coop together and thought we were too cute for words," Blaine said, tearing his eyes away from the wall. "They asked us if we would read a scene together, and they liked what they saw. My dad asked me if I was okay with it and I said yes. I mean, what kid wouldnt want to be on television?"

"And thats how you got the part," Kurt concluded.

"Yeah," Blaine said breathlessly. It was the most Kurt had heard him speak at any given time. It was a nice change from his short, irritable responses. His voice was so smooth, so sweet when he wasnt trying to be forceful.

He wanted to hear more. There was so much to Blaine, and Kurt wanted to know everything he could. "I always assumed you guys went to audition together," he said.

"We always just told people we auditioned together. it was either than saying I had gotten the part because I was accidentally there," Blaine shrugged.

"Wow. I feel like I know you better than Wikipedia does," Kurt smiled.

"Youre weird," Blaine shook his head.

Kurt blushed.

Realizing he had been staring at Blaine this whole time, he tore his gaze away and said, "maybe but your character was always my favorite. I pretty much watched the show for you, To be honest, its a little surreal that Im sitting in an apartment in Los Angeles with the character that I grew up fantasizing about."

"Hey, this was all your fault," Blaine retorted. "If I had it my way, seeing you get kicked off the set would have been the last time I saw you."

"Maybe," Kurt said.. It was true that Kurt showed up at the coffee shop after that, and he was the one who kept pushing Blaine. But Blaine was the one that had sent him the message over twitter that one day, implying that he still wanted to know Kurt. If he hadnt, Kurt might not have tried anymore.

"No, it was definitely your fault," Blaines tone became more serious.

"Sure, Blaine," Kurt said slowly. He wasnt going to argue. They were enjoying themselves for a change. He didnt want to ruin Blaines mood.

However, Blaines mood already seemed to have been punctured. He stood up from the couch, his eyes turning a shade darker. His face slightly pale, he said, "I should go. I never meant to stay this long. I dont need Rachel finding me here and - "

"Blaine."

"What?"

"Shut up.," Kurt told him, following him toward the door. "Its okay. I know this is all new for you, but Im really glad you stayed."

"You are?" Blaine asked.

"Yes," Kurt breathed. "If it makes you feel better, I wont tell Rachel what happened tonight. I wont even put your story on Wikipedia for you."

His tense shoulders relaxed and he sighed, "thanks."

"Consider it my next generous move," Kurt pulled the door open for him and said, "but I still might show up at the coffee shop tomorrow anyway."

"Ill be there," Blaine replied.

Shutting the door behind him, Kurt smiled, "good night, Blaine."

"Kurt! Wake up!" Rachels voice sounded so distant.

Rubbing his eyes, Kurt sat up and found himself on the couch in the living room. "Whats the matter?" he said groggily.

"Were supposed to go out to dinner," she reminded him.

"Oh!" he dashed across the room and put his shoes on. "Im so sorry, Rach. Blaine came by. After he left, my mind was buzzing, and I decided to relax for a while. I didnt mean to fall asleep.

Rachel stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. Her expression was stern. "Blaine came over? My co-worker Blaine?"

"Um.." Kurt stalled. So much for not telling her anything.

"Kurt Hummel, is there something you arent telling me?" she gasped.

"Theres nothing to tell!" he defended himself.

"Yes, there is! Why was he here?" she stepped closer, her eyes full of excitement.

"It was nothing," Kurt dodged around her, reaching for his jacket. "Even if it was, it doesnt matter. Im pretty sure Im not his type."

"Hes not gay?" Rachel asked.

"Hes always denied any rumors," Kurt shrugged.

"So? Sometimes you have to lie to the media. He could still be in the closet, you know?" Rachel began to ramble. "Come on, Im your best friend. You have to tell me everything!"

"Theres nothing to tell," he protested.

"Could there be something to tell in the near future?" she continued to fish for information on their way out the door.

"No."

"Do you like him?"  Rachel asked.

Kurt stopped in his tracks. "No.... I dont know... Hes okay."

It was a question that haunted him all that night. Did he like Blaine? There was so much about Blaine that he still didnt know. There were so many barriers that he had barely broken through. It would take a lot to break down Blaines walls. Once he did, would Kurt like what was behind those walls?