Once home that night, Blaine was untying his bow tie slowly in the mirror when he noticed Quinn's dark grey dress flit across her own mirror. Their bedrooms were exactly the same size, opposite but different in taste and they rarely closed the doors now, nothing they hadn't seen, no part of their lives really kept secret. He carefully folded the slip of bowtie material and placed it in its box before walking across the landing to her room.

She quirked an eyebrow when he entered as her fingers scrabbled for her zip behind her. He came forward, took control and unzipped her dress effortlessly.

"Thanks," she murmured, "You had a good evening?" she asked as she slipped her dress off one shoulder. His eyes barely registered her body and instead of fazed he sat on her bed.

"Yeah I enjoyed playing at the bar," he said.

"And Kurt?" she asked, hanging up her dress and turning around in her matching underwear.

"He seems nice," Blaine said, as if mentioning anything more would commit him to something he wasn't ready for. She chuckled slightly.

"You know he's gay?" she said.

"Ok," he said, nodding noncommittally.

"Urgh, Blaine," she said, crossing her leg as she sat opposite him on her bed. She rested slightly on the several plump pillows behind her and sighed in frustration. "You know what I mean, why do you want to make this so difficult?"

"Well us gays don't all find each other attractive. Just because he's gay doesn't change anything," he said laughing.

"You think I don't know the signs?" she said smiling, "I know you Blaine and one look at him and you were smitten. Your eyes practically went a shade darker as you played that piano and don't think I didn't notice that you were singing directly to him."

He closed his eyes.

"Quinn…" he warned but she wasn't taking any notice.

"No Blaine, why can't this be easy? Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself?"

"Because I can't always get what I want!" he suddenly shouted, his body rigid as he stood by the bed now almost hovering over her. "You think I don't want the careless life you lead where you don't consider consequences?"

"What do you mean?" she whispered, her eyes wide with hurt.

"I mean that you always get what you want, you've never cared about public opinion and your parents don't care as long as they don't hear about it. I just wish, for once," he said, sighing in defeat as he sat back down on the bed, "I just wish that I could get it for real."

"Get what?" she whispered. She looked so small sitting there, still in her bra and knickers, the little daisy pattern showing just how innocent and optimistic she could really be.

"Love, freedom, truth," he said looking in the distance, away now from Quinn's gaze, as if these concepts were only dreams and snippets of shadow.

"But you can get that Blaine," she said fiercely, clutching his hand that lay in front of her on the bed. He shook his head sadly in disbelief.

"You know what my father is like," he said.

"It doesn't matter, who will tell him? Live your life Blaine," she said, "Forget him."

Blaine imagined a world where he didn't care, where his father's stern expression and high expectations didn't matter and he could love who he wanted. He almost laughed at the absurdity.

"I don't think anyone deserves to be hidden Quinn," he said and she instantly thought to her new boyfriend, her dirty secret that she kept hidden away. He didn't seem to mind as she started to explain Blaine and their situation but maybe it would get worse. She could feel herself fall so hard for this guy but really was it fair to carry on this relationship when nothing more could come from it? Blaine could see her face change from realisation to sadness that crept along her body making her shoulders sink. He hated being the voice of reason.

"If you love someone you should be able to shout it from the rooftops, declare to the world your undying love. I don't think I could do what you do to someone else," he said, getting up from the bed and planning to leave the room until Quinn's small voice stopped him by the doorway.

"So you plan on living this life forever?" she said, "A life without love, without really knowing what it's like to love someone and be loved in return?" His back was straight before her, his dark hair curly at the nape of his neck.

"I think that would be a very hard life Blaine," she continued.

He said nothing but left her room.

---

"Do you think it's too soon to ring him?" Kurt asked the following morning over breakfast. Rachel was sitting across from him in her hot pink pyjamas, nursing her warm coffee and eating nothing else. She looked confused.

"Who?"

"Blaine of course," he said, exasperated, "Quinn's husband."

"Oh," she said surprised, "About the financial advice?" and Kurt nodded. "Well I guess you could ring today."

"You guess?" Kurt looked annoyed. This was an important question.

"Well Kurt it's not like he's a potential date; there are no rules or game plans."

"I know that," he said, waving her comment aside but secretly struggling with that thought. Blaine had been devastatingly handsome - pity he was straight.

"You want a service from him and he offered his card, I don't see the problem," she said.

He thought it over. He felt tingling butterflies whenever he thought of Blaine, whenever he remembered his honey-coloured eyes looking up from the piano keys and his haunting voice. His fingers lingered a little too long in his handshake last night; his eyes roved over Kurt's face a little too much. The knowledge that Blaine was married to Quinn had shocked him if he was honest and made him question his gaydar completely. Or he was back to crushing over straight guys again, just like high school. He placed his head in his hands.

"Sweetie you are silly," Rachel said, finishing her coffee and standing up. "You worry far too easily. You want financial help and Quinn did say he was one of the best." She shrugged and walked to her room to change, leaving Kurt with his thoughts of coffee coloured eyes and warm handshakes.

---

Kurt didn't manage to ring Blaine until much later in the day in between meetings. He couldn't bear the thought of Rachel being privy to what he thought was bound to be an awkward conversation. What if Blaine had glibly handed him the card in order to please Quinn?

"Hello, Blaine Anderson's office," a secretary said quickly, her shrill voice a shock to Kurt who had forgotten he had Blaine's office number.

"Oh yes, hello," Kurt stammered, "May I speak to Blaine please?"

"I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment, can I take a message or would you prefer to set up a meeting?" she asked politely.

"Um," he hesitated: what did he want to do? "Can I arrange a meeting? I met him last night and he said he could help me with setting up my boutique."

"Of course," she said, "Let me check his diary." There was a shuffle of paper and she came back on the line. "Mr Anderson Junior is unavailable until early next week. Would that be convenient?"

Blaine was a very busy guy then and clearly worked with his father. This was interesting news.

"That would be fine," Kurt said.

"Monday at 9.30?"

"Sounds amazing," he said.

"May I take your details?"

She took his address and contact number.

"Excellent," she said as if she had just been offered a pay rise, "There will be a letter in the post. Mr Anderson Junior looks forward to meeting with you for all your financial needs." And she hung up the phone. Was that some kind of catch phrase they all used or a personal slogan for Blaine? Kurt wondered, a little smile on his face at the strange conversation with Blaine's secretary.

It was a few days later that he received a letter in the post confirming his appointment at Anderson Finances. He opened it to find he had an appointment with an unknown financial advisor and not Blaine after all and was a little confused.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked as she came out of the bathroom, her hair in curlers for an audition that morning.

"My financial appointment," he said, holding the letter, "It's not with Blaine, someone from his department instead."

Rachel looked a little confused.

"Maybe he's busy?" she said.

"But I deliberately asked for him when I rang and his secretary looked for available appointments. It was in the diary with Blaine."

Rachel shrugged with no idea why he didn't have an appointment with Blaine and not really understanding his concern.

"Well I guess we could ask Quinn this Friday when we meet her again for drinks?" Rachel said.

"Oh I forgot about that," Kurt said, now slightly panicked. "What if Blaine's there?"

"You can ask him," Rachel said, her smile wide with optimistic thoughts. "See what went wrong."

"No Rachel, he obviously didn't really want the meeting with me after all. Maybe he's too busy and was just being nice to Quinn because she put him on the spot?"

"You should ask him," Rachel said, "Oh and you have to help me decide what to wear on Friday night. Apparently it's an expensive place, no riffraff and I don't want to disappoint." She was walking away, her head already full of possibilities of how the night could go and how their social life was expanding with the re-entry of Quinn back into their lives.

---

"You arranged for his appointment to be with someone else?" Quinn asked loudly as she entered her house. Blaine had stayed in that night but his fingers had itched to play the piano at the bar, knowing he would be invited to sing. Quinn came storming into the living room where Blaine was trying to watch a film. He switched it off straight away - resistance was futile.

"I take it you mean Kurt?" he asked.

"Of course I mean Kurt," she said taking her shoes off and sitting in the nearest upholstered chair.

"I was busy, I couldn't see him when he wanted to meet," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh no you don't Blaine," she said quickly, "Tell me the truth."

Blaine sighed.

"We've had this discussion Quinn," he said, getting up and taking the velvety throw with him. There was something comforting about blankets that you used while watching films on the sofa and he needed that right now.

"Blaine stop!" she said forcefully and he did what he was told. He briefly wondered if this was what 'real' marriage to Quinn would be like.

"You can't do this," she said, "Kurt was expecting you to meet him. He wants your help."

"Brian will be just as good as me," Blaine said.

"That's not what I meant."

"No, I know it's not what you meant," he said, getting cross, "But I can't do it, I can't meet up with him when I know what you expect, what you think will happen."

"Blaine, it's just a financial meeting," she said.

Blaine shook his head. It had the potential to become so much more.

"Kurt was really disappointed," she continued and Blaine's face perked up, his eyes betrayed his longing. "You could tell he was worried about this boutique he wants to open, he wants the best advice and from someone he can vaguely trust. Not some nobody like Brian."

Blaine thought it over. He didn't want to hurt Kurt or make him worry unnecessarily about his boutique. Blaine wanted to help, but he could also feel the cliff face coming closer, the possibilities endless and Kurt represented a number of chances he knew he really shouldn't take.

"I'll get in touch with him," Blaine said.

"Make sure you do," Quinn said admiring her reflection in the hallway mirror and tucking a loose piece of hair back into the hairstyle she had perfected earlier that day. "If you don't I'll do it for you."

Blaine gave her a hard stare as he stood slightly to her left, his reflection now behind her in the mirror. He said nothing, well aware of what Quinn could do when she had a plan of action.

She turned and her expression instantly softened.

"Blaine, what happened?" she asked, "You used to be so full of life, so enthusiastic about everything and anything. You lived, loved, sang and danced. Now you think things through until there's no joy, you worry and look a little fearful to live."

He turned away, couldn't bear the pity in her eyes and the wonder at what she had lost in her best friend.

"I guess life got in the way," he said not meeting her gaze.

"You grew up," she said and Blaine recognised the echo of a time gone by. He turned to face her again.

"Do you remember?" she asked, a tinge of a smile playing on her lips. He nodded.

Her blonde hair in waves behind her as she ran towards their open field near where they lived growing up. Her dress of daisy prints billowing out as her little legs carried her as fast as she could go. He would chase her until one of them would fall and they would tumble to the grass in a heap and laugh until their sides hurt. Whenever they recovered their breath, whenever they would stop laughing they would look at each other and promise they would never grow up. Forever young, forever beautiful.

He glanced at himself in the mirror, his dancing eyes replaced by a deadened expression of defeat. She looked older but there was always that hint of mischief behind her gaze. He had lost it.

She said nothing more, the memory obviously playing across Blaine's face and she walked upstairs carrying her heels and giving him a sad smile as she reached the top.

---

"Hello?"

"Hi, is that Kurt?"

"Yes, who's this?"

"Blaine," he said hesitatingly, "Blaine Anderson, Quinn's husband."

Of course it was Blaine.

"Oh Blaine," Kurt said, immediately flummoxed. He hadn't expected the call despite Quinn's best assurance that he would be in touch.

"I'm sorry about the mix up with my secretary," Blaine said, his best attempt at a professional explanation. Kurt felt a little uneasy. "I meant to ring personally but I've been so busy. Can you still make the Monday nine thirty meeting we set up before?"

"Oh yes," Kurt said, a little too eagerly, "If it's not too much trouble?"

"Oh no of course not," Blaine said, "I really am sorry about the mix up."

Kurt recognised the change of tone, from carefree Blaine at the bar, full of happiness at meeting a friend of Quinn's to mere professional tolerance. Kurt hated the change but really did need to meet someone who could advise him.

"That's ok," Kurt said, "I really do appreciate it Blaine. I need someone to help me with all of this."

Blaine felt instantly sorry. He'd been sounding like an ass and this guy just wanted financial advice. His tone changed.

"Great Kurt," he said eagerly, "Your idea of a boutique sounds really cool and I'll do what I can to help you. Bring everything with you, your whole plan and we'll see what we can do."

"Thanks Blaine, I'll see you then."

Kurt was about to say goodbye and hang up when Blaine spoke again.

"Unless of course I see you soon with Quinn?"

"Oh," Kurt said a little taken aback, "Rachel has quite possibly arranged another social event so that might happen." Kurt laughed.

"Good," Blaine said, "I'll look forward to it Kurt."

"Bye Blaine."

"Bye Kurt."

Kurt wasn't quite sure what to make of that conversation but he wouldn't have to wait too long to find out.