Blaine parted from him, breathing deeply, and smiled in the haze that seemed to surround them both.

"Let's go," Kurt whispered, everyone around them forgotten and Blaine only nodded as he accepted Kurt's hand to lead him out of the crowded roller rink.

The chilly air hit them, the warmth that had surrounded them in the rink dissipated quickly, and Blaine instinctively came closer to Kurt, their hands still together. He glanced around the nearly empty streets then smiled. Kurt noticed.

"Still worried someone will see you?" Kurt asked. Blaine was about to deny it then dropped his gaze in embarrassment. The silence said it all.

"Let's see Belle," Kurt said a smile creeping along his face, his eyes lighting up in mischief and Blaine wondered what his plan was but if it made him that happy, he'd do anything to keep Kurt's face that way.

---

When they entered the café it was nearly empty save for a solitary man in one corner who was staring out the window and nursing a hot cup of coffee without drinking. Belle must have been out the back so Blaine and Kurt took their old favourite booth and looked at the menu.

"I think I need to try that banana cake," Kurt said.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Blaine said happily, "I'll have the same."

Blaine watched the people walk slowly past the café and turned back to Kurt.

'Why did you want to come here Kurt?" he asked.

"It's a strange place isn't it?" Kurt said instead, seeming to ignore the question. "On the surface it doesn't seem your kind of place at all. It's colourful and cheesy and a little over the top but if you look and really look, this place has a comforting atmosphere. People come here to get away and forget," he said looking straight at Blaine, "And to hide."

Blaine's face didn't appear to change but he kept his eyes focused on Kurt's blue clear eyes.

"You don't think I'm colourful and cheesy?" Blaine asked, a hint of humour in his voice. Kurt smiled.

"Oh I think you have great potential in the colourful and cheesy department Blaine," he said, "As long as you let yourself."

"You snuck in," Belle's voice suddenly rung out from the back of the café. She came out of the kitchen with a massive smile and walked towards them. "Where have you been hiding?" she joked but she could have no idea what her comment would mean to Blaine who knew he had been doing just that. He blushed and smiled slightly. She looked carefully at the both of them and seemed to decide to say nothing further.

"So what can I get you two boys?"

"Banana cake please Belle," Kurt said smiling widely, "And coffees."

"Care to explain the 80s get-up?" she said laughing.

"Oh yeah," Blaine said laughing too, "I completely forgot we were still wearing this. We went to a roller rink tonight, an 80s night."

"Oh I would have loved to see that," she giggled, leaning on the side of the booth, completely forgetting their order. "Did Quinn go?"

Blaine's face fell. "No, she wanted a quiet night in."

Belle nodded. Kurt wasn't sure if she knew about their strange marriage but she didn't say anything else about Quinn.

"So how do you two know each other?" she asked.

"I'm investing in Kurt's new boutique, he's a designer," Blaine explained his face bright and cheery.

"Wow, I'll have to see some designs," she said, "Have you designed for anyone famous?"

"Not really, just C-list celebrities really for minor award ceremonies but I can now garner quite a fee for stylist recommendations and my designs are sold in exclusive stores. I really want to branch out on my own though, go away from public names that aren't mine. I want to design for me and me alone."

"That's very brave," she said, slipping into the booth next to Blaine and looking directly at Kurt.

"I guess," he said shrugging his shoulders slightly, "But I'm sick of waiting for things to happen. You need to make your own history and I want to say 'I lived' when my time is up. At least I can die trying."

Blaine looked at Kurt in awe, as he continued to share his vision of his boutique, all the designs he wanted to open with, his marketing plans and how he would greet customers with baby cupcakes. Belle was enthralled and eagerly sharing her own ideas for the design of the shop and neither noticed that Blaine was silently watching.

The conversation ended after a while and Belle sat back, her eyes glazing over with ideas and visions. She briefly noticed Blaine watching her and her gaze softened.

"Blaine, you know the layout of the kitchen," she said suddenly, "Why don't you help yourself to cake and coffee?" He smiled and nodded, knowing she wanted to talk to Kurt some more.

"He worked in the kitchen when I was ill with flu one winter during college and after that worked as a waiter before he interned with his father," she said to Kurt as soon as Blaine had walked off to the kitchen. She leaned forward, her chin resting on her hands in front of Kurt.

"How much do you know really?" she asked quietly, conspiratorially and Kurt realised she had asked Blaine to leave deliberately, with this conversation in mind.

"About Blaine?" he asked.

"Yes, don't play coy," she said, glancing quickly at the kitchen in case Blaine would return. "Do you know about Quinn?"

Kurt paused, wondering how much she really knew. He gambled.

"I know about their fake marriage yes," he said and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good and you like him?" she asked.

Kurt smiled.

"Yes, I do."

"Another plus," she said. Her expression turned a little wilder. "Now you need to get him out of there, you need to save him."

"Save him?" Kurt said slightly alarmed. "From what?"

"Everything," she said, "His father is a tyrant and Blaine needs to stop working there and he needs to divorce Quinn and live the life he was meant to live."

"What stops him?" Kurt asked, "I don't get why he hasn't left already? Why stay in such a place of poison?"

"I don't think you really know what his father is like," she said, "I don't know the half of it actually but over the years Blaine has been crushed. I've seen him change from the optimistic boy at the start of college to a working man that is a shadow of his normal self. He used to wear brighter colours, even bow ties, now he only wears suits and ties. He used to come into the café with whispers of songs, now I only see him smile when he brings you. Whatever you do, whatever you say, is working. He needs to get out."

Kurt shook his head. "I don't know what to do," he said sadly, "I sometimes catch a glimpse of him, the real him then he hides again. Maybe I'm being stupid."

"For falling for him?" she asked bluntly. He nodded. "Don't be ridiculous," she said a little annoyed. "Blaine is the best guy you will ever meet."

"I was afraid of that," Kurt said, shaking his head with a sad smile.

"Look, he may need your help to commit and get out but once he's yours? You won't want to ever let him go, I promise."

"You promise what?" Blaine asked, coming over with coffees and cake on a tray.

"To make the cupcakes for Kurt's opening," Belle said quickly, getting up from the booth and smiling at Blaine. He looked briefly at Kurt to check the honesty of her statement and he was greeted with a matching smile.

"I think we can do business," Kurt said smiling slightly and his eyes twinkled so only Belle knew his true meaning.

"Good," she said, "We wouldn't want most excellent cake to go to waste. Talking of which, I'll let you enjoy this cake." She pointed to the banana cake Blaine had brought and left.

"Oh. My. God," Kurt breathed as soon as he tasted the banana butter cream and the softest cake he had ever eaten. "I need to marry Belle."

Blaine laughed. "It is delicious isn't it? I know she uses orange juice instead of butter in the actual cake too which makes it so soft and good for you."

Kurt laughed. "I don't care if it's good for you, this is heavenly. I would gladly gain twenty pounds if I could have this cake everyday."

"I'll mention it to Belle that we'll be coming here everyday then," Blaine said smiling.

There was a lull in conversation and Kurt breathed deeply.

"What are we Blaine?" he asked quietly, "I don't want to put any pressure on you, I know it must be hard to live such a life and I get that you have to hide but…"

"You don't want this to continue," Blaine said and although it was meant to come out as a question it sounded more like a statement and he wasn't sure how to handle the pain that suddenly appeared in his chest at the sentence.

"No that's not what I meant," Kurt said, "Tonight was fantastic, the best date I've been on in a long time."

"But?"

"But I don't want it to ever end," Kurt admitted and although Blaine felt lighter there was a sadness in Kurt's expression. "And with your life, with Quinn and your dad, it has to end."

"I don't want it to end Kurt," Blaine said emphatically and he grabbed Kurt's hand as it rested between them on the table. "I want something real, I need you in my life."

"But Quinn?"

"Quinn is my wife only on paper and you know that."

"But the world doesn't."

"I'd change that if I could," Blaine said sadly, "You know I didn't want this," he said indicating their relationship, "Though Quinn tried to encourage it. She said I had to take a chance but I see how she is with Rupert. She wishes that we weren't married either and she grows a little more dead inside as her love for someone else grows deeper and she can't show it to the world like she should. I know it's not fair to hide our relationship away but I have to, at least for the time being."

Kurt thought it over. Was he prepared to wait? Was he prepared to hide?

"I'd do anything to have you in my life in some way Kurt," Blaine said earnestly, "I will get out, I promise."

"How?"

"I don't know how but I'll try."

That seemed to be enough for Kurt. He nodded.

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yeah, I mean it's not ideal but I get the impression that Belle is right: I won't ever want to let you go."

Blaine looked up in surprise then his eyes flitted over to Belle who was standing by the cash register. She smiled when she noticed, seeming to understand the conversation had changed.

"So we'll see each other in secret?" Blaine asked in a sad voice.

Kurt nodded. "We'll have a boutique to plan and open," he said smiling widely, "It's only just begun."

---

Kurt got his money and the planning began in earnest. He met regularly with Blaine under the guise of the boutique and although they got to see the space they had rented and start work on the final plans of the boutique, they had times for dates. They were sweet dates, times spent on the high line, so high up and away from the busy streets below as well as at their café with Belle. Blaine continued to play at various bars across town with Quinn and Rachel coming along, Rupert sometimes joining them. They were careful not to touch too much or look too closely at each other. Moments were shared and caught, nothing too obvious but they warmed their hearts nonetheless. They would hold hands up on the high line, share kisses and gasps of pleasure. They were quiet and discreet, never meeting anywhere near where Blaine worked. Charles was under the impression that Kurt had declined their offer to invest and Blaine returned to normal duties as usual. He barely spoke to his father at work unless he could help it and as a result he seemed much happier outside of the office too.

It was a normal night in, after dinner, that Quinn brought up the subject of children again. Nothing had been said before, Quinn disregarding the topic before and brushing Charles' comment off as inconsequential but it clearly played on her mind now as she tidied up the dinner plates.

"You don't want children do you?" she asked, almost stating the fact as if she knew it to be truth. Blaine looked surprised.

"Why? Do you?"

"No," she said coldly, "I think maybe in ten years but even then I think it wouldn't bother me if I never had children. Does that bother you?"

Blaine calmly sat down.

"No not really," he said, "I guess after Beth I thought you might have changed your mind. I saw how devastated you were when you had to give her up but I knew they were never in your plan and I can't see you giving up your career."

"Exactly," she said her wide green eyes happy that Blaine understood, "I don't want to end up like my mother, happy to stay at home, never my own woman. I am a working woman and I would never want to change that."

"But eventually," Blaine said, "You might want them with the right person?"

"Maybe," she conceded.

"I want children," he said after a while and she looked up. "Not next year but I don't want to wait as long as you to make up my mind. I want all of that."

She nodded.

"With Kurt?"

"Gosh I don't know," he said, "That's a lot to put on Kurt, we've only been dating for a few weeks."

"But?" she asked, her eyebrow raised, her teasing smile telling Blaine she already knew what he had been trying to hide.

"Yeah with Kurt," he admitted, blushing.

"Aww you're so adorable," she giggled scrunching up her face and coming to squish next to Blaine in his large leather seat designed for one.

"Oh be quiet," he said blushing harder.

"Seriously Blaine," she said, "That's great that you've found that. You know that means you need to make an effort to get out? You need to divorce me."

Blaine looked up in shock, his eyes wide.

"No I can't do that!" he exclaimed, his face lower than hers in the chair. From that position he looked so submissive that Quinn wondered whether she could force him to do anything.

"But you have to Blaine," she said, "It was never going to be permanent was it?"

"Of course it was," he said, "That's what we said in our marriage vows."

"I also promised to love and obey," she said smiling, "It was a farce and you know it."

"But I can't get out."

'So you just intend to keep Kurt a secret for years, live with him, maybe even have a child with him, never telling your father? That's impossible Blaine."

"I know, I know," he said, finally getting up and pacing the room.

"Then get out, tell your father the truth."

Blaine looked stricken.

"I only agreed to this because I knew it was temporary," she said. "I knew you married me because you felt you had to but now you're an adult, you don't have to stay in this miserable life Blaine."

"You don't understand," he said shaking his head, pacing the room quickly, "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?" she said annoyed, "Your father is a tyrant and runs his household like his office. Why wouldn't you want to get out of that? In fact I've never understood why your mother doesn't leave him."

"She can't," he whispered, finally stopping.

"She can't?" Blaine shook his head.

"I've always told you everything," he said as if he was psyching himself up to do just that. She nodded. "But I've never told you what he's really like, what he's really capable of."

Quinn waited, intrigued, worried.

"He's violent," he said quietly, "Towards my mom and once to me."

"When?" Quinn asked, outraged, standing up, her body only hard lines.

"When I came out, he hit me but he used to do it all the time to my mom when I was growing up."

"Why doesn't she report him? Call the police?"

"She can't," he said weakly, "She always says that he doesn't mean it. He comes to her pathetically apologetic and she always forgives, says he can't help it."

Quinn shook her head in disgust.

"So she still lets him hit her?"

"No, he stopped," he said, "He made me promise."

"Promise what Blaine?" Quinn asked, slightly worried.

"He sat me down after a particularly bad beating left my mom going to bed early that night. He never hit her face, careful to hide the real bruises under her clothing. He apologised to me, explained that I'd caused it, made him angry. He said it had started after he had found out I was gay and that if I could just be straight he wouldn't be so angry about how his life had turned out."

"Oh Blaine…"

"I had a split second to think of it but as soon as I made the promise and said the words, I knew I would spend my life pretending just to keep the peace."

"What did you say?"

"I looked at him with mock surprise and simply said I wasn't gay and wasn't sure how he had come to that conclusion. He looked at me, I could see the cogs of his brain working it all out then he smiled. I simply said that I was dating you and his smile got bigger."

"And he doesn't hit your mom?"

"I don't think she ever gives him a reason to," he said, "I don't see her as often as I should but I almost can't bear it. She lives her life in a constant worry that she will offend. She's been married to him for so long and has made such an effort to perfect their life together, I don't think he would hit her now."

"She still needs to leave," she said now a little calmer.

"I know but nothing I say will persuade her and now we've been married for a while I think she just takes comfort in seeing us for Sunday dinner when she can."

"So if you come out as gay then she'll be in danger?"

Blaine nodded. "I can't risk it."

"Even for Kurt? Even for your happiness?"

Blaine pictured Kurt, his sweet smiling face and knew he would die a little if he had to stop seeing him altogether. Quinn seemed to understand.

"You need to tell him, work it out together," she said.

"I can't put that on him," he said shaking his head.

"I think that's what needs to change," she said, "If you're to go forward at all you need to share, tell him how you feel."

"I want to get out," he said, "For him, I'd do anything, but I don't know how to do that without hurting someone."

"We'll figure that bit out, but first you need to leave your job, get out and play in earnest, make a living with something else."

Blaine thought it over, thinking back to Kurt's advice.

"I can do that," he said.

"Good, get out and shine," she said, "There's only so much time, don't waste it with living someone's else life."