Blaine had gotten up early that Friday morning, despite the crazy night of thinking too much and staring at the white ceiling, as Sebastian snored away. He was haunted by those blue eyes that searched his so freely, those that had darkened with want down that New York street last night and had filled him with hope that there was something, someone worth spending time with. Despite his idea of telling Sebastian, explaining that their relationship wasn't working, finishing everything off, as he woke the next morning, he knew he wouldn't do it today. He needed to build up to these kinds of things and he knew he would need all his wits and energy when he did finally speak to Sebastian.

As he drank his coffee early that morning, Sebastian safely tucked up in his bed, Blaine reflected over their five year relationship and where it had taken them. It certainly had been exciting as they dated at Dalton and then moved in together in New York. Trysts in quiet rooms around the old private school, quickly organised trips to Paris and London when the fancy suited them, more money than they could ever spend until it was all taken away. Sebastian's family had the most money Blaine had ever heard of anyone having, until he didn't anymore. The gambling debt was paid and there was a little left to secure a living for his family to a certain extent but the conclusion was quite clear. Sebastian would need to work and there would not be enough money for his full inheritance.

It seemed that Blaine was now the privileged one and Sebastian resented him for it but Blaine had always been determined to earn his keep and not ask his father for any favours. He didn't want his life to be handed to him on a plate, all finished and neatly packaged. He wanted to live his life, makes mistakes, earn his keep and change and improve as he went along. It was only as Sebastian's money disappeared that he could see their relationship for what it was: suitable only for fair-weather.

Sebastian couldn't cope in the real world and the concept of looking for a job, finding his niche in life was beyond him. He couldn't comprehend making a name for himself when he had relied on his father and his grandfather before him to maintain the privileged name of Smythe. The thought of being responsible and building a life was abhorrent to him and the alcohol must be some kind of cry for help. He was rebelling and determined to live his life as if nothing had happened, as if money was endless. Blaine had become tired of spending his hard earned money on rent and the little left over for food when Sebastian no longer contributed. How Sebastian managed to get so drunk on so little money was beyond Blaine's comprehension.

As he sat in the kitchen, sipping his coffee, he thought of Kurt, responsible, sensible but oh so desperate to be alive and he wanted that. He wanted the dream of a better life; he wanted the fight and the desperation. He wanted to help Kurt achieve his dreams because he could see Kurt was a fighter that had been trodden down before and struggled to believe in himself. He could help him, really support him.

He thought back to that kiss, those lips and knew that Kurt was more than that. He could picture a future with Kurt but Sebastian blurred that for Blaine, made him confused. Was responsibility and sensible behaviour really that attractive? He had been sensible with money and his affections and look where it had gotten him. He felt desperate around Kurt, desperate to feel and be wanted. He didn't want to think of the consequences anymore. He didn't owe Seb anything.

He was startled out of his reverie by the phone ringing next to him on the kitchen counter and he jumped. The conversation was quick and Blaine was surprised that Kurt had wanted to meet so soon after last night. Blaine felt eager to see him again and the thrill of their next meeting had his blood whirring through his veins. It was only as he walked to the bedroom to get ready that he saw Sebastian sitting up in bed, a clear expression of hurt anger on his face.

"Who's Kurt?" he asked.

"Just someone I met at Callbacks the other night. I'm meeting him for lunch," Blaine said as he started wandering around the bedroom, changing quickly, checking his hair.

"Meeting for lunch? What about me?" Sebastian asked surprised.

"You? I thought you'd be sleeping then drinking," Blaine said without looking at his face.

"Oh that's low," Sebastian said, getting out of bed quickly, "I'm not hungover if you've noticed and I'm free all day, just like you."

"Well I'm not now," Blaine said simply, collecting his phone and wallet.

"So that's it, you're going out with Kurt over me?"

"Yes, you make the same decision each night and choose alcohol over me each time. You shouldn't be offended."

Sebastian paused as he looked at Blaine, who was avoiding his eyes and noticed the confidence suddenly oozing out of him, his suave ability to be unfazed by anything. Sebastian felt jealousy settle and fester inside him as he looked and he needed to act, to show Blaine something, anything. He walked closer to Blaine, grabbed his shoulders, forced him to stop and look at him properly.

"What are you doing Seb?" Blaine said, clearly annoyed, trying to wiggle free to no avail.

"I'm making you listen, making you care. You need to stop and look at me, it's rude."

Blaine laughed, that pitiful laugh when the object of your mirth is so pathetic you can't help it and Sebastian felt the bubble of rage build in his stomach. He felt his hand rise and a clear smack rang loudly in the room. Blaine heard it before he felt it and his eyes wide he walked backwards quickly, almost racing out of the room.

"Blaine…"

"No get away from me," Blaine was shouting, "Get away from me!" Sebastian could only follow him dumbly, silently shocked at his own behaviour, looking at his hands as if they had committed the crime for him, unknown to him.

"I don't want you anywhere near me, get away!" Blaine continued to shout as he grabbed his jacket and keys by the door and left, not daring to turn his back on Sebastian until he was outside the door. Sebastian could only sit by the now closed door and cry.

xXx

Kurt had bought supplies quickly: good coffee, cakes and biscuits, quiche and scones. Looking over the spread in the kitchen he suddenly felt very foolish – who was he, the Queen of England?
He hastily put it all away and sat down on the kitchen stool, wondering what on earth he was doing when there was a very sudden and loud few knocks on the front door. They sounded almost frantic and Kurt wondered if it was a delivery man in a hurry so he was rather surprised to see Blaine at his door, red faced and breathless, practically running into his apartment.

"Blaine? What's wrong?" as he followed Blaine into his apartment. Blaine started pacing around the kitchen and Kurt's eyes followed him, back and forth, back and forth. He started muttering to himself and Kurt came closer as Blaine finally looked at him and his eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," he whispered, "I don't know what I'm doing."

"Sit down Blaine, let's talk," Kurt said sadly, supposing he was talking about last night.

"No, I need to do something I need…" Blaine said, as he continued to pace. Kurt thought that coffee would be a bad idea now, Blaine seemed to be jittery enough already. Blaine abruptly stopped near Kurt and saw him again, felt his hands shake but he suddenly felt calmer, looking at those pale blue eyes and he settled.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered.

"Kiss me again," Blaine whispered, "I need you to kiss me…"

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise but as he paused to look into Blaine's panic filled brown eyes, he stepped closer and closer until the gap was closed and his lips were on Blaine's, warm and soft. Despite the request Blaine still gasped and started to move his lips slowly against Kurt's until he felt his heart beat more slowly. He tentatively licked Kurt's lower lip and explored his mouth with his tongue and he had never felt calmer, like he had been shipwrecked and had found land. The kiss lasted several minutes until Kurt pulled away slowly, his breath coming out quickly as he looked at Blaine, his lips kiss swollen and one of his cheeks still red.

"What happened Blaine?" Kurt whispered as he poured them both coffee and settled on the stool, almost as if it was a normal occurrence to kiss someone other than his boyfriend in his kitchen.

Blaine sat down too and stared into his coffee, wondering where to start.

"I think I just left my boyfriend," he whispered, "He hit me."

"He what?" Kurt stood suddenly indignant and angry. Blaine almost smiled at Kurt and felt a sudden surge of love for this man that cared for him.

"We got into an argument as I was getting ready to see you and he grabbed me by the shoulders, asking me to stay with him rather than see you for lunch. He was jealous I guess and I laughed at him. He looked so pathetic and he smacked me across the face. I left straight away."

Kurt started pacing now, wringing his hands in anger.

"But what are you going to do? I mean you can't go back there, you need to ring the police."

"No, I can't ring the police. God, Seb wouldn't know what to do in a police cell."

"Who cares Blaine, he assaulted you! You can't let him get away with it."

"I don't now Kurt, maybe I should just leave him. I mean I've been thinking about it anyway, since well you know…" his voice trailed away and his eyes drifted away from Kurt's face, the end of the sentence left hanging but understood.

"Where would you go?" Kurt said, quietly.

"Find a place tomorrow? I could stay in a hotel tonight. I need to ring my dad I think."

"Ok," Kurt said as Blaine found his mobile and pressed ring on his parent's home number. He left the kitchen to make the call and Kurt could hear his voice in the hallway as he continued to sip his coffee.

Kurt felt light-headed. He had wanted to kiss Blaine in the light of day, see if it made any difference, if it was as he had remembered and it had been more, more of everything. He felt already so protective of this guy he had only just met, that he wanted to hurt Sebastian with his bare hands. He was glad Blaine would be out of there and safe but he didn't know how he felt about Blaine's sudden freedom. He thought back to Dave last night, caring and sensitive to what Kurt needed, being there for him when he felt his dreams ebb away. He honestly didn't know how he felt about Dave anymore and part of him didn't want to stay to find out. He wanted to escape too and as he thought about Dave's last question flung at him in the course of an argument, he wondered if he really did love Dave or had he been so afraid of being alone that he had taken the first opportunity that had arisen?

Blaine returned to the room with a slight smile on his face and a more settled air around him.

"My dad's booked me into a hotel tonight and he said I could stay in an apartment he has in town until I get my own place."

"Oh that's a relief," Kurt said, shoulders dropping.

"Yeah, I'll just get a few things from my apartment later."

"Not on your own, I'll come with you," Kurt said, a note of finality in his voice that Blaine didn't want to argue with, so he just nodded and said thanks.

They finished their coffee and Blaine asked why Kurt was off today. As Kurt explained about Paris fashion week and the arrangement he had with Isabelle for preparation leading up to the events, Blaine smiled in happiness at Kurt. He had finally done it, and he felt free. He was dreading going back there, he had felt panic and fear after Sebastian had hit him but he remembered his face as he left. He knew Seb wouldn't hurt him again and Kurt would be there. Kurt would look after him.

As they ate some light lunch, neither mentioning the kiss from earlier or the night before, Kurt looked at Blaine and wondered what it was about this man that had him entranced. He looked at his warm eyes as he spoke, seemingly lit up from within and Kurt could feel the warmth spread through him. He had felt dead for so long, giving up on his dreams, settling for mediocrity and knowing his worth, that one look from Blaine, one song, had him believing.

They decided to get the awkward moment at Blaine's apartment over and done with so Blaine could prepare for his gig tonight that he couldn't afford to cancel. They travelled together, barely talking, but not uncomfortable as Blaine wondered how Sebastian would take him leaving, how he would take Kurt's presence. As they entered the apartment, it seemed so quiet that Blaine started to believe that Sebastian had gone out but as they made more noise getting his stuff sorted in the living room area, Sebastian came out of the bedroom, fully dressed this time and just stared.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, ashamed but curious.

"Packing Seb, I'm moving out."

"But you can't," Sebastian said, as panic started in his stomach, "We need to talk about this Blaine, you can't leave."

"Yes I can and I will," Blaine said, still not looking at Sebastian and packing his belongings into a suitcase as Kurt stood by the doorframe.

"Blaine, wait, we need to talk about this, Blaine please," he said, as his voice got louder, more desperate.

"No," Blaine shouted as he stood facing Sebastian, "We don't need to talk. What you did was abhorrent and we're over."

Sebastian paused, already feeling defeated. His shoulders sunk and he sat on the sofa watching Blaine as he packed. His eyes suddenly alighted on Kurt by the door and he got up abruptly.

"Who are you?" he shouted, indignant that someone else was watching them deal with this.

Kurt said nothing, his cheeks flushing. He didn't want to intrude but wasn't sure how safe Blaine would be on his own here.

"This is Kurt," Blaine said, not even stopping his packing and now walking to the bedroom to continue packing there.

"Kurt?" Sebastian said, as he followed Blaine, "So this is the guy you've been seeing behind my back?" Kurt blanched at that. He didn't want to be the 'other guy' and he definitely didn't want to be here.

"No never behind your back, I've been completely honest with you Seb, he's here to help me." Kurt really hoped he hadn't been completely honest with him after all.

"Blaine, please listen," Sebastian started pleading as he followed Blaine around the bedroom.

"Ok," Blaine said suddenly, "Carry on, what do you have to say?" Blaine looked so hard at Sebastian, Kurt nearly felt sorry for the guy. "Well, what do you have to say?"

Sebastian looked shocked at being addressed directly after so much pleading and he clearly didn't know what to say.

"I guess, I'm sorry," he said weakly, "I shouldn't have done what I did."

"Ok," Blaine said, suddenly feeling defeated looking at this pathetic man that he had thought he had loved, had tried to help.

"I want you to stay Blaine, we can sort this, I mean it, I'll try," Sebastian said as he pleaded with his eyes. Blaine looked kindly on him, his stance no longer solid and stern. He had a sudden image of Sebastian on their holiday in Paris last year, before the gambling debt, before the arguments and disillusionment with life. Blaine remembered laughing and drinking with him one night at the bar and he had never felt lighter. He knew he had loved Sebastian then but looking at this man now, sunken in on himself on the bed, so desperate, so changed, he knew he needed to be apart from him.

"I don't think I can stay Seb," he said kindly, all confidence and malice out of his voice. "I think we need to separate and I'll contact you when I think things through. You need help and I need to get a new place. I'll get the movers to collect the rest of my stuff when I find a place and you can live here for a while but you need to start paying rent soon, I can't do it for long."

Panic really set in now in Sebastian's eyes as he realised how much he had relied upon Blaine and his money.

"I'll see you soon then?" Blaine said as he finished collecting items from the bathroom.

"Yeah, ok," Sebastian said, diminished, half the man he was even just a moment ago. Kurt looked on sadly and felt sorry for this guy but he followed Blaine out of the apartment and didn't look back.

xXx

Blaine checked into his hotel, Kurt following him, Blaine clearly needing space but Kurt unsure how to leave. They stood outside the hotel and Kurt suddenly said that he'd better go sort out some stuff before work tomorrow.

"See you tonight?" Blaine asked with hope in his voice. Kurt looked at him carefully and noticed the desperation in his face as he said yes, he would be there. Blaine told him the address of the bar in Manhattan and they agreed to meet there just before 8. Just as Kurt turned to go in the opposite direction to Blaine, Blaine tugged his elbow, forcing him to turn back and look.

"Thank you for today Kurt, I couldn't have done it without you," Blaine said sincerely, "I hope I didn't put you out too much?"

"No, not at all Blaine. I'm just glad you're safe," Kurt said smiling. There was an awkward silence then, neither man wanting to leave, something left unsaid.

"What is this Kurt?" Blaine whispered between them, seeming to get closer as he looked at Kurt's eyes hoping to find answers, "What are we?"

"I think we're in between something," Kurt said after a while, just as quietly as Blaine, "Perhaps we're in the crossfire." Blaine only nodded and returned to the hotel behind him as Kurt walked on his way.