Blaine knew that if he went to Kurt's place looking scruffy he would know he'd spent the whole day in his underwear. He knew that if he turned up immaculately dressed that Kurt would be suspicious too, perhaps under the impression that he was trying to impress him. He couldn't win.

He finally opted for a casual but 'god-damn sexy' outfit - his tight dark jeans and a polo shirt – casual but tight enough to show he hadn't been lounging about all day. He took a deep breath outside the building that Tabitha had told him would house Kurt if he was in. There was no buzzer so he walked up to the loft where he knew that Kurt shared a place with Rachel. The stairs gave him an opportunity to breathe and take in the height of the apartment, the big space, the slightly dank smell of old apartments that were designed for storage rather than living. Blaine wondered why Kurt didn't get a nicer place, more money, better neighbourhood, as he stood watching the sliding door, no courage, no oomph to finally knock and enter.

Kurt was preparing to go to bed inside the apartment. Having finished making a cup of tea and dressed in his pyjamas he was walking past the sliding doors to his own bedroom area when he thought he could hear a loud sigh.

Rachel was out and although he hated to admit it, he didn't really enjoy going to bed without someone there to help lock up and turn out all the lights. He would often imagine noises – creaks, cracks in the walls, ghosts, burglars - and he felt foolish that he had imagined something again. He continued walking to his bedroom when he heard a scuffle of feet and another loud breath. Someone was there.

Grabbing a heavy blunt object from the backless bookshelf, Kurt approached the door, placing his hot tea to one side. He slid the door open swiftly, lifting the object high to threaten whoever was behind the door. Before Kurt saw him, he heard the loud squeal of fear and panic.

"What are you doing?" Blaine screeched in his rarely used higher register. "Is this how you greet all your visitors?"

"What are you doing here?" Kurt shouted, finally putting the object down, his hands shaking with sudden adrenaline. "Why were you outside my door breathing heavily?"

"I was about to knock," Blaine said quietly, suddenly aware that he must have seemed a creeper. He walked in slightly casually as Kurt leaned on the open door and inadvertently gave him space.

"And how do you know my address?" Kurt shouted again, following him into the apartment. He kept close to Blaine as he wandered around as if he might suddenly steal or break something precious. Blaine didn't know where to sit or what to do and he suddenly started crunching his knuckles. He realised what he was doing and stuffed them in his pockets.

Kurt looked over Blaine, his body tensed, his hands in his pockets, his gaze facing downwards and his own shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Why are you here Blaine?" he whispered.

Blaine looked up, his eyes slightly wider, not sure how to answer and Kurt had the sudden idea that he looked like a deer in headlights or worse that Kurt might be a hunter.

"I don't know," Blaine said suddenly laughing but without humour, "I had a plan on the way over here, I guess I run out of steam while I walked."

Kurt took his tea from its place by the door.

"Well would you like a drink while you decide?" Kurt asked.

"Tea, thanks," Blaine whispered, a little embarrassed that it wasn't a stronger drink to match what he knew Kurt was used to seeing him drink.

"I saw you on television tonight," Blaine said quietly, aware that Kurt might not be able to hear him from his place in the kitchen. Kurt did. He turned as the kettle boiled.

"You did? I thought you were supposed to join me?"

"I couldn't make it," Blaine said simply, not wanting to give himself away but Kurt's surly expression as he nodded in acceptance let Blaine know that he knew what had happened with Sebastian and the photos. Blaine was suddenly angry. Kurt had turned away, his attention on making the tea and he didn't trust himself not to make a comment.

"You can't help but judge me, can you?" Blaine said getting up and moving closer to the kitchen. "You hate me, can't stand my guts all because I'm better than you at your job and you know it. You stand there, looking all high and mighty, diva-like and a little precious in your monogrammed pyjamas making tea and you judge me?" Blaine scoffed. Kurt looked at him for a long while and he finally took a long breath, his expression cold, his eyes unfeeling.

"No I don't judge you," he said simply, "But someone should before you ruin yourself."

Blaine looked a little alarmed. "What do you mean?"

"Oh I don't mean the casual sex and the over indulgence with alcohol – that describes most models, it's what we do to survive. I mean your self-esteem, your identity, your beauty."

Blaine looked even more confused and Kurt considered that maybe he wasn't totally sober from the day before.

"Beauty?" And Kurt laughed that Blaine would fixate on that word.

"Oh not your beauty on the outside Blaine," Kurt said as if he was talking to a five year old. He took their teas and sat down on the sofas as Blaine followed. "You don't have any other beauty?"

Blaine thought about it for a moment. The only time he really felt beautiful was when he played the piano. As if his eyes were magnets they suddenly alighted on the piano in the corner of the room.

"You have a piano?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, Rachel's dads gave it to her for Christmas. They said they couldn't be expected to visit New York without the prospect of dinner theatre," Kurt laughed.

"Rachel's dads? Plural?"

"Oh yeah, they're gay. Rachel only met her mum a few years ago actually. Long story."

"So you play?"

"I used to when I was a kid," Kurt said, eyeing the piano, "But I suppose I don't use it as much now. Do you play?"

"Yeah but I don't own a piano. My parents do but I was only ever allowed to play when I said I was practicing, never for pleasure."

"You can now, if you like," Kurt said then continued when Blaine looked up expectantly and with slight confusion. "Play I mean, for pleasure."

Blaine eyed the piano again a little suspiciously as if it would be suddenly taken away or it would disappear. It seemed a massive object despite the large space of the apartment and he realised he hadn't played for years, ever since he'd left home. He suddenly wondered if he would forget and he stood in preparation, continuing to eye it, size it up, see if he could work with the magic it might produce. Kurt looked at him carefully in silence, understanding and giving him time. He sat back as Blaine walked over to the instrument and sat down, letting his fingers walk over the keys, trying out different melodies, snippets of songs until he started playing a new song. He had that gift where hearing a song once or twice allowed him to be able to play, effortlessly knowing where to place his fingers. His parents had taught him well.

Kurt watched as he started to recognise the song that Blaine was playing. Without seeming to realise he was doing it, Blaine started to sing quietly, almost to himself and Kurt watched, mesmerised.

You tell all the boys "No"
Makes you feel good, yeah.
I know you're out of my league
But that won't scare me away, oh, no

Kurt started to sing the next verse and Blaine looked up in surprise but turned his concentration back to the keys, hoping he wouldn't ruin it for Kurt as he sang.

You've carried on so long,
You couldn't stop if you tried it.
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it,
But I'm gonna try.

They sang together, locking eyes and understanding:

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?
Would you let me see beneath your perfect?
Take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?

Blaine seemed about to sing the rest but Kurt effectively stopped him by singing slightly louder and Blaine could only watch Kurt sing as he continued to play the piano. His eyes widened when he saw Kurt sing so directly to him as if he wanted him to understand, so Blaine watched carefully, only occasionally looking at the keys below.

You let all the boys go
Makes you feel good, don't it?
Behind your Broadway show
I heard a boy say, "Please, don't hurt me"

Kurt knew. He smiled slightly, kindly at Blaine as he continued to sing to him and Blaine could only stare as Kurt sang a promise to a guy he didn't really know and who had let him down a few times.

You've carried on so long
You couldn't stop if you tried it.
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it.
But I'm gonna try

With a final smile at Blaine, Kurt let him sing with him. Blaine could feel tears spring to his eyes at the simple pleasure singing to another guy could produce.

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?
Would you let me see beneath your perfect?
Take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?

I'm gonna climb atop your ivory tower
I'll hold your hand and then we'll jump right out
We'll be falling, falling but that's OK
'Cause I'll be right here
I just wanna know

Blaine sang on his own finally and Kurt let him give more of himself than he knew he had ever done before.

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful?
Would you let me see beneath your perfect?
Take it off now, boy, take it off now, boy

'Cause I wanna see inside

Knowing the song meant a little more to them, superficial models who were beautiful only on the surface it would seem, they sang together and laughed slightly. Their voices blended so well that Kurt didn't want it to end.

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?
See beneath your beautiful, oh, tonight.
We ain't perfect, we ain't perfect, no.
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?

Blaine finished beautifully, looking once again at the keys and letting the notes play out. He stopped but didn't look up.

"Why did you come here Blaine?" Kurt whispered in the silence.

Blaine looked up slowly, carefully gauging Kurt's meaning and deciding what to say, what barrier to put up.

"I think I wanted to shout at you, tell you that you shouldn't hate my guts like you said on television tonight, even though I know you should, even though I know I'm not what you need. I know I'm way out of your league but I don't want to be and what I did last night probably wasn't my shining hour, wasn't the best decision I ever made and I – I guess – well now I'm just rambling."

Kurt had got up as Blaine had started to talk but Blaine wasn't able to look in his direction, so unsure of what he was saying and what he really meant. He looked up as Kurt gripped the piano now in front of him, his eyes boring holes into Blaine, searching him, begging him to finish.

"I like it when you ramble," Kurt said, "You seem less confident and cocky. You seem real."

Blaine smiled. "I am real," he said.

"Not all the time," Kurt said by way of explanation, "I wish you were real all the time. This Blaine," he said gesturing to the small sweet boy that sat on the piano stool in front of him. "This Blaine is real, this Blaine is beautiful."

"I'm not beautiful," Blaine said sadly, tears appearing in his eyes as he started to shake his head.

Kurt huffed out in annoyance and sat down next to Blaine on the piano stool. Blaine looked a little startled seeing him so close. Kurt's blue eyes were shining with so much clarity that Blaine felt compelled to look.

"It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside Blaine," Kurt said, "It doesn't matter what you do or what you say, when I see you and I mean the real you, you complete – I mean, I feel..." Kurt seemed to come a little unstuck and Blaine tried to help by placing his hand gingerly on the bottom of Kurt's thigh as it rested next to his own. Although it didn't relax Kurt in any way, he did seem to come to some kind of conclusion in his mind. He looked up and smiled at Blaine.

"When I see the real you Blaine," he whispered, "You move me. As I watched you sing I understood you and the only thing I want to do is...." Kurt's voice became steadily quieter and Blaine was about to ask him what Kurt wanted to do when Kurt came even closer, placed his fingers on Blaine's chin and touched his lips with his own. They moved gently and Blaine could feel himself come undone like a ball of ribbon falling down the stairs. It was so gentle and soft, so slow and sensual it made Blaine tingle and he licked his lips, causing Kurt to gasp slightly at the sensation. There was suddenly no hesitation; Kurt's hand found the back of his neck as Blaine pulled him closer by the waist.

They continued to kiss for quite a while until they run out of air and they parted – lips cherry red and eyes blown wide in wonder.

"You kissed me," Blaine gasped out, almost accusingly.

"Yes," Kurt said, blushing but laughing, "You didn't want me to?"

"Oh fuck of course I did," Blaine said as he realised what he had said, "But I thought you hated me."

"Oh I do hate the Blaine that everyone sees, I meant what I said but I know by now that that's not you, I like the real Blaine quite a lot actually." He blushed at the admission and Blaine laughed.

"Well I'll have to show him a little more then," Blaine said stroking Kurt's arm up and down, up and down and Kurt could feel his head loll to the side slightly, exposing a little of his neck, which Blaine eyed and admired. Kurt had closed his eyes and Blaine took the time to kiss his neck gently, causing Kurt to smile in pleasure.

"Care to stay and watch a movie?" Kurt asked quietly, keeping his eyes closed as Blaine continued to kiss along his neck. He noticed the sudden coldness and opened his eyes to find Blaine sitting up and looking at him in awe.

"You want me to stay?"

"Yes, were you planning to have your way with me and disappear in the middle of the night?"

Blaine looked a little shamed and a blush crept along his neck as he realised that was the usual state of affairs. Kurt smiled then laughed at Blaine's awkwardness.

"I'm afraid I won't make it easy for you," Kurt said, "If you wanna get with this, you need to work for it. I won't be messed around. I'm not like Sebastian and the others – if you're serious about wanting to show the real Blaine then you should stay and show me more and I don't mean the model Blaine who gets naked at the drop of a hat and uses sex to cover himself."

Blaine looked like he was considering his options, his eyes flitting over Kurt's perfect face and his inquisitive expression.

"I'll stay," Blaine said, "But only if we get to kiss some more."

Kurt grinned. "Of course."