Monday May 4th, 12.10pm

As Blaine walked into the pre-decided café where he would be meeting Sam, he let out a sigh of relief. Not only was he apparently starving to death, hed also just survived one of the most embarrassing moments of his entire life.

His bag. His trusty, reliable satchel.  Theyd been through so much together and this is how it pays him back? And his stomach. Part of his being.  His friend. Now both his mortal enemies.  Hed never felt so betrayed.

"Blaine!" Sam called from a table at the back of the café, beckoning to him with a wave.

Head down, Blaine made his way past the busy tables toward his friend. His friend that would never fall off his shoulder.  Or speak up at the most inappropriate times. Well, mostly.

"Hey Sam" Blaine mumbled, sitting in the seat next to him.  He placed the passport form on the table, and then dropped his bag onto the ground with a thud and a dirty look.

"Whoa...rough morning?" Sam asked, glancing at the heap of satchel.

"You have no idea. Its a long story and I dont really want to talk about it..." Blaine started.

"Oh.  Well, in that case, forget I ever..."

"BANANA!" Blaine interrupted, waving his hands at Sam.

"When has ‘Banana ever been an appropriate response to ANYTHING?!  Im such an idiot!  And that BAG!"  He dropped his head onto the table in a this-is-quite-dramatic-even-for-drama-student show of frustration.

Sam looked concerned.  He motioned to the waiter nearby.

"Do you want a coffee, Blaine? We can talk it out?"

"I dont think caffeine is the best option" Blaine muttered into the table.  He lifted his head and looked at the waiter. 

"Hot chocolate? With cream? And marshmallows? And those little rainbow coloured sprinkly things you normally only give to kids? Those.  Gimme some of those too.  And no scrimping."

"That bad, huh?"  The waiter asked.

"I dont want to talk about it" Blaine repeated.  "But I would like a blueberry muffin."

The waiter looked to Sam-partially for his order, and partially to confirm via eye movements that his friend wasnt actually as insane as he was acting.

"Ill take an espresso" Sam said.  He looked at Blaine who was currently dismembering an innocent drinking straw that had been left on the table.  The straw was in pieces.  "I think Im going to need it. Ill take a muffin, too."

As the waiter nodded in sympathy and left, Sam looked back at Blaine. The straw had now been joined by two sachets of sugar and placed on the table in the shape of a frowning face.

"Ok.  Start at the beginning.  Tell me everything" he prompted.

Blaine sighed dramatically. 

"Ok, so you called me this morning, remember? And I was going to get forms for a passport? Well, I went into that new travel place."

"Flights of Fancy?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. That one.  Anyway, I stood in the centre of the store waiting for someone to call me over, and then a voice spoke to me.  Sam.  That voice."

"Wait, are we talking ‘voices in the head type voices?  Because if we are, I should have ordered something much stronger than an espresso."

"No Sam.  Im not going crazy." Blaine promised. 

"The voice came from a very attractive man, roughly my age. Kurt.  Legs to his neck, profile of a marble statue, hair in the most perfect coif that anyone has ever accomplished.  He had the most incredible eyes and his clothes.  His clothes.  His pants looked like they were painted onto those obscenely long, muscular legs and they were work pants, Sam. Nobody looks that good in work pants.  And did I mention his legs?"

"A few times..."

"Well, theyre worth mentioning.  Anyway, there I was, standing in front of him, when my bag..." He shot his satchel another disapproving look, "....my bag decided to fall off my shoulder and land in front of him.  I nearly died, Sam.  I was so mortified.  And what did Kurt do?"  Blaine asked.

"Ummm...did he laugh at you?"

"He picked it up.  From the floor.  He bent in front of me, picked it up and placed it into my hands.  And thats not even the worst part!"

Blaine put his face into his hands just as the waiter came back to the table with their drinks and muffins.

"Thanks" he sighed, perking up slightly when he saw the flake, chocolate sauce and tiny colourful sprinkles piled onto the whipped cream.  He raised an eyebrow at the waiter.

The waiter shrugged his shoulders. "It looked like you needed it." he smiled.

"Thank you" Blaine repeated.  "I really do".

He took a bite of his muffin before continuing his story.  "So, I followed him back to his desk and told him I needed a passport form. And somehow ended up describing myself as a passport virgin."

Sam nearly choked on his espresso as he tried to hold back a laugh.

"Go ahead.  Laugh at the dumb human.  Anyway, I got the form, and he asked if there was anything else he could help with.  And my stomach rumbled so loud I wouldnt be surprised if it registered on the Richter scale."

"Oh man.  And then what did you do?" Sam asked.

Blaine took a sip of his drink. 

"I shouted "BANANA" at him and left."

"Oh, Blaine." Sam sympathised.  "But at least its done now?  You have the form?"

"Yeah, right here", Blaine said-gesturing toward the pile of papers on the table beside him.  And sending his multi-coloured sprinkle covered hot chocolate flying all over it.

He stared in horror at the brown and rainbow coloured liquid covering the forms he had fought so hard for.

"No.  No no no!" he cried, dabbing at the forms with a napkin before resigning himself to the fact that they were a lost cause.  "What am I going to do now?!"

Sam sighed.  "Finish your muffin and Ill finish mine.  There is a post office a block away.  Well walk there and get you another form, ok?"

"Ok" Blaine conceded.

**

Having finished their food, Sam and Blaine walked toward the post office.

"How you holding up there, buddy?" Sam asked, giving Blaine a solid but friendly pat on the back.

"Travel is hard work, Sam.  I dont understand why so many people recommend it." Blaine declared.

As they entered the post office, Sam didnt have the heart to tell Blaine that he wasnt actually travelling yet.  He just nodded sympathetically.

They approached the counter and Blaine smiled at the middle aged woman behind the computer screen.

"One passport form, please" he said calmly. 

He could do this.  See?  This was easy.  He was a pro! He could do anything! The world was his oyster!

"Oh Im sorry, dear.  Were all out.   Should have some more in a week or two? Theyre on back order, you see..."

"Back order? What...they cant...I cant...." Blaine stammered, panic filling his voice.

Blaine felt a calming but firm hand on his arm as Sam thanked the teller and guided Blaine away from members of the general public.

"Sam.  What am I going to do? I need a form! Im living the dream!" he exclaimed.

"Well, Blaine.  Im not really sure how to say this.  But I think there is only one option."

"I rescue the old forms, bleach them part white, call it modern art and get rich on the sales?"

"You have to go back to Flights of Fancy" Sam concluded.

Blaine sighed.

"I was scared you would say that".