Kurt gives him a pointed and silent stare, as if to say, do you really have to ask?

“It was too much,” Blaine said to no one in particular.

They sat on a metal bench outside the Gap, Kurt waiting for Peter to ask him on a fake coffee date, and Blaine waiting on Jeremiah to do the same. Blaine was fidgeting nervously, hoping to God that Jeremiah would emerge from the store right that second. Kurt only rolled his eyes, hoping by some stroke of luck that Peter would exit the Gap first and they could just abandon the plan altogether. But since when was luck ever kind to Kurt Hummel?

Jeremiah appeared through the double doors, and Blaine stood hesitantly.

“Jeremiah, Hey!” Blaine said with a quiver in his voice. He was proud of his acting skills.

Jeremiah lifted his hood over his head as if he was mortified to even be seen talking to the boy who had just serenaded him.

“What the hell were you doing?”

“What?” Blaine said cheerily. He must have thought up a more complex plan. I’d better just go along with it.

As much as Kurt wanted Blaine to be Jeremiah-free, seeing the boy he so admired being shot down still felt terrible. He really hasn’t figured it out yet Kurt thought. Blaine’s voice was so pure and innocent, as if he imagined maybe Jeremiah had just been shy while they’d been singing to him.

“I just got fired.” Jeremiah told him, “You can’t just ‘bust a groove’ in the middle of somebody else’s workplace,” Suddenly Jeremiah looked much older to Kurt.

“But they loved it,” Blaine’s eyes clouded with panic, as if to say 'Did someone hit you over the head?' He couldn’t figure out why in the world Jeremiah wasn’t sticking to the plan, unless maybe he thought he actually had a chance with Peter…

“Yeah, well my boss didn’t,” Blaine could feel Kurt’s eyes on his back, “Neither did I.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “No one here knows I’m gay…”

“Can I be honest?” Kurt interrupted. Jeremiah looked at him as if Kurt was about to force him to endure a Gap Attack every day for the rest of his life, “Just with the hair, I think they do.”

He knew it was wrong, but it felt so good to get it out. This guy was turning Blaine down anyway. Blaine, this amazing boy… this boy who deserved so much more than Jeremiah. This boy who had only ever tried to impress him. Kurt figured he was allowed to be a little rude.

“Blaine,” he said, ignoring Kurt completely, “Let’s just be clear here, you and I got coffee twice… We’re not dating.”

Kurt knew this might crush him, but helping Blaine get over this asshole would be so gratifying.

“If we were, I’d get arrested cuz you’re underage…” He said, patting Blaine on the shoulder. Kurt knew he looked older…

Jeremiah turned on the spot and left without saying goodbye.

Blaine looked over at his friend before sitting next to him on the bench once more. Kurt put his arm around Blaine as the shorter boy rested his head on Kurt’s shoulder. Out of impulse alone Blaine’s hand reached over, and placed itself on Kurt’s knee. He trailed his thumb back and forth over the fabric of Kurt’s pants. He’d make a fool of himself any day if it ended like this. He could have sworn Kurt’s hand was about to cover his, when suddenly the other boy was standing.

“Peter!” He said, running into the arms of the Gap employee as he stepped through the same doors Jeremiah had emerged from a few minutes earlier. It took an enormous amount of effort for Blaine to cover his scowl. He’d forgotten all about Peter…

Peter turned towards Blaine, slipping his hand into Kurt’s, linking their fingers together. He was really going for it. Kurt thought, and he was so grateful. To Kurt it felt reminiscent of holding Mercedes’ hand when they would walk down the hallways of McKinley.

“You must be Blaine,” Peter said, thrusting his free hand into Blaine’s face. He shook it hard and rose from the bench without a word. “I’ve heard so much about you,”

It felt like a punch to the stomach.

“Same,” Blaine said, realizing that he really hadn’t heard anything about Peter… “I should be going,” Blaine said, pointing over his shoulder and beginning to turn away.

“Wait,” Peter said frantically, he seemed to muster up all of his courage, as if he were meeting Kurt’s parents. Blaine realized that maybe Peter was trying to impress him. “You’re Kurt’s best friend… and I think it’s about time we got to know each other,”

Blaine was sure the time to get to know Peter was most definitely not today. Actually, he believed it was as far from this moment as was physically possible.

“Do you want to have coffee with us?” Kurt insisted with a smile, “Maybe a Medium Drip will cheer you up,”

“You know my coffee order?”

“You’re my best friend, of course I do,” and there it was again. Forever his friend. Nothing more. He’d have to get used to it, and although he wanted nothing more than to get in his car and blast Top 40’s hits, belting them so loudly that pedestrians stopped to stare, Blaine decided he better make sure Peter was as great as everyone said he was, and the sooner the better.

“Sure,” he said weakly.

~.~*~.~

Blaine trailed behind the other two boys by a few steps as they entered the coffee shop. Kurt’s arm was linked into the crook of Peter’s elbow, and because Peter was significantly taller than Kurt, his head rested against the arm of Pete’s coat. Blaine scowled as they approached the counter inside the Lima Bean.

“I’ll have an Iced Chai Tea Latte, and how about a Grande Non-fat Mocha for this cutie,” Peter cupped his hand away from Kurt, and whispered loudly, “with extra whipped cream,”

“Pete! A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!” Kurt huffed playfully, swatting at the arm he was still holding.

“I just thought my date deserved a drink as sweet as he is,” Peter smiled down at Kurt. Blaine’s stomach churned.

“He- He knows your coffee order?” Blaine stuttered out to Kurt, shattering the moment the two boys had shared.

“Name?” The zit-ridden barista behind the counter asked listlessly, holding a sharpie up to Peter’s cup.

“Of course he does,” Kurt said dismissively to Blaine.

Fucking Chai Tea Lattes Blaine thought to himself.

“E-L-P-H-A-B-O-Y” Peter spells out.

Kurt’s cheeks turn crimson as he hip checks his co-star blithely.

“I hate it when he does that,” Kurt says to Blaine.

“You love it when I do that,” Peter counters.

Kurt smiles and it’s excruciatingly endearing. The two boys walk off together, toward the pick-up station.

“Grande Medium Drip,” Blaine says sourly, stepping up to the counter “And I’ll have one of those cupid cookies.”

Biting that little shit’s head off is going to be shamefully therapeutic. Blaine thinks, Next time strike us both, you fucking bastard.