Chapter Two

“Dont you find it exhausting to give 100% all the time, Rachel?” a tired sounding Kurt Hummel asked.

Normally Rachel wasnt the type to make early morning house calls like this, especially when Kurt had a rare full day off from work. Kurt treasured the days when he could celebrate the fact that he wasnt a morning person and got to lazily sleep in. Only, that day was not today, because there was Rachel, standing at Kurts doorstep like she was an expected guest. Kurt really should have known better than to think Rachel would patiently wait for him to keep his promise.

Rachels smile was sweet but formidable, so she was quickly granted access inside Kurts lovely Chelsea apartment. “Im glad youre going along with this so easily, Kurt,” she admitted.

What Kurt really wanted to do was throw Rachel out into the hallway and slam the door in her face. He still felt rather moody and the second he told her the reasons (excluding Oates boy) for his bad temper shed test his ability to no end. “Who said Im going to tell you what you want to know?” he challenged.

The two eyed one another in the front entrance for a while; such an evenly matched showdown was nothing new to them. Right from the start Kurt had a habit of keeping tight lipped when it came to his personal life and over the years Rachel had perfected how to pry information out of him.

“Because... if you refuse, youll leave me no choice but to call in the big guns...” she warned.

That was it then, hed lost. Because they both knew who Rachel was referring to and how Kurt wouldnt stand a chance against them. “Fuck! Dont bring them into this... you win...” he groaned in defeat.

Back in high school no one there had any clue about Rachel Berrys family, because it was her well-guarded secret. Only after Kurt had gained her trust (by telling her he was gay when they were fourteen) did she tell him how she had two gay dads. Hiram and Leroy Berry were two men in a loving, committed relationship, who, against all odds, got the child they longed to have. They were also Kurts (unofficial) adoptive parents whod taken him in when his real dad had died. If they found out about the attack, Kurt would never hear the end of it despite their best interests.

Rachel slipped off her jacket as she watched Kurt head over to his kitchen to make a pot of tea. He looked so stressed... she thought with concern.

“Before I tell you anything... I have terms,” Kurt said.

The vulnerability in Kurts voice held Rachels more pushy side at bay. “Alright,” she told him softly.

Kurt handed Rachel a cup of tea but he didnt bother to take one for himself or sit down, because he was too restless to keep still. The fact that Rachel was letting Kurt call the shots made it easier for him to share, but he was still nervous. “What Im about to tell you cannot leave this apartment, Rachel... no one must know. That means you cant tell our dads or even Finn, can you manage that? Keeping in mind that knowing you, youll want to the second I do,” Kurt questioned.

It almost hurt that Kurt would even have to ask her that. “Dont you trust me?” Rachel said.

Kurt had a tendency to turn to the dramatics, just like Rachel, and for once he realized now wasnt the time or place. “I do, sorry...”

“Then just tell me what happened,” Rachel pleaded.

Now there was nothing left to do but give in and retell the memories Kurt had tried so hard to forget. “I think it would be easier if I were to show you... just... dont freak out on me...”

Only after she nodded did Kurt start to unbutton his bright blue dress shirt and undid his pink and black printed zebra tie. He pulled the shirt off his shoulders and tossed it onto the nearby couch, going straight for his undershirt next. Now topless, the reason for his unease, bad temper, and resistance to tell his adoptive sister what was going on with him was finally revealed. Dark bruises ran across his torso, decorating his body and arms, along with small abrasions and shallow lacerations. It was hard to watch her reaction to seeing the battered state his body was in. When Kurt had looked in the mirror the morning after that horrible night hed nearly broken down again.

“Oh my god, Kurt... you... what happened?” Rachel shouted in surprise as she rushed forward to grab onto Kurts shoulders, only for him to flinch back in pain.

“Sorry! Im okay... I know they look bad and my body's super tender but you need to remember that Im here and Im okay. Also keep in mind I bruise super easy...” Kurt explained.

“What happened?” Rachel repeated.

Kurt flopped down into his arm chair and winced on impact, a foolish move to make but he was in no mood to slowly sit down. “It happened last Monday night... when I was walking home after stopping to make one final check in at the club. It was like... 2am or something and I decided to just walk the last stretch of my journey home. At first it was nothing out of the ordinary, typical Manhattan at that hour, a few noisy drunks, stuff like that. Then I walked by two guys who started making crude remarks that I soon realized were directed at me. Calling me the usual insults, ones I hear all the time and instantly ignore. I was still in my club attire so I guess I stood out like a gay sore thumb. When I paid no attention to them they decided to follow me and thats when their verbal taunts got worse. In my distraction I didnt realize the real danger I was in... not until I turned the corner and discovered Id walked right into a trap. Theyd herded me down an alleyway where two guys were lying in wait,” Kurt said, pausing to take a long breath.

“Oh Kurt...” Rachel whispered.

There was a good reason why Kurt didnt break down or start to cry while he was telling the story to Rachel. On that horrific night Kurt had come fully unhinged and cried out all of his pain without holding back. By the time he was finished there were no tears left in him to cry out, something he was grateful for now. “There was nowhere to run; it was five against one and no one was around to help me. I was on my own. When they came at me I tried to fight them off but it wasnt long before I hit the ground. They were relentless and I was so numb to the physical pain by this point I lashed out at them the only way I could, with words,” Kurt spat bitterly.

“Oh no, you didnt!” Rachel exclaimed.

Kurt threw his head back to let out a sarcastic laugh. None of what he was telling was humorous but the laughter still came. “I was a fucking idiot, Rachel, but throwing those hateful words back in their shocked faces felt so damned good. Too bad they turned out to be sore losers and thats when things... quickly escalated... the ring leader pulled a metal pipe on me,” Kurt confessed.

“What?” Rachel said with a gasp.

“Yeah, I was terrified... I really thought they wanted to kill me. They might have... but he only managed to hit me once... right here...” Kurt said, pointing to the darkest bruise on his left side of his waist. “At the exact time he took a swing at me we heard police sirens. So I didnt take the full force of the blow and I managed to get away. The ironic thing was... the cops werent even coming to my rescue, it was just a crazy fluke.”

“What did you do?”

“I ran for my life, they called after me, but I had a decent head start so I lost them but kept on running. Then I hid behind a dumpster for a solid hour until I was sure they were gone. Once I gained the courage to move I ran straight home, collapsed inside my apartment and fell apart,” Kurt finished.

Sure enough, as soon as Kurts story was done Rachel lashed out. “Kurt! You should have called me! Called anyone! Why do you always insist on being alone during the hardest points of your life?” she cried.

“I couldnt face anyone Rachel! I was too broken down to even deal with the people I love!” Kurt shouted back.

“Then you should have at least called me after youd recovered enough!” Rachel countered.

“I was trying to put it behind me, so I could move on with my life!”

Rachel forced herself to calm down, because having a shouting match wouldnt do either of them any good. So she changed tactics and came to stand in front of Kurt, whod gotten up to put his undershirt back on. “Kurt, why couldnt you have at least told me sooner?” she asked softly.

This time Kurt didnt pull away or flinch when Rachel reached out to touch the sides of his face; he placed his own hands over hers. He was crying now, tears he wanted so very much to hold in, but it was no use. “I just wanted that horrible night to go away... I didnt want to relive it, I was so scared Rachel. If I were to stop and think about how unfair the world is then my entire life could pass me by. I owe it to myself... and Adam... to keep living in the now, not the then,” Kurt replied.

“Did you at least report the attack?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Why? What good would that have done? Why do I have to be the one to put my life on the line? I dont care if people think I took the coward's path. Nothing would have come of it... I dont know who they were and gay bashings arent very top priority as far as crimes go either,” Kurt dismissed.

At first Rachel was about to protest, which would only set off another heated argument but she caught herself in time to stop. Kurt didnt need that, he was acting too stubborn and all because he was still scared on the inside. Kurts life was full of loss, far too much that any one person (especially one so young) should have to endure. So she climbed into Kurts lap, and hugged him tight.

Kurt took what Rachel was offering him and he finally allowed himself to cry out the left over tears. Rachel joined in and they sobbed in each other's arms for a long while; until the unconditional support and comfort they gave each other helped them recover.

“Thanks, I really needed that...” Kurt breathed.

“Has there been any sign of them since then?” Rachel demanded.

Kurt shook his head. “No... nothing... and the next day I went to the clinic and got myself checked out. Im okay, amazingly, they didnt break any bones and there was no internal bleeding. Just a lot of bruises and a few abrasions. Im still sore but already the worst is over and honestly... I just want to forget about the whole thing and get on with my life,” Kurt repeated with a tired sigh.

Rachel scooted off of Kurts lap, went over to his impressive collection of VHS tapes and started to look for a good movie to watch. “Then were pampering ourselves today, Kurt. Its your day off right?” she asked Kurt, who nodded in confirmation.

Every once in a while Kurt indulged in a total day off from both of his jobs and today was such a day. That was the whole reason hed given in to telling Rachel what was bothering him because hed have ample time to recover. It also meant he didnt have to deal with that stupid Oates guy, who Kurt refused to apologize to. Only when hed done enough to redeem himself would Kurt begin to let up and it was going to take a lot. Right now he was more inclined to enjoy a day of self-indulgence with his favourite gal pal and not worry about any curly haired boys. “Sounds good to me,” Kurt agreed.
______________________________________________________________________________

To his surprised relief, there was no need for Blaine to avoid Hummel the following day at work, since the man in question wasnt around. His day kept on getting better when Stephan appeared after his and Sams first full show to say theyd done a bang up job. With his job secure and going well, Blaine was fine to relax, though he was a little curious about Hummel (generally speaking). But he was too reluctant to voice any of the impressions Blaine had made of Hummel so far, since none were good. Hummel, for all his snarky nature, seemed to be very adored (worshipped even) and by none more than Stephan.

“So Blaine, I hear your first encounter with my second in command didnt go so well,” Stephen began, right when Blaine had planned to head for home.

“Man, word sure gets around this place pretty quick... thats something I need to remember,” Blaine muttered. But then he realized this was his boss he was talking to and he blushed a little, looking far younger than his twenty-six years. “Honestly... no, it did not. I think Ive made an enemy there...” he admitted too quickly to stop himself. “Which was completely unintentional!”

Stephan laughed loudly, patting Blaine hard on the shoulder. “Oh Blaine, dont worry... Hummel is a tough one yes... but hes very fair. Just keep doing what youre doing and hell come around, youll see,” he assured.

Im not sure I want him to... Blaine thought to himself. So far Blaines brush with Hummel had left him with a lasting impression, one he doubted could be easily changed, because no amount of good looks should make up for acting that rude. Blaine was usually a firm believer that everyone deserved a second chance but even he had his limits. The whole club was already talking (more like gossiping) about the showdown last night and how Blaine was a man with a death sentence. Nobody made it at the club without Hummels blessing, he might only be the co-manager but he was the one person everyone, both staff and club goers alike, tried to please the most. What in the world had he done to become so exalted? Maybe the questions Blaine really should be asking were whom and how many.

Right when Blaine was letting his mind wander a bit too much, Sam came to his rescue, bringing back his usual friendly grin. What came next was an enjoyable evening where Stephan bought them both a drink before getting back to work, and Blaine and Sam spent the night bonding over their common interests. The end result left both men a little more than merely tipsy but not wasted, which meant they just felt rather silly.

“God! I cant remember the last time Ive felt this good, well... when Im not with a girl anyway,” Sam admitted with a merry sigh.

Blaine laughed; he knew the feeling, aside from the fact that in Blaines case hed feel this good when he was with a guy instead of a girl. Life was so stressful at times. Hed gone from worry about surviving high school, coming out, getting his life together at college and now, he was stressing over making enough money to keep afloat. “How about you come back to my place? The apartment Im at isnt much...”

“It will beat the hotel Im used to, so yeah... Ill come over... just... I hope youre not expecting anything...” Sam teased.

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Hows the whole passing off as gay thing going for you?” he asked.

Sam shrugged. “Okay I guess. Im starting to think it wasnt necessary, but I really had no idea what to expect. I mean, gay guys have every reason to be suspicious of straight guys...”

“Yes, but then hopefully most of us know not to judge every single straight person. I think maybe you should at least tell Stephan... he seems trustworthy,” Blaine offered. Unlike Hummel, Blaine added begrudgingly to himself.

“Ill keep that in mind,” Sam said.

They headed over to Blaines little New York apartment next, which wasnt in the best location as far as the city went but Blaine was well aware there were way worse places to live. “So just to warn you... my roommate, Hunter, hes... kind of a prick,” Blaine admitted as they made it to his front door.

“In the good kind of way?” Sam asked absentmindedly.

Blaine laughed. “No... hes horrible... I honestly swear he could be a drug dealer... or a super villain... I dunno. Anyway, hopefully hes not there... cause Ive been lucking out when it comes to avoiding jerks today,” he explained.

Sam walked inside the small two bedroom apartment and eyed Blaine. “You mean what happened between you and Hummel?”

Blaines shoulders sagged. “Oh god not you too, everyone seems to know! I swear I wasnt trying to get into his pants! I just wanted to see what he thought about our first performance! Spilling his drink on him wasnt my fault either... or--” Blaine began but he quickly cut himself off mid-sentence. Hed almost forgotten how hed decided not to tell anyone about walking in on Hummel while was changing or the bruises hed seen. “... anything else you might have heard,” he quickly added.

“I didnt hear much, just about the drink. Do people really think you want to nail him?” Sam asked curiously.

“Apparently... how that started I have no idea,” Blaine said with a tired sigh.

“He is pretty hot though...” Sam started, only to blink at Blaines stunned expression. “What? Just because Im straight doesnt mean I cant recognize when a guy's good looking. You cant deny that Hummels a total ten, Blaine,” he challenged.

“Im not trying to. Yeah hes hot, drop dead gorgeous even... his eyes are so blue and dont get me started on his ass...” Blaine began to babble.

“Maybe you do wanna nail him?” Sam playfully observed.

“No, I most certainly do not! Hes pretty but not my type... at all. I dont like guys who lay judgement on others so easily. I sure didnt find his screaming at me that attractive either,” Blaine grumbled begrudgingly.

“Well, you better be prepared to face him tomorrow,” Sam warned.

“Ill try... but at least Ill be too focused on work for the most part. Um, want a beer?” Blaine offered as he went to the fridge.

“I dunno, Ive probably had enough already. I dont like puking if I can help it,” Sam replied.

“Well... as it turns out, I dont have any to offer you... because Hunter fucking drank them all, AGAIN!” Blaine yelled in frustration. “I tell you... Hunter is one of the straight guys who ruins it for the good ones like you, Sam,” he added.

“Im surprised youre still living here then.”

Blaine came back and handed Sam a bottle of Coke as a substitute and led him to his bedroom. He would have let them hang in the living room but there was no telling when Hunter might be back. More often than not he came at the worst possible time and Blaine was very glad he hadnt had a guy over after a date yet.

Inside Blaines tiny room were countless signs of his love of music, but there werent many personal belongings. Blaine hadnt kept much when hed moved to New York from Nevada. Hed wanted a fresh start on life and one that didnt include bitter memories of his ex. “So this is it, my bedroom,” Blaine announced.

“Classy. No way! You have the Rumours album? Thats one of my all-time faves!” Sam yelled.

“Mine too! Here lemme put it on, my record player was the only awkward thing I brought with me from Nevada. It took me too long to afford to just abandon or sell,” Blaine muttered as he put the record on and sat back on the bed.

“You must have had a pretty nasty break up then,” Sam concluded.

“He cheated on me, for well over a year, behind my back and with countless guys,” Blaine explained.

“Ouch,” Sam said as he held out his Coke bottle.

Blaine clinked his together with Sams. “Heres to a great new start,” he offered.

“Ill drink to that,” Sam agreed.

Hunter made his appearance when Oh Daddy was playing and true to his impeccable timing, it was right when Sam was heading out of the bathroom. Hunter eyed Sam up and down and smirked evilly at finding him there in his home.

“Well, well, well, looks like I finally get to see Blaines type, who knew hed be into blonds,” Hunter taunted. “But with a mouth that large I can see why...”

Sam might have been a nice guy but he wasnt as polite as Blaine, so he had no trouble in giving Hunter the back talk he deserved. “Wow, Blaines right, you are a douche,” he replied.

By this point Blaine already had dashed into the living room to referee. “This is Sam, Hunter. Hes just a friend of mine,” Blaine corrected.

Sure enough, and true to his uncaring nature, Hunter let out a mocking laugh in response. “Oh please, when it comes to you gays theres no one you wouldnt fuck. But before you start doing butt stuff you better go to Blondie's place. These walls are thin as fuck,” Hunter threw back.

Blaine resisted the urge to say what he really wanted, for the hundredth (or thousandth) time since hed moved in roughly a week and a half ago. “Give it a rest, Hunter, Im too worn out from work to tell you how wrong you are,” Blaine remarked.

Hunter was already bored of the conversation and walked into his room without another word, leaving Blaine and Sam alone and free from his rude comments.

“Welcome to my world, anyway. Want me to walk you to the subway?” Blaine offered.

Sam shook his head. “Naw, Im good,” he assured.

“Are you sure? These streets arent exactly safe at night...” Blaine started to protest.

“Im from New York Blaine, Ill be okay... thanks though, really I think its tougher for you in here than out on the streets.”

“Boy is that ever true. Ill see you at work tomorrow.”
______________________________________________________________________________

Work, when you had more than one job, meant the days were extra long and the nights longer still. So when Kurt and Blaine arrived at the club, neither were in an agreeable mood. But in this instance the main cause for their prickly tempers was simple exhaustion. Kurt was the first to arrive, as he usually did and he instantly hid his tiredness under a professional smile.

Today was just another day at the races. Hed make his usual rounds and see that everything was in order so they made a good profit, which was hardly a worry, as the club did very well in that department but Kurt knew there was no such thing as total security. New clubs were opening (and closing down) all the time and most tried to knock Dare to Flare off from its top position. But no amount of drink deals or cute boys could lure most of the establishment's loyal customers away, because Kurt knew how to keep things interesting. Be it fun theme nights or two for one shots, cutting edge music or creating a sexy paradise, whatever he was doing worked very well.

Currently Kurt was backstage and had the annoying task of delivering the cover bands set list for the evening, which meant he had to come face to face with the very person hed wanted to forget even existed. But try as he might there was no forgetting him, and fuck it all, Oates was just as cute as Kurt remembered. That was the most infuriating thing about him, next to him spilling a drink and walking in on him changing. Oates was dreamy and attractive and in any other instances, Kurt would have found him quite irresistible. But for one he was a new employee thing and they were strictly off limits (a self-imposed rule) and for another he was still on Kurts list.

“Okay Oates, heres your set list,” Kurt said with cold indifference as he shoved the stapled papers in his face.

Blaine barely had a chance to react. Hummel had come out of nowhere and was already treating him like dirt. He was almost glad; if he kept the cold bully act up then Blaine could continue despising him without any guilt. He had intended to keep his mouth shut, since he was his boss in a way and Stephan seemed to equally share his manager duties with Hummel, if not more so but then he looked at the songs. “Hold on a second, why is Open All Night on here... and ‘One on One'? Those werent in the original pick!” Blaine questioned.

Kurt turned around to give Oates an icy stare; at least he didnt have his ridiculous looking moustache on yet. “I added them. I thought you wouldnt protest... surely you must know those songs.”

“Of course I do, only we havent had any chance to practice them! You were the one to tell me that I better bring it on stage. So isnt adding these last minute kinda risky?”

“If you dont think you can manage then Ill remove them. We wouldnt want you to tank up there.”

“Like that would happen,” Blaine scoffed.

Neither man was used to arguing with another person so easily. Really both couldnt even admit to themselves that they were acting very childish (and stubborn).

“Good. As a thank you Ill make sure Sam and I are ready to perform both those songs and the entire H20 album next weekend,” Blaine sassed.

Kurts tense body language never wavered; he merely glided over to Oates, took the paper, crossed out the two added songs with his pen and handed it back. The two eyed one another in angry silence for a while after that. It was quite the stand-off and unfortunately no one was around to watch the spectacle unfold.

“You dont like me, do you?” Blaine asked at point blank.

“Not particularly, no,” Kurt answered honestly. “But youre an employee here so whatever I may personally feel will not affect our work relationship. Youre clearly a hard and dedicated worker... just keep away from me, my drinks and my office, and you and I will be okay.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. The nerve of this guy, who did he think he was? God of the gay club scene or something? He was really starting to think that Hummel had slept his way around the place to gain so much popularity. As much as Blaine hated to admit, that was common in the gay club scene and even he could barely resist it at times. Since moving to New York and experiencing a city where gay men were more forward, hed been tempted more than once to have a hot fling. Really there was no reason to hold back. Sex felt good and at the club it sure was easy to come by, so why resist? The one thing he knew for sure was that Hummel would never make the list of people he wanted to hook up with.

Kurt left without another word and headed off to his next task, thus ending the little confrontation without any clear winner. Kurt didnt like how Oates had been undressing him with his eyes (or so he thought), as if Kurt would like that somehow. Kurt knew all about the many rumours circling around the club about him, a number of which were actually true, though nothing truly scandalous had happened in the past few years, which was understandable considering the hardship hed gone through in losing Adam. Even when hed recovered enough to get back out there, trying to practice safe sex when you were a gay man was difficult at times. So when it came to sexual partners, his list wasnt very impressive (despite what most people thought). Which suited Kurt just fine anyway, he liked sex as much as the next guy but he wasnt that hard up. In reality Kurt was still very much a romantic at heart. He wanted to date and find a boyfriend to love but so far, no one special had come his way.

“Hell learn soon enough that getting me into bed isnt going to happen,” Kurt said to himself as he stormed off, far away from Oates.

Out on the dance floor everything was going smoothly and Blaine was trying to enjoy a drink after another day's work being over with. But Hummel was still in his line of vision, talking (more like flirting) with that bartender Sebastian, thus making it hard for him to keep positive. The looks Hummel gave Sebastian, right out for all to see, were totally obscene, even for this place. For fucks sake, Sebastian practically had his tongue in Hummels ear, and whatever he said made the co-manager break out laughing more than once.

“You know... if you want to be better acquainted with Hummel you need to do more than make eyes at him from here, Oates,” a voice instructed from behind.

Blaine whirled around to see a cocky looking young man with green eyes, dark brown hair that swept down over the left side of his face, who like most of the regulars was hot, but had no use for tact. Blaine was beginning to think hed never shake his nickname or the stupid rumour about how he wanted to nail Hummel at this rate. “Does every new guy want to fuck him or something?” Blaine asked.

“Usually, but theres good reason to,” Eli confirmed.

“How did someone so young even get to be co-manager?” Blaine demanded, very much wanting to change the subject to something other than Hummels sex appeal.

“For one thing hes older than he looks. Hes nearing thirty and hes been working at this club for the past ten years,” Eli explained.

Blaine couldnt stop his mouth from falling open; he wasnt sure which piece of news was more shocking. Blaine hadnt thought Hummel wasnt that much older than himself, though he could relate when it came to looking young; Blaine got IDd at bars all the time. “He got a job here that young?Fuck...”

"Anyway, hes not an easy one to land. Which is why guys usually try so hard, but who knows, you could be one of the few who get lucky,” Eli urged.

Blaine turned his nose up at the very idea. “No thank you,” he scoffed.

“Oh, in case you were wondering, my names Eli Clemmens, I go by Eli C for short though, lemme buy you a drink, Oates,” Eli offered flirtatiously.

“My actual name is Blaine,” Blaine corrected.

“Well youve already got a nickname, so I advise you learn to live with it,” Eli suggested.

“I bet I know who started that,” Blaine grumbled. He didnt care so much about the nickname or it sticking so quickly. He was more annoyed at how everyone instantly went along with it and how no one wanted to be the one to reveal Blaines first name to Hummel. It almost made him feel like was a mindless drone who didnt need one to work there.

Eli, due to Blaines readable features, could take a guess at what he was thinking. “Dont take it too personally. Its way better than Hummel not knowing who you are,” he explained.

Blaine doubted that very much. As the days passed Blaine was more curious (and again, annoyed) by Hummels popularity. “What the hell did he do to become such a god here?” he asked in a demanding tone.

Eli shrugged, but before he could begin to answer, the man in question (who had eyes like a hawk and ears like... whatever animal was known for good hearing) stepped up behind Blaine.

“Do you really wanna know, Oates? The truth might shock you,” Kurt taunted.

Blaine wished he could coolly turn around and mimic Hummels smugness but it wasnt in his nature, so he did his best to keep his demeanour relaxed. The stuffy attitude was still there but Hummel seemed different, a little less rigid even. This probably meant that Blaine was going to get his ear chewed out with no restraint. “I meant no offence,” Blaine stated.

Kurt wasnt on the clock officially so this meant his boss face was off and he could act a little more catty than usual. Kurt looked over at Eli, who instantly backed off and gave up his seat for Kurt to take. “Where do you want to begin? I can tell you wanna ask me how many guys I must have fucked to get my job. If you ask around no one will come close to the number...”

Blaine was aghast. How could he so easily admit hed.... he thought with horror, until Blaine saw Hummels smirk. The bastard was messing with him! “How do I know anything youll tell me is the truth?” he threw back.

“You wont, but I wasnt planning to lie to you. Look, let me give you some advice. Ive seen guys like you before-” Kurt began.

“You dont know a thing about me, so dont act like you know my life,” Blaine interrupted.

Kurt momentarily stopped his intended lecture to take that into account, as it was a valid claim. “Fine, my apologizes for that, but you really need to be careful. Rumours run around here like wild fire. Sometimes its better to be known for the racy stuff cause you do not want to be thrown into the boring lot, no one there lasts for long,” Kurt warned.

“Youre not making much sense. Ill get along on my own just fine, without your bad advice,” Blaine assured.

“Fine, have it your way, you can do whatever or whomever you like. Its none of my business, just...”

“Do my job up on stage, I know... I heard you the first time,” Blaine said in annoyance.

“I was actually going to say something else, but you dont need my help do you?” Kurt sassed.

Again, Blaine hardly felt like apologizing for the misunderstanding. “Feel free to go back to whatever or whoever...” Blaine began, pausing to nod over to Sebastian at the bar. “...you were planning to do. I dont need your help,” he said. Or your approval, he thought.

There was no need to say those final words out loud. Kurt could read them loud and clear by Oates resentful glare. That meant there was one employee Kurt wouldnt bother with reaching out to make sure they felt welcome and appreciated. Oates didnt need it, Kurt gathered, he was already the talk of the place and as long as Kurt wasnt involved he couldnt care less. “Right, Ill do that then, Oates,” Kurt said in closing.

“Wow, talk about getting off on a bad start,” Eli said as he came to stand beside Blaine.

“You think?” Blaine replied sarcastically.
___________________________________________________________________________

Living in New York rarely ensured a life full of glamourous parties. More often than not it was quite ordinary. Take chores for instance: laundry still needed to be regularly tended to and most New Yorkers (at least those without cash to burn) went to laundromats to clean their clothes.

In this instance Blaine didnt mind his current lackluster location at all, situated at his neighbourhood laundromat. Hunter had called him a short while ago, telling him to get out of the apartment because he was bringing someone back there that night. While he was relieved that his normally inconsiderate roommate had bothered to call, Blaine got the feeling Hunter was also insinuating that Blaine would somehow cramp his style. There was certainly no risk of Blaine stealing his dates away. Whatever the reason, Blaine needed to do laundry anyway and judging by the amount hed neglected, the job would keep in him occupied for hours.

The place was empty so Blaine chose to use that to his advantage and was glad hed brought his portable tape deck along. If Blaine had any chance to wipe that superior grin off of Hummels face when he and Sam performed the H2O album on the weekend, hed have to give it his all. That meant practising the numbers whenever the chance arose and now was a good a time as any. Only the trouble was, in his enthusiasm, Blaine quickly forgot he was in a public place. With the laundromat open for business as usual, when someone did step inside Blaine was too lost off in his own musical world to notice.

Right as Blaine was belting out the chorus to Art of Heartbreak and pulling off a flawless spin, did he turn around to finally notice the pretty Asian girl on his left who was now staring at him apprehensively. Blaine stopped his impressive, albeit slightly silly dance moves to flash a sheepish grin. “Sorry! I swear Im not a crazy person,” Blaine said in apology.

The woeful look of remorse on Blaines handsome face was enough to make the girls expression soften. “Oh good, because I was having trouble figuring out if you were... or are just really into Hall & Oates,” she admitted.

The honest (and cute) confession caused Blaine to laugh; he was glad some people in the world could still be charming. “Honestly... I might be a bit of both but not in a dangerous way I can assure you. Oh, Im Blaine by the way,” he said in greeting.

“Tina.”

Blaine smiled again. “Well then Tina, let me just turn this distracting music off...” he began.

“You dont need to do that; I was actually enjoying your performance. Youre a really good singer. Do you take requests?” Tina asked playfully.

Blaines charming smile never wavered and true to the young man's warm nature, he willingly gave her his complete attention. Blaine playfully smiled at Tina as he kept his posture relaxed, because he felt that at ease with her. “Heck, considering how youre cutting me some slack, it would be my pleasure. What would you like to hear? Mind you all I have with me is my H2O cassette so if you want musical back up, that will limit your options,” Blaine warned.

“Can I look at the case to see my options?” Tina requested.

Blaine graciously handed her the tape case and set to going through his whites as Tina considered her song choices. This was just the sort of break from his usual run in with abrasive jerks that Blaine needed.

“Ooh, can you sing Italian Girls?” Tina asked.

Funnily enough that song was one Blaine wasnt sure hed end up singing, at least not until hed run it by Hummel to change the lyrics to Italian Boys. He was still game though and so Blaine skipped back to his cassette player and tried to act natural as he flipped the tape to side B. After two attempts he eventually fast forwarded and rewound the tape enough to reach the right song. “Here goes, lets just hope no one else comes into clean their clothes. Or at least, not anyone who dislikes Hall & Oates,” Blaine said.

As soon as the music started Blaine snapped back into his performer mode and focused on entertaining Tina, who was proving to be a perfect audience. She cheered him on, clapping at his attempts to show off and never did Blaine feel like he was being ogled like a prime piece of meat. Since there was no stage separating the pair Blaine danced over to Tina and had her join in, twirling her around until she couldnt stop laughing. When Blaine went so far as to jump onto the nearest dryer and rock it out John Oates style, complete with air guitar, he was too lost in the music to notice Tinas fluttering eyes.

By the end of the impromptu mini concert, Blaine felt hed received true therapy for his tired soul, restoring his faith in humanity. He already felt eons better and Blaine tried to think of a way he could repay Tina that they could both enjoy. Blaine took a gracious bow as Tina gave him a loud round of applause, the acoustics in the roomed proving to be quite decent. “Thank you Tina, that was really fun!” Blaine wheezed, still feeling a little winded.

Tina smiled, twirling a strand of hair with her finger as she did. “Me too! It sure made my trip to the laundromat way more enjoyable,” she agreed.

Any chore, no matter how mundane could be entertaining and it all depended on who it was spent with. Both Tina and Blaine showed how they were blessed (and sometimes cursed) with the gift for gab and spent the task of washing their clothes gabbing away. Already Blaine liked Tina a great deal. She was a college senior at NYU who worked at a dance studio part-time, and was also a fellow Bangles fan. Too bad Sam was busy working at one of his other jobs because he bet Tina would get along with his friend rather well. Blaine made a mental note to slip him into the conversation at an appropriate point so he could try to play match maker.

For once Blaine was more the listener than the talker but Tina didnt seem to mind and kept their conversation going. Blaine still made sure whenever she asked him questions he shared what he felt comfortable with. He decided to go with his usual story of how he had recently moved from Nevada but didnt bother to elaborate much more about his past whereabouts before relocating to New York. One thing he totally skimmed across was the matter of his sexual orientation, only because an opening had yet to come up.

“So Tina, I happen to know a great little restaurant that is right around the corner? I dunno about you but Im starved. Who knew doing laundry could work up such an appetite? What do you say, care to join me?” Blaine suggested.

Tinas face lit up with delight from the invite, she was hoping Blaine would finally clue in enough to make a move. Times were more modern when it came to courtship rituals, so normally Tina would have acted more forward with her intentions, but Blaine had been sending her mixed signals since theyd met. “Id love to! Ill even carry my laundry bag around too.”

There was little need for that sacrifice, not when Blaine, ever the gentleman, insisted on carrying both their bags of laundry, even if it was a struggle for him. Good thing the place was nearby and nearly empty so it was easy to commandeer two tables for themselves and their wash. Once Blaine finished recommending to Tina what she should order, Blaine spent the wait for their meal trying to think of possible topics to bring up, but everything that came to mind so far sounded too personal or boring. Then there was topic Blaine was still reluctant to breach, the fact that he was an out gay man. Hed come out of the closet nearly a decade ago and yet letting the truth be known, especially to people hed just me, was as challenging as ever. At times Blaine often felt like he was obligated to introduce himself as Blaine Anderson, gay, at least when he wasnt in his subculture's turf.

“So Blaine, whats your opinion of New York so far?” asked Tina, whod noticed the drop in their conversation.

Here was a question Blaine had no trouble answering, “I love it here! But I always knew I would. I think the biggest thing since coming to live here is discovering the unappealing sides of the city and getting used to them. Its hectic crazy at times, all the people, traffic, drunks. You hear things about Manhattan... but you dont get what people mean until youre living here yourself for real,” Blaine started to ramble.

“I hear you there and when I moved here nearly four years ago I had exams to deal with as well,” Tina said.

Just the idea of Blaine attempting to adapt to New York as a college freshman made him chuckle. Maybe he would have had a more adventurous experience, when it came to personal life at least. Sure hed dated a bit, lost his virginity even, but such encounters were few and far between by his judgement. But when the alternative was to remain in the closet and have to sneak around, Blaine knew his choice to come out at college had been right (but not easy).

“Did you... come here on your own?” Tina asked cryptically.

Blaine nodded. “Yes, Im not involved with anyone right now... if thats what youre asking,” Blaine said, acting as relaxed as usual.

“Me either, I mean... Im not with anyone...” Tina added coyly.

Unfortunately for her, Blaine mistook Tinas dropped hints for platonic coaxing. “But when it comes to me, Im hoping that will change...” he began, pausing to glance shyly over at Tina. That bashful grin slowly turned to something more nervous in nature as time went on. What made Blaine finally decide to go for it and just let the fact be known was he didnt think Tinas reaction to the news would be at all negative. “... considering the size of the gay community here... which has been quite an eye opener, to say the very least,” Blaine dropped.

While not exactly negative, Tinas response to the word gay being uttered was anything but the reaction hed anticipated. Tina eyes widened and her whole body tensed, dropping her fork before the food on it could make it to her mouth. “Are you gay?” she nearly shouted.

Blaine was now equally surprised, also relieved that there was no one in the restaurant near enough to hear her outburst. “Yeah, obviously... wait... didnt you know that?” Blaine stammered.

“Obviously not!” Tina pointed out.

Alarmed and embarrassed, Blaine thought back to their past conversations and how his tendency to give his full attention could be taken the wrong way. Not to mention the countless charming smiles and sassy remarks that he now realized were quite flirty. “Sorry, Im still not used to... I never know when to say...” Blaine struggled, unsure how to word himself properly to make amends. “Should I go?” Blaine politely offered.

At first Tina made no immediate reply, only because she (like Blaine) wasnt sure what to say in this instance. But when Blaine took her silence as an obvious yes and tried to leave, she finally acted. She grabbed and pulled him to to sit back down at the table.“You dont need to go Blaine, please... stay,” she pleaded.

It was hard for Blaine to hide his relief at not being rejected by her, but he managed (somewhat) and only let out a little sigh in the end. “Okay,” he said softly.

“Im surprised of course but its not like I have a problem with gay men. Its just... I thought... that you and I...”

“You thought I was going to ask you out on a date?”

Tina nodded. “We hit it off so well and you were acting all flirty...” she admitted.

Blaine couldnt stop himself from smacking his forehead with his hand, he felt like a complete idiot. “Im so sorry Tina, I am such a hopeless case when it comes to girls and romantic interest. Considering my track records back in college, I clearly still need to work on that,” he grumbled in annoyance.

The fact that Blaine felt more remorse than he should made it far easier for Tina to forgive and forget. If he wasnt dating material, Blaine could still become a good friend, so her night wasnt totally ruined. “Its okay, the confusion wasnt intentional,” Tina assured.

“Good, because I do like you Tina, a lot, just... not in that way,” Blaine told her.

Tinas sweet smile was back. “Ive always secretly wanted a gay best friend,” she teased.

Blaine laughed at her joke. “I tell you though, being an out gay man in this day and age sure is tough at times.”

“Which I take it, is the reason a catch like you is still single?”

“I have no idea, but I should admit since moving here I have been focusing more on settling and finding work than getting any dates,” Blaine confessed.

“Sometimes I cant stop thinking how there are supposed to be so many wonderful people in Manhattan but I never get to meet any. I dont want to sound desperate because I dont need a man in my life to be happy. But would it be so bad to experience some good old fashioned romance for once?” Tina complained.

“Youre talking my language Tina. Not all gay men just want to have casual sex. I want that connection, to find someone I can not only fall desperately in love with but who I can also trust with all my heart. Right now Im just biding my time until the right guy comes along, or I have time to go looking for him,” Blaine explained.

Tina grinned at him as she lifted her ice tea in the air. “Heres hoping for the both of us then,” she announced.

Blaine raised his own glass and toasted to the both of them finding their true loves, truly hoping their wish would come true. He knew better than to think love would find him if all he did was sit and wait though. Blaine fully intended to jump back into the dating scene eventually, but for now he was more in the mood for something casual and fun (a fact he kept to himself). Putting that desire aside for the moment, Blaine remembered there was a quality guy he already knew. “Funnily enough I already know someone youd like. A work buddy of mine... and hes straight, I swear!” Blaine said.

“Really?” Tina said, perking up to the possibility.

“His name is Sam, hes 21, a local New Yorker... oh, and did I mention he has the body of a Greek god?” Blaine described. “Best of all, hes a real nice guy too,” he quickly added, nearly leaving out his best quality.

“I guess I should make it my personal mission to find someone for you next. To make this an even exchange,” Tina remarked.

Whether she meant it or not Blaines cheerful response would have still been the same. “I think Ill hold you to that.”
____________________________________________________________________________

After spending a fun evening with Tina, Blaine eventually made his way back home and hoped he could make it to his room without any awkward encounters. He had no idea if Hunter was the type of guy who had his female guests stay for the night or not, he only hoped they were done at this hour. Blaine used the last of his strength to cart his bag of freshly cleaned clothes through the door and into the common area (there were way too many flights of stairs for his liking). All seemed peaceful at first, until Blaine heard a loud crash coming from the other side of Hunters closed bedroom door. “How can he still be at it?” Blaine said with a frustrated cry. Hed been gone for nearly eight hours, was Hunter some sort of sex machine or was he already on a second hook-up?

Already feeling enough secondhand embarrassment from the mere idea of overhearing his roommate during rough sex, things got even worse. There was a loud thud against the wall and Blaine could make out what had to be shouts in a fit of passion. Great, whoever Hunter had in there was a screamer, just what he didnt need. But as he attempted to creep by unnoticed, something about that high pitched voice seemed disconcertingly familiar.

“What a rush!” the second but still unknown voice exclaimed.

“Youre welcome,” Hunter replied in his normal self-absorbed tone.

“Arent you going to clean up that broken lamp, its a safety hazard,” the other voice asked saucily.

“So are you, with an ass like that!” Hunter threw back.

Blaine froze in place. Fuck. But there was no denying it, especially not when the door opened to reveal a still naked Hunter and recognizable (and equally nude) Hummel pushed up beside him.

Hunter's eyes fell on Blaine and the only change to his usual demeanour was for him to frown at his roommates return. “Didnt I tell you to scram?”

Blaine never got the chance to reply, not that he could have. All it took was one look at his gaping mouth for Hummel to push Hunter aside and slam the door right in his surprised face.

“That was rude... and this is me talking,” Hunter commented, albeit sarcastically because he was delighted by the move.

Of all the people who lived in New York, why did Hunters roommate need to be him? Hadnt Kurt been through enough grief in his life?

Back on the other side of the now closed door, Blaines reaction was far less dramatic but that was only because he was stuck in an infinite delayed reaction brought on by shock. It hardly seemed possible, starting off with the fact that his supposedly straight roommate's hook up was none other than his secondary boss.

Hunter watched as Kurt was now getting dressed when up until seconds ago, showed every signs of wanting to go for another round (or several). “What gives? Why the hell are you bailing? Cause you sure as hell enjoyed my sexual talents back there,” he grumbled.

“I know your roommate, he works at my club,” Kurt explained.

“Small world,” Hunter replied sarcastically. “I can make him leave, easily,” he added.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Dont waste your energy.”

One of the reasons Kurt even bothered with Hunter, when it came to his sexual urges at least, was because he never visited Flare or any gay establishment for that matter. Apparently Hunter was bisexual and Kurt hardly cared if he slept with women; he was still a bit of a tool at times. But Hunter sure knew how to fuck and he was a fellow versatile to boot, who liked to switch things up. Best of all, because the fact that he slept with men was on the down low, Hunter knew how to be discreet. “Some other time, Im no longer in the mood. So yeah, Im leaving,” Kurt explained, and then he remember there was one last thing he wanted to say. “Dont you fucking dare tell him my name and I dont want to know his either for the record. The less we know about each other, the better,” Kurt hissed through clenched teeth.

“What the hell did he do to you?” Hunter questioned curiously.

“Its a long story, which Im not about to tell,” Kurt dismissed.

“Want me to make his life a living hell?”

There was no telling if Hunter was actually serious or not but no matter how much Kurt disliked Oates, he wouldnt unleash that possible terror on anyone. “I hope for his sake... and my own, youre just kidding. Leave him be, or rather, give treating him nicer a try,” he instructed.

Only Hunter never took orders from other people, even sex partner, very well. “Why should I exactly?” he challenged.

“If you ever want to have sex with me again, then you should tread very lightly with this,” Kurt threatened.

This was no bluff on Kurts part and they both knew it. Neither did Hunter want to be cut off, Kurt was an animal in bed who couldn't care less about if he was in the closet or not (or slept with women too). “What if he asks about you?”

“Youre used to keeping secrets. Just tell him its none of his business, since it isnt,” Kurt explained.

“I guess that could be rather fun, holding it over him,” Hunter admitted.

“Well have to conduct our meetings at my place from now on I suppose,” Kurt said with a tired sigh.

Hunter whistled. “A high honour indeed, considering how few received it.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Thank your roommate then for that honour. Looks like you just found a good reason to treat him better,” he said.

“Why do you care, if you hate him so much?”

Hate was such a strong word, one Kurt usually tried to avoid because in reality he truly hated so few things in the world. Nothing Oates had done was so horrible that Kurt thought he deserved any real punishment. His aversions to the prudish man were justified in his mind and Kurt wasnt about to change his opinion of the guy. But even Kurt had his limits, even if apparently Hunter didnt. “The fact that we dont get along is no reason to punish him for it. Besides, if his home life is bad then it could affect his performance ability at the club. Where his job is to keep the customers musically entertained. This is strictly business, Hunter,” Kurt explained matter-of-factly.

Hunter watched as Kurt took his leave, completely ignoring Blaine (who hadnt moved) as he walked right out the door.

Hunter, who gone and put on a pair of pants, found no urge to be the first to speak. Blaines face was a very entertaining read.

“So, youre gay then?” Blaine asked at point blank.

“Bi actually, not that anyone cares about that. The second I admit that I also like cock everyone thinks I must be gay. You think you have it tough being an out homosexual, you have no idea how fortunate you are. But dont you go and put me off as a tragic hero now, my life isnt anything you should pity, Blaine,” Hunter explained, cocky as ever.

There was no risk of Blaine feeling much sympathy for his roommate, not when all he could think about was the times Hunter had thrown his sexual orientation in his face. “That wont be a problem,” he said.

“Okay Blaine, I am gonna show some mercy and break you a fair deal. Keep all this to yourself, my being bi and you finding Hummel here and Ill start acting nice. At least, as nice as I can manage, and youll notice the difference,” Hunter announced.

As much as Blaine wanted to say he didnt care about the Hummel part, Hunter would probably see through the lie. He was curious but not enough for him to strike any of his own bargains. Really this was a better turn out than he would have expected. “Deal,” Blaine said, holding out his hand to seal the deal.

They shook on it and Hunter already showed signs of keeping his side of the bargain when his usual back talk didnt follow. “Night roommie, got a lamp to clean up after,” he said in a friendlier tone.

So far Blaine wasnt really sure he liked the change in Hunter. For starters his normally sinister looking roommates kind smile was enough to make Blaine shudder. Still, all things considered, his life could be a whole lot worse, even if it didnt seem like it right now.