“I don’t think anyone will care if we’re late,” Nick said, “the birthday girl probably isn’t even there yet.”

Blaine sighed and nodded. Mia had been a nightmare to leave behind, especially once she’d realized that not only were they leaving her with her least favorite babysitter, but that they were going to see Kurt without her.

“It’s not my fault she’s become so attached to him,” Nick had said as Blaine tried fruitlessly to explain just why she needed to stay with the babysitter.

They were finally on their way, but there was way too much traffic as should have been expected. Nick wasn’t too bothered by it, and it increased Blaine’s irritation.

When they finally arrived, paying the cab driver and walking towards the party spot. It was a well known bar and Kurt had actually had it closed down for the evening. There was still a line of people outside and Blaine wondered for a moment if they even knew that there would be no entry that night, no matter how long they waited.

Among the people outside were also paparazzi. Blaine rolled his eyes when he spotted them and didn’t expect for them to perk up at the sight of him. Nick hadn’t expected it either and he jumped back.

“I didn’t know you were quite so famous,” he muttered.

Blaine nodded. “Neither did I.”

They walked past them, and Blaine tried to ignore the questions thrown his way about Rachel. It all made sense, then. He was the family lawyer, of course he was bound to know something. And if any of these reporters – if they could even be called that – had done any research on him, they would also know that he was Kurt’s ex.

They made it to the door somehow and the two men at the door let them inside.

It wasn’t decorated for a birthday party, but the place was beautiful as far as bars went. It was also big and set up strategically. A bunch of tables made up the far side of the room, but floor space had been cleared out for dancing. There was a DJ set up closer to the dance floor. The bar ran the length of the room and Blaine saw at least five bartenders at work.

“Nice place,” Nick said.

“Yeah.”

Most people were seated at smaller tables and the birthday girl still wasn’t there. Blaine recognized a few people, but a lot of them were strangers to him and during his scan of the room he hadn’t spotted Kurt or the new boyfriend.

“Blainers!”

His blood ran cold. He forgot about Amie.

“Amie,” he said and turned to her.

She threw her arms around him, extracting him away from Nick. Blaine kept her drink from spilling and handed it to Nick.

“Are you drunk already?”

“Nope.”

“Right,” Blaine said, trying to get her to let go of him, “how about we find you a place to sit and some water, alright?”

Nick followed them across the room towards the tables and they found an empty one. Blaine helped Amie into a chair and then walked to the bar to fetch her water. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that Amie would be there. A drunk Amie was an Amie that didn’t think and more than anything Blaine feared that Amie would give him away to Nick or Kurt, or both.

When he returned, Nick was seated and holding her up.

“Here take my place,” Nick said at once, “she’s not exactly my friend.”

“Amie, how much have you been drinking,” Blaine muttered and sat down.

Nick sat down across from them. “This party is really turning out well, isn’t it?”

That was when Blaine saw them. Kurt and the boyfriend. He couldn’t really make out Steve with the dim and flashing lights, but he was almost certain that it was the man he’d run into just a few days before. He definitely had to be Steve Smythe. It was a horrible coincidence, but Blaine just knew it.

Steve and Kurt were standing away from everyone and talking in hushed tones, though it didn’t look like a fight. Kurt’s hand lingered on Steve’s arm, and Steve leaned towards Kurt. Blaine felt an urge to go over and get rid of Steve once and for all.

They didn’t stand there long, and Kurt led Steve back to the party and directly towards Santana who Blaine hadn’t noticed until that moment.

She was with Rachel, Finn, and a few other girls their age. Blaine thought he recognized at least one of them.

“I wants to go over there,” Amie slurred and pointed in the general direction of the dance floor.

Blaine shook his head. “Sorry, Amie, but I don’t think you can even stand right now.”

She pushed off of the table and stood up. “Can too.” A moment later, she was on the ground. Everyone turned to look in their direction and Blaine felt Kurt’s eyes.

Amie groaned.

- - -

Kurt was one of the first at Amie’s side other than Blaine and Nick, and he helped them get her back on the chair.

“I think I might actually have to get her home now,” Kurt said and sighed. “She’s been a little off all day. She was drunk when she got here.”

“Wow,” Nick breathed.

Kurt paused peering at Amie’s face and turned to look up at Nick. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I should remember my manners. I’m glad you could make it. It’s been a long time.”

Nick nodded stiffly. “Blaine wanted to come, so it was only right his fianc� come with him.”

Kurt nodded and let himself look at Blaine. “Of course. I hope you’ll have a good time. Party’s just getting started. If you’re excuse me, I should take my cousin to the other room. I’ll be more sociable once I know she’s alright.”

Kurt took Amie by himself, despite Blaine’s protests. He needed the moment the breath and remember himself. Of course Blaine had brought Nick, Kurt had known it would happen, he just hadn’t been prepared for seeing Nick.

In the backroom that was supposed to be used as storage, Kurt settled Amie down on the floor against a wall and he crouched in front of her.

“I really didn’t need this tonight, Amie,” he muttered and then pulled out his phone, quickly calling Clark.

Clark agreed to fetch her and Kurt made sure the floor wasn’t dirty before he dropped down next to her, but not before pulling at one of the clean aprons to sit on.

A few minutes into waiting with an almost asleep Amie, Steve found them.

“There you are,” he said, “Santana and Brittany are here and I was sent to get you by your driver.”

“Oh, I missed the big entrance. Did she seem surprised?”

Steve shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

Kurt let Steve help him get Amie up and between the two of them they took her to the side entrance where he’d agreed to meet Clark. He was there waiting for them.

“Just get her to bed and tell Carole,” Kurt said once Amie was settled in the backseat.

Clark nodded. “Sure thing.”

As soon as they returned, he was almost tackled down by Brittany. “Kurt, I missed you so much!” she cried, “Santana told me you were a big part of this. Thank you.”

Kurt grinned. “Happy Birthday, Britt. Have you met my friend Steve?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. Is he a dolphin? Because I saw Blaine and he found himself another dolphin.”

“He is,” Kurt admitted.

Steve who was standing next to him looking confused. “Dolphin?” he asked.

“Remember when I told you Brittany’s a little odd? Just go with it.”

After Brittany’s arrival the party was really under way and Kurt let Steve hand him a drink. Brittany was off greeting all of her friends with Santana at her side, and Kurt had already gone around greeting everyone earlier. He let himself relax next to Steve and tried hard to keep his eyes from going back to where Nick and Blaine were seated.

The last time Kurt saw Nick had been at the funeral and that day Kurt had been more focused on the service and trying to stay as far as possible from Blaine to really pay him any mind, but now that he was in the same room and practically draping himself over Blaine, Kurt had to remember that Nick was really a part of Blaine’s life and that Nick was Mia’s other father.

So he tried to ignore the couple by focusing on Steve, but it was hard when Blaine was right there. With Blaine in the room it was harder to pay attention to Steve, he had to work at actually finding anything Steve said interesting, and he had to keep himself from doing something stupid.

“Are you alright?”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah. Fine.”

Steve cocked his head. “Are you sure? Maybe you need some air? You look a little bit, I don’t know…just too pensive.”

He reached to place his hand on Kurt’s forehead and then his cheeks, one at a time.

Kurt giggled.

“Maybe I should get some air,” he said.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Kurt shook his head. “No. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I just need some time by myself. I’ll be back before you know it.”

- - -

Blaine found his opportune moment when he saw Kurt walking off by himself. Steve was left at the table, but not for long. Blaine saw him get up and walk in the opposite direction. It was also the perfect moment because Nick was also distracted. He’d run into an art collector that often bought from his gallery and Blaine had left him to it while he caught up with Santana.

“You wanna talk to him, short stuff? Go. I’ll take care of your other man.” She wiggled her eyebrows, “have fun.”

Blaine rolled his eyes, but took the offered escape. He didn’t care what Santana thought he wanted as long as he got to talk to Kurt. Kurt needed to be warned. Steve was bad news and Blaine couldn’t let him get hurt this way. He convinced himself that his motives were just those and that it had nothing to do with how much he hated Steve for being able to have Kurt like Blaine couldn’t.

Kurt was in the backroom and he’d only put on a few of the lights, leaving the room mostly in shadow.

“Hey,” he said, “we haven’t talked since Amie passed out.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Well, you’re with Nick. I didn’t want to bother you. I don’t think he wanted me to, either.”

Blaine nodded and he bit down on his lower lip. He didn’t know how to bring it up in a way that wouldn’t make him sound like the jealous ex.

“Have you talked to your father,” he said at last.

Kurt lifted an eyebrow, “about what exactly?”

Blaine took a deep breath. “Steve,” he said and followed it quickly with, “he’s using you.”

For a moment Kurt just stared at him and then he began to laugh. He walked across the room to where a few windows looked out at the street below.

“He’s not using me. I don’t know why you seem to think so, or why my dad is somehow involved in this. Steve and I may not be in love, but we’re together and I think you have to just get over whatever your problem with my boyfriend is.”

“My problem with him is that he is Steve Smythe and that his father almost destroyed Hummel enterprises in the past. My problem is that I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Kurt shook his head. “You don’t get it, Blaine, it’s easy for you to just tell me to stop seeing him but he’s the first boyfriend I’ve had since you and Steve treats me well and I like him. I finally like someone.”

Blaine couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It didn’t make sense, almost. He was missing something again. Was Kurt so desperate to have someone that he would settle for any guy that was remotely nice to him, even if he knew that he was the son of the man that had caused his father more grief than anyone else?

“You’re Kurt Hummel, you could have anyone,” Blaine said and regretted it at once.

“I am trying to get over you,” Kurt said, then, “and I’ve tried and tried for years and Steve is the only person I’ve met that comes close to making me forget you. And this…this act of jealousy or whatever it is, it doesn’t help, Blaine.”

That hurt. It was as if someone had taken a hold of his heart and squeezed. Kurt stared at him angrily, eyes blazing and his cheeks slightly pink. Blaine couldn’t look away. Until Kurt mentioned it, he hadn’t realized that a part of the reason he was so upset about Steve was jealousy. He cared about the company, sure, but more than that, he’d been upset about Kurt moving on.

“I…” he began.

Kurt shook his head again and stepped closer. “It’s alright. Don’t you think it kills me to see you with Nick? We were all the other had for a long time and to think that even after all these years we’re over that, it’s crazy, but we have to be.”

Nick’s earlier words came back to Blaine. Kurt wouldn’t get between him and Nick if he thought Blaine was happy. But all Blaine had been thinking of for days had been Kurt even while reassurances left his lips when Nick questioned him. But Kurt’s words repeated themselves in his mind. I’m trying to get over you. He looked up, his eyes meeting Kurt and he was struck by how Kurt’s feelings were right there for display.

He didn’t know what to do, or say. Instead, he stepped closer and he admitted what he’d been trying to push away for days, “I’ve been dreaming of you ever since you met Mia.”

Kurt made a disbelieving sound and he shook his head. “we’re so screwed up.”

Blaine didn’t know what made him reach for Kurt’s hands, but he grabbed them. “Please find someone else,” he said, “just not Steve. Not for my sake but yours and for the company. I don’t want you to get hurt again, Kurt.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Kurt said, “and you can’t…Blaine, you can’t be the person worrying about me like this mostly because you don’t have a right to be and you have Nick and a daughter who matters more than anything in this situation and you just can’t make me think that despite everything we might have a chance when I know we don’t. I need to move on, and Steve is…he’s actually a great guy.”

Blaine snorted. He couldn’t understand what Kurt saw in Steve to make him so adamant about staying with him. To stay with him despite every warning, warnings that he was listening to even if he didn’t quite believe them.

“Well, then, how about this then: I still have feelings for you.”

Kurt paused, mouth slightly open. Blaine couldn’t believe he’d said it. He hadn’t meant to. But it was a relief, because it was true and admitting it like this not only to Kurt but to himself, it changed everything. Of course he still loved Kurt. He wanted to laugh and run up to roof of that very building and shout it out to the world, paparazzi and everything else be damned.

“You do,” Kurt breathed, and then he was step closer.

Blaine could feel Kurt’s breath mingling with his, he could see every different hue of color in his eyes. For a long time they just stood like that, Blaine still holding Kurt’s hands, though now their fingers were intertwined. It was like coming home. His skin tingled.

Before either could let themselves think about the moment too much, their lips met and it was as if a light had been shed on a difficult subject because Blaine understood everything.

Kurt’s lips were as soft as Blaine had remembered, but he didn’t know if it was his memory or something else, but he thought that Kurt had gotten even better at kissing than the last time they’d kissed.

“Missed this,” Kurt said when they pulled back for air and without much pause was back to kissing him again in seconds.

Their hands had left each other, and Kurt pressed his against his hips pushing backwards until they were at the wall. Blaine wrapped his own arms around Kurt’s neck, idly moving one hand at the nape of his neck.

Blaine's head was tilted back a little, resting against the nearest wall. A hand tore away from holding his waist, running up his side to cup his jaw and angle his face a different way. Kurt was pressed to him and the arm that had snaked around his waist pressed Blaine up against him even more. The kiss was breath taking, it was full of passion and want. Blaine could barely remember the last time a kiss had meant so much to him.

Kurt's tongue ran along the top of his mouth and Blaine couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips. Their tongues met again, rubbing against each other in a sort of dance that both had equal control in.

The hand on Blaine's jaw moved towards the back of his neck and tugged at Blaine's hair gently just as Blaine pulled at Kurt's bottom lip with his teeth, a gently nip, before sucking at it and letting it go again.

Kurt ran a hand through Blaine's hair, massaging gently at his scalp. He pulled back a little, not even an inch between their faces and opened his eyes slowly. Blaine stood still, a small smile appearing on his lips before he leaned forward again to press his lips against Kurt's.

"Want you," he groaned out between chaste kisses, "missed you so much."

"hmmm, me too. God, Blaine."

Kurt dropped his head forehead against Blaine's. The tips of their noses brushed and Kurt let out a soft giggle. Blaine sighed.

For a few moments it was utter perfection. The world had righted itself and they were together again.

From the doorway to the dim lighted room, a figure entered. A champagne glass shattered on the tiled floor.

"What the hell is going on here?"

At once the couple pulled away from each other. Blaine stared at Kurt and Kurt stared right back and then almost simultaneously they turned to look at Nick.

“Blaine,” Nick said and he stepped further into the room, “I…”

Blaine looked back at Kurt and then he closed his eyes tightly before he muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Kurt nodded and made an attempt at a smile, but failed. He turned away and Blaine saw him lift a hand towards his face. For a moment he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Kurt and make everything better, but he’d forgotten the reality. He’d forgotten that there was a man out in the other room that he had agreed to marry and that back in his apartment their daughter waited for them with the babysitter.

“I have Mia, Kurt,” he said, trying to explain.

“Go,” Kurt said, “just…I get it.”

“Blaine?” Nick repeated and when Blaine didn’t immediately walk forward, he shook his head, “you know what, I’ll see you at home.”

Blaine didn’t go after him at once. Instead he turned to Kurt again. “I really am sorry, that wasn’t supposed to…”

Kurt wiped at his eyes as he turned to look at him once more. “You can go after Nick and give him some explanation to keep your family together, because we know it’s for the best, but Blaine, you told me you loved me and that isn’t something you can just change.”

“You know why I can’t just go back to what we had, you understand that.”

It killed Blaine to see Kurt like that and not be able to actually touch him because he knew it’d be a horrible idea. He couldn’t handle it.

“Mia,” Kurt breathed, “I get it.”

“Does this change anything with Steve?”

Kurt laughed. “I can take care of myself, Blaine. I don’t think he’ll ever hurt me as much as you have.”

Kurt didn’t wait for Blaine to respond and he left. Blaine waited a little while and then he left as well, heading through the party and staring at the floor as he went to the exit. The thing was, he didn’t regret kissing Kurt. He could still feel his lips tingling from their kisses and he didn’t regret what had happened one bit.

He looked back at the door as he began to walk down the street. It didn’t matter what he wanted, now, because everything had changed. Blaine didn’t even want to think about what Nick would say when he got home. It was all a mess. Worse, he hadn’t even accomplished getting Kurt to stay away from Steve.