All around him his classmates were enthusiastically playing through a piece of music they had been given. Next to him, Scott tapped his foot in time to the beat as he played, but Blaine couldn't get into the music as much as he usually did. He felt separate from the other people in the room, as if he were surrounded by a transparent bubble where he could still see his surroundings, but was physically and emotionally separated from them. He couldn't stop thinking about Jeremy. They had arranged to meet up for coffee today after their classes were over and during the phone call in which they had organised this Blaine had noticed that same undercurrent that had been present whenever he was around or talking to Jeremy for the last few weeks. Something was off about their relationship now, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

He noticed Scott shooting him a concerned look a few times, obviously noticing his lack of attention and enthusiasm, but he never got the chance to question him about it, for which Blaine was grateful – he wanted to be alone with his thoughts just now as he tried to sort things out inside his head.

As soon as class ended he put his guitar in his case and rushed out the door before Scott got the chance to ask him why he had been so quiet and preoccupied. Once the building his class had been in was out of sight he slowed his marching pace and walked slowly through the campus, lost in thought.

It was a warm day with the first hints of summer in the air and lots of students were milling around outside enjoying the sunny weather. Blaine was so deep in his own head that he almost bumped into several people, only avoiding an actual collision because the other person noticed him at the last second and jumped out of his way, shooting him a disgruntled look as they did so which Blaine's unfocused eyes didn't see.

He reached the familiar coffee shop – the site of many of his dates with Jeremy – to find Jeremy already sitting at their usual table with two coffees in front of him. He appeared to be deep in thought, his brow furrowed slightly and his green eyes glassy and he didn't even notice Blaine's presence until Blaine pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

He blinked at him, giving his head a small shake and sitting back in his chair. "Oh, hey, Blaine." He leant across the table and, after a barely imperceptible pause, brushed a kiss on Blaine's cheek. When he sat back he looked thoughtful and a little nervous and Blaine smiled at him to try and ease the strange tension that had settled over the table.

"How was your day?"

Jeremy shrugged, smiling. "Same old, same old. Yours?"

"It was alright."

There was a pause during which Blaine took a sip of his coffee and Jeremy fidgeted with his coffee cup.

Suddenly, Jeremy sighed. "It's different now, isn't it? Something has changed."

Blaine raised his eyes to meet his boyfriend's, puzzled, though he had an inkling of where this was heading.

Jeremy looked worried. "It's like-" He waved his hands to indicate Blaine, himself, them sitting drinking coffee together at that small table. "It's like we are friends, good friends meeting up for coffee. It feels like we are just friends. I don't know when it became like this, but I really only started to notice it during Spring Break." Jeremy bit his lip, looking apprehensive about Blaine's reaction to this.

It all suddenly clicked together in Blaine's head what had felt so off about their relationship. They had lost the spark that had ignited a short while before they started dating. Over the last few weeks it had faded, fizzling out until not even a faint glow was present. Now they were just good friends, nothing more. He was relieved that Jeremy felt the same way, that it wasn't just him who had noticed this – he didn't think he could break-up with Jeremy if he still loved him, he couldn't have hurt Jeremy that way.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's just not there anymore. I started noticing it last week as well."

The same sense of relief that Blaine was experiencing was clear on Jeremy's face. "We're ok though, aren't we? Even though we aren't together anymore I don't want to have to cut you out of my life, I love having you as a friend and I'd hate to lose that."

Blaine smiled at him, feeling almost dizzy with relief. "Me too, I'd really hate for us to be like some other ex-couples who avoid each other and it's awkward being in a room together, especially as we share friends, I would hate to ruin what they have as well. So, we are good."

Jeremy got up and moved around the table just as Blaine stood up and they hugged, Blaine smiling as he wrapped his arms around his friend. It felt just like he was hugging Nick or Scott, there was no longer that sense that something wasn't right. Now that they had both realised that their relationship just wasn't working anymore, that they no longer felt the way they used to towards each other, there was no longer that strange undercurrent when they were together, being together was easy again.

Sliding his key into the door, Blaine let himself into his apartment feeling lighter now that a load was off his mind. He whistled happily as he dumped his keys on the small table by the door and strolled into the living area where Nick was sitting with his laptop balanced on his knees. He looked a little taken aback as he took in Blaine's cheery demeanour.

"Good day?" he asked, his laptop momentarily forgotten as he watched Blaine sit down on the couch. "You've been awful quiet and reserved these last few days, it's nice to see you back to your usual smiling self."

"Jeremy and I broke up today," Blaine stated simply.

Nick looked dumbfounded and stared at him for a long moment with his mouth hanging open slightly. "You did? Why? I thought everything was fine between you two."

"It was a mutual split," he told Nick, who still looked shocked by his announcement. "What we used to feel for each other wasn't there anymore, so we're just friends now."

Nick continued to stare at him, looking flabbergasted until he seemed to suddenly think of something and his mouth closed as he pushed his laptop aside. "This hasn't got anything to do with Kurt, has it?"

Blaine blinked. "What? No, we both felt that our relationship wasn't working anymore, that it was like two friends hanging out whenever we were together; it has absolutely nothing to do with Kurt. Do you honestly think I would break-up with Jeremy to run off with somebody else?" He said all of this without anger; he could see why Nick had thought that.

"No, I'm sorry, I wasn't really thinking straight. I just-" He paused. "Are you sure you're ok with this? I mean you were together for nine months, that's a long time."

"I'm fine, it wasn't something that happened all of a sudden and came as a shock, it had been dawning on me – on both of us – for a few weeks now. It didn't really feel right being in a relationship with Jeremy this last week or so, but being his friend, that feels right and Jeremy feels the same way."

Nick's eyes searched his for a moment and he could tell he was still waiting for his façade of being fine with the break-up to drop, but when it didn't he smiled at him. "I'm glad you two are still friends and that you are both happier with that."

"Me too, I would have hated to lose Jeremy as a friend," he smiled at Nick.

Kurt toyed unenthusiastically with his chicken, his eyes downcast to avoid Rachel's questioning gaze from across the table. Despite spending over an hour cooking the meal, the thought of eating it didn't appeal to him in the slightest, he had just made the complicated dish to keep himself busy and his mind occupied. He ran his fork through the sauce, drawing an abstract pattern in it like he was five years old again and playing with his food rather than eating it.

At the opposite side of the table, Rachel cleared her throat. "I ran into Tim today, he didn't seem very happy. He said you two still haven't worked things out."

"No, we haven't," Kurt said without looking up from the sun he was drawing in his sauce. Rachel continued to stare at him though, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. "I tried to fix things and put our argument behind us the day I got back from Ohio, but we ended up arguing more. He didn't think he had done anything wrong and told me my behaviour was completely unjustified." He sighed heavily, still avoiding the eyes fixed intently on him. "I fought back and we ended up throwing insults at each other and arguing about petty things." He paused and he could sense Rachel's eagerness to hear the rest. "Then I screamed at him that he was a selfish, conceited bastard and stormed out."

Finally abandoning his food, he set his cutlery down his plate and slowly raised his eyes to look at Rachel. They stared at each other for a moment and then Rachel's face softened into lines of sympathy.

"Oh, Kurt," she said softly and it was the tone of her voice and the expression on her face that did it, that finally cracked the hard mask he had worn since the fight with Tim and he crumpled.

"I don't understand where it went so wrong," he said in a shaking voice as tears welled up. He pressed shaking fingers to his trembling lips in an effort to control himself.

"Kurt…" Rachel got up from her chair and slid into the one next to Kurt, shifting until their chairs clunked together, and then wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He let himself fall against her, this act of comfort causing the tears to fall and a sob to choke out.

"Why do my relationships always end like this?" he asked miserably several minutes later when his tears were starting to dry up. "First there was Alex – though I know that was my fault, I should have listened to you when you told me he was a dick instead of just rashly throwing myself into dating him – and now Tim who I thought was different from Alex, but I guess not."

Rachel rubbed his back soothingly. "What happened with Alex wasn't your fault. Sure, you really should have listened to me, but it wasn't your fault that he was a cheating, using asshole. I thought Tim was different as well, I thought he was good for you and that you were great together." She sighed. "I was wrong as well."

They sat in silence for a while, Kurt feeling better after crying and telling Rachel what had happened and then the buzzer sounded, making them both jump.

"I'll get it." Rachel patted Kurt's shoulder before going to answer leaving Kurt sitting at the table feeling drained.

The buzzer went again, sounding for a second before Rachel presumably answered it, but then a few seconds later it went off again.

Frowning, Kurt got up and walked through to the living area where Rachel stood near the front door by the intercom.

"…leave it, ok?" she was saying, sounding angry.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked, pausing a few feet away from Rachel. "Who's at the door?"

Rachel whirled to face him, looking agitated. "It's nobody, just- just-"

The buzzer went again and Kurt darted forwards to answer before Rachel could. "Hello?"

"Kurt," a voice said, sounding relieved and distressed – Tim's voice. "Can I come in, please? I need to explain. I need to see you – please."

Rachel was shaking her head frantically, but Kurt found himself pushing the button to let him into the building.

"Kurt!" Rachel slapped his hand away from the button, despite it being too late. "What are you doing? You can't seriously think there is a reasonable explanation for his behaviour. You can't be thinking of forgiving him!" She tugged on his arm as he moved to unlock the door after there was a hesitant knock on it. "Kurt!"

He shook her off, unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Tim stood uncomfortably on the other side, his eyes red rimmed and his hair a mess. Without saying anything, Kurt stood aside to let him in.

"Thank you," he mumbled, his voice rough.

Rachel glared at Tim as he walked in, everything from her glare to her posture screaming hostility. Kurt shot her a pointed look as he passed her and she huffed out a breath, moving into the kitchen to clear the table.

Taking a shuddering breath, Kurt turned to face Tim who was hovering uncomfortably in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest, his hands clutching his elbows, and his shoulders hunched.

"You can sit down," Kurt told him.

Tim winced slightly when Kurt opened his mouth as if he expected Kurt to start screaming at him again, but he nodded stiffly and sat down gingerly on the edge of the armchair. Kurt took a seat on the couch and they faced each other in silence for a moment. There was silence in the kitchen as well and Kurt knew Rachel was standing frozen in there, straining to hear everything that happened.

"I'm sorry," Tim whispered brokenly, "I don't know what came over me. I was disappointed that we weren't going to be able to spend any time together over Spring Break, but I understood why you wanted to go home." He rubbed his hands over his jeans. "Then a girl in one of my classes overheard me telling one of my friends about our Spring Break plans and she laughed that I had actually bought your story and said it was the oldest trick in the book for when you want to start distancing yourself, when you weren't interested anymore and wanted to end things. She said you probably weren't into me anymore and that I should prepare myself for a break-up. Though I didn't believe her, what she said stuck in my head and I found myself replaying her words over and over. So I panicked and started sending you those texts moaning about you leaving and begging you to stay. When you started getting annoyed and began ignoring me I snapped."

Kurt was frozen in his seat as he stared at Tim. Part of his brain was telling him that this was no excuse for the things he had said and that he should finish it with Tim before he got another chance to hurt him again. The other part of his brain was beginning to understand why Tim did what he did and understood that Kurt wasn't completely innocent himself – he had said and done some things that had made it worse, he was just as guilty. And Kurt still really liked Tim, even now as he sat and told Kurt why he had been such a dickhead and tried to beg Kurt for forgiveness.

"I know I don't deserve forgiveness and you have every right to kick me out now and never want to see me again, but I am truly sorry and-" He paused, closing his eyes. "I want to give our relationship another go. I really like you, Kurt and I screwed up badly and I'm so sorry." His shoulders slumped in defeat.

Kurt watched him for a moment, both sides of his mind battling it out. "Ok," he whispered.

Tim's head jerked up, his eyes snapping open. "Wh- what?"

"Ok," Kurt repeated, "we can give it another try." His brain felt detached from his mouth as he spoke, his mind focused on something else, on other memories.

"Kurt…" Tim stood up.

Kurt was still focused on other thoughts rather than what was happening in front of him. "It won't be like it was before, but we can take things slowly and see how it goes."

"Yes, that would be best, and Kurt-"

Kurt shook his head at him, coming out of his thoughts and finally managing a half-smile. "It's ok, really." He stood up. "I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything?"

Tim returned his smile with a larger one of his own. "Water, thanks."

The second he stepped foot in the kitchen Rachel grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked him further away from the entrance to the living room. "What the hell are you doing? What are you thinking giving him a second chance, are you out of your mind?"

He prised Rachel's fingers from his shirt and smoothed the wrinkled material out. "I still really like him, Rachel isn't that reason enough?"

She took a step back from him, eyes widening slightly as her expression changed from disbelief and anger to something else. "No, that's not it," she said slowly.

Kurt frowned at her. "What?"

"What you said earlier, just before Tim arrived, that's what this is about." She pointed in the direction of the living room. "You're giving Tim another chance because you are worried that you'll never be able to have a relationship that doesn't go wrong and end with you alone and in tears, and because Tim is better than Alex and is actually apologising and trying to fix things, you're staying with him." She shook her head at him as he stared at her. "I know you went through high school and came out here feeling lonely and you don't want to go back to that or to only dating guys like Alex so you're settling for Tim, but you won't get love this way, Kurt you'll only feel worse." The corners of her mouth tugged up in a small smile. "The crazy thing is that love has been right in front of you for weeks now, but you have been too oblivious to see it." Her voice dropped to a whisper and Kurt was startled by the emotion in it. "If you want love and happiness, Kurt then it's Blaine you should be looking to, not Tim."