Blaine felt like a train had run over him, his body was stiff and hurt all over, he realized he was still on the couch in his office, and he groaned when memories of the night before flooded his mind darkening his 

mood instantly.

He sat up and stretched wincing at the pain in his arms; he looked down and saw the hand-shaped bruises where James had held him.

He looked at his phone to check the time it was a little before seven so he knew James was still in the apartment, he usually would leave at seven-thirty to work. So he waited until James left so he could get 

out of his office.

Blaine heard a door closing and then the shower running, after a few minutes, he heard the water shut off. Blaine just sat on the couch listening for a while until a knock on the door shook him from his daze.

“Blaine, baby are you up?” James said in a sweet tone.

Blaine just rolled his eyes, James may have been over the fight because he was drunk, but Blaine was still furious at him. After a few moments, he knocked again, letting out an annoyed sigh.

“Blaine, I know you’re up, please talk to me”

Blaine still did not say anything, he knew he was being childish, but he was going to stay in there until James went to work.

“Blaine, I’m sorry baby…”James paused for a second “….im leaving to work ok, I love you” Blaine heard him stand there for a moment before he went down the hallway and then heard the door to their 

apartment close.

Blaine let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, he calmed himself down before he left his office and headed to the bedroom so he could shower and change.

When he was in the bathroom he took off the rest of his clothes and threw them in the hamper, he turned on the water and waited while it warmed up.

While he waited he looked at himself in the mirror and notice that he looked like hell, you could tell he didn’t get any sleep, he looked a little pale and his curls were all over the place. He decided 

against shaving because he didn’t have the energy to do it. His eyes lingered on the bruises on his arms. James had never been physical when they fought, so Blaine was still in shock that it had happened.

He notice the mirror started to fog up, so he went in the shower and let the hot water wash away the stress from his body.

Blaine finished getting ready, throwing on some well-fitting dark wash jeans a blue button-up, and a red cardigan. He put some product in his hair to control the curls and then headed back to his office to 

check his phone.

He had two missed TX messages from Wes.

(7:56)From Wes

Breakfast?

(8:32)From Wes

Blaiiiiiiiiiiiners, I’m starving, plz have Breakfast with me:-D

It was 8:35 so he sent Wes a TX telling him to meet him at a little breakfast place around the corner from his apartment.

He walked out into the living room, noticing that James had cleaned the glass he had broken, he felt his stomach drop.

He stood there a moment before he headed to the door and left the apartment, ready to go meet with his friend.

---------------------------------

Rachel berry walked into the building with the KAB sign on the door. Inside the tastefully decorated lobby was a girl with short brown hair sitting at the front desk.

“Hello, welcome to KAB designs, how may I help you?” said the girl in a pleasant voice.

Rachel looked at the girl before speaking “is Kurt Hummel in?”

“Do you have an appointment?” the girl asked again

“I don’t think I need one; tell him Rachel berry is here to see him.” The girl’s eyes widen, realizing who she was, and spoke again “Rachel berry? Oh my god! I just absolutely loved you as Elphaba! I saw the show like five times” the girl gushed.

Rachel smiled at the girl “that’s wonderful dear it’s always nice to meet a fan, but can you tell Mr.Hummel that I’m here to see him”

The girl stared at her still star-struck. “Of course! I’ll be right back Miss Berry please have a seat, would you like a coffee, water, or tea?”

“no that’s quite alright, can you just fetch Kurt.”

“um yes, Ill be right back.”

Rachel sat down on one of the empty couches as she waited for the girl to return. She had been a bit nervous to come and see Kurt. She had heard from Wes that he was back in New York. She was a little 

shocked and a little angry. He had been in town and Kurt had not contacted her at all. She thought maybe he didn’t want to see her. He knew Kurt had a lot of issues to deal with but she never thought that he would leave without saying a word to her about it. Because with whatever Kurt had been struggling with she would have been there to help him, it hurt that he had not trusted her with it.

The girl came back after a few minutes.

“If you follow me, Miss Berry, Mr. Hummel will see you know.” The girl turned around and headed towards a glass door.

Rachel followed the girl ready to have Kurt explain why her closest friend had disappeared from her life.

-------------------------------

Kurt leaned against one of the work tables as he waited for Rachel. He was expecting it; Wes had seen him so he was sure he would tell her he was back in New York. He felt bad, he had planned on calling 

her when he arrived but with the craziness of the show and setting up the studio he hadn’t been able to. Also, he didn’t know how he could face her after all those years. Rachel would want an explanation, and 

he wasn’t sure if he was ready to give her one.

He looked up when Rachel walked into the studio; they locked eyes, Kurt looking at her with an emotionless face.

Rachel walked right towards him stopping a few feet in front of him. Some of his employees looked up From their work to see who had come in, a few of them recognizing Rachel.

Kurt had kept up with what Rachel had been up to, he knew that after graduating from NYADA she had gotten a lot of offers and stared in various shows; her latest had been wicked playing Elphaba. Kurt 

couldn’t have been prouder of Rachel.

They stared at each other before Rachel broke the silence.

“Mr. Hummel are you going to just stand there or are you going to greet me properly, or are you speechless from being in the presence of such a huge star as myself,” Rachel said in her most serious 

tone.

Kurt raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at her “Miss Berry I see you finally hired a proper stylist, did you finally set fire to the collection of pantsuits and animal sweaters?”

They glared at each other as Kurt’s staff stared at the exchange with wide eyes and shocked expressions

After a few moments of utter silence, both of them burst into a fit of giggles and closed the distance between them into a bone-crushing hug.

“I can’t believe you’re here, I missed my best gay!” her arms were still around her best friend.

“I missed you too Rachel.” He said softly.

Kurt’s employees looked relieved and a little bit confused but settled back to their work.

They finally let go of each other with giant grins on their faces.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were back in town Kurt? I had to hear it from Wes, Wes Kurt!”

“I’m sorry Rachel; I’ve just been so busy, settling back and opening the studio and getting ready for the show….” Kurt kept rambling, making excuses as to why he still hadn’t called Rachel.

“Is this yours?” Kurt looked down at what Rachel was pointing at; there was a magazine sitting on the workstation.

“Uh no, why?” Kurt said a little perplexed.

“Can I have it?” Rachel said calmly.

“Uh, sure Rachel….” Still really confused. Rachel grabbed the magazine rolled it up and held on to it.

“So you were saying….” Rachel looked back up at Kurt.

“…so yes the apartment wasn’t ready for me to move in, then I had to stay at a hotel in the meantime, I mean I paid for the apartment in advance, the least they could have done is have it ready for me to move, 

in, so a couple of days later-“Kurt was cut off as Rachel proceeded to hit him with the magazine on the 

arm.

“KURT!” SMACK “ELIZABETH!” SMACK “HUMMEL!” SMACK “I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU!” SMACK “you come back after three years and don’t have the decency to give your best gal pal a call!” SMACK “I can’t 

believe you, Kurt, you jerk!” SMACK.

“RACHEL STOP! OH MY GOD! STOP!” Kurt covered himself as Rachel hit him with the rolled-up magazine.

“Should I hire a bodyguard? There always seems to be someone causing you bodily harm.” They both looked over to see Rebecca walking towards them.

“Geez Rachel, are you and Wes set to kill me before the end of the year?” he said giving her one of his best ‘bitch-face’.

“Maybe” she gave him a sweet smile.

“Rebecca this is Rachel Berry, Rachel this is Rebecca” both women shook hands.

“Nice to meet you”

“Pleasure is mine, Kurt often spoke of you” Rebecca smiled at her and then looked at Kurt took out some forms, and handed them to him.

“Sorry to interrupt but I need those filled out by today, and I left some messages on your desk”

“Thank you, Rebecca, tell Abby to hold my calls, I’ll be in my office.” She took Rachel’s hand and led her to his office.

“Nice meeting you!” Rachel said over her shoulder as she was pulled to Kurt’s office.

-----------------------------------

“Dude, you look like crap” Wes was waiting outside the restaurant as Blaine walked up to him.

“Hello to you too” Blaine grumbled.

They waited a few minutes until the hostess led them to a table in a far corner at Wes suggestion. He didn’t want Blaine to be recognized while he was trying to enjoy his breakfast.

“So what happen, did you get any sleep or are you sick? Kevin told me you’ve been at the studio most of the day” Wes said as he took a sip of his coffee.

Blaine sighed heavily “yeah I’ve been in there a lot, I’m sure he’s sick of me by now”

“Is this about Kurt?” Wes usually knew what bothered Blaine; he wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions. And Kurt coming back was a pretty big deal. He looked down at the food that he was picking at, he wasn’t that hungry “yes… and no”

Wes eyebrows furrowed in confusion “so it is Kurt, have you called him?

“No, I haven’t been able to…I don’t know if I should” he poked his eggs benedict and watched the yolk ooze out of it.

“What do you mean if you should, you guys were like inseparable, I really think you should see him, it be good for you,” Wes said as he shoved more food into his mouth, Blaine grimaced sometimes Wes acted like a teenage boy. But Blaine still loved him.

Blaine waited for a few moments debating if he should tell Wes about his fight with James, he didn’t need him to start freaking out, but in the end, he knew he would end up telling him one way or another.

“James and I fought last night,” he said looking at Wes.

Wes looked up from his food looking a little angry “what about?”

Blaine absentminded rubbed his arm still feeling sore “it was about Kurt… I came home and started asking me about him, he was watching E and they had me and Kurt being interviewed, then he started saying that I embarrassed him and then things got out of hand after that….” Blaine started rambling, he rambled when he was nervous, he didn’t know what Wes would do if he found out that James had hurt 

him.

“After that what? “Wes asked getting angrier by the second.

“…just…just forget it, it was nothing-“

“What happened Blaine?”

Blaine bit his lip, thinking how to phrase it, without making it sound bigger than it was “….he got a little physical…” Blaine looked down averting Wes’s gaze.

“What do you mean physical? Did…did he hit you?”

Blaine’s eyes widen “no, no he didn’t hit me he was just drunk and just grabbed my arm a little too rough that’s it.”

“That’s it? It’s no nothing Blaine, I’m going to go and give him a piece of my mind….” Wes was reacting how Blaine expected he would he was very protective of him and he was not happy James had hurt his 

friend.

“No Wes, no just let it go, I rather not make this bigger than it is” he didn’t he just wanted everything to be back to normal.

“But Blaine you guys are at each other throats all the time, what if one day it gets out of hand…. I’m just trying to look out for you” he said in an exasperated tone.

“Don’t worry, it will be fine, I promise this just happen once, I think I’m just being dramatic?” Blaine said trying to reassure his friend.

“Ok, just if anything happens, just let me know right away, promise me” he looked at Blaine waiting for his reply.

“I promise” he finally took a bite of his food.

“They ate in silence before Wes spoke again. “I think you should call Kurt,” he said simply.

Blaine thought about it for a while. He didn’t want to start problems with James again, but the prospect of seeing Kurt again made his stomach flutter.

“Maybe…I don’t know…”

“Blaine please, forget about James, just have dinner with him you two were so close, I think it would be good for you, for both of you”

Blaine thought about it for a few moments as Wes continued to stare at him waiting for him to make a decision.

“I don’t want to call him…ill TX him I think that would be better, I’m not such a spaz through TX” he looked at Wes who just raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well…”

“What?”

“Are you going to TX him or not?” he nodded over to Blaine’s phone that was on the table next to him.

“What? Now?”

Wes rolled his eyes “yes now”

Blaine glared at Wes before he picked up his phone and started to tap out a message.

Wes gave him a grin and continued to stuff his face.