CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

SUNDAY

BLAINE

I have never been more nervous for anything in my entire life.

I wasn't this nervous when I came out to my parents, I wasn't this nervous when I asked a guy out for our first date, I wasn't this nervous for my job interview at Rialto.

Kurt Hummel had turned me into a nervous wreck just by existing and going out on a date that he was planning with me. It also didn't help that I had no idea what we were going to do and I didn't have Santana around to talk me off a ledge. Not that I would mention specifics with her – I was still planning on keeping Kurt to myself for the time being – but she would at least tell me that I needed to 'calm my tits' and relax about whatever was bugging me.

Instead I found myself in a nervous panic at 8 in the morning on a Sunday anxiously fidgeting around my apartment to try and distract myself. I didn't have time to be nervous before the coffee date with Kurt since I had run so late that morning. Even on our second date I wasn't really nervous, but that was probably because I knew what was coming. I truly did hate surprises but if being with someone like Kurt meant being surprised from time to time, I'd manage. I think he'd be worth me being a bit uncomfortable.

I peered at the clock again after what seemed like hours had passed.

8:22am

I groaned. Our date wasn't for another 10 hours and I was already a mess. Rather than stay cooped up inside, I threw on a pair of shorts, a long-sleeved shirt and running shoes and strapped my iPhone to my arm and jetted out the door.

One of the reasons I decided to live in Hell's Kitchen rather than any other neighborhood was its proximity to the park. I could have easily lived in Brooklyn – and had a much larger place – but there was something that kept me tied to Central Park. It meant my place would be smaller, I opted for a small studio, but it meant that I would feel the freedom to go to my Happy Place anytime I wanted.

When I first moved to New York from Ohio, I remember going through Times Square and being totally at awe with the bright lights and the promise of Broadway. But once I went to Central Park, it just felt different; more comfortable, a place I could be at peace.

Music-wise, Central Park was a place where some historic things had taken place. The most notable one in my mind was Simon & Garfunkel's Central Park concert – a record I had listened into oblivion as a child that I still held in high regard to this day. Walking or running in the places where monumental and musical things happened just made me feel connected.

Plus there was never a shortage of musicians in the park and people eager to entertain. Sometimes they might be horrible, but I always gave respect to people who did what they felt their heart was calling.

I crossed the street by Columbus Circle and dodged a few taxis that ran the light and found myself staring up at the gilded statue at the corner of the park. The entrance at Columbus Circle was one of the most popular, but it was the one I had first seen when I first visited New York.

My parents and I had stayed at The Empire during one of the weekends I had come up to visit campus and the drive from the airport to the hotel required a pass through Columbus Circle. I was even more thrilled to learn that the hotel was nearly directly across the park from Marymount so rather than take a cab around the park, I decided to cut through it. It was then that I realized how centering I found the park to be. We had visited in March of my junior year of high school and the air had a slight chill, but the sun had been peeking through the trees as I walked, providing perfect weather.

I had been surrounded by people – runners, cyclists, kids tugging on the hands of their moms or nannies – but I still was able to center myself and think. Walking through the park, I realized I had fallen in love with the city more than I could describe and told myself I would do anything to make it happen here. I wasn't a huge outdoorsy person, but I would always feel a connection with the park. While the park I had visited in Atlanta had been nice, it was nothing compared to the thrill I felt when I went through Central Park.

I cranked up the music in my ear buds – today's soundtrack provided by Walk the Moon – and started trotting down the path. Nothing like a good jog through my favorite place to ease my nerves, I thought to myself as I jetted away.

....

The run had done me some good and I had come back to my apartment sweaty but content. By the time I had showered and nibbled on some toast – I was still too nervous and queasy to eat anything more substantial – it was noon. I had successfully killed a few more hours by cleaning my apartment that had been neglected since Atticus Finch kicked off and even managed to traipse down to the basement to do laundry.

By the time the last load was coming out of the dryer, it was 5:30. I could hardly believe the time was nearly here. I hadn't forgotten about Kurt or our date, that would have been impossible, but I had at least left it to lingering thoughts rather than me being a total and utter mess like I had been earlier that morning.

Oh who am I kidding, I was still a total disaster.

My thoughts flickered to calling someone – ANYONE – to talk to about my date and hash out some last minute nerves, but I decided against it. Besides, I needed to get ready.

I decided to take a second shower – water bill be damned – and took to preening myself carefully. I spent a good 10 minutes making sure my stubble was nonexistent and carefully crafted my hair to ensure that it remained tight to my head but still had some bounce to it. Thank god I no longer used massive amounts of product anymore, it really did nothing for my hair.

By the time I was done with phase one of my preparations, I heard a familiar ping come from my phone that I'd left on the nightstand. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table and flew over to read the message. It was 6, which meant I was finally learning about my plans with Kurt.

6:30. Times Square steps. –K

Here I was thinking that I would learn something more about what we'd actually be doing, not simply getting a rendezvous location. I wanted to be annoyed that the surprise was dragging out longer than I wanted it to, but I couldn't be mad at Kurt.

The fact that he had planned a date for us at all already had him on a pedestal higher than any guy I'd ever dated before. And sure, I hated surprises, but knowing that Kurt was trying to make our date special – or at least it seemed like that was his goal – it gave me chills on the inside and I was sure that if Kurt and I kept this up, I'd be falling for him in no time.

Rather than dwell on the possibility of what could be if I played my cards right, I set to finalizing my outfit for the night. Since I had no idea what we were doing, I opted to wear dark wash jeans and a charcoal gray blazer with a white button up and deep navy tie. I could feel dressy enough but if we ended up going somewhere more casual, I could easily abandon the jacket.

At 6:20, I took one last look at myself in the mirror and was pretty proud of myself for pulling it all together so quickly despite my nerves. I grabbed my necessities and my coat and flew out the door.

I had debated walking to ease some of the nerves, but realized I wouldn't make it on time if I'd done that and I didn't want Kurt to think I made a habit of being late for our dates. I managed to flag down a cab on my block and eagerly told him to head to Times Square. The cabbie looked somewhat surprised that someone who lived in the city would ask to go to the tourist destination, but he didn't push it.

I sat excitedly in the backseat tapping my hands with nervous energy against my thigh. The cab driver looked at me peculiarly from his seat, but muttered something in a language I didn't understand and quietly kept along the drive.

Five minutes later, I had paid the cab driver and found myself meandering around the pedestrian area of Times Square near the steps beneath the most expensive Olive Garden on the planet. The landscape of Times Square had changed a lot in the past twenty years – or so my parents told me – but the one thing I was thankful for was the addition of the pedestrian area in the tourist-riddled landmark. That way people could gape at all the lights without potentially being pummeled by a rogue taxi or something.

"You're early," I heard a voice utter in front of me when I had pulled out my phone to check the time again. I snapped up to see a smiling Kurt walking toward me. He took my breath away; fitted gray slacks with a long black coat and a blue scarf around his neck that seemed to match his eyes perfectly. But the best thing of all on Kurt was his smile. It was sweet and somewhat tentative, but the way it radiated from his entire face was the best part about him. He had a truly wonderful, stunning smile.

"I hate to keep a good man waiting," I replied cheekily. Kurt's eyes rolled slightly but stepped closer and pulled me into a hug. With his arms wrapped around my neck, it pulled our faces closer than our last hug and I decided to be bold and kissed him lightly on the cheek. The touch emitted a slight gasp from Kurt and as I pulled my arms from around his waist, I looked at his face to make sure I hadn't stepped over some sort of unspoken boundary. Instead, the smile on his face had seemed to somehow glow brighter, so I figured it was okay.

We stood there standing and looking at each other at an arm's length – my hands still loosely wrapped around his waist and his arms at my shoulders – and I realized this was probably a fairly intimate way to be engaging with someone on a third date. Everything in me was screaming that I was rushing things in my head, but the looks I was receiving from Kurt told me that maybe for once I was on the same page as the guy I was romantically interested in.

"Shall we go?" Kurt asked, pulling us from the comfortable silence that had taken place as the world bustled around us.

"Oh, I get to know where we're going now?" I retorted.

"I mean, I could keep you guessing but since you are not a fan of surprises, I guess I can put you out of your misery."

"I'm pretty sure anything with you is the furthest thing from misery," I replied, internally impressed at my flirting skills. Kurt must have been impressed too; he was blushing pretty profusely. "But please enlighten me."

"Well," Kurt replied smugly. "We have tickets for the 7pm show then we're going to dinner afterward. I hope that's okay."

"Tickets? For what?" Rather than reply verbally, Kurt nodded toward the Marquis Theater – right off Times Square. I looked at it for a moment before my eyes bulged and I looked back to Kurt to confirm where we were headed. He chuckled and nodded in the affirmative. "We're going to see Evita!" I finally said aloud.

Kurt laughed again at my sheer excitement. "I did okay?" he asked somewhat tentatively.

I took his hand into mine and he smiled as he looked down to our clasped hands. "You did perfect," I replied. It was the first date someone had ever truly planned for me but Kurt had listened to the many conversations we'd had about how much I missed Broadway and he made it happen. He could have just as easily gotten us tickets for Bring It On! but he knew that I preferred the classics and this was the best, most revered option currently playing. I wasn't just blown away by the fact that someone planned a date for me, but that Kurt had planned it and he really had put so much thought into it.

I sighed, hoping my daze and admiration for Kurt wasn't creeping him out in some way. I quickly averted my thoughts from that to the show we were about to see. "Let's go. I want to thoroughly read the Playbill before the show starts."

Kurt chuckled. "Who knew I was dating a giant nerd?"

Dating, I thought to myself.Not just a date. We'redating. His phrasing didn't surprise me too much, but it was still nice for him to confirm what I was thinking; we were dating and maybe – someday soon – we'd be something more.

"Oh whatever," I joked as I was pulled away from my thoughts of asking Kurt to be mine, officially. It was still too soon for that in my books. "But seriously. Let's go. Besides, I need to gawk at Ricky Martin's picture a bit beforehand too."

Kurt rolled his eyes again and giggled, but let me lead us to the theater. I couldn't help but beam at the warmth between our two hands and our fingers laced together. This just felt so... right.

KURT

If I thought Blaine was a giant theater nerd before the show, he really blossomed into full-on dork mode after the show had concluded. I had clearly underestimated his affinity for musical theater before, but the way he rambled about the show was slightly dizzying... but effortlessly adorable.

And he hadn't been kidding about reading the Playbill. He and I analyzed the education and credentials of everyone in the cast and he even mentioned one or two people that he had run into on the street. His ability to remember a face in a crowd baffled me since I could barely recognize myself most days. The fact that I had remembered Blaine from Cosi was nothing short of a miracle.

The show had been amazing – as expected with Ricky Martin at the helm – but what was more amazing was watching Blaine turn into a child before my eyes. The sheer joy that radiated from him was infectious and I eagerly sought to watch the show with fresh eyes like he had. I'd already seen this version of the show a time or three thanks to a connection in the costume department, but watching it with Blaine's occasional commentary and the way he lit up made the experience even better.

But as adorable as he had been, he was also incredibly hot. Not that I hadn't realized this before – he was undeniably attractive – but the man could pull off a blazer and damn, did he look incredible when he smiled. He had been wearing a similar outfit before on our previous date, but we had only spent a few measly hours together. This time, I was lucky enough to spend at least four hours with him since the show was three hours and dinner afterward would hopefully be at least one more. Imighthave planned it that way on purpose.

Besides, staring at him across a dinner table was not going to be a bad thing. Not. At. All.

Once the show was over, Blaine and I had made our way to the lobby of the theater, hands still attached. I hadn't realized that he and I had held hands the entire show until I tried to grab my Playbill part of the way through to see which musical number was up next. I had struggled to pull the program from my pocket only to realize it was nestled in the divider between myself and Blaine and it was too awkward to grab it without letting go of our hands. I opted against reading it - for reasons.

"Where to now?" Blaine had asked, as we were about to foray into the side street next to the theater in order to avoid the pedestrian traffic on Times Square.

"The restaurant where we have reservations is about 10 blocks from here. Would you rather take a cab or walk?"

Blaine had thought for a moment. "Walking would be great. Besides, we've been sitting for a few hours now. Moving could do us some good."

Which is where we were now – walking on the way to the restaurant; Blaine chattering away about the show and me trying to keep up with his train of thought as I internally grinned at Blaine's mannerisms. If it wasn't for him holding my hand, I'm pretty sure I would have been soaring.

Normally I was a fairly stoic guy when it came to my emotions – something that clearly was the opposite with my date tonight as evidenced by his facial expressions – but the way I felt around Blaine was... different. Unlike the few guys I had "dated" since William, I already had opened myself up to Blaine. I could tell we were both being a little cautious when it came to the way we approached and talked to each other, but I knew deep down that something was already different. It was enlightening and beautiful... and terrifying. What if he and I fell in love? God, I could only be so lucky to fall for a guy like Blaine and maybe have him love me back.

"You okay?" Blaine asked as we neared the corner of 50th and 8th. I had been walking and completely immersed in my thoughts that I hadn't realized where we were. We were only three blocks away now and Blaine still had no idea where we were going.

"Yeah, sorry. Thinking," I replied.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he said as he and I crossed the street.

I smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "I'm just... really glad you came tonight. And that you're having a good time."

He looked over and grinned back – that smile nearly making me into a giant puddle in the middle of the street. "I'm really glad I came too. And thanks for planning this, Kurt. It means a lot."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "Of course. It's just a date. I mean, it's more than a date. But... ugh. I am so not smooth," I said, chastising myself.

Blaine chuckled and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "It's okay. I know what you meant. I've just... never been on a date like this before."

"A date like what? To a Broadway show?"

"No," he replied softly. "One where I didn't plan it, one where I wasn't the one paying." He paused and backtracked. "Not that you're paying at dinner or anything. I don't want to assume..."

Now it was my turn to reassure him. "You aren't paying for dinner – I will have the pleasure of paying for you, dear sir. But that's so strange that no one has ever taken you out on the down – wined and dined you."

He shrugged. "I guess." We walked in silence for a bit before he started talking again just as we were rounding the corner of 52nd Street. "Sorry to go on about previous romantic interests, or lack thereof. It probably was crossing some sort of boundary for a third date."

I laughed a little but stopped when I saw the panic-stricken look on his face. "I'm only laughing because... well, I wasn't bothered by it at all. Honestly it kind of freaks me out a bit how I already feel more comfortable with you than I have with anyone in a long time. And I'm glad that I can make you feel special in a small way because you are. So I'm glad you told me. And I want to learn more about you, Blaine. I want to learn everything." I whispered that last part, afraid that now I was the one being too bold.

Instead Blaine just stopped walking and pulled me in for a tight hug. Blaine gave the best hugs, I had decided. I knew it on the night of our last date but now it really was sinking in that he was a spectacular hugger. His arms were perfect and strong but his touch was soft. And the way he smelled... it was heavenly. He wore some sort of Armani cologne and the detergent he used blended with it well, giving off a clean and spicy scent that I had grown to crave.

"Thank you," he whispered into my ear as he pressed against me one last time. I reluctantly released his shoulders from my arms as he eased out of the hug, but soon I felt another gentle kiss to my cheek before he pulled away. On our last date, I had been the one to kiss him – on the cheek, of course. But this time, he had kissed me on the cheek. Twice. And it made me swoon in a way I didn't think a simple kiss to the cheek would have.

Rather than dwell on his lips and their proximity on my face, I kept my hand in his and stopped once we were in front of the restaurant we had reservations at. "Here we are," I stated, gesturing to the sign out front.

"Totto Ramen. Sounds promising - I do love Asian food," he said.

"I remembered," I replied. With that note, he smiled at me and I did my best to not kiss him right then and there. I wasn't sure this was the time or place for that.

I moved forward and held the door open for him, earning a "thanks" from a blushing Blaine. The hostess led Blaine and I to a table toward the back of the restaurant and I moved quickly to pull his chair out for him. Blaine laughed, clearly a little put off by my chivalry but I could tell that as uncomfortable as it made him to be taken care of like that, he secretly loved it.

We ordered and I couldn't help but take glances at Blaine as often as possible. How was it that a guy like him had been interested in someone like me? Would things have been the same if we hadn't met in person first? Would he have chosen me otherwise?

"You're doing it again," Blaine stated as he brought me back to the conversation I was clearly not participating in.

"Sorry," I muttered as I took a sip of my water.

"It's okay. What's on your mind?" he asked, clearly intrigued to know my answer.

"It's just... okay, this might be weird."

"Kurt, I don't think whatever you have to say will be weird."

"How do you know?" I proposed. "I could be gearing up to ask you about how there could be a viable life force on Mars or something."

He chuckled. "I highly doubt that's what's going on."

"Okay, okay. I was just thinking about how we met."

"Okay. And?"

I sighed. "Well, when we met at C—I mean, The Bell House. And it was pure luck that we happened to both be members of the same dating site which led to us getting in contact. I realize it's a lot of coincidences that just happened to work out in our favor. But what if we hadn't met at The Bell House? What if you had first seen my profile online?"

He looked confused. "I don't get it."

"I guess," I paused to make sure what I was thinking and what I wanted to know matched up as the words sputtered from my mouth. "Do you think if you had just seen my information online that you would have still pursued this?"

He sat back for a moment as I gulped my water nervously. "Look, I'm not going to deny it. The Bell House wasn't the first time I saw you. I first saw you at Cosi – the one near Times Square. I remember seeing you sitting there working on something or other and I was just... drawn to you, I guess." He paused, looking to me as if he needed permission to continue. I smiled, eager to know more. "So, yes. I would have still pursued this – pursued you, rather. I wanted to the night at The Bell House but you had left with Lauren and I didn't know how to get in touch with you. I wish we could have met sooner, but everything happens for a reason. There was a purpose for why we met when we did and I'm just thankful that I get to know you now."

I stared at him for a while and now he looked nervous. I really admired Blaine; he was so bold, so unafraid of how he felt. He was the complete opposite of me and in a way I was jealous. But if he had taken a step like that, I guess I could too.

"I saw you that day at Cosi, too," I said, watching his shoulders ease a bit.

"You did?" he asked.

"How could I not? You and your friends were so loud," I quipped, causing Blaine to laugh. "But your laugh really did reel me in. So I guess I was drawn to you too. But I thought that would be it, you know? It never works out this way in real life - only in movies."

"In what way?"

"The way that the guy gets the... guy, I guess; that it would work out that we met in person another time after seeing each other once in a random café. Seeing each other once and feeling...well, you know. It seems like something straight out of a stereotypical romantic comedy."

Blaine laughed. "Is that a bad thing?"

I shook my head. "No. Not really. It's just... does life really give happy endings like that?"

He looked at me and grabbed for my hand across the table, squeezing it gently. "I want to believe that it does," he replied with a wink.

After that, the conversation flowed easily. We talked more about the music we loved, how work was going, and even a little bit about some things we had exchanged about online and before we knew it, the check had come, had been paid (by me, of course) and we were back on the street.

It was after 11 and I knew Blaine had to work the next morning, but I didn't want to say goodbye yet. "Where do you live?" I asked.

He looked at me, slightly puzzled. "Uh, off 49th between 9th and 10th. Why?"

"Oh, I promise, I'm not a serial killer or anything." He laughed as I thought how to explain what I wanted from Blaine. "I just wanted to know if... never mind."

"If what?" Blaine questioned. He was curious and, if I wasn't mistaken, slightly eager to know what exactly I had in store. Blaine's emotions read on his face pretty easily, so it wasn't hard to know where his train of thought was.

"If – uh – if I could walk you home. I mean, just to the door. I'm not expecting..."

"It's okay," Blaine said, taking my hand again. I instantly calmed at his touch. "I'd love for you to walk me home. And it's not far from here, so we won't have to walk far." He led us down the way toward 9th and turned south, leading us back to his apartment.

"I had a really good time tonight, Blaine," I stated as we continued down the street.

He laughed. "Isn't this something that you say once you drop me off at my door?"

I shrugged. "I don't like to do things the normal way. Besides, I just wanted to let you know."

"I had an amazing time too, Kurt," he replied softly and I looked up to see that mega-watt smile on his face. "You really know how to take care of a guy."

"Same could be said about you," I retorted.

"I guess," he stated.

I gripped his hand a bit more firmly as we rounded onto 49th Street. The walk had flown by but I still wasn't ready to say goodnight. It felt like we were just getting started even though we'd already spent more than four hours together.

"This is me," he said, motioning toward the brick building behind him. We had stopped outside of the glass door leading into his building and I could see our reflections in the window.Is it weird to think that we look good together?I thought to myself as I turned back toward Blaine who was wearing another infectious smile.

Blaine took the opportunity to pull me in for a hug, this one tighter than any of the others tonight. I was wrapped up in his scent again and I felt intoxicated. "I had a really good time tonight," I breathed into his ear.

"You already said that," he replied with a low voice. I felt him rub my back lightly through my coat and I wished that I didn't have the extra layer of wool between my back and his hands.

I sighed as I inhaled his scent again. "I just don't want it to end," I admitted. I was shocked at my admission, but only shocked that I had said it aloud. I wasn't surprised that I wanted to spend time with Blaine – that thought had already cemented itself in my mind and had no hope of escaping; I was hooked on him.

He pulled back from my face slightly and I had the privilege of gazing into his eyes – those eyes that were the same color as sweetened coffee. "I don't either," he agreed, effectively taking my breath away.

In that moment, I decided to be bold. I leaned forward and tilted my head slightly inching our faces closer together. I kept my eyes open for a moment to see if there was any hesitation from Blaine only to see him close his eyes and take a deep breath, as if stilling himself for what was about to happen.

My mouth creased into a soft smile as I pushed closer to Blaine. I could soon feel his breath on my face as I closed the gap. I stood there for a moment with our lips practically centimeters apart before closing my eyes and gently placing my lips on his. Though Blaine had known it was coming, he jolted a bit at the contact but I could hear him sigh into my lips. My lips had taken his bottom lip into their possession as I lightly pressed my lips against his. I maintained the gentlest touch for a few seconds but eventually pulled back slowly, making sure that this contact was okay. Instead of letting me get too far, Blaine surged forward and went in for a second kiss – this one a bit more sure than the first but still equally as sweet.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as I pushed harder against his lips, reciprocating his touch and savoring his lips' warmth and touch against mine. I felt him pull me closer to him with his hands wound around my waist and I hummed at the closeness I had been craving since I first saw him at Cosi some weeks ago. Instinctively, I pulled us closer together at the chest and there was little room for anything between us as we pressed up fully against each other. I practically moaned at the contact, but instead pushed slightly harder at his mouth as my hands wound in his hair. My mouth started to pry itself open, eager for air and the hope of something more as I took his bottom lip and sucked lightly, making Blaine push against my mouth even harder.

"Well, well, this is quite interesting," a voice taunted, causing both of us to still in the wake of being interrupted by the person behind Blaine.

Blaine pulled himself from me, and I was afraid to open my eyes and lose this moment – this kiss, thisperfectkiss - that I had been yearning for. But I was pulled from my bliss when I heard Blaine curse under his breath and nearly turn to address the voice behind him.

The voice I finally figured out whom it had belonged to now that Blaine's mouth was no longer attached to mine.

"Do you have to swing by right now- " Blaine uttered.

"Santana?" I interjected, peeking out from behind Blaine's head to encounter the shocked face of my former high school classmate and the equally befuddled man whose arms were still holding on to me. I flickered between Santana and Blaine – both of us men clearly confused as to how the other would know the alluring Ms. Lopez.

Santana's look changed from shock to intrigue to slightly mischievous as she watched us gape at each other.

"Oh," she stated, shaking her head. "This just got good."