CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

FRIDAY MORNING

I forgot about how rabid soccer moms are. –K

Sorry, I'm just now getting your text because I was still asleep at 7am like normal people are when they don't have to work. What made you come to that conclusion so early in the morning? –B

Bed, Bath & Beyond was more like Blood Bath & Beyond. It was worse than any catfight I've seen on the Real Housewives and that means something. –K

Ah. I thought you weren't going to the Black Friday sales? –B

I needed a few things and they happened to be on sale. –K

You couldn't keep away, could you? –B

I guess not... :) –K

Now I know one of your weaknesses. –B

Please, that's hardly a weakness. I'm pretty sure most of America can get behind a sale. –K

One of these days I'll find out a weakness of yours. You already know mine. Speaking of which, I better go make sure there's some pie left this morning before my brother eats it. –B

Oh, you should already know one of my weaknesses. –K

Oh yeah? What is it? –B

I'll never tell... -K

But if I already know it, it's not a secret. –B

Well, I'm not 'enlightening' you then. –K

Can I have a hint? –B

Nope. –K

Meanie. –B

;) –K

FRIDAY NIGHT

If I get arrested for murder, will you come visit me in jail? –B

Uh, I'm going to need an explanation here... -K

My brother does not deserve to live anymore. –B

What did he do? –K

He ate all of my pie! –B

Hahahaha I hardly think that is worthy of him being murdered and you spending your life in jail. –K

But perhaps I could write it off as a crime of passion? –B

I doubt any jury would let that go. –K

They should. Pumpkin pie is sacred. –B

You are such a dork. –K

Whatever. It doesn't seem to bother you too much. –B

Nope, it doesn't. –K

SATURDAY MORNING

That voicemail you left me earlier this morning was a riot. I can't believe you and your brother just Rick-Rolled me over voicemail, but your singing was quite impressive. Who knew you and your brother were such hams? –K

Please my brother works in Hollywood. Of course he's a total ham. –B

What's your excuse then? –K

I'm naturally awesome? –B

And so humble! –K

What can I say? ;) –B

What are you up to? I hoped that I would get some sort of singing voicemail in return. Besides, I still haven't heard you sing. –B

I'm actually on my way to the movies – family tradition. And I highly doubt you want to hear my dad singing Joan Jett right now (which is what he's currently doing. Though you can hardly call it singing). –K

Even if it's horrible, I bet it's hilarious. At least there's that, right? –B

I guess. But it makes it more obvious that my singing abilities were not inherited from my father. The world should really be grateful. –K

Speaking for the world, I'm glad there's one less tone-deaf person in the world. Though you better blow my mind with your singing – you're setting the bar pretty high there. –B

Oh, I'll definitely blow your mind. ;) –K

I had no doubts. ;) -B

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Remember how I said I missed Ohio? I'm over it. I'm definitely ready to come back to New York. –K

:( What happened? –B

Stepbrother is driving me crazy and hogging the TV, my dad keeps bugging me about what I'm up to in New York and keeps asking if I've taken self defense classes in case I get jumped in a back alley. –K

That sucks! What about your stepmom? Hopefully she's treating you okay. –B

No, she's being great – as always. Sigh. How are things with your family? –K

Good. Today we're going to The Met at my mom's request. Cooper will probably try to make crass jokes about the paintings with naked people in them and my dad will just wander around playing with his phone. Truly exciting stuff. –B

Sounds better than the entertainment currently blaring from the TV downstairs. –K

You'll be home soon. What time does your flight get in on Sunday? –B

At 4. Literally counting down the hours. –K

You have about 24 until you board the plane. Hang in there. :) –B

I guess I can try if there's a light at the end of the tunnel. –K

How about we go out Sunday night as a welcome back to the city party of sorts? –B

That would be great! Will your parents still be around; I'd hate to intrude. –K

Nah, they're heading out tomorrow morning – thank GOD! Why don't you call me when you get back and we'll work out a time? –B

Sounds perfect. –K

Great. See you tomorrow! –B

I think I might be more excited to come home now. ;) –K

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25

BLAINE

"Hi."

"Hi," Kurt replied with a blush as he opened the door to let me into his apartment. I decided meeting him at his place would be easier since I had spent far too much time in my own place over the past few days and I figured Kurt would appreciate not having to get in another cab to head up to my neck of the woods. "Wes isn't home yet – he'll be back Tuesday morning."

"Mmmmm," I nodded in agreement as I leaned in toward my boyfriend to give him a hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he latched around my shoulders. I could feel his breath teasing my neck as he laid his head on my shoulder, the tip of his nose tickling the collar of my polo shirt.

"I'm so glad to be back," he said quietly as he shifted slightly in our hug.

"I'm glad you're back too," I replied, realizing that I truly was thrilled for my boyfriend's return to New York. I inhaled sharply as I basked in the hug Kurt had enveloped me in and got a whiff of his scent. "You smell nice."

"Thanks, so do you," he said as he took a deep breath. "You smell much better than my brother."

I chuckled against him, feeling his warmth as the laugh thrummed through my chest. "That's not saying much – you said he was somewhat barbaric."

"It's true, but it makes me appreciate people that bathe on a regular basis so much more."

I laughed harder as I leaned my head on top of Kurt's and angled myself to kiss him, my lips grazing over his ear. The contact caused Kurt's breath to hitch and I tried to ignore the fact that if I stuck out my tongue just a bit, I'd probably illicit some sort of divine noise from the incredibly attractive man in my midst. But we weren't to that point quite yet and being that we were in his apartment with no roommate (and knowing that I hadn't had sex in years), I didn't want to fly through the "bases", slide into home, and regret it later.

In order to preserve the sweet moment and ensure that I maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, I pulled away from him slightly – causing his head to snap up and for a sliver of space to come between us.

As we got some distance between us, I finally took a good look at Kurt. He had on a sleepy smile and I couldn't help but return it. I could tell he was exhausted, but I was thankful to be spending time with him. Just as I was beginning to study the crinkles in his smile and observe the way his cheeks had slight dimples, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

The glow I felt when he smiled at me tripled when his lips fell on mine. I don't know how I had gone so long without kissing someone. In my lifetime, I had kissed maybe 10 people – mostly guys, but a few girls (unfortunately). Those Warblers were suckers for playing Spin the Bottle with the girl's school and somehow the bottle rarely seemed to land on any cute guys when it was my turn. I bet those assholes rigged it.

But of all the kisses I'd had, somehow the ones I shared with Kurt seemed to reach my soul on a deeper level that I couldn't really explain.

It scared the hell out of me to feel so strongly about something purely based on the simplest touch of flesh as our lips puckered against each other's, but it was something I couldn't help.

Kurt pulled away and I internally groaned at the loss. Thankfully his scent still lingered in my nostrils and the warmth of his arms still cocooning me in a way I had missed over the past week.

"So," he said pulling me from my trance, "what's the plan for tonight?"

"I'm game for whatever. Are you hungry? I figured it's dinner time and I'm guessing you didn't eat between your flight and now."

"I definitely could eat," he admitted. "What are you in the mood for?"

"I could go for anything."

"We clearly are very decisive people," Kurt chuckled. "How about something simple? Chipotle?"

"Eating from a chain restaurant? That seems sacrilegious."

"Technically Cosi is a chain restaurant," he reminded me. I rolled my eyes and he laughed softly. "Besides, we drove past one in Columbus and I've been thinking about burritos ever since."

"Well, let me not get in the way between a man and his burrito," I mused; causing Kurt to limply hit my arm. I was going to pretend that Kurt's mild tap hurt, but he kissed me gently instead, causing me to lose track of what I was thinking.

As we broke our kiss, I couldn't help but smile again and his icy blue eyes pored into mine.God, he is incredible, I thought to myself.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing his coat from the coat rack.

...

The walk to Chipotle was short, full of handholding and stolen kisses as we waited to cross the street. Despite the influx of tourists in town for the parade, there was hardly anyone on the street after the parade concluded - making the city seem somewhat abandoned in the wake of a tidal wave of people. It almost made it feel like we were in some sort of alternate universe and I was thrilled to be there with Kurt.

After we ordered our food and found a seat in a booth by the windows, I immediately took to devouring my burrito. Kurt chuckled as he unwrapped his burrito and used a knife and fork to cut it and place each bite carefully into his mouth. I laughed internally as I thought of the scene we probably conveyed to the diners around us – one man looking totally put together and eating so carefully and the other man with somewhat unruly hair looking like a barbarian as I shoveled down mouthfuls of tortilla-wrapped goodness.

"I hear that it's supposed to get warm soon," I said between bites. Kurt nearly lost it as he practically choked on his burrito and gulped down some of his water, laughing the whole time. "What's so funny?" I questioned.

He giggled as he took another sip. "I can't believe we're talking about the weather. That seems like something people would do when they run out of things to say or when they're trying to make small talk."

I shrugged. "Well, I have plenty to say, but I was just making a note." I was slightly embarrassed – I didn't want Kurt to think I had nothing to say or that I was just itching to make conversation.

He reached out for my hand over the table. "It's fine, Blaine. I'm just teasing you." He winked and turned his attention back to his burrito. I smiled and let the moment pass. I was thankful that he and I were comfortable enough to joke around but still maintain a flirty balance. It was incredibly comforting.

"So, tell me all about your trip to Ohio."

He rolled his eyes. "I texted you like the whole time I was there. You know what I was up to."

"Yes, but I'm sure you left some things out. Like, what did you end up getting while you were—"

"Kurt?" a voice asked.

Kurt turned his attention to the voice and I followed suit. I recognized him, but couldn't quite place him.

"Hey James! I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I've been busy," the man – apparently named James – said as he ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair. I flicked back to watching Kurt and saw a soft smile on his face as he made eye contact with the gorgeous man who had come over to our table.

"That's good," Kurt said, still facing James. I looked between the two and sipped on my drink. There was a niggling feeling in the back of my mind, like I was missing something. James clearly was a very, very attractive man. He seemed tall and incredibly well put together and probably rich, given the fact that he was wearing a Rolex on his left wrist.

I kept my gaze fixed on the pair as I sipped my drink, but soon the drink was gone as I sucked the remnants of my tea dry, causing the telltale noise of an empty cup to radiate through their conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" James asked, turning to me as I placed my now-empty paper cup on the table.

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me – I forgot where I was for a second. James, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is James."

"Nice to meet you," I said extending my hand out to him.

"Likewise," he said, matching my grin with his own. And – of course – he had perfect teeth and sparkling blue eyes. Ugh. "And you're..."

"—He's my boyfriend," Kurt interjected, causing James' mouth to form an 'o' and me to feel a mixture of smug and touched that I wasn't the one who needed to clarify my relationship with my boyfriend.

"Oh, uh, wow. Okay," James stuttered and I tried my best to hide my haughty grin, not wanting Kurt to witness my small victory in my mind over this guy. "Well, you must be incredible if Kurt's your boyfriend."

"Guilty as charged," I replied, causing James to look somewhat uncomfortable and Kurt to nudge me under the table. I looked over at Kurt to see if I'd crossed some sort of line with my joke but he just smiled in return and the bump under the table seemed to be in jest rather than him actually being upset with me.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt – I was actually headed home anyway. But it was nice to see you, Kurt. We have to set up time to go shopping soon."

"Of course," Kurt said with a nod. "I'll call you sometime." James responded with his own nod, seemingly pleased with Kurt's promise of a shopping trip.

"And – uh – it was nice to meet you Blaine," James said, a leery look on his face.

"It was nice to meet you too," I said with my most sincere smile. I admit, the guy was hot and seemed to be a littletoointo Kurt, but I didn't dislike him by any means. I didn't even know him.

"Bye," Kurt said with a wave as James exited the restaurant. I followed him out with my eyes and tried to be friendly as I waved at him as he rounded the corner. Once he was out of my line of sight, I turned back to Kurt who sat nibbling on his burrito again.

"So. James," I stated as I pushed around the chips that were nestled between Kurt and I.

"What about him?"

"How do you know him?" I admit, I probably came off a bit overprotective at the moment, but I was really curious.

"You should recognize him if you saw me at Cosi," he said, slight tease coming through his voice.

"Cosi?" I asked rhetorically, thinking back to the moment I first saw Kurt. I remembered the way the light hit his hair as he sat next to the window, the way his vest fit against his chest, and I remembered...

"The guy you were with that day. That was him." Kurt nodded. "How do you know him though? He doesn't seem like the type of guy who works with you and he doesn't really come off as the kind of guy you were best friends with in college or anything."

Kurt sat chewing with his index finger held in front of him, noting that he needed a minute to finish chewing. "I mean, I'm sorry," I uttered. "I realize you don't have to tell me or anything but I'm just curious. Sorry if that like crosses the line or anything, I totally don't want to seem like I'm—"

"Blaine, it's fine," Kurt interjected. "We went on a few dates a while back, but I decided that we were better off as friends."

"You decided you were better off as friends?"

"That's what I said," he chuckled.

"Sorry, but – uh – have you seen him?"

He laughed harder. "Uh, yes. He was just standing right here."

"No, I mean. Ugh." I was totally going to come off as insecure or creepy or jealous. Or all three. "He's really attractive Kurt." I carefully dusted off my black polo and fidgeted in my seat. If Kurt was going to turn down a guy like that, what did he want to do with me? Kurt was sweet, successful, confident and incredibly attractive – he could practically land any man he pleased. I just felt inadequate in comparison – and especially in comparison to James.

In the world of gay men – or dating in general – landing a guy that looked like James, complete with his slight country accent, would be like hitting the jackpot. And yet, here he sat at the table with the slightly dorky, music nerd with weird hair and whose mouth was probably covered with salsa and rice bits.

"And?" he questioned.

I shrugged.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, James is super hot." Kurt's admission made me laugh nervously. The fact that he acknowledged that he found his friend – and apparently the guy he used to date – attractive did nothing for my self-esteem. "But he and I just weren't going to work out in that way. He wasn't what I needed and I couldn't be what he wanted."

My eyes bugged at his last note. "He wasn't into, like, S&M or something was he?" I posed; whispering the last bit since this hardly seemed like the place to discuss such things.

Kurt snorted. "Hardly. He was just... not in the same place in life as I am. Which is totally fine, but in the end we wouldn't have made each other happy." He looked up at me as I attempted to swipe a napkin over my mouth, hoping to clear any burrito remnants that had taken residence there. "Besides, he never made me laugh like you do. He couldn't do what you do... to me," he said, blushing.

My heart swooned. I realized that Kurt and I were far too early in our relationship to have any real, finite admissions of feelings, but the fact that he admitted – without saying it outright – that I made him happy set my heart on fire.

He maintained his gaze on me for a moment before the reddened hue reached his ears in his slight embarrassment and he turned back to the nearly finished burrito in front of him. While he sat transfixed on his food, I looked at him a bit more closely. The way his hair swooped in front of his eyes as it had lost its perched position on his head made me want to reach forward and tuck it back into place. The way his tongue slipped out of his mouth when he was concentrating on cutting made me want to reach out and touch the lips that it was encased between or, better yet, acquaint his tongue with my own. And I willed for him to look at me again so I could look into the eyes that had captured me from the first time I saw him; eyes that weren't quite as expressive as mine, but ones that had seen so much of the world and desired to see and experience more.

But more than all of that, it was who he was – inside and out. He was an incredibly hot man, but his laugh could make the darkest day shine, his wit could leave anyone laughing for hours, his passion for life and the things he loved could make anyone agree with him without a second guess. Kurt embodied so much of what was wonderful and I was thankful to be a part of it to see him truly shine on the world.

It was then that I realized – I was falling in love with Kurt Hummel.

And it terrified me.