Kurt

There was chatter in the ears of Kurt Hummel that he found easy to drown out. Normally he cared. At least, he cared enough to listen. But these days he zoned out and made the appropriate noises and words at the right times. A nod and a noncommittal noise here, a faked interested expression and a lean in there. But it all meant nothing. Kurt was still getting over the sting of a break up.

Shawn, a spontaneous and exciting love interest that caught Kurt's eye in college, dumped him just under a month ago. Shawn was Kurt's second ever boyfriend. Of the two relationships he had, both lasted more than two years and were considered "serious." It was Shawn's spontaneity that attracted Kurt in the first place. Although he was attractive, he wasn't overwhelmingly so. As far as looks went, he was pretty average, but his personality popped in a way that made him look better. Shawn would wake up next to Kurt some mornings and crave food from a restaurant that he saw on the Food Network and they'd go on a day trip to whatever restaurant that took hours to drive to. Other days he'd be cooking dinner and then the kitchen would suddenly become his own personal dance floor. Shawn was fun. Shawn was exciting. Shawn dumped Kurt after two years and three months because he fell in love with someone he made eye contact with in the Brooklyn Zoo (Shawn worked there. He was a vet/animal handler). He claimed he didn't know who this man was, but there was an electric connection and he simply had to find him.

Kurt was devastated. He was dumped for someone that didn't have a name. He was dumped for someone that only had a face. His only feeling was that he wasn't good enough.

"Kurt?"

"Huh?" Kurt blinked and shook himself from his zoning. He was having breakfast at a diner with Puck, Rachel and Finn. Finn was Kurt's stepbrother and Rachel was Finn's new wife. She was also a close friend of Kurt's. Puck was a friend of all of theirs since high school, though they all knew each other since pre-school. They'd finally convinced Puck to move out to New York City from Lima, Ohio and since Kurt now had a reason to need a roommate, Puck moved into the spare room in Kurt and Shawn's apartment. Shawn was the one to move out.

"Seriously, Dude. It's been a month. You need to get over him already," Puck offered.

"There are other guys out there. You'll find someone better," Finn added.

"Guys, let Kurt be sad if he wants. It'll pass when he's ready," said Rachel.

"It's sooo depressing though." Puck was more dramatic than he let on.

"I'm sorry," Kurt began. "Really. I know I'm no fun to be around, but I don't know what to do or where to go from here. Maybe I should have been the one to move out of the apartment. Everything reminds me of him and he didn't take all of his things."

"So throw them out," Puck instructed. "He's not coming back. Man, I love you, but that's the honest truth. He's not coming back and you shouldn't hope for that. Move on. He's not worth it."

"You know what you need?" Finn asked.

Kurt flicked his eyes over to his brother. "What?"

"You need to get laid."

"What!" Rachel and Kurt exclaimed at the same time.

"For real, man." Puck had no problem agreeing with Finn. Honestly it was surprising that the suggestion hadn't come from Puck first, as he was the lothario of hearts. He brought home different women all the time, sometimes twice in one day; Kurt was honestly surprised Puck didn't have a horde of children or a venereal disease. "Get back in the saddle. You need at least a rebound. You know, someone to think about while you're forgetting about what's his name."

"Shawn."

"Yeah, I know. I was trying to help you forget about him."

"Puck, I'm not so sure forgetting is the best policy. Shouldn't I learn from experiences?"

"Yes," added Finn. "Take the experiences you had in bed and use them after picking some dude up."

"Finn, no. It's gross that you just said that. I'm not that kind of guy."

"How do you know if you haven't tried?"

"I don't want to try."

"Do you want to be miserable? Because you're fighting everything," Rachel offered as help. "Why don't you just try going out? You don't have to take someone home, but go out. Meet some people, talk to new people; do something fun."

"I don't-"

"Do it," Puck concluded. "I'm locking you out tonight unless you agree to go out."

Kurt sighed in defeat.

That was the antecedent that brought him to be sitting at Jericho, one of many popular gay hang outs in the city. He used to go there with Shawn and the group of gay friends that Kurt met through Shawn, but they hadn't been in a long time because they never went without the other and Kurt's been pretty busy with work. He felt his first mistake was going alone. He should have called up one of his friends to go with him. Instead, Kurt was sitting alone at the bar, nursing a Midori Sour.

Sebastian

Sebastian was standing in the mezzanine of Jericho. He was leaning on the bars of the balcony and overlooking all the dancing men, trying to pick one out of the many to take home or end up in the back room with. His friends, Trent, John, and Thad were crowded around him, going on about something or other that Sebastian wasn't paying attention to because he was too busy ogling the men below and critiquing them all because, far be it, for Sebastian to take home a man who qualified as less than an eight on his scale of hotness.

He caught the eye of a pretty little thing on the dance floor and considered him for a second, but then remembered that he took him home two weeks ago and the pretty little thing had just that: a pretty little thing. His eyes wandered on. John moved behind him and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's middle and pressed himself close. "Come on," he said. "I want to dance."

"Dance with yourself. I'm busy." Sebastian didn't budge or shrug John off because the attitude in his voice was enough to give John the hint to back off. After another two minutes Sebastian smiled. "There," he said aloud.

"What?" Trent asked.

"Gentleman, I've found my new boyfriend for the evening."

"Where?" John asked.

"Over by the bar. See the one sitting by himself and not talking to anyone?" It was hard to distinguish anyone as alone because the bar was extremely crowded, but near the middle of the pack, there was one man sitting and not talking to people. He seemed to have his eyes fixed on his drink and in the reflection from the mirror behind the bar, Sebastian could just make out the doll-like face of a skinny, brunette with impeccable fashion and perfect hair. The obviously young man had on tighter than tight black jeans and a form fitted, mini vest. No shirt, just the vest. He's a nine easily.

"Aww," Thad empathized. "He looks sad."

"Guess I'll just have to cheer him up, won't I?" Sebastian immediately started leaving the mezzanine to introduce himself to the sad, but beautiful man at the bar. He left his friends without a goodbye.

Kurt

What am I doing here? Kurt thought to himself. He'd dressed the way he'd normally dress when going out to a bar, partly scantily clad and partly in clothes that took five minutes to squeeze into because of their tightness factor. He'd been sitting at this bar for an hour, nursing the two drinks he had over the time frame and staring down into his glass. He was dressed to impress or at the very least, dressed to get the attention of someone who'd, for one night, make him forget about Shawn dumping him. The thing was, Kurt didn't want to go home with anyone tonight. He just wanted to go home… alone. I'm not ready. He was never the one night stand kind of guy. Kurt was a serial monogamous. He was useless as a single person trying to pick up someone else and utterly devoted as a boyfriend.

"Hello, Porcelain."

A voice roused Kurt from his self loathing in his glass and looked to his right. A tall brunette in white pants and a black mesh top was leaning against the bar and smiling at him with a cocky look in his eyes.

"Porcelain?" Kurt asked. Did he know this person? The nickname was one that he had in high school and hadn't heard anyone call him that since. He didn't look familiar at all and Kurt never forgot a face.

"You look like a sexy version of a porcelain doll. Wanna come out to play, doll?" The tall brunette ran a single finger down Kurt's arm.

Kurt was in shock. He'd never been picked up or hit on by someone as forward as this guy. He gulped. "Um. No thanks. I'm um…"

"Are you here with someone?"

"No."

"Then let's get out of here."

"Oh! Um. N-no no thank you. Th-that's just not my thing."

Tall Brunette narrowed his eyes, but still smiled. "Sweety, look around you, that's everyone's thing."

"Not mine."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Kurt looked down and turned back to his glass, hoping that Tall Brunette would go away if Kurt pretended he wasn't there.

Tall Brunette took a breath. "Sorry. You're almost finished with your drink. Let me apologize by buying you another."

"No thank you. I'm leaving when this one is done."

"Please? I want to buy you a drink." Tall Blonde ignored Kurt and leaned across the bar. "Blaine!" he called to the bartender.

The handsome bartender, who's name Kurt now knew was Blaine, came over and spread his arms onto the wooden bar. He was short, but not too short and had the most incredibly attractive roman haircut that went perfectly with his dark brown curls. He wore a form fitted, very tight, black tank top. Kurt appraised him for a second and looked back to Sebastian, still hoping he'd go away.

"No really, I don't want another drink. I appreciate-"

"Nonsense. I'll leave you alone. I just want to get you a drink."

"What can I get for you, Sebastian?" Blaine asked with an expression that read as forced pleasantry from a person who was being paid to be nice to everyone, even the people he knew and disliked.

Sebastian, Kurt compartmentalized. At least he has a name.

Sebastian slapped a twenty dollar bill on the bar in front of Blaine. "Get this beautiful man here anything he wants, on me." He put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "See? Not so bad. Just a drink. I hope to see you again, Porcelain." Sebastian turned and melted into the endless crowd of dancing men.

Kurt

"You're lucky," Blaine said, trying to engage Kurt. "Sebastian usually doesn't take no so quickly."

"He didn't really take no. I didn't want the drink."

"That's Sebastian. He has to feel like he has the upper hand."

"You two know each other?"

"Unfortunately. We went to the same high school and went to the same college. Notice how I didn't say 'together.' I couldn't stand him then and I can't stand him now. We aren't friends. Wow. Sorry. I don't even know you am I'm getting all personal. Sorry. I'm Blaine."

"Kurt."

Blaine smiled. Kurt liked the way his face looked when Blaine smiled. His eyes crinkled. It was cute. "What can I get for you, Kurt?"

"Nothing, thank you. I didn't want the drink in the first place. You can have the money though. Take it as a tip for having to deal with him for so long."

Blaine smiled again and took the twenty dollar bill. He tucked it in his pants pocket. "You know, I'd normally never take it, but seeing as how the person who's twenty dollars this is, is Sebastian Smyth, I'll take it. You sure you don't want anything?"

"No thanks." Kurt took the last sip from his glass. "I'm leaving anyway. It was stupid of me to come out in the first place."

"I beg to differ." Blaine smiled again, but this time his expression was softer, almost like he was innocently flirting.

"Blaine!" yelled another bartender down the line. "Get to work!"

Blaine looked back at Kurt. "See you around, Kurt." Blaine smiled once more and went to attend to a customer in drag.

"Bye," Kurt answered. He caught his own reflection in the mirror and realized he was blushing. Hopefully he thought it was because I was drinking and it's warm in here. Then he rolled his eyes when he realized he cared what the bartender he'd never seen before thought of him.

Kurt hopped up off the bar stool and exited Jericho. When he was waiting for the subway train to arrive he pulled out his phone and shot a text to Rachel, who, despite the late hour, he knew was awake and rehearsing steps for her mid morning audition.

K- The bar idea was a flop.

R- Aww : ( Did you get rejected?

K- No! Way to go on building up my self esteem. What makes you think I was the rejected one? I was picked up by a really attractive guy.

R- And…?

K- I sent him away. I couldn't go home with him.

R- Why not? You deserve a night of fun.

K- I wouldn't call the awkwardness after the random hookup as fun. Sex means something to me, Rachel.

R- Yeah, I'm pretty sure your dad ruined sex for you when he gave you the talk.

K- He didn't ruin it for me. I love sex just as much as the next guy, but I like it when there's feelings involved. Anyway, what do you know? You've only had sex with one person and you're married to him.

R- Not everyone can be as lucky as me.

K- Why are we still friends?

R- If nothing else, it's because I'm your brother's radiant wife.

K- That's right. My Shining Sister In-Law.

R- : ) So are you going home?

K- Yeah.

R- Was there anything good about the night?

K- The bartender was cute. He had a really nice smile. But he has to smile because he wants tips.

R- Did he flirt?

K- I don't know. Maybe? It wouldn't matter anyway because he's probably straight. Most bartenders at gay bars are. Gay men tip WAY better than anyone else.

R- Too bad.

K- I'm not ready to put myself out there yet, so it doesn't matter.

R- Hang in there. You'll be over Shawn in no time.

K- Train's here. Good night Rachel.

R- Good night!