You’ll live. Meet me somewhere?
-Blaine

Okay... 5:30, the Lima Bean?
-Kurt

K
-Blaine

---

Kurt didn't know what he was doing. His mind was a jumbled mess and thinking simply made it worse. So he decided to stop thinking altogether and just go with it.

Whatever 'it' was.

He arrived at the Lima Bean, Lima's only decent coffee shop, at five twenty. He could see Blaine already waiting at a small booth far away from everyone else. He was practically gnawing his thumb nail off as he glanced at the door every few seconds.

Kurt sighed. He slowly stepped out of his car and approached the glass door. The second the small bell announced his arrival, Blaine's eyes shot up. He was at Kurt's side in seconds, wrapping his arm around Kurt's waist like he had earlier. He steered them towards the counter and ordered a black coffee then turned to Kurt expectantly.

Kurt found he didn't mind Blaine's arm around him. In fact, he was loving it. He held Blaine's gaze until the other boy grinned crookedly and squeezed his side. Kurt inhaled sharply and forced himself to turn toward the annoyed barista.

"Sorry. A large non fat mocha with extra cinnamon," he turned back to Blaine who had been watching him fondly.

The barista snapped her gum loudly and rolled her heavily black lined eyes. She turned in the order and looked expectantly at the pair.

"You got something to say, miss?" Blaine asked, still watching Kurt, smiling dangerously, "Or are you just going to keep staring?"

The barista's eyes widened and she adverted her eyes to the register.

"Umm... five forty six?" she said nervously.

"Oh!" Kurt jumped to grab his wallet out of his jacket, but Blaine shook his head.

"I got it, just go wait at the table, okay?" he dropped his arm from Kurt's waist.

Kurt nodded, immediately missing the warmth of Blaine's arm. He walked back to the booth that Blaine had been sitting at to find a ratty torn backpack and an ancient mp3 player. He felt his face morph with confusion. Hadn't Blaine gone to a Dalton school? Like a super expensive Dalton school?

Kurt considered asking about it, but quickly decided there were more important things to discuss. Like why Blaine punched Karofsky in the face after her pushed Kurt. Why Blaine is a total ass to everyone besides Kurt. Or why he was so furious about the jocks harassing Kurt.

Yes. There was no time to discuss a tattered old backpack.

After a minute of Kurt playing and replaying different scenarios in his head, Blaine finally slipped into the booth across from him. He slid Kurt's coffee cup toward him and drank from his own. Blaine stared at his coffee as he stirred it with his middle finger.

"So, what's new, Angel?" he grinned and inclined his head toward Kurt, eyes still locked on his cup.

Kurt sat open mouthed, eyebrows reaching his hair line. Seriously? Blaine glanced at him then turned back to his coffee, grinning wider.

"Ahh. You have questions," his smile faded.

Kurt wordlessly nodded, still gaping.

"Alright then," Blaine leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, "Ask away."

"Okay..." he thought for a minute, he might as well start with the easy ones, "Why did you fight with Karofsky?"

Blaine kept his eyes locked on Kurt’s as he answered, “He hurt you. I hurt him. Easy.”

Kurt felt the shock on his face. Blaine merely shrugged.

"B-but," Kurt stuttered, "Why would you-"

"No, no, no," Blaine interrupted, "Question for question."

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, waiting.

"Who harasses you at school?" Blaine asked seriously.

Kurt was taken aback by the question, "Karofsky, he's the worst, but I guess you kind of knew that... Azimio, he's pretty bad too... Umm, pretty much every jock with a letterman and access to the slushy machine."

Blaine seemed to be making a mental note of each name, "And how long has it been happening?"

Kurt shook his head and smiled, "My turn."

The other boy grinned crookedly and motioned for him to continue.

"Why are you a jerk to everyone...but me?"

"You know the answer to that one," he winked.

Kurt had suspected this answer. The, 'don't worry, he likes you' note had spoken volumes. He nodded slowly and tried not to smile, but by the look on Blaine's face he had failed.

"And do you like me?" he turned his head to the side.

Kurt maintained a pretty decent composure, in his opinion. But in fear of his voice rising to a pitch that only dogs could hear, he simply nodded and adverted his eyes to his coffee.

"Good. That's going to make this a lot easier."

"What?" Kurt turned back to him.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you back around those assholes unprotected. Karofsky asked if I was your boyfriend. I said yes. So I was going to maintain the protective boyfriend status either way."

"What, like, a body guard?" Kurt's eyes widened.

Blaine leaned forward, completely serious, "You're so... Breakable. I feel like I have to be so careful with you, make sure no one touches you. It's like... I've never felt like that before. And it scares the hell out of me,” He paused, then looked up to Kurt’s eyes, “I'm not going to let any of those guys break you," he slipped his hand into Kurt's and squeezed.

"But... But I- we barely know each other..." Kurt stared at their clasped hands in shock.

"Tell me about it," Blaine grinned his crooked grin that was quickly becoming Kurt's favorite image.

"So..." he watched Blaine trace circles on the back of his hand with his thumb, "What happens now?"

"Well," Blaine drank from his coffee, "You could agree to being my boyfriend, or pretend to so I can keep Karofsky away."

Kurt nearly choked on his mocha. He tried to cover it with a cough, but the look on Blaine's face proved that he had failed miserably. Blaine and his terribly wicked grin. Blaine and his gorgeous honey eyes. Blaine.

"Yes. I mean- uh yeah sure. Okay. Yes. Okay. I'm stopping now," he covered his face with his hands and groaned. Blaine chuckled as he turned a deeper red.

"Hey, no," Blaine pulled his hands away gently, "The only reason I'm not jumping up and dancing around is because I'm pretty sure that chick at the register would call the cops."

Kurt laughed, "I'm guessing the whole badass thing just went out the window, then?"

"Oh no, he's still very much alive," Blaine took a serious tone, "But I just... Don't feel like being that person with you..."

Kurt nodded and sipped at his half empty drink, "As long as you keep the piercings."

Blaine quirked an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Kurt shrugged and focused intently on getting every last bit of whipped cream out of his cup.

"So. Little blue eyes has got a thing for the bad boys," Blaine leaned back and grinned wickedly, "And he hasn't even seen the best ones..."

Kurt slowly turned his eyes back to the dark smile across from his. He watched as the other boy took a long drink from his coffee. He darted his tongue out and slowly dragged it across his bottom lip. But wait. No. No. A dull metal spike sat at the center of it. He gawked with wide eyes as Blaine pulled it back into his mouth and smirked.

A tongue piercing. Why hadn’t he seen that coming? It wasn't surprising, seeing as how Blaine had at least four in each ear and one in his eyebrow. But something about it made Kurt's mouth water. Thoughts of him sucking on it as they kissed or Blaine dragging it across the roof of Kurt's mouth quickly flooded his mind. He sat in a euphoric daze for a good thirty second before Blaine's laughing tore him out of it.

"What?" he blinked and shook his head.

Blaine leaned forward on the table with a dark glint in his eye, "Whatever you were just imagining is totally fine with me."

"What are you talking about?" Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back.

"Don't even try to lie," he nudged Kurt's thigh with his boot. Kurt let out an involuntary squeak.

The other boy chuckled as he slid out of the booth. Blaine offered Kurt his hand and he took it, smiling. Because this was his boyfriend. This person he had just met. This total polar opposite. This beautiful, gorgeous, boy. He smiled because he didn't know how things would turn out, but he didn't care. He just knew that he would be completely content to sit at that booth for the rest of his life and talk with Blaine about everything and nothing.

They walked out of the coffee shop, hand in hand. When they passed the rude barista, Blaine flicked a nickel at the counter and gave her a salute. She stared wide eyed after them. Kurt laughing. Blaine watching him fondly.

This was Kurt's boyfriend.

Boyfriend.

What had just happened?

Oh god. What was he going to tell his dad?