(5:18)
Mine walks the entirety of Central Park South each Sunday and Bradshaw and I are getting tired.
(5:19)
Why? What is yours doing?

(5:19)
That's delicate intel.

(5:21)
How delicate?

(5:21)
Game-changing.

(5:23)
Well, are you going to tell me?

(5:24)
You can't tell him.

(5:24)
He doesn't even know we're talking.

(5:25)
Promise.

(5:25)
Come on!

(5:26)
Promise on your gavel, Wes.

(5:26)
What?
(5:27)
I don't know what you're talking about.

(5:28)
Blaine said you kept it.
(5:28)
It's on your desk. Left side. You use it as a paperweight.

(5:29)
...

(5:29)
We put your bathroom break to good use.

(5:30)
For what, future blackmailing plans? Whose side are you on?

(5:30)
I'm just asking you to keep it to yourself.
(5:31)
Operation KB can only succeed if we forge an alliance.

(5:33)
Can I ask you something?

(5:33)
Sure.

(5:34)
Why are you in on this?

(5:34)
Because I want Kurt to be happy.

(5:35)
But I thought he *was* happy. That's what he told Blaine.

(5:36)
Ethan was...
(5:36)
He was good for Kurt. I knew that, even though we got off on the wrong foot. Before him, it had always been just the two of us . Ethan marched in with this... nonchalance, and shook it all up. I guess I wasn't prepared.
(5:37)
Kurt keeps joking that we're too much alike and that's why we clash.
(5:37)
Anyway. He gave Kurt strength, confidence, something to hold on to, and yes, he made him happy. We weren't best friends, but he was a good guy.

(5:38)
So, again... Why are you in on this?

(5:39)
Because I know Kurt. I know him more than he knows himself sometimes, especially when it comes to this.
(5:40)
I saw the changes in him, ever since he and Blaine started texting. It wasn't much at first, and I didn't even know about Blaine's existence in the beginning, but - looking back at it, everything made sense.
(5:41)
The smile on his face when he texted, his eyes lighting up... Subtle, but still noticeable.
(5:42)
Not to mention the obsession that came with the missions. Of course, I knew about Blaine by then, even though Kurt didn't like to talk about him.

(5:43)
Obsession?

(5:45)
All of them had to be perfect - absolutely perfect. Who does things like that for someone who's supposed to be a stranger?

(5:46)
Okay, let me get this straight. Delicate intel, Operation KB, the past tense when you talk about Ethan. What are you trying to tell me?

(5:48)
Kurt broke up with him.

(5:49)
WHAT??!!
(5:49)
When?

(5:50)
On Friday.
(5:52)
Speechless?

(5:53)
Kind of.
(5:54)
What does it mean?

(5:55)
I don't know yet; I'm giving him time to breathe. He's a mess.

(5:56)
Naturally.
(5:57)
Wow. I didn't see that coming.

(5:58)
I did.
(5:58)
He won't admit it, not even to himself, but it's been on his mind for weeks.

(5:59)
Do you think he did it because of Blaine?

(6:01pm)
No, he definitely did it for Ethan. And for himself. I mean... He's never even met Blaine, not really. Not in a way that counts. And still he was so caught up in him and Blaine, so focused on everything that came with them, that he lost sight of his actual boyfriend.
(6:02)
I'm only guessing here, but I think he saw that they weren't right for each other. They made each other happy, but there's happy and then there's *happy*.

(6:04)
So what now?

(6:05)
For now, we wait.

(6:05)
Okay.
(6:07)
Keep me updated?

(6:08)
I will.
(6:09)
And don't tell Blaine.

(6:09)
I won't. It's not up to me.

******

Mon 9 Feb (3:04pm)
Random, maybe not so random thought coming up. I woke up with this on my mind, and so far, my day proved that I'm right and it's not even a Tuesday.
(3:05)
When something doesn't work the way *they* want it to, some people just turn around and leave, instead of looking for a solution or, heaven forbid, changing something about themselves to make it work.

(3:10)
Well.

(3:11)
Sorry, that must've come off weird.

(3:16)
It's okay to let things go.

(3:17)
No, I know. But sometimes that's just the *easiest* thing to do. It's lazy. And for me, I'm always the one picking up the pieces, trying to get everyone to work together.

(3:25)
But what if it's not? What if you know that there's nothing you can do? Then letting go, admitting defeat, is the best option there is. It's not lazy - it's anything but. It's the hardest thing.
(3:26)
And what do you know? You can't look inside people's minds. What if they have a good reason to do the things they do? And why would you have to try and change anyway? You wouldn't have to change if all was well in the first place.

(3:28)
I... It was just a thought. One of my random silly thoughts. Sorry.

~~~

(4:15)
It's unusually sunny for a February. Bradshaw is sad about his snow being gone, but I could actually have my coffee outside tomorrow.

(4:17)
It's cold.

(4:18)
Yeah, but the sunshine is nice, isn't it?

(4:19)
Global warming isn't nice, Blaine.

(4:20)
It's...
(4:41)
Okay.

******

Wed 11 Feb (12:23pm)
Did I do something wrong?
(12:29)
It was my stupid rambling, wasn't it?
(1:05pm)
I'm sorry. You know I can't keep my mouth shut.
(1:12)
I babble.
(1:13)
I'm a babbler.
(1:13)
Ahhh, stop me.
(1:14)
You really have to stop me.
(1:55)
Just give me a sign that I didn't piss you off.
(1:59)
No? Okay.

******

Thurs 12 Feb (6:01pm)
Blaine.

(6:15)
Hi stranger!

(6:16)
It's what I do.

(6:18)
What?

(6:19)
Whenever I don't know what to say or what to do... Whenever I'm annoyed with myself... Instead of explaining, I lash out. It's not okay, but it's what I do. And now you know.
(6:20)
I'm sorry.

(6:21)
...What's going on?

(6:23)
Nothing.

(6:23)
You've been off all week.

(6:24)
Thursday is not 'all week.' Don't be ridiculous.

(6:25)
Are you doing that thing where you lash out instead of explaining yourself?

(6:26)
Don't use this against me.

(6:26)
I'm not.
(6:27)
I'm just worried, that's all.

(6:28)
Okay. I will explain this.
(6:30)
Just... Not yet.
(6:30)
Please.

(6:31)
Okay.

******

Mon 16 Feb (4:45pm)
Incoming Call
“Oh my God, Max, stop calling me. I told you I'd be right over. Five minutes, okay? You can wait five more minutes. I'm- Max? Hello?
“...Shit... Kurt. Hello?”

~~~

(4:47pm)
Why was caller ID invented when I never check it anyway?

(4:47)
You're a flaily mess.

(4:48)
Stop being so kind and helpful, Wes, it's overwhelming.

(4:48)
It's not that hard, Blaine. Maybe one of these days we can have a 'How to use a cell phone' class again; it's been a while.

(4:49)
So I have to wade through the mess that is my life on my own now?

(4:50)
If it involves not checking caller ID? Yes, dear.

(4:50)
Grrrrrrrrargh.

(4:51)
:)

~~~

(5:01pm)
Hey, I'm sorry about that. I didn't know it was you until I checked the name on the screen.
(5:01)
Which I should've done *before* answering the call, I know.
(5:04)
And now you're not picking up... Just... When you get this, call me? Or... I'm busy right now, but I'll try again later. And when I do, don't hang up again, okay?
(5:10)
Or do. I mean, you don't have to talk to me.
(5:21)
Maybe you called me by accident, so...
(5:23)
But you can call me if you want to. Anytime.

~~~

(7:12pm)
You know, given the caller ID incident earlier today and now my ongoing word vomit... Maybe you were right. Maybe we should lock my phone away. Or destroy it.
(7:14)
Is there a Mount Doom in New York City?

(7:15)
You're phone is *not* the One Ring, Anderson, no matter how precious you think it is.

(7:15)
Wesleyyy.

(7:16)
Does the Empire State Building qualify?

(7:17)
Maybe by night when the lights can be interpreted as lava.

(7:18)
Are you texting those thoughts to anyone else but me?

(7:20)
No.

(7:21)
Good.

(7:21)
Why?

(7:22)
Don't want them to lock you up.

(7:23)
~obscene gesture~

(7:23)
Adorable.

~~~

(11:23pm)
Hi.

(11:25)
Hey you.

(11:25)
Are you still up?

(11:26)
I'm replying, right?
(11:27)
I mean... Yeah, I'm not sleepy or anything.
(11:27)
I've been practicing a lot, so...

(11:28)
Practicing?

(11:28)
Music.

(11:31)
Can I call you?

(11:31)
Sure.

(11:32)
Incoming Call
“Hey...”

“I'm sorry about earlier today.”

“No, I am.”

“I should've said something instead of just hanging up on you.”

“So that was deliberate, huh?”

“Not... Not really. I panicked.”

“Panicked?”

“Blaine... I need to tell you something.”

“...Okay?”

“...”

“It's okay; you can tell me anything, Kurt. Really.”

“This is different. And difficult. I didn't think it would be so difficult. And... I thought about not telling you, not yet, but I can't talk to you without telling you and then you'd be wondering what's wrong and-”

“Shhhhh, hey. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. …I could stay on the phone all night and wait till you're ready, if that's what you need.”

“Stop that.”

“What?”

“Stop being so... understanding.”

“Do you want me to force it out of you?”

“No. ...Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“I broke up with my boyfriend. ...Ex-boyfriend. Ethan. I... I broke up with Ethan.”

“...”

“...This is the part where you say something. Anything.”

“I... I don't know what to say. …Are you okay?”

“...”

“That's a very telling sigh.”

“No, it's... It's still fresh, but... I'm dealing with it.”

“You've got people to talk to, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, good. ...Is there anything I can do? I mean... That might be a little weird, but... You're my friend, so... I'm... Jesus Christ, I'm not doing a really good job here, am I?”

“It's fine. I don't expect you to do anything.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you do it?”

“...”

“You don't have to answer that.”

“No, I want to. Honesty, remember?”

“Mhm.”

“I told you about him. About how he was the strongest person I knew. And... Wait, before I go on, I need to say something else.”

“Okay.”

“None of this is your fault. It's all between me and him, okay?”

“Yeah...”

“Blaine.”

“Yes.”

“When I told him about us - about us texting, about our friendship - I thought we were okay. He wasn't thrilled and there was this weird silence between us, but it got better and we talked it out. He said it was fine and I believed him. In hindsight, I know how stupid that was - how stupid and blind I was.
“He put two and two together in his head and I guess he started to look differently on some things that had happened over the last couple of months. And then it didn't matter anymore whether I texted Rachel or my dad or someone else - it was always you, in his mind. He saw you everywhere, in everything-”

“That's kind of m-”

“No, let me finish this.”

“Okay.”

“I guess I wanted to ignore it, ignore the signs, because pretending that everything was fine was easy.”

“Kurt, what I said before... That day... That wasn't about you.”

“I know. It's okay.”

“Good. Go on.”

“And then, one day, he just cracked. He broke down completely and... I'd never seen him like that before. Never. To know that it was my fault... That he... That I was doing that to him... It was like a slap in the face and fuck, did I need that slap. It was a wake-up call.”

“And then... you broke up with him?”

“Yes. Just... It was the only thing I could've done. ...Blaine?”

“Shit... Yes?”

“Blaine, there's... There's another side to it, of course there is, and I know what I'm leaving unsaid. I can only imagine what you must be thinking now, but I-”

“Hey, no. I'm not... I'm not expecting anything. It's good that you told me about this, but I'm not expecting anything.”

“I know I'm not in a position to ask... Actually, it's a horrible thing to ask, now, after all this, but-”

“But you can.”

“...Is it okay if I take some time?”

“To think?”

“Yes.”

“Of course. You can take all the time you need. And when you're done, I'll be here and we can talk about it. Whatever 'it' is.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for being so open about this. And Kurt?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm a lot stronger than you might think. We're a lot stronger. It's going to be fine.”

“...Okay. I'm... I'll-”

“Shhhh. Whenever you're ready.”

“...Goodnight, Blaine.”

“Goodnight, Kurt.”

******

Tues 17 Feb (2:23pm)
He knows.

(2:27)
I know.

(2:28)
Is he okay?

(2:28)
Yes. He's... He's being very reasonable about this.
(2:29)
Yours?

(2:30)
Ups and downs.
(2:31)
He just told me off for my outfit of the day, though.

(2:32)
And that's a good sign?

(2:32)
The best.

******

Sun 21 Feb (4:23pm)
Has he come in for coffee at all?

(4:29)
No. Stop asking.

(4:30)
Fine.

(4:41)
This is him giving you space, too, you know?

(4:43)
Yes.

******

Sun 28 Feb (9:46am)
I envy you sometimes.

(9:55)
Hm?

(9:56)
That you get to walk your dog. It must be amazing for clearing your head.

(9:58)
You could walk your cat.

(9:59)
Only if I got him a fashionable leash and little matching boots.

(10:02)
Would that be for him or for you?

(10:03)
That's a blurry line.

(10:05)
Hi, also.

(10:06)
Hey.

(10:07)
Do you come here often?

(10:07)
...Really, Blaine? Really?

(10:08)
...Sorry, I was trying to break the ice.

(10:10)
Well, now there's a hole in the ice. And you're in it. And you're sinking.

(10:10)
...

(10:11)
Do you want me to give you a hand?

(10:12)
Is your name Scar?

(10:12)
No.

(10:13)
Then yes.

(10:14)
So, how are you?

(10:15)
Wait, is this supposed to be your hand?

(10:15)
Just take it, Blaine.

(10:16)
It's a not a very strong hold, is it?

(10:17)
You dug the hole.

(10:17)
Maybe we should go light on the metaphors...

(10:18)
Maybe.

(10:20)
I'm good. I'm... busy.
(10:21)
You?

(10:22)
Same.
(10:24)
Why is this so difficult?

(10:26)
Because it's a defining moment? Or at least we think it is?
(10:27)
But... it doesn't have to be. We don't have to do this now. I guess we could just... pick up talking and see where it goes?

(10:28)
I'd like that.

~~~

(11:23am)
Hey Blaine?

(11:24)
Mhm?

(11:25)
I think I missed you a little bit.

(11:27)
I think I missed you a little bit, too.

~~~~~~

(2:22pm)
Did you tell him?

(2:31)
Yeah.

(2:33)
And what is he going to do with that?

(2:34)
The thing with Blaine is... Sometimes you just need to give him a little push in the right direction and then he does it all on his own, expectations exceeded.

(2:35)
Good.

~~~~~~

(5:02pm)
Are you busy?

(5:03)
It's a Sunday.

(5:03)
And?

(5:04)
It's a *Sunday*.

(5:04)
So you're not?

(5:04)
No. That's what I was trying to say.

(5:06)
Good.

(5:06)
Why?
(5:08)
Blaine?!

(5:09)
Incoming Call
“What are you doing?!”

“Hello to you, too.”

“Mhm, yes. What are you doing?”

“You're entirely too grumpy for a Sunday.”

“I thought I was being unusually cheer-”

“You're still in bed.”

“-ful. ...How do you know that?”

“So you admit it!”

“You're creepy.”

“I've got the sixth sense.”

“Super creepy.”

“I also heard your blanket rustling.”

“More creepy. King of creepy.”

“But it's perfect! Now you get to sit back and enjoy.”

“...I... What?!”

“Shhh; just listen.”

“Listen to what? Blaine, you're freaking me out. Maybe in the weeks we didn't talk to each other you snapped and-”

“Trust me and listen.”

“I... Fine. But if y-”

“Uh! Listen.”

“Okay.”

“...”

“What are you... Oh, okay...”

(Click to listen! link)

“Hey, so that was... Are you still there?”

“I... Yes.”

“Good.”

“I'm...”

“Yeah?”

“A bit speechless.”

“Good!”

“You're such a... Was that... was that Super Bass?!”

“Indeed.”

“Oh my god.”

“Well, did it make you smile?”

“It... Yes. Yes, it made me smile.”

“So you won't put up a fight again when I call you tomorrow evening?”

“...What are you planning?”

“Nothing.”

“Blaine.”

“Shush, you.”

“Is that your mission now?”

“Maybe?”

“Should I be scared?”

“No, but you could be excited.”

“We'll see about that.”

“Just pick up, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Bye, Kurt!”

“...You're impossible. Bye.”

~~~~~~

(5:34pm)
Thank you.

(5:35)
It was a pleasure playing for you.

~~~~~~

(5:36pm)
Omg Rachel.

(5:38)
Did you leave the bed?

(5:39)
I can't *move*.

(5:39)
Huh. That's new.