The next morning Kurt made a point of heading into the coffee shop just a few minutes earlier.  He had every intention of grilling his new friend for information.

As soon as the door chimed, Rachel was talking.  “Hi Kurt!  Did you go last night?”  The ever-chipper barista asked.

“Yes I did Miss Rachel.”

“And…” Rachel pushed while starting to make his coffees.

“He was fantastic.”  Rachel tried to hide her excited school girl smile through a deep breath before she turned around.  She studied his face; it seemed immensely brighter now that they were talking about Blaine.

“You know,” She began, the wheels in her brain were turning. “He’s playing again tonight?”

“Really?”

“Yes sir, Friday sets begin at 7.”

“Maybe I will.”  He replied with a smile.  He opened his mouth to ask more questions, he still didn’t even know his name, but the door chimed introducing several customers to the café.  “Well I’ll let you go, until Monday Rachel.”

“See ya, Kurt.”  Kurt turned on his heel and headed to the door.  ‘This is perfect.’  She thought to herself as she tended to the next customer.

*x*x*

Kurt made sure that he was on time for the show that night.  The only difference was that he made sure that his phone was off.  ‘Sorry Isabelle,’ Kurt thought, ‘you will have to function on your own tonight.’  He sat in the same seat he did last night, sipping on coffee, it’s times like this he wishes his 21st birthday would hurry up and get here; his nerves were screaming for a rum and coke.  He had no idea why he was nervous.  Why in the world was he nervous?  The only thing he knew about him was that he was a friend of a barista that he has talked to for a grand total of a half an hour.  Soon a familiar voice broke him of his thoughts.

“Good evening everyone, my name is Blaine Anderson and I will be your entertainment for this evening.”

Wait, what?  Did he just say Blaine?  Kurt’s mind was now going a mile a minute.  Marley said the parents of the little girl she was babysitting names were Blaine and Rachel.  But they are in a relationship, so why would she mention him as just her friend.  But no, it could all just be a coincidence.  But, once again, his attention was drawn to the stage when Blaine introduced his first song.

“Tonight I would like to start off with another song from one of my favorite artists, Tamia.  Ladies and Gentlemen: Stranger in my House.”  Blaine paused before his fingers started to stroke the keys of the baby grand on the tiny stage in the corner of the room.  “I don’t understand you look just like the man, in the picture by our bed.  The suspense is pounding and clouding up my head.  I’m checking your clothes and you wear the same size shoe.  You sleep in his spot and you’re driving his car, but I don’t know just who you are.  There’s a stranger in my house…”

There was something about the way the beautiful stranger – er – Blaine performed; something almost magical.  He was absolutely breathtaking.  Kurt signaled for another coffee to the waiter that passed his table and returned his focus to Blaine.

“Pop quiz, tell me where we first kissed, tell me where my spot is.  Tell me if I liked it, loved it or could it be, that the stranger is me.  Have I changed so drastically?  Is it I want more for me? And you remain the same….”  When Blaine finished his first song he quickly scanned the room.  To his amazement the man from the night before was sitting in the audience.  He was sitting there watching him and smiling at him.  Blaine was finally able to get a good look at him and felt his stomach flip.  God, he is gorgeous.  He had to quickly break his daze to continue on with the show.

“My next song is one of my absolute favorites from one of my favorite movies ever.  Maybe you can guess which one.”  He took a deep breath and focused only on the music.  “Look at me, you make think you see, who I really am, but you’ll never know me.  Every day, it’s as if I play a part.  Now I see, if I wear a mask I can fool the world, but I cannot fool my heart.  Who is that guy I see, staring straight back at me?  When will my reflection show who I am inside?  I am now in a world where I have to hide my heart and what I believe in.  But somehow I will show the world what’s inside my heart and be loved for who II am…”

Kurt knew the by the eighth bar what song Blaine was playing and he smiled.  He likes Disney movies, that is adorable.  However as the song continued Kurt watched Blaine’s mannerisms change.  He watched even more emotions pour out of his voice and flow through his fingers.  Kurt watched Blaine’s face go from carefree to intense.  The emotion that was he was exhibiting was real.  Kurt could tell there was something deeper to that song and he couldn’t help but to wonder what.

“Why must we all conceal what we think, how we feel?  Must there be a secret me I’m forced to hide?  I won’t pretend that I’m someone else for all time.  When will my reflection show who I am inside?...”

Kurt watch intently as Blaine finished the song.  He was convinced; there was definitely something else there.  He would have sworn that he there was a tear in his eye as he finished the song.  The room erupted into applause; everyone was impressed with his performance as Kurt was.  Blaine performed several more songs and before long he was broken of that intense emotion and he was back to being bubbly and upbeat. In those moments Kurt was sure that he changed his mind on love at first sight.  He felt a pull towards Blaine like the universe was trying to play match maker.

“Thank you all so much, my last song tonight is dedicated to all the lovers in the room.  I sing this in loving memory of the amazing person whose song this is: Luther Vandross.”  “One look in your eyes and there I see just what you mean to me.  Here in my heart I believe, your love is all I’ll ever need.  Holdin’ you close through the night, I need you, yeah.  I look in your eyes and there I see what happiness really means. The love that we share makes life so sweet.  Together we’ll always be.  This pledge of love feels so right, and ohh I need you.  Here and now, I promise to love faithfully.  You’re all I need…”

Kurt watched as some of the couples in the room stood embracing each other and began to sway to the music.  He watched lovers’ heads rest of the shoulders of their partners, soft smiles across their faces.  He felt a pang of jealousy.  He had been in New York for a year and he hasn’t even had so much as a date.  Not that he was exactly trying, he started working with Isabelle before he even had a chance to find an apartment.  Who knows, maybe that would soon change.   As Blaine played the final notes he watched the couples look at each other and smile before returning to their seats in the midst of the applause.  Blaine was absolutely incredible.  Kurt found himself wondering how he was only singing in a local restaurant.

As Blaine took his bow and said his thank yous, Kurt got up from his table and headed towards the door.  He took a deep breath, ’20 seconds of courage, Kurt.  20 seconds of courage.’ He thought in attempts to motivate himself to say something to Blaine.

Blaine left the stage and looked for the man.  Again, it was like he disappeared.  He couldn’t help it but he was actually disappointed that the man was no longer in the audience.  Blaine chuckled at his emotions and walked towards the door.

Kurt saw Blaine coming towards the door he stood by the pane of the front window.  He watched the door open and Blaine walk obliviously by him. “E-excuse me.”

Startled, Blaine turned around towards the voice.  He was suddenly grateful for the dark of the night because he instantly flushed when he saw who called for him.  It was HIM.  “Uh, hi.”

“Hi, I’m Kurt.”  He said reaching his hand out for a proper greeting.  Blaine took it and shook his hand.

“Blaine.”

“Nice to meet you, Blaine.  I am sorry for startling you there.  I wanted to introduce myself but I didn’t want to be rude to the next act.” 

“Oh it’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.” 

“So… your friend Rachel told me to come see you here.”  It took Blaine a matter of seconds to put two and two together and laughed.  He immediately knew what she was up to.

“She did, did she?  Well I guess I will just have to thank her later.”  Kurt felt his smile grow, was he flirting with him? 

Kurt fumbled on his words trying to think of something to say without sounding like a total dweeb.  “She is certainly quite something.  I still don’t realize how she is always so damn chipper so early in the morning.”

“She’s always like that.  She has always woken up super early for her exercise and grooming routine, so she’s just used to it.  You get used to her.”

“Yea, sadly I think I already am.”  Blaine looked at him and shook his head with a chuckle.

“She’s my only friend here.”  Blaine blurted out.  Shit.  Would he seem desperate?

“Well, we may just have to change that.”  Now it was Kurt’s turn to flirt back.  “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

“Sure.”

The two walked aimlessly with no concept of time.  Blaine felt his phone buzz with a text message in his pocket, knowing it was Rachel he just ignored it.  If something was wrong, she would have called.  The talked about Kurt’s job and Blaine’s schooling.  They chatted about Rachel and her many antics.  Before they knew it they walked passed Blaine’s building. 

“Well this is my building; I really should get up and make sure that Rachel hasn’t burned the place down.”

“Okay, I should be getting home as well.  My aunt would kill me if she found out that I left my cousin by herself in my apartment her first few weeks in New York.”

Blaine reached into his pocket.  “Here’s my phone.  Put your number in it.  I’ll text you sometime.”  Kurt did as requested and Blaine texted him as soon as he got the phone.  “There now you have mine.  See you later Kurt.”

“Bye Blaine.”  Blaine unlocked the main door to his building and turned around and watched Kurt as he walked away.  As soon as he knew that Kurt was out of sight he ran up the stairs to their apartment. 

Blaine threw open the door to his apartment, effectively scaring the crap out of Rachel who jumped and fell off the couch.  He ran over to her and hug attacked her.

“I love you Rachel Berry.”  Rachel understood and smiled.