Quinn’s heels clicked against the stairs as she raced up them, knowing she was already late. The doors of the community center were heavier than she expected, but she managed to squeeze past them with ease. She briskly walked the halls until she found the room that Santana had texted her about earlier, and tried to draw little attention to herself as she walked through the doorway. In the middle of the room she found a circle of people speaking in low voices, barely over a whisper. Their stillness made Quinn feel like every movement she made was loud and distracting. Sitting amongst the circle, holding hands, was Santana and Brittany. They did not notice Quinn until she set her purse down and it made a heavy clunk against the wooden chair. Everyone turned back to her and she quickly held her hands up in defense.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m really sorry.”

The lead of the group was an older man named Paul whose face was full of wrinkles. He appeared sad and slightly annoyed with the interruption and tried to gain focus back from the group. “Okay everyone, let us begin. How about we start with our names?”

The group members went around the room saying their names as Quinn dug into her purse for her camera.

“And you are?” Paul asked in an unenthused tone.

Quinn realized that question was directed towards her and started fumbling with the camera. “I’m uhhh, I mean I am not....I don’t.” She took a deep breath and motioned toward Brittany and Santana. “I am here with them.”

Brittany smiled widely and waved at her.

“I was here to...” Quinn looked down at the device in her hands. “Quinn, my name is Quinn. I uh, wanted to know if it would be okay if I filmed part of your session today for my documentary.” She looked between each group member expectantly to find them all shrug and nod in response.

“Go ahead, but please don’t draw attention to yourself again.”

She nodded and turned her camera on to start filming.

The lead leaned back into his seat and looked around the group. “Who would like to start today?”

A man raised his hand and the lead motioned for him to begin. He looked at the camera and then at Quinn. “I came out to my parents yesterday. It didn’t go so well.”

“What happened?”

The man licked his lips. “My mother cried saying, this was not the life she wanted for me. She kept saying that this lifestyle is asking for someone to hurt me. My father, he did not talk to me. I guess he was upset because he got up and left the room without even a glance in my direction.”

“How does that make you feel?” The lead rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip.

He shrugged. “Scared....okay....actually I am pretty good now.” The man smiled. “It is the best I have felt in a long time. I did not know how much of a burden it was keeping that secret from my parents.”

The woman next to him squeezed his knee and he smiled in her direction.

“I finally feel free.”

Santana gave a watery smile as tears filled her eyes. Brittany bumped shoulders with her and they shared a few long glances. Quinn was grateful she was able to capture all of this on film as she walked around the outside of the circle.

“This reminds me of what we spoke about last week,” Paul’s voice brought Quinn out of her own mind and focused the camera back on him. “Regret. Forget regret or life is yours to miss.” Brittany nodded along with his words and Paul licked his lips as he continued. “No other road,
No other way.”

“No day but today.” Santana’s voice is weak and cracks due to how emotional she was.

Everyone in the group repeated her. “No day but today.”

Quinn turned her camera off and let her arms fall slack against the side of her body. She watched as the group ended their meeting and hugged each other before going their separate ways. Finally Quinn found direction with her documentary, and smiled to each person as they walked by her.

-----
The music started, the infectious rhythm pounded against the walls of the club, and Kurt could feel it vibrating against his skin. As soon as he stepped onto that stage, he would become a new person. A outgoing boy who is not afraid to strip down to almost nothing who teases all of the patrons with winks and quick touches. Not the lonely boy who worries about making rent and has to rely on a small bag of powder to make him feel happy again. All he could hear was the beat of the music, and he blocked out all of the voices and sounds that filled the club. Most of the people who frequent this club are men, but there are a few women who are his regulars. He snuck a quick peek and discovered that the club was completely full tonight, which made him giddy because he knew that this could mean a good amount of tips. He was going to need to step it up tonight and make his performance extra sensual.

He took a deep breath, tightened the belt to his robe and walked out across the stage. This stage had become so familiar to him over the past year that he could navigate it with his eyes closed. Kurt took his place, wrapping one of his legs around the pole and waiting for the spotlight to shine on him. Tonight he couldn’t let his nerves get to him, he needs this money. Channeling his on-stage character, he took another deep breath and counted backwards from 5. On cue, the spotlight turned on and Kurt thrusts his hips forward against the pole. Here we go.

What's the time?
Well it's gotta be close to midnight

Moving in sync with the music, Kurt slid his body down the pole slowly. Each one of his movements were slow and thought out, showcasing a different part of his body. He moved his body back up the pole and kicked his leg up and out, giving the crowd a quick peek at what was under the robe. Strutting away from the pole, he leaned against the railing, arching his back over it in the process to look around the room. He tried to gauge the crowd’s reaction before continuing and this seemed to earn him the audience's rapt attention. The “Oooh”s and “Aaah”s of the crowd are what he feeds off of.

My body's talking to me
It says, "Time for danger"

His hands ran along the edge of his robe and down his exposed thighs. Knee high boots that laced up the front hugged the taut muscles of his calves perfectly. Originally he was not a fan of wearing boots during his performance, but one of the other dancers swore by them. Kurt noticed a huge increase in his tips just by switching into these shoes. Now he was believer and they have become a staple in all of his stage outfits. Slowly, he untied the robe and let the fabric drape around his body, exposing a tight pair of black boxer briefs beneath it. The briefs sat low on his hips, showing off his defined stomach and abs. They were also very short and showed off his muscular thighs. Thighs that had become lean and toned after many hours of practice on the pole. The crowd began to holler. Tonight was going to be a good night, he could already tell.

It says "I wanna commit a crime
Wanna be the cause of a fight

Kurt squatted down, spreading his knees apart as he pulled the robe off his shoulders to slowly expose them. The spotlight picked up on the glitter he had coated his body in and he knew his skin was absolutely dazzling because of it. He bit his bottom lip as he looked down at a few men in the front row. Kurt could practically hear them moaning his name. This only made him play with the hem of the robe more. One woman squealed when he looked at her and pleaded for him to take the rest of the robe off.

Wanna put on a tight shirt and flirt
With a stranger

With a wink at her and a jut of his hip, he pulled the rest of the robe off of his body and let it hang around his wrists. He stepped one leg over the robe and ran the slick fabric between his thighs. A man leaned forward holding a folded dollar between his fingers and Kurt approached him, putting the robe around the man’s neck to pull him forward, inches from his own crotch. The man tucked the money into his waistband and then Kurt pushed him back by his shoulders.

I've had a knack from way back
At breaking the rules once I learn the games

Kurt walked out into the middle of the stage and fell onto his knees. Leaning forward with his arms stretched out before him, he mimicked thrusting into the floor. This earned him a round of extra loud cheers. He put a playful grin on his face and sat up on his knees and ran his hands up and down his chest. Normally, Kurt is not this obscene but it was all in his character. If he came out each night as himself, he would never make any money. There were parts of this character that he envied because there was something so invigorating about working a crowd in this way. It brought him back to his theater days back in high school.

Get up - life's too quick
I know someplace sick
Where this chick'll dance in the flames

Since he was already on his knees, he bent all of the way back until his back was flush with the ground. This was a move that brought him right back to his high school days, just being used in a different context. A couple of men threw some money at him and he reached out to grab it. Once he had a fistful he ran it across his chest and then stuck it into the waistband of his boxer briefs.

We don't need any money
I always get in for free
You can get in too
If you get in with me

Kurt got onto his feet and walked over to the pole located to the left of the stage. He climbed onto it, wrapping his long legs around it and spun around a few times. All of the hours he had put into practice really showed when he took his turn on the pole. His upper body strength was incredible, and he had strengthened his legs to the point where he could hold himself up by just his thighs. He decided to show off this trick tonight, the crowd was already loving him. Wrapping his thighs around the pole tightly, he leaned back with his hands over his head. He allowed himself to slowly slide down the pole and positioned himself where his hands touched the floor. Kurt then rolled himself into a handstand off the pole, and the crowd cheered and whistled.

Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight

Kurt leaned forward out of the handstand and did a cartwheel to stand back on his own two feet. Triumphantly, he raised his hands over his head while he spread his legs apart, falling into the splits. The cheers were deafening and Kurt could feel his heart beat out of his chest. This position was the hardest for him to hold and could already feel the tightness of the muscles in his legs so he knew he could not hold it long. He swung his back leg around and decided to stretch his body out in seductive poses, making sure to bend in the right ways to show off his best assets. When Kurt got on his knees and arched his back so that his ass stuck out, more and more money was thrown at him.

You wanna play?
Let's run away
We won't be back before it's Christmas day
Take me out tonight (meow)

One man in particular motioned for Kurt to approach him. Usually he would not give in, but he felt like it would be fun tonight. The man flashed Kurt a $50 bill and his eyes grew wider. Kurt decided to squat in front of him and spread his knees apart, giving the man access to place the money into his clothing. He did not budge. This man was going to play hard to get. Kurt let his hand run down his chest and then over the bulge in his pants. By this time, the man was drooling. Smiling, Kurt cupped himself and thrust his hips forward on the last note with a “HA!” and the man practically dropped the cash onto the stage. Using this moment to his advantage, he took the man’s hat and drink and got back on his feet and walked up the stage.

When I get a wink from the doorman
Do you know how lucky you'll be?
That you're on line with the feline of
Avenue B

Kurt counted the wad of cash that he had made that night. It had been a particularly good haul. The music from his number still thrummed in his eardrums. One of the other dancers hugged him goodnight and he kissed her on the cheek. This marked the end of another successful night, but Kurt was not ready to turn in just yet. An idea struck and he dressed quickly. Quickly he said goodbyes to the other dancers and made it out the back entrance to begin his walk home.

Let's go out tonight
I have to go out tonight
You wanna prowl
Be my night owl?
Well take my hand we're gonna howl
Out tonight

His apartment was a short walk from the club and Kurt enjoyed this part of his night the most. The adrenaline was still pumping in his veins and his limbs still tingled with the need to continue dancing. The street was now his catwalk and the stray cats that wandered the alleyways were his only audience. He walked down the middle of the street and danced to the song he created in his head, singing the words on the top of his lungs without a care in the world.

In the evening I've got to roam
Can't sleep in the city of neon and chrome
Feels too damn much like home
When the Spanish babies cry

Kurt entered his apartment and threw his messenger bag onto an empty chair. Slowly he begins to peel each layer of clothing off of himself that he had worn to combat the cold December weather. Carefully, he hung each article back up in the closet. Kurt had always taken good care of his clothing, they had become his most prized possessions. Now that he could not afford new additions to his collection, he needed to make sure he took care of what he had. There was no excuse for wrinkled clothing.

So let's find a bar
So dark we forget who we are
And all the scars from the
Nevers and maybes die

Remembering his plan for the night, he approached the window that led out onto the fire escape. The lock was difficult but he tugged it into the unlocked position and then threw the windows open. The chilly December air entered his modest apartment and tried to take his voice from him as he continued to sing. He placed his hands on either side of the window frame before climbing through. His feet met with the cold metal of the landing and a smile swept across his face. When he was not working, Kurt liked to practice some of his performances out here and knew the space well. He swung one leg of the edge of the railing and followed it with the other, letting himself sit along the thin piece of metal that made up the siding.

Let's go out tonight
Have to go out tonight

Picking his hips up, he danced and poured himself out into the lyrics. He stepped off the railing and back onto the main part of the fire escape because he needed to move forward with his plan. Kurt gripped the railing and looked up the ladder, his lips curled up into a grin. The boy from the night before must be home because he could see the soft light that emanated from the windows above. Here was his chance to make a move. With a quick pat on his back pocket to make sure his supplies were still there, he climbed the first step of the ladder.

You're sweet
Wanna hit the street?
Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?
Just take me out tonight

Kurt climbed up the ladder and up to Blaine and Quinn’s apartment. Pressing himself against the glass, he noticed Blaine sitting on the edge of the couch with a guitar in his arms. He grew excited that he was actually home and tried to get his attention. Blaine noticed something moving outside and turned to find Kurt outside his window, staring at him. Once they made eye contact, Kurt pushed the window open and entered into his living room, much to Blaine’s surprise.

Please take me out tonight
Don't forsake me - out tonight
I'll let you make me - out tonight
Tonight - tonight - tonight

Kurt slowly walked toward him, pretending like he was a client at one of his shows. He exaggerated the swing of his hips and stretched his body a little farther than necessary in order to show it off. Blaine could not keep his eyes off of him. He smiled as he closed the space between them. Kurt held a small bag in front of Blaine’s eyes before wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

Blaine kissed him back fiercely before he realized what was happening and pushed him back. “Excuse me who do you think you are? Barging in on me and my guitar.”

Kurt wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and stared back at him.

“Hey, the door is that way.” He stepped off the couch and motioned toward the front door. “You better go you know. The fire’s out anyway.”

His expression hardened. Kurt stood stoic in the middle of the living room as Blaine moved further and further away from him.

“Take your powder....and your candle. Your sweet whisper, I just can’t handle.”

Puzzled, Kurt watched Blaine intently. He made the choice to remain quiet, there was really nothing he could say at this moment.

Blaine noticed that Kurt was making no effort to move and took a few steps toward the door. “Take your hair in the moonlight, your big blue eyes.... goodbye, goodnight.” Blaine turned away from Kurt and pulled the front door open. As much as he was attracted to him, he did not need to be around someone who uses. Not again. His head screamed I Should Tell You I Should Tell You I Should Tell You I Should but Blaine tried to shake the thought from his head. Kurt reached out to him and without realizing it, Blaine shouted, “No!”

Kurt jumped back slightly, shocked at Blaine’s reaction. Fear and hurt were written across his face and Blaine knew he was the one to blame. He searched his brain for something to say to remedy the situation. “Another time, another place. Our temperature would climb and there would be a long embrace. If you are looking for romance, come back another day.” He hoped he would understand where he was coming from and he stood watching the other boy, waiting for his reaction. “Another day.”

He smiled and shook his head. “The heart may freeze or it can burn but the pain will ease if it can learn.” Blaine moved to sit on the couch and Kurt stepped forward. “There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last.” He now stood in front of him with just the coffee table between them. Kurt looked down on it and then climbed on top of it. Blaine’s eyes grew wide and he pushed himself back into the cushions of the couch. “There’s only us. There’s only this.” Kurt reached out and grabbed Blaine’s hand. “Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road...no other way.” He brought Blaine’s hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles softly. “No day but today.”

Blaine could not help but give a dopey smile back at him, he could see himself really falling for Kurt. He couldn’t though. Not again. He was not ready to do this again. Kurt needed to leave before he gets himself caught up in his aura that was Kurt. “Excuse me if i’m off track but if you are so smart then tell me, why do you do smack?”

Just like that, Kurt’s whole demeanor changed. He sat back on his knees atop the coffee table and watched as Blaine stood up and placed a hand under his arm and pulled him to his feet.

“Take your needle and your fancy prayer and don’t forget to get the moonlight out of your hair.” Blaine walked him to the door and nicely guided him through it. Kurt spun back to look at him but he made sure to keep his gaze locked somewhere past Kurt. He jerked his arm free from his grasp and frowned at him. “Long ago, you might have lit up my heart. But that fire is dead and it is never going to start.”

Kurt held his head up high and made his way towards the stairs without another word. Blaine followed him to the railing to watch him go down. He wanted to ensure that he actually did make it back to his apartment.

He called after him, “Another time or another place. The words would only rhyme, we’d be in outer space. It’s be another song, we’d sing another way. You wanna prove me wrong? Come back another day.”This made Kurt turn back to him. “Another day.” He repeated.

Kurt slammed the door to his apartment shut once he walked through it and pressed his back against it. He slid down to the floor and rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. “There’s only us....only tonight. We must let go, to know what’s right. There is no other course, no other way.” His hands fell with a loud plunk into his lap. “No day but today.”

Upstairs Blaine had re-entered his own unit and found himself in a similar position to the one Kurt was in. He did not mean to be so harsh with him, but part of him knew he was setting himself up for heartbreak again. The other part of him was convinced that Kurt would make him happy again, make him feel loved, make him come back to life. The timid and rational side always won. He tipped his head back so that is rested against the door and he stared at the ceiling.

Kurt pulled his knees into his chest, still remaining on the floor of his apartment. “I can’t control my destiny, but I trust my soul.”

Blaine hit his head against the door again. “My only goal is just to be...” He sighed. “There is only now and there is only here to give in to love or live in fear.” He pulled back the sleeve of his sweater and ran his finger over the scarred needle tracks in his arm. “No other path, no other way.” Already he felt his eyes start to tear up. “There is no day but today.”

Downstairs, the small bag of powder is held tight in Kurt’s hands. “No day but today.” He repeats.

“Control your temper, Blaine.” He tells himself. “He doesn’t see. Who says that there’s a soul, just let me be.”

Kurt eyes the bag as he slowly unclenched his fist from around the substance.

“He just barged in on me and my guitar!” Blaine exclaimed loudly into the empty apartment. “Hey the door is that way. The fire is out anyway. Take your candle and your blue eyes....your pretty smile and your silhouette.” He laughed, knowing how crazy he sounded. Closing his eyes, he was suddenly flooded with images of Kurt. “Another time, another place. Another rhyme, a warm embrace.”

Kurt opened the bag and poured the contents into his palm.

“Another dance, another way.” Blaine smiled as he thought about Kurt.

He rolled the fine granules between his fingers and smiled knowing that he was going to be high soon.

“Another chance, another day .” Hope took over his heart and Blaine sighed heavily and his limbs fell from his body as if he was unable to hold their weight anymore. He did not know how long he planned to sit there on the floor, thinking about the boy that he has a growing crush on that he just kicked out of his apartment. All he knew was that his roommates were going to be coming home soon and not even the thought of them finding him in this state motivated him in the slightest to move. He was sedated in his own thoughts and emotions and he let himself become overpowered.

-----

The next morning, Blaine sat by the windowsill drinking his coffee and watching the cars go by. Quinn dropped down next to him, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence.

“Blainey?”

He grumbled a response.

She crossed her legs and took a deep breath. “About last night...”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Quinn moved a chunk of hair behind her ear. “Right, I find you on the floor with little hearts in your eyes, repeating the name of the boy who lives downstairs, yet it is nothing to talk about.”

Blaine didn’t respond.

She reached over and grabbed his knee. “It is okay for you to love again, Blaine. Your heart knows what it wants. Besides, you can not avoid him forever. He is going to Finn’s show tonight.”

“And why would he be going to Finn’s show tonight?”

Quinn grinned. “Because I invited him personally.”

He panicked. “No Quinn, gah no!”

“Calm down Blaine, it is going to be okay. Who knows, he may actually be good for you.”

“I don’t know Quinn.”

“Give it a chance, otherwise you are going to regret it.” She patted his leg and then stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Life Support....you should come.”

For the first time, Blaine could not come up with an argument for why he shouldn’t.

-----