Chapter 10

"You were supposed to know stuff! This alliance is not going to work unless you start pulling your weight!" Trixie ranted at Jayden, the two of them were camped outside Blaine apartment, hidden in some bushes. They'd been there since six o'clock that morning at and, after nearly an hour and a half, Trixie was beginning to tire of the activity and get reckless.

"This is so not my fault! Serious, how am I supposed to know what time and where they are planning to meet! Who do you think I am some kind of stalker?" Jayden was fed up, teaming up with Trixie had promised to actually get somewhere in his quest for Blaine's love; but really she was just as clueless as he was. The only difference was she refused to admit defeat whereas he had been fairly sure that he had lost his chance with Blaine.

"I'm waiting another half-hour then I'm leaving and I expect you to tell me when they do come out," Trixie deadpanned.

"What the hell! Who put you in charge? And why do you even care anyway? Do you love Kurt or something?"

"What! Hell no! I just can't face his smug grin if he gets a boyfriend after he stole mine!"

The argument probably would have continued had Blaine not at that point left his flat. Jayden stood up to follow but Trixie held him back, "stay down for a bit, you idiot! We need to keep at least a few meters of distance!"

Jayden just grunted in response. They both waited until Blaine was a good ten meters away before following.

Blaine and Kurt left the coffee shop hand in hand. Their talk had been welcomed by both parties.

"Can I walk you to rehearsal?" Blaine asked, shyly, "I just want to know you're ok. I think it's about time me and Trixie had a little word."

Kurt sighed, "You can walk me there but I can't deal with an angry Trixie at this time of the morning. Please, just leave it for now. Wait for backup in the form of Mercedes. If you go it alone chances are you won't be able to change much."

Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, searching for something, before giving a quick nod.

The tension left after that and in its place took the same kind of atmosphere as what they had at the coffee shop. The conversation flowed easily and what was normally a long and lonely journey for Kurt became a happy one.

When they reached the stage door they shared a tight hug with the promise of meeting up so that they could have lunch together. It was quite a long day for Kurt that day so he had little time other than that to spend with Blaine. Blaine caressed Kurt's cheek gently with his finger-tips before leaving Kurt to join the rehearsal.

"Ok, here is my number. You follow Blaine and I will keep an eye on Kurt. Text me if there is any suspicious behaviour, dirt or anything we can use to split them up; also if there is anything that gives any indication to the depth of their relationship. Got it?" Trixie gave Jayden a look that made Jayden think back to the statement "If looks could kill…"

Jayden was questioning Trixie's motives to want to split up the pair. Maybe his weren't the best in world but at least he had cause other than just to bring misery. But Trixie had promised him success and Jayden wanted Blaine badly. He could deal with Blaine not loving him as much as Kurt. It would kill him but he could cope with it. He just wanted to have Blaine. If this meant hardships then so be it.

Jayden followed Blaine through the streets, trying to keep a low profile. The last thing he needed right now was for Blaine to find out what he was up to. Apart from anything else Trixie would kill him.

Jayden watched as Blaine headed into a florist. He gritted his teeth as he realised what Blaine was doing. Blaine had never him flowers. After a few minutes Blaine left the florist holding a large bouquet of roses.

Jayden didn't want to watch anymore. He went in the opposite direction from where Blaine was walking. He needed to come up with a plan to split them up, and fast.

Blaine smiled as he walked up to Nina at the reception of Kurt's hotel.

"Hey! I was wondering if you could give these to Kurt when he comes in," Blaine said, a little bashful.

Nina gave Blaine a knowing smile, "Sure thing! So, if you don't mind me asking, Kurt is one of my favourite people to meet in the day. We have become quite close and I know it's not very professional of me to ask but are you his boyfriend?"

Blaine smiled and nodded, there was no point in delving into the complications of their relationship to Nina.

"I'm glad he has someone, he always struck me as quite a lonely soul. You take good care of him, won't you?"

Blaine nodded again, "Don't worry I wouldn't dream of ever hurting Kurt."

Nina smiled at this. "Ok, I'll give these to him when he comes in."

Kurt went into rehearsals in a happy daze from his date with Blaine. Blaine always left him in a slightly delirious state. He skipped down the long hallways on his way to the main stage, arms swinging.

"Watch it, fag!" Trixie yelled as Kurt nearly hurtled into her.

"Oh, sorry Trixie!" Kurt called as went past, deliberately ignoring her choice of words.

Apart from that the rehearsal went without incident. Kurt vaguely heard the usual insults and jibes coming his way but he didn't take any of it in. His body may have been on stage in London at the time but his mind was elsewhere. It was in coffee shop sitting opposite Blaine Anderson.

Kurt nearly jumped up and down for joy when the director called that the rehearsal was over and they could all go and eat lunch. Kurt practically ran to where he kept his things and dashed out of the theatre before anyone else had had time to take a breath.

When Trixie realised he had gone she quickly ran to the door but he was out of sight by the time she got there.

"Damn it!" she cursed under breath. She thought it would be ok, however, as if Kurt had been planning to meet up with Blaine Jayden would know. Anyway she had better things to do right now than go after he stupid co-worker.

Kurt met Blaine outside the restaurant. It was Blaine's choice as Kurt hadn't been to London before so knew little about the best places to eat.

Blaine must have made reservations Kurt thought to himself as a young waitress seemed to recognise Blaine's name and took them over to a small booth in a quiet corner of the restaurant.

They each in turn picked up a menu and started to look through the options available.

"I don't know what any of this stuff is like. You order for me, Blaine, I haven't a clue. Just please make sure it's low in calories. I have to watch my figure now I'm in show business." Kurt smiled.

"You're beautiful, no matter what your size. You always will be, don't let peer pressure get to you, Kurt."

"Thanks Blaine! But I don't think my director would share your opinions if I turned up for a performance two sizes bigger than I was after rehearsals!"

"What time is Mercedes getting into Heathrow?" Blaine asked, changing the subject.

"Should be in a couple of hours, I would come but I have to get into make-up at the same time. I can't let someone take over my role, even if it is just for one night. The cast would be all over the director in a flash, each with a long list of all the ways in which my replacement is better than me." Kurt said bitterly.

"Don't worry about them, Kurt! You don't need their approval to do anything. And for the record, I've seen you perform and I can't imagine anyone who could do it better than you."

Kurt blushed at Blaine's remark. "So, you've heard pretty much everything there is to know about what I've been doing for the past five years, tell me about yourself."

"There's really not that much to tell. I started law school, before I changed mid-term and heading to a performing arts college. I couldn't go in America because all the spaces had been taken for all the good places so I headed out to England and went to college here instead. I liked the change of scene, it felt like a fresh start but I still wasn't comfortable with trying to date anyone.

"After I left college I auditioned for pretty much every stage show in the whole of London. I got offered Joseph in Joseph and the Technicolor Dream coat it seemed like the best option for me. While performing I met Jayden, he seemed really nice and understood that I wanted to take things slow. However, after a couple of weeks he was different. He didn't like it if I wanted to go out with other people for a change, he was pressurising me to do things I wasn't ready for. I don't know why I stayed with him so long. I think I just wanted to feel as though I was getting over you, but really I knew I still hadn't. So when I saw you in Paris I knew that the amount I felt for you was so much more than what I felt for Jayden. I couldn't keep dragging him along on the pre-tense of love when I knew I could never feel that way about him. So I broke it off. And there we have a full circle back to you."

Kurt stared at Blaine; it felt reading about a character in a book, no getting to know someone better. "It's so much. So much has happened. We've been apart for so long." Kurt murmured.

"But don't you see, Kurt. It doesn't matter, none of it does because the one thing that has never changed is the way I feel about you. I don't think I say it nearly enough but I love you Kurt."

"I love you too and you know that! God, I just wish I knew you better. Yeah, we can still talk fine but I feel like I know nothing about you."

"We have time, Kurt. Don't worry we have time." Blaine re-assured Kurt but mainly he was trying to re-assure himself. What if they didn't have enough time? Was ten weeks enough?

The two ate in near silence after that. It was a comfortable silence as both were quite happy to sort through their thoughts and neither wanted to disturb the other.

"I better go," Kurt said after that had both been finished for some time; interrupting Blaine's musings. Blaine was about to pay when Kurt put his hand over Blaine's. "This one's on me. You paid for coffee and also no offense but I'm pretty sure I earn more than you so it's only fair."

Blaine was about to object but Kurt just looked at him and shook his head.

"Let me walk you back, at least." Blaine asked.

"Haven't you forgotten something? Blaine, you have to pick up Mercedes."

"Oh right, yeah." There was an awkward pause as the two men got up from their seats. They walked silently out of the restaurant. Once outside Blaine turned to Kurt.

"I'll see you tonight. Mercedes will probably come with me to pick you up from the theatre."

"I don't need to be picked up Blaine," Kurt paused, "but I would like to see Mercedes as soon as possible, so I won't object but this is only a one-time thing."

"If you say so Kurt, see you later."

Then before he could stop himself Kurt kissed Blaine lightly on the lips before heading back for his performance.

Blaine stared after him, he was shocked but he wasn't about to complain.

Blaine didn't use his car very often, he mainly preferred to walk through London or get the underground, but he figured it would probably be for the best if he picked Mercedes up in his car. Blaine had the radio on and he sang while he drove, it reminded him of the times he used to take Kurt out for drives or vice versa and they would turn the radio on really loudly and sing along to all the songs they knew (and most of the ones they didn't).

Blaine got to the right arrivals area without too much bother. He smiled at all the people meeting up with their loved ones after time apart. It made Blaine happy to see all the love that was on display there. Nobody looked around to check nobody was looking before hugging their relative, friend or companion. People didn't care who watched they just cared about the other person who they had missed.

Blaine found himself wondering why his reunion with Kurt couldn't have been similar. They had been apart and they loved each other. He wished they could have just hugged and kissed like all the other couples at the airport and then gone on with their relationship like nothing had happened. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn't love always be enough?

Blaine spotted Mercedes coming through the barrier. He walked up to greet her.

"Hey Mercedes, it's Blaine! Kurt sent me here to pick you up, he has a performance tonight," Blaine was trying to be as nice as possible; he needed a way back into her good books.

"We need to talk! See last time I saw you, you had just broken my best friend's heart," Mercedes didn't waste any time with greetings, she just cut to the chase, "How do I know you won't do the same thing again?"

"Can we talk about this at a more appropriate time? At least wait until we're in the car."

"I am not getting in your car until you give me one good reason why you won't hurt Kurt."

"Come on let's talk this through. I know you're angry with me and you have every right to be but I would never ever hurt Kurt ever again. I have learnt my lesson from last time." Blaine pleaded.

"That's not a reason you won't hurt Kurt that's a reason you won't let me see you hurt Kurt. That just worries me even more. Now you give me a reason you won't break my boy then maybe I'll consider not breaking your nose."

"I love him!" Blaine yelled exasperated, "I never stopped loving him. I made the worst mistake of my life and, in five years, I still never got over it."

"Then why did you have some psycho ex-boyfriend who tried to murder Kurt!" Mercedes was still angry but her tone had slightly softened and she got into the passenger seat of the car as Blaine put her luggage in the back.

Blaine got in the front. "I was stupid I thought that if I tried dating again I could get over Kurt. How was I supposed to know I'd suddenly meet him again in Paris? I thought I'd lost him forever!" Blaine's voice broke at thought of never seeing Kurt again. It was a thought that he was used to a few weeks ago yet now it made him want to jump off a bridge.

"So you and this guy are definitely over?" Mercedes asked, she didn't sound angry anymore but she was still concerned for Kurt and she wasn't going to let Blaine get away without answering all of her questions.

"Yes, I think I saw the last of him this morning. It was a mistake dating him, even if I wasn't still in love with Kurt I could never be with him. He was actually pretty vile once you got to know him."

"And if you get to know Kurt do you think you'll feel the same way about him too?" Mercedes knew the answer already but she had to make sure.

"I already know Kurt. I think the world of him. I could never hate him, no matter what," Blaine spoke very softly and reverently.

"Yes, but that's just the point. I've heard all this before when you started dating Kurt for the first time. Then you go accusing him of cheating after a few half-arsed photo shopped photos and the words of McKinley High jocks."

"You think I don't know that, Mercedes. It has haunted me every day for five years that I lost the best thing that ever happened to me in one moment of stupidity. It takes years to build up trust and only a few moments to shatter it. I loved Kurt more than anything; I just wish love was always enough. But I know sometimes it isn't.

"I won't make a secret of my hopes, Mercedes, as I'm guessing you've already worked out that ten weeks won't be enough for me. I want to hold Kurt and never let go. I hate to see him so sad at the place he works, his dream came true only for him to find out it wasn't a dream but a nightmare. And it kills me to see him so lost. I want him to leave the show and I want us to work together to get him a better role in a better production. I want to be the one to show him that he can re-discover his dreams.

"I want to marry him and have children; we can adopt or do what Rachel's dads did. And when I'm old and grey I want him to be sitting next me and I want to hold his hand. I couldn't hurt him again Mercedes because I'd only be hurting myself in the worst way possible." Blaine had tears in his eyes and he had to pull the car over.

Mercedes put an arm around Blaine. "I know we've had our differences. But I do believe you and I want to see Kurt happy again. If you can really deliver on your promises then I will support you. But if you ever hurt him again I will find you and I will do things that you would never even have imagined in your worst nightmares. You understand?"

Blaine nodded "I understand."

Mercedes then broke out into a smile "I'm glad we cleared that up. Now, would you like to help me go cut-a-bitch?"