“Lucky my best friend knows what he’s doing with a pair of skates, more like it,” says Kurt, punching Blaine’s shoulder lightly and almost causing himself to fall over. Blaine reaches out a hand to steady him and crisis is averted. Kurt smiles. “Thanks again for doing this, Blaine. It means so much.”

“Anytime,” says Blaine. “You know I’ll be there for you no matter what.”

“I know,” says Kurt, adding with a sheepish grin, “I’d hug you, but I really don’t know what would happen to us if I did, so I’d rather just… you know… go practice what you taught me again so I don’t make a fool of myself.”

As he skates away, Blaine feels the familiar grip of regret. He doesn’t want to be doing this. He doesn’t want to be helping his best friend hook up with another guy who’s going to promise him the world and turn around to be the biggest asshole the universe has ever seen. He doesn’t want to see his best friend so excited one day and broken the next.

But more than anything, he doesn’t want to see his best friend with anyone that isn’t him.

As he watches Kurt glide around the rink, he briefly considers telling him. It’s a beautiful winter’s evening in New York, they’ve just spent an amazing afternoon together and it’s Christmas - the most magical time of the year.

But he knows he can’t. Because if there’s any possibility that what they already have could fall apart, Blaine wouldn’t survive it.

“He’s not here yet,” says Kurt, skating up next to him again. “Oh my god, Blaine, what if he doesn’t come? What if that thing in the coffee shop put him off and he’s only realising it now? What if I’m not what he was -“

“Kurt, don’t,” says Blaine seriously. “You’re amazing. And if in the very unlikely circumstance he does stand you up, I’ll be right here and we’ll go for the most sugary, creamy hot chocolate we can find this side of New York, okay?”

“You’re amazing,” Kurt says with a grin, then looking out at the people around the rink, he spots the guy in question. “Oh he’s here! You were right, Blaine.”

“Always am,” he says with a shrug and a smile, trying to mask the sinking disappointment settling in this chest. “I better go. Have fun.”

“I will!” says Kurt beaming. “Oh and Blaine?”

Blaine turns around to look back at everything he wants and everything he could never have.

“Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome,” he says, before skating off the ice to wait for the guy of his dreams to come back from his date with someone who isn’t him.