Blaine loved teaching. He'd never really thought about teaching when he'd been younger, or when he'd started his undergraduate studies for that matter, but once he hit grad school and the opportunity presented itself, Blaine dove right in. He found that he loved influencing those people who were pretty much still his peers, even if they were a few years younger than him. He loved the idea that he might inspire someone, or open their eyes to skills and interests they never knew they had. After all, his own TA's had done much the same for him when he'd first started on his path to English literature studies.

He prided himself on making an impression with each class on the first day, and he was pretty sure such had happened in the case of the 102 class that seemed to constantly take up space on his mind lately. He was sure he'd made a lasting impression with at least one of the students, and… well, maybe he shouldn't grin so much about that fact.

The truth was, Blaine didn't think there was anything wrong with having romantic interests in one of his students. It wasn't like he was some high school teacher with underage kids looking to him for guidance. He was only a few years senior to the these students, and they were all of legal age and just the same as him. If they had met anywhere besides his classroom, no one would think twice about Blaine asking out one “Call me Kurt” Hummel.

That was how he'd introduced himself the first time he'd gotten to class early and met Blaine in the room where they talked over coffee until more students showed up. Blaine had started with a “Mr…” and had been promptly interrupted. “Call me Kurt,” the boy, no man, had said with a flirty wink much like that wink Blaine had tossed him on the very first day. That day, Blaine had fought with himself internally about whether or not he'd overstepped some invisible line with the wink. It seemed to have been a good thing, though, looking back.

Of course, Blaine had made a deal with himself as soon as he realized just how often his gaze kept wandering back to his fashion-focused student. He'd not make the first move. If something was to happen, Kurt would have to initiate it. Blaine wasn't going to hold himself back from a potential relationship with the adorable and sassy student, but he also wasn't going to be some predator.

Lucky for Blaine, he didn't have to wait long.

Three weeks into the course, Blaine was sitting at his apartment, papers strewn across his coffee table while he tried to fight off the start of a song forming in his head because he really needed to grade these papers and his blank sheet music kept distracting him. Instead of the melody in his head serving as the ultimate distraction, however, his phone soon took the place of honor.

Blaine's text tone called out from under a few essays and he tugged it out of the paper pile, only to stare at the screen for a bit before finally sliding his thumb over the screen to unlock it. Kurt Hummel had just sent him a flirty message about his bow ties. And a winky face! A winky face! His heart was beating so fast Blaine thought he might pass out, and his fingers shook as he typed a response.

You are the first to show such appreciation for my dapper fashion choices, Mr. Hummel. If you aren't busy, perhaps you'd care to join me for dinner this evening? I've been dying to test out a new recipe for eggplant parmesan…

The response he got made Blaine chuckle to himself, muttering under his breath as he typed back with his address. “Call me Kurt, indeed,” he said, shaking his head. This guy was going to be the death of him, but it would be so very worth it.