After leaving McKinley that afternoon (he had decided to stay and help out during the day), he was left with a feeling of happiness in his chest. It felt amazing to put those kids in a mindset that hopefully would push them towards a National title. But along with that moment of happiness, he also had an epiphany. He meant what he said when he talked about putting all of their differences aside to really trust each other. That had been one of his strongest beliefs in high school, and following that principle had landed him with the most amazing friends. Sure, there was still fighting, but they always seemed to be able to push past it, not let it push them away but let it pull them closer together.

After a lot of thinking, Kurt began to better understand exactly why he had been so upset. Kurt really hated when someone lied to him. He didnt understand why lying was easier then just telling someone the truth. He knew lies tore people apart, hed seen it first hand with Finn and Quinn in sophomore year. But even if he understood all too well the consequences of lying, he could also understand why people would do it. Kurt knew Blaine just wanted Kurt to see him for him. Thats how Kurt felt in high school, so he could empathize. He wanted people to see him as Kurt Hummel, not just "that weirdly dressed gay kid in glee club." Maybe that was the problem, he understood the situation so well that he was almost upset he blew up so badly. At the time he had simply been too angry to give it much thought, but hell, he knew better than anyone else how it must feel for a celebrity to try and have a normal life.

Look at Mercedes for example. Hed met so many of Mercedes "friends" who simply came and went. He remembered countless conversations hed had with her about some bitch of a friend she who had gone behind her back, saying awful things her, using her name to to get into places, going to magazines with scandalous false stories because they got mad at her... He felt more horrible with each one she talked about, and he wasnt even the one being betrayed. Kurt thought about what he should do about the whole Blaine thing. Could everything be fixed if he called Blaine straightened everything out? But then Kurt thought about the way he acted when he stormed out. He disappeared and left with nothing but a vague note. If anything, Blaine might not want to talk to HIM...

He decided not to do make any moves just yet, since he knew on the surface that they were both still pretty upset. But still, he knew he had to do something EVENTUALLY. Every day Kurt was radio silent, it probably hurt Blaine too. He would do something, he wasnt sure what, but he had decided Blaine was worth it, and hopefully Blaine thought the same about him. When he finally pulled into the driveway of his house, he parked the car and headed inside with a clear mental picture of exactly what he wanted. When he entered the kitchen, Finn was already home and laying across the couch, watching a movie hed probably already seen hundreds of times before. Kurt set his bag down on the table with a clunk, and Finn turned around to look at him.

"Hey, how was Glee today?"

"Great," Kurt said as he walked over to sit on the couch next to him. "Theyre leaving for Nationals in New York tomorrow morning."

"New York, New York," Finn said with a sigh and a faint smile. "One hell of a town."

"Youre telling me," Kurt said. "Youre the reason we lost Nationals that year."

"Hey, if its any consolation, we killed those numbers!" Finn shot back and all Kurt could do was laugh in reply.

When the two of them finished their laughing fits, Kurt fell quiet as he regained his senses. "Why did you give up on her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why didnt you follow her to New York?"

Finn thought for a moment as he turned down the volume of the TV and turned back towards Kurt. "I dont know. It just... didnt feel right yet, you know? Like I felt like, maybe, if it was meant to be, it would happen. I didnt want to weigh her down. Rachels living her dream right now, and I dont think shes ready to have me back into her insane life right now. Both of us want to be ready before we do anything we might regret."

Kurt nodded, "Makes sense."

The two of them simply stared at each other until out of the blue, Finn got up and pulled Kurt up with him. "What are you doing?"

"IM not doing anything, but YOU are going to walk your ass up those stairs and pack. Youre going to go back to New York, stop moping, get your life back together, and call Blaine. I might not be that great with relationships, but I actually listen to Rachel when she talks about the way you act when you talk about this guy. Im not going to let you loose someone thats apparently made you happier than youve ever been since... well ever."

Finn pushed him up the stairs, shoving Kurt into his childhood room to pack and shut the door behind him. Kurt just stood there for a minute trying to process what just happened before actually beginning to pack.

~

"Okay, let me get this straight- just last week, I had to basically FORCE you to perform at Jakes concert, and now youre asking me to set up a venue for you for next month..?"

Blaine smiled shyly, averting his managers gaze. The two of them, plus Adam, the sound guy, were in the studio discussing the schedule when Blaine had brought up the subject. "Well, I took what you said to heart. If I want to make it anywhere, I need to get myself out there."

His manager raised an eyebrow in response, glancing down at his phone and pinching the bridge of his nose. After a moment of silence, he looked back up at Blaine and sighed. "All right, you have yourself a deal Mr. Anderson."

Blaine smiled and stood up to shake his hand before Max raised a hand to stop him. "BUT, I want to hear one of the new songs that you plan to play at the concert."

Blaine threw a glance in Adams direction, silently asking if either of the two songs he had prepared was ready. Adam nodded in response and gestured to the recording booth before starting to type things into his computer. Blaine smiled happily, walking over to the booth and heading inside to set up. When he had his headphones on and the mic set to the right setting, he gave a thumbs up to Adam from behind the glass and the music began to play.

The best thing about tonights that were not fighting

Could it be that we have been this way before?

I know you dont think that I am trying

I know youre wearing thin down to the core

But hold your breath

Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you

Over again

Dont make me change my mind

Or I wont live to see another day

I swear its true

Because a boy like you is impossible to find

Youre impossible to find

This is not what I intended

I always swore to you Id never fall apart

You always thought that I was stronger

I may have failed

But I have loved you from the start

Oh

But hold your breath

Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you

Over again

Dont make me change my mind

Or I wont live to see another day

I swear its true

Because a boy like you is impossible to find

Its impossible

So breathe in so deep

Breathe me in

Im yours to keep

And hold onto your words

Cause talk is cheap

And remember me tonight

When youre asleep

Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you

Over again

Dont make me change my mind

Or I wont live to see another day

I swear its true

Because a boy like you is impossible to find

Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you

Over again

Dont make me change my mind

Or I wont live to see another day

I swear its true

Because a boy like you is impossible to find

Youre impossible to find

When he finished the song, he momentarily forgot anyone else was there. He was only shaken out of his trance when his manager and Adam began to clap. He smiled at them as he exited the booth to hear their comments. When he got back into the room, he was greeted with a questioning look from his manager. "Was that song written for anyone in particular?"

Blaine felt his face redden at the comment and ducked his head, nodding shortly. "Well whoever it was for, theyd better be in crowd that night! Otherwise theyd be missing out on something amazing." Max held a hand out to Blaine, who shook it right away. "Well then, see you in the big city. What a hell of a place for possibilities like this."

~

Later that evening, things were hectic for Kurt. After being shoved into his room (and most likely locked in too), he finally decided that Finn was right, and it WAS time to go back to the city, where the rest of his life was waiting for him. He had quickly packed his bags, throwing in some pieces of clothing he had left behind in the move to New York (since his sojourn in Ohio left him feeling nostalgic), and booked a one way ticket back to his other home. Burt and Carole were sad to see him go, but they understood that he needed to get back seeing as rehearsals were starting soon and they couldnt exactly start without him. Finn was all but shoving him out the door, making sure to remind Kurt to call "you know who" soon (he didnt use names since Kurt didnt want to tell his parents about Blaine just yet) to get the situation figured out. Kurt assured his brother he would before yelling over his shoulder that he would be expecting them all for the opening night in a few weeks. They happily complied, and he got into the car that was awaiting his arrival and ready to take him to the airport. As the car began to drive away, he took a final glance back toward the house that was already shrinking into a small dot in the distance.

Getting back into the groove of the city was easy for him, seeing as he had been there for a good two years now and it felt normal to be immersed in the chaotic city. He immediately jumped into rehearsal, spending most days at the theater, running through scenes and songs, and he spent his free time working on his actual school work for NYADA. Luckily his teachers cut him some breaks and worked with him to help him find ways to compromise his school work and show work. They took into consideration that he actually got a lead role for a Broadway show, and they knew as well as he did how much work he had to put into the show prep itself. Throughout the passing weeks, he barely had any free time at all. When the girls finally returned home, Santana and Mercedes were the only ones really left in the penthouse, since he and Rachel were spending most of their time across town working on their shows. Even Mercedes was in and out, since she was often at the studio working on her album and spent a good amount of time going back and forth between NY and LA. Finally, after a good week or two, Kurt convinced her to stay with California with Jake since she only bothered being in New York to get Kurt to forgive her. Once he accepted her apology though, she flew back to LA without complaints. So that left Santana to deal with an empty house, which she didnt seem to mind too much, considering she was inviting hot dates home for some "fun" at least three days a week… Kurt was glad he wasnt home to see or hear about it. With his schedule so busy, Kurt hadnt found the time or courage to talk to Blaine. He knew he should call, he just had no idea what to say. He almost called him one night, but as soon as the phone began to ring, he had hung up with his brain feeling completely blank.

As of now, it had been hours since rehearsal started, and Kurt had a feeling that the others were talking to him, but he certainly couldnt hear anything. Maybe they were asking him to be more focused with opening night getting closer and closer as they spoke. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Kurt resolved to do just that. They were right, he couldnt be distracted until opening night was over. He looked down at the sea of empty seats before him and listened as the sound of people working behind him to set up props echoed throughout the large theater. The director had just yelled out moments ago that they would be working late this Friday night, since next Friday was opening night. Kurt sighed sleepily, he had been at the theater for most of the day already, and now he was going to have to be there even longer. He dug his phone out his bag, which was laying on the stage next to him, and he sent Rachel a text saying he wouldnt be home for a good couple of hours.

~

Back at the penthouse, Rachels phone dinged next to her on the couch and she picked it up to read the message. Just as she was about to type a reply, she heard the telecom turn on. "Ms. Berry, the man with your pizza is here, should I send him up?"

"Send him up, Rick!" she replied happily. She walked over to the kitchen in search of her wallet to pay, but she heard the elevator ding as it opened before she was able to greet him. "Just a sec!"

"Alright, how much will it be?" she asked without looking up to shift through the wallet she picked up off the counter.

"Thats not necessary, Ms. Berry. No charge."

She whipped her head up quickly to see Blaine standing next to Albert the security guard with a smile on his face and a rather large pizza in his hands. "Pizza delivery for Rachel Berry!"

She pulled him into the penthouse quickly, sending Albert a smile as the doors shut and began making its way back down. She turned back towards Blaine, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hall to the living room. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "How did you get past Rick?!"

"Gosh, no hey Blaine, nice to see you!?" he asked sarcastically as he watched her set the pizza box down on the coffee table.

She raised an eyebrow in annoyance, and was about to repeat the question again before he cut in. "Rick was really chatty, his kids are big fans of me and Jake and he just HAD to get an autograph. When the pizza man showed up, I took care of the cost and said I would bring up the pizza myself, saying I was surprising you and I wanted to go up incognito. He let me up faster then he could say Blaine Anderson."

"Okay… and youre here why?"

"I had to talk to you about something, I need your help."

"And you couldnt just, oh I dont know.. call me?! You know Mercedes has my number, and you are so lucky Kurt isnt home!" she replied with an edge in her voice.

"It needed to be said in person."

She looked at him for a moment before sitting down on the couch, gesturing for him to do the same. He sat down, watching her pull out a piece of pizza for herself and one for him. He happily took the piece from her and took a bite before Rachel began to speak. "You, Blaine Anderson, are going to help me finish this pizza before Kurt gets home and tell me exactly how you plan on getting him back."

He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth slightly at her remark. "How…?"

"Kurt talks a lot about you, more then I would care to hear. And it wasnt hard to figure out youre here to get him back. Its obvious youre crazy about him."

"Oh…" he said tentatively.

"Well, start talking, you have two hours before Kurt gets home, and I have a feeling that you wont want to be here when he does."

~

"You can do this."

Kurt stared at his refection in the mirror of his dressing room, taking a moment to convince himself everything was going to be fine. It was opening night, the night he had spent the last three weeks preparing for, and he was literally freaking out. It wasnt like he wasnt prepared, he had spent a great deal of his time working on this show, and it was likely that he could recite it backwards in his sleep. He knew he was ready, but somehow the thought didnt calm the butterflies in his stomach. He took a deep breath and looked back at his reflection once more. A thought flashed though his minds and he picked up the cell phone next to him on his desk. He hesitated for a moment before typing in the numbers he had long memorized and waited as it rang. It was now or never.

"Hi, this is Blaine Anderson. I cant come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, Ill get back to you as soon as I can."

The dial tone beeped to signal the voicemail recording. and he hesitated for a second. "Hey… its me. Uh… its opening night and right now, Im sitting here like an idiot and having a mild panic attack before I go on because Im not sure if Im ready for tonight. And when I thought about someone to call to calm my nerves... You were the first person I thought of."

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Im sorry I ran, I know I didnt handle the situation too well, and I know its been weeks, but I hope we can talk soon."

There was a knock at his dressing room door before it swung open to reveal Cody, the stage manager. "Showtime, Mr. Hummel."

Kurt nodded as he exited the room, leaving the door open as he went.

"I gotta go, they are calling me out. Just… call me back soon okay? I… miss talking to you. Bye."

He hung up the phone and set it down on the table, giving himself one last look in the mirror before he took off his robe and hung it on the door. He took one deep breath to calm himself before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him softly. As he walked down the stairs to the stage, he couldnt help but wonder what Blaine was doing right now. Maybe he was at the studio, recording more songs for his album that Kurt knew was certainly coming soon, or maybe he was eating dinner somewhere fancy. Wherever Blaine was, it certainly wasnt here. It pained him to think that this was how his last few weeks played out with the two of them, but there wasnt much that he could do about it now. He just hoped Blaine got the message.

He reached the back of the stage, where Lucy and Patrick checked his microphones to make sure everything was set up correctly. When he was in the clear, he slowly made his way to the center of the stage behind the heavy curtains, knowing very well what was behind it. The curtains slowly rose, the lights shined down brightly on stage, and he took a breath before launching himself into the next phase of his life.