5.

Kurt was sipping his second drink about an hour later when a small group of heavily drunk guys started to bully the bartender. Apparently an important college football game was on and they requested the TV to be turned on. After a few minutes the man gave in and the small group settled in front of the screen. Soon they started yelling and shoving each other throughout the game.

If the music and the smoke hadn’t done the trick, the bawling was definitely the thing responsible for the light pounding that had started in Kurt’s head. He wasn’t drunk enough to enjoy himself and disappointed that he had been right yet again. This wasn’t fun at all.

Suddenly a guy plopped down on the stool next to him, invading his personal space. His hair was blonde and styled. With a shady look on his face he leaned in and whispered into Kurt’s ear.. “Hey sexy, you’re not enjoying your drink much. Want me to buy you another one?”

The guy placed a hand high on Kurt’s thigh and leaned in further.

“No thank you. I’m good.” Kurt jumped off his stool and turned around leaving his drink at the bar. He could still feel the guy’s breath on his face and shivered. This had been a horrible idea. He was dizzy and angry with himself for coming here. He would be exhausted in the morning and his clothes were going to smell like they had been made in a tobacco factory by drunks. He tried to shove people out of his way to find his friends but gave up after being pushed into the wrong direction multiple times.

Suddenly the football guys all jumped out of their seats, as the bulkiest one pushed over a table screaming. Apparently their team wasn’t performing as expected. A fight broke out and the shoving got more violent. Suddenly people were taking off jackets and raising fists and soon enough a smaller man held his bloody nose screaming furiously. A few guys fell to the ground and Kurt had almost tripped over someone if two strong arms hadn’t pulled him out of the area in the corner where the fighting took place. He was gently pushed towards the bathrooms where people were still peacefully partying and drinking.

He turned around to either thank the guy or bitch at him. He hadn’t decided yet what was more appropriate, when everything ground to a halt.

The music suddenly seemed like a far away buzzing in his head and his inside jumped painfully.

His eyes were still the same.

So open and trusting and smiling before his mouth did. And he was wearing a shirt that Kurt knew. The striped one he used to wear when they watched marathons of Queer as Folk at his house curled up under a blanket.

And then there was a warm hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

“Kurt, oh my god. Are you okay? Did someone hurt you? What are you doing here how did you even get in?” The warm hand left his shoulder again. “Are you alright? Kurt? I’m so happy to see you, this is insane.” he ran a hand through his hair nervously. That small gesture of nervousness he had always made. Like that one time after he had taken Kurt’s hand when they were anxiously waiting for the announcement at Sectionals or all those times when Kurt had caught him staring over their cups of coffee. That nervous smile that went with it was now beaming at Kurt. In the middle of a stinky pub in New York City.

“Blaine.” he mentally kicked himself for reacting in slow motion and not being able to pull himself together.

“Hi.” Blaine answered shyly. “Everything alright?”

Kurt managed to shake himself out of it after all. “Yes, yes. Thank you I’m fine. Nothing happened. I just. How? I .. “

“I know.” Blaine said and smiled wider. “This is crazy.”

Kurt finally regained his speech and made a step back. “I didn’t expect you to meet you here. Or anywhere. For that matter. Ever again.” Blaine’s smile crumbled a little at that and he nodded silently.

Kurt noticed that he didn’t gel his hair down as much as he used to. There was still a little in it to tame his curls. Shockingly, apart from that everything about him was still the same. It was like an absurd step back into his teenage years. Blaine standing in front of him with his shiny eyes and that expectant look on his face as if they were both still 17. As if a window to the past had been opened and he was suddenly allowed to go back and change it all. It made him want to hug Blaine and burry his face into his neck so he wouldn’t have to see the world anymore. As that realization hit him, he turned away to leave, to ignore that bitter taste of regret. To finally get this horrible night to an end.

“Uhm. Thank you. For that” Kurt pointed at the fight that was still going on in the backround. “I think I’m going to leave now. Home’s a long way. It was nice seeing you again.” he managed a half smile and tried to find a spot where he could slip back into the crowd.

“Kurt, please. Wait.” Blaine caught up with him again and placed that warm hand on his arm. “What happened to you?”

Kurt turned around and shot him a cold gaze “What do you mean? Nothing ‘happened’ to me. I’m in college. Everything is fine. I’m good.”

“You look different.” Blaine said quietly after studying his face.

“Oh okay. So the first thing you say to me is that I look horrible. Why, thank you. I’m leaving.” Kurt snapped.

“Please, Kurt can you calm down for a second, I didn’t mean to insult you.. I just wanted to...” Blaine got interrupted by a guy who came up to him from behind and kissed him on the cheek.

“Hey Anderson, the crowd is wondering where you’ve been. Care to join us again.?” The man had red hair and freckles and Kurt found him very unattractive.

“Uhm. Yeah sure. I’ll be right back. Just give me a minute.” Blaine stammered and looked from the guy to Kurt and back. “Whatever.” he answered and trotted off again.

“Boyfriend?” Kurt asked sarcastically as he watched the guy disappear behind Blaine. “Oh him? No. God, no. Just a guy I met a few hours ago. Not important. But. Listen, Kurt. I’m a little drunk right now, to be honest. And I would really love to see you again and have coffee when I’m sober. You know, just to talk.” he looked at Kurt pleadingly and then down at the bottle of beer he was holding.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea Blaine. I really need to get going and apart from that…” he sighed and adjusted his jacket “… we live separate lives now. I really don’t see the point.”

Everything in Kurt ached for just giving in and going with Blaine, taking him by the hand and never letting him go again. But his rational side had learned to be dominant over the last years and so he just stared back at Blaine, waiting for him to give in and let him go.

“Kurt. Please. Don’t be like that. Don’t treat us like that. Do it for the sake of what we had. Just one coffee.” something inside Kurt broke with those words. The acknowledgement that they had had something. Something special, that was gone now.

He sighed and grabbed Blaine’s phone that he was holding for him to grab.

“Okay fine. You with your stupid puppy eyes. Here’s my number. Text me.” he gave Blaine a half smile- Blaine grinned back at him watching his fingers type.

“You can count on that, Kurt Hummel.” Blaine answered. At that moment a gap formed between a few groups of people and Kurt quickly handed over the phone and slipped out into the dark streets of New York.