The next morning Blaine twisted himself carefully out of Sebastian's grip and tiptoed out off the bed so he could get dressed. He sat down on the side of the bed and ran his fingers lightly through Sebastian's hair before he bent down to softly kiss his cheek.

Sebastian opened his eyes dozily and rolled over to lie on his back when he realized that Blaine was fully dressed and on his way out.

"I have to leave, honey. I need to get home and fix some stuff before I have to go to work," Blaine crooned apologetically. He really wished that he didn't have to go to work. He would much rather stay in Sebastian's safe embrace for the rest of the day instead.

Sebastian looked bummed out by the message, but he didn't seem surprised. That was always how it was with Blaine. Sebastian had offered to clear some drawers and closet space for Blaine to have some stuff permanently at his place, but Blaine didn't want so much as a permanent toothbrush - so Sebastian dealt with watching him bring his toothbrush back and forth along with occasional clean clothes. It was only under objections that Blaine had accepted a key to his apartment after Sebastian had begged him to take it for months, with excuses like "What if I'm not home and you need a place to stay?" or "What if I'm out of town and you miss me?" he even tried "What if you're drunk and closer to my place than yours? Wouldn't it be better to come sleep with me instead of struggle home alone?"

So Blaine had accepted the key, though further a few months went by before he as much as remembered that he had it.

"Alright. I have stuff to do later anyway, but… call me, okay," Sebastian said understandingly and Blaine felt blessed that he didn't make too big a deal out of it this time.

He promised to call him when he got off work at midnight and then Blaine bent down to kiss him a little deeper than he had planned to, but desperate to show him that he really cared for him even though he acted like that. Sebastian reluctantly let go off Blaine's hand and he left the apartment in silence.

xXx

When Blaine entered at home he hurried to the bathroom to take a shower. As soon as the water was running down over him he immediately felt relaxed, and the dirty feeling from the sex the night before slowly started to melt away. He bumped his forehead softly against the tiles and cursed himself away before he soaped up and finished.

He spent the day on singing to himself while cleaning his room. Around two he started making lunch as he knew that Mike and Tina would be home soon. When they came home they were happy to find Blaine in an apparent good mood, so they ate together and he quickly forgot how bad he had been feeling.

When the clock hit 5 Blaine put on his working clothes and headed for the pub. He was looking forward to work because Saturday night meant full house and that was equal to him being busy enough to take his mind off himself.

When he got to work around 6 the place was already packed with customers. He signed in for the night and got right down to work. Martin told him that a theater down the block had just opened rehearsals for a big show so now they were celebrating their first week ending which meant drinking, dancing and singing.

The entire place was buzzing with laughter and good spirits, and Blaine decided that this was where he was the happiest when he wasn't with a piano. This was where he truly let go of himself and didn't worry.

It was a good night for tips. Blaine and Martin were favorite targets for young women's flirting and it often caused Blaine to go home with a bit more cash than just his paycheck. Martin often joked that Blaine was cheating because they didn't know that he was gay, but it wasn't like he was encouraging them or leading them on - he was merely polite and chatty, which apparently was irresistible.

Sebastian wasn't jealous. Not even when guys were flirting with Blaine. He never came to the pub though. They hadn't discussed it, but it was like Sebastian had decided that he wanted Blaine to have a free space and the decision was welcomed. Blaine didn't come to Sebastian's office either, so it seemed as if this was a natural way to keep their stuff apart.

Two girls who seemed like they could easily have been a bit too young to be in a pub on a Saturday night sat down at the bar and Blaine hurried to take their orders.

The girls were pretty and Blaine thought that it was clear that there were two options to them; either they had recently moved to New York or they were tourists. They were oblivious to the city and he couldn't help feeling an urge to take care of them. They were paying with credit cards too expensive for them to pay for themselves, and their clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. It didn't take long before they seemed convinced that Blaine was returning their flirtatious looks so he figured that he'd better hold again on the alcoholic beverages for them.

"So… do you have a policy against dating customers?" One of the girls asked with waving eyelashes, and her friend giggled into her drink with red cheeks. Both of them seemed certain that they had truly hit right, and Blaine started feeling sorry for them.

"Well… not exactly, but I don't think I'm your type," Blaine chuckled, doing his best to not be too obvious. For some reason he wanted to keep them by the bar for as long as possible to keep an eye on them, so he guessed that telling him that he was gay and had a boyfriend wouldn't be the best plan.

He didn't get to take it any further, because he froze on the spot. He baffled excused himself and rushed backwards in a hope that he could blend in with his co-workers. His insides tied up and he couldn't figure out whether he was about to throw up or have a heart attack. A racing pulse is a sign of a heart attack, isn't it?

Kurt had entered the pub. His hand was locked with the dark haired girl he had been with the last time he had been there. They hugged each other tightly and she tiptoed to kiss his cheek before she disappeared out the door. Now Kurt was alone and he took a glance around the crowd before his eyes steered directly towards the bar.

No, no, no! This can't be happening, Blaine thought to himself. He rushed to look busy, but Kurt was headed directly towards him. He couldn't escape. There was no doubt that Kurt had already seen him and he was his target.

"Blaine, do you have a se -" Kurt started but didn't even get to finish.

"Go away, Kurt. I'm working, if you haven't noticed," Blaine snapped at him. He started filling ice into glasses and winked at the girls with a smirk. They grinned, giggled and waved at him in return.

Why did I do that? That was ridiculous. God, I'm such an idiot!

"Please, listen - I am so sorry that I didn't come the other night. Something happened and I had to go to work," Kurt kept going. He followed Blaine as he moved around the bar without as much as a glance in Kurt's direction.

"Hmmm. Not like it matters," he groaned and did his best to look like he didn't care. In reality his insides were squirming and he was surprised that he was even able to talk considering how dry his throat felt.

"It matters to me. I was really looking forward to see you. I would have called, but then I realized that I never got your number, and I didn't remember the name of the bar you work at," Kurt apologized and he really seemed sincere in his voice.

Kurt had been looking forward to see him. A fire started inside of Blaine, but he had no idea what it meant.

"What do you want?" Blaine asked under his breath and sighed heavily as he turned to face Kurt who was tripping in front of the bar. His eyes were anxious and his brows furrowed over his nose. He looked like his world had been shattered.

"Please. Give me one more chance. I really wanna hear how you are doing and how your life has been," Kurt said, pleading in his voice and eyes, and Blaine felt it creep under his skin.

He closed his eyes and debated what to do. Should he turn him down and tell him that he never wanted to see him again, or should he cave and see if Kurt would be there for a second chance?

"I can… I can stay until you get off work tonight and we can - have a drink, or a beer, or coffee. Anything. I just want to make this right," Kurt asked when Blaine had stayed quiet for a while. He was clearly desperate that Blaine was going to decline his offer.

"I don't get off until midnight. That's 4 hours," Blaine exclaimed. He was afraid that if he said yes Kurt wouldn't wait around until he got off and then they would make plans to meet another day and he would stay away again. This way he didn't say yes or no and he was on the safe side. Now he could see how Kurt would respond to that.

"I can wait. I don't mind waiting for you. If it's not too late for you, of course," Kurt rushed out. He let his lips form a thin line on his face, and his eyes were anxious and awaiting.

Martin sent him a sharp glare from the other end of the bar, and Blaine knew that he had to get back to work. His pulse was racing, and he could hear Tina's voice in his head, on one hand she was telling him that it couldn't hurt, but on the other she was telling him that it wasn't worth the trouble.

What would she advice me to do?

"Alright. Midnight then." Blaine nodded in agreement, still not sure it was the right call, but he was definitely excited to see if Kurt would actually stick out for the entire night.

Four hours is a pretty long time to sit around and wait for me.

"Thank you. I promise drinks are on me tonight!" Kurt said and smiled at him. He tilted his head and asked for a glass of ice water. Blaine gave him a glass and returned to work.

Kurt walked to sit at a small table in the corner where he still had a clear view to the bar, even through the masses of customers taking up the pub. He rested his chin on his hands and watched Blaine work.

Blaine could feel Kurt's eyes follow him throughout the night. Every now and then Blaine would look to his table and Kurt would smile warmly at him. It was hard to say but he had a feeling that Kurt was just as nervous as he was. He didn't know what it would mean that Kurt was nervous, but he was definitely glad that he wasn't alone in being so.

"Blaine, your fangirls look like they need help," Martin chuckled as he passed Blaine around 9.30 and Blaine looked to the girls by the end of the bar.

One of them had reached a point where she couldn't even get a hold of her straw, and the other girl looked like she was on the edge of tears as she desperately punched the buttons on her phone with clumsy movements.

Blaine rolled his eyes and came to the conclusion that the guys sitting at the booth across the pub had been sending them drinks. Typical problem.

He sighed and headed for the girls. The girl with the phone broke down in a cry and he got her phone wrested from her hand and put it in her purse. Then he called them a cab and led them safely outside where he waited to make sure they got their cab without problems.

The first thing he did when he went back inside was to send a discrete look across the pub to make sure Kurt hadn't left. He was still at his table with a drink in front of him and his phone in his hand.

Blaine felt like texting Tina to tell her that Kurt was there and that they would be going out. He decided to do it first thing when he got off his shift, and he was happy that he only had an hour and a half left.

The night seemed to drift by faster than usual, and yet it was like time was working way too slow on purpose. When the clock finally reached 11.30 he was told that he could leave for the night, and he didn't need that message twice.

He rushed to the backroom to get his stuff but had to take a moment to sit down. It wasn't until now that he realized exactly how nervous he was. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? What if Kurt really had turned into some douche? Or even worse - what if Kurt thought that he had turned into a douche?

He gulped down a quick glass of water before he checked his hair in the mirror. He hurried to text Tina that he would be home late and returned to the pub to work his way through the crowd to Kurt's table.

"So… you're off now?" Kurt asked and put his hands in the pockets of his coat.

Blaine nodded awkwardly and they found their way to the exit. When they finally was outside they both stared at each other and Blaine was afraid that he was blushing so he quickly suggested for them to go to a nearby café where he and his co-workers often hung out after closing the pub.

They found a table that wasn't in the middle of drunks coming from town or headed there. They both ordered a cup of coffee and fell into a long time of awkward silence.

Blaine had a hard time figuring out where to focus. He was afraid that he was staring too intensely at Kurt, but he couldn't help it; he simply looked gorgeous. When he had let his coat drop he revealed that he was wearing a white dress shirt with a blue and white striped cardigan over. It was matched up with a tight pair of dark, blue jeans and black boots. Everything fitted tight on a body that looked like Blaine would get dizzy just by looking at him if he hadn't been wearing so many layers.

However, he was still afraid that he would end up dizzy. He felt like he was having an out-of-body-experience. It was way too surreal to be sitting down with Kurt in front of him after all this time where he had no idea what had happened to him.

"I uhm… you stopped answering my letters," Kurt suddenly said after they had stayed silent for what felt like an eon.

"Me? I wrote you like… 10 times without response before I gave up," Blaine burst out. He couldn't believe it; Kurt was blaming him for their broken connection. He felt sick, and like he had run into a wall with his head first.

"I never got them. I waited for so long. I waited for the mail to come every day. When my dad said that I should try to move on I was crushed. Blaine, I missed you so much," Kurt said with a weak voice. He was twisting a napkin between his fingers and his eyes dropped to follow his own movements closely.

Oh… I did not see that coming.

Blaine had no idea how to respond to that. He took a mouthful of coffee to buy himself some time, but no words came to him. He was baffled.

"I'm sorry. I kept writing you. But… it doesn't matter now, I guess. What happened? How has… life been for you?" He decided that he just as well could move over the subject of the letters. Now that he thought closer he wouldn't be surprised if some of the older kids had hidden Kurt's letters from him, or stolen Blaine's letters to Kurt - some of them did really mean stuff to him, so he didn't have a hard time imagining that.

"Well… my dad and I lived in Columbus for a while, but he got a new job so we moved here. I think I was about… 14 or something. I got into a private school focused on performing arts, and now I am signed at a theater a few blocks from here," Kurt told and shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. Like it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"That's so awesome. I'm… really happy for you," Blaine said truthfully.

It was hard for him to admit. Kurt might not have achieved this if he hadn't left Silverlake, but if he hadn't left Silverlake Blaine could have been by his side every step of the way. But now that wasn't the case he was sincerely happy to know that life had worked out so well for him.

"How about you? Did you ever… did anyone ever…" Kurt started, but it was like he was afraid to ask. Blaine knew exactly what he was guiding in on though so he figured he'd just as well spare Kurt the stress of making himself say the words out loud.

"I never got adopted, no. It was okay though. I started hanging out with Tina, and ehm… she, her boyfriend and I moved out here when we turned 18. Now I just - work at the pub, play piano and sing at random places every now and then when I can get a gig," Blaine told and felt lame at how his life had turned out compared to Kurt's. Compared to him he was nowhere in his life.

"That sounds really great. You always had a great voice -" Kurt said shyly and looked into his coffee. Blaine was happy that he did because his cheeks flushed. He had no idea why, but he couldn't help it.

Old habits die hard.

They stayed at the café talking for more than two hours. Kurt told how his dad had given him the full version of why he had ended up in Silverlake.

When Kurt was born his mom got a postpartum depression. One day when his dad had got home from work she and Kurt was gone. He did everything to find them but nothing worked. He kept searching, but after two years he had to move out of the country for his work. When he returned 3 years later he went back to searching, but without much hope. He found that she had run off to live close to her mother, but her mother was sick. When she died Kurt's mom snapped and dropped Kurt off at Silverlake an early morning and then she had taken her own life. Simple as that.

Blaine was shocked and didn't know how to react to that story. It was horrifying, but on the other hand it was so long ago and Kurt didn't have any memory of her so it was difficult to know how he was feeling about it himself.

Kurt hurried to ask about how Silverlake had been after he left. Blaine told who had been adopted and who hadn't. He told how he and Tina had bonded, and they laughed at old memories of teachers and other kids from the orphanage.

Kurt also told that his dad had remarried - a nice lady who Kurt got along with very well. She had a son already and that way Kurt had got a brother. He had been blessed with the family he had always dreamed of getting.

It was remarkable how well they got along after all of these years. They only had a few dry patches of silence, and it wasn't anything that mattered.

As promised Kurt paid for their coffee and when they left the café he suggested that they exchanged phone numbers.

"It was really nice, Blaine. I would love to see you again… if you want," Kurt said as they waited for his cab to come. He had his hands back in his pockets and was shifting his weight restlessly between his feet.

Nerves.

"Yeah. That would be cool," Blaine said and they agreed to see each other again.

When Blaine walked home he couldn't stop thinking about how Kurt had seemed honestly interested in everything he told. How good he had looked and how sweet he had been.

Definitely not turned into a douche, Blaine thought relieved and excited to tell Tina.

That's when he realized that he had forgot to call Sebastian. It was definitely too late now, so he decided to call him first thing in the morning instead.

He had wanted to ask Kurt if he was seeing anyone. He had a suspicion that the dark haired girl was his girlfriend, but he hadn't dared opening the subject. That would only lead to questions about Blaine's love life and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell Kurt that he was gay.