Later that day, Blaine had just emailed off an a cappella arrangement to a new client recommended to him by his co-worker when he heard a frantic knock at the door. Since unexpected visitors at 9 p.m. were rare, he approached the door cautiously and looked through the peephole.

On the other side of the door stood Kurt, looking disheveled and antsy as he paced back-and-forth in the hallway.

Worried that something had gone wrong with Kurt's father, Blaine yanked the door open. "Kurt, what—"

"I got it."

The grin on Kurt's face told Blaine that whatever the "it" was, it was good news. He stood aside so that Kurt could enter and he watched in amusement as Kurt kicked off his shoes and then literally skipped inside in his stocking feet, dropping his bag on the floor before grabbing Blaine by the waist and waltzing him around the room.

"I got it. I got it. I got it," Kurt sang as they danced. "You are looking at the new lead in the Orpheus Theater's new production of The Who's Tommy! It's off-Broadway — way, way off — and just for a month-long run starting in July, but it's the lead!" Kurt stopped their momentum and looked down at Blaine as a stunned look crossed his face. "The lead."

After several minutes of excited celebration, Kurt finally calmed down enough to tell Blaine that he'd received the call while he was at work a few hours earlier and had been so floored by the news that he hadn't told anyone. He'd simply finished out his shift in a daze and gone directly to Blaine's apartment.

While Blaine went to open some wine for a congratulatory toast (he wondered for a second if he should run out and get champagne instead), Kurt called his dad and told him the good news.

Not wanting to barge in on the happy father/son moment, Blaine stayed in the kitchen straightening up some papers that were sitting on the counter and putting crackers and cheese on a plate to go with the wine while he tried not to eavesdrop. It was really hard though, not only because of the small size of his apartment, but also because part of him was fascinated by the dynamic that seemed to exist between Kurt and his father. He could only hear Kurt's side of the conversation, but it was obvious that his father was over-the-moon about the news and was asking questions about the show. He was proud and wanted to hear every last detail.

It was a familial dynamic that Blaine was completely unfamiliar with.

He heard Kurt say his goodbyes, so he picked up the tray of food and wine and slipped out into the living room. He set everything down on the table in front of the couch and picked up the glasses, handing one to Kurt and holding the other one up high to toast.

"To Kurt. You're going to be the best Tommy anyone has ever seen. Next stop, Broadway!" They clinked glasses and each took a sip. "Just don't forget me when you're famous, okay?"

"Never. You're pretty unforgettable, you know."

They gazed at each other in silence for a moment and then Blaine reached out to pull the glass from Kurt's hand, setting it, along with his own, down on the nearby table. He took a few steps forward and slid an arm around Kurt's back, pulling him closer as if they were going to dance. Slowly, he dipped his head until their lips met.

The kiss began soft and tender and Kurt's hand drifted up Blaine's body until it was pressed against his cheek, not holding him, but gently directing him into the perfect angle. Blaine's blood was racing and every nerve in his body was pulsing in time, as if they were all singing along to a rousing chorus of "Yes, finally, yes." He could feel Kurt warm against him and smiled into the kiss.

Kurt pulled back, panting a little. "What? Why are you smiling?"

"I've got the most stunning man in the world in my arms. What's not to smile about?" Blaine asked, trailing a finger along Kurt's back.

Kurt scrunched up his nose and took a step back so that he could collapse gracefully onto the couch. "I'm in such a good mood that I'm not even going to bother calling bullshit on that one."

Blaine sat down too, one leg bent up onto the cushion so that he was facing Kurt. "Absolutely no bullshit. That's how I see things and you're not allowed to argue with me or you'll hurt my feelings."

That earned him another kiss. "The sacrifices I make to keep your fragile psyche intact."

Blaine felt Kurt's mouth open beneath his and he swept his tongue in. He teased and savored each newly discovered place and then retreated just a bit to suck on Kurt's lower lip, working it back and forth between his own. Kurt's answering groan encouraged him and he grasped the now slightly swollen lip between his teeth and tugged lightly before returning to sweep his tongue inside again.

Kurt leaned back slowly until his head was laying on the arm rest and Blaine followed him down, bringing his legs underneath him and crawling up until he was straddling Kurt's body, never once breaking the kiss.

The temperature in the room seemed to skyrocket as their bodies came together, their chests pressing against one another until Blaine could feel the rhythm of Kurt's heart beating. The sound of heavy breathing and rustling cloth filled the room, punctuated from time-to-time by a moan or a sharply inhaled breath.

When Kurt's hand drifted across the sensitive skin of his ribs, Blaine's hips jerked, bringing their growing erections together. Though the contact was slight and through several layers of clothing, they both startled as if hit by an electric shock.

Their mouths finally separated and they lay there, panting. Kurt's eyes searched Blaine's face, his brow furrowed as if puzzling through something in his mind. Then, his face softened and he nodded, almost to himself, and lifted his head up to capture Blaine's mouth again. He kept raising up until they were once again sitting and Blaine felt the warmth of his hands as they settled on his shoulders. Kurt slid his arms around Blaine's neck, splaying his hands out on his back to pull him in tight.

Then, Kurt was gone. Blaine opened his eyes and blinked to find Kurt standing beside him, one hand held out invitingly. Blaine took it and they walked together towards the bedroom. Once there, Kurt paused as if unsure of what to do next, so Blaine swung him around and gently pressed him against the wall as he kissed his way down his neck.

He stripped Kurt's sweater off and then inched his hand down Kurt's shirt, undoing each button slowly. When he reached the last button, he slid his hands back up to the collar and pushed it off Kurt's shoulders, crooking an amused eyebrow at the exposed undershirt. "It's a good thing it isn't winter or I might forget what I was doing before I managed to get you naked."

"Oh, don't worry, I'd remind you."

Blaine yanked the undershirt over Kurt's head and leaned back to take an appreciative look at the area he'd uncovered. Kurt wasn't cooperating, though, more interested getting Blaine's own shirt off than being the object of admiration.

They dropped the garments onto a nearby chair and Blaine reached out to undo Kurt's belt, pulling on the end slowly and smiling wickedly at the soft sound it made as it slid free of each belt loop. When the belt was free, Blaine dropped to his knees and began undoing Kurt's pants, kissing his stomach as he worked, loving the feeling of the muscles there tensing and contracting beneath his lips. He pulled the pants down toward Kurt's ankles and immediately began inching the waistband of his underwear down too, unable to resist kissing the tip of his cock as it slipped free.

Kurt jerked back and almost stumbled in his haste to kick his remaining clothing off. He finally got free and Blaine took a second to pick up his pants and put them on the chair beside their shirts, knowing that a Kurt with wrinkled clothes would be a cranky Kurt. When he turned back, Kurt had managed to remove his socks as well and was standing against the wall, naked.

Oh god.

Blaine didn't care how eager Kurt was or how impatient his own throbbing body was to pick up where they'd left off, he had to stop and look Kurt over inch-by-glorious-inch. He was all long lines and lean muscle, a body that Michelangelo definitely would have immortalized in perfect white marble if only given the opportunity.

Kurt instead of David.

His skin was pale everywhere and the contrast of Blaine's hand against his hip was striking. Blaine made a mental note to be extra gentle so that he didn't accidentally bruise or mark him. His chest was mostly smooth, with just a light dusting of hair forming a perfect happy trail down his stomach.

Blaine swept his hand across the outside of Kurt's hip to his upper thigh, his eyes drifting down over the thicker hair on his well-developed calves to his bare feet and the slightly crooked toe that he'd confessed had been broken in dance class and never healed correctly.

Last and certainly not least, Blaine focused his attention of Kurt's cock, which was semi-hard and growing by the second. Slightly reddened and longer than Blaine's, it was a beautiful sight to behold and he couldn't wait to get to learn every inch of it. He reached out a hand and grasped it gently, squeezing as he swept from root to tip. "Have I mentioned today that you're really hot? Surface of the sun, black leather seats on an August afternoon, ghost chili pepper hot?"

Kurt's breath hitched as Blaine's other hand slid down to cup his balls. "No, but I was going to let it slide today, given what you're about to do. You are going to do what I think you're going to do, right?"

Blaine answered with his mouth, but not his voice.

Within seconds he had Kurt gasping, hands fluttering wildly until they found a home clutching Blaine's hair. He leaned against the wall and Blaine heard a slight thud as his head fell back in abandon.

"Your mouth. God, Brandon, your mouth."

Kurt's hips began to undulate slightly beneath Blaine's hands, so he rose up on his knees, placing his forehead on Kurt's lower stomach and relaxing his throat, letting Kurt's movements dictate how deep he went. Kurt's fingers tightened and he rolled his hips slowly, pressing further in each time.

Lost in the moment, Blaine didn't realize when Kurt stopped moving, only noticing when the pressure on his head became a tug. He opened his eyes as the rest of his senses kicked back in.

"Stop...stop." Kurt's voice was tight and reluctant. "Not here...don't want to...need more."

Blaine let Kurt's now rock hard cock slip slowly from his lips and gave it a last wistful look as he rose to his feet. He hummed happily when Kurt pulled him in for a hard, punishing kiss. The broke apart and then raced across the room to the bed. Blaine got there first and tossed the comforter and top sheet aside before launching himself backwards to fall on the mattress, arms raised in victory. He felt more lighthearted than he had in months and wanted it to never end.

Kurt shook his head with an indulgent laugh and, with a magic touch that could only come from hours of dressing and undressing mannequins, managed to undo Blaine's pants and sweep them, along with his underwear, off in one clean movement.

As he tossed them in the general direction of the chair, Blaine's shock at suddenly being naked gave way to a giggle. "Kurt, you're the pants whisperer. All clothes obey your every whim. Able to disrobe a man in a single glance. Can you do that thing with the tablecloth and the dish—"

Kurt jumped on top of Blaine, forcing the air partly out of his lungs. "Do you want to make jokes all night or...?"

"Or. Definitely or."

Kurt looked up to the ceiling and scrunched his mouth to one side as if considering if Blaine's response was good enough. Blaine bucked his hips up into him, hoping to speed things along. A wide smile broke out on Kurt's face. "I was hoping you'd say that."

With a shimmy that reminded Blaine of the way he danced, Kurt worked his way back and to the side, off of Blaine's body, coming to kneel by his hips. He trailed a soft fingertip around the base of Blaine's cock and lower, pausing to rub lightly along his perineum.

"Your hands are so soft. What kind of moisturizer do you use?" Blaine winced. Well, that was sexy. His mouth was seriously not attached to his brain any longer; it was the only explanation.

Kurt's finger stopped moving. "Seriously? This is the question you want to be asking right now?"

"No, no. Forget I said anything. Please continue."

"Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh, yes." Kurt stroked his finger back upwards, instantly bringing Blaine back to full hardness.

Blaine took a deep breath and held it as the single fingertip was joined by others, the teasing touch becoming a confident hold, and Kurt leaned forward to take him in his mouth. There was probably some poetic description of how it felt to be inside of Kurt like that, some combination of words that could convey the heat and the pleasure. Those verses existed somewhere in the universe, but the only thought Blaine's mind could form at that moment was ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

He twisted his hands into the sheet underneath him, legs twitching restlessly as he tried to think about photos of sad-eyed pound puppies with a Sarah McLachlan soundtrack or naked boobs, anything to keep from having the whole encounter end embarrassingly fast.

He was quickly approaching the point when he'd have to make a decision to have Kurt stop or risk falling over the edge of the cliff when the maddening suction stopped and Kurt gave him a few soft licks that were probably meant to be soothing, but just ended up putting him that much closer to coming. He opened his eyes to find Kurt gazing at him with flushed cheeks.

"What do you want?" Kurt asked, one hand lazily pumping at Blaine's cock, the other palming his own.

Blaine didn't even have to consider. He twisted towards the nightstand and fumbled around in the shallow drawer before coming away with a small bottle of lube and a condom. He pressed them into Kurt's hand and then rolled over on his stomach, burying his head in the pillow, the cool fabric soothing against his overheated skin.

He lay there with every muscle tensed in anticipation of where the first touch would come from, but seconds passed and there was only still silence in the room. He could sense Kurt's hesitation. He lifted his face from the pillow. "Do you want to do something else? Or do you want me to get myself ready? Because I can-"

The words died in his throat as wet lips pressed against the base of his spine. Next came two hands, rubbing and massaging along the curve of his hips over to the top of his cheeks, kneading them with just the right amount of pressure to kick everything back up into high gear. The hands disappeared and he heard the definitive sound of the lube bottle clicking open.

A slick finger touched the top of his crack and slid down slowly to gently encircle his hole, pressing enough to make him feel the pressure, but not enough to be granted entry. It continued on its way and reached his balls where it gave a tiny tickle, causing Blaine to squirm further down into the mattress.

The finger returned back up to his hole and circled again, this time breaching him slightly. He gasped at the sensation, barely even able to remember the last time someone had been inside of him. That was fine with him. He wanted to forget that there had ever been anyone before Kurt.

Kurt worked deeper and deeper, gently coaxing his out-of-practice muscles to give way. He was patient, though, and Blaine knew that he could sense the moment he was ready for more. The solo finger was joined by a second and soon a third and Blaine luxuriated in the amazing fullness that bordered on pain.

Finally, he was ready. "Now."

Kurt slipped his fingers free and there was a crinkle of the condom wrapper as Blaine turned over onto his side, pulling one leg up perpendicular to his body and leaning on it, opening himself up. He loved being taken from behind, but also needed to be able to see Kurt's face at that moment.

Kurt seemed to know what he wanted, because he set his hands on Blaine's hips and rose up on his knees, moving forward until the tip of his cock bumped up against the crease where Blaine's thigh met his body. Blaine twisted a little bit more towards Kurt and reached out to rub his thigh encouragingly. They locked eyes and Kurt thrust forward.

Feeling Kurt enter him was overwhelming and Blaine fought against his instinct to close his eyes. Watching the expressions flit across Kurt's face as he pressed deeper was amazing and he didn't want to miss a moment.

Kurt had done an excellent job of prepping him, so Blaine felt only pleasure as the head of Kurt's cock pushed past the mild resistance of the pucker. There was tension in Kurt's body as he pressed forward slowly, muscles primed to stop at any moment if Blaine asked. No such request came, though, and soon Kurt was laying flush up against him, their balls pressed tightly up against each other.

Kurt drew in a shuddering breath. "Would I sound too much like a porno if I told you that your ass is amazing? 'Cause that would be really embarrassing and highly unoriginal, but I just really need to say it."

"Since I was about to say the same thing about your cock I think we can just call it even." Blaine gasped as Kurt sunk within him impossibly deeper. "Move, Kurt. I need you to move."

He did, pulling back until the widest part of his cock head stretched the rim of Blaine's hole. Blaine could see the wonder on Kurt's face as the muscle contracted around him.

They set forth in an elegant, if slightly sweaty, dance; Kurt swaying forward and back in a rhythm guaranteed to please and Blaine moving his hips at just the right moments. After several minutes, the speed of Kurt's hips increased and Blaine could hear the change in his breathing as he raced towards his orgasm.

Determined to be right there with him, Blaine leaned back off of his propped leg and extended it straight up, changing the angle of Kurt's thrusts until he was moaning with pleasure. Kurt sat up taller and used the additional height as leverage to push in harder and faster, turning his head to kiss Blaine's calf absently as he worked into him.

Blaine reached down and took hold of his own cock, squeezing and rubbing as he brought himself up to the edge. "Oh my god, right there. Don't stop. I'm gonna come. Don't stop don't don't-"

His words were lost as he exploded, his hips bucking and his toes curling as the pleasure overwhelmed him. He floated along in ecstasy for a minute, noting only vaguely that Kurt took only two more thrusts before coming himself and collapsing on top of Blaine as if all the bones had been removed from his body.

They lay in rasping, panting silence for a few minutes as they both recovered. Then, Kurt rolled off to the side, disposing of the condom before laying back down beside Blaine. "That was— you were amazing. So much better than a porno."

"Ha! Porn companies wished their films were that hot."

"You really think so? It was good?"

Blaine raised up on one elbow. "Are you kidding? Any better and the top of my head would have blown off."

"Good. Good. Because, um, that's kind of the first time I've done that. Topped, I mean."

Blaine just stared at him, astonished. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to kill the mood. Plus, I really didn't want you to change your mind," Kurt added sheepishly.

"No chance of that." Blaine rolled onto his side facing Kurt and laid his head on his folded up arm. "How is it possible that you've never done it before? Do you prefer to bottom? Because next time we can switch it up, I promise."

Kurt avoided his eyes, tracing patterns over his chest instead. "I've always wanted to, but the guys I dated were always very specific about what they wanted from me. I guess I had a type, before you."

"Well, the joke's on them then, because god, did they miss out. I'm in big trouble, though."

Kurt finally met his eyes. "Why?"

"Because if that was your first attempt, I'm not sure I'll survive once you get some experience under your belt."

Kurt smiled smugly. "I always was an overachiever." He leaned forward to place a kiss where his fingers had just been, then stopped and reared his head back. "Wait...did you really just compare me to a chili pepper?"

=^..^=

Blaine loved his apartment. It was small, but well cared for and quiet and, best of all, didn't cost two arms and two legs like every other place he'd looked at when he'd first arrived in the city. It wasn't too far from the subway and was only two blocks from a little neighborhood park. He loved the quaint molding, the exposed brick wall, and the clich�d fire escape outside the living room window.

What he didn't love was the fact that it had no elevator and he lived on the fourth floor.

He knew he shouldn't complain — he was a young guy after all and climbing the four flights was about the only cardio he got on a daily basis — but having a walk-up was especially annoying on those days when he'd bought something heavy or bulky. Getting the chair he'd found at a local thrift shop up all those stairs had nearly killed him.

Because of that personal experience, he felt a twinge of sympathy when he entered the lobby one afternoon to find a stack of boxes by the door, obviously waiting for some new tenant. Moving day with no elevator just plain sucked.

He'd just entered the stairwell when he heard a man's voice behind him call out and ask him to hold the door. He paused and reached a foot out to prop the door open as he waited for the guy to catch up. The new arrival was about his age and tall — taller even than Kurt — and slim with sharp features. Blaine smiled pleasantly in a polite, but distant neighborly way and moved to start up the stairs when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Thanks. You're a life-saver," the guy said, his smile oily and a little too practiced, like that of a used car salesman. "I'm Sebastian Smythe."

Sebastian held out a hand and Blaine shook it. He told himself that it was just his imagination that Sebastian's thumb seemed to caress his lightly before their hands separated. "Brandon McCartney. And all I did was hold the door. Hardly a lifesaving moment."

"Maybe not the door bit, but getting such a close-up look at those miraculous eyes is certainly doing my heart some good. If we make this a regular thing, I think we'll make my doctor a very happy man."

Blaine shifted uncomfortably as Sebastian's eyes raked over his body. His silence seemed to be taken as an encouragement.

"Please tell me you live here, because I'm moving into this bed bug buffet and I could really use a pick-me-up right about now."

A prickle of indignation ran up Blaine's neck at the insult to his home. "I'm up on four. Do you need any help with those?" He gestured to the boxes, unable to find it within himself to be rude despite the other man's attitude.

Sebastian looked around in confusion. "What, with those? No, I don't haul boxes. I pay people for that. They're probably heading down from their first trip right now. Or they'd better be, if they don't want me to start docking their pay."

Blaine wondered fleetingly what a guy like that was doing living in a building without an elevator. Just then, he heard the sound of someone thundering down the stairs. Two men came around the corner, their eyes widening when they saw Sebastian glaring at them. They scampered down the remaining steps and immediately picked up two boxes each before turning and heading back up. Sebastian shook his head, rolled his eyes, and shrugged as if to say "You can't get good help these days."

Blaine followed the men up and Sebastian tagged along at his side, still flirting and practically molesting Blaine with his eyes.

"I'm subletting 302," Sebastian drawled as they rounded the first landing, his shoulder bumping up against Blaine's a little too frequently to be by accident. "It's just short-term while my actual apartment is being renovated. I was dreading the whole experience — I haven't lived below 59th since I moved to New York — but things are definitely looking up."

The not-so-subtle diss on his neighborhood wasn't lost on Blaine, but he just smiled blandly as they hit the landing for the third floor.

"Well, this is my stop." Sebastian stopped with his hand on the doorknob and crooked an eyebrow at Blaine. "You should come by for some wine later. I have an excellent Cab that I've been saving for a special occasion. I could pop it open and we could drink a toast to new...friends."

"Sorry, I've got plans with my boyfriend tonight." Blaine made sure to emphasize the word "boyfriend".

"That's okay. You can drop in on your way back. I don't mind if the boyfriend warms you up first."

Blaine laughed as if Sebastian had been kidding (which he was pretty sure he hadn't been) and wished him good luck with his unpacking before continuing up the stairs. Sebastian came on a little (okay, a lot) strong, but Blaine rarely saw any of this neighbors due to the unusual hours he kept, so they might not even see each other again before he moved out.

=^..^=

Sebastian seemed to be everywhere.

If Blaine didn't know better, he'd have thought that Sebastian had planted some kind of tracking device on him. Every time he picked up his mail or came home from work Sebastian seemed to be there, lurking. He saw him at the local bodega, the drugstore on the corner, and the pizza place down the street. He saw him more than once most days (seriously, did the guy not have a job or anything?) and Sebastian never missed an opportunity to flirt heavily. He was always stepping in close and crowding him, but Blaine chalked it up to the fact that Sebastian had lived in Europe for a while when he was younger — a fact that he felt the need to mention frequently — and European's tended to have a different concept of personal space.

It was two weeks before Kurt finally met him. Blaine had told Kurt about his new downstairs neighbor, but he'd left out a few details (like how forthcoming he was in his interest in Blaine), not because he was trying to hide anything, but because he honestly didn't think such details mattered. It didn't matter what Sebastian wanted. Blaine was with Kurt and that was that.

Sebastian and Kurt hated each other on sight.

It was a Saturday morning and Kurt and Blaine had just gotten their coffee and morning pastries at French Press after a later start than usual when Blaine heard his name called. Sebastian walked over and set a hand on Blaine's arm as he leaned in close to say something, ostensibly so that he could be heard over the din of the late-morning rush.

Blaine could feel Kurt stiffen beside him and marveled that Sebastian seemed unaffected by the glare he was being subjected to. Such a glare had brought down many a better man.

"Sebastian, this is my boyfriend, Kurt. Kurt, Sebastian's the new neighbor I mentioned."

Kurt eyed Sebastian with a disdain he normally reserved for people who still wore parachute pants or head-to-toe denim.

"Charmed." Despite what he said, Kurt looked anything but.

Blaine would have felt bad for Sebastian, except he seemed to have the same instant negative reaction to Kurt.

"Kurt. Hmmm...you're not quite what I was expecting."

Kurt's right eyebrow drifted upwards. "No?" he asked his tone indicating that he couldn't care less about the answer.

"From the way Blaine talked about you, I was picturing someone more...well...more." Sebastian looked away from Kurt dismissively, focusing all his attention on Blaine. "So is this your guys' place, huh? It's quaint. Not quite what I'm used to from when I lived in Paris. It's a little too... bourgeois." He glanced back to Kurt and an almost imperceptible smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. "I guess there's no accounting for taste, though."

"No, there isn't," Kurt said pointedly as he eyed the popped collar on Sebastian's yellow polo shirt.

Sebastian took a step closer to Blaine and dropped his voice. "I'm thinking about heading over to Rim Shot later tonight. They've got an amazing band playing. Want to join me?" He rolled his eyes at Blaine's reluctant expression. "You too, of course, Kurt. They don't usually cater to the cross-dressing twink market, but I know the bouncer, so I'm sure I can get him to let you in."

Kurt casually reached down to tug on the hem of his intricately laced corset-style vest and shot Sebastian a smile laced with just a touch of viciousness. "I think that place was mentioned in the Village Voice article last month. Something about how it was the latest gay club to start going downhill after it was recently taken over by Eurotrash. Hmmm..." he patted a finger absently against his chin, "I don't remember the details."

Blaine swallowed a laugh. He loved it when Kurt let his bitchy side out to play. "Sorry Sebastian, we have plans tonight. Maybe next time."

Sebastian looked frustrated at his rejection and Blaine could have sworn that he saw something calculated flash in his eyes before the oily, charming mask slid back into place. "I've got a table in the back. You can at least join me for coffee. It's a two-seater, but we can get cozy."

Blaine could sense that sitting with Sebastian was about the last thing that Kurt wanted to do, but his mind went blank as he tried to think of an excuse. Thankfully, Kurt was having no such problem.

"Sorry, it's our anniversary and we just came over for some fortifying caffeine." The lie dripped smoothly off Kurt's tongue. "We've got our second wind now, though, so we're going to head back to...well...you know." Blaine looked at Kurt with wonder. How in the world did he fake a blush like that?

Kurt crooked an elbow and Blaine slid his arm into it happily. They waved goodbye to Sebastian, who seemed to have been rendered speechless for the first time since Blaine had met him, and strolled out the door.

"Anniversary?" Blaine asked out the side of his mouth as soon as they hit the sidewalk.

Kurt looked very pleased with himself. "It's been a month and a half since we met. I think that's worth celebrating, don't you?"

"Absolutely."

Through the following silence, Blaine could practically hear Kurt grind his teeth.

"I'm sorry I lied, but that Sebastian guy really bugs me," he finally bit out. "Something's off about him."

"Nah, he's just new to the neighborhood," Blaine protested, "and I kind of get the feeling he doesn't have many friends."

Kurt snorted. "Gee, I wonder why?"

"Well, it's not like I go out of my way to hang out with him or anything, but I'm not against being friendly when we pick up our mail."

"The mail's not all he wants to pick up," Kurt grumbled under his breath.

Blaine fought the heat that was climbing the sides of his neck. He was aware of Sebastian's advances, but he'd made it clear he had a boyfriend and nothing was going to happen, so if Sebastian wanted to waste his time on someone who wasn't available, that was up to him. Besides, as much as he was ashamed to admit it, he kind of liked the attention. He'd spent too much time alone in the past two years and now having two gorgeous guys express interest in him, even if he only wanted one of them back, was really nice.

It was all harmless.