It was Monday night and Kurt was standing in front of the mirror in his apartment in a huff because his shirt collar would not stay straight and even though he had shampooed twice his hair still smelled like coffee and WHAT was he even doing. Blaine was taking him to dinner. Dinner! He hadn’t been to dinner since you-know-who and he could feel a panic attack bubbling up in his throat so maybe he should just call and cancel –

Someone knocked on the door. Kurt heaved a gusty sigh, tried to center himself like Dr. Moumni taught him, and then went to open it. Blaine was there, with a smile so big that Kurt just leaned against the doorframe and laughed. All of his nervousness was slowly ebbing away when Blaine pulled a rustling cone of cellophane out from behind his back. “These are for you,” he said of the pretty yellow snapdragons.

“Oh my goodness Blaine, they’re perfect. Hang on, let me get a vase.” Kurt grabbed the flowers and skipped happily into the kitchen. This night was going to go fine. As long as he was with Blaine, he thought, he might just get along all right.

….

They were both finished with their dinner and had reached a comfortable lull in the conversation when Kurt spoke. “Blaine?” he asked quietly.

“Hm?”

“Why do you think…why do you think you got around so much?”

Blaine jumped a little. He really hadn’t been expecting any questions like that. Kurt continued, “I mean, you really don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I was just…curious.”

“No,” Blaine said, “It’s a good question. Just…let me think.” He was quiet for a minute, staring at the salt and pepper shakers. “I think it’s because – I never really valued relationships at all. My parents hated each other and stayed married, I guess I just kind of assumed that marriages – and all relationships – were mostly for sex, or convenience. I never knew what love was at all; I assumed that it was what I was experiencing when I would hook up with these desperate guys for a couple weeks. …Does that answer your question?”

“Yeah,” Kurt murmured, staring into his lap, “Yeah, it does.”

“Kurt…” Blaine reached across the table to lift up Kurt’s chin, he wanted so badly to look into those green eyes. “I didn’t know what love was…until I met you. Now I do.” Kurt’s eyes started watering and Blaine couldn’t stand it anymore. “Kurt – I think I love you.”

Kurt choked a little. A tear ran down his cheek. His laugh was half-strangled in his sob. “I think I love you too,” he whispered. “I’m just…very cautious…I don’t think I could stand getting hurt.”

“I don’t think I could stand you getting hurt.” Blaine wiped away Kurt’s tear with the pad of his thumb. “I’m not going to hurt you, Kurt Hummel. I swear it.” Kurt sobbed again and squeezed Blaine’s hand until his knuckles started to turn white.

“You might just be my kind of guy, Blaine Anderson.” Kurt laughed softly and enveloped himself in the warmth of Blaine’s awkward over-a-table hug.