“Normally I would have put up a hell of a fight about you paying for this, but I was afraid you'd ditch me if I didn't let you-”

Kurt giggled into his water glass, “why shouldn't I have paid for this?” He gestured with his free hand to the empty plates between them on the white table cloth, “You paid for Coffee and breakfast-”

“That was one drink and a Croissant, it was hardly a Three-Coursed meal and at a high standard-”

“Oh my god, it's only Tapas and on an early-bird lunchtime menu.. and I have coupons-” Blaine laughed, a deep rumble from his chest at Kurt's cheeky grinning face, and shook his head fondly.

“Well I guess that can only mean that I owe you Dinner.. then we're even-” Blaine leaned back searching Kurt's face as if making sure he hadn't gone too far for whatever reason, the waiter returned with Kurt's credit card and started clearing up the empty dishes around them as Kurt glanced up with an amused smile and finding and holding Blaine's gaze.

“You don't owe me anything, but Dinner sounds great, actually I think it sounds like the only right thing to do, don't you?” Blaine quirked an eye brow questionably as he glanced up at the waiter with a small smile and handing him his empty glass with his napkin folded up inside to make his job quicker and easier, he knew what it was like to be waiting on a table with occupants who were most obviously on a date of some kind, it was awkward at times and although some outlandish servers got kicks out of the idea of spying and listening in to sweet tender words being shared, Blaine liked to stay out of the way as much as possible, he knows all to well moments like this deserve respect and decency and it usually garnered him a worthy tip, although that was never his aim, tips were never something he needed from his job.

“What do you mean?”

“Well I just think there's a lot more to talk about right? The bar, how you ended up here, music, your most favourite Warbler's Competition set list-” Kurt worried he was being too forward, but everything seemed to be going so great, so comfortable and easy, and he was pretty certain that it wasn't just one sided, Blaine was opening up about little fragments of his life with each new conversation started, and Kurt revelled in it, it seemed crazy that this was still so soon and new, only their first date (and second) but Kurt felt very strongly about a relationship being built from conversation and humour, closeness and tummy butterflies at fleeting touches, not just haul-ass straight into making out and groping and consequently sex, not anymore.

They'd been there for almost Two hours, comfortably and unhurried and either totally un-aware or not caring in the slightest of the time and the day ticking away. The walk from the coffee shop to the restaurant had been a short Ten to Fifteen Minute journey at the most, after learning that Blaine would eat pretty much anything and everything and seemed to have a rocky love/hate relationship with food that rivals Kurt's own, he knew where to take them. He and Rachel had found the small Spanish establishment not long after moving into their new apartment, between unpacking and cleaning and building flat pack furniture, their stomachs gurgled at the thought and smell of stale pizza boxes and old Chinese take out cartons. So they went for a walk, scoping out the surrounding neighbourhood, taking in the sights and breathing in the fresh city air as they came across the place that soon came to be their new favourite hide out, tucked away between large apartment buildings.

The morning was cool, but with very little wind and the sun beaming down on them on the sidewalk made their stroll Ten times better, that and the fact that Blaine's fingers would occasionally brush against Kurt's as they strolled side by side, and when a little old lady shuffled past with a Shopping bag on wheels, Blaine didn't really have to curl his fingers around Kurt's waist and hold him to one side, nor did his touch have to linger there slightly as they started to walk again before brushing away, sending Kurt's skin into a frenzy of gooseflesh, but he did and it was glorious.

Kurt greeted the staff as he lead Blaine to his and Rachel's favourite table, a high up circular table at the back next to the bar, where it was both kind of hard for them to be watched hidden behind vases of tall flowers and empty coloured bottles used as decor but easy for them to see what was going on around them. A handful of couples and families sat quietly around them as Spanish music lazily flowed from the wall-speakers, the soft instrumental music was made up of strings of all kinds of variety and Blaine found himself drumming his fingers against the table lightly to the beat.

It was Blaine's turn to sit back and watch Kurt's friendly conversation with a familiar face as he ordered for them, Blaine had never really tried Tapas before and was all too happy for Kurt to recommend the very best he knew. Kurt's eyes darkened under the yellow-y glare of the wall lamps, making them look a clouded green with swirls of blue that twinkled with each turn of his head, captivating.

When their water had been poured fresh from a jug with ice and lemon, the conversation came easy once again, falling into a pattern of questions and answers and humorous anecdotes, and with a little encouragement from Kurt, Blaine roughly and maybe a little nervously, adorably so, explained that he'd went to NYU after graduating from Dalton Academy and studied business management and minored in Music Theory and composing. That made sense to Kurt, nothing out of the ordinary. He continued stumbling his way through explaining a little about his student life, old friends, parties and such and that he took a gap year to visit family in Italy, where he worked for a little while as a bar tender and sometimes sang with the rest of the wait staff on a Saturday Night for fun. That explained the fluent Italian, and Kurt resisted the urge to reel off words for him to repeat back to him in the language.

Their feet bounced together lightly where they hung from their bar-stools under the table, Kurt sometime's flexed his toes in his Brown worn-look leather lace ups against the bare skin of Blaine's ankle, scraping lightly, flirtatiously but not so that it would inflict any real pain, Blaine's smirk grew a little more obvious every time and he'd have to take a second to think about what he was in the middle of saying. But as the first few dishes of their meal started to arrive fresh from the kitchen, Blaine tactfully directed the conversation away from himself and sat there stuffing his face happily yet neatly and completely engrossed when Kurt started telling him about growing up with mostly only his dad around, their adventures both sorrowful and entertaining, his dad's Tyre Shop. He wanted to reach out and hold Kurt's hand firmly, hell he wanted to tug him off of his stool and into his waiting arms when Kurt explained about the car accident and other awful experiences that life had threw at him.

Blaine was both shocked and completely surprised and a little in awe at Kurt's openness, his willingness to share his past and how strong and confident he went about it, he was wistful when talking about his Mom and his Dad's heart attack and then a few years down the line Cancer, but his face was sort of happy still, like he wasn't over it, would never be over it, but he could talk about it freely without hurting anymore and confident that everything was better now. That maturity that Blaine had sensed in Kurt from day one was a powerful air around him and knocked Blaine completely off his feet, he felt privileged and thankful that Kurt would share these stories with him, even just spend time with him and he hoped he could reciprocate one day, soon.

Kurt's worry instantly subsided as Blaine breathed in sharp and laughed on the exhale, his eyes widening a little and smiling, leaning forward slightly with his hands resting on the small space between them on the dark wood.

“Should I write you a book?” He laughed at Kurt's feign look of consideration as if that was good idea, rubbing his thumb over a worn out spot on the varnished surface, “but yes Dinner sounds like the right way to go, we um, we still have the rest of the day right? We could do something before Dinner too-”

He quickly looked away, realising he may have gone too far once again, this was new to him, this was something he'd never wanted before and couldn't understand why. He peeked down at his watch to gather some form of confirmation of time, not like he cared, but also as an excuse to break away from Kurt's eye contact for a moment, it was almost too intimate and made Blaine's heart beat twice as fast. Kurt may have had enough of him, he may need to time think and breathe, he may have other plans or god forbid dates and Blaine couldn't handle seeing the look on his face if his worries, especially the latter, became reality.

The sound of Kurt's small gasp of surprise and the way his shoe brushed against his under the table brought Blaine's eye back up instantly to find him grinning and a faint blush creeping over his cheeks, Blaine's favourite. Kurt's fingers slowly crawled towards his on the table, not touching, just seeking, playing.

“You mean like a third date on the very same day.. today?” His smile was infectious, and his look incredulous as if he couldn't believe Blaine was on the same page as him, thinking about him, them, this day the same way he was. Blaine nodded slowly, but surely.

“And hopefully a Fourth…this evening?”

*

The subway was cramped as expected, it was a weekend after all, the first official weekend of the New Year and everyone had the same idea, getting out and making the most of the pleasantly cold but bright, dry, work and school free day. There were surprisingly two spare seats when they hopped aboard the car, side by side right by the door. Blaine stood back and ushered Kurt into the furthest seat by his hand and only when he was seated and comfortable did he join him, in the not so sturdy pull down seat next to his, he turned his body inwards, their knees knocking together slightly as the carriage jerked back and forth on it's journey.

At one point when the car rocked to the side with more of a sharp tug than expected Kurt reached out and placed hand on Blaine's knee, using it for balance as he perched precariously on the edge of his seat, Blaine startled a little at the contact but felt his body melt and warm into the touch comfortably, and when the carriage started to tug away smoothly again, Kurt kept his hand right where it was.

They got off the Subway at 81st Street, with Kurt's idea of where they could pass some hours, they'd opted to head into the central part of the city, and mutually agreeing to find somewhere indoors, neither had jackets and although the early January weather could have been a hell of a lot colder it still wouldn't bode well for their skin and tips of their noses if they stayed out too long.

With an expected and general yet humorous squabble over ticket buying, Blaine paid for their entrance admission into the American Museum of Natural History, even though it was Kurt's suggestion to go there, he gave some charming spiel about even though they weren't turn taking on their date(s) he wanted this to be his date, so Kurt pretended not so convincingly like he understood a word of what Blaine was trying to get at, and then Blaine flexed up slowly on his tippy toes leaner slightly closer to Kurt, hands dug in his pockets, and the fucker fluttered his eye-lashes at him, those long dark fans bobbing up and down over his ever-changing eyes and Kurt couldn't help but laugh, nudge him forward to the ticket desk whilst nodding and undo his scarf slightly from his neck, it was suddenly too warm.

They ambled through the Museum at a leisurely pace, mostly side by side, arms and legs brushing, pointing out various things to each other, hands pulling and tugging to get the other to look this way and that, whilst also both consciously aware of the unwritten PDA guide book. Sure this was New York, they were well in to the Millennium, Gay marriage was legalised in most places now, examples of famous gay couples were being used in text books in schools and as part of questions on TV game shows in a more than positive way, but unfortunately not everybody had changed for the better with the world, there was still a quiet rule of a time and a place, so-to speak, to those who wished to pay attention to it. Kurt was one of those people, he was proud of who he was, he fought a lot to be that way and be damned if anybody turned their nose up at him or who he was with, but he was still insightful and smart about it.

It didn't bother them, it was still only their first day together, they were hardly going to throw themselves at each other no matter where they were, and as it happened nobody was actually paying them any attention anyway, but Kurt was glad that they still appeared to be on the same wave length, respecting each other as well as where they were.

But Kurt couldn't possibly stop himself from glancing to the side when he noticed in his peripherals that Blaine had bent over slightly at the waist to read a passage beside one of the displays in the Fossil Hall, and as if knowing exactly what was going on Blaine righted himself slowly, turned and fell in step alongside Kurt to the next thing that caught their eye with a cheeky, subtle wink.

Kurt smiled at Blaine's sudden boyish delight as he stared up at a Fossil skeleton of one of the many Dinosaurs, Kurt wished he could take a picture, of the way Blaine looked up, some curls dangling by his ear tips, his perfect cut jaw and nose sticking out and up, lips pursed together in concentration and eyes wide, the sun from the windows illuminating them, pulling out the green from the golden.

“I love Dinosaurs, mainly because my nephew does, I'll um, I'd love to bring him here, one time, I uh I don't know why I haven't been before, I've never even been here before-” Blaine trailed off and nervously glancing at Kurt, licking his lips, worrying that he was sounding like a complete idiot, Kurt only smiled and nodded, not really knowing what to say but silently adding items to his mental list of useful things to remember, Blaine has a nephew who he obviously cares for and they both love Dinosaurs, and Blaine has never been to The AMNH before? Crazy and ever-more adorable- 

*

“So um tell me a little more about your job, you work in Fashion right? But you said you and Rachel went to NYADA together, isn't that a Performing Art's school?” Kurt turned to find Blaine looking at him intently and if not a little bashfully, his voice was low and his fingers were clasped tightly around the take out Coffee they'd got from the 1st Floor Starlight Café. Kurt took a sip from his cup and looked away momentarily towards a window display of ‘Animals of the Plain'.

They were seated on a bench, close enough to find their thighs pressed together but not close enough that it was awkward in anyway, in the Hall of African Mammals, surrounded by life like displays of Animals in every direction they looked, a few yards away a small group were on a tour lead by a guide, they occasionally glanced over listening to what the guide was saying and watching the reactions of the group.

“Oh um yeah, we applied together, she got in, I didn't, even though she totally cho…you know what it doesn't matter it's in the past-” He rolled his eyes with a fond look in Blaine's direction which earned him a smirk but a look of ‘go on', “I later decided to go to New York with her anyway and pursue my second love and career choice, Fashion-” Kurt smiled but it didn't quite touch his eyes, it didn't feel right and Blaine picked up on the tone whether he was supposed to or not.

“Your first love being performing? Singing, dancing, that stuff?” Kurt nodded whilst lifting his cup to his lips, secretly loving the way Blaine seemed so interested, so eager to learn more, to understand. Kurt also noted the way the words ‘Love' and ‘Your' sounded and curled from the tip of Blaine's tongue. Stop it!

“Musical Theatre, Broadway mostly, we just knew we had to be in New York no matter what, so I um, I got an internship with Vogue.Com, I loved it, completely threw myself into it and Isabelle my boss, was-is such a sweetheart she really took me under her wing and really helped me grow, professionally and personally you know?” Blaine smiled and nodded, rubbing a finger over the lip of the coffee lid, he knew, Kurt totally had this light about him, this infectious, determined spark that dared anybody not to love him and want to know and support him.

Their heads jolted up as a high pitched growl and a throaty roar sounded from the group on the tour next to them, they smiled whilst watching a little a boy and girl pretending to be the Lions in the display case that the guide was currently pointing at.

“Yeah so um, cutting a long treacherous story short, I ended up getting into NYADA the following term, but I kept up my internship, I enjoyed it still and I just needed something to fall back on you know, and it turns out I was right to do so-” Blaine tilted his head, a frown creasing his brow and his eyes searching, a look of concern.

“Oh?”

“I graduated, I finished my major, worked my butt off to get there and had plenty under my belt in terms of written on paper stuff, but no real physical experience apart from West Side Story's Officer Krupke back in High School, Glee club and band performances and odd bits here and there, I think if that was my only focus I would have worked harder for it you know, I was always determined and I just don't know where that side of me had got to back then, Rachel was getting offered jobs here there and everywhere and between senior year and graduation I'd been promoted with Vogue from Intern to part-time to Isabelle's full time assistant, where she was training me up, getting me involved with as much departments as possible and I just decided to run in that direction, and never really looked back.” Kurt looked back at Blaine with a slight nod of his head, as if clarifying something in his head, Blaine was staring back, a look of complete awe on his face, but also one of understanding, like he could see beneath the surface in way nobody else could.

“Well you seem to be doing extremely well for yourself Kurt, didn't you mention you had your own assistant?” Kurt chuckled slightly and rolled his now almost empty cup between his hands.

“Yeah Elliott, he's a sweetheart yet so out there, but he keeps me grounded, much like Rachel I guess, so um yeah you could say that, I'm now Isabelle's sole first-hand assistant directly under her, and Elliott is mine, but we kind of all work alongside together, I attend pitch meetings, draw up ideas, attend the Gala's, that sort of thing-” Kurt waved a hand in ‘you get the idea' boring, sort of way and Blaine watched the action, nodding, his lips pursed.

“But you don't love it anymore?” Kurt's head snapped up but couldn't quite meet Blaine's eyes, he knew they would be almost liquid, in that way that happens when he's in deep thought-it's hasn't taken Kurt very long at all to notice that- He tensed slightly, his shoulders stiffening and jaw jutting out involuntarily, Nobody has ever asked me that before, nobody has ever noticed or cared-

“I-I'm sorry, I just thought-”

“No, no y-you're right, It's just, nobody has ever said it aloud you know? I've never actually admitted it to myself before even though it's been at the back-moving slowly-to the top of my mind for some time now-”

“Sometimes I guess it takes somebody else to point out the obvious huh? Another voice to make something you can already hear perfectly well just that little bit louder?” Kurt swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, his fingers digging into the polystyrene of his cup, as he made himself look at Blaine, listening to his words. Blaine was sitting in a very relaxed position, watching Kurt carefully, he in no way was judging or assuming or trying to dictate in his older, wiser age what Kurt should do, he was just being, he was perfect, exactly what Kurt didn't realise he needed.  

“H-how, how do you, are you even real?” Yes humour, this is getting too deep-, Blaine smirked and stood, he took Kurt's cup from his hands and pitched it along with his own into a near by trash can as the tour guide and the group started to wander off over to another exhibit with cries of Animal calls and sound effects. He glanced around the now quieting room and extended a hand towards Kurt who was still sitting looking up at him, quietly, beautifully.

The moment Kurt offered his soft hand, palms meeting and fingers curling, Blaine pulled him up and subtly tucked the offered hand into the crook of his elbow as he slowly started to walk towards the exit, his head bowed slightly, eyes focused on his feet, Kurt could almost hear him thinking, deliberating something, and on his next breath he started to speak, his words quiet, hushed almost and cutting to the quick in a way so heartbreakingly beautifully.

“You should always remember what you love Kurt, there is no time limit on it and it will always be right, no matter what, because it's your love, wherever you wish to place it.”

*

The sky was dark as they exited the subway at the original stop they got on at, heading towards The Stage and the little Coffee Shop they started off their day at, as any other typical winter, the night sky pushed the sun down much too early and there was a definite icy chill to the air now. They kept close to each other as they huddled up the stairs and out onto the main street, Kurt pulled his scarf tighter and Blaine rubbed at his arms several times, blowing streams of perfect cold air out from their lips and giggling about it, like kids, happy kids, having the best day of their lives.

They had been at the museum for the best part of Three hours and soon found themselves being escorted along with the crowds to the main exits by the volunteers and workers just before closing time. Kurt had considered browsing the gift store before they left, he wanted a memento, if things never worked out with him and Blaine, is this would be there first(second, third, fourth) and last date he still wanted something to remember the day by, the first time he'd ever felt like he was with someone he was well-suited to, somebody he could actually talk to, like talk to as in receive honest answers and opinions, somebody he already felt he could wholly be himself with, for the first time in a long time he felt special, wanted in all the right ways, like he was starting to find his feet again.

He regretfully decided against the idea and let Blaine guide him out of the main exit and down the front steps, but he had his memory, his memory of touch and sight and the haunting words that Blaine had said to him, surrounded by stuffed animals and fake trees, he would never ever forget those words or the way they were spoken, like they were pulled completely from the depths of his soul, dripping with wisdom and experience and first-hand knowledge and offered to him like they were sacred, and Kurt could only hope that he would get another chance to hear Blaine say something like that to him.

As Blaine guided him back down into the Subway Station on 81st street, and quickly onto an already waiting, open car, he pulled Kurt close to him as they stood by the far window, trying to stand back from the onslaught of the crowd. He had a hand grasped tightly onto an over head handle bar along with one of Kurt's and an arm wrapped protectively around Kurt's side, not in a too-intimate way, but one that spoke volumes which ever way you looked at it, he leaned in and up and whispered into his ear, “You ready for date number Four?”

Kurt grinned, a small, shy smile and blinked his eyes closed and ducked his chin,  before turning, his nose almost brushing the sensitive shell of Blaine's ear, his breath ghosting over his stubbly cheek, “Dinner? I have an idea-”

*

“So um obviously, I know you like boys,” he looked up and winked as Kurt re-entered the room, “and I assume you're friends do too, so um-” He picked up the photo frame from the stand beside the couch and held it out to Kurt, wiggling it a little as if that was the best way to finish his question. Kurt laughed and hummed as he flopped down beside Blaine on the couch, and placed his cell phone on the coffee table, he tucked his feet up under him, turning sideways and causing one of his legs to rest gently ever so slightly on top of one of Blaine's. After the day they'd just shared, no matter how many dates it was technically classed as, he didn't think closeness and personal space was going to be much of an issue between them.

“That-” he took the frame from Blaine carefully and playfully and rubbed a finger over the glass, “was our Born Way This Way performance-”

“With The New Directions I take it? Hey is that Rachel?” Kurt nodded and chuckled as Blaine pressed his finger against the glass where Rachel was proudly standing to the side of the group wearing her ‘Nose' t-shirt.  

“Yup, we all had to wear a t-shirt stating something that reflected us individually, something we were born with and can't change but don't want to and choose to embrace it instead, one of our teacher's many great lessons in self love and acceptance-” He trailed off fondly and set the frame back on the stand, leaning over Blaine whilst doing so, Blaine who was watching his every movement, and held his breath as Kurt's arm swept over his chest when righting himself again.

“You, you um looked pretty great-” he nodded his head back towards the photo, “but then again you always do-” He smiled at Kurt's familiar blush and shuffled closer.

He'd almost had an internal mental breakdown when Kurt had suggested they go back to his apartment, and order take-out-and that Rachel would be out all night-when they stepped off the subway. He both loved the idea so much that something that had been long abandoned stirred to life in his crotch area, and feared the idea so much that his blood ran cold, after rushing south that is.

He hadn't been with a guy in so long, and not meaning sex, just in general being with someone in such an intimate, private space. Today had been his first date, a proper one, in quite possibly a year, maybe more, and he really tried to not think of it like a date, until it got to the point when he couldn't help it. With the way Kurt smiled and laughed at him, with him, the way he talked and shared his insights as a bold Twenty-Five year old, impossibly handsome and successful man, Blaine kept telling himself over and over that he indeed was on a date, it was real, and he wanted many more.

He just wasn't sure of the expectation, going back to Kurt's place didn't have to mean anything other than simply enjoying a quiet evening with him, eating dinner, maybe watching a movie, listening to some music even. Blaine was certainly not assuming anything nor was he ruling anything out, he was Thirty-Five for fucks sake, a grown man.

But this was Kurt, and although far from being a kid, he was still young, younger, his expectations still high and geared up and his heart a little more fragile, or maybe less, maybe that was the problem, Blaine had assumed himself to be stronger and possibly more adept, but Kurt had proved that maybe this time, that wasn't the case, maybe if Blaine learnt to trust himself he could trust easier in other areas, other people.

So after a Four Second silent debate with himself he followed Kurt back to his apartment a little more willingly than he initially thought and found himself sitting on his couch, his confidence and charm from earlier flooding back to him with each passing minute, and with each look around the uniquely styled home filled with memories and souvenirs, filled with history of love and life and laughter, friends and success.

Kurt shifted on the couch- but not uncomfortably so- as Blaine inched towards him and settled back into the cushions, he pointed to his phone on the coffee table. “The um, the guy said about a Twenty Five minutes or so for the food, that ok?”

“Oh yeah sure, sounds good” Blaine smiled and tapped his fingers lightly against Kurt's knee, “I'm a growing man but I can wait,” he grinned some more and rubbed at his belly playfully with his free hand, Kurt shook his head fondly and moved to stand, remembering his hosting skills and manners. 

“Can I get you something to drink, a beer or some wine maybe? I think Rachel has som-”

“Oh um, no thank you, just some water will be fine, but I'll get that when we eat, you get have something though-”

“I don't think I'd make a good host if I enjoyed an alcoholic beverage whilst my guess watched with his tepid water, you said The Bar's not open tomorrow right? Can't you just a have a little-”

“I um, I don't actually drink alcohol, at all, not anymore, not for quite some time-”

“Oh, why so? If you don't mind-” Kurt stopped himself from finishing the sentence with a smile and laughed at Blaine's look he shot him. Kurt wasn't asking ‘why' with an accusing tone, he wasn't disgusted or even impressed, he wasn't judging in any way, he was just interested. Blaine shifted and rubbed at the back of his neck, he knew this would be brought up at some point, he wasn't ashamed, he like talking to Kurt, he could tell him, he could share just like he had earlier in the day, only one day together told him that he could easily share a lot, anything with Kurt. He braced himself, ready to look up, placing his fingers back on the Denim of Kurt's legs and rubbed gently, finding purchase and comfort.

“Has working around the stuff so much literally made you sick of it?” Blaine laughed suddenly, the tension seeping from him as he raised his chin to find Kurt looking back at him, a cute tilt to his head and scrunch to his nose, yeah he could tell this man anything, he'd be ok, he cleared his throat.

“I um, I was caught up in a fight, about Five years ago, maybe more-”

“At work?” Kurt sat a little straighter, his hand shooting straight to rest over Blaine's on his own leg, his voice a pitch higher than normal. Blaine took a moment to take in the worried, caring look on Kurt's face, he let his warm touch seep in to his skin and revelled in the feeling before continuing.

“Oh no, although I have had trouble before at the bar, but nothing I haven't been able to deal with, it was um, I was out with old friends, some of the old Warbler guys actually, some of us went to NYU together, a couple of the guys were Seniors back at Dalton when the rest of us were Juniors, but they also went there, so when the rest of us graduated it was like a little reunion, ever since College we made a habit of catching up every month or so, anyway we uh, we were out in a bar, just minding our own business, in Chicago actually, that's where Wes was working at the time, so we all travelled there to meet him and, yeah, we were just drinking in a small quiet bar, a couple of the guys were playing Pool, others playing Darts and I was just sitting in a booth talking to Wes when this group came in, four or five guys, idiotic burly types, and um lets just say they weren't exactly kind with their words-”

“What? Were they were homophobic?” Kurt didn't like to assume, Blaine was far from ‘in your face gay' he himself thought he was possibly Bi or just overly friendly, but he had to ask.

“Yeah, but not towards me, they completely ignored me, well at first, one of our guys, he never actually ‘outed' himself to us, he was just him, and we just accepted him for it, we didn't care whether he was or wasn't Gay, but he sure didn't care about boundaries or the way he was portrayed, if you know what I mean?” He glanced over at Kurt who nodded solemnly, he knew the way this story would end, just not why it resulted in Blaine not drinking ever again.

“They came over causing some shit, and at first Wes and David just kind of puffed out their chests a little, had some quiet words and I thought it would all blow over, we were all grown men after-all, the other guys headed over to the bar and we were just gonna finish our drinks and go elsewhere, but we heard them call out that word, you know ‘that name' and Wes just lost it, Wes is respectable, one of the nicest, kindest guys you'll ever meet, he's a frickin Lawyer for gods-sakes but he just hates ignorance of any form,” He paused and rubbed his thumb over Kurt's hand still on top of his own, on his leg, he allowed himself a moment to enjoy the comfort he gained from it. 

“So as you can bet it all turned into pande-fucking-monium, I shouted across after Wes who had sailed over the table, they looked over and I don't know, zoomed in on my Bowtie or something and then they were coming towards me too, the bar tender got involved and called for security but I kinda think they were on our side, but all I can really remember after that was the sound of glass smashing and shit, we were all ok, sort of, the guys, the other ones-the assholes- were escorted out and arrested but nobody pressed any charges-”

Blaine chuckled despite himself, kind of like a low evil snicker, like remembering something that wasn't funny at all but deserved a laugh if anything. He slowly turned his chin to the side, tilted his head out on an angle, and move closer to Kurt who at first wasn't sure what he was doing and then he saw it.

A small almost invisible to the untrained eye, cross-like scar right on the edge of Blaine's jaw, hidden underneath the dark, course hair of his stubble. Kurt breathed out, a small quiet gasp as he leaned down to inspect it a little more closely, instinctively without thinking he reached out a finger and lightly brushed the tip over the scar, feeling its slightly rough, bumpy surface combined with the tickle of Blaine's facial hair, Blaine shivered at the contact, blinking his eyes closed then open again with a tight smile, almost like smug-like.

“My battle scar” Kurt's breath felt warm on his skin and his touch even warmer, attentive, out the corner of his eye he couldn't quite make out if that was a small smirk playing on the edges of Kurt's lips, but his expression definitely remained one of concern.

“They got you-”

“I got them better-” Kurt pulled back slowly, Blaine thought he could see that smirk again, and a passing expression that looked something close to proud, his hand slowly dropping back down to his knee, and his body and face moving to look into Blaine's eyes once again, he wasn't scared or unsure, he didn't look like anything or anyway, he just sat there listening, waiting, searching.

“I'm not violent Kurt, I'm not, but I box, did box, I started the Dalton fight club-”

“I remember that, people talking about that when I was there, you started that club?”

“I initiated it yes, I uh I was kind of beaten up back in School too, that's another story, but I wanted to better myself, I've trained for years, I can defend myself well but I would never cause trouble-”

“No I don't believe you would-” Kurt looked the utmost sincere, there was no malice in his tone, he believed the words he was speaking.

“I never would have lashed out like that if I hadn't have had alcohol in my system, no matter what words they said or names they called or what my friends were doing, yes I would have defended myself, dragged my friends away, but I wouldn't have hit him, lunged for him the way I did, I have more pride than that,” He scratched his fingers through his scalp, his curls flopping back and forth, something Kurt had never seen him do before and suddenly wished he could replace that hand with is own, “Anyway like I said no-one pressed charges, we all got off lucky, but these days I like to keep a clearer head, especially in my line of work now, I feel better for it.”

Blaine looked up at him with a smile, a smile that showed he was proud and happy about the conclusion that the incident had resulted in, and Kurt's head flooded with an array of thoughts as he looked back at him a little dreamy eyed, full of reverence, he's noble, he's over come so much like a warrior- like me, he's strong and smart, his line of work now? I want to lick that scar, he wore a bowtie??

Kurt nodded as if clearing something up in his head, agreeing with something and acknowledging the end of Blaine's story, “We're uh, we're not so different you and I, I believe-” His voice was almost a whisper, Blaine smiled slightly, licked his lips and nodded, coming closer, his eyes dropping to Kurt's mouth and back up to his eyes, waiting, asking.

“One and the same” Blaine's words were hoarse as he moved closer still, hands coming up from between them.

As awful as the story was, and Kurt had wished that Blaine and his friends never had to go through that, or himself for that matter and all of the crap he'd put up with in his time, he couldn't deny how-for some very strange reason-turned on he was. He wasn't growing in his pants or anything like that but there was a draw there, a pull, some kind of connection had formed between them back when Blaine was talking about fighting his bullies, his demons, and having scars to prove it.

An invisible aura that smelt and felt suspiciously like pure want and desire had suddenly sprung from nowhere around them and now Kurt found himself pressed up close to Blaine, his face gently cupped in-between Blaine's hands, their eyes hooded and invading, breath panting and noses touching so-

*Ding-Dong*