Chapter 1: Olive Garden

“Brave man, wearing an official Potter tie in a busy restaurant like this,” the curly-haired patron says, fingering the bottom of Kurt’s tie. “This is Olive Garden, after all. Lots of sauce and messy foods. Maybe it should be striped red and gold instead of silver and green.”

“If you knew me, you’d know I’m a Slytherin,” Kurt says with a smirk, choosing to ignore that this stranger is encroaching on his personal space due to the fact that said stranger was able to identify his Slytherin tie as authentic. “But I’m impressed. How’d you know it was official?” he asks, taking out his order pad and tugging his pen from it’s resting place on his ear.

“The double-solid stripe,” the man says. “Plus it’s muted, not shiny.”

“Keen eye,” Kurt says, smiling. “So what’ll it be tonight...” he trails off, realizing he doesn’t know the man’s name.

“Blaine,” he says, sticking out his hand.

“Kurt,” Kurt replies, shaking hands with him.

“Always happy to meet another Potter fan. I’ve got my tie in the car,” he says, grinning.

“Awesome,” Kurt says. “So, what’ll it be, Blaine?”

“Pasta fagioli, definitely,” Blaine replies. “You guys have the best; no way I can pass it up.”

“That’s all?”

“Gotta leave room for popcorn and candy at the midnight premiere!”

“Of course,” Kurt agrees, jotting down Blaine’s order. “I’ll be right out with it,” he says, heading off to the kitchen.

***

“So who are you going to the premiere with?” Blaine asks as Kurt sets the bowl of soup down in front of him. “Your friends? Your...boyfriend?” He looks up at Kurt curiously.

“Alone, actually. My friends aren’t really fans. Cheese?” Kurt asks, holding up a grater.

“Yes, please,” Blaine says, and Kurt begins grating the cheese over Blaine’s soup. “I’m going alone, too,” he continues nonchalantly.

“Interesting,” Kurt says, turning around and walking back to the kitchen before Blaine can see the blush appearing on his face.

***

Kurt stares at Blaine from the kitchen doorway, admiring his loose curls and sparkling honey-colored eyes until the cook nudges him out the door and reminds him that he’s working and has other tables to attend to.

He checks on his other tables before making his way back to Blaine.

“Would you like another bowl of soup?” Kurt asks.

Blaine answers with a question of his own: “I know you’re not going to the premiere with anyone, but if you were, would it be your boyfriend? You know, hypothetically.”

Kurt’s heart flutters at Blaine’s question and he finds himself blushing, again.

“Don’t have a boyfriend,” Kurt manages to say. He makes eye contact with Blaine, who smiles widely.

“Then, yes, I would like some more soup,” Blaine responds, thinking that if he can just stick around a little longer, he might just snag a date for his movie tonight.

***

Kurt decides that Blaine is right, wearing his authentic Slytherin tie to work is a brave move, so why not make another one?

“Why are you going to the movie alone?” Kurt asks, placing another bowl of steaming pasta fagioli in front of Blaine, and deciding to play along with Blaine’s game. “Is your boyfriend busy tonight?”

“I’m single, actually,” Blaine says conversationally. And before Kurt can even ask, Blaine says, “And my friends are lame and think getting up for work in the morning is more important than seeing this film.”

“Maybe you should get some new friends.” Kurt says.

“Maybe I should. Do you know anyone who would make a good friend?”

“Maybe,” Kurt says before turning and sauntering away.

***

Kurt is nearly hyperventilating with giddiness when he gets back into the kitchen. One of the waitresses looks at him and smiles knowingly.

“Get it, Kurt!” she says encouragingly. Kurt blushes and just keeps grinning. He hasn’t been this interested in anyone in a long, long time, and this is going much better than he could have hoped.

He makes his rounds to his other customers before heading back to Blaine’s table to give him his bill and to ask him the question he’s been wanting to ask since Blaine introduced himself.

“You said you had a tie in your car,” Kurt says, placing Blaine’s check down on the table. “What house are you?”

“If you want to know, you’ll have to come to the premiere with me to find out.”

Kurt laughs softly and picks up Blaine’s empty soup bowl.

“I’m serious,” Blaine says, laying his hand gently on Kurt’s wrist and looking up at him. “Come with me.”

“I would love to,” Kurt says, meeting Blaine’s gaze and smiling. He places the bowl back on the table and tears off a paper from the of his order pad. In neat cursive, he writes his address and cell phone number on the page and slides it over to Blaine, who tears the paper in half and scribbles his phone number on the bottom before handing it back to Kurt.

“Great,” Blaine says. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”