November 9th

He’s acting like nothing happened last night

Say something, then

I can’t

Do you really blame him?

I just can’t believe he resorted to that

Well, you did say he was drunk

I’m a terrible person

No, you’re not.  You’re a fantastic person who made a couple of mistakes

You’re trying to be supportive, Rachel, but it’s not working

I just thought of something.  He doesn’t know that you know.  That’s why he’s not acting differently

You thought of that all by yourself?  I’ve been thinking that all day

Fine.  Just trying to help

I love you, Rachel

Love you too, Kurt.  Stay strong

I will

Hey Rachel, I’m heading out for the evening, won’t be back home at all

Seb, tell me what’s going on.  Last night.  This night.  Where are you going?

I’m not telling you.  You’ll tell Kurt

Kurt’s your boyfriend.  You two haven’t officially broken up

I’m... breaking up with him tomorrow (unsent)

Yeah, I know.  But I just need some time to think

Please just tell me where you’re going

You’ll tell Kurt

I won’t tell Kurt

Yes you will.  He’s your best friend

Seb... talk to me

I’m sorry, Rachel

Have you told Kurt you’re going out, at least?

No

SEB!  Come on, he’s still your boyfriend

I don’t need you to tell me what to do, Rachel

Just tell him

[silence]

Seb?

Rachel shoves her phone in her purse, frowning.

Hey.  When you get off of work, let me know.

I’m off.

I’m really sorry about the other night.

[silence]

I mean it.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I’ve never done anything like that before.  You know that just as well as I do.  The whole thing just made me realize that I AM a jerk.  I shouldn’t have treated you like that.  I mean, we’re in a relationship, for God’s sake.

[silence]

Can I just make it up to you, Wes?

How do you plan on doing that?

I baked you cookies.

Well, I’m on my way home anyway.

See you soon.

You baked me cookies with one hand?

Yes.

I might be able to forgive you.

<3

Sebastian

Kurt

I am so sorry.  About everything

It doesn’t matter, Kurt

Yes it does.  I love you.  We’ve been together for 5 years

And you kissed another man

And I’m sorry

How can I trust you?

I don’t know

I love you so much, Kurt, but I can’t go on like this (unsent)

[silence]

Seb, I love you.  Please, forgive me.  Let’s talk.  Please?

We need to talk about Wes (unsent)

I’m not going to be home tonight

Why not?  Where are you going?

[silence]

Hey there.

What do you want, Montgomery?

Harsh.

You’re an ass, you know that?

Same to you, old chap.

We’re not friends

Maybe not, but I can still make you do whatever I want.

Screw you

When?

Tonight, if you’re free

I have some things to take care of first.

Shall we say 10?

Where?

I’d say my place, but I doubt I’ll be able to get rid of Gimpy.

Maybe JD’s again?

I’ll be there at 10

I still hate you

The feeling’s mutual, asshole.

Bastard

Hey, babe.  I’m still on my way home, but I just got a call from work, and someone called out, so I have to work their shift.  Gotta be there at 10.

Oh, well that’s okay.  I’m tired from the extra dose of pain meds anyway.

See you in 15 minutes.

<3

Sitting in Starbucks, Rachel sips at her hot chocolate and glances down at her phone

Kurt are you okay?

Yeah

k

Hearing the door jingle, she looks up

Blaine walks into the coffee shop, overly tired, and steps up to the counter, oblivious to everything except his coffee order.

“Blaine?”

Looking in the direction of the voice that said his name, he blinks, clearly not wanting to see anyone he knows, let alone Rachel.

“Hi-hey, Rachel.”

“Hey.  Wanna sit?  What happened to your hand?  It’s wrapped more than it was last night.”

“Uh, okay.  I.. hit something.  I... why are you here?”

“Ah, I see.  Believe it or not, I actually like coming here too.  Not as much as Kurt, though.  How are you after last night?”

Blaine shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee, which burns his mouth, but he barely notices.

“I’m fine.  I made Wes some cookies.”

He pauses.

“H-how is Kurt?”

Rachel takes another sip of her drink.  Once she puts it down, she bites her lip.

“He... he’s taking it badly.  Seb won’t talk to him.  I’m being a terrible best friend.”

She blinks furiously, swiping under her eyes.

Blaine’s face scrunches up at her comment.

“I don’t really know how you are as a friend.  Have you tried, maybe, talking to him?”

“Y-yes.  But I’m friends with Seb too, and I’m trying to do damage control for both of them, and they’re both expecting me to be there for them, and I don’t want to pick a side, but they’re making me, and it’s just so confusing and frustrating and this shouldn’t have happened except it did and I’m losing my two best friends!”

By the end of it, Rachel is barely coherent, tears welling in her eyes.

Having absolutely no idea what to say, and feeling terrible about everything, Blaine leans over, setting his drink down, and gives Rachel a warm hug.

“I’m sorry... that you have to go through that.  I’m sure you’re not losing them.”

“But I am.  I haven’t seen Seb since... well, not counting last night... yesterday morning, and I won’t see him tonight.  And Kurt barely talks.”

“Maybe I can get him to talk.”

“Maybe.  I just... this whole thing... I’m not blaming you, Blaine.  You need to know that.”

“How can you not?”

“I don’t know.  This whole thing is just one circumstance after another.”

“It is, but seriously, if I could type correct numbers on my phone, none of this would have happened.  But.. You know, I don’t think I could have gone my whole life without really meeting Kurt.”

“You know, he talked about you a lot when he was going to Dalton.  The jerk captain of the Warblers.  But he also admitted to me, before he started dating Seb, that he thought you were hot... oh my gosh, why am I telling you that?  I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I am a jerk.  I’m a super huge jerk.  And I think I’m more dapper than hot.  But, don’t worry, I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.  I’ll probably forget this entire conversation anyway.”

“Dapper?  Seriously, Blaine?  And really?  What makes you say that you’ll forget the conversation?  Makes me feel respected...”

“Seriously.  And I’m on these pain killer things.  I feel all kinds of... wafty.”

The last word of Blaine’s sentence was finished with a flourish of his hands.

“Oh, haha, are you sure you should be out and about alone, then?”

“I’m a big boy.  I can take care of myself.”

“But... you feel... wafty.”

Rachel imitates his gesture from before

“How about I walk you home when you’re finished?  You can’t live too far away.  We frequent the same coffee shop and bar, after all.”

“I’d be alone there too.  Wes had to work a second shift.  Even after I made him cookies.”

“That sucks.  But you’d be home, where you could rest.”

“That’s boring, Rachel.”

“Well, then, what do you want to do?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”

“Oh, congratulations, master of not thinking ahead.  I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

“But absolutely true.  You make a good point.  I wonder what I could get into tonight?  Maybe I can destroy someone else’s relationship.  Or I could just go for a walk in the park.”

“Oh, come on.  You didn’t destroy their relationship.  They did.  A walk in the park sounds good, though.  I can come with you?”

“I, uh, I guess you can come along.  It’s not like I was meeting anyone there or anything.  And, everything was fabulous till I came along.”

“Great!  And seriously, don’t worry about it.”

“Mm.”

Blaine stands up, noticing the cup of coffee that was still sitting on the table, barely touched, and probably still hot.  He picks up the coffee and turns back to Rachel.

“Coming?”

Rachel stands up as well, tossing out her hot chocolate cup and smiling.

“Yup, let’s go!”

Blaine exits the coffee shop, cup in his only available hand and crosses the street to the park.  His favorite park.  The park where he kissed Kurt.  He bites his lip.

“Rachel, are you seeing anyone?”

“Yeah, one of the upperclassmen at NYADA.  I think Kurt mistexted you at one point, meaning to send something to him.”

“Ah.  Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think he might be the one?”

“I... I don’t know.  We’re really close, but... we haven’t talked about that.  Why?”

“I think... I think there’s one person out there for everyone.  And when you meet that person, you just know.  That it’s them.  And that you need them.”

“I think I’m following.  What are you getting at?”

“I just... I can’t believe I’m telling you this.  I am absolutely positive... that my person... is Kurt.  And don’t judge me.  I know I hardly know him.”

“Um, wow.  Yeah, that’s... wow.  I have to tell you, though, Kurt and I have been best friends for quite a few years now.  If he gets hurt, I’m there to protect him.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.  That’s the last thing I want to do.  And it seems like the more I know about him, the more I talk to him, the more I see him, the more hurt he gets.”

Blaine’s voice is suddenly tight, and he turns away to wipe away the welled up tears with his wrapped hand, covering the motion with a cough.

“I think... I have to stop talking to him.  I don’t want him to hurt anymore.”

“Oh, Blaine, I’ve never seen him more alive when he was talking about texting you!”

Rachel reaches out to place hand on Blaine’s shoulder.

“If you stopped talking to him, it’d probably hurt more than anything else.”

“Don’t tell me that, Rachel.  Don’t.  He’s with Sebastian.  For some reason, I don’t see that changing.”

He pauses, glancing around a bit, realizing exactly where in the park they are, and the person he’d been with the last time he was here.

“He’s with Seb, yes.  But he always got excited when he told me about you.  Well, except for when he found out you were THE Blaine from Dalton.  But even then, he still went back to texting you.  You make him happy.  In a different way that Seb does.”

“Stop.  Just stop.  I can’t... just sit around and be a texting buddy anymore.  It’s not going to work out.  Even if he likes texting me, and I like texting him.  It’s not worth it.  It’s not that simple.  Everything’s complicated.  I sound like a whiny teenage girl.  Fuck these pain meds.  Rachel, forget this happened.”

“Listen, I can’t solve all of your problems.  But you should talk to him.  Figure things out.  This situation is... new.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of something like it before.  So there’s no guidelines.  But I think talking about it would help.  With Kurt.”

“I’m not texting him.”

“Then talk to him in person.  I’m not kidding.”

“I... can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too hard.”

“What’s so hard about it?”

“Looking at him.  Hearing his voice.  Knowing that no matter what I do, I’m going to hurt him.  I dunno.  Pick one.”

“You’re in a tight spot, then.  Because not seeing or hearing from you is hurting him.”

“Do you think he’d even answer if I texted him?”

“Yeah.”

“Even though he’s not talking to you?  His best friend?”

“Yeah, I’m sure of it.”

Stepping backward, Blaine runs into a park bench, conveniently sitting down.  His phone is in his pocket, and his hand rests on top of it.

“Maybe.”

“Text him.  Now.”

Not looking up at Rachel, he pulls his phone from his pocket, and proceeds to, very slowly, find Kurt’s number and open a blank message.  He stares at it for a while.

Hey.

“Well, hurry up about it!  We don’t have all night!”

Rachel falls silent after that, humming absentmindedly.

Hey Blaine, what’s new?

We need to talk. (unsent)

I am with Rachel. (unsent)

Rachel says we should talk. (unsent)

Nothing, you?

Nothing.  Just trying to distract myself

Kurt, I’m so sorry.  About everything. (unsent)

What would you say if I told you that I think you’re meant for me? (unsent)

Yeah, me too.

“You’re backspacing a lot.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Just an observation.”

What are you doing right now?

Rachel turns away from Blaine, discretely pulling her own phone from her pocket.

Sitting here, texting you.

Kurt

Kurt

Kurt

What?

Guess what?
What?

Sounds interesting.

Blaine completely ignores Rachel and doesn’t notice in the slightest that she’s got her own phone out.

It is.  What are you doing?

Chicken Butt

What the hell, Rachel?

Trying to make you laugh

It’s not working

Sitting here and texting you.  Trying not to look at pictures of me and Seb.

Letting out a frustrated sound, Blaine considers throwing his phone across the path he’s seated along, and then decides not to.

Ah.

Yeah.

Kurt, talk to me

No, Rachel

Come on, please?

I said no

Seb, I know you’re upset with Kurt but could you text him?

Sebastian is currently predisposed

Finn, text Kurt.

Why?

Just do it

Fine

Kurt, Rachel wants me to text you.

Kurt, please?

Rachel, leave me alone, goddamnit!

oh god

I’m sorry, Blaine

[silence]

“Rachel.”

“Yes, Blaine?”

“Are you texting Kurt?”

Rachel doesn’t turn around.

“No, why do you say that?”

“Don’t lie to me.  Kurt just mistexted me, saying, quote, Rachel, leave me alone, goddamnit!”

“Oh, did he?  That’s odd.”

“Yeah.  I thought so too.”

Kurt, do you think you could meet me at Madison Square Park?

Oh, I thought you had died or something.  I could.  Now?

I’m not dead just yet.  But, yes please.

I’ll be right there

Thank you.

“Rachel, are you sure you didn’t text Kurt?”

“Maybe I did.  Maybe he was just getting to my texts just then.”

“If you say so.”

“He’s my best friend, of course it’d be normal for me to have been texting him.”

“You said he wasn’t talking to you.”

“I never said the texts were productive.  Mostly it was just me texting his name or asking him to talk to me.”

Blaine shakes his head a tiny bit and wonders when Kurt is going to show up.  And if he should make Rachel leave or keep her there as a moderator.

Kurt comes into view, tilting his head as he sees Rachel with Blaine.

“Oh, Kurt!  So he did ask you to come down here!”

“What’s going on?  What’s she doing here?”

Blaine tries to stand up but gets a little light headed and decides to stay where he is.

“I went to Starbucks.  She was there.  We started talking.  She told me to talk to you.  Heeeere we are.”

“Oh, I see. Are you okay?  Wait, she told you to talk to me?”

“Yeah.  I’ve just been blurty tonight.”

“Blurty?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked quite a bit.”

“Blurty....”

Blaine shakes his head at himself and smiles randomly at Kurt.

“What have you guys been talking about?”

“Things.”

“Like...?”

“Oh, Kurt.  I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I can’t.  I have to be careful.  I’m getting blurty-feeling again.”

“Tell me.”

“Blaine, just talk to him.  I’ll leave if you’d like.”

“That might be good, Rachel.  Less blurty awkwardness.”

“Alright, have fun, you two.”

Rachel walks off, staying within shouting distance but out of earshot

“So, what’s going on, Blaine?”

Blaine attempts to stand up again, stops halfway, and sits back down, bringing his right hand, his bandaged hand, up to his face out of force of habit.  He looks at it, slightly surprised, and puts it back down on his lap.

“I don’t wanna hurt you, Kurt.”

Kurt sits down next to Blaine and bites his lip

“You’re not going to hurt me.”

“I already have.”

“No, you haven’t.  I’ve hurt myself.  Seb’s hurt me.  You haven’t.”

Making a face at the mention of Sebastian, Blaine puts his left hand over his eyes, waiting a long time to respond.

“...Do you think that there’s someone out th- I can’t.  I can’t do this.”

Sitting patiently while Blaine pauses, Kurt sighs and closes his eyes for a moment.  Once Blaine speaks, he turns to the other man and puts his hand on Blaine’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Blaine.  Take your time.  I’m here for you.”

Blaine can’t help but feel like the whole world is resting on his shoulders as he hesitates, but when he feels Kurt’s hand on his shoulder, it’s like a jolt of electricity running through him, and he puts his left hand back in his lap with his right.

“I never expected this to happen.  Not in a million years.  It really is just like you said, a bad romance movie.  Kurt, I know I hardly know you.  And you hardly know me.  But, I... This...”

Blaine’s words catch in his throat and he glances with big, watery eyes to Kurt and to the ground.

Kurt sits still, staring at Blaine with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Yes?”

“Do you think that there’s one person out there for everyone?  That everyone has that one person they’re supposed to find?”

“I... I guess so?  I mean, it’s in all the movies. I just never thought of it for myself.”

“I just, I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this.  I can’t stand the thought... of you... being with Sebastian... forever.  I can hardly keep my comments to myself when you talk about him.  I’m jealous.  Of him.  Because he has you.  And you’re my someone that I’m supposed to find.”

“Um, wow.  I... what I said last night stands.  I’m incredibly confused about my feelings right now.  Because I do have feelings for you.  Strong feelings.  I don’t believe in God, but some higher power brought us together for a reason.  And then whatever it is had us find Sebastian and Wes and what they were doing.  Maybe it’s a sign.”

Blaine’s eyes slide from Kurt’s unreadable face down to his own lap, and he hunches his shoulders slightly.  While the pain killers he’d taken before he left his apartment are still in his bloodstream making him feel heavy, he still feels anxious and nervous.

“I’m not crazy, you know.  I’m... I don’t... I have this... I can’t talk.  As crazy as it does sound, I think... I think that I’m in love with you.”

The world around him gets more blurry than his speech, and Blaine collapses into the arm of the bench, unconscious.