November 25

Blaine glances down at the piece of scrap paper he wrote the reservation time down on last night.  Millesime, on Madison Avenue, 7pm.  He shoves the paper in the pocket of his jacket.  Dressed and looking fantastic in his black suit with his special occasion black silk bowtie in place, and his hair nice and gelled to perfection, he knocks at the door to Kurt and Rachel’s apartment.

Rachel helps Kurt put the finishing touches on his outfit, an immaculate black suit, when the knock at the door sounds.  Both squeal quietly for a moment and Kurt walks over to the door, opening it to reveal Blaine.

“Hi Blaine.”

“Hey!”

“Hey guys.  Kurt, you look fantastic.”

“So do you.”

“Blaine, could I talk to you for a moment?”

“Thank you.  Um, sure, Rachel.  What’s up?”

Rachel leads Blaine in further, shooting a glance at Kurt who dutifully stays by the door, suddenly very interested in a paint chip.

“Listen.  Things have been rocky between the two of you since you met in person.”

“Yeah... I’m hoping to fix that.”

“Yeah.  Well, I just wanted to let you know, Kurt’s my best friend.”

“I-I know.  I just want to make him happy, so... I’ll be good.  I promise.”

“Just know.  If you do anything to hurt him again... you don’t know what I can do.”

“I think I have an idea.  But, it’s really... good of you to look out for him.  I’m not a bad person, despite what you may have heard.”

“Yeah, well he’s been there for me in the past.  And I believe you.  Just don’t betray that, got it?”

Rachel gives Blaine a poke in the shoulder.

“I won’t, I promise.”

“Rach, are you done?”

“Yeah, you guys are good to go.  Have fun, Kurt!  Love you!”

Blaine walks back over to Kurt and holds his arm out for Kurt to take.

“Shall we?”

Kurt blinks and takes Blaine’s arm, smiling.

“We shall.  Love you, Rach!”

Blaine smiles wide, and shoots Rachel a promissory glance over his shoulder as he leads Kurt from the apartment and down to the street.

“You really do look incredible, Kurt.”

“Why thank you.  You look rather dashing yourself.  So, where are we going?”

“I made reservations at Millesime.  I hope that’s alright.”

“Oh, wow, that... wow, that sounds perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it.  I’ve been there once before.  Just once.  But when I was thinking of places that you might like to go, that came to mind.”

“What about it made you think that?”

“It’s just got this... modern? look to it.  Not really, fancy, but on it’s way there.  I mean, I doubt stars really go there, but you never know.  You may as well be a star.”

“You’re so sweet, Blaine.  I work in the fashion industry, though.  As an intern.”

“I just meant that, you know how everyone stares when a star comes through the door?  They’ll all stare.  And I get to be your date.”

“You really know how to charm someone, don’t you?  Now I know how you got to be head of the Warblers.”

“Nah, it’s all you.  All I did for that was sing.  You bring something out in me.”

“Well whatever I bring out in you, it works on me.  I think.  I’m confused.”

“What are you confused about?  I mean... Is it too much, should I stop?  I’m just trying to be a good date.”

“No, no, no.  You’re being a good date.  I’m confusing myself.  I should just shut up and smile at you again.”

“You don’t have to shut up, but you can smile at me again.  That won’t hurt anything.”

“Alright, Romeo.”

“I like that nickname.  You can keep using it.  Oh, we’re here.”

Blaine opens the glass door to the restaurant, ushering Kurt inside.

“Why thank you, Romeo.  Wow, this place is incredible...”

“I told you I thought you’d like it... Reservation for Anderson?”

The host nods at the pair and leads them to a table for two, covered in an off-white cloth with a candle on the middle.  Blaine pulls out a chair for Kurt, and stands there, one hand on the back of the chair and the other motioning smoothly for Kurt to take a seat.

“Again, thank you.”

“Of course.  And they say chivalry is dead.”

Blaine lets his fingers slide across Kurt’s shoulders as he walks past to take his own seat.  The host pours two glasses of water and hands each of them menus before dismissing himself.

Kurt shivers a bit as he feels Blaine fingers on him and watches the other sit down.  Looking over the menu, he raises an eyebrow.

“Fancy food they have here.  I like it.”

A smile stretches across Blaine’s face.  He’s watching Kurt instead of reading his menu, but he’s already decided what he’s getting anyway.

“I knew you would.”

“Like that isn’t a little creepy.  No, though, it’s actually sweet.”

“It’s a sixth sense.  Not creepy at all.  You can tell a lot about a person by their bedroom and the way they worry about people.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Mhm.  You can.”

“That’s an interesting concept.  What else can you tell about me by my bedroom and the way I worry about people?”

“I have to leave some mystery behind the things I know about you.  Otherwise, this wouldn’t be as fun.  But I know, by the thread count of your sheets, that you enjoy the finer things in life.”

“This is like a reverse of before.  When I knew stuff about you, but you didn’t know much about me.  It’s weird.”

“Sorry.  I can’t help my superpower.  But, if you think about it, you probably know more about me than you think you do.”

“I do?”

“Sure, give it a try.  What do you know about me that I haven’t told you?”

“Hm..... you tend to obsess over things.  And you work really hard when you want to impress someone.”

Blaine raises an eyebrow at Kurt’s comment.

“Where’d you get that from?”

“Snowflakes.”

“Oh, yeah.  That.”

“Yeah.  You have to admit that was a little weird.  Even though I did love them.”

“I could have saved that idea for later, but I didn’t know I’d get a date.”

“Very funny, Blaine.”

“What?  I’m serious.  Besides--”

The waiter suddenly shows up, and asks for their order.  Blaine looks to Kurt to order first.

“I’ll have the Red Snapper, s’il vous plait.”

“And, I’ll have the Ribeye.  Thank you.”

The waiter takes their menus and disappears, and Blaine turns back to Kurt.

“You’re going to let me have a bite of that, right?”

“Only if I get a taste of your steak.”

“But, of course!”

“Haha, that was a horrible accent, Blaine.”

“Five years of French classes only get you so far, Kurt.”

“Oui oui, you are correct.”

“I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and assume you speak it, then?”

“Oui, je parle un petit peu de francais.  Yes, I do speak French.”

“Wait, wait, hang on... Je nay parle pass le fransay.  Yeah.”

“Good try, Blaine.  I think I may have to give you lessons.”

“Maybe.  I don’t have money to pay for them though.”

“I’ll accept payment in the currency of Kurt Hummel’s Least Favourite Thing.”

“Um, okay.  Wait, what?”

“Snowflakes, Blaine.”

“Real or origami?”

“Preferably origami so they’re not cold and wet and eugh.”

“You’re adorable.”

“I am?  Thank you.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Why, Blaine Anderson, I do believe you did.”

“I guess I’ll have to pay more attention to the things I blurt.  Last time I got blurty, I ended up in your bed.”

“Very funny.”

“Sorry, sorry.  Don’t wanna ruin the night.”

“No, it’s okay.  So...”

“So... what do people talk about on dates?”

“What, you didn’t go on d- I’m sorry.  That’s rude of me.”

“Of course I went on dates.  In high school.  Once I got here, I was just hanging out with friends and classmates, because my boyfriend was in Ohio.  It’s been a really long time since I’ve been on a first date.”

“I see... My first date ever was the year I met... you know... and we were together up until... you know... so I don’t really know what to talk about on a first date either.”

“Yeah.  We’re both at a loss then.  You know, and stop me if this is too weird, but have you ever thought about what it might have been like if we had met back at Dalton?  I mean, actually met.”

“I... I haven’t.  Mostly because I’m still hung up on my opinion of you from back then.  Sorry about that.  But... now that you mention it... it’s an interesting thought.”

“I’m not really like that, but you know that.  But, I mean, picture it.  The stairs, in the middle, you’re suddenly caught there, because the bell rang or something, and there are people everywhere.  And there’s obviously something going on, because everyone’s all excited.  And you glance down, and I glance up...”

“Yeah, I can see it.  We introduce ourselves, and you drag me off to whatever it is that’s going on...”

“An impromptu Warbler performance in the commons.  And, while I sing, and you watch, I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

“And I can’t take my eyes off of you, because you have such an incredible voice and amazing stage presence.”

“And, you have... the most incredible... blue green eyes... that I’ve ever seen...”

“And your smile... it just blows me away... just so genuine...”

“And, even when I’m done with the performance, I can’t look away.  I can’t even go to class because you’ve got me so distracted, the blush on your cheeks...”

“Is it a good distraction or a bad one?”

“Oh, definitely a good one.”

“Mhm, I’m glad.  And I still can’t take my eyes off of you, so I’m standing in the middle of the doorway as people try to leave to go to class.  All I care about is looking into your hazel eyes...”

“And I can’t help but smile at the fact that you’re staring, and end up coming back across the room, even though the rest of the Warblers are still celebrating the performance, just to say hello again, just to hear your v--”

The waiter appears, out of nowhere, and animatedly places Kurt’s dinner in front of him, doing the same for Blaine, who jumps back.  He’s lost all sense of where he is until now, and his ears turn red in embarrassment as he glances from the waiter to Kurt and then back.

“Um... your steak looks nice.”

“Oh, so does your... uh... here, do you want a bite?”

“Um, sure.  Thanks....... that’s good.  Would you like to try the fish?”

“Yes, please, just a little.  Thank you.”

“The presentation here is really good.  Everything’s perfectly placed on the plate.”

“It is!  Also, don’t you like the garnish?”

“Oh, yeah!  It looks great.  I almost don’t want to eat it, it’s a masterpiece of art... sorry, I work in the fashion industry, you’re going to get me appreciating good design and artwork and whatnot.”

“It’s all over your personality anyway, regardless of your profession.  We should go to an art gallery sometime.”

“I’d like that.”

“It’s a date then.  Though, we should worry about this one first, probably.  Before we start planning the second.”

“Haha, you’re right.  You know, Rachel insists on planning at least one date for us.”

“Rachel does?  Why?”

“Because, and I quote, we ‘make the cutest, yet most irritating couple in the world’ and she wants to make sure we’re doing things that won’t make us rip each other apart.”

“We’re not irritating.”

“She said that right after a tirade about how it took so long for us to actually make it official, so that may be why she called us irritating.”

“Is she hard to live with?”

“No, she’s not hard to live with.  She’s my best friend.  We know each other inside and out, and we can joke around each other.  Although that is a subjective opinion, of course.”

“I’ve talked to her before, though what I talked about is a little fuzzy.  She was alright.  And I mean that in a positive way.  She’s... very protective of you.”

“I know she’s protective of me.  And I’m protective of her.  We’ve kept each other sane in New York.”

“It’s good you have someone like that.  The city can make you crazy when you’re from small town, Ohio.”

“Yeah... what about you.  I mean, I know it’s probably awkward to talk about, but had you and Wes lived together since you graduated?”

“Basically, yeah.  He moved up here to go to school, and was living in a dorm with like, five other guys that he claims were all morons, and he asked me to move in with him when he found out that I was going to go to NYU.  My parents fronted the money for the apartment, and, well, that’s about it.”

“Wow, you were lucky.  Rachel, Sebastian and I had to split rent three ways.  And that’s not even considering the year it was just Rachel and I, while Sebastian finished his senior year.  Rach and I had to beg our dads and my stepmother to help cover the cost.”

“I wish I could have had that experience.  My parents will do anything to get me out of their hair.  I didn’t go home for Thanksgiving.  And I’m not going home for Christmas.  I used to go home every now and then to visit Eli, but now I don’t have a reason.  But, at least you get the experience of knowing how to survive on your own.”

“I see.  We never went home for Thanksgiving, but we do, usually, at Christmas.”

“I like Christmas in New York.  Actual Christmas day.  Chinese food, and hopefully snow.  But, New Year’s Eve is the best.”

“Oh?”

“Times Square is insane.  There are just people everywhere, and everyone is screaming the countdown, and the ball drops, and it’s just amazing.”

“Oh wow, sounds interesting.”

“Mhm.  Anyway.  Enough of that tangent.”

“Yes.  So...”

“So... Dinner was good...”

“It was.  I don’t know if I have room for dessert...”

“I don’t think I do either.  Besides, our movie starts in an hour.”

“Oh?  What movie are we seeing?”

“It’s a surprise.  I have the tickets in my pocket.”

The waiter comes back to check on them, and sees that they’re done.  He hands off their finished plates to another server and asks if they’d like anything else.

“No, thank you, just the check.”

Nodding, the waiter places a black, leather-bound folder on the table, and Blaine makes a grab for it.

“No, I’ll pay.  You made the reservations and bought the movie tickets.  It’s the least I could do...”

“You’re not paying.  This is a date.  Chivalry, Kurt.”

“Who’s saying I can’t be chivalrous?  Let me pay.  Please?”

“Not a chance.  You can be chivalrous later.”

“Fine.  Next time.  You won’t stop me.”

“Next time, fine.  But not tonight.”

Blaine pulls out his wallet and shoves several bills into the folder, not letting Kurt see inside to how much the bill was, snapping the folder shut and setting it on the edge of the table.  He stands up, dusting off his pants and straightening his jacket.

“Are you coming?”

Kurt stands up also, shoving his phone into his pocket after sending a quick text while Blaine put the money in the folder, and dusts his pants also.

“Of course.  Shall we?”

Best night ever.  Still have movie to go

<3 <3 <3

“We shall.”