While Kurt did not believe in it, Adam really did feel that he was in some circle of hell.

In a perfect world this would never happen. His boyfriend would not be best friends with the great love of his life, his flatmate would not drop unsubtle hints that their relationship was a joke, and he wouldn't find himself once again with his back to a wall while he listens as Kurt has another conversation with Blaine.

Adam had entered the loft while Kurt was on the phone with his old choir director, who had asked him to fly back to Ohio to... do his job for him? Adam wasn't sure of the specifics. Hadn't this guy lead them to Nationals last year? And now he wasn't sure how to give vocal lessons? Maybe he'd never needed to, Adam had mused while he waited out the phone call, because it seemed that Rachel did all that on her own time.

So Kurt had told the guy he'd call him back once he'd given it some thought, and Adam had fully expected him to leave his room and come hang out. He hadn't. Instead he'd left a voicemail for his dad, telling him about the invitation, answered a call from work, and then made another call.

"Mr. Schue wants me to come back for a week," Kurt had said instead of a standard greeting.

Adam had wondered who he was talking to. Rachel? Santana? He realized he was kidding himself by pretending not to know.

"I guess he's nervous since you guys are only advancing on a technicality? I'm not sure why he wants me back, it's not like he ever gave me solos."

Adam couldn't help but smile at the left over bitterness. He'd heard the story of the Diva Off that Kurt had purposely lost and apparently Kurt hadn't realized that their teacher would decide that meant he couldn't sing at all. He still wasn't sure how much of that was Kurt exaggerating because he'd been fairly ticked at the time.

"That is the most horrifying thing you have ever said to me, Blaine, and if you ever mention Mr. Schue and my audition in the same sentence again, I will shave your head."

Which audition? His NYADA audition? Where he sang that song wearing the—oh. Yeah, probably not a good idea to mention a teacher considering some of the things Santana had said about him. Though it was Santana.

"I don't know! I still have classes and I'm missing so much work as it is, I don't know if I should go."

You shouldn't! The amount of time he spends in Ohio is frankly ridiculous. How does he afford it?

"Yes, but you'd be just as happy if I got fired, flunked out of school, and was forced to move back there."

Yes, Kurt! Call him out! Now end the conversation and—

"Okay! Okay, calm down. Yes. I remember. You practically threw me onto the plane."

Oh. Really? He hadn't heard that part of the story. Maybe Blaine wasn't as deserving of all of his nasty thoughts.

"Yes, and we see how well that worked out."

Kurt sounded bitter. This was good. They'd have an argument, Kurt would refuse to leave the state (like any sane person), he'd hang up the phone, throw it across the room, and spend the rest of the day with Adam.

"You're the one who was so adamant that I leave, but as soon as I started getting settled you decided that I wasn't worth waiting for."

So far so good, maybe he wouldn't be stuck sitting against this wall very long.

"Really? Really? Ohio was killing me but this isn't?!"

Wow. Present tense. Awesome. Just twist the knife a little more to the left.

"Because I was working, Blaine. I had just got that job! Things calmed down shortly afterwards but you just couldn't keep it in your pants for a few weeks!"

Okay, this was better.

"I don't understand how you didn't know that already."

Kurt's flat tone of voice indicated that this was going to hurt again.

"Of course not. I haven't been able to picture a future without you in it since we met. I never thought I'd have a reason to doubt that since we started dating."

There's a chance, Adam realizes, that their conversation will go the way he hopes it will. However, he's not an idiot and he's starting to see that in the long run, that's not going to make a difference.

"You needed me? Blaine, I needed you just as much. The only person I knew here was Rachel and I was terrified. And I honestly thought that it'd be alright if you were still there."

Well that's not fair. Kurt seemed to be doing fine on—oh. Suddenly Adam remembers all the times Kurt's brushed off a compliment or felt guilty for being as good as he is. He really was just a rebound, and the thought should hurt more than it does.

"I know you are. Blaine, calm down. I know. Honestly, I've forgiven you but I still don't understand how this happened."

They were going to make up, weren't they? And he was going to have to listen to it.

"Because I loved being your best friend. I really did. But that whole time I was still waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass and notice me. Why couldn't you have waited until I was settled?"

It's not like he and Kurt were all that serious. They hadn't been dating for long and it wasn't like they were in love. So really, this wasn't the end of the world. It still sucked, but it brought a sense of peace.

"So you were so scared of losing me that I had to lose you instead? How is that fair?"

Maybe Kurt would feel guilty enough after their break up that he'd tell Adam how he managed to spin straw into gold (or the location of his leprechaun and the pot of gold, or however he managed to get his money), and he'd use that knowledge to fly home for a week.

"Blaine, breathe. I'm not refusing to speak to you anymore; we just need to be able to have this conversation."

Maybe it wasn't a magical gold making woodland creature, bound to Kurt's will by an evil spell, but Kurt was just really good at forging plane tickets. Could he do international flights?

"Because I'm not leaving New York and you're still in Ohio for the rest of the year. Nothing has really changed and I really don't think I could handle this again."

It was probably something Santana started. Maybe she gave lessons? They'd tell their parents they were going to glee club and instead they sat around and worked on forging different things. IDs, passports, plane tickets, birth certificates, death certificates...

"Of course that's what we're discussing," Kurt said fondly. "You're the one who was so adamant this happen."

Maybe McKinley wasn't even a school, but a training camp? Or- no! The whole school was in debt to the mob. Did Ohio have a mob? Doesn't matter. They were in debt to the mob and so they all had to know how to forge documents.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, I'm still going to need some sort of assurance that this won't happen again, because that was hell."

Was that what their shooting was about? That's horrible! It was probably some poor freshman who messed up on a fake FBI badge and now his body was floating in... whatever body of water is near Ohio.

"Oh, yeah. No problem. This was a lot to spring on you at once. Figure something out and we'll talk about it more later?"

Was that the real reason why Kurt had to go back? Because he was one of the elite and had to teach poor young souls the proper way to let ink dry or whatever so that this never happened again?

"That sounds awesome, and—hold on, someone's calling." A pause. "It's my dad, I'll call you right back?"

Ah, Kurt's father. He was in congress wasn't he? How did he fit into all of this?

"Hey dad! You got my message?"

Maybe the election was rigged? The Ohio Mob needed someone in office for whatever reason and had picked him because his son had shown so much potential.

"Yes, it seems that Mr. Schue is completely lost without me. And I guess Mercedes and Mike."

Then again, Kurt's dad seemed to be one of the nicest people Adam had ever met (briefly, over Skype), so maybe he was trying to campaign against the mob. Try to slowly bring them down from a position of power.

"I don't think I can afford it," Kurt said with a groan. "And I have classes and work. It's kind of a miracle that I haven't been fired yet."

If Mr Hummel was trying to convince Kurt to go how was this helping bring down the mob? Maybe Kurt was a spy? Maybe he really needed to stop with this fantasy because it was getting way out of hand and slightly weird.

"Dad, you can't afford it either. You have all those medical bills and—"

How was that going? Was he still making it to DC to do... congress-y things? The doctors were probably better there then in Ohio, but how would that work if Blaine was going to the appointments?

"I know that, but it's not a necessary trip, so there's no need for—"

Well, someone wants Kurt home.

"I... yes. I did. Right before you called."

Maybe that's why he'd always seemed so gruff and awkward whenever Kurt forced them to speak on Skype. Not because he disapproved of his son dating a boy, but because he disapproved of his son dating a boy who wasn't Blaine. (This was still better than Santana who asked him at one point to try speaking American.)

"No, I actually have grown up and responsible reasons for not flying back to Ohio on the whim of a moron besides wanting to avoid my ex." A pause. "Yes, he is." Another pause. "The man wears sweater vests, dad!"

Well at least the conversation is amusing to listen into.

"I'm sure he did. But not enough and not when I actually needed him to. The club itself was insanely helpful to me, just not necessarily the teacher."

Wow, and he thought Kurt actually liked his teacher. Wasn't that why he wanted to go to his wedding?

"No, dad. Really. I adore Mr. Schue. But in the same way I'd love a dog that shed all over my clothing. Because it was cute and there not because I actually wanted it. Kind of like Finn!" A pause. "That was a joke. Dad, I was joking!"

He should make an effort to have a nice talk with his dad when he used Kurt's powers from the underworld (the magical one or the illegal one, he wasn't picky) to get plane tickets home.

"Oh don't guilt trip me, please, I saw you on Valentine's Day! And Christmas before that!"

He could ask his mother why she decided to marry an American even though they were clearly all insane. Or maybe it was just the one he was dating and all of his friends.

"If you keep up that line of argument I'm going to start wearing trucker hats and flannel again, lose my job, and then have to beg you for rent money."

Kurt? In flannel?

"Horrifying for you? You had to look at it, I had to wear it. I was sure I was going to break into hives. So no playing the 'better son' card or I'm going to start singing Rose's Turn to you until you apologize."

Inside joke or not, how was getting Kurt to sing to you a threat? And again: flannel?!

"I know, dad. I miss you too. I'll go, okay? But since this is your doing, I'm taking you up on your offer to pay for it."

Maybe they were working for the mob.

"That's your own fault for paying for an extra ticket for Blaine."

Oh yes. The present-in-the-form-of-an-ex.

"It was a nice Christmas aside from the whole "my remaining parent has a life threatening disease" part, yes."

Wasn't he having a panic attack about that a few weeks ago? He really didn't let things get to him if he could help it. Or he was an exceptionally good liar. And hey! If Adam believed the "of course I want to get over him" line, then that was probably closer to the truth.

"I know, but hey, I'm gonna let you go, I was on the phone with Blaine and I promised to call him back. And you're supposed to be working, I'm sure."

Was he still allowed to be bitter about that? His relationship hadn't officially ended yet, so he could still be in a mourning period, right?

"I love you too, dad. Bye!"

What was it Santana said? That Kurt never said goodbye like a normal person? That didn't make sense. He ended all of his conversations like that.

"Hey, Blaine. Dad says he'll pay for the ticket if I can get the time off work, so assuming that works out I'll come visit."

He did end his conversations like that, didn't he? He always did with Adam and with his dad, probably with Santana and Rachel though he couldn't remember specifics.

"Yeah, I was going to refuse but he pointed out he was able to afford two last minute tickets at Christmas time, so this probably shouldn't be a big deal."

His own Christmas had been lovely, but apparently Kurt's had been so awesome that even the news of his father's cancer hadn't been enough to damper it. That must have been fun. Or involved a lot of alcohol.

"I guess I did have fun ice skating."

Ice skating? He hadn't heard that part. Did he go before or after his dad told him the news?

"I get to pick the song next year, though."

They had a song. Of course.

"No, Blaine. That doesn't fit our theme."

And they had a theme. Which meant this was a yearly thing. Fantastic. How had he ever thought their relationship was going to last?

"I was thinking Winter Wonderland?"

Wasn't there a line in that about getting married?

"Right. But that's a year away and everything. So who knows if—okay. Okay! Fine! Calm down."

He'd miss hearing Kurt laugh, it was a nice sound.

"So I'll see you in a week or so? And I guess I'm giving voice lessons or something, so prepare a good song to work on, okay?"

Kurt was hanging up. Should he get up and move and start this conversation in a more neutral location?

"I'll see you soon, Blaine."

Oh. Kurt didn't say bye to Blaine. That... yeah, that explains a lot.

Kurt was suddenly opening up his privacy curtain, looking shocked to see Adam sitting there. "A-Adam?"

Adam looked up at him, smiling sadly. "I guess we should have a talk, huh?"