October came gracefully. The leaves had begun changing to various hues of yellow, red, brown, and orange. Scarecrows, pumpkins, and other fall decor were starting to be hung up in windows, on doors, and around the parks. Cool and crisp air slowly replaced the stifling humid air of summer. The sun had been shining brightly these last few weeks. So far, it had been a glorious fall.

Blaine and Kurt were seeing each other regularly now. Puck had rarely seen his roommate lately, except on the occasional nights Kurt would spend at their place. They mainly stayed at Kurt's because it was most convenient for Kurt. He was hard at work, finishing the play. His goal is to open during Broadway's spring season and with everything was starting to come together, he was thrilled. Often times, Blaine would visit him at work to bring him lunch or coffee, or sometimes simply to say hello. It was days like those that made work even more enjoyable.

Careful not to make a noise, Blaine tiptoed into the small office that belonged to Kurt. He had to feel guilty sometimes, Kurt seemed so busy or peaceful when he would surprise him. He silently placed the Tupperware containing their lunch on a small table by the door. Sneaking up inaudibly behind the unsuspecting boy, he gently covered Kurt's eyes with his hands. "Guess who," he intoned playfully. Kurt laughed and set down the costuming ideas he had been looking at. He reached up to Blaine's wrists and pulled them down so Blaine's arms were wrapped loosely around his shoulders. "I brought lunch today," Blaine said cheerfully as he nestled his chin on Kurt's shoulder. "Ah," Kurt nodded. "What did you bring?" "Grilled Italian sandwiches. I cooked them all by myself!" he exclaimed. Blaine was experimenting with more complicated recipes ever since his dinner with Kurt. Usually he could cook the recipes that were simple and called for only a few common ingredients. Sometimes, his attempts were barely edible so when something turned out right, he was extremely proud. Kurt turned and kissed his cheek lightly. "My little chef," he whispered affectionately. He got up and grabbing the Tupperware sitting on the table.

They sat around the small table, setting up their lunch. "This looks absolutely delicious." "I've been working all morning! Try a little!" encouraged Blaine. Following Blaine's orders, Kurt took a bite out of the sandwich. His eyes widened a little and asked, "when did you learn to cook?" Blaine flashed him a smile and revealed that he'd been religiously studying cookbooks. "Wow," Kurt sighed after taking another bite. "I'm glad you like it. This was one of the harder recipes," he explained. "Well, I'm flattered that you did this for me," Kurt admitted. Blaine sat back in his chair, looking around the room. "So, what were you working on?" he asked after a while. "Oh, just some costuming designs that finally came in today. I have to decide which ones I like and the ones I don't," Kurt replied. "Can I see them?" "Oh, sure," Kurt answered, passing over the designs. Blaine looked through the pile, Kurt watching his reactions intently. Other feedback was extremely helpful. "These are good," he said finally, handing them back to Kurt. Pulling one back out of the pile, he showed Blaine. "This is one of my favorites," he explained. It was a sketch of a leather jacket over striped shirt and jeans. "Does this look familiar?" Kurt asked, pointing to the jacket. "That's my leather jacket you like so much," Blaine noted. "I described this outfit to the Andrea, the costuming designer. It's already been confirmed as a costume piece," said Kurt. "You must really like my jacket," Blaine mused. "I do, remember," Kurt said with a smirk. Blaine smiled and kissed Kurt. "I'm excited to see how this all comes together!" he said when they pulled away. "I'm excited, too! I want to see how people will respond to it." Blaine took Kurt's hand in his. "The majority are going to love it. There's always going to be those critics that just ruin everyone's fun and say it's terrible. But don't listen to them, because you're an excellent director." Kurt squeezed the boy's hand lightly and thanked him. Blaine just nodded then smiled darkly. "Now, who do I have to sleep with to get a backstage pass?" Giggling, Kurt smacked his shoulder. "Oh, just finish your lunch." Blaine did what he was told with the smile still on his lips. When they finished their lunch, Blaine picked up the remnants of the sandwiches and gathered his things. He never wanted to stay too long when Kurt was working. Well, that was a lie. Blaine wanted to be by Kurt all the time, but never wanted to burden him. "I'll be at my place tonight. I promised Puck we'd go grocery shopping for the apartment. He says he has no idea what to do on his own. I'll see you later?" Blaine asked, shrugging on his jacket. "Of course," Kurt said softly, kissing the smaller boy's forehead. "Bye, Kurt." "Bye, Blaine."

"You didn't happen to save some for me, did you?" Puck called from the fridge as Blaine entered the room. Rounding the corner, Blaine could see that Puck was in the fridge, probably eyeballing the extra sandwich Blaine had saved for Puck. He laughed. "Puck, you're my roommate! Come on now." Puck just rolled his eyes and took the sandwich. "Who's going where?" he asked in a muffled voice. Puck had a bad habit of talking with food in his mouth. "Kurt's coming over for dinner around sixish I think," Blaine replied. "You're going to eat with us, right?" Puck paused, mulling over the idea. "Will you be making the food?" he asked hesitantly. Blaine nodded. Puck paused again, chewing his sandwich. "Will it be tasty, like this?" Blaine laughed. "Hopefully!" "Then yeah, I'll be there." And with that, Puck took one more bite of his sandwich and disappeared into his bedroom as Blaine went into his.

Close to six, there was a knock at the apartment door. "Hi," said Kurt, pulling Blaine in for a brief hug. "I'm on a roll today. I made dinner, too!" Blaine exclaimed as he pulled away. "And it's not terrible like last time!" "It's true," Puck shouted from his usual spot in the living area. "Totally edible and safe. I tested it." Kurt chuckled. He found it adorable that Blaine had taken up an interest in food. Sniffing the air, Kurt could smell an array of pleasing scents. "Well it definitely smells edible!" "Doesn't it?" cried a proud Blaine. By now, Puck had made his way over to say hello. "He spent all morning making those sandwiches then all afternoon preparing for this. What a nerd." Puck said. Kurt chuckled nervously, remembering that not too long ago, he was doing the same thing. Blaine, who had turned a light shade of pink, pretended to ignore the question. "I made soup! Italian wedding soup, to be exact," he declared. "I'm sensing a theme here, Blaine." "It's the cookbook I'm using. Mainly Italian dishes," he revealed, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it's good, I could care less," Puck laughed, starting towards the stove, where the soup was sitting.

The three ate in the living area, Puck sat in the chair, Kurt and Blaine sat nestled on the sofa. The television had been turned on, but no one was truly watching the program. "Food was delicious," Puck managed to say through a mouth full of food. He got up with his plate and headed for the kitchen. Kurt hummed in agreement. "You get better with every meal!" "Maybe I missed my calling. I should've been a culinary master, not a Broadway hopeful!" joked Blaine. Kurt laughed softly, brushing some of Blaine's curls off his forehead. "No," he murmured, deep in thought. "I definitely like you better as Broadway hopeful." They exchanged a look, lacing their fingers together. From his bedroom, Puck screamed to Blaine, interrupting their moment. "Hey, if you two don't mind, I'm going to meet up some friends at the bar down the street. That okay?" Blaine sighed before shouting back that no, they wouldn't mind. "Ah, thanks, Blaine. I'll be back later, promise! Bye Kurt! Have fun, kids," Puck said as he left. "Don't get beat up this time!" Blaine shouted after him. Laughter could be heard from the hall as Puck headed out to meet his friends.

Sighing, Kurt stood up and stretched his arms out wide. His shirt had lifted ever so slightly, just enough that Blaine could see a hint of skin. Flawless skin that just begged to be touched. "Want some hot chocolate?" Kurt, breaking Blaine's concentration. "Hmm, what?" "Hot chocolate. I brought some from home. Along, with whipped cream. And caramel. Marshmallows, too, if you want," Kurt admitted, sheepishly. "What if I had said no?" Blaine wondered. He stood up and kissed Kurt's cheek then headed to the kitchenette put on a pot of water. "Well, with your sweet tooth, I was expecting you to want some!" Kurt explained as he went to his bag. Coming back with small bag containing marshmallows, a can of whipped cream, caramel sauce, and hot cocoa packets, Kurt's face looked torn. There was a small smile on his perfect face, but his blue eyes looked down at the supplies wistfully. When he spoke, his voice was small. "I can't tell you the last time I've made cocoa with someone else. Usually I do this on my own when I've had a really bad day and feeling pathetic about myself. It's like a little pity party. Especially after everyone just tears you down." Kurt chuckled dismally, as if he was embarrassed somehow. "I guess chocolate really does mend a broken heart," he muttered. His eyes glistened with tears. Blaine's jaw fell a little slack. Placing his hand on the back of Kurt's neck, he touched his forehead to Kurt's. "You should never have to feel that way again. Not as long as I'm around, okay. " he whispered. Kurt smiled tearfully at him. "Come on, babe, let's make this cocoa and maybe we can find something good on TV."

Eyes heavy with sleep, Kurt found himself dozing off. His head was resting gently on Blaine's chest and a blanket was wrapped tightly around him. Blaine's hand was held in his. Coffee mugs sat drained of their contents on the table in front of them. A light-hearted romantic comedy played on the television set. The warmth radiating off Blaine mixed with the pleasure of the hot chocolate left him feeling blissfully at peace. He sighed deeply then felt Blaine laugh softly to himself. "What?" "Nothing," Blaine lied. "Tell me," urged Kurt, squeezing Blaine's hand. "I just find you adorable," Blaine admitted, a smile spread wide on his face. "You said that already," whispered Kurt. He felt the warmth rushing to his cheeks as he said it. "It's because it's true," Blaine replied quietly. Kurt sighed, making a small noise, and snuggled up closer to Blaine. It wasn't long before Kurt fell asleep. Blaine just smiled down at the boy, kissing his head lightly. "Sweet dreams," he whispered and he, too, drifted off into a deep sleep.

When Puck came home that night, he smiled slightly. Seeing Kurt happy made him happy. Puck had been there, through all the bullying and ridicule. He knew Kurt needed someone. And no one was better for him than Blaine.