Blaine stared at his reflection for the fifteenth time in the past ten minutes, critiquing every part of his appearance. His curls were loose, but still tamed, his face was freshly shaved, and his clothes were neat and ironed. After taking over an hour to decide on what to wear, he finally settled on a simple and casual gray blazer with a maroon button down underneath, a pair of fitted, dark jeans, and loafers.

He wasnt sure why he was so nervous for this lunch. It wasnt a date, was it? Kurt had just said he wanted to talk to Blaine about his music, nothing more. So why was he so nervous? Its not like they were going anywhere special; they were going to meet at Giovannis at a small table in the back where they wouldnt be noticed. Just two... what were they? Acquaintances? Yes, just two acquaintances having lunch together to talk about music.

Why was he so damn nervous?

It felt like he was playing the set for Kurt all over again. He shouldnt feel this way about a guy who he would probably talk to one more time today and then never see again. Its not like Kurt was interested. Blaine was probably a charity case of interest for good-hearted Kurt.

Blaine glanced at the clock and took a deep breath. He had to leave soon or he would miss his... lunch. Just a lunch. Just a lunch at a place where he went so often that he could probably write the menu into a song from memory. He blinked a few times, then turned away from the mirror before he could decide his reflection was unsatisfactory.

Blaine reached Giovannis a few minutes before one oclock and took another deep breath before addressing the hostess.

"Hey, Kayleigh. Im supposed to be meeting... a friend here at one... Im not sure what the reservation is under..."

"Blaine!" Kayleigh practically yelled. Her brown eyes were shining with delight and her straight blonde bob fell past her ear as she smiled brightly. "You didnt tell me youve got a date with Kurt Hummel!" Thankfully, she lowered her voice when saying Kurts name, just enough so it wouldnt catch the attention of anyone nearby.

"I... I dont have a date, its just lunch. Thats all." Blaine defended, not wanting to give anyone (including himself) the wrong impression.

"Pish posh! How can you say that? Why are you not doing a happy dance right now? You have a date with one of the hottest gay guys in Hollywood!" Kayleigh wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"Kayleigh, please, not now. I dont want to get into this at the moment." Blaine sighed. He loved Kayleigh, she was one of the few people who could get actual words out of him most days, but sometimes she could be a little overbearing. He was plenty used to her though, they met in college and Kayleigh was one of the only people who knew a lot about Blaine and his past. She was the one who always set him on the right path if he was straying too far.

"Fine, fine, fine," she huffed out before grabbing two menus. "Ill take you to your table now. Hotties not here yet, but Ill bring him over when he gets here." She led him over to a small table in the back that was hidden from view.

"You either have Shaun or Hannah serving you, whichever one is less busy, Ill let you know when I talk to them." She told him. Blaine nodded and smiled, taking a seat at the table. He glanced down at the menu, already knowing what he was probably going to end up ordering, and waited patiently for Kurt. Seconds turned to minutes and Blaine briefly wondered if hed been stood up. After a few moments of worry, Kayleigh came up to the table, leading a flustered looking Kurt over.

"Im so sorry!" Kurt panted out, "I got stuck outside by a small mob of sixteen-year-old girls, and I didnt want to be rude..."

"Its fine, I understand." Blaine interrupted. Kayleigh glanced over at him and winked.

"Shaun will be right with you guys," she said with a smile.

"Oh, tell him its no rush," Kurt said. "I dont want to put him behind... unless you have somewhere to be?" He addressed Blaine. Blaine replied with a small shake of his head and Kurt smiled.

Kayleigh took a moment to glance between the two, and then took off towards the entrance where the hostess podium was.

"Im sorry Im so late," Kurt said again, looking truly apologetic.

"No, no its fine, really. Youre not that late, but I understand. Its nice that you greet your fans instead of ignoring them." Blaine smiled, but quickly dropped his eyes to the menu to keep himself occupied. He didnt notice the gleam in Kurts eyes.

"How often do you play here?" Kurt asked after a few silent moments.

"At least once a week... Gio and some of the other staff members have kind of been like my family since I met them." Blaine explained as he glanced back down at the menu. Kurt opened his mouth to ask another question, but he was interrupted by the waiter who had made his way over to the table.

"Good afternoon, sirs," a redhead with cropped hair and thick-rimmed glasses addressed them. "Im Shaun and Ill be your server for today. Would you like to start off with anything to drink?" Blaine raised an eyebrow in question.

"Shaun, you dont have to be so formal," He said lightly with a small smile. "Really, you see me every week."

"Yes, but you have a guest." Shaun gestured to Kurt. Kurt laughed and waved a hand in dismissal.

"Please, dont worry, I dont need any special treatment." He smiled, then added, "and Id just like a water please."

"Ill have the same," Blaine said.

"Ill be right back," Shaun nodded and walked away, winking a deep brown eye at Blaine. Blaine looked pointedly at his menu, ignoring Shaun. It was quiet again until Kurt spoke up once more.

"Youre different around them." He noted.

"Who?" Blaine asked.

"The staff here, Shaun and the hostess, her name was Kayleigh, right? You act differently than Ive seen you when theyre around."

"Oh, well... like I said, some of these people Im closer to than most. Kayleigh Ive known since college and most of the wait staff have been around since before I started playing here so Ive gotten to know them over time. Theyve been helpful when... when I needed someone." Blaine looked down and started playing with his cloth napkin in need of something to do to distract himself.

"Youre not nervous around me because Im famous, are you?" When Blaine looked up at Kurt, his eyes met a genuinely concerned expression. Blaine felt a pull somewhere in his chest that he pointedly chose to ignore.

"If I said no Id be lying, but not totally..." Blaine said quietly. "Im just... I dont open up easily. Even with the people here, whom Ive known for a while, I keep to myself a lot."

"Well, hey, youre opening up to me a little bit now." Kurt smiled. Blaine swore he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, but he wasnt sure if it was from embarrassment or panic. Shaun saved him from responding by returning with their drinks and taking their orders.

"And on stage." Kurt continued from his previous statement.

"Hmm?" Blaine questioned around taking a sip from his glass.

"When youre on stage you open up as well, with your music." Kurt supplied. Blaine nodded and looked away as he spoke.

"I feel more comfortable through music. I kind of end up in a bubble when I play." He muttered with a small shrug.

"I know the feeling," Kurt smiled sincerely. "When I was in high school I felt like the only way I could express myself was through music. Well, that and fashion." He laughed. "But whenever I needed to get a message across, I turned to music."

"That makes two of us." Blaine agreed.

"Even now, I feel better performing." Kurt continued, "and I try to encourage those who look up to me to do the same."

"I admire that a lot," Blaine said, ignoring the blush that was rising in his own cheeks. "I saw you last summer at the LGBT music festival singing with a group of teenagers. It was really inspiring."

"Oh, you were there?" Kurt asked. Blaine read his expression when he seemed to be confirming something in his mind.

"Yeah, I try to go every year. Its comforting to be a part of that support system there. Even if I dont talk to people much, its nice to know were all in the same boat." Blaine concluded. He figured he was confirming Kurts suspicions that he was, in fact, gay, if Kurt didnt know already.

"Actions speak volumes too, you know. The fact that you go just to be a part of it and arent afraid to show who you are, that takes courage. A lot of people look up to that." Kurt spoke and a silent understanding passed between them. They shared a small grin and both glanced away, unsure of what to say next.

Silence overtook them for a short while until Blaine got the courage to speak. He could sense Kurt was waiting on him, anyways.

"So... when did you start acting?" Blaine asked tentatively.

"When I was in high school I did a few musicals, but I didnt really start acting until I went to New York and started auditioning. I moved here when I landed my first movie role and signed on for the series after that." Kurt shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

Blaine was at a loss. It wasnt like he didnt want to get to know Kurt, but he was too anxious to ask anything for fear of it being too in-depth. He settled back into silence and took careful sips of his water. Kurt broke the tension after another minute or so.

"Can I ask you something?" His voice was heavier than it had been a few minutes ago.

"Um... yes." Blaine hesitated.

"You dont seem like you want to talk to me at all." It wasnt a question. Blaine waited a moment, then responded.

"Its not that, its just... Well you said you wanted to talk about my music and I dont know what you want to know... and I dont mind talking to you, I just... I dont know what I should even be talking about..." he trailed off and hoped the tension would evaporate.

"Anything. Music, hobbies, politics, weird fetishes, the weather. Anything." Kurt said flatly. Blaine could hear the slight frustration in his tone.

"Im sorry, I—"

"You didnt have to come if you didnt want to. You shouldnt feel obligated to go places just because of who invites you." His voice was a mixture of some frustration, but for the most part he seemed sincere.

Blaine wondered if this kind of thing had happened to Kurt before. Or maybe hed tried to genuinely spend time with people that only wanted to know everything they could about him. Blaine knew first hand how annoying it could be to be questioned on everything about his life. Hed had more than enough practice in his life avoiding questions and ducking around people who wouldnt quit. Having an actual conversation was much better than an interview.

He didnt want to do that with Kurt. That wasnt at all what went through his mind when hed agreed to meet him here.

"No, I didnt feel obligated."

"Then whyd you come?" Kurt pressed.

"I wanted to..." Blaine murmured.

"To talk about music like I suggested? Or did you have something else in mind?" The frustration was still there, but it was kept under control, and down to a minimum. Before Blaine could respond, Shaun appeared with their salads. The two of them remained silent while Shaun set the plates down and left after telling them to let him know if they needed anything.

Blaine started picking at his food quietly, trying his hardest not to look up at Kurt.

"You never answered my question." Kurts voice was incredibly quiet. Blaines eyes shot up immediately at the sound. He sounded wounded.

"I..." Blaine took a deep breath. He needed to be honest. "Im just trying to get noticed." He murmured.

"How so?" Curiosity filled Kurts tone.

"You... you said it yourself. I dont know how to assert myself. I figured if I could talk to someone like you, get to know you, hang out with you—"

"You could use me to get famous?" Gone was the curiosity; Kurt now sounded both angry and hurt. Blaine immediately widened his eyes.

"What? No! No, no, no! Of course not!" He spat out quickly, willing Kurt to understand his motives. "Im not going to play that way. If Im going to make it, I want to do it on my own account." Blaine looked directly at Kurt, trying to get him to see where he was coming from. Blaine may have been many things, but he would never be the kind of person to use someone or hurt him intentionally. He knew that if never again in his life, he needed to be assertive now, because he would never forgive himself if he hurt Kurt over a misunderstanding.

"What I was going to say was I wanted to ask for your help with... putting myself out there and coming out of my shell. Help me reach out to people and meet them so I can get my foot in the door." Blaine looked away briefly. "I figured, youre so confident and sure of yourself, and maybe you could help me become that as well..." He stopped and looked up at Kurt, hoping for a good reaction.

When he didnt speak, Blaine tried to continue. "I just want... I dont want to be known for who I know; I want to be known for who I am. The trouble I have is the confidence, and thats all I was hoping you could help me with. Nothing else. I wouldnt..." He didnt know what else to say; he just looked at Kurt desperately, hoping that he would understand what he meant.

Kurts expression narrowed for a moment, then relaxed. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, as if thinking for a minute. Blaine looked away, worried and afraid that Kurt would be angry with him. Kurt finally spoke up, gaining his attention once more.

"Maybe thats not the angle you want."

"Um... What do you mean?" Blaine was confused at the sudden change in Kurts voice once more. He didnt sound angry, or frustrated or upset, instead he sounded thoughtful.

"Everyones assertive. Maybe you should stick to being yourself." Kurt nodded to him.

" Cause thats working out so well," Blaine snorted.

"Well Im saying you dont have to assert yourself directly. You can do it in another way." The corners of his mouth turned up in a sly expression, and Blaine was worried about what he was suggesting.

"Didnt you just say not to assert myself...?" Blaine cocked an eyebrow.

"Well I guess technically you wouldnt be asserting yourself..."

"...Im not following." Blaine watched as Kurts expression changed to a more serious one.

"Look, Im trying to help you out, here."

"Okay...?"

"Ill make you a deal, but you dont have to follow it if it makes you uncomfortable. Its... maybe not the most ideal way of doing things but... I think it could work. But only if you want to. I dont want you to do this just because I suggested it. You have to decide if youre comfortable with it." Kurt leaned forward and looked directly into Blaines hazel eyes. Blaine instantly felt intimidated and worried.

"...Whats the deal?" He asked, hoping Kurt didnt notice him shrinking in his chair a little bit.

"Date me."