Blaine showed up at the shop first thing in the morning, driving his mom's Corolla, but this time he parked out front beside Kurt’s Eclipse. Kurt smiled, touched that Blaine would park beside his car, but he wished Blaine had been driving the Mustang and not that rinky-dink Toyota. He knew it would turn him on to no end to see their cars parked side-by-side. He watched stealthily from behind the Ford in front of him as Blaine approached Burt where he sat behind the counter and handed him a cup of coffee from some place called the Lima Bean.

Lima Bean. Ironic. Kurt almost laughed.

Burt raised his hand in a gesture of thanks, and said something Kurt couldn’t hear. Blaine made a return comment that had Burt laughing once again. Kurt shook his head, astounded at how quickly Blaine seemed to win over his father.

What the heck had they been talking about?

Burt motioned to Kurt, and they both turned his way. Kurt immediately flicked his eyes down, not eager to be caught gawking. Blaine said a light-hearted, “Thank you, sir,” and then Kurt heard heavy footsteps on the concrete floor.

Kurt looked up in time to see Blaine headed his way, carrying another cup, a slow-burning grin forming on his face. He stopped at Kurt’s station and held the cup out to him. Kurt smiled graciously.

"Thank you." Kurt reached out and accepted the cup. "That's very sweet. You didn’t have to."

"Consider it a bribe," Blaine said. He watched as Kurt took a sip, eyes traveling along the long column of Kurt’s neck as he tilted his chin up to drink, swallowing subconsciously when Kurt swallowed. Kurt sighed and Blaine could see his entire body relax as the knots in his muscles finally started to unwind.

"Thanks so much," Kurt said with something close to a moan. "I really needed that.”

That admission lit a fire deep in Blaine’s belly. He liked the idea of giving Kurt something he needed.

He really liked the idea of being able to make Kurt moan.

Kurt lifted the cup back to his lips, took another long sip, and sighed again.

“But for future reference, I'm more of a non-fat mocha person," he said with a wink.

"Noted." Blaine winked back.

Kurt noticed Blaine staring, unashamedly keeping his eyes locked on Kurt’s face, and he turned away to avoid blushing. He focused his attention outside the shop, where Blaine had parked his mom’s car carefully beside Kurt’s Eclipse.

"Still driving under cover, I see," Kurt said, gesturing to the black Toyota.

"That I am." Blaine pulled up a metal stool and sat to watch Kurt enjoy the rest of the coffee.

"And may I ask why the bribe?"

Blaine looked over his shoulder to where Burt was drinking his coffee, paying no attention to what the two boys were doing. Blaine leaned forward in his seat, beckoning Kurt to come nearer. Kurt inched closer, intrigued.

"When are you going to help me with my NOS?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt pulled a confused face, his smiling eyes betraying his planned ruse.

"Did I say I was going to help you?" Kurt smirked. "I don't recall agreeing to any such thing." Kurt turned his back on Blaine and walked off toward one of the far stations, biting his lip to keep from laughing and giving himself away.

"Please, Kurt," Blaine begged, tailing close behind as Kurt started to work on a dark green Chevy.

"Doesn't your crew have their own mechanic?" Kurt asked, keeping his back to Blaine as he spoke.

"Not really," Blaine said. "Doesn't matter, though, because I want you."

Kurt froze.

There it was again. Those words that were destined to kill him.

"How do you know I'm even any good?" Kurt asked, trying his best to sound detached.

"Oh, come on." Blaine rounded on Kurt as he cleaned a windshield, needing to see Kurt’s face when he talked to him. "Wes wouldn't want you for his crew if you weren't the best."

"Shhh!" Kurt peeked over the cars in the bay at his dad, but Burt had moved into the office. Kurt sighed with relief, his shoulders dropping. He motioned for Blaine to follow him, and led him back out of the shop to his mom’s Corolla.

"Why do you want me to work on your car so badly?" Kurt asked seriously, his gaze shifting back and forth between Blaine’s face and the open bay door of the shop, keeping an eye out for any unexpected appearance by his dad. "Honestly, there must be a grip of guys who can help you."

"I want you because you're intriguing, Kurt." Blaine looked boldly into Kurt's questioning eyes. "You're witty and smart…” Blaine’s grin turned mischievous, his voice dropping, becoming low and silky, “… and might I add damn sexy..."

Kurt looked fully away, trying to hide the small smile that he couldn't help. He didn’t need to inflate Blaine’s ego any more than it already was.

"And you can tell all of that after, what, three days is it?" Kurt bit his lip, recovering quickly.

"Yup,” Blaine said, crossing his arms over his chest and jutting his nose in the air in a haughty manner. “I happen to be an excellent judge of character."

Kurt saw the pose in his peripheral vision and giggled. Blaine warmed at the sound of Kurt’s musical laugh, but more at the thought that he might be getting through to Kurt.

"But mostly, I want to get to know you, Kurt." Blaine put a finger underneath Kurt's chin and turned his face towards his so he could look into Kurt's eyes again. "And having you work on my car would be an excuse to spend more time with you."

Kurt stared into Blaine’s honey-gold eyes and sighed.

"When do you need it done?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I would like it done tonight so I can race this week," Blaine said, a ridiculous smile on his face, his eyes becoming wide and hopeful in a way that reminded Kurt almost of Jeff. Blaine folded his hands beneath his chin as if he were praying. ‘Please?’ he mouthed.

Kurt laughed, unable to stop himself.

"Let me think about it," he hedged, reluctant to give Blaine a definitive answer.

Blaine clapped his hands together triumphantly.

“Don’t get too excited,” Kurt scolded. “I haven’t said yes yet.”

"But you’ll think about it, right?” Blaine asked.

“I already said I’d think about it,” Kurt repeated in mock frustration.

“That's better than no," Blaine said.

"Here," Kurt fished his phone out of his overalls pocket and handed it over to Blaine. "Give me your number so I can text you later. Let you know my decision." Blaine took Kurt's phone and entered in his information, typing his full name along with his phone number, and then handed it back to Kurt. Blaine waited until Kurt had pocketed the phone again before he grabbed his hand quickly and kissed it.

Kurt watched what could only be described as a giddy Blaine climb into his mom’s car, waving at Kurt one last time from the driver’s seat. He fired the engine and sped away, a move Kurt might expect in a Mustang, not a Corolla.

Blaine was showing off.

Kurt smiled so wide his face hurt, but as soon as the Corolla drove out of sight, a feeling that Kurt dreaded returned with a vengeance; the cold creep that filled his chest recently whenever he saw Blaine leave.