To: Kurt

From: Finn

What up, dude! Guess what? The party's a go after all! The whole crew can make it tonight! Blaine's going to be sooo surprised!

Kurt saw the message waiting for him as he left NYADA and nearly dropped his phone, Holy shit! the first thought that entered his head.

Kurt read the message one more time, just to be sure, and panicked.

“Shitshitshitshit!” he murmured as he raced toward the subway, frantically texting and calling Blaine along the way.

To: Blaine

From: Kurt

Mayday, babe! Cancel your plans for tonight…whatever they were…I can't tell you why. Throw on a t-shirt and jeans and wait for me to get there!!!'

Kurt knew exactly what Blaine's plans for the night had been. Blaine was awful at keeping secrets and terrible at hiding packages. When Kurt had found the discreet brown paper bag hastily shoved in the back of their closet, he had shivered all over with anticipation.

There was only one store that Blaine shopped at that used thick brown paper bags like that one, and they didn't allow anyone under the age of 18 inside. The bag was stapled shut (fuck!) but by its size and weight, Kurt had a pretty good idea what Blaine had bought.

At the time, Kurt couldn't wait to see it.

Now, as he hurried through the city on his way to catch a train, his entire body vibrated with anxiety, his heart hammering in his chest. He sent and re-sent the message, called over a dozen times, even tried to get a hold of their roommates, Nick and Jeff, but no luck.

“Please get the message,” Kurt chanted as he ran the rest of the way from the subway to their loft apartment. “Please get the message…please get the message…”

He hoped that if he repeated it over and over, Blaine might somehow psychically hear him.

Familiar voices and laughter greeted Kurt as he reached his loft and its giant sliding door. He crossed his fingers and prayed that he would open it to find Blaine dressed in his favorite t-shirt and jeans, mingling with the members of the McKinley Crew, eating pizza, drinking soda, waiting for Kurt to come sing Happy Birthday and cut Blaine's cake.

When the door slid open, Kurt saw their friends gathered inside. He didn't spot Blaine right away but once he did, his heart went out to him.

Still, Kurt couldn't help the bark of laughter that erupted unintentionally from his lips.

The whole crew was there, along with Nick and Jeff, all giggling and whispering as Kurt walked in, while poor Blaine - barred from changing by Puck and Sam till Kurt came home - sat dejected on the couch, legs crossed, shirtless, wearing nothing but ass-less leather chaps.

Kurt reached him on the other side of the apartment and sighed, biting his lip hard to stifle his smile.

“I take it you didn't get my message,” Kurt said with a tinge of laughter in his voice that tried so hard to be sympathetic.

Blaine looked up into Kurt's face, hazel eyes burning as brightly as his glowing red cheeks.

“No,” he said calmly as laughter exploded around them. “No, I…I didn't get the message.”