"Hi."

Kurt's stomach dropped. He knew that voice. Hell, he had loved that voice. And the beautiful creature that it belonged to. He hadn't heard that voice since Christmas.

"Kurt..."

Kurt gathered himself before turning to face Blaine. Nothing could have prepared him for facing those hazel eyes. Hazel eyes with flecks of gold, eyes which had once reflected the stars back into his own. Those eyes which had once both electrified him and comforted him. Which had once given him courage. But those days were long gone. The last time he'd looked into those eyes, they were brimming with tears, as he told Blaine that he just couldn't forgive. That it was too hard.

Now, he once again gazed into those hazel orbs. They looked forlorn, tired. Really tired, actually. Once Kurt noticed, it became very apparent that Blaine hadn't slept in a while. At least not well.

He took in the boy standing in front of him. Shorter them himself-that hadn't changed. But Blaine's face had aged a bit in the last nine months. Or, at least when he wore that uneasy smile, obviously straining to look calm, collected, he looked older. And the bags under his eyes certainly didn't help. Yet there was something warm in his eyes too, something Kurt had missed greatly.

Kurt found himself at a loss. He knew Blaine was saying something, but he couldn't concentrate on Blaine's words, much less form any coherent response. For some reason, the only thing on the tip of his tongue was the faint memory of those beautiful lips, the taste of coffee, a little bit bitter and a little bit sweet. No. He shouldn't be thinking about that.

Some part of him realized he must have been staring at Blaine's lips for some time. Blaine had stopped talking. Kurt's eyes moved back up that sculpted, tanned, gorgeous face and rested on Blaine's eyes once more. He noticed the hall had fallen quiet, the only whispers coming from a corner where a few upperclassmen continued a conversation in hushed voices.

A graceful movement from came from behind Blaine. Mrs. Tibideaux moved swiftly, deliberately down the corridor. As she passed, she gave Blaine's shoulder a light pat, without looking at either of the boys, and continued down the hall into her office.

"What was that?" Those were the first words to pass Kurt's lips since he'd heard Blaine's voice. He could hear a prickle of jealousy in his own voice. Who could blame him? He had never seen Mrs. Tibideaux make such a gesture toward any other student. All the eyes in the hall had settled on Blaine, who flushed at the attention.

"I don't know...I guess."

"Hm." Kurt moved toward his classroom, "See you."

Blaine's hand reflexively reached for Kurt's, but he caught himself. "Kurt..." Blaine called soundlessly after Kurt, almost pleading for the boy to turn around, but Kurt disappeared into a room down the hall.

"See you."

--

As the hall emptied, he was left alone. Blaine found himself rooted to the ground. His stomach filled with regret. A cold hand gripped his chest. He had thought, somehow, that following Kurt to NYADA could repair what they'd had. Just him and Kurt and New York, no regrets, as Kurt had once told him. Yet now, he lingered in a vacant hallway. Kurt hadn't even graced him will small talk, discussion of how his summer had been, whether he was still an intern with Vogue.com.

He started to regret the months he had spent perfecting his NYADA callback performance, before he had even heard back from the school after his initial application. Just in case, he'd told himself. He regretted out-performing anything he had done in Glee. He regretted the small smile of approval that had graced Mrs. Tibideaux's lips as he sang his heart out. He regretted taking that part time job at the coffee shop by Rachel and Kurt's apartment to pay his own tuition. He regretted going against his father, only straining their relationship further, to follow Kurt. Kurt didn't want him there. Why would he.

Eventually, Blaine proceeded toward his classroom as well.

--

The rest of the day went by slowly, a hazy memory, and as Blaine lay in his small dorm room, his mind moved back to a night two years ago. When he was so filled with love, with hope. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, though he knew he'd wake in the middle of the night, as he had done every night for the last few months, feeling even emptier as dreams of Kurt slipped away.