Kurt hadn't mentioned his brief encounter with Blaine to Rachel. He didn't want to be pressed on the details of it- there really weren't any details to share anyway. As much as possible, Kurt tried to arrive to classes exactly on time, reducing the chance of meeting Blaine again. Luckily, Kurt was half a year ahead of Blaine, so they didn't have any of the same courses.

--

It was Tuesday the next week when they met next. Blaine had finished barista training over the weekend, and was working his first full shift. He had made sure to schedule classes for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in order to give him more hours at work.

Tuesday mornings were busy, not a busy as Mondays, according to his coworkers, but busy nonetheless.

"Good morning! What can I get for you?" Blaine asked in his most sun-shiny morning voice and turned around after placing the previous customer's cup behind him to be filled.

As soon as Kurt heard that voice again, he looked up from his phone, shocked. "Oh. Um..."

They stood there in brief silence, both staggered for just a moment.

"A tall non-fat mocha?" Blaine asked, trying to recover his cheery smile.

"Yeah. Please." Kurt responded. His voice sounded much higher than he had intended, as he shifted his eyes to look at the posters on the wall.

Kurt hastily pulled out his wallet, only to be stopped by Blaine, "This one's on the house."

"...Thanks."

Blaine smiled, softer and more genuinely than he had been a moment ago, and wrote Kurt's order on the paper cup. Kurt took the opportunity to examine Blaine, who still kept his hair firmly cemented to his head, but had let just a little scruff grow in, instead of shaving clean each morning. Kurt remembered how Blaine used to complain about how itchy it was to shave every day, but that he'd look like a caveman if he let it grow for more than that. It was actually pretty sexy, Kurt decided.

"Good morning, what can I get for you?" Blaine asked around Kurt, who had been gazing at Blaine far longer than he intended. Kurt quickly moved around the counter to wait for his drink. His eyes, however, did not leave Blaine until Blaine glanced over at him, giving him a shy smile, cheeks flushing ever so slightly, at which point Kurt attempted to look past Blaine at the posters again, but he knew better- he'd been caught. As soon as his coffee was ready, he grabbed it and hurried out the door.

--

It wasn't until Music History had started that Kurt noticed something written under the disposable sleeve on his cup. Kurt hated Music History- it was boring. He wanted to sing, and dance, and perform. Alas, it was a required course, so he did his best to stay awake, finding things to fiddle with during class. The only redeeming feature of the class was that he had plenty of time to sketch new outfits in his notebook.

Callbacks, 8pm? Was all Blaine had scribbled under the sleeve.

Kurt really couldn't figure out what had possessed Blaine to ask him out- on a disposable coffee cup- after he'd clearly acted uninterested when Blaine approached him on the first day of class. On his way out of the classroom, he tossed the cup in the trash and texted Rachel.

12:25pm

Lunch?

12:27pm

Sorry! Brody asked me already ;)

12:28pm

I see how it is.

12:29pm

Love you!

With no lunch date, and no class until 2:30, Kurt decided to head over to Vogue.com. Maybe Isabelle had something for him to do, anything to keep his mind from drifting back to Blaine.

All Isabelle had for Kurt was some paper shredding, but Kurt gladly accepted the task, and performed his shredding duties diligently. Almost too diligently.

"Kurt, what's wrong?"

Kurt cringed at the sympathetic tone in Isabelle's voice. He had thought he was hiding his emotions pretty well. Clearly he was fooling himself.

With a sigh, Kurt spilled what few details there were to share about his two brief encounters with Blaine, how Blaine had been continuously creeping into his thoughts for the past week- excluding only the invitation Blaine had scrawled on his coffee cup earlier in the day. Isabelle listened. That's what Kurt loved so much about her. She knew when to give advice and when to just listen. And she was so genuine. Of all the people he'd met in New York, Isabelle was his favorite.

Well, there was also the handsome, British, voice-like-sex leader of NYADA's own glee club. The handsome, British, voice-like-sex leader of NYADA's own glee club that didn't even know Kurt existed. Kurt had only heard him perform once, he didn't even know the boy's name, but Kurt suspected he could very easily become Kurt's new most-favorite-person. Ever.

By the time Kurt realized he had sufficiently distracted himself by fantasizing about his handsome, British, voice-like-sex, golden-haired upperclassman, he had to rush back to NYADA to attend his next class.

Yes. Blaine had been worming his adorable, bowtied, curly-haired, hazel-eyed little self into Kurt's mind for the past week. And Kurt had finally found an adequate distraction. He decided it was time to audition for glee. As last year's glee season was already in full-swing by the time Kurt was accepted to NYADA, he hadn't auditioned for the club. This year was a new year. For fresh starts. And novel experiences. And British boys who may or may not be gay. But this was New York, and Kurt figured his chances were higher than they had been in Lima. And this boy's hair was much too perfect, his pants much too tight, to be completely straight. It was worth a shot.

Yes. It was decided. Kurt would audition for glee.

--

Kurt headed home, busied with choosing a song for his glee audition. By the time he had gotten his list down to three or four potential songs, his stomach was aching for food and Rachel still wasn't home. As he reached for his phone to call her, it buzzed, lighting up with one new message from Rachel Berry.

9:03pm

Kurt! You'll never guess who's at Callbacks.

Kurt had completely forgotten about the coffee cup from this morning. He tried to fight back the flood of anxiety that washed over him. No. He had no reason to feel that way- he'd never even said he would go. Blaine never even properly asked him. Kurt never even went to Callbacks on weeknights anyway. Yes. He had school in the morning. It was past 9. He should go to bed. That was an excellent idea.

Kurt ignored the flood of texts he received from Rachel in the next half hour. At some point though, Rachel called, and Kurt had to answer.

--

Kurt cursed Rachel. Brody still lived in the dorms, and as much as Kurt wanted to avoid Callbacks, he couldn't let Rachel find her way home this late by herself. Maybe if they didn't live next to drug dealers, drug addicts, and that one guy downstairs that couldn't figure out how to wear a pair of pants. Or maybe he just didn't own any, Kurt never stopped to ask.

Sure, Brody was definitely a gentleman, but he also enjoyed a strong drink, and Kurt figured he'd probably had quite a few even though it was only Tuesday. So, against all better judgment, Kurt found himself approaching the front door of Callbacks.