"Who was that?" Liam demanded.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "No one. He literally talked to me for five seconds about some stupid gay bar opening over in Manhattan Beach."

Brown eyes searched Kurt's for truth. Liam knew Kurt looked at other men, so when guys, especially attractive, blonde, very gay men approached Kurt, he got possessive, "I'm sure."

"Good," Kurt sneered sarcastically.

"Don't bitch-face me," Liam growled, "Who was that."

It was more than trying, when every single man made his boyfriend jealous.

"I think I just answered that. Rachel's waiting to eat. She says she already got a table."

Kurt moved to leave, but Liam stopped him, positioning himself in front of Kurt so he couldn't continue toward the restaurant.

"Drop it," Kurt warned. He'd already been pissed off for the past few days since Blaine failed to show at the coffee shop, he had no patience left for stupid arguments with his boyfriend. But Liam didn't move, until he was pushed back.

"I think he said drop it," Blaine spit. He glared at the man towering over him with dark eyes, ones foreign to Kurt. Blaine's honey eyes usually twinkled, flecked with green and amber, but now they were a deep caramel, digging into the taller, Australian man.

The man laughed, mockingly, "I think this is none of your business, tiny."

Blaine bit his bottom lip. Before he could retort, Kurt pushed Blaine backward gently. Kurt wasn't expecting Blaine to step forward again, and they came much closer than he'd intended. For just a brief moment, Kurt could feel Blaine's dilated gaze upon him from under his pinched eyebrows, they seared his skin. Kurt blushed as he felt the other man exhale sharply.

Blaine pulled away and shot his look to the side, lips lightly pursed. He blinked a few times, not looking back, and nodded unconvincingly.

"Thank you."

The words ghosted past Kurt's lips as he removed his hand from Blaine's chest and led a seething Liam away.

--

Blaine could feel the heat of Kurt's fingertips still trailing down his chest as he watched the two men walk away.

He'd been witness to Kurt's brief exchange with the blonde man passing out fliers, the way Liam suspected Kurt for talking to the man, how he'd stood over Kurt and hissed in that accusatory tone. He'd suddenly felt relieved that he hadn't gotten involved, yet livid when he saw such a beautiful creature bullied by his so-called "significant other." And then, without thinking, he'd intervened.

And then his eyes met Kurt's and his stomach sank because he knew, he knew, that there was no way he could let the man go. Blaine knew he wanted Kurt, needed Kurt, there was no use denying it any longer.

But it was more than that. Blaine wanted to show Kurt that he deserved better. He remembered the way Kurt had looked shocked when Blaine stood to retrieve his coffee for him the other day. The way Kurt apologized to a furious phone call. The way Kurt rushed out before Blaine could say goodbye.

No. Blaine was going to show Kurt that he deserved better.