"Hi, Blaine!" he called out.

"Kurt? Where are you?" Blaine asked.

"I'm looking for my boot," he muttered. "The left one has gone missing and they're the only shoes that will work with this outfit."

"Oo," Blaine teased. "You got a hot date tonight or something?"

Kurt paused in his search and took a deep breath, grateful that Blaine couldn't actually see his face right now. He and Blaine had been growing closer recently and the holidays had firmly cemented Blaine in his daily life. His dad was always asking after him and was insisting that Blaine come for dinner whenever he was in town. But, if sometimes Blaine smiled at Kurt like they were the only two people in the world that mattered, well, that was just between them. So, no matter how firmly they had established themselves in the "friend zone," this was going to be awkward.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Kurt replied, finally coming to sit in front of his computer.

"Oh," Blaine said, a look of confusion on his face. "I mean, that's great, but I thought you were the only out kid at your school?"

"I am," Kurt replied slowly. "He doesn't go to McKinley. We met at the mall, actually, and he goes to Ohio State."

"Ah! An older man, huh?"

Kurt just rolled his eyes at Blaine and was happy to hear a laugh in return.

"He's only a freshman, so he's barely a year older than me. Don't go getting any funny ideas, Mr. Anderson."

"I would never," Blaine insisted, his face the perfect picture of innocence.

"Right," Kurt teased.

"So, you met at the mall?" Blaine finally said, breaking the somewhat awkward pause.

"It was so cheesy," Kurt laughed. "If it hadn't happened to me, I would swear whoever told me this story was making it up."

Their trip to the mall had been all Mercedes' idea in the first place. The girls needed dresses for Regionals and the multitude of post-holiday sales were an excellent opportunity to score some awesome deals. They were on their way out of Barney's, which had been a complete bust, to check out H&M when Kurt got distracted by the accessories rack; there was a bow tie hanging there that was calling his name. It was absolutely perfect and he could already imagine at least 6 different outfits he could make with it. And at 50% off, who could resist?

"Oh, sorry," Kurt said as his hand bumped into someone else's.

"No, that's okay," a deep voice rumbled with a small laugh. "I think this is much more your style."

Kurt looked up. And up and up before finally making eye contact with a very nice looking boy. Young man. Boy. Whatever. He had short, dark blond hair styled in that trendy faux-hawk that Kurt could never pull off, warm brown eyes and a smile full of straight, white teeth that Kurt tentatively returned. With the square jaw and the muscles filling out his clothes, he definitely looked like a jock. Guys that looked like that generally did their best to avoid Kurt, or their best to purposely get in Kurt's way to shove him into a locker.

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, definitely," he replied. "I'm not really a bow tie kind of guy but my friend Olivia insisted bow ties were 'in' and that I should give them a shot."

Kurt instinctively tilted his head and appraised the man before him. He had an athletic build with broad shoulders and a muscled chest; the sleeves of his tee were pushed up to his elbows revealing powerful looking forearms and strong thighs strained against his fitted jeans.

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "Right as your friend was about bow ties being in, they're all wrong for you."

"Really?"

"Trust me. With your build a bow tie is only going to make you look wider and, well, bulkier. Stick with a classic skinny tie if you want to spruce up your wardrobe. Vertical lines will help you look leaner and taller. Not that you really need help with that," Kurt said nervously.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks. I'm Charlie," he said after a pause holding his hand out.

"Kurt," Kurt replied shaking his hand.

"Listen, do you maybe want to go get a cup of coffee? Give me a few more fashion tips?" Charlie asked.

Kurt paused, momentarily stunned by the question. This never happened to him. He hadn't been sure before, but now there seemed to be no doubt – Charlie was flirting with him. He was about to agree just because he might never have the chance again, when he remembered that Rachel and Mercedes were waiting for him over at H&M.

"I, um, I can't," Kurt said. "I would love to, but my friends are actually waiting for me."

"Oh, sure. No problem. Could I maybe call you sometime then?"

Kurt blinked, once again a little surprised at Charlie's question.

"Really?" he couldn't help asking.

"Yeah, really," Charlie said with a smile.

"Um, yeah, sure."

Kurt pulled out his phone and the two exchanged numbers before Charlie walked off with a promise to call Kurt in a couple days. Kurt, of course, wasn't holding his breath, but it was nice to have that little hope for a moment. And, as soon as Charlie was out of sight, Kurt paid for the bowtie and took off running to fill in Rachel and Mercedes on what had just happened.

"Was he cute?" Rachel asked.

"He was beyond cute," Kurt replied. "Scorching hot is more like it."

"What are you going to do if he calls?" Mercedes asked.

"I don't know. Talk to him? Maybe say yes if he actually asks me out? Not that that's gonna happen."

Mercedes smacked him on the arm, a stern look on her face.

"What?" Kurt asked.

"He asked you out just now, didn't he?"

"Yeah, and I said no and he left and he's going to run into some other guy who's actually his type and forget all about me," Kurt rambled.

"Fine. Twenty bucks," Mercedes replied.

"What?"

"Twenty bucks that he calls you and you have a date next weekend."

"I'm in!" Rachel added.

"Whatever," Kurt said rolling his eyes. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"And as you can probably tell he did call. So, here we are and I'm out forty bucks," Kurt concluded.

"Is that the tie?" Blaine asked.

"It is. What do you think?"

Blaine squinted and tilted his head appraisingly. "Let me see the whole outfit," he said.

Kurt stood up and backed away so his webcam could capture the full outfit, twisting and turning so Blaine could see the outfit from every angle. The bowtie was dark blue with a Japanese inspired floral print in ivory. He'd paired it with a light gray shirt that had a subtle white stripe and his dark gray, knee length trousers. He'd wanted to wear his favorite black knee-high Doc Marten boots, but not if he couldn't find the stupid left one. And if he couldn’t find the other boot then he would have to change the pants. Ugh. This was such a mess.

"It's good," Blaine said. "What about the gray kilt and leggings? Then you could wear the white Doc Martens."

"You don't think that would be too much?"

"Not at all," Blaine said.

"OK, hang on one second."

Kurt did one last frantic search of his room for the missing boot and not finding it, rushed into his closet to change into the kilt. He made the change in record time and grabbed the white Doc Martens from their place on his shelf.

"How do I look?" Kurt asked, stopping a ways back from the webcam to allow Blaine to get a good look at the whole outfit.

"You look perfect," Blaine said a fond smile on his face.

Kurt just smiled and blushed a little in reply.

"Hey, now. None of that mister," Blaine chided.

"Fine. Thank you," Kurt replied.

"Good. So, what are you guys doing?"

"Oh, just the typical dinner and a movie thing. I think he mentioned something about the new Johnny Depp movie."

"Oh, that looks good. You'll have to let me know how it is."

"Will do," Kurt said.

Blaine looked like he was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

"That's him," Kurt said nervously.

"You'll be fine," Blaine said with a tight smile. "You can do this, Kurt. It's just dinner and a movie. Nothing you haven't done before."

"Right. Thank you," Kurt replied, suddenly serious.

"For what?"

"For… everything. For being my friend. For being amazing. For being… you and letting me be me."

"Well, you're welcome. Knock him dead, Kurt," Blaine said switching off the chat suddenly.

"Bye," Kurt whispered to the blank screen.

He sat there for a moment, wondering about Blaine's sudden attitude change. He looked towards his door and caught sight of his left boot sticking out from behind his dresser. How had it gotten back there? Anyway, there was no time to wonder about that now. Charlie had already been alone with his dad for much longer than Kurt would have liked. He rushed out of his room, hoping to make it downstairs before too much damage was done.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting," Kurt said as he rushed down the stairs.

Charlie was standing in the entry with his dad, smiling, which Kurt was glad to see. His dad had a worried look on his face, which Kurt was expecting.

"That's all right," Charlie said. "Your dad and I were just getting to know each other a little."

"You didn't mention he was in college, Kurt," his dad said with a tight smile.

"I didn't? I was sure I had," Kurt said, pulling on his coat and scarf. "Well, anyway, he's only a freshman, dad, so don't be too worried."

Burt just looked between the two boys, a frown creasing his forehead.

"Where are you boys going?"

"Breadstix and a movie," Kurt explained. Again.

"Curfew is midnight."

"I know, dad," Kurt said dragging Charlie towards the door.

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Hummel," Charlie called as they left.

Kurt was eager to just get in the car and away from the house and his dad, but he stopped short when he saw what was sitting in the driveway. It was a 1953 Chevrolet Tin Top Woodie.

"That's an… interesting car," he said.

"It's my roommate's," Charlie explained. "I don't actually have my own car, yet."

"Is he from California?" Kurt asked.

"As a matter of fact, he is," Charlie said with a laugh.

"Then what is he doing in Ohio?" Kurt said as they climbed in the car. "Not that, you know, Ohio isn't a lovely place, but when you're in California… ."

"Apparently, he grew up here and didn't actually move to California until his sophomore year of high school. All his friends were back here and most of them went to OSU, so he did, too."

"Oh. Well, that's nice, I guess," Kurt remarked as he straightened out his kilt.

"Is that a kilt?" Charlie said.

"It is."

"That's awesome. I could never wear something like that. Isn't it a little… drafty?"

"That's why you wear leggings under it," Kurt said. "I had trouble finding the shoes I wanted to wear with the pants I originally had on, so I had to change into this, and that's why I was late, which, sorry again. About my dad. He wasn't too mean, was he?"

"No, he was fine. Just a little concerned. I think I only got the first degree and not the full third."

"Well, at least Finn wasn't thrown into the mix, too."

"Finn?" Charlie asked.

"My step-brother. He was out with his girlfriend, and Carole, my step-mom, was at work. So, at least you didn't get interrogated by the whole family." Kurt paused. "This whole thing has been a little awkward for him," he confessed.

"Why's that?"

"Um, this is my first date?"

"Really? I find that hard to believe."

"Well, believe it because it's true."

"Seriously? But… how?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, Lima, Ohio isn't exactly a hot bed for gay men. I'm the only kid that's out at my school. And it's kind of hard to date people when they're still in the closet."

"I guess it would be," Charlie said. "Well, then. I'll just have to make sure this is the best first date ever."

Kurt just smiled shyly, his nervousness finally settling in. He was on a date. With a boy. A boy who seemed to really like him for some reason. Charlie reached over to turn on the radio to fill the silence and Kurt was grateful, music he could do. Madonna's newest single poured out of the speakers and Kurt started singing along softly and dancing as much as one could in a car seat.

"You sing?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, yeah," Kurt said. "I'm part of the glee club at school."

"Glee club?"

"You might have heard it referred to as Show Choir?" Kurt prompted.

Charlie just shrugged, looking confused. "Sorry. I'm just totally musically inept so I don't really pay much attention to stuff like that."

"Oh," Kurt said. "Well, it's like regular choir but we dance and there are costumes and lighting and all that theatrical kind of stuff."

"That sounds kind of interesting, actually."

"Seriously?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I may not know much about music, but I have been known to enjoy the odd musical on occasion," Charlie said.

"Oh. Well, it's nothing that elaborate, and our director seems to prefer the musical stylings of Journey over the classics of Broadway, but I guess that's the basic idea."

"Journey?" Charlie laughed.

"Yeah. I think we've sung just about every song in their library at this point. And most of the other 70s power bands."

"Huh."

"I mean, that's not all we do. We've done Britney Spears, Queen, Parliament Funkadelic, Jay-Z, we even tried to put on Rocky Horror last year."

"Let me guess… " Charlie interrupted.

"No," Kurt said firmly. "I was not Frankenfurter. I got harassed enough already, there was no need to add me in drag to the equation. I was Riff Raff and I was amazing, if you must know."

"Harassed?"

Of course. Leave it to Charlie to pick up on the one thing Kurt really hated talking about.

"Um, yes. Did you miss the part where I was the only out kid at school and part of the glee club?"

"What did they do?"

Kurt paused, unsure of what to really say. Should he tell Charlie everything? I mean, this was their first date and they'd only talked on the phone twice before and those were brief conversations. They really didn't really know each other that well at this point.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said. "You probably don't want to talk about that."

"Not really."

"Well, we're here," Charlie said, putting the car in park. "Let the date commence."

"This isn't Breadstix," Kurt said as he got out of the car in front of what looked like a kind of rundown Mexican restaurant.

"Yes, well, when you mentioned this was your first date, I figured I could do better than Breadstix. I'm guessing you've probably been there a few times?"

"At least twice a month," Kurt said.

"Exactly. So, instead, I thought I would bring you somewhere you probably haven't been. Hence, Rosa's. I know, it doesn't look like much, but this is real, authentic Mexican and it's fantastic. You do like Mexican food?"

"Um, yeah. Well, what little I've had, at least. My dad doesn't really like spicy food, so I haven't cooked it as much as I would like."

"Come on," Charlie said holding out his hand. "You'll love it. And if you don't, then we can go to Breadstix."

Kurt took a deep breath and slipped his hand into Charlie's. And, oh wow. He was holding hands with another boy on the streets in Lima. This was certainly a night for firsts.

They walked into the restaurant and Kurt paused to take in everything. It was small, maybe fifteen tables total in the place. The walls were painted bright yellow with a border of Mexican tiles running around the middle. Paintings of desert scenes and landscapes were placed haphazardly and Kurt had to admit, it had a certain charm to it. People were talking and laughing, customers were joking with the waiters and waitresses. One server passed by them, a tray full of steaming food and it smelled so wonderful Kurt almost moaned.

"What do you think?" Charlie asked.

"I think," Kurt replied, "that we should grab that last table by the window before someone else comes in."

Charlie laughed and led Kurt over to the table, picking up two menus that were propped between the salsa and hot sauce. Kurt looked over the menu and his mouth started watering at all the wonderful choices. He had no idea how he would ever decide what he wanted.

"If you don't know what you want," Charlie interrupted and seemingly reading Kurt's mind, "they do actually have a sampler platter kind of thing. It's not on the menu and it's usually just a mix of whatever the chef wants to serve, but I've never been disappointed."

"That sounds excellent," Kurt said.

Their waiter arrived shortly after that and they placed their order – Kurt asking after the sampler platter and Charlie ordering the chicken enchiladas with the verde sauce. A slightly uneasy silence filled the space between Kurt and Charlie after the server had left.

"Um," Kurt said clearing his throat. "How do you know about this place? I've lived in Lima all my life and I never knew this was here."

"A friend of mine from OSU, David, grew up here. Me and a couple other guys came up for a visit during a long weekend and we stumbled on this place. Well, I kind of fell in love with in it."

"It certainly is more than it appears, huh?" Kurt admitted.

Charlie just nodded in response and sipped his water. Kurt smiled as he waited for Charlie to say something.

"So, um, did you catch any of the playoffs?" Charlie asked.

"Playoffs?"

"College football?"

"Oh, um, I don't really watch sports," Kurt confessed. "I think I caught part of one game while my dad and Finn were watching. On New Years?"

"That was probably the Rose Bowl," Charlie said.

"Oh! That's the one with the big parade, right?"

"Yeah," Charlie laughed. "It used to be the championship game between the top schools, but now they rotate that between all the tournaments."

"How many are there?"

"There are four major games: the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. And then a bunch of minor ones that are too hard to keep track of."

Kurt just nodded unsure of how to reply. Were all dates this awkward? Because this was really awkward. The time he spent with Blaine wasn't nearly as odd as this. Maybe because they weren't actually dating, even if they did do date-like things. Kurt took a sip of the water the waitress had brought and looked out the window. It got dark so early this time of year; it always made Kurt a little sad. He'd read something about that once. How people got depressed in the winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or something like that.

"So, um, your dad is remarried?" Charlie asked, interrupting Kurt's thoughts.

"Yeah. Last year," Kurt answered. "I actually introduced him and Carole at one of those parent-teacher nights. Finn, my stepbrother, is actually a classmate of mine."

"That's interesting. What about your mom?"

"Oh, she, um, died when I was eight."

"Oh, crap. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Kurt reassured him. "You couldn't have known. It's been long enough that it's not as bad anymore."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"Cancer. So, we kinda knew it was coming. They caught it too late to really be able to do anything."

"I'm really sorry," Charlie said, laying his hand on Kurt's. "I can't even begin to imagine what that had to be like."

"It was rough for awhile. My dad and I made it through and now we're really close. When I came out to him, it wasn't a big deal. Well, you know, it was, but it wasn't. I know some kids don't have the best time of it. But, we have a great relationship. He's really kind of amazing."

"That's awesome," Charlie said. "My dad's not really like that. He kind of just ignores the whole gay thing. Like, if he doesn't acknowledge it, it'll just go away. I had a boyfriend in high school for a couple months and he came over for dinner a few times. My dad just basically ignored him."

"Oh, god," Kurt said.

"Yeah. Luckily, my mom is great. She tried her best to make him feel welcome, but… . It was hard. Ended up being one of the reasons we broke up."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Charlie said. "We've come to something of a silent truce. He'll at least talk to a guy when I bring someone home now, even if he doesn't refer to them as anything other than a 'friend'."

"That's gotta be tough."

Charlie just shrugged. "I mean, I'm off at college now so I'm not home all the time anymore. Could be worse."

Luckily, they were saved from anymore awkwardness by the arrival of their food. Kurt took one look at the platter and almost started drooling. It smelled delicious. There were two soft tacos with shredded beef, beans and rice, an enchilada of some kind with red sauce and a small chicken quesadilla. There were also sides of salsa, guacamole and sour cream to top it all off. He was going to have to spend an extra hour working out this weekend, but with the way everything smelled, it would definitely be worth it.

"This all looks really good," he said. "I don't know where to start!"

"I think that's a pork enchilada," Charlie said pointing at Kurt's plate. "That looks like the sauce it usually comes with, at least."

Kurt looked over the plate again figuring out where to start. Since the enchilada and quesadilla were wrapped, they would probably stay warm longer. So, tacos it was. He scooped some salsa and a little guacamole into the first shell before folding it up and taking a bite.

"Oh my god," he moaned around the food. "Sorry, but wow. That is possibly the best taco I've ever had. No, it is definitely the best taco I've ever had."

"I told you," Charlie said with a smile.

"That's amazing. It's spicy, but not just hot. There's a whole bunch of flavors just hiding underneath the heat. This is delicious."

Charlie just smiled and continued eating his dinner.

Kurt quickly finished the first taco and decided to try a bit of the enchilada next. He cut off one end and watched as shredded pork and rice and peppers and onions and cheese came oozing out. He took the first bite and this time he really did moan. He practically melted into his chair as the flavors exploded on his tongue.

"I have died and gone to food heaven," he said.

Charlie laughed out loud at that, drawing the attention of most of the restaurant.

"Seriously," Kurt said. "I'm bringing everyone I know here next weekend. This is amazing."

"Good," Charlie said. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

"I really am," Kurt said. "Best first date ever."

"Ah, but the night is not over yet," Charlie insisted. "I still have time to make it even better."

"I'm not sure that's possible."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Perhaps," Kurt teased.

Charlie winked. "I'm always up for a challenge."

"Um, so do you play football?" Kurt asked after a pause.

"No. Lacrosse, actually."

"That's the one with the sticks, right?"

"Yeah," Charlie laughed. "It's the one with sticks. I'm actually at OSU on a partial scholarship for lacrosse."

"Oh, that's exciting."

"What about you?" Charlie asked. "Any idea on where you want to go to college?"

"I'm looking at New York, actually," Kurt said. "NYU and American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A couple closer colleges, too, but New York is the dream."

"Ah. Some kind of performing arts, I take it?"

"Yeah. Musical theater," Kurt replied. "We went to New York for the National Show Choir competition last year and I just totally fell in love with the city. I need to see if I can make it there," Kurt added with a laugh.

Charlie just smiled weakly in response. Kurt sighed to himself. If he had made that joke to Blaine, they would have been laughing for the next five minutes and probably launch into a discussion on the merits of film versus live theater; Liza Minnelli's outstanding career achievements and probably then into a discussion of who was the best MC from Cabaret. Blaine preferred Joel Gray, while Kurt had a strange fondness for Alan Cumming. Apparently Charlie's knowledge of musical theater wasn't as extensive as he implied earlier.

"Anyway," Kurt continued. "It's a little scary because the competition is so fierce, even more so for the scholarships I would need to attend either school. There's auditions and essays and interviews and just… so much. It's a little nerve-wracking."

"What do you need for auditions?"

"Well, each school is a little different," Kurt said. "Generally a monologue of some sort and a couple songs so they can see the range of your talent, I guess."

"Have you decided what you're going to do yet?"

"Not entirely," Kurt moaned. "I have it narrowed down somewhat, but I just haven't been able to decide for sure."

"How much time do you have left to decide?" Charlie asked.

"Two weeks," Kurt laughed. "A friend of mine is going to be in town later this week and he said he'd help me make the final decision. So, hopefully everything will be finalized soon and I can stop panicking about that and start panicking about what I'm going to wear."

Charlie laughed a little too loudly at that. Kurt didn't think it was that funny, but he'd take it as a win at this point.

He wasn't joking, though. He'd literally had nightmares about showing up to audition and walking out on stage in those stupid overalls and the flannel shirt he still had in the very back of his closet from his John Mellencamp phase.

There was yet another moment of awkward silence between the two of them. Kurt started playing with his napkin and tearing to shreds while he tried to think of something to say, but he was just coming up completely blank. Luckily, he as saved yet again, by the waitress dropping off the check. Charlie grabbed it before Kurt could even offer.

"Don't bother," Charlie said. "I asked you out, that means I pay."

Kurt smiled his thanks before taking one last sip of his Diet Coke.

"You ready?" Charlie asked.

"Yup," Kurt replied.

They walked back to the car, Kurt's thoughts drifting to Charlie and how this date was going. Sure, Charlie was a nice guy, he was good looking, but it seemed like they didn't really have that much in common. Which, that could be a good thing, right? There had to be something to that old opposites attract adage.

"So, you enjoyed dinner?" Charlie asked as he pulled away from the restaurant.

"I did," Kurt said. "I've never had food like that."

"Good," Charlie said. "And now the date continues."

Kurt looked out the window as Charlie turned down a side street and noticed they weren't heading in the direction they should have been.

"We're not going to see a movie, are we?" he asked.

"Nope," Charlie replied.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"Nope."

"Not even if I tell you I hate surprises?"

"Do you hate surprises?" Charlie asked.

"Not really," Kurt had to admit.

"Then, no."

Kurt sighed and turned back to the window. He tried to figure out where they might be going by the neighborhoods Charlie was driving through, but he was completely turned around. Then Charlie made one last turn and Kurt's stomach dropped. When they pulled into the parking lot, Kurt was just in shock, really.

"Ice skating?" Kurt said. "That's such a clich�."

"It's not clich�. It's romantic!"

"What is romantic about strapping extremely sharp steel blades to your feet and trying to walk on ice without falling on your butt and probably bruising your coccyx?"

"Because I'll get to hold your hand to keep you from falling down."

Kurt couldn't help but smile as Charlie's cheesiness. "Well, when you put it like that," he said.

"And I'll buy you a hot chocolate when we're done."

"Deal," Kurt agreed.

That was how Kurt found himself being lead cautiously out onto the ice by Charlie. The last time he'd been ice skating was with his mom when he was probably six. So, yeah, he was a little nervous. He tried to push off and immediately fell on his ass.

Then promptly burst out laughing.

He should have been mad at possibly ruining his clothes by snagging them on the ice, but somehow, it was just hilarious.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked, helping Kurt back up.

"Yeah," Kurt said. "Mostly bruised my ego, I think."

"Want to try again?"

"Yeah."

Kurt let go of the wall he'd been leaning against and placed both his hands in Charlie's who started skating backwards very slowly. Kurt let himself just be pulled along until he got the feel for it. Once he was feeling more steady, he lifted one foot and tentatively pushed off again. This time he stayed standing.

"There you go!" Charlie encouraged.

Kurt just smiled and squeezed Charlie's hands in return. Surprisingly, he was actually having fun. He pushed off again and ended up putting so much oomph behind it, he ran into Charlie and sent them both sprawling to the ice. This time, though, Charlie was there to break his fall. Literally.

"Oh my god!" Kurt cried as he rolled off Charlie. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, laughing. "I'm fine. You want to keep going?"

"Definitely," Kurt said helping Charlie up. "How did you know about this place?" he asked as they set off again, side by side and still holding hands.

"I did a little research on Lima before I came up," Charlie said. "Just in case something caused a change in plans, so we wouldn't be stuck with nothing to do."

"I think I'm glad you did," Kurt admitted.

They skated around for another twenty minutes or so. Charlie talking about his hometown, a small suburb of Chicago.

"Public school is public school, anywhere, I think," he said. "We had our cliques like any other school, but no one ever really picked on anyone else. I mean, you had the occasional fight when one girl 'stole' another girl's boyfriend or something, but for the most part everyone just seemed to get along. If there were people you didn't like, you just ignored them."

"That sounds nice. McKinley is nowhere near that civilized," Kurt admitted.

"Oh?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, yeah. Let's see…. The baseball team hates the basketball team. The hockey team hates the football team. The football team just hates everyone. Except the Cheerios, probably. They're the cheerleading squad. And anyone in glee club is at the bottom of the high school food chain, regardless of them being on the football or basketball team or part of the Cheerios. Somehow, the A/V kids are fine, but I'm pretty sure it's because they have the school wired and have blackmail material on just about everyone."

"Well, that sounds delightful," Charlie said sarcastically.

"That's not even the half of it. There's a slushie machine in the courtyard. Oh, yeah," Kurt replied in response to Charlie's unasked question. "Most of us have taken to keeping a change of clothes in our locker."

"Wait, what? How can the administration let something like that go on?"

"Sue probably has something to do with it."

"Sue?"

"Sue Sylvester," Kurt explained. "She's the coach of the Cheerios and since they've won 6 consecutive national titles they pretty much let her get away with whatever she wants."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "She has her moments, though. She stepped down from being appointed principal to help keep an eye out for me in the halls."

"Why would she need to do that?"

Kurt sighed, regretting bringing up that time, but there was nothing he could do now. "Um, well, I tended to get the most unwanted attention, you could say. Being the only out gay kid and part of the glee club didn't exactly have me ranking high on the social ladder."

"I'm so sorry," Charlie said.

"It's okay," Kurt said. "This year has been much better now that the ringleader is gone, so. I'm fine, we're fine and next year I will be out of here."

By the time Kurt was done explaining life at McKinley, they'd gotten their skates off and were headed back to the car.

"So, how about that hot chocolate I promised?" Charlie asked.

"That would be lovely," Kurt replied. He ended up directing Charlie to the nearest Lima Bean as his Lima research hadn't been that intensive.

They snagged a table by one of the windows and chatted more about their differences growing up. Charlie was the middle of three children with an older brother and younger sister. His sister was actually eight years younger than him and had apparently been quite a surprise to his parents. Eventually, the evening ran down and the Lima Bean started to close.

They drove back to Kurt's house in silence, Kurt contemplating the evening and how it had gone. Overall, he thought it had gone well. There had been a few moments of awkwardness, but that was bound to happen when you were just starting to get to know another person, right? Well, except for Blaine. The only moment of awkwardness there had been between them had been earlier that evening over Skype. Even back when they first really met there had been an instantaneous connection, like they had known each other forever. But, well, that was never going to go anywhere.

So, here was Charlie. He was cute; he was nice; he seemed to genuinely like Kurt. Maybe that spark wasn't there quite yet, but Kurt could see the potential. If it didn't work out, maybe they could at least be friends.

When they arrived back at the house, Charlie got out and walked Kurt to the door, which Kurt had to admit was a nice touch.

"I, um, I had a nice time," Kurt said. "Thank you."

"I did, too," Charlie replied.

Kurt wasn't sure how to respond to that. Should he bring up the possibility of another date now? Ask if Charlie was going to call him? This was so weird. Then he noticed Charlie's eyes had dropped a little lower and seemed to be fixed on Kurt's lips that were currently being bitten in nervousness.

Oh.

Kurt sucked in a deep breath as Charlie leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Kurt's. It wasn't the best kiss, not that Kurt had much to compare with it. Both their lips were a little chapped from the cold and the angle was a little off, so Charlie got more of the corner of Kurt's mouth. Kurt tilted his head just slightly and it all finally clicked into place. Charlie's lips were a warm contrast to the cold air swirling around them and Kurt breathed in sharply when he felt Charlie's hand come up to cup his jaw. Charlie pulled back abruptly at the sound.

"Sorry," he said dropping his hand. "That's probably cold."

"That's okay," Kurt said a little breathlessly.

"So, I'll call you later this week?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that would be nice."

"Okay. Good night, Kurt."

"Good night, Charlie."

Kurt turned and walked into the house, peeking back out the window as Charlie drove off. He hung his coat and scarf in the hall closet and walked in a bit of a daze to the kitchen. He'd just been on his first date and gotten his first real kiss. There would probably be another date in the near future. Kurt Hummel's life was definitely looking up.

"Did you have a good time?"

Kurt started as his dad's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned and saw his dad sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and sipping some coffee as Carole paid some bills. She just looked up and smiled softly at Kurt. He had walked right by them and didn't even notice.

"Um, yeah," Kurt said. "It was a really good night."

"That's… that's good," Burt said.

"Are you going to see him again?" Carole asked.

"I think so. He's a really nice guy."

"We're happy for you, Kurt," Carole added.

Kurt walked over to the sink and filled a small glass with some water.

"I'm going to go do some reading and head to bed," Kurt said.

"All right. Night, Kurt," Burt said.

"Good night."

Kurt ran up the stairs to his room, gulped down the water and pulled out his phone to text Mercedes. Best first date ever!

Kurt spent Sunday catching up on the homework he didn't get to on Saturday and planning his weekly wardrobe. He was just putting the finishing touches on his English essay when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he said not checking the caller ID.

"Hey," Blaine said quietly.

"Blaine! Hi!"

"How are you?"

"Good, great. How are you?"

"Fine."

"So, what's up?"

"Um, I just wanted to check if we were still on for this weekend?" Blaine asked uncertainly.

Oh, right. Blaine was going to be in town and had offered to help Kurt make the final decision on his audition pieces.

"Yeah, definitely if you think you can still make it."

"Yeah, I'll be there. My flight gets in late Thursday evening. I can come over Friday after school if that works?"

"Actually, we have an institute day on Friday if you wanted to come over earlier?"

"I can do that," Blaine said. "Would 10:00 work?"

"That sounds great."

"Great. I'll, uh, I'll see you then, I guess."

"I'll be here."

"Well, bye."

"Bye."

Kurt hung up staring quizzically at his phone. That was weird. Things were never that weird between them. That was definitely the shortest conversation they'd ever had. Kurt's dad was constantly yelling at him over his phone bill and the hours long calls to California that happened several times a week. Blaine was probably just busy and distracted with the ten thousand things he had going on.

Luckily, that week was too busy for Kurt to dwell much on it. Mr. Schue was pushing really hard to get the original songs ready for Regionals next month, he had a test in economics and French and there was still a lot of audition material to sort through. By the time the doorbell rang Friday morning announcing Blaine's arrival, Kurt was ready to pull his hair out.

"Thank god," Kurt said as he opened the door for Blaine.

"Long week?" Blaine asked.

"Crazy week. Tests and song writing and choreography and songs to practice and monologues to learn and, well, yes," Kurt sighed. "I'm so happy you're here."

"What can I do to help?" Blaine asked as they walked into Kurt's room. His normally neat abode was littered with papers – sheet music, applications, monologues and homework were strewn everywhere. Kurt walked around picking up seemingly random sheets as he gestured for Blaine to make himself comfortable.

"Okay," Kurt said joining Blaine on his bed. "I have the songs narrowed down to these five that I need to choose for the last two pieces."

"Defying Gravity is your first song, right?" Blaine asked as he shuffled through the papers.

"Yes," Kurt confirmed.

"Then, I think you should go with this one as it's an older piece and should contrast well with Wicked. Then, hmm… ."

"I was thinking this one," Kurt said pulling out a song from the bottom. "I thought I could play the piano myself on it to help show that I can do more than just sing."

Kurt watched as Blaine looked the song over, humming to himself.

"I agree," Blaine said. "I think this is an excellent choice."

Kurt clapped in excitement. "Thank you so much! I'm so glad that decision is over."

"What about the monologue?"

"I think I have the perfect one. Would you like to hear it?"

"I would," Blaine said.

Kurt stood up and walked to the center of the room. He closed his eyes to get into the proper character and when he opened his eyes he was a young man, dying of a terrible disease and trying one last time to bond with his father.

"You've just told me some high spots in your memories. Want to hear mine? They're all connected with the sea. Here's one…"

Kurt paused as Blaine cocked his head as if looking confused.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing, why?"

"You just look like you want to say something. Is this not a good choice?"

"No, it is," Blaine said. "I guess I'm just a little surprised at your decision."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, I just… I guess I didn't think Eugene O'Neill was something you would be drawn to."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just, you know, you're singing Defying Gravity and you wear kilts and glitter on a regular basis."

Kurt was fuming. What right did Blaine have to judge him like that? Blaine was his friend. He thought Blaine knew him better than that.

"You know the whole speech I'm about to say, right? How do you think a speech about a man not feeling like he belongs is something I might not be able to sympathize with? Despite what you may think you know about me," he told Blaine, "there is more to me than unconventional song choices and a fabulous wardrobe. I'm not as superficial as you apparently think I am."

Blaine dropped his head and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. I'm stressing and taking it out on you and… I should know better than that."

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing serious, I promise. Please, I'd like to hear the rest of the monologue."

Kurt nodded, giving Blaine a break, but he wasn't done. They were bound to stop rehearsing at some point and he would get Blaine to talk. He got himself back into the headspace he needed and started again. This time he made it all the way through before waiting for Blaine to respond.

"Wow," Blaine said. "That was really… not bad."

"Your confidence in me is overwhelming," Kurt said flatly.

"No, sorry. It was good, definitely, but it could use some work."

Blaine motioned Kurt over to the bed and they proceeded to tear the speech apart, looking for words or phrases to emphasize, any moments that would benefit from a little physical acting. Kurt didn't want to overdo it, but he also didn't want to just stand there like a mannequin delivering a speech.

They worked until their stomachs started rumbling too loudly to ignore and decided to take a break for lunch. They went down to the kitchen and raided the fridge for sandwiches.

"Where's Finn?" Blaine asked.

"Over at Rachel's, I think. They're working on a song for Regionals."

"You guys are doing all original songs again?"

"Yup. Well, except for the Song From A Movie requirement for this year."

"Have you figured that one out yet?"

"Of course not," Kurt said, to which Blaine laughed. "Mercedes and I are pushing for Seasons of Love from Rent. With a lot of us being seniors this year, we were thinking we could split the few solo parts between all of us. Plus, Mercedes would totally kill that note."

"That she would," Blaine agreed. "That girl has got some pipes on her."

"She really does. So, what has you all moody?" Kurt asked changing the subject.

"Nothing. Just… Indecisiveness, I guess. The label wants me to go back into the studio and start recording another album. Alan wants me to keep touring, but as the opening act for a more established group. He thinks it would be good to get me in front of stadium audiences to try and draw in new fans."

"What do you think?" Kurt asked.

Blaine just blinked at Kurt in surprise. "You know," he said. "You're the first person to ask me that."

"So, if you had to make the decision right now, which would you choose?"

"Tour," Blaine said without hesitating. "Getting to record an album is great and everything, but, man, there's nothing like that rush from a live audience."

"Well, there's your answer then."

"But it's not up to me."

"It should be somewhat," Kurt said. "It is your life. When you get back to LA, call Alan and tell him what you want to do. I've only met him briefly, but it seems like he really has your back."

"Yeah," Blaine said. "He does. He's a good guy."

"Then, he'll make it work."

"Thanks, Kurt."

"You're welcome. Now, if he mentions anything about touring with Lady Gaga, you will call me immediately so we can figure out how to smuggle me into your luggage."

Blaine laughed so hard that Kurt was afraid he might crack a rib. He couldn't help but smile in return. It seemed like whatever weirdness there had been between them was gone and they were back to being Kurt and Blaine, again.

"Now," Blaine said once he'd composed himself. "How do you feel about a little sight reading?"

Over the next month, Kurt and Charlie managed to get a fairly regular schedule of phone calls and chatting set-up. Kurt eventually convinced Charlie to try Skype and they had a standing "date" every Friday evening.

One Friday night, Kurt logged in and rang Charlie, but it seemed as if Charlie was running late as he didn't answer. He hung up and pulled out his monologue for the audition while he waited to try back. He was about half way through his second read when his Skype started ringing. He looked up to see Charlie calling him. He accepted the call and waited for Charlie to come on screen.

"Hey!" Charlie said.

Kurt, however, was briefly speechless as Charlie was sitting there, shirtless and wet, water running down from his hairline and cascading along his wonderfully muscular neck.

"Sorry," Charlie apologized. "Practice ran late and I just got out of the shower. You weren't waiting long were you?"

"No," Kurt said, shaking his head out of the stupor. "It's fine."

"So, how was your week?" Charlie asked as he stretched and folded his hands behind his head.

Oh, wow, Kurt thought. Charlie had some really impressive biceps and shoulders. Not to mention his chest and what little of his abs Kurt could see.

"Kurt?" Charlie said.

"Yes! Sorry, what?" Kurt said. He could feel his face heating up and really hated that he blushed so easily.

"I'm making you uncomfortable," Charlie said.

"No!" Kurt said. "It's just, um, unexpected, I guess. Rough practice?"

"Not anymore than usual," Charlie said. "The season starts in a couple weeks, so coach has been pushing us extra hard lately. How about you?"

"Not too bad. I've figured out everything I'm doing for my audition next month, so that's a relief. Now I just need to practice until I can do it all backwards while standing on my head."

"I'm sure you'll be great," Charlie said.

They talked for another half hour or so before Charlie had to go. There was team bonding night out or something that he had to get ready for. Charlie promised to call in a couple days before signing off.

Once his Skype was closed, Kurt turned and flopped face down on his bed, groaning in frustration. He'd figured Charlie would have an awesome body from the way he dressed and his being an athlete, but actually seeing it was awakening feelings that Kurt wasn't sure he was ready to deal with yet.

The first week of February, Kurt and his dad made the drive out to New York. At two o'clock on Friday afternoon, Kurt walked out onto the stage of the NYU auditorium with his heart pounding in his chest. He handed his paperwork and headshot to the student helper, the sheet music to the accompanist and walked to the mark downstage center as he had been instructed and stared at the panel of four judges, waiting for them to acknowledge him and the audition to begin.

"Name and hometown, please," one of the judges said as he flipped through a stack of papers.

"My name is Kurt Hummel and I'm from Lima, Ohio."

"Small town boy with big dreams of Broadway, huh?"

"Yes, sir," Kurt replied confidently.

"All right. We'll start with your monologue and then move on to the pieces of music."

"Certainly," Kurt said. "I'll be doing a speech by Edmund from Long Day's Journey Into Night."

"Whenever you're ready."

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath to center himself. He set the scene in his mind. He wasn't on a stage in a New York college; he was laying bed, recalling fond memories of his youth with his father. He opened his eyes and began.

He'd practiced this speech so much that it was just second nature at this point. All the notes he'd made with Blaine, the movements they'd penned in, the words that should be emphasized over others, it all just flowed. Before he knew it, he'd reached the end and slowly came back to himself and his environment.

"Well done, Mr. Hummel," the judge on the end said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Kurt replied politely.

"I see you've chosen Defying Gravity as one of your audition songs. Can you tell us why?"

"Ever since I first saw Wicked I've felt a strong connection to Elphaba. We were both teased and persecuted in a sense because of how we were born. I can't help being gay any more than Elphaba could help being green. Most of the kids at my school didn't understand this and decided to make my life a living hell. For me, Defying Gravity is about realizing that it's everyone else who has a problem and no matter what they think, I can do whatever I want."

"Very well. Whenever you're ready."

He took a deep breath before nodding at the pianist to begin. As the piano introduction ended, he sang the words he'd sung so many times before. But today, oh today, he was amazing. Today, he was Elphaba showing all those dumb jocks that Kurt Hummel would not be pushed around. Today, he would show all those small town, close minded idiots that Kurt Hummel was a force to be reckoned with. And today, when he came to that last note, he hit the high F with all his might and it rang out clear as a bell in that auditorium.

"Very impressive," one of the judges commented. "Do you always sing in the countertenor register?"

"Most of the time," Kurt replied. "There have been a few times that I've had to sing lower to help balance out the other voices in my glee club back home."

"Have you prepared She's Got A Way in its original key?"

"I have, yes."

"We'd like to hear that next."

"I'm also prepared to accompany myself on that piece, if that's all right," Kurt added.

"That's fine."

Kurt moved over the piano as the accompanist stood. The sheet music had already been arranged, but Kurt took a moment to settle himself in front of the piano, letting his fingers get a feel for the keys. He played the opening chords and relaxed his vocal chords to be sure the opening note came out strong and on key. He'd had a habit of starting off flat while practicing, overcompensating too much for his naturally higher voice. Not today. Today he was dead on. He closed his eyes and let the music just take him away.

He was stopped half way through the chorus the second time. "You have a very impressive range, Mr. Hummel. What sort of training have you had?"

"Vocally, well, none, sir," Kurt answered taking his place downstage again. "I did take piano lessons for several years and my teacher would occasionally work vocal exercises into the lessons when she found out I could sing, but I haven't had any real formal training."

"Interesting."

Kurt wasn't sure how to respond to that and so said nothing. He waited as the judges talked among themselves for a few minutes.

"We're going to move on to the sight reading piece. You'll have one minute to look it over before we begin. The cuts are noted in the music. Your time begins now."

Kurt looked down at the sheet music he had been handed by the accompanist - With Cat Like Tread from Pirates of Penzance. He was vaguely familiar with the show, but not this song. He hummed the first couple bars to try and get a feel for the melody and tempo. This could definitely be a tongue twister, he thought. But he felt confident that the last three years of preparing numbers for competition at the last minute with New Directions, and his time with Blaine, had him fully prepared for this moment. He counted off the bars until it was time for him to come in and hoped he sounded confident as he started.

With cat-like tread,
Upon our prey we steal;
In silence dread,
Our cautious way we feel.
No sound at all!
We never speak a word;
A fly's foot-fall
Would be distinctly heard

He made sure to pay particular attention to the dynamics of the vocals, when he needed to be loud and strong and when to be quiet and subtle. The song went through that first chorus, the first verse and bridge and then one more repeat of the chorus. Kurt was very glad when he made it through with little difficulty and only stumbling over a few of the rhythms. Overall, he was very happy with how the whole audition had gone.

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel," the head judge said. "You'll be hearing from us by mid-March."

"Thank you very much," Kurt said before leaving the stage. Once he was out of sight, he ran back to the lobby where is his dad was waiting for him. "Dad!" he called.

"How'd it go?" Burt asked standing anxiously.

"It was amazing! I nailed everything. It was as close to perfect as it could have been. I think they really liked me," Kurt said.

"Of course they did. Why wouldn't they?"

"Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome. Now, how about a steak to celebrate?"

Kurt just laughed and tried to talk his dad into something a little healthier.

Later that evening, Kurt wandered down to the hotel lobby to call Blaine as he'd promised. He curled up in a chair tucked away behind a plant and waited for Blaine to pick up.

"How'd it go?" Blaine said as soon as he answered.

"Well, hello, to you, too," Kurt teased.

"Yes, fine, hi. Now, how'd it go?"

"It was amazing, Blaine. I was amazing," he said. "Everything was so spot on; I nailed every note, every emotion. It couldn't have been more perfect."

"What was the sight reading song?"

"With Cat Like Tread from Pirates of Penzance."

"Oo. Gilbert and Sullivan. That can be tricky."

"It was," Kurt agreed. "I got through it, rather well I think."

"Did they say when you would hear?"

"Sometime in March," Kurt sighed. "So, like six long weeks."

"That's not that far," Blaine said. "You do have Regionals coming up to help distract you."

"This is true. Did you figure out whether or not you would be able to make it back for the competition?"

"I think so. My sister's birthday is the week after that, so I should be able to be there for the weekend before that. I'll give you a call when I know for sure."

"Sounds like a plan," Kurt said.

"You'll get in, Kurt," Blaine said quietly. "They'd be crazy not to take you."

"Thank you," Kurt said, his voice tight as his eyes began to tear.

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"Nothing," Kurt laughed as the tears escaped. "Just, you've been wonderful, really, and no matter what happens, I… I appreciate everything you've done for me. So, thank you."

"You're my friend, Kurt," Blaine replied. "If I can help, I will."

"Well, either way. Thank you."

"Then, you're welcome," Blaine said.

Kurt yawned audibly, his jaw cracking with the motion.

"Sounds like you should get to bed," Blaine laughed.

"Yeah, it's been a long day," Kurt agreed. "Good night, Blaine."

"Good night, Kurt."

Sunday night, after Kurt and his dad and had gotten home and filled everyone in on the audition, he finally called Charlie.

"Hey!" Charlie said as he answered. "You guys back home?"

"Yeah, we got in a couple hours ago, but there was dinner and catching up with Carole and Finn. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"No," Charlie said. "I could use a little break from the homework. So, how'd it go?"

"It went really, really well. I don't think I could have done any better."

"That's excellent. Do you know when you'll find out if you made it or not?"

"Sometime next month."

"Oo. That's a long wait," Charlie said.

"It is!" Kurt exclaimed. "Everyone keeps telling me that the time will just fly by, but why can't I just find out now?"

Charlie chuckled at Kurt's rant. "Hey, here's something to help pass the time. A bunch of us are going to be up in Lima for the weekend. Would you like to meet us at the movies Saturday night?"

"You want me to meet your friends?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Charlie assured him. "I may have been bragging about you a little bit. Some of them aren't sure you exist, so I would love to be able to prove them wrong."

Kurt was really glad Charlie couldn't see him right now as he was pretty sure he was turning a really interesting shade of red. "I, uh, yeah. I think I can do that."

"Great! I don't think we've settled on a movie yet, but I'll call you as soon I know anything."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Excellent. Well, I better get back to this organic chem lab write up."

"Well, that sounds like fun," Kurt teased.

"It's not," Charlie laughed. "It's really not."

"I'll talk to you later. Night!"

"Night, Kurt."