Kurt had walked away from David’s funeral, hopeful. Scared, but hopeful. But as the days passed and Blaine hadn’t sent a single text or email or made a single phone call, Kurt eventually just felt hurt. Like all the pain that he’d managed to push down and forget, all the memories of the night that he and Blaine had ended their relationship, all came flooding to the surface. Together with the new pain from knowing that Blaine had lied to him, it was overwhelming. Blaine had said all the right words to get himself right back into Kurt’s good graces, and he never meant a single one. Never in his life had Kurt Hummel been more done with Blaine Anderson.

Yes, Kurt still had Blaine’s number and his email address. He could have called, he could have sent a text message, he could have emailed. But he didn’t. Every time he sat down to make the call, send the text, or write the email, he froze. The fear of putting himself out on the line for Blaine after he’d crushed him before was paralyzing. If Blaine had wanted him in his life he’d make the first move, he’d send a simple ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’ or ‘how are you?’ and that first awkward step would be taken. Kurt could respond and then they could fall into whatever was to come.

But nothing ever happened.

Kurt convinced himself after that, that he didn’t need a romance. He didn’t need love or Blaine. He’d focus on school, and finding a job, and getting to graduation. And if he felt the need to feel that little something in his heart, he drag Rachel over and they’d watch Mamma Mia because Meryl Streep was flawless and Dominic what’s-his-face was gorgeous. And because it had the least amount of sadness than all the other movies Kurt had. Except during Winner Takes It All. That just left both Kurt and Rachel in each other’s arms, tears running down their cheeks.

Some days, Kurt missed Blaine a lot, sometimes just a little, sometimes not at all. On those days, he just felt anger.

But Kurt did what he said he was going to do. He finished school and found a very entry level position for a company just starting out, but for which Kurt could see promise in. It was a job. And most importantly, he loved it. Getting up and ready for each day was a pleasurable thing. He’d found a place in the very large world that was New York City.

The story of Joshua was completely clich�. It was New Years Eve the year that Kurt and Rachel graduated from college. The production that Rachel had a two word line in was throwing a bash and Rachel insisted that Kurt come along. He had originally been hesitant to go, but as the end of the year came closer, it looked more and more like Kurt could either go with Rachel, or spend the night alone in their apartment. Plus, it was nearly impossible for Kurt to say no to a reason to dress up.

Rachel introduced Joshua, a taller man with blonde curls and stunning blue eyes, and Kurt before making it completely obvious that she was setting them up and hurrying away. Kurt and Joshua had both laughed through the awkward minutes following Rachel’s departure, but somehow through the uneasy small talk a real conversation started. It was followed by coffee, then dinner, then a double date with Rachel and her boyfriend and the next thing Kurt knew a year had passed and everything Blaine Anderson got tucked away in the very back of his mind, only to be accessed by his inner thoughts when something reminded him of a time long ago and sometimes when Rachel insisted they tell Joshua the story about their only National championship with New Directions which almost didn’t happen for a number of dramatic reasons.

New York was turning to be everything that Kurt had dreamed it would be, even if his dream had originally had a different leading man at his side. The details weren’t important. He was happy, that was all that mattered.

Spring began to turn into summer and the skies of New York were gorgeous through the mountainous buildings. Kurt walked down the crowded streets to meet Rachel outside the theatre where she was rehearsing so they could have a long needed lunch date. Between Rachel’s rehearsal schedule for her new show and the extra hours Kurt had to put in at work so that he can prove to his boss that he totally deserved the promotion he was up for, they hadn’t had time to do much more than send a couple texts and they finally both had an hour to give to the other. Kurt’s phone rang as he approached the theatre; he smiled seeing that it was Joshua.

“Hey you,” Kurt said holding his phone up to his ear.

“Hey yourself. You’re still coming tonight right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. How’s work?”

“Busy. But I managed to slip away for a little while and I’m going to lunch with Rachel.”

“Good, tell her I say hello.”

“Will do.”

Joshua said something else, but it didn’t register. He doesn’t hear it because as he approached the theatre the entire production was outside. He almost immediately spotted Rachel chatting amongst some of the people she worked with. More importantly he spotted her talking with a mass of curls he would recognize anywhere. A head of hair that stopped him in his tracks.

“Kurt?” Joshua yelled into the phone, “Kurt is everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve gotta go,” Kurt said hanging up the phone without a formal goodbye.

Kurt watched Rachel smiling and laughing with the curls and he couldn’t help but feel betrayed. Rachel caught his gaze and the smile immediately dropped from her face. When the curls turned around, it’s confirmed, there’s no more denying it, because the curls did in fact belong to Blaine Anderson. Blaine Anderson who was supposed to be on the other side of the country, the Blaine Anderson who didn’t want anything to do with Kurt and wasn’t ever supposed to show up in the story of his life again was in fact there, talking to his best friend, laughing with his best friend. He only looked in Kurt’s direction for a moment before turning back to Rachel who said goodbye and hurried towards Kurt.

“You have to let me explain,” she said as she took Kurt’s hand and directed him away from the theatre and towards the previously agreed upon caf� where they were to have lunch.

#break#

“I found out last week,” Rachel said her head down after a nearly silent meal.

“You should have told me,” Kurt said.

“We haven’t had time to talk to each other Kurt. This isn’t exactly something I wanted to tell you via text message.”

“I know this isn’t your fault. I’m sorry for getting angry,” Kurt said putting his hand over Rachel’s, “but it’s just-he’s here, in New York. Working with you.”

“I know. But you don’t have to see him.”

“But I’ll know he’s here. Plus, this city may be huge, but I have terrible luck. Isn’t it obvious?”

“Maybe it isn’t luck?”

“What, might I ask, would it be then?”

“Fate.”

“Stop it right there!” Kurt said pointing a finger in Rachel’s direction, “Rachel you’re supposed to be on my side here.”

“I am! But maybe-well Kurt, maybe this is your chance to make everything right with Blaine.”

“I’m not interested in being with him romantically. I am very happy with Joshua thank you very much! I‘m not interested in him at all.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant, Kurt, was that maybe you can get some closure.”

“I’ve had closure since the moment I realized he wasn’t going to call,” Kurt said looking only at his coffee cup but he could feel the look Rachel was giving him long before he looked up to meet it, “Okay, maybe you’re right. But I don’t know if I can just walk up to him, look him in the eye, and just forgive everything today.”

“I’m not asking you to. I’m just saying that if the moment arises for you two to talk, or be in the same room, you evaluate your emotions before acting.”

“Fine,” Kurt said reaching into his bag, pulling out his wallet and setting enough money to cover both of their meals down in front of Rachel, “I have to go.”

Kurt kissed the top of Rachel’s head before disappearing out of the caf�. He walked past the theatre on his way back to the office. Inside was Blaine Anderson, the boy who’d broken Kurt’s heart twice. Maybe Rachel was right. Maybe Blaine living and working in New York could finally be the chance to do what he should’ve done in front of that tree years ago. He should have let go and made peace with his relationship with Blaine then. Maybe he could let go of all of the anger and the hurt and the betrayal.

Maybe.

But not today.