�

Kurt awoke; he rolled over and fell off Rachel’s futon. His heart sank as he remembered what had happened last night, and he was still convinced Blaine was lying to him. He was�going out with Sebastian - he could feel it. Kurt needed to let go of Blaine but he just wasn’t ready to ... if he was honest he didn’t think he ever would. He promised Blaine, years ago, that he’d never�say goodbye to him, and Kurt knew it would kill him to do so ... but he had to, because staying with Blaine while he was falling for someone else hurt too much.

�

~~~

Blaine barely slept. He’d made himself sleep on the couch; he didn’t feel right sleeping in their bed without Kurt. He did however steal Kurt’s pillow to sleep with, or rather to bury his face into and cry. He rolled of the couch at around 6:15am unable to sleep. He sat at the piano and tickled the ivories. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his favourite memories of he and Kurt flickered on the 3D Imax of his mind.

�

~~~

Kurt entered work, his eyes puffy from crying - he looked thin and pale from lack of sleep. He made a bee-line for his desk keeping his eyes down, hoping to avoid contact with his colleagues.� It didn’t work - he had to give his designs to the art department, supervise the latest photo shoot (Harriet was out today) and solve all other minor issues as they cropped up.

�

At noon Blaine phoned and he ignored the call. He didn’t want to talk to him right now - he couldn’t, not when he was at work. He’d break down again, and that’s the last thing he needed to do at work, let alone on a day where he was essentially in charge. Blaine called again several times during lunch and each call met with a sigh and an internal debate over whether to answer it which was usually resolved by Kurt slamming his phone down on the table. After about five cycles of this routine, Charlotte noticed something was up.

�

“Kurt?” She asked cautiously. He looked up sharply, dreading the obvious impending question.

�

“Yes?” He said in a clipped tone.

�

“What’s up? You keep slamming your phone down.”

�

“Blaine keeps calling me.” Kurt sighed. “We had another fight last night … I invited him to a party and he turned me down for Smythe.”

�

“Oh, Kurt.”

�

“He says he’s not ... he says he wants a quiet night in - but he’s lying. I know he is.”

�

Charlotte nodded attentively.

�

“I just can’t trust him anymore ... I mean, how many other times has he blown me off to hang out with him?!”

�

“I understand, Kurt. I wish I could help - make you feel better ...” she said, a sad smile on her face.

�

“I hate not being able to trust him, or believe a single word that leaves his lips … he keeps saying him loves me, and that’s a lie too. If he loved me he wouldn’t make me feel like this, like I'm cheap and worthless - like these twelve years meant nothing to him.” Tears pooled in his eyes. “They've truly been the best years of my life, and it was all because of him … and I ...” Kurt trailed off and fully broke down.

�

Charlotte wrapped an arm around her friend's tired body and cradled him while he sobbed. He cried on her shoulder for more than an hour.

�

“I - I - I think ...” Kurt said when he had calmed somewhat,� “I ... m-m-might h-have to ask him f-for a divor-orce.”

�

“Oh, honeybun ... are you sure?”

�

"N-n-no ... bu-but if he’d be happier wi-with some-someone else, then I-I- It'll break m-my heart. He al-already di-did … bu-but l-leaving him wi-will be th-the har-ardest th-thing I’ll e-ever ha-ave to do.”

�

“Oh Kurt, I’ll be here for you - I'll help you through it, I promise.”

�

“Th-thanks. Um, Lotti?”

�

“Yeah?”

�

“Would you like to come to the party tonight? I don’t know many people there except Jeremiah, and I expect Matt.”

�

“Sure - sounds fun.” She smiled.

�

~~~

Meanwhile

�

When Blaine entered the office he was met with looks of both pride and fear. His spat with Sebastian yesterday was the talk of the office and everyone seemed wary around him now. Kelsey ushered Blaine into his office - she could see that he'd been crying and had obviously barely slept.

�

“What happened?” She demanded when she’d closed the door.

�

Blaine sighed. He hated that she could read him like a book.

�

“Kurt and I had another fight last night - it was only a small one and we kinda made up … but I think he's thinking of leaving me.” tears rolled down Blaine's cheeks.

�

“Why d'you think that, peanut?”

�

“Because I goddamn broke his heart! And last night he called me and sang ‘Barely Breathing’. It sounded like he was going to ask for a divorce, Kels.”

�

“Oh, honey.” she said, rubbing his shoulder gently. “What did you guys fight about?”

�

“I didn’t want to go to this party he invited me to, so I said I was hanging out with work friends, and he jumped to conculsions and thought I was going out with Smythe ... and I know I shouldn’t have lied, I just wanted a night in alone, and …”

�

“Oh, Blainey.” She cooed.

�

“How can I make it up to him? I just want one more chance.”

�

“You could surprise him at the party? Ooh - serenade him … you’re good at that kind of stuff.”

�

“Yeah ... yeah, I guess I could. Thanks, Kels.”

�

Kelsey and Blaine spent the rest of the day planning what Blaine was going to do at the party. Kelsey gushed about Darren, how he’d taken her on the best date last night; he'd taken her to her favourite French restaurant, and for a romantic stroll in the snow in Central Park. Blaine smiled, pleased that his best friend was happy - but he was also saddened as he remembered that he and Kurt used to be like that, and yet more flashbacks swam through his head.

�

�“I need to find out where it is. I’ll text Lotti.”

�

Hey, Lotti - Blaine

�

What do YOU want? - L�

�

You hate me, don’t you ... look, i'm planning on surprising Kurt at the party tonight. I need the address - B

�

you think?!? and I thought you had plans with SMYTHE? - L

�

well I don’t! I hate the guy… just please, Lotti? please, I want to at least try to fix things … I don’t want to lose him - B

�

Well you should have thought about that before you fucked another guy! - L

�

I ficling lnow thst!�... Blaine texted back through his tears.

�

What?? Okay,� okay, I’ll give you the address - it's 616 Draper Road in Brooklyn, I can't say how he’ll react when he sees you there though - L

�

tjanka….

�

He wrote down the address sobbing, and then left work early because he 'didn’t feel too good’. He went home and prepared what and how he was going to serenade Kurt.

�

~~~

�

When Kurt arrived back home he was surprised to see Blaine sat at the piano.

�

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out with ‘work friends’?” Kurt hissed sarcastically.

�

“I said I wanted a quiet night in.” said Blaine quietly

�

“Yeah, yeah - whatever, Blaine.” It was clear Kurt was still mad at him.

�

“I am, I’m just staying in ... I just want some time to myself. It's been a very long week.” Blaine lied, hoping to sound convincing. he didn’t want Kurt to figure out he was going to the party too.

�

“Hmm.” Kurt hummed, still trying to decide whether or not Blaine was lying ... part of him was starting to believe him.

�

“Yes.”

�

Kurt finished getting ready and restyled his hair. He came out in his grey skinnies, a plain white shirt and black blazer. On his lapel was the hippo-head brooch Blaine had bought him for Christmas the year they met. Blaine turned as Kurt cleared his throat.

�

“How do I look?” he asked, always keen to get Blaine's opinion on his outfit.

�

“Uh ... what?” said Blaine, unable to keep himself from staring. Kurt looked stunning. Blaine loved those pants and that blazer made his abs look amazing.

�

“What do you think of my outfit?” asked Kurt, trying not to laugh.

�

“You look amazing, Kurt.”

�

“Thank you.” Kurt blushed.

�

“Seriously,” Blaine walked tentatively over to Kurt. “You look beautiful.”

�

Blaine looked deep into Kurt’s eyes, wanting to kiss him so much.

�

“Well, thank you Blaine. Are you sure�you don’t want to come with me?”

�

“Yeah ... I'm sorry, Kurt - I think I just need a quiet night at home tonight. I have to write a review on this new book anyway.” He smiled weakly.

�

“Oh ... okay. Well I’ll see you later then?”

�

“Yeah.”

�

Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek.

�

“Love you.”

�

“Love you too, Kurt.”

�

Kurt left reluctantly, really wanting Blaine to forget everything else and come with him. It had been ages since they had been to a house party together ... he really missed Blaine, he felt so disconnected to him and he hated that. He wished so much that they could go back to how they were, before Kurt found out, before Blaine even started the affair.

�

~~~

“Kurt!” Jeremiah exclaimed when Kurt entered the huge apartment.

�

“Hi.” Kurt smiled weakly.

�

“No husband, then?”

�

“No, he didn’t want to come ... I did invite him.” Kurt added sadly, wishing Blaine was there with him.

�

“Hey Kurt!” said Matt cheerily.

�

“Hey, Matt.” Kurt greeted his friend, a fake smile on his face.

�

Jeremiah saw straight through it and jumped up on stage and began to sing, badly.

�