Kurt looked around and noted that it was decently sized, about twenty tables spaced out among the room, and on the opposite wall of the front door lay a small stage. He leaned back in the plush cushy chair and sipped his mocha. “I thought you said we were going to get lunch,” Kurt said as his stomach growled quietly. Rachel bit her lip and glanced at the clock on the wall above the barista counter.

“Don’t you at least want to finish your drink?” she asked and Kurt narrowed his eyes at her. Why had she dragged him out to a random coffee shop at least a mile away from his office? Why did she keep fidgeting and glancing at the clock? Something wasn’t right. Rachel was hiding something, and Kurt knew he could get her to spill.

“What are you-” but before Kurt could finish his sentence, the lights above the stage began to turn on and a man in a black shirt with the caf�’s logo on it spoke into a microphone.

“Hello everyone, thank you for coming out. We have a special afternoon performance today that I think you’re all going to enjoy. He’s getting warmed up but he’ll be out in a second, so make sure to give him a warm Espresso Self welcome.” The man smiled at the audience, obviously proud of the punny caf� name, and the coffee shop attendees gave him a pity applause, to which he bowed.

Kurt blinked at the man before looking down at his cup. He quickly downed the rest of his coffee before handing the empty cup to Rachel. She looked down at it quizzically. “I finished. Can we go now?” Kurt stood up and grabbed his coat, not wanting to see the train wreck of a performance that was bound to occur and began walking toward the door.

“How’s everyone doing today?” Kurt froze midstride. He knew that voice. He would recognize it anywhere. He could pick it out if it was whispering in a room full of screaming people. “My name’s Blaine Anderson.” Kurt slowly turned around and looked over to the stage where Blaine stood in a gray sweater and those damn pants that never seem to cover his ankles. His normally gelled hair was unruly and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Kurt wouldn’t be surprised; he himself hadn’t slept a wink since they broke up two weeks ago.

“I actually want to sing a song to a certain someone,” Blaine said, his eyes locking with Kurt’s. Kurt took a deep breath and reached out to hold onto the closest thing to him, which happened to be Rachel’s arm. When had she gotten there?

Clocks marching at the double time
Every dollar has become a dime
Hearts breaking at the speed of sound
Falling down, all around

Bombs lighting up the eastern sky
The backroom deals and the bottom lines
The Earth’s shaking but we don’t know why
A million fires, oceans rise

I leave it all when I feel you near
What I’m saying is I need you here
Even though love never seems to last
If you think we’ve got a chance

Stay awhile
Oh you got to stay awhile
These days are wild
So, Kurt, won’t you stay awhile

Blaine sat on a stool in the middle of the stage playing a guitar softly but letting his voice ring out above the chords and fill the caf�. Kurt gripped Rachel like a lifeline. He could feel the tears burning his eyes and he thought his legs might give out under him. He vaguely registered Rachel leading him back to their previous table and sitting him down. He never took his eyes off Blaine and Blaine did the same.

They’re going to tell you what you want to hear
Like, I can make you a star next year
Well, if New York City’s lights are so bright
How come so many people cry tonight

Stay awhile
Oh you got to stay awhile
These days are wild
So Kurt won’t you stay awhile

Blaine let his voice fade off and he looked at Kurt with misty eyes. The caf� audience began to erupt in applause but Kurt was still frozen. Blaine seemed to look at him in askance and Kurt felt his head nod ever so slightly. Blaine hopped off the stage and ran over to Kurt, stopping about a foot away. He knelt down so he was a little shorter than Kurt’s line of vision and took Kurt’s hands tentatively. “I know that you probably don’t forgive me, and I completely understand that. But I couldn’t just let you go without telling you that I still love you. I love you more than anything in the world, Kurt, and if you still love me, then can we at least try to make this work?” Kurt watched as the tears fell down Blaine’s cheeks and found himself brushing them away with his fingertips. Blaine instantly leaned into the touch. Kurt took a deep breath around the lump in his throat.

“I want to make this work too,” he whispered, unable to do much else. Blaine smiled then cried more openly and Kurt let out a choked laugh. “You’re supposed to stop crying after I say yes,” he said, but he could feel the heat of his own tears cascading down his face. Blaine kissed Kurt’s knuckles as he continued to stroke Blaine’s face. They would do whatever it took to make this work. “I love you.”