"Kiss me again," Blaine whispered, holding Kurt in his arms. 

Kurt shook his head, "If I kiss you now, I dont think I can stop."

"Then dont stop."

Kurt leaned forward and began shaking Blaine and...

Kurt was shaking Blaine out of his dream.  He must have fallen asleep. 

"I got the door open," Kurt said. 

"Wha...oh."  Blaine blinked his eyes open and stood on stiff legs.  He trudged sleepily behind Kurt to the back room, and the rear door swung open easily.  In the predawn, Blaine could see his neighbors truck parked a respectable distance away, covered in a light powering of snow.  He looked down.  The snow on the ground in the alley was pristine and untrammeled.  As far as Blaine knew, it hadnt snowed since yesterday afternoon. 

Blaine turned back to look at Kurt, and he noticed that Kurt was already bundled up in a coat and scarf. 

"Im going to take off.  It was...interesting."  Kurt looked a little at a loss for what to do, and then he simply put a hand on Blaines arm for a second, "Bye, Blaine." 

"Bye, Kurt."  Blaine wanted to clutch Kurt to himself and never let him go, but he didnt.  Something was holding Kurt back, and Blaine didnt want to push.  

Kurt started off down the alley and Blaine watched him go.  Then Kurts steps faltered.  He whirled around and came back to where Blaine was standing, unmoving in the alley.  Kurt stepped close to Blaine and brushed his lips, feather light, against Blaines cheek.  He gave Blaine a small smile, "Just for the record," he said, "a part of me will always love you, too."

And with that, he took off down the street. 

"Whats up, Blainers?" asked Mikes wife, Tina, sliding onto a bar stool early one evening. 

The bar was largely deserted.  It wouldnt get busy for another couple of hours. 

"Same old, same old," Blaine responded, putting a wine glass on the counter and pouring white Zinfandel in the glass.  Blaine couldnt see how anyone could drink that sweet swill, but it was Tinas go-to drink, which just meant there was no accounting for some peoples taste. 

"Thats not what Ive heard," Tina said, raising her glass in a silent salute before taking a sip. 

"Oh?" Blaine arched an eyebrow. 

"I heard that Kurt was here a couple of weeks ago to see you.  What was that about?"

"He was here a couple of weeks ago.  We talked."

This time it was Tinas turn to raise an eyebrow, "Oh-ho!  Mike said you two spent the night here.  So, you talked did you?  Were you wearing clothes at the time?"

"Tina!" Blaines voice conveyed his outrage.  Then it softened, "We just...kissed."

"Oh my God, Blaine!  Thats incredible!  Was it amazing?  I bet it was amazing."

Blaine smiled, color tinging his cheeks, "It was very nice."

"So?  Whats going on?  Are you two dating again?"

Blaines smile faded, and he shook his head sadly, "No.  We kissed, and he left, and I havent heard from him since.  Its been two weeks."

"Two weeks?  Seriously?  Why havent you called him?"

Blaine wiped at a non-existent spot on the bar with his towel.  "Its not that simple, Tina.  I feel like its up to him whether he wants to let me back into his life or not.  Now that Ive seen him after all these years, I dont want to scare him away.  Or maybe I already have, since he hasnt called me."

"So youre giving him all the power?"

Blaine opened his mouth to object, but then he reconsidered Tinas words, "Kind of," he shrugged.  "I cheated on him. Thats a lot to make up for."

"You cheated on him back in the dark ages.  Blaine, surely Kurt has forgiven you after all this time.  I mean, I can barely remember high school.  Nobody can hold a grudge that long.  Anyhow, you cant let him call all the shots."

"So you think its a bad idea to wait?"

Tina rolled her eyes, "I think its your life, too, Blaine.  Youre a great guy; you deserve to be happy.  You deserve to be forgiven.  You also have the right to ask for what you want.  Whats the worst that could happen?"

"He could never talk to me again."

"It sounds like hes not talking to you now."

Blaine considered that.  "Tru-ue," he said slowly, dragging out the consonant sound.  "But Im also not sure what I want.  Its been ten years since we broke up.  Kurt could be a completely different person now.  Hes kind of weirdly guarded with me sometimes lately; he was always so open and honest before-admirably so.  I know Im different in a lot of ways, too.  What if were not compatible anymore?"

"Men," Tina griped, shaking her head.  "This is why I had to be the one to propose to Mike.  Gay, straight, youre all idiots.  How will you know if youre compatible or not, if you dont ask him out?"

"What if I fall in love all over again, and he doesnt love me back?"

Tina tugged at her hair in frustration, "Aargh!  Blaine!  How will you know any of this if you dont put yourself out there?  What if a big, red fire truck crashes through the bar?  What if space aliens land?  What if the cast of Wicked tap dances naked down the street?  You cant know whats going to happen.  Deal with whats right in front of you.  Do you want to talk to Kurt or not?"

Blaine gave Tina a sheepish look, "I do."

"Then call him."

"Okay."  Blaine pulled out his phone, looked at it, and asked, "Can I send him a text, instead?"

Tina threw her hands up in the air, "Fine!"

Blaine typed a brief text that he showed to Tina for her approval before he sent. 

Blaine:  Id really like to see you.  Are you free later this week?

There was no response for a long time.  Blaine finally gave up and set his attention toward serving customers.  His worst fears were realized; Kurt didnt want to see him ever again. 

Blaine jumped when his phone finally chimed.

Kurt:  Ill meet you on the Main Deck of the Empire State Building at 3 pm on Thursday. 

That was oddly specific. Blaine had never been there, even though hed lived in New York City for years.  It sounded kind of romantic and fun.  That was a good sign, right?  It also sounded a bit grandiose for a simple talk, but Blaine was willing to play along. 

Blaine:  Ill be there.