To: Quinn

I'm on my way back now. Sorry I was gone so long.

From: Quinn

Oh, no worries. I said take as long as you need, didn't I? Four hours is *nothing*.

To: Quinn

Why do I get the feeling that everyone is peering over your shoulder, wanting you to ask me what happened?

From: Santana

Because that's what we're *doing*.

To: Santana

Wonderful.

To: Quinn

Just ask already. I feel sure you're all dying to know.

From: Quinn

If you insist. What happened?

To: Quinn

I listened to him play, he asked for my number and then he took me for coffee at the café where he works.

To: Quinn

What's the damage?

From Quinn

Tina squealed a little, Lauren actually fist-pumped and Santana said things I don't really want to repeat.

To: Quinn

I think I can use my imagination. And it's really not that big a deal.

From: Quinn

But you haven't been into anyone since Dean broke up with you. Three months ago.

To: Quinn

What about Blonde Robert?

From: Quinn

Like that counted. You were just drunk. And you already liked Blaine.

To: Quinn

…Shut up.

From: Quinn

Just because I'm right?

To: Quinn

I'll see you when I get back, OK? Put the theorising on hold until then.

Kurt walks towards his office cautiously. No one he passes asks him anything; they just smile, maybe say hello. Then again, Quinn, Tina, Santana and Lauren are nowhere to be found. Kurt knows they'll be waiting for him, and he half-considers dashing back out, or perhaps going to talk to someone else about nothing very important. Brittany, maybe: it'd be a distraction, at least.

But a little part of him does want to share this with them. He wants to be able to gush with them about Blaine, like he had when Mike finally proposed to Tina, or Puck got his act together and asked Lauren out again, aiming for a proper, functional, grown-up relationship this time around. He wants to share this with them because they're his friends and he loves them, despite the fact that they drive him crazy sometimes.

He sighs and pushes open the door to his office, walking in to find them all – as expected – crowded round his desk, waiting for him.

"How did I know you'd all be here?" he asks, sighing heavily. "You're like vultures." He looks at them all. "I suppose you want to know what happened, don't you?"

Quinn and Tina wave their hands dismissively, saying that they won't force him to do anything. Lauren shrugs, unable to hide her curiosity. Santana rolls her eyes at them.

"Well, I want to know," she says, "and I'm not going to pussyfoot around. Spill it, Hummel."

"Santana!" Tina cries. "I thought we were being nice!"

"Well, you can't expect Satan to agree to that," Kurt says, smiling fondly at Santana, who pokes her tongue out at him. "But really, I don't mind. I'll tell you."

Quinn and Tina grin; Santana and Lauren gesture impatiently for him to continue.

Kurt rolls his eyes as he begins to describe his afternoon. "Once I found him, he asked me to request a song," he says slowly, remembering everything that happened. "I didn't really know what to say, so I just told him The Beatles."

"What song did he pick?" Tina asks eagerly.

"Love Me Do." Kurt glances down, fiddling with the sleeve of his jumper and trying not to smile too much. Tina giggles, stuffing her fist into her mouth.

"Damn, Hummel," Santana asks, "why are you not all up on that?"

"Because I've just met him? Because I don't know if he likes me?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Quinn says briskly. "Why would he pick that song, out of The Beatles' entire back catalogue, if he doesn't like you?" Kurt frowns, uncertain, as Tina, Lauren and Santana nod in agreement with Quinn. "What else did he sing?"

"Somebody to Love by Queen, Crazy in Love by Beyoncé and For the First Time by The Script."

Four pairs of eyebrows shoot up. "And you don't know if he likes you," Lauren mutters. "He couldn't be more obvious if he tried."

"...Okay, maybe," Kurt says, because even though he thought the same thing at the time, he can't help but second guess himself. This sort of thing doesn't happen to him; that's not how it works. He gets boys he meets in the bar or guys his friends know. He doesn't get a handsome stranger and a budding romance that wouldn't be out of place in a Disney film.

"Maybe, my arse," Lauren says, forthright as ever.

Tina shushes her and Quinn gestures for him to continue. "Carry on Kurt; what happened next?"

"We were talking. Arguing, a little bit, because he wouldn't take the money I gave him. Stupid, really," he says, rolling his eyes. "Then he asked for my number, so I gave it to him; but after that it got a bit awkward. He kind of looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to."

Santana looks at him hard. "He asked you out, didn't he?"

Damn, she's good, Kurt thinks. He waits for the other three girls to calm down a little but before he replies.

"Not...exactly. He asked me to go and get coffee, and we went to the coffee shop he works in - his friend owns it. I met all his friends, and they're so nice. Weird, but really nice."

"Enough about his friends," Quinn says impatiently, "what about Blaine?"

Kurt can't stop his smile widening. "He's...he's amazing," he says softly. "He says he's a big fan of the magazine and he's from Ohio too. He was in show choir when he was in high school and...we just have so much in common, you know? It's so easy to talk to him." He glance up at the girls. "What?"

"Sappy much?" Santana says. She's smiling, though, looking genuinely pleased for him.

"Hush, you," he says. "I have to listen to you and Britt go on and on about your sex life; the least you can do is not tease when I share considerably less personal information."

"Hear, hear," Lauren murmurs. Santana glares.

"We're really pleased for you, Kurt," Tina says, ignoring Lauren and Santana's scrap. "We want to meet him now, though."

Quinn smiles a little evilly and nods. "Definitely."

"Maybe," Kurt counters. "I don't want to terrify him by subjecting him to all your crazy this soon." He reaches across the space between them and hugs each of them in turn. "Now shoo. Don't you all have jobs and stuff?" He grins as they scowl playfully at him and troop out, leaving Kurt to put into action the plan that has been forming in the back of his mind since he left Warbling Away.

He sits down at his desk and pulls up the subscriptions list. He's halfway through typing in Blaine and his friends' names when he realises that he doesn't know any of their surnames; then he wonders why it took him so long to notice and sighs at how distracted he is. He taps in the rest of Trent's name and then quickly googles the address of Wes' café, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and texting Blaine.

To: Blaine

Hey, what's your surname? And Wes, Nick, Jeff and Trent's? - Kurt

From: Blaine

Anderson. And Montgomery, Duval, Sterling and Nixon. Why? - Blaine

To: Blaine

That's a surprise. Just...keep an eye out for some post in about a week.

From: Blaine

?

To: Blaine

Hush, you. And thanks.

From: Blaine

You're welcome. Hey, you busy Friday night?

To: Blaine

No, why?

From: Blaine

I'm playing at 55 Bar on Friday and I wondered if you wanted to come.

To: Blaine

That sounds really nice. I'd like that.

From: Blaine

Cool. Bring your friends; I'd like to meet them. I'm on about 8pm.

To: Blaine

OK, 8pm. See you then x

Kurt deliberates long and hard over that kiss, wondering whether or not it's too forward. He gives himself a shake and presses 'send' before he can chicken out. It's worth it when he gets Blaine's reply: Looking forward to it x.

Kurt restrains himself from dancing in his seat and pokes his head round the door.

"Tina," he calls, "are you busy on Friday?"

Kurt opens the door to Mercedes at seven o'clock precisely. He immediately flings his arms around her and gathers her close to him in a tight hug. "I've missed you so much," he says, rocking from side to side. "It sucks that Chicago is so far away from New York."

"I know, I know," Mercedes says, stepping inside Kurt's flat and setting her bags on the floor by the door. "But it just fits me so much better, the musical scene in Chicago. And at least I don't have to fight for parts with Rachel anymore." She laughs and so does Kurt, pulling her into the apartment and sitting her down on the sofa.

"One minute," he says, disappearing into the kitchen. He returns a few moments later clutching two spoons and a large tub of low-fat frozen yoghurt.

"It's like you read my mind," Mercedes says with a grin. She grabs a spoon as Kurt sits down and faces her, scooping out a spoonful from the tub and putting it in her mouth. "Now come on, I want all the gossip. Everything since Christmas."

Kurt swallows his own mouthful, thinking. "Um...Mike and Tina are engaged now," he says, "but Tina told you that, right?" Mercedes nods, gesturing with one hand for him to continue. "Okay...Puck and Lauren are giving it another go. It's working pretty well," he adds, as Mercedes raises her eyebrows incredulously. "Puck's grown up some since high school."

"I'll take your word for it."

"You do that. Otherwise, Santana and Britt are still disgustingly loved up. Finn and Rachel definitely aren't - I don't even know if they can work through it this time; it might be a permanent deal-breaker." Kurt frowns, remembering the latest argument. That was a month ago now, and Finn and Rachel still haven't spoken. Normally they only last through a week of the silent treatment, tops. That's what makes Kurt think that this might be the last straw.

Mercedes sighs. "It's nothing new; they've been like this for years. But enough about everyone else - what about you? How are you without Dean?"

"I'm fine, honestly," Kurt says, rolling his eyes but pleased with her concern. "It's been months, after all."

"Tina said you've been...withdrawn. I think that's the word she used."

"Of course she did." Kurt scowls at his knees, making a mental note to casually bring this up to Tina and make her feel guilty for ratting him out to Mercedes.

"Hey, you," Mercedes says, seeming to read his mind. "Don't make her feel bad, will you? She was just worried about you."

Kurt's expression softens as he nods. "I know."

"She, uh...she also mentioned that you've met someone."

Oh, for goodness' sake. "Yes. I have. Just recently."

"Well, why haven't you told me already?" Mercedes asks, the sound almost exploding from her.

"Because," Kurt replies, restraining himself from just launching straight into the story like he wants to, "a) I knew you were coming down today and I wanted to tell you in person; and b) nothing significant happened until today."

"Well, okay, fine," Mercedes says. "But you better spill everything now. I want all the deets."

"Okay, okay, all right," Kurt says. He scoops up another spoonful of frozen yoghurt and settles back against the arm rest to tell the whole story. "Well, his name's Blaine..."