Chapter One: The Second Meeting

“We did it, we finished high school,” Jeff cried, looping an arm round Blaine’s neck and all but dragging him into the coffee shop. “Why are you not more excited Blaine?” he asked with a pout.

“Maybe because you’re about to strangle him to death,” Nick answered for Blaine, who had been thinking that exact thing.

“Oops, sorry.” Jeff let Blaine go.

“No you’re not,” Blaine laughed as the three friends entered the Lima Bean coffee shop.

Once inside they waved to the rest of their group who they were meeting, all graduating warblers, before moving into line. After ordering and paying for his drink Blaine moved to the counter to pick it up, he stood and scanned his eyes over the other patrons. He loved to people watch in coffee shops. Near the front he saw a high school couple staring lovingly at each other, there was a business man doing something on his tablet further back and a mother trying to keep her children seated in the middle. At one small table at the back a young man sat alone reading what looked like Vogue. Blaine almost did a double take, he knew that face and it was one he had never expected to see again.

The barista called out his order.

“He’s probably gay and this is Ohio so he may well be single,” Nick said causing Blaine to blush. He hadn’t realised he’d been blatantly staring.

“No, it’s not that, I think I know him,” Blaine answered.

“Uhuh, sure, join us when he shoots you down,” Jeff laughed, before being elbowed in the side by Nick. “Or you know, gives you his number,” he added hastily.

“Remind me never to ask you to be my wingman,” Blaine replied, moving towards the man. He already knew there was no hope in persuading the boys he wasn’t after a date.

“Excuse me,” he said upon reaching the man’s table. Blaine smiled as the young man jumped and looked up, wide eyed. Happiness and then panic flashed across his face before it settled into mild curiosity.

“Hello,” the man replied with a musical voice that confirmed he was who Blaine thought he was.

“This feels ridiculous now, you probably don’t remember me,” Blaine half mumbled, embarrassed, it had been so long.

“I do, Blaine Anderson,” the man smiled and waved a hand to the empty seat across from him. “I’m surprised you remember me though.”

“Kurt Hummel, the terrible but endearing spy,” Blaine replied and the two young men laughed. “It’s been a long time,” Blaine stated.

“I know, I’m sorry, what must you think of me, disappearing like that.”

“It’s ok, I know what happened,” Blaine said, “when you didn’t reply to any texts I went to Mckinley to check you were ok.”

“That must have been a shock, to find out I wasn’t ok but it had nothing to do with bullies,” Kurt replied.

“I didn’t know what to do when your brother told me what happened, I wanted to go to the hospital to see you but I didn’t in the end, I’d only met you the once, I barely knew you.”

“Yet, in some respects, you knew me better than anyone,” Kurt mused.

“What do you mean?” Blaine asked, confused.

“No one else knew the extent of the bullying, no one could understand it properly even if they did. You were the only person I ever met that knew what it was like, that actually gave me decent advice. Then I go and crash my car end up in a coma for two and half years and it’s all worthless now.”

Blaine blinked slowly as Kurt relaxed his perfect posture to slouch down with an irritated sigh. His mind quickly calculated the time since Kurt’s accident.

“Kurt, when did you wake up?” he asked carefully. Looking back up Kurt smiled weakly.

“About a month ago,” he replied, “my Dad and Step- Mom are still fussing over me constantly, hence the being here for the peace and quiet.” 

“I’m sorry,” Blaine said, for lack of anything else to say.

“Don’t be, you didn’t cause me to crash.”

“Yeah but I called you back, maybe if you’d left straight after the performance you wouldn’t have.”

“Don’t do that, it was an accident, I swerved to avoid a stupid squirrel and I hydroplaned. If anything it’s the squirrel’s fault, I hope it got eaten,” Kurt grinned ruthlessly. Blaine laughed.

“Do you always change your mood so fast?” he asked breathlessly.

“No, this whole thing just confuses me, I mean I’m happy to be alive I could easily have died that day but I didn’t so I’m happy but I’m angry and upset too, I missed two years of school, I have to repeat my junior and senior year’s. All my friends are gone or going, not to mention my heads a mess.”

“What do you mean?” Blaine asked, cocking his head slightly to the side.

“Just, I had this dream while I was asleep and sometimes I forget it wasn’t real.” Kurt frowned slightly after that sentence. “I never told anyone that, what is it about you?”

“Oh I’m magic, I can charm secrets out of anyone,” Blaine grinned.

“Well you seem a dangerous person to hang around with.”

“But what’s life like without a least a little danger?”

“Are you flirting with me Mr Anderson?”

“Do you want me too?” Blaine asked with a teasing smile. Kurt’s confident smirk gave way to a bashful smile in a second and looked down, cheeks red.

“I… er….,” He mumbled.

“Hey sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out,” Blaine said trying to comfort the man.

“Sorry, I’m not sure how I’m meant to act sometimes, trying to reconcile the inexperienced 16 year old with the, well, equally inexperienced but less inclined to show it 19 year old. Also your friends are leering at us,” Kurt replied. Turning Blaine glanced at his friends who were all suddenly overly interested in their conversations, Jeff busy making far too over the top hand gestures and nearly knocking Trent’s coffee into his lap.

“They think I’m asking for your number,” Blaine replied, turning back to Kurt with a small shrug. “It was easier to allow them to believe that than explain who you were. Most of them won’t remember the terrible spy.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” Kurt protested.

“You were walking around in a bad parody of the uniform.” The two fell into fits of laughter.

Once they had calmed down Kurt glanced once more at the group of Dalton boys.

“I’m stealing you away from your friends; you should get back to them.”

“They’ll live, I feel bad leaving you on your own,” Blaine replied.

“Don’t, I came here on my own, besides do you know how much fashion I have to catch up on?” Kurt asked, perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised as he lifted his magazine showing it to be an old issue of Vogue.

“Ok, well I shall leave you too it then,” Blaine reluctantly replied, standing up and grabbing his untouched coffee. “My number never changed,” he said by way of a parting.

He was met by cheers and wolf whistles as he sat down with the rest of his Dalton friends. Ignoring their prying questions he sat back and finally took a drink of his rapidly cooling coffee and thought of Kurt. So absorbed was he in his thoughts he jumped as a serviette fluttered down onto the table in front of him and a hand alighted briefly on his shoulder. Looking up Blaine saw Kurt heading towards the door. Silence had fallen around the table as everyone waited to see what had been written on the serviette that Kurt had left. Picking it up he unfolded it slowly, a smile spreading across his face as he read the words written in neat script across it:

My number has changed. x

The one line was followed by a phone number.

“Come on Blaine, what is it?” Jeff asked on the edge of his seat.

“His number,” Blaine answered, a Cheshire cat grin over taking his face as he sat back smugly.

“Get in!” Jeff cried.

*

“Excuse me,” a high voice called out to Blaine as he hurried down the stairs. Turning, he glanced up at the figure a few steps above him. It was obvious he wasn’t a student by the lack of uniform, all though credit to his trying to fit in, with the outfit he was wearing. He explained he was new and asked about the hubbub going on around them. The conversation was short and sweet but what Blaine really latched onto during it was the boy’s name. Kurt. It was just an ordinary name, nothing spectacular or unusual about it but for some reason it resonated with in Blaine’s mind.

Blaine never believed in love at first sight, he wasn’t in love with Kurt, he didn’t know him but it was undeniable that there was a connection there. He didn’t know what Kurt would be to him yet, he just knew he would be something.

He grabbed Kurt’s hand.

*

Blaine lay on his side on his bed. He’d already programmed Kurt’s number into his phone and his finger was now hovering over the call button. He remembered meeting him, so long ago, at least it felt long ago to his young mind. When Kurt had driven away from Dalton that day Blaine had told himself he wouldn’t ask Kurt out no matter how much he wanted too. Kurt needed a mentor first. He could work on the dating thing later, when Kurt was in a better place.

Kurt had just woken from a two and a half year coma, was he in a better place now? Probably not but he didn’t need Blaine as a mentor anymore. Blaine knew he was leaving for college in just a few months, nothing they did now would be serious but they could have fun, Blaine would just make sure Kurt knew from the start. He pressed call and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello,” Kurt answered quickly, his voice curious to know who the unknown caller was.

“So you updated on this season’s clothes yet?” Blaine asked, hoping Kurt realised who it was. Kurt laughed.

“Please, I made sure I knew what this season’s clothes were as soon as I woke up. Honestly, I wouldn’t stop badgering the poor nurse.” Blaine laughed along with Kurt at his reply. “You called,” Kurt said after a short pause.

“Indeed, you gave me your number.”

“No, actually this is my brother’s phone.”

“Really?”

“No but apparently you’re gullible, good to know.”

“We haven’t even gone out and you’re already cataloguing my weakness, great.”

“Gone out?” Kurt almost squeaked out, his voice rising in pitch.

“I wasn’t calling just to chat, although that chatting is fun,” Blaine answered, biting his lip nervously.

“So… is that you asking me out?” Kurt’s voice shook a little.

“No, this is though. Kurt Hummel, would you let me take out to dinner tomorrow night?” Blaine asked.

“I… yes, yes I would,” Kurt answered, breathlessly.

“Great see you then! Wait, what’s your address?” Blaine asked. Kurt told him and the pair spoke a little longer before they said goodnight.

Dropping his phone onto his night stand Blaine lay back and grinned to himself. Tomorrow was going to be awesome.