Blaine was true to his word and he called the next day in the evening between sets, not too late. It was a welcome distraction, though Kurt was certain anytime Blaine called it would be welcome – distraction or not, because it made him stop working for the twenty or so minutes they had to talk. Kurt found it easy to fall into the habit of getting home from Vogue, changing out of his work clothes, and then immediately sitting down to work on his projects. Dinner got forgotten until his stomach reminded him, growling and feeling like it was going to start eating itself out of spite and necessity, but when Blaine called it was usually a good break and reminder to grab something to eat.

It became a nightly routine, Blaine calling and telling him about the events at the bar while Kurt took time away from his desk to get some food and listen, interjecting comments and questions throughout the stories, between bites of dinner. Then an hour or so after hanging up, getting a second call to give him a chance to spin his tales from Vogue for the day and to be reminded to get some sleep once Blaine went back to work, because he didn’t want to be responsible for Kurt messing up someone’s coffee order the next morning.

Kurt did his best to make himself take a night off at least once a week, and go to the Big Bang to visit Brittany and watch Rachel flirt shamelessly with Puck. She’d confided in him that Puck was clearly interested but she didn’t want to seem too easy to get, and Kurt had bit his tongue to keep from saying that would have been her greatest acting feat to date. He would never say she was easy, because she wasn’t in the traditional connotation of the word, but when it came to something that she wanted she didn’t give up, and to go for something so ferociously and then try to play hard to get? Well, he would gladly sit back and watch that go down.

Brittany’s birthday party came up quickly, and Kurt had long since finished the dress he was working on for it. It was a tad fancier than the first dress he’d made her, pale blue to match the dress from the classic Disney cartoon version of the movie, but instead of the apron he’d just added a white sash to go around the waist. It was tucked carefully into a box, wrapped with shining paper and tied off with colorful ribbons, a card slid beneath the bow. Presentation was everything, after all.

The jacket that he’d made himself was a work of art, if he was being honest. He’d had fun with it, drawing inspiration from the cartoon and live action versions of the film, taking colors and designs and really just doing whatever he wanted. The lining was whimsical and bold, a hidden secret with a matching pocket square tucked in front of a 10/6 card like was typically tucked in the Mad Hatter’s hat. He’d found brooches of both a top had and a teapot, and he figured if there was ever a cause to wear two at once, it was Brittany’s birthday party.

He had directions to the party, but he opted to take a cab instead of the subway as he didn’t particularly want his careful wrapping job destroyed by strangers pressing up against him. The party was being held at the dance studio where Brittany and Mike taught, because while she had the option of using the Big Bang, since it was closed for the night anyway and the manager loved her, she hadn’t wanted to spend one of her nights off in the place where she spent most of her nights anyway.

Settled into the back of the taxi, he slid his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial number to call Blaine. It was a Tuesday night, after all, and Mondays and Tuesdays generally meant hours of conversation considering he didn’t have to work. While Kurt was already feeling slight remorse on how much he’d be missing, he knew there was always the next night. Besides, Brittany’s birthday trumped phone calls that happened on a daily regularity.

“Why hello, Kurt Hummel,” Blaine answered, and Kurt instantly smiled. “You’re early.”

“Yes, and regretfully I can only be here shortly,” Kurt replied, glancing out the window as they moved through traffic. “The busy life of a socialite, you see.”

“Abandoning me for a life of fake smiles and luxury,” Blaine said with a sigh. “I see how it is.”

“I just figured I’d call and warn you that should you try to call later, I might not be able to answer. I’ll do my best, of course.”

“Of course,” Blaine repeated. “Did you have a good day, at least?”

“I did. I love working with the pleasant, laid back designers. It makes me feel less like I’m about to be killed at any moment.”

“Heaven forbid you get the wrong buttons.”

“Exactly,” Kurt said with a grin, fiddling with his brooches to straighten them. “How about you?”

“I didn’t get any wrong buttons.”

“Blaine.”

“My day was fine, nothing to eventful. That’s how I like my days off to be, though I did have to put out one or two fires of the Santana variety,” Blaine responded, then broke off with a loud “Ow!”

“What happened?” Kurt asked, eyes widening.

“What happened? In my younger and foolish years, I thought it might be a good idea to move in with this sharp tongued yet occasionally hilarious girl and unwittingly started living with a physically abusive woman.”

“Once again I find myself pleased that I live alone,” Kurt said with a mock sigh, grinning at Blaine’s indignant huff in response. “Well it’s true! I live a lovely, if not a tad lonely, abuse-free life.”

“Generally speaking, so do I. She just gets in these moods – ow! – and apparently it’s one of those days.”

Kurt glanced up as the taxi came to a stop and the driver glanced back at him, gesturing out toward the sidewalk. He looked out, double checking the address to what he wrote down, and dug his wallet out of his pocket to pay. “Blaine, I’m going to have to let you go and just hope you make it through the night without being a victim of homicide.”

“Abandoning me for the highfaluting city life?”

“For now, yes,” Kurt said, giving the cab driver a ‘thank you’ before climbing out and ducking his way under the closest awning to avoid the people moving along the sidewalk. “I would say I’d call you later, but I don’t know how late it would be and considering it’s a night that you don’t have to be up super late…”

“I might be,” Blaine offered. “Shoot me a text, and I’ll give you a call if I’m awake. If not, well then I guess this is good night.”

“I’ll do that,” Kurt agreed. “Good night, Blaine.”

He slid his phone into the inside pocket of his jacket and he headed through the door and up the stairs to the dance studio, not realizing until he got to the top of the steps that he wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. Brittany was his friend, sure, but he didn’t know anyone else of her acquaintance – at least not in New York. He set his jaw and nudged open the door to get into the studio. He was Kurt Hummel, dammit, and he was perfectly capable of making friends with new people. Besides, if they were friends with Brittany, he had to assume that they were good people.

“Kurt!” Mike saw him first, coming over and clapping a hand onto his shoulder with a broad smile. “Wait, Kurt, right? I’m not making up your name? From the park? He who brought the pretty dress?”

“No, that’s me,” Kurt replied, offering him a smile and nodding.

“Great! Welcome to our humble little studio,” Mike said, making a wide sweeping gesture with his arm. “I don’t know who all you know—”

“You,” Kurt answered quickly. “Well, and Brittany, obviously, and that’s all.”

“Ah well, that won’t last long. Here, I’ll help start. Tina!” Mike shouted over the music and a pretty Asian girl came sauntering over. “Kurt, my girlfriend Tina. Tina, Brittany’s friend Kurt.”

“Oh!” Tina’s eyes widened and her gaze lingered over him for maybe a second longer than was generally acceptable, but in the end she reached over to squeeze his hand. “I don’t bite. Come on, let’s get you something to drink! I’ll find a place for you to put that, too.” She motioned toward the gift in his hand and led him further into the studio.

It wasn’t necessarily decorated that heavily, but they had the right kind of lighting to lend itself to dancing, and there was plenty of that going on in the middle of the dance floor. Kurt hadn’t been in a dance studio in years, but the wall of mirrors and hard wood floors weren’t unknown to him. Tina glanced up at him and smiled, taking the box from his hands and setting it down on a small table off to the side.

“I’ve heard good things about you.”

“Well I’d hope the bad things weren’t getting spread around,” Kurt quipped, and she laughed lightly.

“If they were, I doubt they’d be coming from Brittany,” she said. “Did you want a drink? I promise it won’t make you shrink or grow, no matter what anyone else might tell you.”

“Sure. What is—”

“Kurt!” He barely had time to turn before he was engulfed in Brittany’s arms, her face burrowed against his neck. “Oh Kurt, I’m so glad you’re here!” She stood back and held him at arm’s length, and she was wearing the pink dress he’d made her.

“Nice dress.”

“It’s a special day,” she replied with a grin, swiveling her hips back and forth to make the skirt swish around. “You look really nice!” Her eyes swept over him, starting from the tall boots he was wearing and up over his jacket, widening a little as they took in the little details. “Kurt.”

“Alice in Wonderland themed party, no?” he asked, waving his hand airily. “Seemed fitting.”

“I love it,” she whispered, her fingertips brushing over his brooches and up along the lapel of his jacket. “It’s perfect! You’d be such a good Hatter!”

“Well I know it’s actually your birthday, not your unbirthday…”

“Not really! My birthday was Sunday, so it is my unbirthday today.”

“Then blow out the candles my dear, and make your wish come true,” Kurt sang softly, earning a bright smile from her. “A merry, merry unbirthday to you.”

“Best Hatter ever,” Brittany said, slipping her hand into his and giving it a squeeze. “Come on, I want to introduce you to everybody!”

Kurt soon found himself amidst a mixture of people from the bar, most of whom he recognized, and from the dance studio, who he did not. Everyone was friendly and in high spirits, but he couldn’t imagine a reason why they wouldn’t be. Parties for friends’ birthdays were always great celebrations, but even more so when that person was as sweet as Brittany was. The pop music was streaming through the speakers and drinks were flowing easily, and Kurt wasn’t entirely sure who was handing out the cups but they were making sure no one’s hand was empty.

It was nice, feeling like he fit into a group without really trying. He was so used to one-on-one interaction, and the only real group setting he dealt with was at Vogue. As nice as some of his coworkers were, there was no denying that the industry was cutthroat and he was constantly wondering what any of them were saying behind his back. Everyone there at the party seemed to accept him instantly, at least on the surface, with just the introduction from Brittany of “this is my friend, Kurt!” That was all it took.

Tina abducted him again, demanding he dance with her because as much as she loved dancing with Mike, sometimes she felt like she was trying to keep up. He tried not to get offended at the implication that she wouldn’t need to keep up with him, but then reminded himself that Mike was a professional and of course he shouldn’t read anything into it. Besides, who was he to deny a dance to a new friend? He didn’t know what was in his drink, as it’d just been described to him as ‘mad tea’ but it was enough to make him feel loose and not care enough to goof off with Tina as Queen blasted in the background.

“Can I steal you for a minute, dude?” Puck’s arm slung around his shoulder and Kurt nearly stumbled under the sudden weight and also surprise. “Not to dance or anything, no offense.” Tina shrugged, giving Kurt a light pat on the chest in thanks before wandering off to find her boyfriend, and Puck hauled Kurt away under the pretense of getting snacks but mostly to interrogate him about Rachel. Her tactics were working just as well as Kurt thought they were – and that was not at all. Of course they were confusing, but Kurt did his best to reassure Puck of her intentions without actually overstepping.

Kurt wasn’t sure how many little ‘eat me’ cakes he’d consumed while listening to Puck, but he was certain it was at least a few too many. Thankfully Brittany swooped in to rescue him, demanding to know if she was allowed to open his present because the bow was so beautiful and she wanted to wear it like a headband, which meant taking it off and she couldn’t do that without opening the rest of it too because that just wouldn’t be right, now would it?

“It’s your unbirthday, I think that means you get to do whatever you want,” Kurt conceded, giving Puck a small wave as Brittany hooked her arm through his and tugged him away.

“Yes, but isn’t it everyone’s unbirthday?”

“Perhaps, but it’s your birthday party.”

“I guess that’s true!” Brittany picked up his gift off the table and bit her lip, glancing around before her gaze settled on a door just off to the side. “Oh! Perfect.” She motioned for him to follow her and pushed the door open, going into a small changing room and flicking on the light. With the door closed, the music sounded muffled and far away, giving them a slight reprieve from the party on the other side of the wall. She sat on the counter, box resting in her lap, and smiled up at him as she worked the ribbon off it. “I’m really glad you came, Kurt.”

“I’m glad I did too,” he said, leaning against the door as he watched her. “It’s a great party.”

“Thanks,” Brittany replied, her face scrunched up in concentration as she looped the ribbon, doubling it over itself, and managed to get it on her head, the curls of the bow just off to the side as it held her hair back from her face. “Perfect!”

“Absolutely beautiful.” Kurt smiled and Brittany beamed at him for a moment before opening the card and reading it, her fingers tracing over his words. So maybe he’d gone a little further than the traditional birthday card, wishing her a happy birthday but also elaborating on how glad he was they’d become friends and how he hoped the following year was full of happiness and love for her, because she deserved all of it in the world. And he meant every word, because she had managed to become a beacon of light for him in the city that was sometimes all chaos.

“Kurt…” She looked up at him, hugging the card to her chest with one hand and using the other to crook her finger in a motion for him to come closer, which he did. Her fingers slid up the front of his jacket and tugged him down so she could kiss his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re my friend.”

“I’m glad you’re my friend too, Brittany.” Slowly, her fingers let go of his lapel and she turned her attention back to the wrapped box in her lap, carefully undoing the tape so she didn’t have to rip the paper to get it open. For some reason, the closer she got to actually opening it, the more nervous Kurt felt. He knew he shouldn’t be, because it was Brittany and she probably would have been happy no matter what, but there was always that hesitation when he knew he was putting part of himself out there.

Except then the lid of the box was off and the tissue paper was pushed to the side and her fingers were sliding across the silky fabric and lifting the dress up by its straps, and Brittany was blinking owlishly as she stared at it. There was that moment where Kurt wasn’t sure if speechlessness was a good or bad thing, but it was quickly gone once Brittany’s eyes connected with his and he could see that she was clearly fighting back tears.

“It’s an Alice dress,” she said, letting it drape back into the box, her fingers reaching inside to touch over his label. It had words stitched into it, that she probably couldn’t feel but would find later – curiouser and curiouser – and Kurt did feel a great bit of pride over all of it. “You made me an Alice dress.”

“Well you are Alice,” he replied, tucking a stray bit of her hair behind her ear. “It only seemed right.”

Brittany carefully slid the box off her lap and onto the counter, pushing up onto her feet so she could throw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He knew it couldn’t be easy to be so happy when all she wanted was far away, to have a birthday party full of all her friends except the person who she wanted there the most, and all he’d really wanted was to be able to make her feel special – because she was. “Thank you.”

“Happy birthday, Brit.” She gave him an extra tight squeeze before letting go, and she pulled back to slip the card into the box and carefully put the lid back on for safe keeping. It was all gathered up in her arms, along with the neatly folded wrapping paper, and he held the door open for her as they made their way back out into the main room where everyone else was.

Brittany stopped dead in her tracks in front of him, and Kurt nearly ran into her but thankfully he was paying a bit of attention and all the mad tea was starting to wear off, so he managed not to. His hands still moved up to steady himself on her shoulders, and he glanced over her head to see what had made her stop walking, and he drew in a sharp breath.

Santana was standing there, just inside the doorway to the studio – and Blaine was with her.