He's startled by the intro of a Robin Thicke song and...are they singing the melodies? Holy crap, there's an a capella group singing about sex toys in the middle of the GAP.

After a moment of gawking, Kurt finally recognizes who's performing. It's those kids from that all boys prep school in Westerville. He competed against them when he was in his high school's glee club. He can't quite remember the name of their group at the moment seeing as he's watching a short boy with over gelled hair and pink sunglasses chase one of his co-workers, Jeremiah, around the store.

Kurt can't help but smile in utter amusement at the scene set before him. By the time the song ends, the kid is up at the counter with a pair of socks in his hand, leaning on his elbow with a beautiful grin on his face.

Now that the boy has stopped dancing around, Kurt can take advantage of this moment and observe him. He's really quite attractive, with golden hazel eyes that are sparkling after what was (Kurt had to admit) a very good performance and the broadness of his shoulders, even under that awful blazer, is so masculine and attractive. Kurt saw that a few curled locks of hair had escaped their gelled prison during the performance and were now hanging across his forehead and the nape of his neck.

Kurt saw Jeremiah rushing the kid out of the store and telling him to wait for him there. The boy smiled and stayed in the spot Jeremiah left him in. A few minutes later, Jeremiah stopped by Kurt on his way out of the store to talk to the boy.

“I got fired. Can you believe that? Kyle fired me after that kid serenaded me in the middle of my shift! It wasn't even my fault. I don't even really know him,” Jermiah informed him, waiting for Kurt to comfort him or something.

“Wow, he really fired you for that? Bummer. What are you going to do about that boy? He can't be older than 17. Are you two going out,” Kurt asked curiously.

“Oh God, no! We're not going out! We only went out for coffee a few times. Anyways, he's in high school. I'm 21. It would be illegal.”

“Not in Ohio. Age of consent is 16, remember?”

“Please, he's not even my type. I have to go talk to him. Later Kurt,” Jeremiah sighed.

“Let him down easy,” Kurt called out after him.

Kurt semi hid behind a rack of scarves and made it look as if he were actually working when what he was really doing was reading Jeremiah's and the other boy's lips through the store window. The look of utter sadness and rejection on the younger boy's face made Kurt feel bad for him. But really, what was the kid expecting?

Jeremiah walked away, after what looked like a half hearted apology, leaving the boy standing there staring at the ground. Kurt ran to tell his manager that he was taking his break and hurried to the door to catch the boy before he left. He wasn't about to lie to himself and deny that he thought the boy was absolutely gorgeous. And Kurt couldn't be that much older than him. He'd just graduated high school the year prior and had only just turned nineteen last month. Yeah, he'll just talk to the boy and try to make him feel better.

When Kurt walked out of the store, he saw that the boy had only moved to the bench right in front of the building. He was slouched down with his head hung low and a look of pure disappointment on his face. He looked like a kicked puppy and that made Kurt's heart break for the boy. Kurt definitely knew about rejection. He'd never been rejected after serenading another man in the middle of a department store but he had felt the crushing rejection when his, now, step-brother had a few choice words about his interior decorating styles a few years back. He had never been more disappointed in his life. So he decided he would reach out to this kid because something was already making Kurt gravitate toward him anyway and oh, when had he started walking toward the boy?

Kurt stood directly in front of the boy and he looked up at him.

“Hey, how ya' holding up?” Kurt asked, not letting the boys big, sad, beautiful eyes faze him.

“Fine,” the boy said before letting out a sigh and dropping his head back down.

“Are you sure? I saw what happened.”

“...yeah. It's fine.”

“Do you mind if I sit with you?” Kurt asked politely.

The boy gestured at the empty seat next to him and said, “no.”

Kurt sat down and leaned on the back of the bench, “Don't worry about Jeremiah. He's not the most emotionally considerate person you'll ever met. He once told a customer that he was wrong to think wearing a top hat in public was attracive. I own a top hat.”

The boy chuckled and looked back at Kurt, smiling.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I didn't talk to him for a week.”

Blaine laughed and Kurt decided that he liked knowing that he made the boy laugh, “I'm Blaine, by the way.”

“Kurt,” he said, smiling back. He couldn't help but smile back at this boy – Blaine.

“Do you work at the GAP?” Blaine asked, looking a bit distressed.

“Yeah,” Kurt affirmed.

“Damn, well that's...embarrassing.”

“Don't be embarrassed. Worse things have happened in there.”

“Oh yeah?” Blaine challenged.

“Yep. One time, a woman walked in wearing nothing but a hospital gown and started humping one of the mannequins. The store had never cleared out faster than on that day.”

Kurt saw that Blaine was laughing again and was just staring at how beautiful he was. His eyes crinkled at the edges and his smile was absolutely gorgeous, his full lips parted around perfect teeth. His eyes were back to that warm honey-amber color they were when he was singing in the store earlier and Kurt already knew that Blaine's eyes were his favorite part of him.

After Blaine's laughter died down, he said, “Thanks, Kurt. I needed that.”

“No problem,” Kurt smiled, “Hey, I'm on break. Do you want to go for coffee with me,” Kurt asked.

Blaine just looked at him for a moment, staring at Kurt's face as if he were looking for...something. Searching Kurt's face for a hint of pity or sadness, which was exactly what he didn't want; he'd rather be left alone. But this guy was asking him to accompany him. For coffee. He couldn't believe that this gorgeous man was asking him out. No, he's not asking him out, not like that. He doesn't even know if Kurt is gay. It's just a cup of coffee. No big deal. Right?

Blaine smiled and nodded. He didn't want to speak for fear that his thoughts might make their way to his mouth and he'd be screwed out of any sort of friendship with Kurt before it even began.

“Great. There's a Lima Bean down that way,” Kurt pointed and stood up.

Blaine followed suit and walked next to him, not saying a word as they made their way to the coffee shop.

When they got there, Blaine rolled his eyes and huffed at the vast array of Valentine paraphanalia that was littered all around the shop. Kurt noticed but didn't comment on it as they ordered their drinks and sat at a table in the corner. Kurt figured Blaine might want to talk and he didn't want him to worry about eavesdroppers.

“So, you're a Warbler?” Kurt asked.

“Uh, yeah. How did you know?” Blaine asked a bit surprised.

Kurt smiled and said, “The uniforms, the flawless a capella number, the fact that I was in a rival show choir and competed against the Dalton Academy Warblers when I was in high school last year. You choose.”

“You were in show choir?”

“Surprised?” Kurt asks jokingly.

“Well, I guess it's difficult to peg someone as the show choir type,” Blaine offers as he stirs sugar into his drink.

“Yeah, well it wasn't that difficult to separate the glee club kids and everyone else when I was in high school. Trust me,” Kurt says a tad bitterly.

“Oh? Did something happen,” Blaine asks, oblivious to Kurt's resentment and genuinely curious.

“A lot of stuff happened. But that's over and I'm stronger, now. 'What doesn't kill you...'” Kurt trailed off.

“Right. I guess today was one of those times for me, huh?” Blaine asked, smiling embarrassingly and turning the slightest shade of crimson.

“Yep. You'll be fine,” Kurt assures him.

Blaine laughs.

“So...do you serenade lots of guys in the middle of busy retail stores, or was this a secluded event?” Kurt teases.

“I've never done that before. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I figured everyone loves performances as much as me. Didn't take into account the possibility that it would backfire in my face,” Blaine says, looking deflated.

“It was really good, you know. Like, really good. If a guy did that for me I'd probably maul him in front of everyone and ask him to marry me.”

So Kurt's gay. Thank God. Or, you know, whatever.

“Well maybe I should've sang to you,” Blaine mutters before he realizes what he actually said. “Um, I mean, no...wait, that wasn't because of what you said, I just meant-”

Kurt raises his hand to get Blaine to stop talking, “Don't worry, I know what you meant.”

Blaine sighs and laughs awkwardly, “So, um, do you have a boyfriend, Kurt?”

Kurt shakes his head. “Nope.”

“Oh. Well I don't either. Obviously.”

“Don't worry. How old are you?”

“17.”

“Well at your age, I didn't want a boyfriend. I just had so much going on, I wouldn't have even had the time.”

“Well that's good to hear. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done if Jeremiah hadn't rejected me. Like, would we get together? When would we see each other? Would my parents be okay with it? I didn't exactly think it through. I guess I let Valentine's day get to my head,” Blaine admits.

“Well, you should always have a back up plan,” Kurt smiles. Kurt suddenly has a thought of himself being the one Blaine wanted and, oh, now there's a thought. Why is he feeling so suddenly possessive and weird? He doesn't even know Blaine. But he suddenly decides that he wants to. He really, really wants to.

“I should be getting back to work, now. It was nice talking with you, Blaine,” Kurt says abruptly and begins standing up to leave. He can't sit across from him without wanting to rip that damn blazer off everytime he looks up at him. He needs some distance.

“What? Wait! Kurt!” Blaine yells after him.

Kurt turns around and sees Blaine making his way towards him.

“Can I, um, when can I see you again? This was...nice. I don't have many people to talk to about this kind of stuff. I'd like to do it again,” Blaine asks looking hopeful.

“Come by the store at 2. My shift ends then and we can hang out if you want,” Kurt says.

“I'm not too crazy about going to that store again but, okay. I'll see you later, then,” Blaine says.

Kurt chuckles and walks away. The second he has his back to Blaine he begins his internal freak out.

He had never felt this way about anyone before. What makes this boy so special? And what if he scares Blaine away? He was interested, right? Otherwise he wouldn't have run after Kurt to ask if he wanted to see him again. Right? He couldn't be in love with Blaine or anything. That whole idea of 'love at first sight' has always been so far fetched to Kurt. It just wasn't possible. But what is this? Kurt didn't understand. And he couldn't believe that he asked Blaine to hang out knowing that he had no intention of just talking or watching a movie or doing whatever Blaine thought he meant by 'hang out'. He wants so much more than just that. Kurt wants Blaine.