(Baby) Its Cold Outside.

The snowflakes fall gently between the branches of the trees and land on a thick layer of white snow. The evening is clear and everything seems to sparkle in an almost-silence. Youve been standing here for 10 minutes. Youve been standing here, unable to move for the last 10 minutes. Your cup of latte has stopped warming your hands long ago, but you cant move an inch, not even to reach for your gloves in your pocket. Youd rather freeze to death than risk being deprived of this moment. You do think youre being ridiculous because nothing would actually happen if you reached into your pocket for your gloves. Youre not standing in front of an animal thatll disappear if you make any noise or movement. And yet...You can barely let yourself blink.

What sparkles the most in this moment is his smile. Youve never seen someone smiling like that while singing. He doesnt actually have the most beautiful voice youve heard, but its something else, something special. His voice is filled with passion and honesty. You have no idea how a voice can be honest, all you know is that his voice is the most honest and raw of all. His eyes are closed and he sings his heart out.

You can barely hear or see the kids who are a few meters behind him making snowmen and laughing while throwing snowballs at each other. Theyre just this blurry background behind this sharp image in front of you. You are mesmerized by this boy.

He opens his eyes and you realize you were wrong. His smile is not what sparkles the most. His eyes are. As he opens his eyes and his smile broadens. He tilts his head lightly and looks right into your eyes. You cant look away from those golden syrup eyes. Your brain and body seem to have lost all their functions. The only thought going through your mind is that this is the most intimate thing that has ever happened to you.

You feel like you should do or say something, maybe clap or at least smile back, but the cold seems to have turned you into an ice statue.

He has stopped playing and keeps looking at you with a little smile. Suddenly his lips are moving

« You should wear the gloves that are hanging out of your pocket; its really chilly tonight... »

Why are your brain and mouth disconnected? A little « um... ? » manages to escape from your lips.

« Your gloves? Right there? »

He takes a step forward while pointing to your pocket. Hes close enough for you to feel rude to stare at him the way you are. He lets out a little laugh and you come back to your senses for a few seconds.

« My gloves. Right. Yes. My gloves are warm. Would you like them ? »

His face scrunches for a slight second before smiling again.

« Im not homeless, you know. I do have gloves at home, its just not very convenient to play guitar with gloves on. »

He winks at you.

You are a complete idiot.

« Noooo, Im so sorry. I wasnt implying that you were homeless! I dont even know why I said that ! I guess I wanted your fingers to be warm too right now. »

You couldnt be redder if you had stayed in the sun for 12 hours.

« Well thank you, but I was planning on warming up at the café down the street. Care to join me ? »

You gulp a bit too loudly. Youre not sure if you heard that last bit right. Theres no way he hasnt seen that youre holding a cup of coffee if he has noticed that youre not wearing your gloves. Youre holding your cup very awkwardly now. He seems to notice it too.

« Sorry! What an idiot. I just realized that Im a creepy stranger playing guitar in a park and you just come from the coffee house anyway. You just seemed to be cold yourself.»

You realize its the first time he looks slightly uncomfortable but you nod fervently.

« Yes! I mean no, youre not creepy! But yes, I am freezing! Id love to join you for a warm cup of coffee. » You nod at the cup in your hand « Especially since my hot latte turned into an iced latte. »

« Excellent!»

Excellent indeed. You wonder for a few seconds if youre going to wake up. Since when do things like this happen in real life? Since when do things like this happen in your life?

He orders two cookies, a Viennese hot chocolate and asks what youd like to drink. But before you have time to reach into your wallet, he hands a few dollar bills to the barista and shakes his head slightly.

« Dont even bother, silly. » He turns back to the cashier, « keep the change. »

What planet does this boy come from ? Why do you feel like such an idiot and why do you keep staring at him as if he couldnt see you ?

He takes the tray to a table in a cozy corner and you sit opposite him.

« There you go. » He places neatly your grande nonfat mocha and a cookie on a napkin in front of you.

You blush and mumble, « thank you » because what else could you say? “Marry me?”. The coffee house is empty, but its warm and intimate. Some soft music is playing in the background. He takes off his scarf and his beanie, folds them carefully and places them on the chair next to him. Hes even more beautiful now. He has tamed, black curls that stand out with his thick well-groomed eyebrows. He has dark skin and a two-day stubble, but you can still outline his perfect jawline. Hes dapper and dreamy and you better get back to your senses.

« Youre very talented. »

Youre both a bit surprised by the way you blurted out that statement.

« Why, thank you! »

« Youre so passionate and perfect when you sing, you were really living and owning those lyrics! »

You must be out of your mind. Did you just tell that stranger that he was perfect ? Well, perfect when he sang, but still...

You probably creeped him out this time but his face doesnt show it. In fact, you could almost think that hes blushing, but its certainly due to the sudden warm temperature of the room compared to the cold that surrounded you a few minutes ago. Youre probably scarlet yourself.

« Wow, thanks a lot! Some of them are actually my lyrics.» His cheeks are definitely more pink this time. You wonder if its still too early to ask him to marry you.

You end up talking for hours until the coffee shop closes. You feel bold and crazy and it feels amazing. You both talk about your interests, your dreams and wishes. You talk about music and movies. You laugh about childhood memories. You laugh about your quirkiness. You laugh about everything and you share too many details to this person youve just met. But everything feels natural and familiar.

You dont talk about love. You dont ask if hes single and neither does he. You think about it though. You think about it a lot. You think about the lyrics that he sang. You think about things that you shouldnt think about. Youre jealous of the cookie he dunks in his hot chocolate. You wish you were that cookie. You wish you knew how his hands felt on you. You wish you knew how his lips tasted.

You are fascinated by this incredibly exciting human being. Hes the most adorable, charismatic, funny and interesting boy you have ever met and youre terrified that hes going to slip out of your life after tonight. You spend the entire evening hoping that hell ask to meet you again. But you keep in mind that this might be a regular Friday evening to him. You keep in mind that youre just two strangers who were cold and went in a coffee house to get warm.

Youre both standing outside the coffee house. The streets are empty and the snow has not stopped falling. Everything is covered by a beautiful, white and immaculate coat of snow. Its so peaceful that you stand next to each other without uttering a word. Youre thinking about how special it feels to print your steps in fresh snow. Then with a smile, you reach into your pocket. He feels the movement and holds your arm still.

Wait...before you put your gloves on...and you really should, could I maybe... He looks down sheepishly ...Get your phone number?»

You try your best to retain your sigh of relief. You nod with a huge grin on your face. He hands you his phone for you to put in your number. When you give it back to him, his grin matches yours. He looks down at his phone and says aloud.

« Kurt Hummel, its a pleasure to meet you. Im Blaine Anderson. »