AN: This is based on the 90s movie "Only You" if you've seen that movie you'll see a lot of similarities, though I have taken a lot of liberties with the plot. If you haven't seen that movie you should watch it! It is good! ...but read this fic first. ;)

BIG thanks to the wonderful snarkyhag for being my beta. She is amazing.
All mistakes are mine.
Enjoy!

Blaine wasn't superstitious. He never had been, he didn't believe in lucky charms or being wary of black cats, and the only reason he could see for not walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror was that it was hazardous. He didn't believe in curses, talismans, or knocking on wood, but there was one thing he did believe in whole-heartedly...

Soulmates.

Blaine blamed his third grade substitute teacher Ms. Corvatch. Ms. Corvatch wasn't like any other teacher he'd ever met. She was energetic and talked too fast and was a little scatter-brained, but so full of enthusiasm Blaine couldn't help but feel her passion.

One day when Ms. Corvatch was subbing, she got off on a tangent. Blaine couldn't even remember what had started it, but she started talking about Plato and Aristophanes and souls violently split in half; how every person went through life looking for the other half of themselves. Your soulmate, the one person in the world who would complete you – the person you were fated to be with for eternity.

A lot, or nearly all, of the kids in class just snickered at Ms. Corvatch. They were still mostly in the "girls or boys have cooties" stage and thought their enthusiastic substitute teacher was weird. Not Blaine. He believed.

Blaine started talking about soulmates nonstop. His parents would share glances and smiles and humor him, expecting it to be a phase that came and went like his obsession with transformers. Blaine's big brother, on the other hand, didn't humor him, he teased him.

Cooper was six years Blaine's senior and Blaine looked up to him in nearly every way. Cooper loved his kid brother, but didn't think of him much one way or the other and didn't always like him trailing him like a shadow. Cooper knew if he started making fun of the idea of soulmates he could get Blaine to stomp off in a huff, and he may have abused this knowledge on more than one occasion.

As it turned out though, Blaine's steadfast belief in soulmates wasn't just a phase. Neither was the fact Blaine resolutely knew his soulmate would be a boy. Not that anyone in his family had tried to dissuade him of that part. Blaine was ten when he came out to his family, his father maybe wasn't thrilled about it at first, but he came around and all in all Blaine knew he'd been very lucky with his family's support. Even Cooper didn't tease him about that.

"Come on Squirt it's past your bedtime." Cooper said to a ten-year-old Blaine as he followed Cooper into the kitchen like a puppy dog.

"It's only eight."

Cooper was digging through the pantry for snacks. Their parents were out for the evening and Cooper was left to babysit (even though Blaine was not a baby). Cooper was allowed to invite over a few friends, which he had done, and now he seemed to ready to get Blaine out of his way. But Blaine knew he was allowed to stay up until nine on Fridays and Cooper couldn't take that away from him – even if he was in charge. Cooper found some microwave popcorn and turned to face Blaine, "It's only eight? So what?"

"So it's not my bedtime."

"Then go play in your room or watch a movie or something." Cooper said tearing the plastic wrapping off a bag. "Leave us alone."

"I want to stay down here with you."

"I'm the boss Blaine." Cooper said punching buttons in the microwave with a little too much force. "Go play in your room."

Blaine crossed his arms and looked back to the living room where Cooper's friends were. Well, his friend Paul, Paul's girlfriend Tamara, and some girl Blaine had never met. "When Mom said you could have friends over, did you tell her you were having girls over?" Blaine said looking back at his big brother with a smile.

Cooper turned from the microwave slowly. "Yes." He answered, but his jaw was tight and his fingers tapped a rhythm on the kitchen counter. He was a terrible liar.

"Then she won't be mad when I tell her?"

"You little demon," Cooper hissed and then leaned down. Blaine was ten and short for his age, Cooper was sixteen and tall and lanky. "If you tell her…"

"Just let me stay up with you until nine. Then I'll go to bed without any fuss and you all can do… whatever it is Mom doesn't want you to do. I won't tell her."

Cooper straightened up and narrowed his eyes before finally smiling. "You're too smart for you own good, Squirt. Fine. Nine and not a minute longer."

Blaine was proud of himself for about ten minutes until he realize teenagers were really boring. They just sat around the living room talking and it wasn't even about anything cool. He had almost convinced himself that playing upstairs would be more fun when Tamara stood up.

"I know what we should do!" She said and rushed to her backpack, which had been forgotten on the floor by the wall. "Look what I brought." She pulled out a board game and Blaine started getting excited. He was good at board games.

"An ouija Board?" Cooper scoffed, "You're not serious."

"Aww, come up, Coopy," The girl that Blaine still hadn't caught the name of cooed and fluttered her eyelashes at Cooper. Blaine may be only ten and into boys, but even he thought she was laying it on a little thick. "I'll be fun. And scary and when I'm scared I need someone to protect me." She flounced down on Cooper's lap and Blaine wanted to gag.

Cooper seemed to like it though. "It will scare Blaine."

"No, it won't!" Blaine insisted, even though he wasn't sure what the game was, if no one else was scared he certainly wasn't.

"Fine."

They turned down the lights and pushed the furniture out of the center of the room. Cooper even lit a few candles and then they all sat in a circle around the ouija board. They explained that they could talk to spirits on "other side" though the board, they could ask questions and get answers that only spirits would know.

Blaine thought it sounded silly, but with the lights low, the candles flickering, and everyone talking in hushed tones Blaine could admit he felt a prickle run down his spine. The older kids asked a few questions while everyone had a hand on the planchette – Blaine had taken the time to read the instructions and find the name for the heart shaped plastic piece that moved over the board.

They didn't get great answers. Sometimes the "spirits" didn't even spell anything real. As far as Blaine could tell, everyone was trying to move the planchette themselves and no one could agree on anything. The spirits didn't seemed to be talking tonight.

"Okay Squirt, your turn. Ask something." Cooper said and Blaine looked up at him and then around at the group, they all waited expectantly. Blaine didn't really have any questions for the great beyond.

"What should I ask?"

Cooper rolled his eyes and Tamara whispered. "Oh my god, he is so cute."

Blaine shot her a glare, he wasn't a little kid. "Never mind, I know what to ask. I want to ask…" Blaine took a deep breath. "I want to ask the name of my soulmate." It was the most grown-up question he could think of, and besides, it was something he really wanted to know.

Both girls let out little "awws" and Cooper smiled. "Okay, ask."

Blaine nodded and closed his eyes the way his mother did when she was praying. This wasn't a prayer, but he was trying to talk to some unseen being, so it made sense to him. "Um… hello?"

Cooper snickered.

"I'm sorry to bother you seeing as whoever you are you're… dead… or something."

More snickering and Blaine opened one eye to glare at his brother who nodded seriously and apologized.

"But if you know the name of my soulmate… I would really like to know it. The sooner I find him… the happier we'll be."

That brought out more "awws" from the girls, which would have annoyed Blaine if the planchette hadn't started moving right at that moment. Everyone still had a hand on it, but Paul let out a little gasp. "Whoa, who is doing that?"

They all shook their heads, eyes wide and in awe.

"Cooper?"

"Better watch the board." Cooper said in all seriousness.

Blaine's eyes flashed down to the board as the planchette moved. E-L-I. It was spelling out a name. W - I - L - S - O - N

Blaine swallowed deeply, his hands shaking a little as the planchette went still.

"Eli Wilson?" The girl without a name said, "That sounds hot."

Blaine looked at her and then to his brother. This had to be a trick. Right?

"Oh look at that!" Cooper said standing up and turning back on the lights. "It's nine."

"What?" Blaine felt a little wobbly as he stood to his feet.

"Time for the kids to go to bed. That means you."

Blaine nodded, a deal was a deal after all. "Um… would you. Could I talk to you for a second?"

Cooper looked at his friends. "Let me put my kid brother to bed, I'll be right back."

Blaine didn't even argue that he didn't need to be "put to bed," he was too shaken. They got upstairs and Blaine turned to look at Cooper. "Cooper, if that was you spelling out a name you have to tell me."

Cooper lifted his hands and in all sincerely shook his head. "It wasn't me."

Blaine watched him closely before nodding, he believed him. After all Cooper was a terrible liar.

"What's her name?" Blaine asked; twelve-years-old and sitting on his brother's bed as Cooper got ready for a date.

"Jessica."

"Jessica is a pretty name."

"She's a pretty girl." Cooper winked at Blaine through the mirror.

"Do you think she's your soulmate?" Blaine leaned forward and watched his brother's expression intently. Cooper was eighteen years old, he'd just graduated high-school and was moving out to go to college in the fall – so he was pretty much as grown-up as you could get. He could have met his soulmate already, it could be Jessica.

Instead of a secret smile, or a happy flush on Cooper's cheeks, Blaine watched as Cooper rolled his eyes and combed his dark hair into place one last time before he turned around to face Blaine. "When are you going to grow out of that, Squirt? There are no such things as soulmates."

"When are you going to stop calling me Squirt?"

"Never."

"Exactly." Blaine said lifting his chin and feeling smart.

Cooper just laughed and rolled his eyes again before messing up Blaine's hair with a head rub "Whatever. Now get out of my room I don't want you in here while I'm gone."

"I wouldn't mess up your stuff; I'm tidier than you are."

"Out." Cooper insisted and Blaine followed him out of the room mumbling under his breath about how he was much more responsible than Cooper ever was.

"I don't understand why we aren't all going to the carnival together." Blaine said as they walked down the stairs. Cooper was taking Jessica to the end of the school year carnival the city was putting on and Blaine was going with their parents.

"Because who wants to bring their parents and baby brother on a date?"

Cooper only called Blaine his "baby brother" when he wanted to get a rise out of him. Blaine wasn't going to go for the bait.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense."

Cooper smiled down at him. "Listen, Blaine, you'll be dating soon enough yourself. You'll get it."

Blaine shrugged, "I don't know about that. I could be years before I met Eli."

"Who?"

"Eli Wilson?" Blaine answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know? My soulmate!"

Cooper stared at him for a moment, "Oh my god. The ouija board! I had forgotten all about that!" Cooper laughed.

Blaine just glared at him offended, how could Cooper forget something as monumental as the evening Blaine found out the name of his one true love? "This is serious. I believe in soulmates and the ouija board said-"

"Oh Blaine." Cooper was still laughing a little. "You are too old to believe in soulmates and ouija boards. Especially ouija boards. It's a kid's game. It isn't real."

"But you said you didn't spell out the name."

Cooper shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "Sure, but there were three other teenagers there Blaine. I mean… come on."

Blaine's stomach felt a little hollow, he shook his head. No, no. It was real; they had all been as impressed and in awe as Blaine was. Right? Blaine tried to think back to that evening nearly two years ago. He had been with a bunch of teenagers and they could have just been making fun of the kid they'd been stuck with for the evening. Blaine felt a little sick; he had believed it so much.

For years now, he'd been holding onto that night, waiting to meet a boy named Eli. It was hard, he didn't know any other gay kids – and even though he was only twelve and wouldn't really be dating any way – he'd never had a schoolyard boyfriend, he had no one to talk to that understood him, he felt… alone. The idea of Eli had given him hope.

"Even… even if it was... a joke." Blaine whispered feeling heartbroken, "It doesn't mean soulmates aren't real."

Cooper looked at him worriedly. "I shouldn't have said anything Blaine, I didn't mean to-"

"Boys!" Their father interrupted them, coming quickly out of his study, "Oh good, you're both here. I have some bad news. Your mother and I won't be able to make it to the carnival tonight."

"What?" Blaine asked his heart sinking even further.

"I'm sorry, but a client has flown into town unexpectedly and Pam and I have to have dinner with him and his wife." Erwin leaned down to be at Blaine's eye level. "I'm very sorry Blaine I would much rather got to the carnival with you." He stood up again, addressing Cooper now, "But you can bring him."

"What?" Now it was Cooper's turn to look disappointed, no not disappointed, offended. "No. No way. I'm going on a date dad."

Pam walked into the hallway looking frazzled. "I have to do my hair and find something to wear! We don't have time to argue."

"Good. Then don't argue." Cooper crossed his arms, "I'm not taking Squirt."

Erwin gave Cooper a hard look. "Yes son, you are. It wouldn't be fair if he didn't get to go."

"It isn't fair for me to have a twelve year old on a date with me!"

"I'm nearly thirteen." Blaine spoke up, but no one listened.

"Cooper." Pam, ever the peacemaker, stepped in before her husband had a chance to respond. "You're right, that isn't fair. But just drive him there, okay? And take him home after." Pam looked at Blaine "Your friends are going to be at the carnival right?"

Blaine nodded, he really wanted to go to the carnival, but he did feel bad for Cooper. No one would want their date to be crashed. "Yes, David, Sam, and Tina will all be there."

"There you go. All you have to do is chauffeur, Cooper. Blaine can spend the evening with his friends; just agree on a time and place to meet up again."

"Fine. Whatever." Cooper grumbled tight-lipped. He didn't look pleased.

Cooper was quiet the whole way to the carnival, Jessica was nice though, asking Blaine questions about school and his summer plans. Blaine liked her and he rarely liked Cooper's girlfriends. It made him feel extra bad about messing up Cooper's plans for the evening. As soon as they got to the carnival Blaine turned to Cooper with a smile. "I'm going to get out of your hair now. Forget I'm even here!"

Cooper's lips slowly tipped up in a smile, he never stayed mad at Blaine for long. "Here Squirt." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "I know mom gave you some cash for the evening but here's an extra twenty. Go have fun."

"Thanks Coop!" Blaine said, waving to both Cooper and Jessica before running off to find his friends.

The carnival was so much better than expected. There was a Ferris wheel and tons of booth games, and cotton candy and taffy. Blaine bought all his friends a treat since he had the most money and by time it was getting late, they were all laughing and silly and a little sick, but still having fun on their sugar high.

"This is the best night ever!" Tina said, grabbing Sam's hand. Tina was wonderful, Blaine's best friend, but she had a bad habit of crushing on boys who were not interested in her back. Sam was too nice to say anything. At at least her crush was on a straight boy this time; her crush on Blaine last year had been awkward. Especially, since she knew Blaine was gay.

David was the oldest of the group, a year ahead of them all, and he acted even older but even he was giddy tonight. It was the start of summer break and they were at fairylike carnival with their best friends, everything was perfect.

"Oh!" Tina squealed pointing to a nearby tent, draped in lights and standing out with its purple and red tarp. "Look, a fortune teller!"

"Yes!" Sam pumped his fist, "That will be hilarious. We have to do it."

"I don't know…" Blaine took out his remaining money, he really wanted to go on the Ferris wheel again and his funds were running dry.

"Come on Blaine. It will be fun." David urged. And if David was in then it had to be a good idea.

They ran to the tent laughing the whole way, halfway there Blaine lost his footing and barreled forward faster than expected running smack into someone else.

Blaine hit the ground hard and groaned, rubbing his sore tailbone. "Ow." He looked up to see who he'd run into and to make sure they weren't injured. "Are you-" Blaine's words stuck in his throat – sitting across from him looking a little stunted was a boy, probably around his age, with pale skin and gorgeous blue eyes and even in the fading light of the carnival Blaine could see the lovely pink blush to his cheeks.

"I am so sorry." Blaine stood quickly and held out a hand to the boy to help him up.

He looked at Blaine's offered hand for a moment as if not sure what to do with it and then finally took it. Blaine drew in a breath when their hands met, but then quickly shook himself of the strange but very pleasant feeling the boy's hand in his own gave him, and helped pull him to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." The boy nodded wide-eyed and staring at Blaine.

"I'm really sorry about that. My friends and I weren't looking where we were going." Blaine looked around. "In their excitement they even left me behind."

"Oh. I'm sorry." The boy's voice was soft and sweet and Blaine immediately loved the sound of it.

"No, its fine. They're just up there." Blaine pointed to the fortuneteller's tent where his friends were in line. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Fine. Are you?"

Blaine nodded and bushed some dirt of the seat of his pants, when he looked back up the boys cheeks looked even more pink. "I peachy keen." Blaine smiled. "Um… I'm going to catch up with my friends. I hope you have a good rest of the evening and no one else mows you over!"

The boy laughed at that as Blaine moved to join his friends looking back once more to wave at the charming boy with the lovely voice.

"I'm going to ask about my future husband." Tina said when Blaine joined them, not skipping a beat as she sent doe eyes to Sam. Sam just chuckled nervously.

"I'm going to ask if I should ask out Meredith from math class." David added.

"I thought you had already decided to do that." Blaine said craning his neck around to see if the boy was still there, but he seemed to have left.

"I have, which is why it will be fun to hear what a fake fortune teller says."

"I'm going to ask what I should be when I graduate high school." Sam said, "A professional football player or a professional hockey player."

Blaine looked back at his friends putting the boy out of his mind, "Because obviously it will be one of those two things." Blaine nodded sagely at Sam.

Sam laughed, "Obviously."

"What about you? Will you ask about Eli?" Tina grabbed Blaine's hand now. All his friends knew about the name the ouija board gave him a couple years ago, they knew Blaine believed it was his soulmate, and for the most part were supportive of it. Even if he did get the impression sometimes that David was skeptical.

"No need. If the ouija board was right and Eli is my soulmate. I'll find him eventually."

"If?" Tina asked.

"If… I mean… sometimes I wonder if it was just one of Cooper's friends messing with me." Blaine looked down to the ground nudging the dirt with his toe, Cooper's laugher at the idea that Eli was Blaine's soulmate echoing through his head.

"That's a horrible idea!"

Blaine looked back up to see Tina's scandalized expression and he smiled, sometimes Blaine thought Tina was as invested in Blaine's soulmate as he was.

The line moved up and it was finally their turn; they all went in the tent together because it was more fun together. They paid the ticket price and sat down around a table covered in several brightly woven shawls. In the middle was a faux gold stand shaped like bird talons that held sparkling crystal ball. The lights were low and candles flickered. Blaine shivered slightly; the feeling in the tent reminded him slightly of his evening two years ago with the ouija board.

The fortuneteller, who introduced herself as "Madame Genevieve", was a middle-aged woman with hair dyed an unnatural red and bright lipstick to match. She had dark eyeliner around her lids and too many rings on her fingers. Blaine suspected she didn't usually sport this style, but was going for a mystical, eccentric look seeing as she was working a carnival.

They each asked Madame Genevieve their questions and got benign answers in return. Tina would find her true love one day, he would be handsome and kind – because what else would a carnival fortuneteller say? He would be ugly and rude?

David was told, "fortune favors the bold" when he asked about Meredith and that he should always take a chance on love.

Sam's answer was the funniest, she didn't tell him if football or hockey was the better choice, but kept emphasizing education and maybe there was something more for him than sports. Blaine almost thought she must have been paid off by Sam's parents.

Overall, it was a lot of fun.

"And what about you young man?" She asked Blaine towards the end of their session. "What questions do you have for Madame Genevieve?"

Blaine shrugged; his heart beating a little faster – he knew what he wanted to ask, but Cooper had really thrown him for a loop that afternoon. He'd been so certain Eli Wilson was the name of his soulmate, but now he wasn't sure, and he didn't want to ask because what if she said the name was fake?

"I don't know…" Blaine looked at his friends who were waiting for him patiently. "Um I guess… will I be happy? Will I find someone I love and be happy?"

"Happy?" Madame Genevieve repeated, "That is a big question." She looked down at the crystal ball waving her hands over it slowly, "Yes… I see great happiness in your future… but first… some tribulation."

Blaine raised his eyebrows, "Oh?"

"Not to worry, every soul has tribulation at times."

"That's true," Blaine nodded. His fortune had been as cookie-cutter as everyone else's, and that was fine with him – it was just for fun after all.

They all thanked Madame Genevieve and started making their way out of the tent, already whispering and giggling about their fortunes. Blaine was the last to leave, letting his friends go first. He had one foot out the tent when he felt a hand circle his wrist and pull him back. He looked to see Madame Genevieve standing close and he really didn't know how she'd moved from the table that fast.

"There is one thing more." She whispered, so near that Blaine could smell her citrus scented perfume, "A name I saw in the glass, a name that will be important to you and your future happiness."

Blaine took in a deep breath. "A name?"

Madame Genevieve close her eyes and hummed for a moment before speaking, "I can see it in my mind's eye now." Her voice was hushed, but seemed to echo through the tent. She snapped her eyes open, "Eli Wilson", she crooned and then all but pushed Blaine out of the tent.

Blaine stood outside feeling stunned, his cheeks warm and his heart pounding as a smile spread over his face. Eli Wilson. Eli Wilson. There is was again, the same name. Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep, satisfied breath. Eli was out there somewhere and someday Blaine would find him… for a moment, Blaine felt like he could almost picture him – bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Blaine!"

The image faded as Blaine turned to see Sam motioning for him to join them. He raced to catch up with his friends feeling as if he was walking on air.

Blaine had never been to Chicago before – and while it wasn't New York and Blaine was a little disappointed he'd missed Show Choir Nationals last year when the Big Apple hosted, Chicago was a cool city. The Warblers visited The Magnificent Mile and the Millennium Park, and tried Chicago style deep-dish pizza, and yes, it was delicious.

It was Blaine's Junior year of High School and his show choir had made it to Nationals, what else could he ask for? He had a good feeling about their chances too. They could actually win this thing, or at very least place. He skimmed the program, glancing at soloist names, looking for an Eli – a habit that had formed through the years – as The Warbler took their seats in the auditorium ready to listen to some of their competition. That's when Blaine started getting nervous about their chances. The competition was amazing.

There was a group from Colorado called The Danger Tones that had such loud powerful vocals Blaine actually held onto the armrests of his chair in the audience, feeling like he was about to be blown away. The Real Hymn Shadies from a private Christian school in Texas were so polished and professional they sounded as if they were ready for a recording contract.

Then there was New Directions, a group also from Ohio. Blaine had heard them before – on YouTube – The Warblers had never competed against them. Hearing them live was a completely different experience. Blaine had never seen a group sing with so much passion. The Warblers were good, very good – but when a tall, slim, handsome young man wearing the group's black shirt and slacks with a red tie hit a high note during, Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Blaine knew The Warblers weren't going to win.

He stood up and cheered after the performance, any group that good deserved his applause, even if they were going to beat them. Blaine especially wanted to cheer for the young countertenor in the group, his voice was beautiful, in fact, he was beautiful. Blaine suddenly wanted to meet the boy, to congratulate him on a job well done.

Blaine waited around the lobby after that set of performances hoping to run into the young man from New Directions, but he never did find him.

The Warblers performed well. Blaine felt good about his solo in One More Night but, at the end of competition, The Warblers only placed 12th. Not terrible, but disappointing. The New Directions won the whole thing and Blaine wasn't surprised. if The Warblers couldn't win he'd been secretly rooting for them.

"There's always next year." Sam said, squeezing Blaine's shoulder as they left.

"Not for David, he's graduating."

"Yeah," Sam looked over to David who was busy cheering up a Freshman who was taking the lost hard, "But he's David. He'll be fine."

Blaine nodded and took one more look around the conference center's lobby, hoping he'd catch another glimpse of the boy from New Directions. No such luck. He turned his attention back to his teammates, telling them all how proud he was of them. He loved this friends, trophy or not he was glad to be part of this team.

"Who are you?"

Blaine was slouched down in a chair in the corner of his apartment, cup of beer in his hand, he looked up see a man he didn't recognize standing over him with a smile on his face.

"Um… I live here." Blaine said, even though that didn't really answer the question, he wasn't sure why a stranger in his apartment was asking him who he was.

"No, your costume!" The man laughed and the sound of it rang out even over the music of the party. "I want to say a newsie maybe?" He indicated Blaine's newsie's cap, vest, and coal dirtied face.

Blaine looked down at himself, and then back up at the man, realizing slowly that whoever he was, he was very attractive. Tall and fair, he wore a long green silk jacket embroidered with gold thread, it had lace cuffs and a matching pair of breeches. His shirt was a lace up that had been left mostly undine showing of his chest and the stranger finished the look off with a tricorn hat and a glinting walking stick. The costume fit him to a tee and he looked devastating in it. At another time or place, Blaine probably would have flirted with him, but he wasn't really feeling it now.

"I'm Bert." Blaine answered, "The chimney sweep from Mary Poppins?"

"Cute!" The man said looking around and finding a folding chair to pull up beside Blaine.

Blaine sighed not really in the mood for company – but he was hosting this party with Tina, and he didn't want to be rude. "Who are you dressed as?"

"Casanova of course." The man said spreading his arms, and yeah, he looked the part. "I love your costume, why did you go with Bert?"

"Honestly, I had to do something last minute and I already owned most of this. It goes with Tina's outfit." Blaine said pointing his solo cup towards Tina across the room where she was talking, laughing, and actually being a good hostess for their Halloween party. She had her hair pinned up in a Gibson Girl bun, wore a white dress with a red sash, a white summer hat, and carried a matching parasol. The perfect Mary Poppins.

"That's adorable!" The man smiled and scooted closer, "Is she your… girlfriend?"

Blaine furrowed his brow, who was this guy that didn't seem to know either him or Tina, but was somehow in his apartment for a Halloween party? "No. My best friend." Blaine explained, "I just broke up with my boyfriend Tyler, that's why I had to find a last minute costume. My ld one matched his." Apparently, the beer was making Blaine's tongue loose.

"Oh. Ouch. I'm sorry."

Blaine shrugged and took another sip of beer with a grimace, he actually hated beer, he'd preferred one of the daiquiris Tina made so well, but this had been easy. Besides, the bitter taste fit his bad mood.

"It was my fault." Blaine said looking at the man, he had no idea why he was talking about this with a stranger, but the words seemed to keep flowing out. "The breakup. He said I wasn't committed, that I was always looking for something better."

"Where you?"

Blaine was surprised by that question; he'd expected some standard, "oh I'm sorry" or something.

"I…" He shrugged again, wanting say no, but he knew it might not be completely true. Tyler was great, sweet, handsome, a good boyfriend. They'd gotten together Blaine's sophomore year of college, and were talking about moving in together after they graduated in the Spring – but something had always held Blaine back from fully committing, and Tyler knew it.

"Actually," Blaine said looking down into his now nearly empty cup. "I was an awful boyfriend." Blaine had tried hard to be a good boyfriend, but in the end he'd still let Tyler down, because he couldn't completely let go of his stupid childhood belief that his soulmate was named Eli. He'd let something so juvenile ruin a great relationship.

"I'm sorry." The predictable words finally came, but they took Blaine off-guard, there was so much genuine sympathy in the man's voice. Blaine looked up to meet his eyes again. Lovely blue eyes, Blaine hadn't noticed that earlier.

"Do you even like that?" Casanova asked nodding to Blaine's cup, "You pinch your face up every time you take a sip."

"That's because it is terrible."

The man laughed again, the sound of it so heartfelt it made Blaine's chest feel warm.

"Come on." Casanova stood and held out a hand. "I'll make you a better drink."

Blaine looked at his hand for a moment before taking it, his skin was soft, but his grip was strong as he tugged Blaine up out of his chair.

He led Blaine to his own kitchen and started rooting around cupboards and Blaine's refrigerator, making himself at home. He pulled out a few things, grabbed a drink mixer that was already on the counter and washed it in the sink. Blaine just watched him silently the whole time, partly because he didn't feel like talking and partly because the man was fascinating, so graceful and confident moving around the kitchen, mixing a drink and sending Blaine smiles the whole time.

He'd procured a cocktail glass from somewhere and poured the finished concoction into it before handing it to Blaine.

"What is this?" Blaine said holding up the glass of creamy liquid.

"It's a Vanilla Alexander." Casanova answered, "You actually had all the ingredients."

Blaine took a small sip and then another looking over the rim with a smile. "This is delicious."

"Better than cheap beer?"

"Way better."

Casanova poured the rest of the drink into another glass and leaned against the counter with Blaine lifting his drink and waiting for Blaine to do the same. "To fresh starts." he said and they clanged their glasses together. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend."

Blaine smiled feeling exponentially better than he had earlier. "Thank you." Maybe this evening was going to be better than expected.

The next morning Blaine woke up on the sofa in the living room, his head pounding and light streaming in from the widows. He blinked open his eyes and looked around at the trashed living room. The party last night had been a success, he and Tina had meant to clean up after everyone left around 3:00 am, but it didn't seem as if they gotten far. Tina was asleep across the room in an armchair, her dark hair falling out of her bun around her face.

Blaine sat up a groaned. "Tina, wake up."

Tina slowly opened her eyes letting out her own moan. "Oh god, why is it so bright in here?"

"Because you're hungover."

"Shhh."

Blaine stood from the couch and when to the kitchen to make coffee. Tina joined him a few minutes later yawning widely and moaning again, when she saw the mess in the kitchen. She hopped up on a counter and watched as the coffee percolated. "That was fun last night, did you have fun?"

Blaine though back to the evening before, it hadn't started as much but in the end, yes, he had enjoyed himself. "Yeah, I did."

"Good. I'm glad, you needed some fun, Blainey. And you seemed to find some company…" She smiled and lifted an eyebrow. "Who was that hunk you spent most of the evening with?"

Blaine smiled thinking back to the new friend he'd made. "Casanova."

Tina laughed. "Apparently, but what was his name?"

"I…" Blaine blinked and thought back again to the time he'd spent with the stranger. He'd already been a little tipsy when they'd met and they ended up drinking together and talking until it got late and Blaine had been pulled away to help a departing guest find his jacket… Blaine didn't know if either of them had even shared their real names. "I… have no idea."

"What?"

"I met him last night, he must have been a friend of a friend."

"Good job, Romeo. Did you at least get his number?"

Blaine shook his head feeling deflated.

"Don't worry, we'll ask around, someone knew him."

Blaine agreed and then poured them both some coffee. They had an apartment to clean so they better wake up.

They did end up asking their friends if anyone knew who Casanova was, but it turned out someone from Tina's Dialects for the Stage class had invited a bunch of random people from campus, and no one they knew seemed to know who Casanova was.

Blaine kicked himself for not getting a phone number, and while he never said anything to Tina about it… he couldn't help but wonder if the man's name had been Eli.