Part 1:

Kurt Hummel leaned back from the table and crossed his legs, trying to keep the vaguely interested look on his face. His date, a business major he met a club last week named Lucas, continued to drone on about financial policy and capital investment while simultaneously trying to impress Kurt by dropping dollar figures related to his trust fund. Kurt would claim that he'd never been so bored, but a Warbler discussion on the bylaws concerning performing without ties came close.

The date had all but ended for Kurt when he had mentioned his major and Lucas had sighed and said "that's nice" like you would to a preschooler holding up a finger painting. That was the point when he'd stopped asking Kurt questions and started in on his current monologue.

It was only early December and Kurt had been out with five guys just like Lucas since he arrived in New York last August. He could probably write a guide on the different types of young gay men in New York, he'd been on a lot of first dates and very few second ones. Just this Friday he'd had dinner with Mason, a photography student who had tried to talk him into posing nude before their appetizers had even arrived. Late drinks with Marco had ended nearly before they started when the other man had admitted to not only being in the closet, which Kurt could handle, short-term, but to being engaged to a woman, which Kurt could not.

On this particular evening he managed to act interested through dinner and politely thanked Lucas when the other man insisted on paying. Kurt and Rachel were barely scraping by and Lucas' trust fund might as well be good for something. After the last three months of dates Kurt couldn't really say he was surprised to find the other man's hand on his ass as they left the restaurant. He was also well practiced in removing hands from his ass. He may be determined to move on from his broken heart, but he wasn't about to forget his dad's advice. In fact, with some experience and heartbreak under his belt he knew exactly how those things could matter so much.

Kurt dragged himself up the five flights of stairs to his and Rachel's apartment and grabbed a tub of low-fat organic ice cream from the freezer before throwing himself on the sofa. He saw Rachel shake her head as she dropped her music theory workbook to the side, "What was it this time?"

"I don't know why I keep going out with these preppy business types. All he did was talk about investments and finances. He doesn't care if he makes a mark on the world as long as he makes money," Kurt grumbled. He rolled over on the couch to face his friend and sighed at the look on her face, "Don't say it," he warned. They'd had this conversation before.

"I'm just saying that you seem to be attracted to a certain type of look, and maybe it has something to do with what happened over the summer," she said and he could tell she was trying to be gentle.

"I've been out with all kind of guys," he protested.

"All kinds of losers. Have you actually turned anyone down?" He wasn't sure why he was allowing himself to talk relationships with Rachel of all people. He'd caught her talking to Jesse St. James on the phone just last week. Still, it wasn't like he had anyone else to talk to these days.

"You know I have," he pointed out.

"Fine, have you turned down anyone under 30?" Rachel must have been getting better at reading the looks he gave her, because she changed tactics, "I just don't think your current strategy of quantity over quality is going to help you get over him."

"None of this is about Blaine Anderson, and you need to drop it. He didn't want me anymore. I left. It's over. This isn't Lima, I have options even if I haven't found a good one yet," he said.

"Okay, but neither one of us is going to meet our Prince Charming in a club. Think strategically for second, there have to be guys in our classes that will recognize us for the future stars we are," Rachel said.

Kurt leaned his head back on the couch and sighed, she had a point. There was a guy he'd had his eye on in his Playwriting class. Mark was a freshman from Iowa and they'd quickly bonded over being from nowhere. He'd hesitated at first, not sure that Mark was gay, but eventually their pre-lecture conversations had turned to high school trauma and he knew that Mark was definitely gay and single. Maybe it was time to see if his new friend wanted to get some coffee after class.

"Thanks Rachel, maybe you have a point. About the clubs, not about Bl-the past. I think I'll just go to bed, I've got a rehearsal room booked early tomorrow," he said and headed to his room.

As he went through his nighttime routine he couldn't help but look at the pictures he had lined up across the edge of his dresser. His eyes settled on the one of his senior prom, where he and Blaine had posed with Finn, Rachel, Mike and Tina. When everything had gone wrong he had sat down with a pair of scissors determined to literally cut his ex out of his life. He'd been stopped by Carole, who admitted she knew how tempting it was to destroy evidence of an ex, but that he'd be sorry later when he was able to focus on the good memories. He knew she was right, even if it still hurt to think about their last conversation.

Five Months Earlier:

Blaine had shown up on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-August when he knew Kurt would be home from working at the garage. Finn had started football camp that week and they had the house to themselves. Kurt, who had been sewing costumes for the community theater production he and Rachel were doing that summer was pleasantly surprised to see his boyfriend and had quickly wrapped himself around the other boy. His confusion as Blaine carefully pulled himself away quickly turned to dread as soon as Blaine said, "Let's sit down Kurt, we need to talk."

"Kurt, I'm sorry but I don't think this is working," Blaine said. He was sitting stiffly on the Hummel's couch and he didn't meet Kurt's eyes.

It took a minute before Kurt was even able to speak, "What do you mean? Nothing has changed, we haven't been fighting, I don't understand,"

Blaine shook his head, "It's not right anymore. You didn't do anything, please believe me. It's just time to let this go."

Kurt was fighting back tears, he was still in shock. "Blaine, stop it. I love you. Whatever it is we can figure it out together. Just talk to me."

Blaine shook his head, "There's nothing to talk about. This is for the best, trust me."

Kurt just shook his head, he wouldn't be able to trust Blaine with anything again, especially his heart.