AN: Hello :) I'm back with something new, something AU, and something Klaine. There's not much better than that, right? Wine After Whiskey is inspired by a song by the same name by Carrie Underwood.

Do we still have to put disclaimers on these things? I haven't in ages, but I own nothing!

So without further adieu...

Blaine Anderson sat down on the edge of his bed and took in the room he'd been learning to call his own for the last week. It was spacious, with more than enough room to put the desk and bookshelves that were still in transit from New York, and there was a generous amount of closet space. And anything that didn't fit had been boxed back up and brought down to the basement. But that was all his life had become: the spare bedroom in a house that belonged to his brother, Cooper, and his brother's wife, Allison, and a couple of boxes filled with the parts of his life that he didn't have room for anymore.

Moving to Lima was a fresh start, a chance for Blaine to make a new life for himself and forget about all the horrible things that had happened in New York. After all, wasn't that exactly why Cooper moved here in the first place? Blaine's older brother had been flying through life without a care in the world. He had the means and the desire to do everything and anything without anyone, not even his family, to keep him in one place for too long. But then on a road trip the summer he turned thirty, Cooper met the love of his life and it wasn't long before he packed up everything he had and moved to Lima, Ohio. A couple of years later, they were married. Allison kept his grounded and for the first time in his adult life, Cooper had found a place to settle down. And for the first time in Blaine's life, he was truly jealous of his brother for finding true love, for making a family.

It hadn't gone unnoticed by Blaine that the walls of his new bedroom were painted a pale yellow and that the room had always been intended to be a nursery, and not a spare bedroom for Cooper's disaster of a brother.

In Blaine's defense, though it was a rather weak one, nothing that happened to him was his fault. Not really. It wasn't his fault that he came home to find his boyfriend with someone else, naked on their kitchen table. It wasn't Blaine's fault that the school he'd been working at had to let him go. It wasn't Blaine's fault that he was nearing thirty and his entire life began crumbling around him in a matter of two weeks.

All it took was a phone call from Cooper before Blaine was packing his things into boxes and throwing away what he no longer needed. Cooper had extended the invitation for Blaine to live with him and Allison, explaining to Blaine that he'd already found him a job at the elementary school teaching Kindergarten. "All I had to do was work my charm," Cooper had told him, "They needed someone to teach small children, and I told them that I just happened to have a very qualified brother." And that was how Blaine found himself laying back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to not, for the millionth time, think about the terrible events that led him To Lima, in hopes that he could spot the red flags that he'd missed, or the ones he saw and chose to ignore.

There was no way he could have predicted that the school wouldn't ask him back to teach another year. The principal had told Blaine that he was a fine teacher, that the kids loved him and that he'd even got a few compliments from parents. But they were downsizing the school and the only thing they could offer him was a glowing recommendation.

Though, in hindsight, he probably should have seen Jason cheating on him coming from a mile away. They'd been together for a couple of years and Blaine was ready; ready to get married and start a family. And he had wanted that with Jason. He'd always hoped that Jason would ask him, but Jason had always been hesitant, never exactly explaining himself, and skirting around the topic every time Blaine brought it up. He shouldn't have been so surprised to find him on top of one of the guys he worked with, the one who had hit on him at Jason's Christmas party for work, that Jason had said was completely harmless, and straight. He should have known there were others before Jason confessed everything and them moved out of the apartment.

But none of it mattered, not in Lima. In Lima he was just Cooper Anderson's brother and the new Kindergarten teacher. And aside from that he could be anybody he chose to be.

There was a knock on the door and Blaine turned his head as it opened and Cooper popped his head inside. Cooper was a handful of years older than Blaine, but sometimes it was hard to tell. He still had a youthfulness about him, both physical and mentally, that sometimes made him seem younger than Blaine.

"Hey Squirt," Cooper said with a spring in his voice giving Blaine his best big brother smile. Blaine sometimes thought that Cooper's energy was best suited for something other than construction.

"Hey Coop," Blaine sat up, grimacing at the nickname his brother had been calling him since he was ten. He hated it, but despite his pleas, especially during high school, Cooper never stopped using it, and eventually Blaine decided it wasn't worth the battle.

"You alright," Cooper asked completely entering the room and moving to sit next to Blaine on the bed.

"Yeah," Blaine responded, only partially lying, "Just a little tired."

"Well, nap if you must, but be ready by eight to go out tonight."

"Cooper, I don't think—"

"You've been here for a week," Cooper said putting his hand on Blaine's shoulder, "I've given you a week to mourn your shitty ex-boyfriend and your shitty New York life and to get all settled in here. Now it's time for you to go out and experience Lima."

"You told me there wasn't anything to do here."

"There really isn't," Cooper said, "Unless it's the weekend and unless you're at Hummel's."

"Hummel's," Blaine asked curiously.

"Hummel's is a bar that has fantastic onion rings," Cooper explained, "And I guarantee you'll have a good time. It's impossible to go to Hummel's and not have a good time."

"Do I get to say no," Blaine asked hopeful.

Cooper shook his head, "Not if you want to continue living here."

Blaine knew Cooper wasn't serious, but also that there was no way he was going to convince his Cooper to let him stay home, "Fine," Blaine said giving in.

"Fantastic," Cooper said patting Blaine on the knee and standing up, "and remember that this is going to be your first impression on the people of Lima. Make it a good one."

Blaine took a deep breath and closed his eyes as Cooper disappeared from the room, leaving him once again alone with just his thoughts. When his eyes were open, he could see Lima, his new home, his new life. But when he closed his eyes, it was like a switch was flipped and all he his thoughts turned to the past, the past he couldn't change. So he opened them again, taking in the pale yellow room and decided to focus his thoughts on the future. Ready or not, Blaine had four hours to get himself ready for his Lima, Ohio debut. He had to take the thoughts of New York and Jason and lock them up with the boxes in the basement so that he could go out and have a good time. If he couldn't, then how was Lima ever going to feel like home? How would he ever find for himself, the same thing that Cooper had?

Blaine wasn't exactly sure what he had been expecting Hummel's to be, but what he got was a building at the end of a strip mall. A huge sign over the entrance displayed the name of the bar in large, neon orange lights. There was a porch across the front of the building with a couple of vacant tables. Blaine followed Cooper inside Hummel's, the foyer packed with people waiting for a table. Cooper pushed his way passed them; bypassing the hostess completely, and led Blaine to a table where two other guys were waiting. The first Blaine knew from Cooper's wedding party. His name was Jeff and he'd met Cooper once he'd moved to Lima. He was Allison's cousin. He'd played football in high school and in college, and he still looked like it. His dark hair was longer than the last time Blaine had seen him, but as Blaine shook his hand, Blaine thought that it worked better for him that way.

"This is Sam Evans," Cooper said gesturing to the other man at the table. This man looked around Blaine's age, had shoulder length blonde hair, and unusually large lips.

"Nice to meet you," Blaine said shaking Sam's hand and sitting down between him and Cooper.

"You too, dude," Sam said, "You're brother hasn't shut up about you since he found out you were moving here."

"All good things, I swear," Cooper said flashing his thousand dollar smile that meant that he wasn't exactly being truthful.

A moment later they were greeted by their waitress, a Latina woman in four inch black heels that accompanied the red and black dress that was her uniform. She had an apron wrapped around her waist and a serving tray in her hand.

"What can I get you gents?"

"Whiskey on the rocks for both the Anderson brothers and whatever these jokers are having," Cooper said gesturing to Jeff and Sam, "The whole tabs on me tonight, boys."

"Cooper, you don't have to do that," Blaine said.

"But I want to," Cooper said putting his arm around his brother "You're my kid brother and it's your first night out on the town. Besides, I know you'll maybe have one more and one of these two will get the bill next time."

"Thanks, Coop," Blaine said with a bashful smile. Sometimes Blaine forgot that Cooper could actually be a great big brother.

"No problem, buddy," Cooper said before turning his attention towards Jeff.

"Alright," Sam said pulling Blaine's attention towards him, "Lima 101."

"I'm sorry," Blaine said bewildered.

"See the man over at the bar alone," Sam said gesturing behind him to a man sitting at the bar in a bright blue polo shirt and red shorts that were actually really short, "That is Old Man Tanaka. But he's not actually that old. He's spent every day in here since his fiancé dumped him a few years ago. He doesn't talk to anyone anymore. He just comes in and sits down on his stool in the bartender brings him his usual. Two rules: never talk to him and never sit on his stool."

"That sounds tragic."

"Oh, totally. My mom brings him a casserole every week but she just leaves it on the porch, rings the doorbell and leaves. When she shows up to drop a new one off, she finds the old dish sitting on the porch, clean. No idea if he even eats them, but mom is grateful he gives her back her dishes."

"So he just sits here and gets drunk all day?"

"I guess," Sam said, "But he always walks himself out of here just fine. He's not like slopping or anything."

Their waitress brought them their first round, and between then and round three (though Blaine stopped, as expected, after round two), Sam excitedly filled Blaine in on all the people of Lima; or at mostly just the ones currently at Hummel's. Their waitress, Santana Lopez, dated Sam once in high school before she came out and professed her love to her best friend, Brittany. But Brittany had dreams that were bigger than Lima and she left for Los Angeles right after high school, leaving everyone, including Santana, behind. Sam told him about Brittany (he dated her too), and Mercedes (Sam kind of dated her as well) and then It was just after finished his story about Puck, the other server, that he looked up in search for Santana, announcing that he needed another drink.

But Santana was nowhere to be seen.

"She must be on break," Blaine said, "I can just go to the bar."

"Two more for us, Squirt," Cooper said gesturing between him and Jeff who had been joined by another man, and from what Blaine could here, they were talking baseball.

Blaine nodded and got up from the table and weaved his way through the other tables and people towards the bar. While he waited to be served, Blaine looked back over towards his table, the table where his brother and his brother's friends sat and took in the fact that this, this town, this bar, this life was now his. In New York he'd had a small group of friends and every Friday night, and sometimes with Jason, they'd go out to this bar not far from Blaine's apartment. It was the thing that Blaine looked forward to the most every week. But he didn't have New York or those friends, or Jason, anymore. Life was different now and he'd have to settle for this new bar and these new friends; even if they were the ones he was borrowing from Cooper.

"What can I get you?"

Blaine turned his attention towards the bartender, fully intending to just rattle off his list of drinks, but then his mind went completely blank. Because standing in front of him, wearing a white Henley and a black vest, was the most beautiful man Blaine had ever seen. He was absolutely with his porcelain skin and his chestnut hair that was styled into the perfect coif. And his eyes, oh my god his eyes. They were the most stunning shade of blue; an ocean Blaine wanted nothing more than to drown in.

This gorgeous bartender had put a spell on him, leaving him unable to form a single thought or allow a single word to escape his lips. And it was a long moment before Blaine could pull himself out of the haze. He'd blame it on the alcohol but Blaine was certain that it was caused by nothing more than the bartender's patient, and beautiful, smile, "Uh. Whiskey on the rocks, a Bud Light and a Rum and Coke. Please."

Blaine could have sworn he saw the corners of the bartender's mouth raise just a fraction higher before he silently turned around and began taking care of Blaine's order. Which was just fine with Blaine because it left him to try and calm the voice in his head that wouldn't stop screaming about how attractive the bartender was and from drifting off to other, rather imaginative, thoughts. Never in his life had Blaine been so struck by someone. But he needed to force himself to put his thoughts back on track so that he could function like a sane human in front of the attractive bartender, and not turn into a pile of goo. Because that wasn't very attractive.

The bartender returned with his drinks, "Are you adding these to a tab?"

"No," Blaine said reaching in his pocket for his wallet, grateful that he seemed to be able to function again, "These are going to be on me."

Blaine pulled enough cash to cover the drinks and give the bartender a generous tip. It was the least he could do after acting like an idiot in front of him and internally ogling him while was doing his job. He smiled, hoping he was now coming off as charming and not a bumbling idiot, and creatively, and safely, arranged all three drinks in his hands and made his way back to the table.

"Took you long enough," Cooper said reaching for his drink just as Blaine was setting them down on the table.

"There were a lot of people."

"Uh huh," Cooper said and turned back towards Jeff.

Sam took his Rum and Coke from Blaine, "Nothing for you?"

"No, I'm done for the night. Especially if he's still going."

Sam nodded, taking a sit of his drink, looking ready to launch into another lesson in Lima 101, when Blaine interrupted him.

"Who's the guys working the bar," Blaine asked.

Sam turned to look and Blaine immediately regretted even asking because while Sam's eyes found the bartender, the bartender was maybe, hopefully, definitely, looking over in their direction.

"Oh, that's Kurt. Kurt Hummel. He runs this place."

"Oh."

"Why, what's up?"

"Nothing. I just—I didn't get his name when I got our drinks, that's all."

"Right," Sam said and then found the opportunity to tell another story, "But Kurt, like I said, he runs this place. It's actually his dad's place; he opened it a long time ago, like before Kurt was born. But you don't really see Burt, that's Kurt's dad, around much. He does the books or whatever to make sure the bills get paid, but the day-to-day stuff for the bar, pretty much comes completely from Kurt. The dude is here like every day."

"So, you know him?"

"Everyone knows everyone in Lima," Sam said, "But yeah. We were in Glee Club together in high school."

"Glee Club?"

"Hey man, don't hate on it. It was actually kind of awesome. After high school a couple of us went off to do other things, a lot of us, like me, Santana, Puck and Kurt stayed here."

"Do you regret it?"

"No," Sam told him, "Some people couldn't find what they wanted in Lima. But sometimes this place has everything you need."

They left before last call. After the first round of drinks, Cooper spent most of the night conversing with Jeff and a bunch of his other friends from work, leaving Blaine with Sam as his constant companion. But Blaine wasn't upset with his brother because he liked Sam. Sam had told Blaine all the important things he needed to know about Lima, and some of its in habitants, and Blaine found someone who he could actually talk to about music. It was Blaine's second love, after teaching, and Cooper never really had a real appreciation for music. Not like Sam had. It was nice.

But leaving Cooper to his own devices all night meant that by the time they left, Cooper was too intoxicated to drive them home and it would be up to Blaine to get them there. Blaine said goodbye to Jeff and Sam, with a promise to text Sam to hang out, after they helped him tuck Cooper into the front seat of his car, refusing their offer to help Blaine navigate the way home and took off in what he hoped was the right direction. He really needed to become more acquainted with the lay of the Lima land.

"Cooper, I'm going to need your help," Blaine said after a few minutes, turning into what he was pretty sure was the right subdivision, but now he was faced with a bunch of strange streets he wasn't quite sure he recognized in the dark.

Cooper looked up, disoriented and half asleep, " Right, two streets, left, one street, left, three streets, right, one street, left, third house on the right."

Blaine couldn't help but laugh as he committed Cooper's directions, that sounded more like a strange dance moves than anything else, to memory. When he took the final left and counted three houses down on the right, he was relieved to find Allison's car parked in the driveway.

Blaine got out of the car and hurried over to the passenger's side where Cooper was starting to get out of the car on his own.

"I'm not that drunk," Cooper muttered.

"Well it seems like you need some help. Come on, Coop," Blaine said putting his arm around his brother's shoulders, tugging Cooper beside him as they moved, slowly, towards the front door. Where Allison was waiting.

"I thought you two were going to need a ride home, so I waited up," she told Blaine.

Blaine smiled at his sister-in-law. He'd always liked Allison; sometimes even thought she was wasting her time with Cooper, who sometimes acted more like a child than any of the kids in his class. But she loved him, and it was apparent in the smile she gave Cooper even though he was coming home like a frat boy on a Friday night instead of the grown man she'd married. To her, she wasn't wasting a minute. Loving someone completely, flaws included, could never be wasteful. It was beautiful.

Allison wrapped her arms around Cooper's other side, "I've got this, Blaine. Go on up to bed."

Blaine nodded but vowed to at least help her get Cooper to the couch. Cooper muttered something that neither Allison nor Blaine understood, he was half asleep by then, right before he was unceremoniously dumped onto the couch where Allison vowed he would stay for the rest of the night.

"Blaine, really," Allison whispered, "You can go to bed now."

Blaine whispered goodnight and kissed Allison on the cheek and headed towards the stairs. He could feel the weight of the hour beginning to push down on him, looking forward to getting into bed and falling asleep. As he climbed the first step he reached to his back pocket and stopped completely.

"Crap."

"What," Allison said appearing beside him.

"I think I left my wallet at the bar," Blaine told her, "I'm going to head back up there and see if it's there."

"Are you sure it can't wait until it's light out?"

"Yeah," Blaine said, "I'll be right back."

"Are you sure you can find your way there?"

"I'll figure it out," Blaine said, "Toss a blanket on Cooper and go to bed. No need to wait up for me."

Blaine heard Allison tell him goodnight as he walked out the door for a post-midnight adventure.

Kurt took the broom from where it was leaning in the corner and began his nightly attempt at wrangling in all the fallen French fries, nutshells, and other debris that managed to dirty the floor, into a pile so that he could start mopping before it got too late.

He was alone, relishing in the quiet of the bar that, not more than thirty minutes before, had been alive and loud. Santana had offered to stay and help him clean up, like she did every night they worked together, but Kurt enjoyed this part of the night as much as any other. The stereo system was turned off, the jukebox plugged in and softly playing songs from a time before him own. It was peaceful, and Kurt was happy to be only with his thoughts and his broom.

He mentally triple checked that they had enough beer for the bon fire Sunday night as he swept around the tiny stage that tonight went unused for anything more than a place that a group of girls were dancing; he reminded himself that he needed to check in with his father about just how much they were paying the band that was playing as he swept up in the corner that he remembered was occupied earlier by a group of guys who spent every Friday night here so they didn't have to be home with their wives; and as he swept in front of the bar, he thought about his own bed. How he longed for it because it was late and he was tired but how big and cold it would be when he got home. He tried to push the last thoughts from his mind before they began to multiply and fester, guaranteed to keep him awake tonight when all he wanted was the sweet release of sleep.

They'd almost won until Kurt heard the front door of the bar open behind him and footsteps against the hardwood flooring. He should have locked the door after Santana left.

Kurt stopped sweeping, but didn't turn around, "We're closed."

A few more footsteps, "I know, I'm sorry. I wasn't even sure anyone would be here, but I think I left my wallet."

Kurt slowly turned around and came face to face with a man he recognized from earlier. The man who'd ordered whiskey, a Bud Light, and a rum and coke, the man whose hazel eyes had stunned him and that he would have daydreamed about as he mopped if those same hazel eyes weren't standing right in front of him.

"I think there's a wallet behind the bar," Kurt said leaning the broom against one of the tables and walking behind the bar, "I haven't looked to see whose it was yet, but I bet it's yours."

Kurt bent down to the shelf behind the bar; to the safe spot he knew there was a wallet. He knew because he'd put it there, shortly after Blaine had ordered drinks from him.

"You're new around here," Kurt said as he grabbed the wallet.

"You can tell," he heard Blaine as he stood up.

Kurt laughed, "There's not a sign over your head, but Lima isn't exactly a big town. Everyone kind of knows everyone. Or at least of them. And I certainly don't know you."

"Blaine Anderson," he said extending his hand.

"Kurt Hummel," Kurt said placing it into Blaine's ignoring the warmth that seemed to engulf, not just his hand, but his entire body. When he let go he flipped open the wallet, peaking at Blaine's idea, smiling at the picture on his driver's license that just looked so…adorable, "Yep, that's you."

"Thank you," Blaine said taking the wallet when Kurt handed it to him.

"Anderson," Kurt said, "Are you related to Cooper?"

"Unfortunately."

"So, new guy," Kurt said coming around the bar to sit on one of the bar stools, "What brought you to incredibly dull, Lima?"

"I needed a fresh start."

"In Lima," Kurt questioned, "Most of us are trying to get out of here before we die."

Blaine took a deep breath, "A lot of not so great things have happened in the last month and by the time they were all over there wasn't anything left for me in New York, so I left. And Cooper is here and he offered me his guest room so I thought, why not?"

"I always wanted to go to New York," Kurt said with a smile, "I thought about it after high school."

"Why didn't you," Blaine asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

And surprisingly, he didn't. He didn't mind that Blaine asked and he found that he wanted to tell Blaine despite the fact that they'd only just met.

"I don't mind. Everyone around here practically knows my entire life story," Kurt said, "But the short version is that things change. People change. Dreams change."

"So you're dream went from living in New York to running a bar in Lima?"

"I've always been a fan of bossing people around," Kurt explained, "And my dad was looking to hire someone to run things since he's not exactly young anymore. I thought it was crazy leaving Hummel's to be run by someone who wasn't a Hummel and I was in the middle of a quarter-life crisis and wasn't sure what way was up. So I took it as a sign and decided to run the bar."

"And how has that turned out?"

"I think it turned out pretty well."

They talked for a while. Their mutual love for musicals and Vogue giving them plenty to talk about. It had been so long since Kurt had anyone to talk about those things that it didn't matter the hour or that he was tired, he felt his energy renew as he told Blaine about his days in Glee Club and how Broadway had once been his dream. But he reminded himself that he had been a kid when he'd dreamt that.

"When did it get so late," Blaine exclaimed when he'd taken the pause in conversation to check his phone.

"It was late when you got here."

"Then when did it get this late? I'm sorry about that, by the way. I just kind of panicked."

"Don't worry about it."

"I should get going."

"Right," Kurt said, "I need to finish mopping this floor."

"Again, I'm sorry I bothered you."

"Don't be," Kurt said, a big gigantic smile on his face, "It was really nice meeting you, Blaine."

"I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," Kurt said in a breathy voice, "Definitely."

Blaine waved goodbye and turned back towards the door, the sound of each of his footsteps hitting the hardwood played like a note of sad song every time he took a step away from Kurt. Because Kurt felt like he'd just made a promise, or that maybe a promise was being made to him. That Blaine was a promise. Of what? He wasn't sure. But for the first time in a very, very long time, something opened up deep inside of Kurt and he suddenly couldn't wait to find out.

Thanks for reading! Please review and let you know what you thought! I'm not quite sure what my updating schedule is going to be but I'm aiming for every 7-10 days. I've got a lot of things written and outlined so that shouldn't be a problem.

As always you can follow me on twitter ( thatgleekychick) for a better idea of when things are coming. I also tend to live tweet when I write.

Have a great day!