"Usual for you, hun?" Pam called over the noise of milling customers and the espresso machine, as Kurt Hummel strode up to the counter of the Lima Bean.
"Thanks, Pam" Kurt said with a wink as he looked over at his coffee lady, "Can I also get a medium drip and a coconut macaroon for Blaine when he comes in as well please?"
"Sure thing, sweetie – I'll have it waiting here", she handed over a large cup with the Lima Bean logo printed on it and said with a smile. "Here's your mocha."
"Low-fat?" He asked back; with a mock reproachful stare.
"Of course!" She said with a wink and took the proffered $10 Kurt handed her.
"Keep the change!" he said with a warm smile as he moved away from the counter.
"Thank you, my love" Pam called over and moved onto her next customer.
Kurt moved rather noisily through the close tables in the Lima Bean, he had just been shopping and his many purchases hung awkwardly in paper bags around his arms, bashing into chairs and, once, a person who almost spilled his coffee. He found a table towards the back of the shop and plonked his bags down underneath the dark wood table, readying himself until Blaine arrived. He took out a small mirror and checked his hair in the reflection. Was it vanity if it was for the benefit of someone else? He asked himself. Probably, he conceded and went to put his mirror away. He always got to a date with Blaine slightly early to make sure he was looking his best; it was unnecessary and embarrassing, he knew that but it had became a routine (and Kurt was nothing without his routines).
Fifteen minutes later and Blaine was officially late. Pam would've kept his coffee in the warmer, that wasn't what he was worried about, Blaine was never late. Kurt had put it down to his private school education or his rigid family life but if there was one thing that you could count Blaine Anderson on, it was punctuality. Kurt continued to sit alone looking between the clock and the door for his favourite ex-warbler, contemplating the relative merits of calling to check if Blaine was OK. A further five minutes later and Blaine finally pushed open the door to the Lima Bean with a sigh. Kurt instantly knew something was wrong. Lateness he could put down to traffic or getting caught up somewhere but Blaine looked –well frankly – a mess. His usual evenly gelled hair was sticking up slightly and his fringe was at an odd angle. As he walked up to the coffee counter he saw that he was also wringing his hands – a nervous trait of his. Kurt saw him reach out and take the coffee off of Pam and as she pointed at Kurt he turned and gave a weak smile. Something was definitely wrong. Really Wrong.
"You're breaking up with me?" Kurt said, his voice cracking under the strain of pushing back the tears. He looked straight at Blaine trying to understand what he was saying. Near enough as soon as Blaine had sat down he had started talking about Kurt's future, Kurt's plans. Almost resentfully and that's when it hit him what Blaine was trying to say.
"No, Kurt I jus- I just think it would be best if we started seeing other people." As he spoke Blaine's own voice betrayed him, letting go into a rasping whisper as he too held back the tears.
"Blaine, you're not making sense..." Kurt spoke in a soft, pleading voice as – despite his best efforts – his eyes welled with tears.
"Look Kurt." Blaine spoke with a resignation that told Kurt he was doing this purely for his benefit. "I met this guy a few days ago and, well" he said awkwardly "he gave me his number and it got me thinking about New York and us still staying together."
"Are you saying you want to date him?" He spat out the last two words as if they were poison. Kurt's crashing sadness being replaced by anger and confusion.
"No, it's just... when you go to New York to live your dream - "
"It was supposed to be our dream!" Kurt interjected as the tears rolled down his face, now doing nothing to hide them. "We were supposed to go together."
"Kurt... When you go to New York you won't want to be tied down with a boy back in Ohio."
"Don't make this about me! I'm not the one sat here giving the break up speech!" Kurt yelled this at Blaine, not caring that they were attracting the attention of other coffee goers. Only slightly quieter did he say. "I never thought you would be the guy to turn this all on me."
"I didn't mean it like that Kurt," Blaine said quietly. "I just meant; we both are bound to go through some... stuff and I think we should be able to do this without the strings of a relationship attached."
"So, what!? I'm just a string to you know? Something that you need to cut loose!?" His voices rose in both amplitude and pitch towards the end of his sentence.
"No! Kurt." Blaine said, giving into anger and frustration himself now. "Stop twisting everything! God!"
"Well maybe if you could actually give me a good reason why you feel 'we should see other people'" he imitated Blaine's voice cruelly. "Then I wouldn't have to twist things. Hmm."
"I'm just trying to do what's best for us, Kurt."
"Best for us!?" He said incredulously, almost screaming now. "Well I'm sure breaking up with me is the way to go there Blaine." He added spitefully.
"I just..."
"You know what? I'll save you the trouble. We're done."
Done.
The finality of the statement hung in the air for a few seconds.
"Goodbye Blaine." Kurt said again. Tears streaming down his face, he grabbed all of his bags and all but ran out of the shop.
Blaine just sat there. Silent. He turned to leave. His mind reeling, not quite understanding what just happened or what he was expecting to happen. As he reached the door he saw the barista – what was her name, Pat? – shooting him a very dirty look. He just sighed and moved out of the shop.
A/N: Sorry that it was so short and no mention of Seb but I have to set the scene. Thanks for reading.
