Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Main pairings: PUCKURT/BLAM.
Multi Chapter Story - Updated Weekly.
I
The Job Offer.
Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel stood outside the looming building on a Monday afternoon with their fingers entwined to silently support one enough. The restaurant looked classy with chrome black bars supporting the large gleaming windows as two glass doors, each with what looked like a blood red jewel as the knob, rested on either sides of the three panes of glass. Placed prestigiously above the minimal but elegant entrance was the word 'SYLVESTER'S' in passionate red block capital letters. Although with all it's exterior simplicity, the place for both boys looked daunting. Kurt and Blaine turned their heads to face each other and gulped as their hands tightened their embrace.
Both men moved to New York City the day Blaine, the youngest of the two, turned 21. After high school, Kurt took over his father's successful tire shop while his dad recovered from a heart attack and a bout of prostate cancer, while super smart, super rich Blaine went on to complete his bachelors degree in medicine in record time. Once Mr. Hummel had recovered completely and Blaine obtained his undergraduate, both boys decided to take a year away from life and start an adventure, and by unanimous decision, they choose New York. That was three weeks ago and along with renting an apartment together, purchasing furniture and gaining membership to their local gym, their savings had almost shrivelled to nothing. Although both 21 year olds had successful parents, they refused financial support in hopes to gain maturity, independence and remain dignified, although they never truly appreciated the amount of money relocating to another state really was. But they were out of Ohio and no amount of struggling would see them go back there.
Kurt Hummel was a slender man with pale skin and shocking blue eyes that twined effortlessly with ripples of emerald and flecks of grey. His petite frame, porcelain skin, multicoloured eyes and combed up chestnut hair often earned him the nickname of 'Edward Cullen'by his high school peers. That is, when they weren't calling him Fag or Queer. Kurt didn't particularly mind the nicknames and the slurs all to much once it became a constant in his life. Yes he was gay, almost stereotypically so with his love of fashion and musicals, but he was proud to be so.
Unlike Blaine.
Blaine Anderson albeit slight like Kurt, was tight and toned with muscle. Muscle gained from defending himself. Unlike Kurt, the curly raven hair boy wasn't as easily noticed as Kurt for being a homosexual, and in a lot of ways, made him more of a target. Throughout high school, his honey coloured hazel eyes would often be decorated by bruises for being a 'sneaky gay' and he put up with a lot of abuse until one day, he fought back. Although not aggressive by nature, Blaine did what he had to do to protect himself and if that meant training in combat or playing it straight, then so be it.
The two men had known each other since their Junior year of High school when Blaine transferred to McKinley where instantly a friendship was struck up. The two became inseparable and even dated for 15 months before the relationship eased itself into more brotherly territory. Neither felt bitter about to lose of relationship, in fact it made them grow even closer. They brought the best out in each other and leaned on each other for support; Especially when Kurt's father's health deteriorated, leaving Kurt numb and working on autopilot, it was Blaine who supported him through everyday life and helped as much as possible. When Burt Hummel fell into a coma after his heart attack, Kurt had broken, leaving Blaine feeling useless, but as soon as eyelids fluttered and father and son were reunited, Kurt face was golden and it was that image that made Blaine pursue medicine. They were inseparable ever since.
Which leads them to standing outside Sylvester's restaurant in the heart of New York City, after several failed job interviews, hoping and preying that they had found gold in this place.
"Ok, we got this." Blaine shook his limbs as if about to step into a boxing ring. "Go in there, be charming, confident and attentive and try not to worry-"
"That if we don't get this then we'll be living on the streets, selling our clothes?" Kurt offered, pulling his hand out of Blaine's in case the shorter man ripped it out of its socket from the physical preparation.
"Exactly." Blaine stopped and smiled at the brunette. Neither were fooled when his smile made absolutely no connection with his hazel wood eyes. Understanding he was fighting a losing battle, Blaine dropped the happy go lucky act. "How do I look?"
Kurt stood back and looked Blaine up and down appraising at the black suit with a crisp white shirt. Of course nothing was wrong with it, just like the five previous times his best friend had asked on their journey, but he straightened up Blaine's black bowtie that had gone ever so slightly askew in the shaking. He also ran his finger's lightly through raven short curls, predicting that would have been the elegantly dressed man's next worry. Kurt gave him a genuine smile and brushed imaginary lint of his shoulder for good measure.
Blaine opened his mouth to thank his taller friend when a stern voice interrupted him from the entrance of the restaurant.
"Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson?" a tall, thin older woman with a short blonde hairstyle asked as she leaned against the glass door, her fingers smoothly caressing the red glass door knob. Both boys snapped to action as if being drilled by a commanding officer. "Let's get this over and done with before you continue to undress each other outside my establishment."
Both boys blanched, an act that went unnoticed by the strict looking woman as she turned and headed back inside the building. Kurt and Blaine practically ran after her frantically.
"We wasn't-" Kurt tried as he flew through the door and nearly tumbled down the flight of red carpeted stairs that were on the other side.
"We're not-" Blaine began before crashing into his suddenly halted friend, who quickly held onto the banister just in time to prevent a nasty and embarrassing accident. The blonde woman paid them no attention as she continued marching down the stairs and into the dinning area.
The place was visually stunning, seemingly under ground level with the high placed windows from the entrance emitting light. The colour theme was evidently blood red, deep black and glass. The candelabra's that hung from the high top ceiling were melted into beautiful shapes with the same red coloured gems as the door knob dangling from them. The tables were of a transparent crystal like quality with chrome frames and the chairs had a gothic feel as the black metal moulded around red fabric. The bar, that stretched almost all the way across the back wall was the same design as the furniture, gleaming off the outdoor light.
"How very Moulin Rouge meets Vampire lair." Kurt said in a voice of deep approval as he reached the bottom of the stair case and studied his surrounding, completely ignoring the impatient looking woman who was seated comfortably at the bar, pouring herself a clear liquid in a martini glass.
Blaine however, did notice the lady and subtly nudge Kurt in the ribs as the pale man's fingers caressed one of the seats in wonderment. Getting all the way over to the bar without touching everything was no easy feat for Kurt, but he suspected the stern look from the woman probably helped him through it as he and Blaine both sat on chairs before her.
"I'm Sue Sylvester, I own this establishment and which one of you are who?" she asked in a clipped tone as she put down her martini glass onto the crystal worktop. Blaine and Kurt babbled there way through introducing themselves separately and Sue's face went from cold to unreadable instantly. "You're résumé 's claimed that Kurt has experience in the kitchen while Blaine has experience behind the bar, am I correct?"
Both boys nodded mutely. Kurt, although a mechanic by trade thanks to his father's rather successful tire ship, volunteered down at the soup kitchen for the homeless on occasions as well as lending a helping hand with the food at charity events for cancer and people with heart problems, both causes close to him because of his father previous medical history. Blaine's mother was Italian and every summer, she, her husband and two children, Blaine and his significantly older brother Cooper, would fly out there. His grandmother, his mother's mom, owned her own bar in which Blaine often helped behind.
"You, boy with skin like porcelain." she wagged her slim finger at Kurt who struggled not to bristle over the term. "You won't be working in my kitchen, so you can forget it."
"Why not?" Kurt asked irritably, his brows furrowed into a scowl.
"Too fragile." Sue shrugged and paused to take a large gulp of her drink. "You're practically trembling over this interview, you wouldn't last two minutes in the kitchen with Noah."
"But-"
"Noah Puckerman is the best at what he does." Sue spoke louder to drown out Kurt's objections. "But he's an angry little shit. A lot of our customers come here just to see him throw his tantrums." Kurt automatically got a sense that this Noah man was like Gordon Ramsey and if truth be told, Kurt wasn't very good at being bossed around like he was an inadequate child. "You can apply for the waiting position instead." she decided and Kurt's tense body deflated. At least he wasn't dismissed immediately. "And you, are you gay?" Sue rounded on Blaine who had wisely remained silent throughout the whole process so far.
Blaine had a split second to make his decision about being truthful or not. Indeed New York was a lot more open minded than Ohio, but he would be a fool if he believed everyone in the city would be so accepting. Of course if he was successful in getting a job here, his sexuality may be difficult to hide over a period of time. "Yes, Ma'am."
"You're hired." she decided with finality as she finished off her drink. "The Young Club bar staff has a lesbian, a bisexual and a straight behind this counter. I need a handsome gay to complete my set."
"Young club?" Kurt asked without his mouth's permission as curiosity overtook.
"My evening staff, 4pm until midnight are all aged between 21 and 25. Better looking, fresher faced staff for our busiest times. Draws in the customers and makes the place more fun." Sue informed in a tone that made her sound bored. "Ever done a waiter's role before kid?"
"Yes." Kurt answered immediately, remembering the charity events. Sue climbed off her stool and stood right in front of him before grabbing his chin and inspecting him for god knows what. Kurt allowed her to do this with only the slightest urge to protest and demand she take her hands off him. It wasn't that the pale boy had much of a problem being touch, although by strangers it was quite alarming, but more he had a problem with being critiqued.
"You'll do." she decided on whatever was going through her head and dropped her hand as she moved back to her seat. "But you gotta toughen up Porcelain. If a customer wants to send an order back for whatever reason, you have to be able to deal with my head chef's rage or else he will eat you for breakfast, you hear?" Kurt nodded, disliking this Noah more and more. Surely Sue Sylvester should be trying to sell her restaurant and it's staff in a positive light right? "Just a couple of things I should mention before I have my assistant Quinn call you tomorrow. You leave your personal lives at the front door, understood? I don't want you coming in all depressed because your cat died or something." the boys nodded simultaneously. "No sex with your co workers. there are plenty of gays out in the city, don't hunt them down in here and let it effect your work. And the last but most important rule, no singing." Sue gave a face of disgust and Blaine and Kurt shared a glance. They both loved singing. "I can't stand it, yet someone it seem the Young Clubbers I employ seem to think they can all sing, but dear god it's just awful."
To be fair on Kurt's part, he had no idea whether he had been hired on the spot like Blaine had, but from the sounds of things, it looked like they had just found their solution to save their apartment. He wanted to dancing and prance around, but with Sue's no singing rule, he doubted it would be appreciated. Blaine was positively bursting with pride at how easy he got his position. Not only had being gay worked out for him in getting a job, but his other team members were also part of the LGBT community or at least comfortable being associated with.
"Congratulations boys." Sue raised her glass in toast. Blaine and Kurt, not having any glasses of their own, just shuffled awkwardly on their stools. "Welcome to Sylvester's."