Hello! Long time, no see! While I'm working on some other things, here is a one-shot based off the prompt: My ex showed up to this party to show off the person they left me for last month, please pretend to be my very attractive date.

Kurt Hummel was pretty sure that the gods had all conspired against him. That is, if he believed in that kind of thing. Maybe it was karmic payback for walking past Patches, the homeless man outside the public library, one too many times back in his tiny hometown in Ohio. Or maybe this was just his destiny and he had no control the events of the day. It didn't matter. Because regardless of reason, the string of good days Kurt had been having were now culminating in a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Friday.

He could also blame the whole thing on the fact that his best friend was still friends with his ex-boyfriend. Well, maybe not the oversleeping, the spilt coffee, or the disaster of a presentation he'd given to the CEO of the company. But he could definitely blame the fact that his ex-boyfriend, Max, had shown up to his best friend Rachel's birthday party three weeks after he'd dumped Kurt for someone else— with that someone else!

Kurt was going to be sick. He'd told Rachel a hundred times to uninvited him; to politely mention that since things between he and Kurt hadn't worked out, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to attend the party. But each time Kurt brought it up Rachel just went on about how the invitations had already been sent out, and that he'd RSVP'd, and that she really didn't think he would show. But there he was with his dark brown, perfectly styled hair and his stupidly blue eyes. Max, it seemed, didn't care what would be appropriate.

Not that Kurt spent the last month mourning their relationship; they'd been together three months and Kurt was certain that what he'd felt toward Max wasn't love. But it could have been. Regardless, it still hurt to find out that Max was leaving him for someone else. Someone who, from the looks of it, was nothing like Kurt. His new boyfriend's hair was dirty blonde, and long, falling kind of flat down his head and curving around his ears. It looks a little greasy. He was taller than Kurt, but he had far less fashion sense. Really, who told him that pattern looked flattering with is skin tone?

It was hard for Kurt not to wonder if there was something wrong with him. If there was something he wasn't even aware of that made guys not want to stick around. He couldn't remember the last relationship he'd had that lasted more than six months. And even when he was the one doing the dumping, the same thought always crossed his mind. That maybe there really wasn't that special someone out there that was made just for him. Maybe the Broadway musical/RomCom fantasy of finding his true love that he had in his head was really just that. A fantasy.

From his spot near the kitchen, Kurt watched as Rachel greeted Max, grateful for the strained smile on his best friend's face that likely only he noticed. He'd tell her "I told you so" later. Now, he had to figure out what he was going to do when Max was no longer across the room, but when they'd come face to face as he introduced his new boyfriend to Kurt. And he would. Because one of Max's less attractive qualities was that he loved to show off. Max knew Kurt would be at this party and he wanted to show off his new toy to, what, make Kurt jealous? Well, there was no way that Kurt Hummel was going to stand for that.

Kurt thought about hiding in the kitchen and staying there until everyone left, but then he saw a guy standing across the room by himself, munching on a plate of pretzels, and got an idea. A BAD idea. He was one of Rachel's friends from work, which made what he was able to do even more reckless. But he was cute, Kurt thought. He wore a maroon cardigan over a white t-shirt, black slacks and was much better dressed than Henry. Kurt didn't actually know Max's boyfriend's name, he just decided his name was Henry. He looked like a Henry.

Before he could talk himself out of his bad idea he was moving quickly across the room, to the snack table, until he was standing in front of the cute guy with the plate of pretzels.

"I'll give you a hundred bucks if you pretend to be my boyfriend."

The cute guy's wide eyes fixed on Kurt, who hadn't hand time to think that maybe this guy was there with someone; or that maybe he wasn't even gay and unlikely to play along.

"Uh, who are you?" the cute guy said after a moment.

"Kurt," he responded. He would have stuck his hand out and properly introduced himself, but if Max saw, then the whole charade he was about to enact would be for nothing, "Kurt Hummel."

"Oh! You're Kurt," the cute guy said, "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?"

"I'm Blaine," the cute guy, now named Blaine, said. Kurt was watched as Blaine went to stick his hand out but stopped himself, "I work with Rachel."

"It's nice to meet you, Blaine," Kurt said, his gaze flittering back towards Rachel who was still fake smiling at Max while scanning the room, probably for him.

"So, you're in need of a fake boyfriend?" Blaine asked pulling Kurt's thoughts back to their side of the room.

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, noticing for the first time the color of his eyes: golden, like warm honey. They were stunning.

Kurt took a deep breath, "Yes. God, this is totally embarrassing."

But Blaine straightened his shoulders like he was ready to take on the role, "So, Kurt, my new fake boyfriend," Blaine said with a flirty smile, "How long have we been together?"

Kurt took a moment think. Max hadn't wasted any time getting over him. He wasn't about to pretend like he'd wasted any time on Max, "Two weeks."

"Oh, so we're still in the honeymoon stage," Blaine said putting down his plate, and reached down and took Kurt's hand. He panicked for a moment, but eventually realized that had been exactly what he'd asked Blaine to do, "Where we can't keep our hands off each other."

"I suppose we are," Kurt countered letting his hand relax as it wrapped in Blaine's.

"And what is it that you do, Kurt?"

"Executive assistant to Isabelle Wright at Vogue dot com," Kurt told him, "You're an actor with Rachel's theatre group, right?"

"Yes," Blaine said, his cheeks reddening just a bit, "This is my first year."

"Oh!" Kurt said excitedly, "You're the guy she hasn't stopped raving about! I don't even think she actually ever told me your name. She keeps saying 'My male lead did this 'My male lead did that!"'

"That's quite terrifying to think about," Blaine said, "But I've really enjoyed working with Rachel. She's brilliant."

"Don't let her hear you say that; it'll go straight to her head and you'll have to begin praising her every day. I've been doing it since high school."

Blaine laughed, "You've been friends for a long time then?"

"We met in high school, in show choir," Kurt explained, "We hated each other."

"Really?" Blaine asked incredulously, "You'd never know that by the way she talks about you."

"Yes, really," Kurt confirmed, "Though, I'm beginning to worry about all this talking about me she's been doing."

"It's all good. I swear," Blaine lifted his free hand as if his other was placed on a Bible and not firmly in Kurt's.

They kept talking. About the production of Hair that the theatre group was doing, about the article on yoga pants that somehow became Kurt's job to wrangle into something worth reading, about Blaine's brother, Cooper, trying to persuade him to come to LA for Christmas, about how Kurt counted down the days until he could leave the busy city for a few days and take a deep breath inside the suburbia he once tried desperately to escape.

And during that time, Kurt had forgotten about the rest of the room. He'd forgotten that there was a party going on around him. He'd forgotten about Max. His world consisted of Blaine and Blaine only. It had been a long time since Kurt had been able to connect with someone so instantly, so completely. They were able to talk about the things they had in common—Broadway, old movies, sitting in Central Park—and the things they didn't. Like they hadn't been strangers twenty minutes before. Like they were catching up, not getting to know one another. But the bubble that had formed around them popped when Kurt felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned away from Blaine's story about his first, disastrous, day at the theatre and came face to face with Max. The very person that Kurt had approached Blaine in order to avoid. Stupid Max, with his stupidly blue eyes, and his stupid smile. A smug smile at that. And Henry, who up close, had insignificantly brown eyes.

"Max," Kurt said. He thought the first time he spoke to Max after their break up his voice would be strangled or clipped, but it was bored. He wanted to back to his world of two, "It's good to see you."

"You too, Kurt," Max said then placed his arm around the shoulder of Henry, "Kurt, this is Alex Harrison. My boyfriend."

It wasn't until Kurt extended his right hand to shake Alex's that he realized his left was still in Blaine's.

"It's nice to meet you," he lied.

"And who is this?" Max asked peering down his nose.

"This is my boyfriend," Kurt said gesturing towards Blaine, realizing he didn't know Blane's last name, "Blaine."

Kurt could see the surprising in Max's eyes, but he was more upset about the fact that Blaine had to remove his hand from Kurt's in order to greet them.

"Blaine Anderson," Blaine said reaching his hand, the one that Kurt wanted back in his own, out to shake the hands of both Max and Alex.

"Where did you two meet?" Max asked. Did Kurt hear…was that jealousy?

Blaine's hand reached down to entwine their fingers together again. Something like relief rolled over Kurt as Blaine spoke, "I know Rachel from the theatre. She introduced us a few months ago."

"How long have you two been together?" Max questioned.

"Just a few weeks," Blaine told him, "It took me a while to get the courage to ask Kurt out. He's totally out of my league, but, thankfully, he said yes."

"You're a flatterer," Kurt said with a smile directed at Blaine while he gave his hand an appreciative squeeze. He probably owed Blaine more than a hundred dollars for this.

Kurt hoped the surprise didn't show on his face when Blaine leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He was grinning now as his heart began to melt.

"How's work going?" Max asked. Kurt just wished he would go away, "How did the article, on, what was it, yoga pants, go?"

"It's running this week," Kurt said, "Isabelle seemed impressed."

"That's great. You worked hard on that," Max said and Kurt struggled not to roll his eyes. Max had laughed at the amount of stress such a "silly topic" has caused Kurt.

"Thanks," Kurt said anyway.

Didn't Max know someone else at this party? Wasn't there someone else he could bother? Could he and Alex just leave him and Blaine and go stand quietly in the corner?

"Oh! Jessica's here!" Alex said, looking thankful for something to take him away from the awkward silence that had fallen on them. He took off before anyone could response. Kurt wasn't even sure if Jessica was a real person. He didn't care.

"It was good to see you, Kurt," Max said before following Alex.

Kurt took a deep breath.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered.

"Your ex?"

"And the guy he left me for."

"Ouch," Blaine said and Kurt shot his a look, "Sorry."

"It's alright," Kurt told him, "It's in the past."

"And you needed me to pretend to be your boyfriend to, what, make him jealous?"

Kurt shook his head. He'd known his idea had been terrible, "No. I don't want him to want me back. I don't want him back. I just wanted him to think he left something good behind."

"He did," Blaine said.

Kurt looked into Blaine's mesmerizing eyes and smiled, "You're kind."

"I'm a flatterer, remember?" Blaine said, "Besides I've known you for less than an hour and I know he's an idiot."

Kurt didn't get a chance to respond with a shy smile or darkening cheeks. He didn't even notice she was coming until she had grabbed his hand and dragged him into the kitchen. He had barely noticed that he was still holding Blaine's hand until his was unceremoniously ripped from the other man's. He didn't have time to think about how empty it felt.

"You know I nearly blew your cover," Rachel said filling a bowl of party mix, "When Max said that he'd met your boyfriend, I had no idea who he was talking about."

Kurt leaned against the counter, "I kind of freaked out and Blaine was the first guy I saw."

"Just try to give me a head's up the next time you get a fake boyfriend."

Kurt laughed. The whole thing seemed more ridiculous the more the thought about it—the more he lived it, "I'll make sure to send you a text next time."

"Good," Rachel said, turning toward him with a bowl in each hand, "He's very nice, you know."

"Who?"

"Blaine," Rachel told him.

"I know," Kurt said. Even the little he knew about Blaine, he knew there was something special about him, "I don't think a cruel person would do this for a poor stranger."

"I meant—just don't lead him on."

"I'm not leading him on," Kurt said, "I made it very clear that there would be monetary compensation afterward."

"You're paying him!" Rachel shouted.

"Could you be any louder?" Kurt said trying to peak out and see if they'd drawn any attention. Because the only thing more embarrassing than your ex showing up with their new boyfriend, or paying someone to pretend to be your new boyfriend, was everyone finding out you were paying someone to pretend to be your boyfriend.

"I just don't want either of you to get hurt."

"No one is getting hurt," Kurt said, "Now if you'll excuse me. I have to return to my boyfriend for the evening."

Rachel let him go and Kurt found Blaine exactly where he'd left him. He smiled when Kurt approached.

"What I miss?" he asked standing next to Blaine, the urge to reach out and grab Blaine's hand strong, but he wasn't sure how Blaine would react now that they weren't as "on" as they were before.

But to Kurt's delight, Blaine moved closer and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist until his hand was sitting firmly on Kurt's hip. This time, Blaine's surprising gestures made Kurt's heart gallop in his chest.

"If it makes you feel any better," Blaine whispered in his ear, "He's been looking for you the entire time you've been gone. And giving me some seriously nasty looks."

"It actually doesn't," Kurt said wrapping his arm around Blaine, "But it looks like you're still willing to give him a show."

"I just want to earn my-what was it-hundred bucks."

"Ah," Kurt said, "Well, you're off to a good start."

The party went until midnight, Kurt and Blaine always together. They eventually moved away from the snack table, and to the couch, where they played the part of the loving couple to one of Rachel's college friend who knew Kurt, and that he'd dated Max, but didn't question for a moment the validity of the couple in front of her.

Even after Max and Alex left, they stayed on the couch, talking. To others, but mostly to each other. Learning more about the other in a few hours than Kurt knew about some of the people he'd known his entire life. When Blaine announced that he should go, Kurt walked him to the door, helped him into his coat, and followed him into the hallway, and watched as he called for the elevator.

"Can I walk you to the subway?" Blaine asked, eager, "or get you a taxi?"

"I'm actually crashing here tonight," Kurt said gesturing toward the door, "I promised Rachel I would help her clean up."

"Oh, okay," Blaine said, the disappointment written clearly on his face.

"Thank you, though," Kurt said.

The elevator beeped and the doors opened. Just as Blaine was about to step on, Kurt stopped him.

"Wait!" he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet, "I owe you this."

Blaine stepped away from the elevator and left the doors close. Kurt pulled out a hundred dollar bill and extended it in Blaine's direction.

"You don't owe me anything, Kurt," Blaine said sounding kind of sad, "I had a good time tonight."

"Please, Blaine. I insist."

Blaine looked at Kurt's outstretched hand for a moment, conflicted. Then he reached out and grabbed the bill from Kurt's hand and walked over to the wall, grabbed a pen out of his pocket, and began scribbling on the bill.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked, stunned.

Blaine called for the elevator again and then turned back to Kurt and handed him back the money, "I don't want your money, Kurt. But that's my number. Call me. I'd like to take you out to dinner sometime."

Blaine's name came out of Kurt's mouth as barely more than a whisper. Somehow—if by divine intervention, karma, or happenstance—Kurt's night at taken a turn he hadn't seen been expecting. He was beginning to think that his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Friday had been worth it. Everything had led him to this moment in the hallway—with Blaine. He grinned.

"I was right before," Blaine said with a smirk.

"About what?"

"About you being out of my league," Blaine said, "But maybe you'll still say yes."

"Yes," Kurt said immediately.

"Really?"

"Thank you for having the courage to ask," Kurt said, "I'll, uh, call you tomorrow. If that's okay."

"That's perfect."

The elevator beeped and the doors opened again. This time, with a smile, Blaine got onto the elevator. He was still smiling when the doors closed and Kurt was alone in the hallway.

"Well, you just saved me months of stress."

Kurt turned around and saw Rachel standing in her doorway, her arms crossed.

"Huh?"

"I was going to try to set you two up," she confessed, "But I guess you did all the work for me. Or should I thank Max?"

Kurt scowled and began walking into the apartment, "Thank him for nothing. We'll consider this my birthday gift to you."

"Well, happy birthday to me!" she shouted following behind him.