For gottalivealoha in Tumblr who encouraged me to write something for this prompt.

It was a beautiful autumn day in October, the forecast was a high of 79°F, but it was a little cooler than that now. A perfect fall day with leaves fluttering to the ground and the smell of winter not too far off in the air.

Kurt usually loved the fall, the change in weather, the warm colors of the leaves, plus it was the beginning of scarf season, how could he not love it? Still, this October was leaving him feeling discouraged. He had just started his second year of community college at Rhodes State College in Lima, Ohio and everything was going well.

Which was precisely the problem

Sure, classes at Rhodes were better than he expected, he'd made a few friends, and he particularly loved his theater professor Holly Holiday. The trouble was that he didn't want to like life in Lima. He shouldn't be here at all!

After graduating high school he was supposed to spread his wings, leave Lima and its confined atmosphere and antiquated prejudices behind. By the time he was twenty, he wasn't supposed to still be here. He should be in New York City. And today as the weather was changing and the days growing cooler, Kurt could feel the melancholy setting in.

After being turned down by his dream school, he had found himself in a slump, his dad encouraged him to take classes and get his basics done at community college and he was glad he enrolled. Then he was relieved a year later when Burt was diagnosed with prostate cancer to be still home and near him.

Now though, Burt's doctor had given him the all clear, Kurt had gotten over his initial devastation at not getting into NYADA, and he was left wondering why he was still here. Just one more year of community college and then he was transferring to NYU. Just one more year. He could make it.

Kurt was driving home from class, the day was sunny but cool, and he was wearing his favorite sweater, lightweight, form-fitting and a blue to match his eyes. He didn't want to be in a bad mood about this anymore. If he didn't get control of his thoughts he knew he could spiral quickly. At a stop sign, Kurt grabbed his phone and scrolled through his music selections, finding the right playlist and letting it blast through his sound system.

There was nothing like the perfect playlist to brighten his outlook.

Kurt let the music flow through him, and it wasn't long before he was smiling and singing along, rolling down his windows to enjoy the day while singing with all his might. If he kept this up maybe the day wouldn't be so bad after all.

It was strange being back home in Ohio in October. Blaine visited for Christmas in December and occasionally made it down in the summer, but he hadn't seen an Ohio autumn in a few years. It was nice, a lovely day with trees changing colors and crisp air. Still, it couldn't beat New York City in the fall. Very little could beat New York in the fall.

Still, Blaine was happy to be home for a little while. He was here for his mother's wedding. Pam was marrying her boyfriend of two years. While a part of Blaine that still sometimes felt like a kid wished his parents were still together, they'd been divorced now for years and mostly he was glad his mom had found someone who made her happy.

Pam had kept both her boys, Blaine and Cooper, busy since they arrived in town with last minute wedding details. Blaine was happy to help, but he felt like he hadn't had a free moment in the past three days. His mom was stressed, Cooper, never good at tense situations was stressed and loud - and Blaine loved them, but he needed some time away.

When his mom had mentioned she needed someone to make the hour and a half drive to Lima to pick up bachelorette party cupcakes Blaine had jumped at the chance. He wasn't sure how many bakeries he must have passed on the way, but if these were the cupcakes his mom wanted, they were the cupcakes she would get!

As luck would have it the bakery wasn't ready with the order yet so Blaine had some time to just relax for a moment. He hopped in his car looking for a coffee shop or something nearby to sit down for a while away from the chaos of wedding plans.

He was stopped at a red light when he heard it. Music coming from a car ahead of him and to the left. He couldn't see the driver but music was wafting through open windows straight to Blaine. We Are Golden. Blaine smiled to himself. Great song choice.

To is delight Blaine released not only was someone blasting Mika from their car, but they were also singing along. Blaine turned off his own music and leaned his head out the window to listen. His smile grew when he realized the person singing was good. Very good, perfect pitch and full of emotion. The voice was unique as well, Blaine couldn't quite tell if it was a man or woman singing. Before he could listen any longer though the light had changed and cars were moving again.

Blaine was disappointed at first, but then he realized he had nowhere to go so he just kept driving straight. He wasn't following that other car, not exactly, he was just... meandering in that general direction.

He stopped at another red light and was right next to the Escalade he'd heard music from. The song had changed, but the person was still wholeheartedly singing along.

"We are the people that you'll never get the best of. Not forget the rest of! Just sing it loud until the kids sing it right back!"

Blaine smiled at the enthusiasm in the voice. And wow, now that Blaine could hear better he was even more impressed. The stranger's voice was gorgeous. Blaine turned to steal a glance at the singer and his jaw literally dropped, his heart actually skipping a beat.

Dear god. If the stranger's voice had been gorgeous it was nothing in comparison to the man's appearance. He was young, around Blaine's age, with pale skin soaking in the golden rays of the afternoon sun, perfect hair that almost looked auburn in this light, and even from here Blaine could see the man had brilliant blue eyes that popped against the blue sweater he was wearing.

To top it all off, there was a wide and joyous smile on his face as he sang along with the music.

Blaine was stunned.

In fact, Blaine didn't even notice when the light turned green, it wasn't until the car behind him politely tapped their horn he realized his lane should be moving while the stranger was still waiting for the green left turn arrow.

Blaine had no choice but to wave an "I'm sorry" to the person behind him and drive forward. As soon as he got to a turn without a "no u-turn" sign Blaine swung his car around back to where he'd last seen the beautiful and talented stranger. He kept going the direction he must have turned but there was no sign of the black SUV anywhere.

Blaine cursed under his breath. He really wasn't sure what his plan had been anyway. He couldn't just follow a stranger around town - that was weird. Blaine slumped down in his car. He felt disappointed and listless. It was silly really, all he'd had was a few snatches of music and a quick glance at a stranger, but there was this feeling budding in his chest as if he'd just missed out on something big.

He glanced up to see he was just passing a little coffee shop, The Lima Bean. Blaine chuckled to himself, cute. At least he could get that cup of coffee before heading back to the bakery.

Kurt was finishing up filling his tank with gas and about to head towards home when he suddenly had an inch for a non-fat mocha. He didn't really need a mocha, he was trying to cut back, but something about the color of the changing leaves and the scent of autumn in the air made him crave a nice warm drink he could cup in his hands. He took the long way home and headed towards The Lima Bean.

Inside the line was long, apparently, he wasn't the only one affected by the changing weather, but he didn't have anywhere to be so he was happy to wait. His eyes glanced over the coffee shop, he enjoyed people watching, recognizing a few faces here and there. He'd lived his whole life in Lima, and while it wasn't a small town, he knew a lot of people, especially the ones that frequented The Lima Bean seeing as he spent a lot of time, and too much money, here himself.

Kurt stepped forward with the line just as his eyes landed on a young man sitting alone and staring down at his phone while sipping his drink. He had dark wavy hair, bronze skin, was wearing a green, blue, and yellow plaid shirt with a plaid bowtie of a different pattern, and his lovely red lips were tipped up in a slight smile.

Kurt had never seen this man before. He would have remembered if not for his unusual yet dashing fashion choices alone, for his incredibly handsome face.

Kurt tried not to stare as he continued to move up in line, but there was just something so intriguing and stunning about the man that he had a hard time looking away. In fact, when he finally got up to the register Kurt didn't even notice.

"Your regular?" The barista asked as Kurt's eyes reminded fixed on the man. "Excuse me, Kurt?"

Kurt finally broke out of his trance and looked back at the barista who was smiling knowingly at him. "Your usual? Or were you hoping to order off menu?" She winked and nodded towards the man.

"Just the non-fat mocha is fine," Kurt said, but he allowed himself one last glance at the stranger.

He purposely did not look at the man as he tapped his foot and waited for his order. He didn't want to be caught staring, but oh did he want just one more glance. Even if he was caught staring it would mean he'd get a better look at the man's eyes and it might just be worth it.

Once Kurt got his drink he took a sip and tried for a sly glance over the lid to where the man was sitting, but to his dismay the table was empty. His mystery stranger had left.

Kurt's heart sunk. It shouldn't be a big deal, it was just a random attractive stranger but Kurt felt disheartened. He headed to the front of the shop, hand on the door when his phone pinged and he glanced down just as he pushed the door open.

"Oh! Crap." A voice rang out as the door hit something, or as it turned out, someone in front of Kurt.

Kurt looked up sharply to see he'd just slammed the coffee shop door into an unexpecting stranger… but not just any unexpecting stranger, Kurt's mystery stranger he'd been gawking at a moment ago. Not only had he hit him, but he'd also made the man spill his coffee all over his lovely - snug fitting and now wet - shirt.

"Oh my god!" Kurt quickly exited the store, moving out of the way of other customers and joining the man outside. "I am so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." Kurt wished he had a napkin or something to help wipe off the front of the man's shirt. Though that would mean touching his chest… an idea that made Kurt's cheeks color.

"No, no. It's fine I wasn't paying attention and-" The man finally looked up to meet Kurt's eyes and he stopped speaking.

Kurt's heart all but stopped beating. He knew his mystery stranger would have lovely eyes, but nothing could have prepared Kurt for the deep golden colored depths of them.

"It's you." The man said his eyes wide in surprise. "It's you."

Kurt really had no idea what that meant, but he wasn't going to complain about the way the man was smiling at him, his whole face lit with elation.

"I was looking for you-" The man stopped, his cheeks turning a deep crimson. "Okay, that sounded weird.

"I think you must have me confused with someone else," Kurt laughed, wishing he was the person this beautiful stranger had been looking for.

The man smiled and shook his head and then held out a hand before dropping it as he realized it was covered in coffee. "Sorry. I'm a mess."

"Which is at least partially my fault." Kurt smiled nodded back towards the shop. "Come on, let's grab some napkins and please let me buy you another drink."

"That really isn't necessary," The man said, but he was beaming as he followed Kurt in.

Kurt's heart raced and he couldn't keep himself from grinning widely. They both reached for napkins and started dabbing at the wet shirt. Kurt stopped as their hands glanced off each other, pulling back with an intake of breath. "I'll… um… let you." Kurt cleared his throat, "What's your order?"

"You don't have to."

"Please." Kurt insisted, he really wanted to buy this man a coffee, especially if it meant keeping him around a bit longer.

"Um… medium Pumpkin Spice? I'm pretty much a walking cliché."

Kurt laughed and the man's eyes sparkled. "No judgment, there is a reason everyone loves them."

"I'm Blaine by the way." The man said, again holding out his hand now that is was free of dripping coffee.

"I'm Kurt."

Blaine's hand was warm and soft with calluses on the fingertips. Kurt couldn't help but wonder if that meant he played an instrument. That was probably wishful thinking, but it was a pretty thought. "Um…" Kurt let go of his hand reluctantly, "I'll be right back. Don't… go anywhere."

Luckily, the line was shorter now, though it honestly couldn't move fast enough for Kurt. "Medium Pumpkin Spice," Kurt ordered as he got to the front.

"I see you got your man after all," The barista teased, and Kurt just smiled at her.

Kurt kept glancing back at Blaine, who was sitting back at the table he'd left earlier, afraid if he stopped looking he might disappear. Soon Kurt was joining him, a fresh Pumpkin Spice latte in one hand and his own mocha in the other.

"Here you go," Kurt said sitting down across from him, he realized too late he hadn't actually been invited to sit, but Blaine didn't seem to mind. He was still smiling softly at Kurt and making Kurt's heart do backflips.

"I still can't believe you're here." Blaine breathed before taking a sip, "And if I hadn't come back in to grab one of those lid stopper things I would never have run into you."

"Literally," Kurt said with a soft laugh, still not understanding who Blaine thought he was.

"God, your voice really is lovely, your laugh is like music. You're even better up close"

Kurt blushed and glance down at the table. Who was this guy? And why were his compliments making Kurt's heart swell? "I'm not one to turn down free flattery, but I really don't know what you're talking about."

Kurt looked back up and Blaine furrowed his brow.

"I'm pretty sure we just met," Kurt said teasingly. I would remember if I'd met you before, trust me.

"Oh." Blaine's eyes grew wide. "Oh god, I'm an idiot. I wasn't even… I'm just letting all my thoughts tumble out loud." He shook his head with a laugh, "I'm going to sound like a complete stalker, but I was driving next to you earlier today. And… uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "I may have heard you singing in your car? I noticed you then because your voice is amazing and because, well…" Blaine gestured towards Kurt as if that was some kind of explanation in and of itself.

It took Kurt a moment to realize what Blaine was saying. That somehow that afternoon Blaine had heard Kurt belting like a lunatic from his car. Kurt blushed so furiously even his ears felt hot. "You… heard me singing?"

"It was impressive."

"Oh god," Kurt said burying his face in his hands. "I don't think I've been this embarrassed in my whole life!"

"No. No!" Kurt heard Blaine's chair scrap back as Blaine leaned across the table lightly touching Kurt's arm, "'I'm the one who's embarrassing. I just… Kurt your so… I was just trying to say how glad I am that I was here at this coffee shop at the same time you were."

Kurt let his hands fall looking at Blaine's face.

"I'm glad to meet you, Kurt. And I only noticed your voice because music is kind of a passion of mine."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that so?"

"Honestly, I don't usually listen to people sing in their car and then bombard them with compliments."

Kurt's lips twitched up into a smile and he took a sip of his mocha, "Hmm, no I suppose it would be a mostly ineffective way to meet people."

"I'm coming off creepy. You think I followed you here."

"No." Kurt laughed again and he wasn't sure the last time he'd felt so light and happy talking to someone he just met, "Besides I'm the one who nearly knocked you over. So, tell me more about this passion for music, Blaine."

Blaine was happy to oblige and before long they found themselves in easy conversation. Blaine loved singing, musical theater, and was in an acapella group in high school. Kurt found out he lived in New York City and was attending NYU and Kurt almost jumped out of his seat in excitement.

"I'm going to be there next fall!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly.

Blaine's whole face lit up at that.

From there the conversation turned to classes and the charms of New York. Everything Blaine had to say just made Kurt like him more and more. He couldn't be happier that he ruined a stranger's perfectly good shirt. From what Kurt could gather Blaine was only in town visiting family, which was a bit of a disappointment, but it didn't lessen how much Kurt was enjoying his company.

They lost track of time, finishing their coffees and still continuing to talk. It was like meeting an old friend for the first time. Kurt almost felt like they were supposed to meet. Eventually, Blaine glanced at the time, his face going slack.

"Oh, my god. It's almost five." He jumped up from his chair. "We've been here two hours!"

"You're kidding," Kurt said looking at his own phone, the time had just breezed by.

"Kurt, I'm so so sorry. But I have to run, the bakery closes soon and I have to pick up cupcakes for the bachelorette party."

"Bachelorette party?" Kurt asked amused.

Blaine smiled, backing towards the door with Kurt following. "Yeah, it's wedding weekend! That's why I'm in Ohio."

"Wait," Kurt's smile slipped and his excitement soured. It would be his luck that the first man he'd met in a long time to make his heart race and his face flush would already be taken. "You're getting married this weekend?

Blaine blinked at him a few times in confusion before he started shaking his head. "No. Nooo. Not me. My mom. My mom is getting remarried his weekend. The cupcakes are for her bachelorette party. No, I'm gay. I'm not marrying a woman this weekend. Or anyone!" He cheeks flushed. "I'm really, very gay!"

Kurt looked around the coffee shop and the few people looking up in surprise at Blaine's sudden declaration. Kurt placed his hand on Blaine's chest and all but pushed him out of the shop, while barely containing his smile. "Um… you aren't in New York anymore, Liberace." Kurt teased. "I won't pretend I'm not glad to hear that though."

"Glad to hear… that I'm not getting married or that I like guys?" Blaine asked seemingly not embarrassed by the public announcement of his sexuality.

"Both."

Blaine grinned cheekily. "I'm busy tomorrow… you know, my mom's wedding, but I'm still here for a few days after that."

Kurt tucked his hands in his pocket and smiled, "Is that so?"

"I know a good karaoke place in Westerville. If you're interested. We could get dinner first."

"You just want to hear me sing again," Kurt said, his heart swelling.

"Of course I do. I'd also really like to spend some more time with you."

"That could be arranged," Kurt said holding out his hand as butterflies stirred in his stomach, "Give me your phone."

Blaine quickly obeyed and Kurt put his phone number in and shot himself a text. "Call me." He said handing the phone back.

"I absolutely will."

"Now hurry along, you better get those cupcakes for your mom."

"Right." Blaine was grinning ear to ear as he walked backward to his car keeping his eyes on Kurt. "You'll hear from me really soon!"

"If I don't you'll hear from me," Kurt said as he watched Blaine get in his car.

He continued watching as Blaine drove away. Kurt put a hand to his heavily beating chest and did a little spin in the parking lot once Blaine was out of sight. He got back to his Escalade and turned the music back on laughing happily as he thought of Blaine hearing him sing in his car. Kesha was singing about a beautiful life from his speakers. And despite his gloomy mood at the start of the afternoon, and Kurt couldn't agree more. It really was a beautiful life.