Author's Note: Hey guys! This is a story I started writing on scarvesandcoffee about a month and a half ago. I just decided to add it here. If you want to read ahead, you can check it out there. (Please feel free to leave feedback there or here. Reviews are a great way to help me with this work in progress.) but if you're going to read it here, I wanted to let you know that I'll be uploading a new chapter every couple of days to catch up with S&C. Once I do, updates might be a little slower.

This story takes place over a time period, and it moves a little slow, so please keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy. :)


Blaine made his way into the coffee shop that Monday morning and told Bella at the counter that he was ordering his usual, along with a drink for someone named Kurt. He asked her to hold the order until he came. He then made his way to the far corner, pulled out his laptop, and began working.

His schedule had been hectic since classes started a couple weeks ago. Between that, his time at the hospital„ and the extra time he spent volunteering, it was like he couldn't catch a break. Blaine looked forward to his quiet mornings away from school and the apartment. The time he was home was spent with his girlfriend. Blaine loved her, but he still needed time alone.

And the coffee shop seemed to be such a good place to spend time. He knew everyone that worked there. On mornings when the shop was empty, Bella would talk to him, and it felt good to talk to someone who didn't know him as well. She had nothing to judge. And then there was the boy that showed up a week ago.

Blaine had never seen him before. It was like he came out of nowhere. All of a sudden he showed up every day. He was alone. He walked in, sat down with his cup of coffee, and like Blaine, enjoyed his time alone. Sure, Blaine usually took the time to catch up on homework, but this stranger just took the time to get lost in his thoughts. He had noticed Blaine. Every once in a while, Blaine would catch his eye and they would both look away, embarrassed. But there was something about those blue eyes...

He felt humiliated that Saturday, when he had made it obvious by looking at his table and seeing Kurt there with his friend. Girlfriend? He didn't know, nor his business. It was better to leave than linger. Why had Kurt confronted him? What did it matter to him? He didn't know Blaine. Even so, the gesture sparked something in Blaine that brought him to this moment, buying Kurt a drink.

It made Blaine smile, as he watched Kurt approach the counter. Bella glanced in Blaine's direction and he gave a slight nod. Bella than asked, "Kurt?"

"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One moment," she made a drink and handed it to him. "On the house," she smiled.

Kurt turned around and caught Blaine's eye. "More like on you," he said, marching over to Blaine's table and setting the cup down. He dug into his bag and found his wallet. He began fumbling through it.

"Don't even bother," Blaine warned him. "I will walk away and leave that cash on the table for someone else to find."

This time, Kurt's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline, "No, you wouldn't. Who does that?"

"Me," Blaine shrugged.

Hesitating, Kurt placed his wallet back in his bag and sat down. "What are you? So far, I've collected that you buy coffee for strangers, and leave money on the table for strangers... Who's that generous to people they don't know?"

"I know you," Blaine replied. "Your name is Kurt, you really like coffee, and you enjoy spending time in your own mind."

"That's creepy," Kurt said quickly.

Blaine chuckled, "No, it's not. I watch you sit by yourself drinking coffee every day, and you told me your name. It hardly counts as creepy. It's just a matter of observing. You've observed that I'm generous to strangers, and I like coffee so we're even."

"You're weird," Kurt commented.

"Also a good observation," Blaine replied, taking a sip of his drink. "I could also guess that you look about twenty. How accurate is that?"

"Your streak is over. I'm twenty-three," Kurt nodded. "What are you, like, eighteen?"

"Your better at facts than guesswork," Blaine laughed. "I'm a year younger than you."

"Twenty-two," Kurt concluded.

"See? Better with facts," Blaine noted.

"You're insane," Kurt said.

"That's not a fact," Blaine shook his head. "If it were, I should be tested instead of testing."

"Testing?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I'm in medical school. If I'm going to be a doctor, I'll have to deal with insane people. I can't be the insane person," Blaine took another swig from his drink and stared at Kurt.

"Blaine, twenty-two, medical school, kind to strangers, likes coffee and weird," Kurt counted on his fingers. "Well, now that I know six things about you, we're halfway to being best friends."

"Not unless I knew six things about you," Blaine reminded him. It surprised Blaine how easy it was to carry a conversation with him.

"Kurt, twenty-three, likes coffee, sits alone," Kurt counted. "Shoot, I'm behind. Okay, I just moved here from Ohio, and I'm currently working at a diner to pay rent."

"My number seven is that I'm also from Ohio," Blaine said. "Westerville. My number eight is that I went to Dalton Academy and pretty much led the Warblers to every show choir competition."

Kurt's jaw dropped, "Lima, McKinley High. I was in the New Directions. We competed against the Warblers more than once. If you are only a year younger than me, that means we've competed before."

"Ah, so we're natural enemies," Blaine snapped his fingers. "Darn, there goes the "twelve facts and we're best friends" rule. I can't be friends with you at all." He rose from his seat.

"Would you stop," Kurt grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, laughing. "I almost transferred to Dalton, which means we would have been a team, so I think that cancels it out."

"Almost," Blaine winked. "Your number eight is telling me why you almost transferred and changed your mind."

Kurt hesitated, thinking his answer through. "I was bullied. I really wanted to go, but we couldn't afford it. My dad was offering to pay for tuition with the money he had saved for his honeymoon, because he had just gotten married, but i couldn't do that to him. He just had a heart attack, and he really needed the time away from everything. He runs a car shop, so it's stressful enough. My step-brother and I ran the shop for a while, and I just accepted that high school was going to be miserable."

"I lost count," Blaine admitted.

"What?"

"You just told me, like, ten things," Blaine smiled.

"I'm opening up to you, and that's all you can think about!" Kurt huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.".

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I really wish things had worked out for you. We could have been friends by now, and I'd know a lot more than fifteen things about you."

"I'm just glad to finally be away from Lima," Kurt said.

"Why'd you stay so long?"

"I wanted to go to NYADA, but I didn't get in," Kurt paused, before he said, "I went to community college for a year, and then my step-brother died... It was really hard on my family, and I couldn't leave. I stayed behind and helped my dad run his tire shop for a while. He knew how unhappy I was though, and finally told me I had to come here. So my boyfriend and I packed up one day and just came here."

"Oh," Blaine replied. It was so much to take in. What could he say? It wasn't like he knew Kurt. He didn't know how Kurt would handle what he said, or if he'd say something wrong.

"I'm sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous," Kurt blushed.

"Don't be nervous," Blaine gave him a small smile. He reached out and touched Kurt's hand. His skin felt so soft, so smooth. Blaine glanced up and met his eyes. To his surprise, Kurt smiled. "Why are you nervous?"

"I don't know," Kurt shrugged, pulling his hand away from Blaine. "I don't really know, and I'm sitting here telling you all of my problems... Maybe you think i'm weird."

"I'll add it to my list of things I know about you," Blaine joked. When Kurt's expression remained serious, Blaine said, "Look, I don't know you any better than you know me. You obviously seem to have a lot on your plate. If you just want an outsider to vent to, I'm your guy. You can come sit here every morning, and I will listen to how terrible your last meal was or about a fight you had with your boyfriend... Whatever you like, without judgement.."

"Why are you so interested?" Kurt questioned.

Blaine shrugged, "You seem like a decent person carrying a burden. You know I'm a sucker for helping strangers, so I want to help, if that's what you need from me."

"I'm hardly a stranger anymore. You know too much," Kurt took a drink of his coffee. "We'd be best friends if I knew a little more about you."

"Now who's curious?"

"Spill," Kurt said.

"Do you have anywhere to be?" Blaine asked. Kurt shook his head, and he said, "Good. Come with me." He grabbed Kurt's hand and led him out the door. On the sidewalk, he let go of Kurt and began walking, in hopes that Kurt would follow.
"Should I be that trusting?" Kurt asked. "What if you're taking me somewhere dangerous?"

"I didn't poison your drink, did I?" Blaine asked, as Kurt took a drink.

He stared at the cup in his hands and said, "I don't know... I'm starting to feel a little funny."

"That's the nerves we talked about. Come on," Blaine urged, and to his delight, Kurt followed. They headed down the sidewalk and Blaine said, "I've been in New York since I was eighteen. I know this place like the back of my hand."

"I wanted to come out of high school," Kurt said.

"But you didn't get in to NYADA, I get it," Blaine nodded. "I wish I could have gone to a place like NYADA. Music is something I hold close to my heart, but my parents wouldn't approve."

"It's your life," he commented.

"I know. My brother, Cooper, is an actor. My parents are so disappointed in him. My dad was about ready to disown him the day he came home with his first gig. " Blaine led Kurt through a busy crowd. People pushed in between then and Kurt reached for Blaine's arm. "My parents are strict. They expect the best and it's intimidating. They've had this goal set for me for years, and they made sure I applied to NYU."

"Good choice," Kurt released his tight grip on Blaine's arm, as the crowd thinned.

"So I decided that I was going to medical school. They've planted the idea in my head for years that performing is a far-fetched dream, and I'll never be good enough. I need to have a future that's set in stone," Blaine said.

"Well, medical school is certainly more promising than Broadway or something," Kurt stumbled on the side of a curb and Blaine caught him. "My dad's always encouraged me to follow my dreams though. I really want to get into Broadway, but fashion's also a dream of mine. I'm thinking, now that I'm so far from NYADA, I really want to get into fashion."

"That helps your job search," Blaine smiled. "I wish I could have done something like that. But that's not the plan, and I'm so far into it, that I don't know if i can change my plan now."

"You can always change your plan. You're young," Kurt said. "You have plenty of time to discover who you are."

Blaine hesitated, unsure how much he should tell Kurt. There was so much he wasn't comfortable mentioning yet. He finally said, "I don't mind medical school. At least I can help people, and that's what I really want."

"But if you're not satisfied," Kurt continued.

"My girlfriend is looking for work on Broadway. She's a really excellent performer. She's been auditioning for shows, and it's really exciting for her. It's nice just watching her get the chance to live her dream," Blaine said, changing the subject. He wasn't sure it was something he wanted to talk about anymore.

"My glee club and I came to New York for Nationals my junior year. My best friend and I snuck into the Gershwin Theater and got a chance to sing on the stage. That was an incredible feeling. Broadway has always been her biggest dream, and that was the best moment of my life," The memory brought a smile to his face.

"Wanna do it again?" Blaine grinned. Just the thought of doing something unpredictable and daring sounded tempting to him.

"What?! No!" Kurt exclaimed. "Blaine, I was lucky I didn't get arrested for breaking into the Theater, I can not do that again."

Blaine continued to grin at him. It sounded like an incredible opportunity. Blaine was so used to being uptight all the time. He wanted the chance to let loose a little. "Come on, if you've done it before, you know how to get away with it again."

"Kurt hesitated, placing his hands on his lips. "Blaine," he said.

"Kurt."

"No."

"Please?" Blaine gave him the best puppy eyes he could muster, and he could see Kurt's own eyes melting before him. It worked.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Yes!" Blaine exclaimed, dodging toward the curb and hailing a cab. "You are officially my best friend."

Kurt paused, his expression frozen. He studied Blaine for the longest time, and then he smiled. "I'll take it," he said.

When they reached the Gershwin Theater, and Blaine stared at the front entrance, he started to regret suggesting this. "You know, we could get in to a lot of trouble for doing this. I'm pretty sure my parents would kill me if I got arrested and blew my entire future just for this."

"Relax, Blaine, you're too uptight," Kurt nudged him with his elbow.

"I don't even know you. This could be a setup," Blaine suggested.

"It's not a setup! I wouldn't have time to plan a setup in the time that I've known you," Kurt shook his head. "Come on, just go." He gave Blaine a push, and Blaine slowly reached for the handle.

"It's unlocked?" Blaine asked.

"Sure, people have to get to the box office," Kurt pushed him forward. "When my friend and I came in, we made it right to the stage and sang with no problem. The security guy was totally cool with it."

"What if he doesn't work here anymore? What if he's mean now?" Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"We'll deal with it when we get there," Kurt said, still hovering behind Blaine.

"If we get arrested, we' will no longer be best friends," Blaine said, pulling the door to the main hall open. It was eerily quiet, and no one seemed to be around at all.

"Come on," Kurt took his hand and ran down the aisle to the stage.

"This is insane," Blaine laughed.

"Hey!" a thunderous voice yelled from behind them and they froze. "What are you doing in here?"

Clearing his throat, Blaine gave the man the saddest eyes he could muster and said, "I'm so sorry, sir. It's just that... my friend has a terrible disease, and he's been so sick for so long. This is the first he's ventured out of the hospital in quite some time. It's always been his dream to..." Blaine let his voice falter. He bowed his head, before he continued, "He's always dreamed of singing on a Broadway stage, and we don't know if he'll ever be able to now... We just thought - "

"Hmm..." the man hummed, and Blaine stopped talking. He continued to look as distressed as he could. Meanwhile, Kurt squirmed behind him, like he wasn't sure how to react, since he was suddenly diagnosed with a terrible sickness.

"Are you messing with me?" the man finally asked.

"Would it change your answer if I was?" Blaine said bluntly.

He continued to eye them suspiciously, but he couldn't seem to make up his mind. Finally, he said, "I'll give you ten minutes, but if you're not out of here by then, I'll make you leave."

"Thank you," Blaine smiled. "This means the world to us."

"You are the craziest person I've ever met," Kurt laughed, as Blaine pulled him toward the stage.

"Thank you," Blaine said. "What do you want to sing?"

"It was so thrilling to sing a song from Wicked last time, that I think I want to sing Defying Gravity," Kurt smiled. "But we don't have any music, and i might sound terrible without it." He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He stood there a minute, looking for something. And then, the song began to play. Setting the phone on the edge of the stage, he smiled at Blaine and began singing, "something has changed within me, something it not the same."

He motioned Blaine to join him, and for a moment, Blaine couldn't. He was mesmerized by the angelic sound of Kurt's voice. His eyes and his sweet face had been one thing, but to hear that sound come out of his mouth was haunting, in a good way.

Kurt finally took Blaine's hand and dragged him to the center of the stage. Blaine stared out at the empty seats and felt overwhelmed. This was something he couldn't do. He had been told countless times that he'd never make it to Broadway, or to have a music career. Being on that stage felt like a dream and Blaine felt his throat grow dry. He couldn't do it.

Taking a step back, he shook his head, and Kurt snatched his phone off the floor. He stopped the music and asked, "what's wrong?"

"I..." he paused. "This was a mistake." Blaine made his way to the edge of the stage and took off down the aisle in a hurry.

He heard Kurt call his name but continued out the door.


Blaine walked by the coffee shop the next morning. He paused by the window and glanced in. Kurt was sitting at his usual table, and Blaine hesitated. Part of him wanted to go in. The part of him that felt something flutter in his stomach every time he looked into those blue eyes. That morning he spent with Kurt had been something completely different. He had never done anything like that before, and it made him feel so alive.

But the other part of him, the one that knew this charade was too good to be true, made him take several steps away from the window. He couldn't be with Kurt. He knew his limitations. He knew that, despite the desires he tried so hard to hide, his feelings for Kurt would never work. He had a girlfriend. He had his life planned out. he never should have skipped his class to fake a silly dream on a stage. It would be wrong to let someone he hardly knew step in and ruin this for him.

He had to stay away.

Friday came, and Blaine finally returned to the coffee shop. He had tried so hard to fight the desire to return all that week, but he couldn't anymore. He had enjoyed his morning with Kurt, and Blaine couldn't leave him hanging any longer.

"Hi," he said, sitting down at Kurt's table.

Kurt jumped, startled by the action. "What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

"I'm sorry for running out on you the other day," Blaine said, staring down at his drink. "I've just got a lot on my mind, and it's been a weird couple of weeks... Can I make it up to you?"

"You don't have somewhere to be today?" Kurt asked.

"I usually volunteer at the hospital on Friday mornings, but I can make an exception. I want to make it up to you... I already missed my class Monday morning, I planned on making it a sick day with you, until I ran out." He reached out across the table and grabbed Kurt's hand. When Kurt looked up at his touch, Blaine said, "I like you, Kurt. I don't know you that well, but I think we could be friends."

"I could use a friend," Kurt admitted sadly.

"Then, as my friend, can you understand that I'm dealing with a lot right now, and I might need space sometimes?" he said into those blue eyes. Blaine felt his nerves kick in, but he forced himself not to look away.

"Sure, Blaine, I understand," Kurt nodded. "I also understand that your time volunteering must be important to you. I'm not going to keep you from it." He reached into his bag and pulled out a pen. "Come here," he pulled Blaine's hand closer and wrote down his phone number.

"You know, I could have just let you put that in my phone," Blaine suggested.

Kurt shrugged, "we're taking things slow." He smiled and placed the pen back in his bag. "I've got to get to work anyway. I'd like to spend more time with you... Call me when you're free. Maybe we can grab a bite to eat or something, but only if you're ready to."

"Thanks, Kurt," Blaine said. "I'll see you later."

"See you, friend," Kurt smiled.