AN: Hello all! I have been super busy moving this weekend, but now that I'm in my new apartment and super happy there I thought I'd sit down and share a new chapter with you. As always, thank you, thank you, thank you to Snarkyhag for being my amazing beta.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. If you do I would love to hear from you. :)

All mistakes mine.

Enjoy!

My name is Eli Wilson

The words echoed in Kurt's mind as Blaine's face went blank. As soon as he'd uttered them, Kurt wanted to take them back. But then Blaine's face broke into such a wide, beautiful smile that Kurt's breath caught in his throat.

It was as if the sun had come out, as if birds starting singing, as if joy was wrapping around Kurt like a blanket. He'd made Blaine smile like that. Blaine was smiling at him. As much as Kurt wanted to correct the false statement he'd just made he couldn't say anything that would take that smile away.

Kurt had always been so careful with emotions. Careful to guard his heart. The fact that one smile from a relative stranger was causing Kurt so much turmoil was unprecedented. Kurt wasn't sure what to make of it, but he knew he wasn't ready to let go of his time with Blaine.

"You're Eli Wilson?" Blaine breathed, his cheeks flushed and his voice hoarse.

Kurt laughed nervously. "What are the chances?" A knot was forming in his stomach, but he had no idea how to back out of this now without causing Blaine to leave in a hurry.

"I… I can't believe it." Blaine leaned forward, hands pressed against the table. "You… you're so…" He closed his mouth not finishing that thought as he laughed and shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm so?" Kurt wet his lips. "Am I a disappointment?"

"No!" Blaine hurried assure him. "No. I was trying to keep myself from gushing over how perfect you are. I mean… I don't really know you yet, but you're exactly what I always pictured. You're… beautiful."

"Oh." Kurt felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "Thank you."

"I have no filter." Blaine laughed. "As you must have noticed. But it's meant to be. Isn't it? Us meeting?"

"Yes." Kurt nodded quickly. He believed that. He may not be Eli Wilson, but the fact that he met Blaine years ago in New York only to stumble across him again on another continent. It did feel meant to be.

"I thought you were off to Chenonte?"

"Um... no... not yet?" Kurt answered digging his hole deeper.

"I just… I don't know what to say. I've been looking for you forever."

Kurt's heart squeezed tight and he had no idea what to say either.

"I was ten when an ouija board spelled out your name." Blaine explained his voice and expression soft. "Twelve when a fortune teller whispered it to me. I'd given up hope-" Blaine's smiled dropped. "Wait. You are… I mean. You're into men, right?"

"What?" Yes!" Kurt laughed. "God yes. No one has ever doubted that about me before."

Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand across the table holding it in his own trembling hand. "Please don't think I'm insane, but I've come all this way to meet you. Could we maybe – I don't know – spend some time together? Just see what happens. Is that asking too much of a stranger?"

"No." Kurt said squeezing Blaine's hand in return. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do."

"Good. Good." Blaine sounded relieved. "I guess since we're here anyway dinner is a perfect place to begin."

Kurt helped Blaine with the menu and then ordered for them since Blaine didn't know the language.

"I can speak some Spanish, and Filipino!" Blaine said with a smile in his defense, but Kurt was happy to help.

Blaine seemed nervous, which was adorable, but Kurt wanted to put him at ease so he started the conversation with simple questions. "You mentioned a brother?"

Blaine relaxed when talking about his older brother Cooper, who he seemed to somewhat idolize. Cooper was an actor and from what Kurt could tell quite the character. Blaine spoke of him and his parents with so much love that it kept a smile on Kurt's face. He could listen to Blaine talk forever.

For his part, Kurt told Blaine about his stepbrother Finn and all about Carole his stepmother – and how completely wonderful his father Burt was. Kurt told the truth about everything… everything but his name.

"I don't get back home to visit as them much as I'd like. I travel a lot for my job and when I finally get back to New York I hate to leave it again."

"Wait. Wait." Blaine stopped him, looking excited. "I knew you were just in New York, but you live there? You live in New York City?"

"I do. Greenwich Village."

"I live in the Upper West side!"

Kurt wasn't too surprised about that seeing as he'd met him at a Halloween party in New York years earlier.

"Blaine..." Kurt smiled feeling a little nervous himself. "You probably don't remember me… but a few years ago you threw a Halloween party. With your roommate I think? I crashed that party. I'm sure it was you. You were dressed as Bert from Mary Poppins? That was you, right?" Kurt started feeling anxious. What if he had this all wrong and it wasn't Blaine he remembered? Or what if Kurt had built the evening up in his mind and Blaine didn't remember him?

"Casanova." Blaine breathed, his eyes wide. "Oh my god."

"You remember me?" Kurt's voice went a little higher than normal in his excitement.

"I remember that you looked stunning. I remember that I couldn't believe the most attractive man at the party spent the whole evening talking to me. You cheered me up after a break up. Yes, I definitely remember you."

Kurt laughed in relief. "As soon as I saw you I knew it!" Kurt said. "I had such a great time with you that evening."

Blaine smiled, but his eyes were teary, he wiped them quickly and picked up his glass of water to take a sip and cover his emotion.

"Oh no. What's wrong? What did I say?"

"Nothing." Blaine choked out. "I had an amazing time with you too. I remember being angry at myself for not asking for your number."

Kurt's heart swelled.

"I even wondered at the time if maybe you were Eli."

His heart crashed back down again. "Oh."

Blaine was beaming. "Thank goodness for second chances."

"Yeah. Yes. Of course."

They finished dinner but Kurt wasn't ready to say goodnight. He watched Blaine closely trying to read him, he was smiling sweetly at Kurt and lingering outside the restaurant his hands in his pockets. Maybe he didn't want the evening to be over either. They both starting speaking at the same time and stopped, laughing.

"You go first." Blaine said with bright eyes and a slight bounce on his heels.

He was so endearing, Kurt had to think of a way to keep this evening going… despite the fact he was enjoying it under false pretenses. Kurt pushed that ugly thought away. It gave an unwanted edge to an otherwise perfect dinner and Kurt didn't want to focus on the fact that he was only here talking to Blaine because he had lied.

"Have you been to Paris before?" Kurt asked unconsciously moving closer to Blaine.

"Once when I was still in college. I've always wanted to come back."

"How would you feel about getting the Ku… the complete Eli Wilson tour?" Kurt asked stumbling over his words.

Blaine's face broke into a radiant smile. "I would love that."

Kurt sighed in relief. Maybe if he had more time with Blaine he'd find a way out of this mess. Maybe they'd get along so well that Blaine wouldn't care that he wasn't Eli Wilson. Maybe.

Kurt walked them around the fashion district while Blaine asked questions and seemed genuinely interested in Kurt answers, his job, and his general knowledge and love for fashion.

Along the way, they passed two elderly women who were clearly tourist with their American accents and cameras at the ready. Kurt hurried up to them speaking in French and passed out the tulips he was still carrying. They both laughed and blushed, thanking him before going on their way.

"That was sweet." Blaine said bumping shoulders with Kurt. "They'll have a sweet story about the handsome French stranger who gave them flowers." Blaine's eyes were so bright and happy that it melted Kurt's heart. He was in so much trouble here.

Kurt led Blaine all through the fashion district. Pointing out landmarks, shops he loved, and those he felt were overrated. Blaine laughed and asked questions and hung on Kurt every word. Soon conversation drifted from fashion and Paris to talking to each other about their lives. It was easy and natural to talk to Blaine. Kurt rarely connected with people so quickly, but Blaine was smart and funny and made Kurt's heart beat in double time. Soon, Kurt wasn't even giving a tour anymore, hardly paying attention to their surroundings he was so caught up in Blaine.

Kurt was trying to decide if he should reach out for Blaine's hand when Blaine stopped walking and looked around.

"Wait. Where are we? This look familiar?"

"Rue de la Paix?" Kurt asked looking up and realizing they'd walked farther than he expected. "Have you been here before?"

"No, I think I've seen this place in a movie. Maybe a… musical?"

"Funny Face?" Kurt suggested excitedly. He loved that movie for the fashion alone, and of course Audrey Hepburn was a bonus.

"Yes! I love that movie!"

"I love that movie!" Kurt grinned. "There was a dance scene filmed at this location for the song, Bonjour Paris." Kurt added enjoying Blaine's enthusiasm.

"Yes! That's why I recognize it." He smiled brightly, grabbed both of Kurt's hands and started dancing with him, laughing with abandon and singing in a lovely warm tenor voice. "I'm strictly a tourist, but I couldn't care less. When they parlez-vous me then I gotta confess. That's for me. Bonjour, Paris!"

Kurt gasped in delight and went with it, letting Blaine pull him in and waltz with him as he continued to hum the song. Blaine gave him a wink and then twirled him out and caught him again, holding him close to his chest as he slowly swayed them to the beat of music playing in Blaine's mind.

"I think I might love Paris." Blaine whispered. His face so close to Kurt's that Kurt could feel his warm breath and smell the clean, woodsy notes of his cologne.

Kurt glanced from Blaine's golden eyes to his smile… it would be so easy to lean forward and… Kurt shook his head and backed out of the embrace. He couldn't kiss Blaine. Not when Blaine though he'd be kissing Eli. Kurt's heart sank. The longer this went on the harder it was going to be to tell the truth. But the more time he spent with Blaine the more he liked him… he didn't want this to end.

The least he could do was let Blaine to know how much this evening meant to him. "This might be my favorite trip here yet, Blaine."

Blaine was staring at Kurt's lips as well and then must have realized it because he blushed and let go of Kurt, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. Kurt wished he knew what thoughts made Blaine's cheeks go so red. Actually, scratch that. Kurt's stomach swooped. If he knew what Blaine was thinking he would probably do something stupid.

"What's next on the tour?" Blaine asked breaking some of the tension between them.

"We have to walk along the Seine of course."

"Of course."

They walked in comfortable silence for a while. The sun had set, but the City of Lights was still awake as they strolled along the river. It was a beautiful night and there were many people taking advantage of it. Couples passed them hand in hand, there was a painter trying to catch the light reflecting off the surface of the water, a rose peddler stopped to show her wares.

Blaine picked out a dark red rose in full bloom. "Will you ask her how much this is?"

Kurt smiled and acted as interpreter for the transaction. Blaine had her cut the stem short and thanked her in his broken French.

Once she was on her way Kurt smiled at Blaine. "I think she overcharged you."

"Worth it." Blaine answered as he fixed the rose to Kurt's lapel. "Now we both have flowers."

Kurt sighed dreamily, he'd only spent a few hours with Blaine, but already he knew this evening was one he'd remember for forever. They passed a string quartet of street musicians playing an instrumental version of Some Enchanted Evening and Blaine reached out to hold Kurt's hand.

Oh god, this night couldn't get more idyllic.

"What is it about soulmates?" Kurt asked hoping to find a loophole that would mean it didn't matter that he wasn't Eli Wilson. What he wouldn't give to have the right name right now. "I mean. I get it. I do. The idea that someone out there is your other half. It's romantic. But you said you first heard the name of your soulmate when you were ten? That's a little heavy for a preteen."

Blaine laughed and squeezed Kurt's hand. "I don't know. I had a teacher who talked about soulmates and I just… fell in love with the idea I guess. I was somewhat lonely as a kid. Not that I didn't have friends." He shrugged. "I didn't know anyone else like me."

"You mean you didn't know any other little boys who got crushes on little boys?"

Blaine laughed. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. The idea that there was another part of my soul out there in the world looking for me – it resonated. It explained my loneliness, but also promised that I wouldn't always feel that way. It was hope, and that hope got me through a lot of hard times."

"Wow." Kurt cleared his throat, caught off guard by how much those words tugged at his heart. "That's really beautiful, Blaine."

"I've had my doubts throughout the years." Blaine confessed and shot Kurt a sweet smile. "But I guess I shouldn't have."

Kurt nodded and bit his lip. "I was a pretty lonely kid. too. I didn't have many friends at all until high school when I joined show choir. And yeah, I get what you mean – even then, there wasn't anyone who could relate to my particular brand of loneliness. I could have used the idea of a soulmate." Kurt chuckled and looked down at their clasped hands. "Though I probably would have been too pragmatic to let the idea comfort me. At the time, I couldn't even imagine holding hands in public with someone I liked. It seemed too farfetched."

Blaine stopped walking and turned to face Kurt, pulling their hands up until he was able to press a soft kiss to Kurt's knuckles. The tender gesture sent a shiver down Kurt's spine.

"I'm sorry you were alone." He whispered meeting Kurt's eyes. "But we've found each other now and whatever this is... or turns out to be. Friends or… something else. I am so glad to have met you."

"I agree." Kurt nodded but his throat was tight and he couldn't help but blink back tears. What had he done? Blaine was amazing. He was charming, kind, and oh so lovely. Kurt had actually met someone that made him want to throw caution to the wind and just fall – yet he had ruined everything by stealing a name that didn't belong to him!

Kurt felt like he was sinking in quicksand, there was no way out. His mind was a flurry emotion and conflict. He knew what he had to do. He had to tell the truth. He also knew if he told Blaine the truth now it would crush him. Kurt looked into Blaine's beautiful, trusting eyes and his heart broke. He couldn't keep lying to this wonderful man.

Blaine didn't know the battle raging inside of Kurt, he gazed back at Kurt with equal emotion and leaned forward, moving to hold Kurt's waist with one hand and pull him in close. His other hand sweetly cupping Kurt's cheek as his thumb brushed along his jaw. Oh god it felt good to be held like that.

Blaine glanced from Kurt's eyes and down to his lips.

Kurt held his breath as Blaine leaned in bringing their lips together.

Kurt felt the soft brush of Blaine's lips against his own and it sent chills down his whole body. He only allowed it for a moment though before he came back to his senses and quickly took a step backwards – and then another – pulling out of Blaine's arms. Blaine stood with his eyes closed before blinking them open in surprise.

"I can't." Kurt whispered his voice coming out scratchy.

Blaine stared at him confused for a moment before his whole face flushed red. "Oh god. Oh god. I'm so sorry. I don't know… I was assuming you felt the same…" He started pacing in a tight circle while running his hand through his curls. "And I... I should have. We just met and you probably think I'm too forward."

"No! No." Kurt moved to him, holding his shoulders so Blaine would stop pacing and look at him. "Blaine, I want to kiss you. Trust me, I really want to kiss you."

"Are you married?" Blaine asked in horror.

"No! God no." Kurt took a long steadying breath. "Okay, please hear me out. I… I saw you this afternoon and I recognized you from the party and I know it's been years, but I've always regretted not seizing the moment that night and… and here was my second chance."

"What?" Blaine was watching him carefully and Kurt started to feel ill.

He had to do this. He just had to say it.

"You started talking about soulmates." Kurt continued. "And Eli Wilson and I thought I was going to miss my chance with you all over again…" Kurt stopped talking – looking Blaine in the eyes and begging him to understand. "Every word I've said to you today is real and true and honest except…"

"No." Blaine shook his head, realization dawning in his eyes. "Please no."

"Blaine, I'm not-"

"Don't say it."

"My name isn't Eli Wilson."

Blaine's eyes slammed closed and a hand went to his brow. "No."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I did that. Besides the fact that I just wanted to keep spending time with you. I know it was wrong."

"No." Blaine opened his eyes again and swayed a little on his feet, looking around until he saw a nearby bench, which he strode towards and then collapsed down on.

Kurt hurried to follow him, but didn't sit down; guessing Blaine probably wouldn't welcome the proximity right now.

"Blaine?"

Blaine was looking to the ground holding his head in his hands.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Blaine whispered.

Kurt felt horrible. How could he have done this to someone so sweet and sincere? "Blaine, I am so sorry."

Blaine looked up at that, his eyes flashing with anger. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kurt Hummel. I live in Greenwich. I work in fashion. I have a stepbrother and stepmother and my dad is wonderful. Everything I said was true."

"Except it all started with a lie. I poured my heart out to you and you... you took advantage of me!"

"I'm sorry." Kurt whispered his stomach dropping. "What can I do-"

"Sorry doesn't fix anything..." Blaine said slowly as he stood from the bench. "You know what you can do? Just leave me the hell alone."

Kurt nodded. His throat tight and his stomach twisting. That wasn't what he wanted, but he had forfeited the right to care about what he wanted right now. Blaine started striding past him.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my hotel!"

"Do you need help? Do you know how to get there?"

"I'll get a cab. I'll figure it out." Blaine's voice was clipped, his fists balled.

Kurt nodded again. There wasn't anything else to say. He watched as Blaine stormed away and then fell down to the bench. "Fuck." Kurt swore under his breath.

He had never been so ashamed of himself. He never met anyone like Blaine. Someone he felt such an instant connection to – and he had messed this up beyond repair. What was worse is that he'd hurt a kind and lovely man and he couldn't even fix it. He looked the direction Blaine had gone and couldn't see him anymore. That was it. It was over.

So much for second chances.

Blaine was lucky. He was able to make it to the Place de la Concorde, a nearby major public square, and from there he eventually caught a cab. He used his limited French and the repetition of his hotel name to communicate with the cab driver.

For as much as he and Kurt had walked it was only a five minute cab ride, still he was grateful because he wouldn't have been able to find his way back on his own. Blaine hadn't been paying attention to little things like where he was or where he was going. Not when he was next to the most beautiful man he had ever met. His blue eyes and rosy cheeks, and beautiful smile everything Blaine had always pictured for his soulmate. Not to mention his sharp wit and passionate personality. He'd been… perfect.

Blaine got out and paid the driver, probably over paid the driver, and then sulked into the hotel. He wanted to talk to Cooper, he wondered if he had his phone yet? Or Tina. Blaine pulled his phone out of his pocket. He groaned, of course it was dead. There probably wasn't some place open late that sold a power adaptor. He stopped by the hotel's front desk, grateful the concierge spoke English.

"Hi. I need to use my phone, but I can't use the outlets here."

"Ah yes. You need an adaptor."

Blaine nodded, stomach turning over as thoughts from the evening assaulted him. "Where could I get one?"

"Right now? Nowhere close."

Blaine's shoulders slumped. Of course.

"However… give me one moment." The man ducked into the back room and was gone a few minutes before coming back with a plug in his hands. "This has been sitting in the lost and found for weeks. You could use it this evening and return it in the morning?"

Blaine sighed in relief and thanked the concierge in English (and as best he could in French).

The man gave him directions to a store he could buy an adaptor at in the morning and then wished him a good night.

Blaine changed into pajamas as his phone charged and then got under his covers. He stared at the ceiling in his dark small room and thought about how much had happened in just the past 24 hours. He gone from a reasonable person, engaged to a dependable man, and celebrating their engagement with friends and family to a crazy person who hopped on planes looking for strangers – and who threw himself at a man he didn't even know. A man that wasn't even Eli Wilson!

He felt like a fool.

He'd just taken the word of some stranger. He didn't ask for proof. He didn't ask how he knew Cooper or anything that could have identified him as Eli Wilson. He'd just trusted that some man he'd met on the side of the street wasn't lying to him. And he'd fallen hard too.

Blaine groaned and turned to his side hugging his arms to his chest. He knew why he'd been so trusting. Why he hadn't asked Kurt any questions that could poke holes in his story. Blaine wanted it to be true. Not just because he wanted to meet Eli but because he'd wanted Kurt to be Eli. As soon as he crashed into him and looked down to see Kurt, beautiful and wide-eyed sitting on the sidewalk surrounded by tulips, Blaine's heart had run away with him.

Their hands touched and Blaine's breath was short. There had been something about Kurt's eyes, his voice, his smile – before Blaine had even explained his situation his heart was begging for Kurt to be Eli. So when he said he was, Blaine took it at face value. After all, it was what he wanted.

Blaine groaned again, honestly angrier with himself than with Kurt.

Kurt Hummel. It was a good name. It just wasn't the right name.

Blaine glanced over to his phone and reached out pressing the power button and watching it turn on. The light of the phone illuminated the yellow tulip bud Blaine had taken from his sweater and left on the lampstand. He rolled out of bed grabbing the flower and marching to the wastebasket and tossing it in.

He got back in bed pulling the covers up to his neck.

A minute passed and Blaine let out a deep frustrated sigh, throwing the covers off again and getting up. He went to the wastebasket and carefully took the tulip out, cupping it in his hands before grabbing a book out of his bag and very carefully pressing the bloom between its pages. He then placed the book back in his bag for safe keeping.

In bed again, Blaine held his phone in his hands. Any calls to The States would be expensive, but he needed to make one anyway. There were so many people he wanted to talk to right now and one person he wasn't sure what to say to – but that was the one person that deserved a call the most. Blaine's chest was tight with trepidation as he hit the speed dial button, waiting as the phone rang on the other end and a familiar voice answered.

"Hey babe. What have you been up to? I tried calling you earlier today."

"Sorry. I've been… away." Blaine sighed and rubbed his brow, feeling a little lost. "Jeremiah… I need to tell you something."