Ocean

A/N: Alternate first meeting story which finds Blaine and Kurt, both in their early 20's, as new next-door neighbors in an apartment complex in NYC.Thin walls and adjacent bathrooms make for good stories, don't you think?PS, there has to be something wrong with me when the prompt of "Ocean" leads me to this.

Kurt hated mornings. One of the worst things about living with Rachel when they first moved to New York was her infuriating habit of rising at the crack of o-dark-thirty and doing vocal warm-ups and then full songs in the shower. Kurt could barely function before his first cup of coffee, and here was this girl belting out show tunes. Annoying.

He was living in a new place now, blissfully alone, and was going to relish his quiet morning ritual without the assault on his eardrums. He'd just stepped out of the shower and was starting his moisturizing routine when he heard water running on the opposite side of the wall. Neighbor noise was something he'd grown accustomed to in his Bushwick loft, so this was no surprise. What was a surprise, though, was the sound that followed.

"Caribbean Queen, now we're sharing the same dream, and our hearts they beat as one, no more love on the run…"

Swell. Another early morning singer. The voice wasn't bad – a strong, male voice with nice tone and pitch, but still. It wasn't even 7:30 a.m. Besides, who the hell sings "Caribbean Queen"?

Sighing in frustration, Kurt continued with his morning and hoped that his neighbor would either keep it down or slip on his soap. Okay, that was unkind. Maybe he'd just get laryngitis or something.

Apparently, the neighbor was quicker in his routine than Kurt, because Kurt heard the hallway door to the next apartment close shortly before he left, its occupant out of sight by the time Kurt walked out.

The next morning found Kurt once again following his morning pattern. At the same time as yesterday, he heard the running water start on the other side of the wall. "Please, don't sing. Or if you have to sing, don't make it that song," he said to himself. He'd found himself singing "Caribbean Queen" all fricking day yesterday, and he had just gotten it out of his head.

Just when it seemed Mr. Morning Tune was going to shower in silence, he started crooning, "Get outta my dreams; get into my car. Get outta my dreams – get in the backseat, baby…" (The last part was sung a full octave higher, to boot.) That was followed by a rousing chorus of, "Ooh, can I touch you (can I touch you), and do the things that lovers do?" which Kurt found extra-inappropriate to be singing for the neighbors.

"Seriously?" Kurt huffed, slamming his hairbrush down on the counter. This guy was going to be the death of him. It wasn't bad enough that he felt the need to sing at the top of his lungs at this ungodly hour of the morning, he seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with Billy Ocean songs.

This time, Kurt had an early meeting, so he was out the door before his neighbor. One of these days, he thought, I've got to see this guy. He didn't realize that today would be that day.

After a long, long day, Kurt returned home to his building. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, he heard a man call, "Hold the elevator, please!" as a hand reached in and braced against the sliding doors. Kurt pressed the Door Open button (he was a gentleman, after all) and waited for the owner of the hand to enter. He looked up from the button panel to see a stunning man hurry inside the elevator car. Slightly shorter than Kurt, he was still well-built, with dark, curly hair and the most incredible eyes – hazel, he decided, but so much more complex than that. A flash of white teeth appeared as the man smiled in gratitude at Kurt.

"Thanks so much," he said. "This elevator is so slow, and I didn't really want to wait for it to come back down."

"Sure, sure, no problem," Kurt managed to stammer out, hoping he didn't sound like too much of a moron. "What floor do you need?" he asked, his hand hovering near the button panel.

"Six – oh, it's pressed already," Blaine said, glancing at the panel and then back at Kurt. His smile widened a little. "You must be the new guy on the floor. I'm Blaine, 6C," he said, extending a hand.

"Kurt," he offered, taking the man's hand in return, "6E, but you already knew that, I guess," he finished nervously before it hit him. 6C was the apartment directly next to him. "Oh, my god. You're Billy Ocean," he blurted out in disbelief.

"I'm what?" Blaine asked with a bit of confusion.

"You're Billy Ocean – well, clearly not the Billy Ocean – but you've been singing his songs the past two mornings since I moved in."

Blaine's face flushed scarlet as his eyes went wide. "Oh, lord, you can hear that? God, I had no idea, Kurt. I'm so sorry."

Kurt knew he should be giving this guy one of his evil glares. After all, he had the unmitigated gall to be all chipper and sing songs first thing in the morning, in total disregard of his neighbors. However, he seemed honestly shocked to find out that his voice (which Kurt really didn't mind, either speaking or singing) carried through the thin walls of the old building. Additionally, it was kind of hard for Kurt to be mad at a man this cute.

The elevator slowed to a halt and the doors opened. They had reached the sixth floor, which fact seemed to surprise the both of them. However, that was nothing to the surprise and embarrassment they felt when they realized they hadn't released each other's hands yet. Kurt recovered first, slipping his hand from Blaine's and stepping out into the hallway, holding the door open behind him for Blaine to follow. They started down the long hall together, knowing they were going the same way. After a second of silence, Kurt figured it was his turn in the conversation.

"No worries about the singing, really. I'm not much of a morning person, but my old roommate used to do it. Guess it's part of my destiny to have music in the morning." Kurt couldn't believe his own words, but he really couldn't object to anything this guy did.

"I'll try to keep it down if you like. I don't want to annoy you," Blaine said apologetically.

"No! No," Kurt was quick to respond. "Far be it for me to silence that voice," he continued, immediately wishing he could shove the words back in his mouth.

"You're too kind," Blaine replied graciously. "Well, this is me," he said, stopping in front of his door. He hesitated, a look of uncertainty in his eyes for a moment. Then he seemed to make a decision. "I was going to order Chinese for dinner, but it's always easier to order for two. Would you like to join me?"

Kurt paused, looking into those hazel eyes and then glancing over towards the door to his own apartment. His own, empty, dark apartment. While he relished the privacy, he missed having company, too. "Um, sure. Yes. Why not?" he said brightly, earning another big smile from Blaine.

They spent the evening talking, getting to know one another, and laughing. They discovered they had grown up not too far from each other in Ohio, had both been in show choir, and many other commonalities. The conversation flowed easily, and neither could remember falling into such a feeling of comfort with someone so quickly before.

Glancing at the clock, Kurt exclaimed, "Oh, geez, I didn't realize how late it was! You must have been wishing me gone ages ago."

"Not at all," Blaine replied, his voice soft and sincere.

"Anyway, I really should go. I've got to be up early tomorrow to catch the morning concert," he quipped.

Blaine smirked as he rose from the couch, and Kurt followed. Blaine held out his arm, bent at the elbow, and said, "May I walk you to your door?" Kurt hoped Blaine couldn't hear his heart pound at that question, which wasn't a worry, as Blaine couldn't have heard it over his own, anyway.

"Why thank you, kind sir," he said, taking Blaine's arm with a giggle. They walked through Blaine's apartment and down hall to Kurt's door, where Kurt produced his key and turned to Blaine to say good night.

"Thanks a lot for the dinner," he said shyly. Blaine had insisted on picking up the tab for dinner, saying it was the least he could do to make up for his morning music habit, despite Kurt's insistence that he didn't mind.

"So, um," Blaine stumbled, feeling just as shy and nervous as Kurt. "I guess I'll see you around? Soon?"

Kurt blushed and smiled, boldness creeping up on him upon seeing Blaine's discomfiture. "That the best you've got?" Blaine's eyes widened momentarily in surprise, then warmed as he laughed, both at Kurt's teasing and his own boyish nervousness.

"Okay, then. Let's try this again." Blaine squared himself to face Kurt head on. He looked directly into his blue eyes, capturing his gaze and holding it. Reaching for Kurt's hand, he took it gently in both of his own and said with a quiet, sincere voice, "Kurt, this was the best evening I've had in an unbelievably long time. I think you and I could have something special starting here, and I would very, very much like to take you out on a proper date this weekend." Stepping forward just a few inches closer to Kurt, he finished by saying, "So, Kurt, what do you say?"

Kurt's breath caught in his throat staring back at Blaine. He had expected a snarky retort, not the most eloquent, heartfelt request for a date ever. He took a half step forward himself, Blaine's hands still holding his, and let his heart speak for him when he said, "Nothing would make me happier." He punctuated it with a light kiss to Blaine's cheek that he held for a few seconds, and when he pulled back, it was to find Blaine's eyes fluttering open. Blaine smiled warmly, said good night, and forced his feet to take him back to his own door. Just before he reached it, he heard Kurt's voice call, "Blaine?"

"Yes, Kurt," he answered, turning back around quickly.

"Don't feel like you have to stop singing in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"Just…lay off the Billy Ocean, would ya?"

xoxo

A few months later, Kurt once again heard water running early in the morning. It was followed by a familiar voice singing. Blaine had, as requested, "laid off the Billy Ocean" over the past few months, opting instead for everything from Broadway tunes to Top 40 hits. Some mornings, Kurt even sang back – the first time he did that, Blaine almost forgot how to wash his own hair as he became mesmerized by the voice singing back to him.

This time, this morning, however, was different. The night before, the two of them had exchanged those three little words, and they'd never been happier. Kurt found himself laughing heartily as Blaine sang strongly, "Suddenly, life has new meaning to me. There's beauty up above, and things we never take notice of. You wake up and suddenly…"

"You're in love," Kurt finished the line for him as Blaine stepped out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and a smile on his face.

"I see you don't mind Billy Ocean so much anymore," he chuckled as Kurt's arms wrapped around him.

"He may have grown on me a little," he responded, kissing Blaine soundly.

A/N: Songs are, obviously, "Caribbean Queen," "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car," "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going," and "Suddenly".If you don't know them, check them out online.Classic 80's stuff, kids.