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Chapter 21 – Big City

New York was awesome. Once they had checked in, Mr Schue let them run free for a time (Blaine figured he had accepted that they would go out anyway). They aimlessly walked through the city, ate ice scream and eventually split up into groups since some wanted to check out the Broadway and some the Statue of Liberty and others just wanted to shop.

"Do you want to come with us?", Tina asked Blaine. She and Kitty formed the shopping team and Blaine still wasn't sure about what Ryder had said on the plane. Maybe this was a good opportunity to ask her.

But on the other hand they were in New York and had so much to see, why of all things go shopping? Apart from the fact that Sam wasn't fond of that anyway.

But maybe Tina's question hadn't included him in the first place. She kept on looking at Blaine as he glanced to Sam, wondering when whatever he had planned would go into action.

"Come, I'm sure you can survive five minutes without him", Tina said as she grasped Blaine's arm. "Plus you need to get used to being apart anyway, considering that you will be visiting different schools soon."

Blaine didn't say that this was exactly why they would live together.

But he rushed to Sam and told him that he would go shopping with the girls (of whom Kitty didn't seem to glad about his presence).

"Oh, you're not coming to the Broadway with us?"

"Well… I will have time to visit it when we live here but it's one of my last chances to spend time with Tina", Blaine explained.

"She will be in New York, too", Sam said confused.

"Still, you know how it goes…" Blaine glanced to her, she wasn't leaving him out of eyesight. Kitty on the other hand focused on her phone and didn't look up.

"Alright. I'm in", Sam said.

"You don't have to."

"New York isn't half as fun without you, dude!" Sam smiled so that Blaine's heart just melted here and now and he instinctively leaned a bit forwards although he still had enough self-control to not kiss Sam.

"Don't you think it's strange to call your boyfriend 'dude'?", Ryder said. "I mean you call me and Jake that, too."

Blaine looked confused at the boy who hadn't stood beside Sam just a moment ago.

"Yup, that I do!" Sam grinned and bounced his eyebrows. Then he got serious and shook his head. "I just can't call him… I don't know. Baby. Darling. Honey." He shuddered and Blaine grinned.

"May I call you honey though?"

"You can call me whatever you want, love."

"Oh, but that's okay, yeah?" Blaine grinned even broader.

"I'm just testing names, sweetie."

"I'm more than okay with that. Any names you come up with, I mean." Blaine patted Sam's arm, holding eye contact. Oh, those beautiful green stars.

"Are you coming or what?", Tina called.

"Yeah, we gotta go, too."

"I'm going with Blaine, Ryder", Sam said. He waved to Jake and Marley and then put an arm around Blaine's shoulder for the few feet they had to go to Tina. Blaine's brain stopped working. Was it his imagination or worked the atmosphere of a big, chaotic city wonders to Sam's confidence?

"Oh, no, is this turning into a gay tour? I just want to shop without stopping at everything that smells like baby powder."

"What?" Blaine stared at Kitty, pretty sure he just made this up cause there's no way this was a prejudice about gay people.

"Name one thing that smells like baby powder except baby powder and I will turn around on the spot", Sam said.

Kitty crossed her arms. "Babies."

"Babies are full of baby powder."

"Yeah, well, so is your head."

They started walking and stopped most times for Kitty who wanted to look at shoes and hand bags. Tina was more interested in everything Asian and wanted to go to China town. Blaine was immediately on board, thinking they could find her a boyfriend there.

Yes. That seemed racist. But the fact remained that she had had the best time with Mike Chang on their extra Asian dates.

"Hey, Tina, remember when I said I would help you find a boyfriend?", he asked.

"Yes, but you never did because Kurt was distracting you", Tina said.

"Naaah, not Kurt", Blaine said. Yes, Kurt had been in town on that specific weekend. And yes, maybe Blaine had been in a state of mind that could only have been described as 'deep emotional trance' but…

He glanced to Sam who was busy struggling against Kitty's attempt to put a pink hat on his blond hair.

"I said don't!"

"It suits you, I swear! It's made for the gays!"

"I'm not gay!"

"Oh honey." Kitty sighed and threw a glance to Blaine. He simply shrugged, not sure if to Kitty or Tina.

"Anyway, I'm onto it now."

"I don't need your help", Tina said. "Especially since it's just out of pity because you refuse to live with me."

"No, Tina, it's not pity, I just think… Wouldn't you be glad to have someone?"

All at once she was very interested in the scarfs in front of her. Sam came to Blaine and kind of hid behind him, so Blaine told Kitty to take a bow.

Of course she only laughed and said: "You should tell your boyfriend what it means to be a boyfriend. Did you two already do the nasty?"

She expectantly watched Blaine who crossed his arms. "None of your concern!"

"Oh god, you didn't. No wonder bottle blondie here is still in the closet."

"I don't dye my hair!"

"He's not in the closet."

"Blaine, you can be in the closet even when you're openly gay." Kitty frowned at him.

"That doesn't make any sense at all", Blaine said.

"Well, and I'm not your counsellor. Hey, that scarf is nice!" She went to Tina and Blaine turned around to look at Sam whose face was pretty red.

"I don't dye my hair. I just sometimes put some lemon juice in it, nothing more."

"Sam, do you realise that you're bisexual?"

"Wh- what? That's not what it is about."

Blaine sighed but before he could say anything Sam pulled him away from the store they were standing in front of.

"Of course I know I'm not full on straight but there's no need for people to call me gay, either, right?"

"You are in a gay relationship! And it's not like it's a bad thing!"

"I know that! Why are we talking about this now, do you seriously listen to Kitty?"

"I don't need to listen to her to see that you still… have some insecurities. And that's okay, really, I just don't want you to get stuck and –"

"If I'm so insecure then why did I plan the best date ever for tonight in Central Park?"

Blaine opened his mouth and stared at Sam. He stared back for three seconds, then rolled his eyes.

"Great, now it's not a surprise anymore."

"Well… I still don't know what you…"

"Forget it! Shit." Sam turned away, one hand running through his hair. "I'm the worst boyfriend ever."

"No, Sam, no!" Blaine took a step forward and laid his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You are not! Stop thinking that right now!"

"I'm going back to the hotel", he said, freeing himself from the touch.

"I'm coming with you then", Blaine said. There were more important things than finding Tina a boyfriend, and this was one of them.

"No, just continue… the girls would be lost in the city, they don't know their way round…"

"Well, do you? You could get lost just as easily."

"Who cares", Sam muttered and turned around. Blaine had only enough time left to catch Tina's eye and gesture that he would go now. He really didn't want Sam wandering alone through New York.