Blaine finished Hungarian Rhapsody with a flourish, and slowly came out of that mental state as he heard applause. Sitting back, he rested his hands on his lap, subtly bending and flexing his fingers as he looked around, smiling, nodding to the crowd in appreciation.

He tried his best to avoid the eyes of a slightly older woman who was watching him a bit too intently. She had chin-length auburn hair, fair skin and hazel eyes beautifully made-up. Her violet cocktail dress showed a fit, well-maintained body. She was a lovely woman, but it wasn't hard to see she was a bit of a cougar. A wealthy older woman looking for a younger man. Evidently, she had no gaydar, as she'd been giving Blaine interested looks all night.

It had culminated at midnight, when hotel staff had brought in trays of champagne and noisemakers to get everyone through the countdown. Blaine had stood up to join in, counting down from ten. When he was shouting 'Happy New Year!" with everyone else, she had suddenly been right at his side. Before he could react, her hand was gripping the back of his head, and she gave him a long, firm kiss.

The room was still fairly full, even though it was past midnight now. He could still hear the thump of the beat coming from the ballroom on the main floor. That would probably go on until 2am.

Here, on the second floor, the crowd was a bit more sedate, sitting in small groups sipping champagne and whiskey. Most were over fifty. Blaine knew he was just helping to provide a classy ambience for the hotel's wealthy guests.

He subtly glanced at his wristwatch. A couple more songs, and he'd be done for the night. He was tired, and knew his mental energy wasn't up to anything too challenging.

Letting out a deep breath, Blaine set his sore fingers back on the keys, and let himself go. Playing without sheet music meant going into the muscle memories, and not over thinking them. Years of practice had developed these neural pathways, shortcuts between his brain to his fingers. It was just like a dancer executing complex choreography or an elite martial artist in an intense fight. The body took over, his mind there to guide it only.

Perhaps it was exhaustion, but he was a few notes into the song before he realized what it even was. The Dance.

He hadn't played it for a year, since Kurt. Since that tearful goodbye. He couldn't help but infuse the simple piece with all those emotions, letting them flow through him, out through his fingers. Music had been his emotional outlet most of his life, his safest place. And here, in a roomful of strangers, they would just hear a pretty tune. They didn't know him well enough to see the way he was blinking back tears by the end.

He felt someone sit beside him on the edge of his piano bench, and just closed his eyes for a second. It better not be that woman who kissed him earlier. It was getting late, and he didn't want to make a scene.

Sighing, he knew he had to face it, and opened his eyes. What he saw was even more shocking. Kurt Hummel.

"Oh fuck," Blaine said out of pure shock.

The response just made Kurt's eyes twinkle with held-back amusement. "Happy New Year to you too."

Blaine swallowed hard and went into playing some Beethoven, gathering himself. "Happy New Year," he said softly.

"This is such a big place, I didn't even know you were here," Kurt said, his eyes tracing over Blaine's face, down his tuxedo, and lingering on his hands flowing across the keys.

The attention almost made Blaine make an error. "Um, most people are here for the DJ on the other floor."

"Yes. Dancing and all that," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes.

"Mostly the older crowd here," Blaine said.

"Or people trying to avoid their dates," Kurt said with a slight look of distaste.

Blaine felt a surge of protectiveness. "What did he do?"

Kurt chuckled lightly. "Oh, just a bit too drunk, too handsy... with another guy."

"Oh. Well shit," Blaine grumbled. Why the fuck would a guy with Kurt touch anyone else. Must be a complete idiot.

"You are working, I better go," Kurt said softly, resting a hand lightly on his forearm for a second.

"I'm almost done," Blaine said fast. Too fast.

Kurt gave a small grin in return. "Then I'll wait."

Kurt moved to sit at the bar to watch Blaine play. Tonight, he was sipping white wine, not nibbling on tropical fruit from a colossal cocktail. But it still reminded Blaine of last January. Kurt waiting for his set to end so they could go back to his cabin. Anticipation building. Thoughts of everything he wanted to do to Kurt behind those closed doors.

Blaine shook his head. It wouldn't happen that way tonight. Kurt wasn't casual about sex, and it would fuck Blaine up. It had taken a long time to get over him.

For his last piece, he couldn't resist showing off a little: his favorite Chopin. Something suitable for the venue, this upscale crowd, that he never would have played on the ship.

He got a polite round of applause from a few people when he finished, but he could clearly hear Kurt's. He stood, giving a smile and a small bow, before he closed the lid over the piano keys and left the room, glancing Kurt's way once before he walked quickly away.

Ducking around a potted plant, he waited a bit breathlessly. The cougar and a couple other people came out of the lounge, looking around for him, but walking towards the stairs when they didn't see him.

Kurt strolled out, looking handsome as ever in a tuxedo with an ivory suit jacket. Blaine zipped to his side and guided him quickly down the hall to the service elevators.

"Do you mind if we go this way? I need to get my coat," Blaine said once they turned a corner.

Shaking his head, Kurt seemed bemused as Blaine went to the staff room to get his coat from a locker and wave goodnight to the manager.

"So, want to go somewhere to get something to eat? Or a drink?" Blaine said, slipping his long wool coat on and wrapping a scarf around his neck.

Kurt shrugged. "Sure. Anywhere quiet is fine. I just want to be able to talk and actually hear each other."

By then they were standing outside the hotel. It was about 1 am, New Year's Day, and New Yorkers were walking everywhere. Many were drunk and making lots of noise, celebrating in their own way. "Um, how about getting a Reuben at Marty's uptown? They are open all night."

Kurt scrunched up his face a bit. "That's pretty far from here, and we'll never get a cab. The subway will be packed with drunks."

Blaine bit his lip and shoved his hands into his pockets. It was cold out. "Um, well, my place is only a couple blocks from here."

Arching one eyebrow, Kurt got his point across.

"Um, not like that! Um, just for a place to have a drink or two and talk. And then we can call you a cab," Blaine said, his face flushing a bit. He hoped Kurt would think he was red from the cold.

Kurt eventually nodded, and Blaine felt relieved. He led them in the right direction.

The older building was a bit run down and Blaine suddenly felt more aware of the worn carpet in the hallways and the scratches on the paint of the elevator. It was even worse when he unlocked his apartment door and turned his lights on.

He'd been so busy he hadn't had a chance to tidy up much lately. "Oh, sorry, the place is a bit of a mess."

Kurt was taking off his coat and shoes. "Maid's day off?"

Blaine chuckled and filled the kettle, and then pulled out a box of tea bags. "Something like that. Um, would you mind making the tea while I change? Make yourself comfortable."

Escaping to his bedroom, Blaine looked at the contents of his closet. He changed quickly into yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a thick deep green hoodie. The apartment always seemed a bit cold.

He closed his eyes for a minute, trying to calm down. He could feel his pulse racing, and he was breathing too quickly. Yes, Kurt Fucking Hummel was sitting in his living room right now. A man he thought he'd never see again, who he wasn't even sure would want to see him again.

But Kurt had been the one to approach him, acting normal. Just like old friends who happened to run into each other in one of the country's largest cities. Act normal, be cool.

He stepped into the living room to see Kurt was already on the sofa under a blanket, a big mug of tea in his hand. Blaine smiled at him a bit stiffly, sat at the other end and poured himself a drink.

Out of habit, he turned the TV on. An old movie was playing, and Blaine instantly recognized it. "Oh, isn't this the 'Poseidon Adventure'? The ship is sinking and it's Christmas... I used to always watch it during the holidays with my brother."

Kurt chuckled. "You have a brother?"

Blaine nodded. "Cooper. He's a few years older, acting in shitty commercials in LA mostly." Despite the warm tea, Blaine felt a bit cold and shivered.

Taking one end of the blanket, Kurt draped it over Blaine, shifting a bit closer. "This is a lot different than last year. I kind of miss being on a beach in January."

It felt good that Kurt brought up their past so easily. "I think all those winters away made me lose my Ohio winter resistance. I've spent every spare penny on sweaters and scarves since I moved here."

That made Kurt smirk. "My friends always bug me about my layers, but it's warm as well as looking fabulous."

"Yes," Blaine said, having no difficulty imaging Kurt looking great in anything. He wasn't sure what to say next, so he sipped his tea.

Kurt looked around his apartment during the lull in the conversation, his eyes bright and curious. "You seem pretty established. Have you been here long?"

Blaine shook his head. "Only a few months. I'm just subletting this from a friend of a friend. All the furniture and other apartment stuff is his. He's away on a six-month contract."

"Another cruise worker? Is he covering your piano bar?" Kurt asked.

Blaine drew his eyebrows down, trying to remember. He was getting a little sleepy, so that didn't help. "Um, no, he's an engineer or something in the oil industry. It's cooler in the Middle East this time of year."

"That's brave!" Kurt said. "I had a friend who was travelling around there, and he was getting hit on a lot by the local guys."

"Really?" Blaine asked, but got a bit distracted as he looked at Kurt. Had his eyes always been so large?

Kurt just chuckled. "You look about ready to fall asleep, Blaine."

Shaking his head quickly, Blaine tried to be more alert. Just his luck, spending time with Kurt after all these months and being too tired to enjoy it. "Oh, sorry. I went back to Ohio for Christmas and then had to rush back for some gigs."

"Ohio? I remember you saying you hadn't been back for Christmas in years. How was it?"

Blaine sighed, thinking back in it. "Awkward as fuck, to tell the truth. I've never been very close to my parents since I came out as a teenager, and my brother is a bit self-involved."

He stood up and stretched. "Um, sorry, Kurt, but I'm going to head to bed. Did you want to crash on my sofa for the night? It's so cold out still."

Kurt gave him a small smile. "OK. And it will be easier to get a cab home in the morning."

Blaine had been expecting a brush off to his offer, but Kurt's quick acceptance made him freeze for a few heartbeats in mild surprise. "Oh, um, yeah," he mumbled, "I'll get you some towels and something to sleep in."

It was a good excuse to escape and gather himself as he grabbed what was needed. He found a new toothbrush, some loose pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, putting them on top of some clean towels in the bathroom. He set a pillow and extra blanket on the sofa.

Kurt started arranging the cushions into a comfortable position, so Blaine escaped to the bathroom to brush his teeth. By the time he came out, Kurt looked ready to exchange spots.

"Well, um, goodnight," Blaine said, stepping to the side to get out of his way. "Um, if you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up."

Grinning a little at Blaine's awkward, polite statements, Kurt nodded. "Goodnight, Blaine."

There were a few seconds where Blaine considered kissing him goodnight, but he scooted into his bedroom before he acted on the impulse. They were friends, just friends, now. Right?

Under the covers, the sounds of his New York neighborhood seemed normal, and he was aware of the small noises from Kurt. The toilet flushing, the taps of the sink. Was he undressing right now? Putting on those pajamas? Naked Kurt, not far away.

He could get up and wait outside the bathroom door. Grab Kurt and push him against the wall, kiss him deeply, the way Blaine needed it. In this fantasy, Kurt would of course respond eagerly, his arms wrapping around Blaine tight, bodies close together.

Blaine scoffed at the fantasy. It had taken months to get over Kurt last time. He wouldn't get involved again. Rolling over, he pulled his comforter in place and fell into a well-earned sleep.

...

-'Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2' by Franz Liszt (1847).

-'The Poseidon Adventure' is a 1972 disaster movie that features a cruise ship sailing from New York to Greece. On New Year's eve, a rogue tidal wave flips the ship upside down and everyone frantically tries to escape before it sinks. It seemed to show on TV every holiday season.