When Kurt walked into 318, he immediately spotted Joel waving him over. He wove his way between the tables, reaching out to shake Joel's hand when he reached him.

"Hey, Kurt. Good to see you here," Joel said warmly.

"Thanks for throwing Blaine a party. He seemed excited about it."

"I hope so. I'm really proud to have him working at the paper. Really proud."

"It shows," Kurt reassured him.

Joel grinned. "Blaine's right over there at that table if you want to go say hi. When a few more people show up, we'll cut the cake. Oh, and don't forget to grab a drink at the bar. First two are on me." He winked at Kurt, turning back to wave at the door when he saw another of his employees walk in.

Kurt took a detour to the bar. He ordered a Diet Coke from Puck, a guy he'd gone to school with who obviously didn't recognize him. Then, he made his way into the back room where they were having the party. Blaine was sitting at a tall table, chatting with Tina and Mike. When Kurt walked in, Blaine flashed him a face that just screamed, "Help me!" so Kurt walked over and took a seat next to him. "Hey," he greeted quietly, giving them all a small smile.

"Kurt! It's so good to see you again. We never talk," Tina said, all her words tumbling out at once. "I see you walk back and forth all the time, going to your little computer area with your camera or out the door with the birthday boy here to go for an interview, but I never get to say boo to you because I'm always busy it seems like. We should get together more often and just hang out. I have no idea what you've been up to since high school, and it would be great to find out. I have to say, though, that was a lovely article the two of you did about Cass and Elliot. Aren't they great? I kept in touch with Elliot after that play, and I never thought he'd end up with someone as sweet as Cass. Elliot's always so crass and sarcastic, you know, and Cass just isn't. Anyway, they make a really cute pair, and their horses are adorable. I mean, Nilla Wafer and Butterscotch? Adorable. Really, truly cute. So, should we—"

It was then that Mike leaned in to her and said something in her ear, getting her to hush for a moment.

As he spoke, Tina's eyes grew wide, and she turned to look at Mike with surprise. "Really? I mean—"

He whispered something else in her ear, and she nodded. "Excuse us," she told Kurt and Blaine, turning back to look at them. "We have a few things to do. I'll talk to you boys later. Happy birthday, Blaine."

"Thanks," he said, watching them walk off before heaving a sigh. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried she wasn't going to stop."

Kurt chuckled. "Me, too."

Blaine turned to face Kurt. "You're here! You came," he said, delighted. "It's so good to see you, Kurt!"

"I told you I'd come for a little bit."

"I really appreciate it. I know this isn't your thing."

"It's really not."

"Well, it means a lot that you would come anyway." He gave Kurt's shoulder a gentle pat. "What are you drinking? Want me to get you some more? It's about gone."

"Diet Coke," Kurt said. "And yeah. I'd appreciate that."

"Just Diet Coke? No alcohol?"

"No. I have to drive tonight. I need to be sober for that."

"Smart man," Blaine said, sliding off his seat with his empty glass in hand. "I'll be right back with more for us to drink. Then, we can chat for a bit."

"Sure," Kurt said, watching him walk away. His eyes were drawn to Blaine's ass, nice and round and perfectly complementary to his short, compact frame. You really shouldn't be looking, Kurt. He's your coworker and friend, not your lover. Besides, you're not looking to date! He couldn't really help it, though. Blaine was just good to look at. He was cute and alluring, and Kurt knew from the time they'd spent standing next to one another that Blaine's head came up just high enough that he could rest it against Kurt's shoulder if he held him in his arms. It was like a little puzzle piece, and it made Kurt smile to think about it. Not the kind of thoughts you should be having about your friend.

Just as Blaine slid back into his chair with their drinks, Joel stepped into the middle of the room, clanking a fork against his glass to get everyone's attention. "Hey, everybody," he called out when the noise in the room had died down some. "Thanks for coming to celebrate Blaine's 27th birthday. I am so thankful and proud that Blaine came to work at the paper with me, and I thought it was important we celebrate his birthday all together to recognize how wonderful it's been since he joined the team. I also want you all to know how much I appreciate each and every one of you. You all do amazing work. Thank you for coming out to celebrate my son. We're gonna have cake now, and remember, your first two drinks are on me. Thanks for coming."

A few minutes later, someone brought over a piece of cake with one candle burning on top, and everyone gathered around as if they'd been told to, beginning to sing to Blaine.

"Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday, dear Blaine!

Happy birthday to you!"

Blaine rolled his eyes but blew out the candles anyway when the song was over as everyone cheered. With his eyes squeezed shut, he sent out a wish into the universe. He knew it was silly, but it was worth a try. If Friday the 13th truly wasn't bad luck the way he'd always thought, if his father was right, his wish would come true. That would be a sure sign. I wish that Kurt and I could be boyfriends.

The room grew exceptionally loud as everyone got a piece of cake and a place to sit. There were nearly 30 people in attendance, and between their chatter and the music that 318 was playing throughout the space, it was hard to hear much. In fact, when Blaine's phone began to ring in the middle of it all, he had to take the call outside to be able to hear. If it hadn't been for the screen lighting up, he'd never have known he was getting a call in the first place.

Once again, Kurt watched him walk away, enamoured with his body, more confused than he'd ever been about why he was suddenly finding himself wanting to watch Blaine's every move. Is it attraction, or is there something else going on beneath the surface? he wondered to himself.

When Blaine came back, the smile and air of light that had surrounded him all evening was missing. He slid back into his chair next to Kurt and picked up his fork glumly, poking at the half piece of cake in front of him.

"Everything okay?" Kurt asked, leaning over to ask in his ear.

Blaine shook his head. Then, he nodded. "I don't know. Maybe? I don't think so? I'm honestly not sure…"

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not here."

Kurt nodded, not sure what to say. Was he supposed to set up a coffee date now, like the one he and Blaine had gone on so he could talk about New York? To fill the silence while he thought, he asked, "Did you make a wish when you blew out your candle?" He hoped the teasing question would make Blaine feel better.

It didn't work.

Blaine nodded, staring dejectedly at his dessert. "Yeah. I doubt it's going to come true, though. Today's Friday the 13th, and… Well, let's just say the day's not going well so far."

"Oh…" Kurt answered, watching Blaine closely. He didn't like this, didn't like the light that was usually shining in Blaine's gaze, masking the hurt he usually wore, being replaced by this cloudiness that did a shoddy job at hiding that there was more bubbling beneath the surface. He didn't like seeing him so out of sorts, and he knew he had to try to extend the same olive branch Blaine had given him. He leaned over and said directly in his ear, "I'm going to go."

That made Blaine look up. "Already? Can't you stay for a little while longer?"

Kurt shook his head. "I need to get home to my dad."

"Oh… Okay."

"I'm going to be at The Lima Bean at 10:00 tomorrow morning. If you want to talk about what's bothering you, meet me at 10:00. If you don't, send me a text at 10:00 tomorrow morning to let me know you aren't coming."

Blaine's eyes were wide when he looked at Kurt. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, I would," Kurt reassured him, sliding out of his chair. "I hope you can try to have a happy birthday, Blaine."

"I can try," Blaine promised. "Thanks for coming."

All Kurt gave him was a nod before he left, striding toward the door. When he got out to the door of his Navigator, Kurt took his phone out of his pocket. It vibrated in his hand moments later, and he clicked the power button to see his notifications. He had a text message.

From Blaine: I'll see you in the morning at 10:00 for coffee.

Kurt wore a grin all the way home.