They spent the rest of the evening between the deck and the music room. Blaine had sung Kurt a few more songs. One Kurt hadn't heard before and his heart beat faster than humanly possible when he realized he may have just heard one of the songs that no one but Blaine and his recording studio had heard.

"Is that new?"

Blaine nodded, a little giddy from all the wine and just put a finger over his lips and made the shh noise. "No one has to know."

Kurt laughed. As Blaine put his guitar away and they went back upstairs, the sky was beginning to get light again. They sat on the ground surrounded by 4 empty bottles of wine.

"Oh God." Kurt just realized that it was Thursday morning, he was still drunk, and he had to open his store in about an hour.

Blaine finally pulled his phone out after not touching it once all night. "It's 4:30 in the morning. Kurt, I am so sorry. I lost track of time."

"We need to sober up so I can get to work."

Blaine ran down to the kitchen. Ran was the wrong word for it. Blaine stumbled down to the kitchen and returned after a few minutes of loud crashing with some bottles of water.

"Drink up."

It took about 30 minutes of excessive water drinking for the men to feel somewhat normal again. As they sobered up they continued their conversations.

"So, you are telling me that not only were you in show choir, you also played the kicker in football, did cheerleading, and were Prom King."

"Prom Queen actually." Blaine raised his eyebrow. "It was a stressful night I'd rather not discuss it."

"I was never a fan of school dances anyway." Blaine added with a shudder.

After Kurt forced Blaine to do a short sobriety test. They were confident they could get back to Kurt's store in time to open.

"I'm sorry again for keeping you all night." Blaine tried his best not to smile. He felt guilty he had done it on a Wednesday night, but he was so glad he spent that long with Kurt getting to know him.

"It's okay. I enjoyed it." Kurt reached over and placed his hand atop Blaine's, which was resting on the gear shifter.

Kurt pointed to a place for Blaine to park his car that wouldn't draw attention and they ran to the door with three minutes to spare. Kurt flipped through his keys before finding the right one and pushing into the coffee shop.

Blaine loved it even more this way. It was dead silent aside from the hum of the fridges. Kurt went straight behind the counter and started turning things on, leaving the lights for last. He flipped the switch and both of them hissed at the unwelcome pain it caused.

"Can you do me a huge favor?" Kurt gave Blaine an overemphasized smile and folded his hands in front of his face.

"I am not taking orders again." Blaine didn't hesitate to say. He knew he would never make it as a barista.

"Just watch the door. I haven't flipped the sign to open yet, but if someone comes in I don't want to turn them away. I need to brush my teeth and change. Four minutes I promise. You can have whatever coffee you want."

"Ooo tempting. Okay fine I will run your store for you, boss." Blaine winked, and Kurt flushed at hearing Blaine call him boss again. When employees did it, it meant nothing but there was something in the boy's tone. Kurt pulled himself together and ran up to his apartment.

Precisely four minutes later he was back down in his shop. Luckily, no one had come in and Blaine was just tapping through messages on his phone leaning against the counter with his sunglasses on.

Kurt walked to the register and plopped his carton of daisies on top.

"Nice touch." Blaine grinned. Just a few days ago Kurt was spelling his name wrong on the cup and glaring at him. Now the flowers he had gotten him for a date were sitting in his workspace.

Blaine leaned into the counter putting his face right by Kurt's. Kurt cleared his throat. And Blaine turned to the sound of the door. He growled, making Kurt laugh.

"What will it be?"

"One medium drip, please." Blaine smiled as he ordered. For the first time knowing that it would be well received.

"For you, good sir, free of charge."

"No, I insist." Blaine pulled a five dollar bill out of his wallet.

"If I give it to you for free are you secretly going to pay to have my tiling redone or something."

"Absolutely." Blaine smiled and pushed the bill toward Kurt.

"Fine." Kurt took it and put it in the drawer, pulling out the change which Blaine immediately dropped in the tip jar. Kurt scoffed and muttered "You're impossible" under his breath before turning to make the drink.

He put the cup down at the pick-up counter with a wink and made his way over to help the next customer.

Blaine looked at the side of the cup where 'Blainey' was scrawled with a smiley face next to it.

"A step in the right direction." Blaine shouted as he headed toward the doors. Blowing a kiss toward Kurt when the customer was looking away. Kurt giggled and started on the man's order.

"Blaine you're early. And you look like shit." Sebastian gave him a rambunctious grin. "Does this mean there will be some hot gossip in the news today?"

Blaine just groaned and went into the recording room and turned off the lights. Laying on one of the couches snuggling with his guitar.

"Take a nap you sick bastard I love it." Sebastian shouted over the intercom.

Blaine rolled his face into the couch. Swatting his hand like it might make his manager disappear.

As Blaine dozed off in the other room Sebastian looked around. Then he spotted something that made his stomach turn. Another freaking cup from the Lima Bean. He picked it up. It was mostly empty. He was about to toss it when he caught a glimpse of the side.

Blainey? Fuck that idiot gave his real name. Sebastian rolled his eyes over to wear Blaine was passed out on the couch. Hungover and dead tired yet he still had time to go to Brooklyn to get his coffee? Sebastian looked at his watch is wasn't even 7 o'clock yet. What was the bastard up to?

Sebastian scrawled a note for Blaine when he decided to wake up.

Blaine,

I hope you enjoyed your nap. Now get the hell to work. We have an album to finish.

The sexy man you call manager.

Sebastian left the cup where he found it and ran out the door. He hopped in a cab and gave the driver his instructions. "The Lima Bean. Bushwick."

"Seriously kid. In this traffic?"

"Just step on it." Sebastian tossed a few extra dollars at the cabbie to keep his mouth shut for the span of the drive.

After Sebastian got out of the taxi in front of the small coffee shop he couldn't help but laugh. Blaine comes all the way here for this place? Noting the peeling paint and the scuffed wood exterior, he made his way inside.

He decided to get a drink, so he could look inconspicuous as he checked the place out. Luckily a drink was exactly what he needed to get his answer.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" The barista behind the counter asked. Sebastian grinned at him, looking up and down his tired body.

"Long night?"

"It sure didn't feel like it." Kurt quipped. He was trying to joke with this customer. No one else had noticed that he was clearly hungover. But he wasn't grumpy because he'd had an amazing night.

"I'll bet." Sebastian gave him an uncomfortable smile.

"Anyway, a drink?"

"I'll take it tall and dark." Sebastian winked, and Kurt cringed internally. Was this meerkat flirting with him?

"Name?"

"It's Sebastian. But you can just put Sebby." He grinned and Kurt's brows furrowed. He felt like there was an ulterior motive and it wasn't just flirting. "Nice daisies by the way." He pointed before handing Kurt his cash and scooting down the line.

Kurt looked the man up and down trying to access him. He had on an expensive suit and his hair was styled perfectly. He definitely wasn't from around here. He thought back to what Blaine had told him the day before.

"So Sebastian." Kurt began casually as he poured his drink. "Do you work around here? I've never seen you in before." Kurt sounded like any business owner trying to learn more about his customers.

"No actually. I work pretty damn far away. Taxi here cost an arm and a leg, but a friend of mine is so obsessed with this place. I figured I just had to try it out, the coffee must be blowing." Sebastian faked a blush. "Excuse me mind-blowing ."

"Oh and does this friend of yours have a name? I will have to give them a discount next time they are in for recommending me."

"Actually, he seems to have many." That answered Kurt's question, he knew this man worked with Blaine.

"So what is it that you and your friend do?" Kurt wanted to make sure the man didn't think he was on to him. This had to be one of the people that was wrecking Blaine's life.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. You don't really have to get to know us. We probably won't be around anymore." Kurt's face sank. This man wasn't about to keep Blaine from coming to see him anymore was he?

"That's too bad. I do love repeat business." Kurt shrugged. He would be happy to see this particular person leave so long as he didn't take Blaine with him.

"Yeah well repeat business isn't really something my friend and I want." Kurt got the hint. This Sebastian guy was mad Blaine seemed to be hooked on someone as opposed to hooking up with someone.

"Maybe that will change." Kurt gave him his best bitch glare as he passed the drink to the man.

"Oh, speak of the devil." Sebastian put his phone to his ear. "Babe, you're awake. How did you sleep?" Sebastian gave Kurt a face that made Kurt question his stance on non-violence and walked out the door, taking one sip of his coffee and tossing it in the trash outside.

"Sebastian, I told you stop calling me that. It's weird."

"Listen. Though your voice sounds sexy when you're hungover and I would love to continue this conversation, I am busy. So how about you trudge your pretty little self into the recording studio and get to work."

"I was calling to see if you had seen the media yet today?"

"No. I haven't had the chance. Will I be pleased?" Sebastian smiled maybe there was footage of Blaine out on the town with some hot little barista in tight denim. So long as the paparazzi doesn't get a picture of them together more than once it doesn't really matter if they had their fun one night.

"Can you just not look at it until I have a chance to talk to you please?"

Blaine sounded concerned, which made Sebastian concerned. Blaine must have messed up pretty badly if he actually didn't want Sebastian to see. He and their PR Director Santana were usually pretty good about spinning stories when people found Blaine doing good things. This sounded like a completely different situation. Though he felt like it was his job to check the media now and stop whatever was going on early he thought he owed Blaine the chance to explain himself. As a friend and ex-boyfriend, it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Aural Intensity Records" He told the taxi driver. "Fine Blaine. I won't look at it." He spoke into the phone before hanging up and leaning his head back against the seat. What am I going to do about this rockstar?

Blaine: How's work treating you? :)

Kurt: Currently kicking my ass but luckily no one has noticed that I haven't slept in 24 hours and I'm still coming down off a wine buzz. Actually one person did but nevermind.

Blaine: Haha. Yeah I took a nap in the recording room snuggled up with my guitar. So you're doing better than me.

Kurt: I called my barista Tina in early to pick up my slack and if she doesn't stop talking I swear I'm going to slap her.

Blaine: No don't hurt your employees, or I might have to cover for them!

Kurt: No offense but I probably wouldn't hire you.

Blaine: Ouch. That hurts. But hey if that person said one thing about you looking tired I sure would have given them a piece of my mind.

Kurt: Actually about that Blaine

Blaine: What?

Blaine: Are you still there?

Kurt: Sorry in the middle of a rush we can talk about it another time. Bye. Have fun recording!

Blaine tucked his phone away as Sebastian came into the conference room.

"Are you hiding from me? What are you doing in here?"

"The chairs are more comfortable." Blaine swiveled around and gestured for Sebastian to sit down opposite him.

"Alright what is it rockstar?" Sebastian rolled his eyes. Blaine never acted like this. He was being defiant, and nobody wanted to manage a defiant musician.

"There was this guy."

"The feminine one from the coffee shop?" Sebastian raised his eyebrow at Blaine who was taken aback.

"He's not…. Oh my God Sebastian did you go spy on him?"

"It's my job!"

"It's definitely not!" Blaine raised his voice then took a breath, closed his eyes, and squeezed his fists. "Yes. The man who owns the coffee shop. I took him out last night. There must have been paparazzi following us." Blaine turned on the projector and showed a tweet from one of the celebrity news pages. There was a zoomed in picture of Blaine leaning over the railing and Kurt with his hand tenderly on Blaine's neck. It was a very romantic moment, nothing like they had captured before.

The picture was strewn with captions and comments asking if Blaine Anderson was officially dating someone or if It was just a hookup. The majority of the comments he scrolled through for Sebastian were in favor of it being way more than a one-night stand.

Blaine guiltily looked up at Sebastian who was processing the picture. It was the exact opposite of what he had told Blaine to do. Here he was broken down and in love, not empowered and DTF.

"Blaine." Sebastian growled.

"Listen I already know what you're going to say but let me talk first." He cleared his throat and drummed his fingers on the table. "It's no secret that I like this guy. The picture alone says it all. There is something there Sebastian. Which makes what I'm about to say next so much harder."

Sebastian glanced up at Blaine, lost.

"I want you and Santana to spin this. Make it look like a one-night stand. Arrange a tweet that says I enjoyed banging the brains out of some random guy I met or something."

"Why would you want that?" Sebastian was battling the part of him that was a concerned friend of Blaine's and the part that was in charge of an unrealistic performer. "You gave him daisies, so it must be pretty serious. Those are your in-love flowers."

Blaine hung his head. "He's not ready for this world, Seb. I can't allow him to be dragged in like that. If there is speculation that I'm in love, people won't leave him alone."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Do you not understand?!" Blaine smacked his hands on the table and stood up. "Not everybody wants this life. Some people just want a chance to be alone and quiet." Blaine stormed toward the door. "Just do it please." He slammed the door on his way out.

Sebastian spun in his chair with a grin on his face. He would help his friend, the best way he knew how.