CHAPTER 63

"I need to stop by Blaine's on the way home, mom. His phone's not working so he's going to use his old one until he can get back in town and get a new one. Be right back!" Cooper said, pulling up to the curb in front of Blaine's building.

"Oh wait! This is Blaine's apartment? I'd like to see it, do you think he'd mind?" Cris asked, a happy smile on her face. Cooper hesitated, wondering if Blaine had told her anything about what was currently going on…had he told her about Kurt and their argument? Had he told her he'd bought this building?

"Uh…well, Blaine's not here…I hope Jeff's here, because I gave him my key way back when and when he moved in, he just kept it…"

"Jeffrey is living here as well?!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Well, then I simply must come in and say hello!" she said, climbing out of the car.

"This is a small law firm that uses the first floor. The second floor is three apartments, one is Blaine's one is Kurt's and the other belongs to some guy named Sebastian that has a crush on B, I think." Cooper grinned.

"Can you blame him? My sons are devastatingly handsome and charismatic!" she laughed. Cooper blushed and grinned at her. He missed her smile...missed her laugh. Holding her good hand, he tugged her up the steps.

"This is Kurt's place. Down here is Blaine's…" he said, knocking on the door. "And that's Sebastian's-" he began, but was cut off by Kurt's door quickly snapping open, a wide eyed Kurt scanning the hallway.

"Oh…hi Cooper." He said, shrinking in to himself when he realized it wasn't Blaine. "Sorry to bother you…" Kurt said, stepping back to close his door.

"You must be Kurt?" Cris said, stepping toward him, her hand extended to shake his with her wide, gracious smile. This poor boy looked as if he hadn't slept in days…maybe weeks. Still, he was definitely handsome, and she knew right away what had attracted Blaine.

"Y-yes, ma'am…I am. It's nice to meet you…." He trailed off, glancing over her shoulder to meet Cooper's eyes. His own eyes suddenly snapped back to Cris, widening in recognition. Those eyes were unmistakable, that toothy smile that would light up half of New York City at midnight. Suddenly Kurt felt like he couldn't breathe. Cris took one look at the man and realized there was an awkwardness in his pose, something just a little bit off about his demeanor. They were unsettled, Kurt and her son, and Kurt was worried she knew. Well, she hadn't until now, but his furtive glances at Cooper told her what she needed to know. She'd find out the rest from Blaine tomorrow.

"I'm Cris Anderson, Blaine's mother. I've heard such lovely things about you, Kurt. I'm glad to finally meet you!" she said, pulling the man into a tight hug. Kurt finally relaxed a bit and hugged her back, his eyes still searching out Cooper's over her shoulder.

"I-it's very nice to meet you as well, M-Mrs. Anderson…" Kurt stuttered his words, afraid that any minute his emotions would get the best of him and he'd burst into tears. "Blaine speaks very highly of you. I'm certain he'll be happy to see-" Kurt began, but broke off midway through his sentence. Either Blaine wasn't even going to be around to see his own mother, or he was and he hadn't planned on telling Kurt he would be here. "Blaine will be happy to see you, I'm sure." He said again, his smile forced.

"It'll be nice to see him as well. It's been too long. Well, I suppose we should be on our way, Cooper. Surely Kurt has things to do that don't include us taking up all of his time in the hallway!" she smiled, sensing Kurt's growing unease.

"Hey, Kurt. Do you have a key to Blaine's place? I need to get something for him and Jeff's not answering. I don't want them to pack it up or anything. Shit, I hope they didn't already!" he said, irritated now that he'd made the trip here and nobody was home.

"I d-don't. I don't have his key…anymore." He ended with a sad smile turned grimace. "Pack it up? Why would anyone be packing something?"

"Because Trent and Thad are going to stay here until Blaine's 6 weeks are up, and when Blaine gets back he's moving out of it, and they're going to….Kurt? You ok?" Cooper asked, clueless.

"He's…he's moving?" Kurt asked, barely hanging on to his sanity.

"Blaine's moving?" Cris asked as well.

"He…yeah…he…..I'm…he's not going far, apparently, just…..he's uh…" Cooper stammered, messing with the hair on the back of his neck.

"It was very nice to meet you Mrs. Anderson. I'd say I hope to see you soon, but if Blaine's m-moving…he…uh….I probably…um…" Kurt nearly choked on his words, and then the tears came. "I'm so sorry…I have to go." He said, stepping inside and closing the door. He leaned against it and slid down to sit, his knees at his chest, and he sobbed. Blaine was so angry at him he was moving away. Kurt had been so sure that once they talked, they'd work everything out, but Blaine wouldn't return his calls, he wouldn't answer his texts, he'd left for 6 weeks without a word and now he was just moving out. Kurt was certain his heart was breaking into a hundred small pieces as he sat there in misery.

"You know, Cooper, you really could have warned me that there was something amiss between them before we came up here!" she scolded lightly. "That poor boy is a mess!" she hissed. Cooper knocked on Blaine's door again hoping maybe Jeff hadn't heard him the first time. As they were turning to leave, Nick bounded down out of the door from the third floor, all grins.

"Hey, Cooper! Long time no see, man! What's up?" he asked.

"Just stopped by to get Blaine's old phone. His is broken. Where's Jeff? I thought he was sort of 'working from home' with Kurt these days? Coop asked.

"Most days he does, today he's at the loft working. Kurt's uh…he's not up to par, I think, and David sent him home. He's a mess, man. What's going on with those two?" Nick asked. Cooper wasn't sure what to say, mostly because he wasn't sure what was going on with them.

"I don't know…I'll try to get it out of him tomorrow. He's not telling me much, Nick. What's going on upstairs?" Cooper asked when he hears power tools start up above them.

"Uh…uhm…..just some renovations. The new owner wants all the old stuff out of there and to make it more….um….livable…inhabitable?" Nick said, unsure of how much he could say.

Cris had watched the interaction for a minute before her curiosity got the best of her.

"Cooper?" she said, indicating toward Nick with her head.

"OH! Oh, sorry, mom. Nick, this is my mom, Cris Anderson. Mom, this is Nick Duval, Jeff's boyfriend." He smiled.

"Very pleased to meet you, ma'am. Have you just gotten into town?" Nick asked.

"I have, yes. We stopped to get Blaine's phone, but alas, we're unable to get in." she smiled.

"You don't have a key do you, Nick?" Coop asked.

"Nope, although I should for as much as I'm here! We'll have to make a few when Jeff gets home. I think Trent and Thad will be here tonight as well to move some small things in and pack some of B's stuff up. We'll all need a key eventually. You want me to call Jeff and see if he can come home?" Nick asked.

"No…no I don't want to bother him at work. I'll just tell B I couldn't get it. Maybe he can stop over tomorrow for it?" Coop replied.

"Nick, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you'll tell Jeffrey I was saddened to find that he wasn't here. I haven't seen him in far too long. Please give him my best?" Cris said.

"I'd be happy to, ma'am" Nick said, giving her that prize winning smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you as well. I can see, now, where your sons get their stunning features!"

"Oh! Mr. Duval, you flatter me!" She laughed. "Ok, Cooper, let's be on our way and leave everyone to their busy day!" she grinned.

Once they got to the car, she was all business. "Don't leave anything out. Tell me what's going on, Cooper. I have the sinking feeling that your brother has either been sugar coating things or not telling me things at all!"

Cooper sighed and closed his eyes knowing it was going to be a long ride to his place…and probably a long night in general.

"Cooper, I couldn't help it! I was helping a student after class, and she…she needed help, and let me tell you…I mean, this particular 12 year old girl has some serious talent! She can play Brahms like a pro and segue right into Billy Joel like it's her freakin' job, man, and if she wants help, there's no way I'm telling her I don't have time! There's still hours before dinner, so stop hounding me!" Blaine groaned at his brother.

"Well, isn't this just like old times….can't the two of you ever get along?" Cris said, walking in from Coop's kitchen.

"Mom!" Blaine said, his smile lighting the room. "God, I've missed you!" he said, throwing his arms around her. "I feel like it's been years…I'm so glad you're here! What's with your arm?" he said, seeing the sling.

"Oh, nothing major. I was in a little accident, it's all fine now. Don't worry!" she said, lightly smacking him on the cheek to distract him. She could do that to Blaine because she could actually reach his cheeks.

"Geez, mom….I've missed you!" he said squeezing her again.

"Missed you too, baby." She smiled, squeezing him hard. "So what are we already bellowing about?"

"I'm 20 minutes late and Cooper's already bitching!" Blaine whined, throwing his brother a sneer. "Did you get my phone? I'm dying without one."

"Nope, went to get it and couldn't get in. Jeff wasn't home, Nick doesn't have a key and neither does Kurt. How does your boyfriend, who lives 20 feet away, not have a key to your home, Blaine?" Coop sniped, "and don't give me some 'he's not my boyfriend anymore' bullshit. You should have seen him yesterday, Blaine. He looks like absolute death, I tell ya. Sunken eyes, dark circles, he looks like he's lost 20 pounds. You better make this right, man. It's taking its toll on him. He almost broke down when I said something about you moving."

"You told him I was moving?!" Blaine roared. "Oh my God, Cooper….shit!"

"What, you're moving upstairs! You told me that. You said not to tell him about the upstairs, so I didn't. When I mentioned about hoping Jeff hadn't already packed your phone he got all bent…don't jump my shit for trying to help you just because you've been hiding things from your boyfriend!" Cooper griped at Blaine.

"Shit….damn it…I need a phone. I don't have time to shop for a new one and all that crap yet. I have to see what kind I want, research the newest models. I'll have to go get it myself." Blaine said. "What are the odds you have Jeff's new number?"

"I have the one you gave me when you moved here, that's it."

"Unhelpful!" Blaine groaned, throwing Cooper a disgusted look over his shoulder. "Just gonna have to go over and hope I don't run into anyone. Damn it….I'll be right back." He said.

"Why don't you just drive with us to get Maggie and the kids and you can pick it up then? We'll be right there." Coop suggested.

"No, I'll drive myself tonight. I'm leaving right afterwards. I have a ton of stuff to grade from just this week. I'm not exactly into the swing of things yet…getting there, though."

"Oh, Blaine, no…I've barely gotten to even see you!" his mother said sadly. "We haven't had any time to talk at all, the three of us!"

"Mom…I know…I just…I have so much to get done and I don't want to fall behind and make a mess of this so early on. When the six weeks are over, I promise I'll come see you in Ohio, ok?" Blaine said, hoping that would appease his mother. She only forced a smile and dropped her eyes to the floor. Blaine didn't know what that was about, but he gave Cooper a questioning glance because of it. Coop just shrugged and gave him a concerned look.

"Ok, I'll…I'll be right back." Blaine said, heading out the door. It was only 3:30 and if he hurried, he could get there, get the phone and get back by 4:30 or so and still have time to talk to his mom a bit before dinner. Clearly something was bothering her and he needed to know what it was.

It didn't take him long to get home, and finding that Jeff wasn't there was both a blessing and a curse. There were boxes everywhere, and it was a total wreck. He hated that they'd have to live in this pile of his belongings for another 5 weeks or so, but there weren't any other options. Work was going on upstairs, so he headed up there first to see what was going on with Nick, assuming he'd be there. He wanted to check in with him before the man slipped out under his nose.

"Well, look who it is, the prodigal son returns!" Nick said, walking over to hug him. "You doing ok, man? You don't look too bad." He joked with Blaine. "Lord knows you haven't been spending all your time returning your phone messages…at least not the ones I've left."

"Hardy har har…." Blaine deadpanned. "Just came to pick up my old phone. Mine got…uhm…damaged…beyond repair the other night."

"After speaking with Jeff?"

"Maybe…" Blaine said sheepishly. "Where is Jeff? He's not downstairs."

"No, they're supposed to have final fittings or something at the loft and he's there. I guess Kurt is there too…seemed pretty important, so I can only assume he is. What do you think of all this?" Nick said, his arm extended to show Blaine the progress they'd made. "Glad the weather's holding out so we can get these damn skylights installed and finished up tonight. It's the only thing we're working on today. Those guys are animals, man! I don't know where Kyle finds 'em, but they're top of my list for any projects I do from now on. They arrive on time, they work like dogs, they're really great guys and they don't bitch and complain anywhere near as much as they could. Until we got these windows fixed, there was little or no ventilation up here and it was stifling! Got the HVAC working now, so we've got air! Wooohooo!" Nick crowed. "And working with Kyle is top notch. He knows his shit. I might have to steal these guys away from their 9 to 5. I have something in the works that could be huge in the big scheme of things…and not just for me."

"I gotta say, it's definitely looking good, man." Blaine said, smiling at their progress.

" I know it's really too early to call it, but I'm thinking if we can keep on this schedule, we might be done ahead of time." Nick told him.

"Have you talked to Kurt about the layout or the furnishings yet?" Blaine asked, eyes downcast.

"Nope, haven't even run into him one time. He hasn't been up here, hasn't questioned the noise, nothing. I think he was gone the majority of the week, though….stayed at his dad's and all that. I know he was home yesterday. Jeff said David called him, told him Kurt had come in and David asked Jeff to keep an eye on Kurt and call him if need be. I guess the guy's pretty worried about him. Jeff said he looks bad." Nick said, sadness and uncertainty in his voice. Blaine wouldn't make eye contact with him.

"So I've heard…." He said quietly. Nick almost missed it.

"Sooo…what are you doing here, then, if not to talk to Kurt?"

"I'm only in town for a few more hours. Having dinner with my mom, Coop, Maggie and the kids tonight. I just stopped to get my old phone and the charger. I cringe when I think of how much I've missed…how many calls and texts and all that shit." Blaine said. "Anyway, I should get going. Coop's already on my shit for being late…barely half an hour later than I said I'd be and he's all bent up."

"Yeah, I should pack it in, too. I told Jeff I'd pick him up around 6. We're actually going OUT tonight, if you can believe it. We haven't been out since the night he-" Nick stopped abruptly, thinking back to that night. Jeff left him that night and went home. Then he didn't see him for weeks. "We uh…it's been awhile. He's still really nervous about my dad being out there somewhere. I'm convinced he's pretty far away though. If not, he's being reckless, because every cop in town is looking for him in Chicago and New York. Anyway….it was good to see you, man. I hope maybe…maybe you'll have time to say something to Kurt….anything. But it's not my business. Take care, man." He said, watching Blaine nod and head down the stairs.

Back in his apartment, Blaine located his old phone where he'd left it, in the kitchen 'catch all' drawer, along with his old charger. He'd grabbed a reusable grocery bag and filled it with a few books, some sheet music and the journal he kept his music notes in, and headed toward the door. That's when he heard it. Stopping dead in his tracks, he listened closely. There is was again…moaning. At first, he thought someone was hurt, but then it didn't sound that way anymore, and it was….fuck…it was coming from Kurt's apartment.

"Mr. Hummel, I hope you don't mind me being candid, here, but you're as tight as a virgin, sir." Jen, the masseuse told him. Kurt burst out laughing.

"By all means, be candid. I need something to make me laugh these days. It's been a rough week to say the least." Kurt told her.

"Been there and done that." She said, rubbing into his shoulders making him stifle a grunt almost painfully. "No, you don't get to hold it in. I need to hear what you're thinking and feeling, and I don't mean lecture me. If it hurts, you can groan…I'll understand. But if it feels good, you need to let me know that as well, and don't be shy. It helps me know where to keep working and where to lay off for a few minutes, deal?" she asked him.

"D-deeeeaaalllllOHGODDDDDD….." Kurt whined. "I admit it, David was so right. I didn't want this, but I needed it in the worst way."

She'd arrived promptly at 4:00 pm, just as David said, and set up her massage table in the living room so that Kurt could look out the windows when he was laying on his stomach. She'd brought her own iPod and speakers and a play list that was so soothing he thought he could instantly fall asleep. That wouldn't be such a huge feat, though, as he hadn't slept good in a week…literally.

"Your lower back is a mess, are you aware? And your shoulders, Mr. Hummel-"

"Kurt, please…"

"Your shoulders, Kurt…more knots than a freakin' pretzel factory for sure. I could be here for hours and you'd still be wound up. Apparently it has been a rough week, but I'd hazard a guess that you've been stressed out for more than a week."

"Yeah, you could say that…the past year and a half has been extremely, personally stressful. I was in a relationship that-" he paused, eyes opening. "When you're ready to go up to the shoulders and neck area, would you um…would you kind of…warn me?" he asked. The last thing he wanted to do was have a panic attack on this poor girl and freak her out. "I have…issues…with people having their hands up there…if I have a little notice, I'm hoping it won't trigger anything."

"Absolutely, no problem, Kurt. I'm sorry to hear that. Anything you want to purge with your knots while I'm here?" she asked kindly.

"As I said, bad relationship. Seems he thought choking me would get him what he wanted. Turns out it got him a year in prison. And now he's out…and in New York, so yeah, I'm a bit uptight. Oh my god, I can't imagine what prompted me to blurt that out. I'm so sorry if I've made you uncomfortable?" Kurt said, embarrassed.

"No reason to be sorry at all. Your masseuse is kind of like your hairdresser, Kurt. You can say anything and it stays with me. I've nothing to gain by telling your secrets, and it's in my best interest to keep you happy. That way you might ask me back again." She grinned. "And if that's not enough, I've signed a confidentiality agreement with my employer. She deals with some pretty high profile people, like Mr. Perry, and it just wouldn't do for her employees to have a thing for gossip."

Kurt liked her. She was a cute girl, probably around 20 or 22, but her hands were magical. He was glad they'd sent a woman, though. He couldn't imagine if they'd sent a good looking man to do this. Yikes…. Her blonde hair was long and tied back in a simple pony tail with no bangs. She was trim, but not too thin, and her shirt was probably a bit too low cut for leaning over men all day, but just from talking to her he didn't think she'd be one to do it on purpose. He envied her candor, and she seemed like a good sort.

"Oh shit….Jesus Mary and Jospeh…yes….please do that again, yeah…right there….aaaahhhhhhh godddddd….yessss…so good…" Kurt whined. She'd found the spot on his upper back that was making him feel like someone had just told him he'd won the lottery.

"Feels good, huh?" she laughed softly.

"Can you just stay, for a few hours or something? I'll beg…" he chuckled. "Ohhhhh my Goddddd, that's amazing….right there, yeah….do that again…..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yesssssss!" he whined.

Blaine had made his way out of the apartment….barely. They hadn't even talked…hadn't discussed anything. He had no intention of allowing Kurt to get away with his ridiculous "oh we're breaking up through a text message" outburst. Not now…not now that they knew what had happened. He'd wanted to think things over…talk about it…tell Kurt that his lack of trust hurt…and it seemed, now, that Kurt wasn't waiting on him anymore. From the sound of things, Kurt had clearly moved on, and that pissed Blaine off to no end. How dare he? But instead of focusing on how angry he was, he was busy focusing on the fact that he was nearly ready to heave his cheese and crackers that he'd snacked on into the hallway of his building. This was, indeed, a sick, sick feeling, and suddenly, it hit him…..THIS….this is what Kurt heard. His blood ran cold.

But it wasn't him! How was he supposed to forgive Kurt for not trusting him when it seemed that Kurt had just blown him off now, and was doing…whatever he was doing…with whoever was in there? Well, fuck that. He was going to find out what the hell was going on!

Storming down the hallway to the door, Blaine laid his ear against the wood.

"Ohhhhhh gooddddddd….mmmmmmmmmm yessssssssssssssssss….."

He reached for the doorknob and slowly, quietly turned it, fighting against every single urge in his body to rip the door from its hinges. There was no way he was knocking on that door…..and give them time to move apart? To right their clothing and hair? Nope. Not happening. Turning it slowly, he edged the door open slightly…but enough to see Kurt laying on a table, an attractive blonde leaning over him with her hands digging into his skin while Kurt stared out the opposite windows moaning like a whore.

"Well God damn…" his whispered quietly to himself, yet causing the young woman to jerk her head toward him. Kurt didn't move, just stayed still, his towel draped over his ass, which was still enticing even under the small, white terrycloth. Blaine felt like the worst kind of jackass. The girl was still staring at him, then she glanced down to Kurt and her eyes said she was ready to alert Kurt to his presence. Blaine immediately shook his head urgently telling her no, and placed his finger to his lips to beg her for silence as he slipped the door shut and retreated down the stairs two at a time. He slipped out the front door and into his waiting car at the curb feeling like the world's biggest asshole. He didn't even see Sebastian coming around the corner, the taller man attempting to get his attention as he pulled from the curb and took off.

Kurt jerked when he heard the door click and raised himself up long enough to turn and look at it. Nobody there. After debating with herself for a split second, Jen spoke up.

"Um…some guy just stuck his head in the door, but when he saw me, he shook his head no, like I shouldn't tell you he was there, and he shushed me!" she said, indignant.

"What?!" Kurt said, sitting up quickly. "Who was it? Oh shit, like you'd know. What did he look like?"

"Um, shorter than me by an inch or so, dark wavy hair, curly actually, and strangely triangular eyebrows-" she began, but Kurt was already off the table and running to the door, his towel barely hanging on around his waist. He threw the door open and glanced down the hall. Blaine's door was closed. Then he heard the front door open downstairs and took them at a sprint hoping to catch up to Blaine.

Rounding the banister at the bottom he nearly plowed over Sebastian, unceremoniously knocking him out of the way and heading for the front door. He pushed it open and scanned up and down the street, but saw no sign of Blaine anywhere at all. He closed his eyes and with a deep sigh, he went back inside and found Seb leaning against the bannister at the bottom of the stairs, that wretched shit eating grin on his face, eyebrows raised.

"What?!" Kurt snapped at him, this being the first time he'd seen the man since his return to the city. Kurt went back up the steps, his eyes blurry now, angry as hell that Blaine couldn't find it in himself to say hello even…damn it…and pissed off at Sebastian for leering at him like he was. Damn meerkat….

"You know, all that time I spent thinking it was Blaine I should have under me, writhing and panting, but now I'm doubting myself. I mean, never let it be said that I don't say when I'm wrong and apologize for it." Sebastian said, still smirking.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Seb?" Kurt asked, all of his snark in perfect form again as he grabbed at his doorknob and watched Seb saunter by.

"I'm saying you are sinfully well endowed, Hummel, and it's just too damn bad that Hunter owns my heart!" he said with a huge grin and a wink. "You might wanna opt for a bigger towel next time…or at least keep the one she gives you ON your body." He grinned, seeing the masseuse standing in Kurt's living room through is open door, then walked into his apartment. It was only then that Kurt glanced down and realized that the towel around his waist was now held firmly in his hand…and no longer hiding anything.

Nick climbed the steps to the loft listening for voices, but heard none…however, there was music, and the closer he got, the louder the music got. As he neared the top of the stairs, he scanned the foyer of the company and took in the completely changed façade. The last time he'd been here it was still all raw brick and beams….in the last couple of weeks, things had surely progressed. The huge glass plate wall at the front of the loft was merely a barrier between the elevator and the stairs leading into the foyer. It certainly didn't keep anyone from seeing what was going on inside. Surely they didn't mind, though, as it gave a great view from front to all the way in the back of the renovated space. The floor space alone was massive.

Stepping through the doors, he found no bodies, just a wide open area for displays…probably for models or mannequins…or in Jeff's case, dress forms maybe? The walls on either side of the open area were reserved for offices or walled off areas of some sort. Clearly the biggest of the two were probably in the back corners, but he couldn't really even see back that far from where he stood. The walls were a pretty non-descript beige, but it looked as if each walled area had an accent wall of a different color…some bold and bright, others muted and dark. It seemed there was no rhyme or reason for the color choices, but instead of detracting from the design, it drew the eye and moved it around the loft. Someone had an eye for design, because it worked. Once you saw the first wall, your eye immediately wanted to see the next…what color was that one? And the next?

He was about to call out for Jeff when the man in question literally flew through the air, crossing the wide open space in a leap that left Nick breathless, landing on his feet gracefully, then in the same movement, crouching into a ball, flipping into a summersault and standing immediately to fall into a spin moving into the other direction. Nick held his gasp of surprise, not wanting to startle Jeff, but instead moved behind a wall and just watched. He was utterly mesmerizing. This was the first time Nick had seen him so unfettered and so free. Sure, he'd seen him dance at The Dive, but this…this was something quite out of the realm of club grinding and sweating. This was beauty and grace and a whole lot of hotdamnboy! Nick couldn't keep his eyes off of Jeff.

The music stopped and Jeff walked over to his iPod, having had it docked in someone's sound system which caused music to flow through the speakers of the entire loft. He looked worn out and sweaty and he was panting from exertion. Hands on his hips, Jeff pushed a few buttons and waited for the music to start before he moved back out to the vast open area and began a routine of movements that he'd clearly done before. He was lithe, he was strong and he was making Nick fall apart inside. This…this is what Jeff was meant to do.

Jeff missed a step, apparently, and halted in his tracks, moving back to a spot and trying the move again. Exasperated, he walked back to the iPod and moved the music back. This time he nailed it and finished the routine with a smile on his face and a fist pump to nobody in particular. Nick slowly moved out from behind the wall and sauntered over to lean against a support column while Jeff was walking in the opposite direction. He said nothing, just waited for Jeff to notice him, hoping against hope that Jeff would perform again no matter what time it was and how late they'd be for their reservation that evening. He wasn't disappointed.

The previous song was obviously something to dance to, but it reminded Nick more of something one of those ice skating couples came out skating to on T.V. The next song that played, however, was heavy on the bass, hip hop, and a quicker pace. Jeff fell right into it, his style impeccable and his moves so hot that Nick whimpered halfway through, causing Jeff to jerk his head and see his boyfriend standing there in awe.

"Jesus, Nicky, how long have you been standing there?" he gasped, startled. His smile gave away any attempt he might have had at being upset at being interrupted though.

"Are we alone here, Jeff?" Nick asked, straight faced.

"Umm…yeah?" Jeff answered him with a smirk.

"I've been here long enough to see you roll those sinfully agile hips so many times that I could give a steel pipe a run for its money on hardness scale right now. Damn, Jeff….no words, babe." Nick said, feeling out of breath after just watching.

"You've seen me dance before…you said you found some stuff on Youtube, Nicky." Jeff grinned, blushing.

"Jeff, are you going to tell me you think it's the same? That's like saying watching Magic Mike on Pay Per View is the same as having Channing Tatum giving you a lap dance….are you serious right now?" he laughed. "I'm 38 kinds of wound up and I think we need to cancel those reservations and just go home….and play…for hours…maybe days. And after that, I get a private showing." He winked at Jeff.

"You're an idiot!" Jeff yelled at him, laughing. He walked over to Nick and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, leaning in for a sweet kiss, pulling away with a big smile on his face. "But I'll make you a deal? You take me to dinner, and I'll do my own 'dance' for you when we get home?" Jeff teased.

"Oh Godddddd…." He moaned, rubbing his nose against Jeff's. "Hell yeah, you're on!" Nick finally groaned out. "Let's go then. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we get to dinner and the sooner I get to my own, private dessert!"

"Lead the way, Nicky…" Jeff said, grabbing his iPod and letting Nick drag him out the door. Locking everything up, they took the elevator down and prayed that there were no cameras watching them…or at least not watching their hands.

As soon as he arrived back at Cooper's, Blaine plugged his phone in to charge. He knew he'd lose a lot of info, but this was only temporary, right? At least he could get his text messages and his voicemail now. He had a ton of missed calls and unanswered texts and he groaned when he saw them all. What caught his eye first was the text from Burt…several of them, actually, showing pictures of Kurt in various stages of being nothing more than a heap of unflattering clothing on a piece of furniture…his hair hanging limply in his face, his eyes dark, his body sagging. It was, for lack of a better term, pitiful, and it broke Blaine's heart. He stared at the photos for a minute, then went to look for the text that he figured would be Burt dicing him with words like a ripe veggie…but there were none. So what did that mean? Burt wasn't angry with him? Burt was so angry he couldn't even find words to express it? He was just trying to make Blaine feel guilty? No…Burt didn't seem to be that way at all. In the end, he figured Burt wanted him to know what this thing between them was doing to Kurt…nothing more.

When he got to the text messages, it was a harder pill to swallow. There were quite a few from Kurt, most of them telling him he was sorry for jumping to conclusions, that he wanted to talk, etc. Blaine was angry at himself for smashing his phone and not having seen these when they came in originally. Now they were days old and Kurt probably thought he was ignoring him. He'd never ignore Kurt…he loved Kurt. He still loved him with his whole heart, and after what he'd just gone through in the hallway of their building, he was ashamed of himself for coming down so hard on Kurt for what he'd assumed when the same thing had clearly just happened to him. He heard the noises, his mind went places that made him want to vomit, and he didn't have a split second in there to even give it a second thought before he'd assumed the worst. He was no better than Kurt…and no worse.

If he knew nothing else now, he knew he had to talk to Kurt before he went home.

Checking the voicemail, he listened and jotted down a few messages he'd take care of before dinner…Wes had called, David had called looking for Jeff with 'big news', a few odds and ends that he could just delete and then….then Kurt. He listened to it four times, each time it crushed his heart further, but at this point, he felt he deserved it. He should have called. Whether Kurt had called him or not, whether his phone was busted or not, he should have found a way to talk to Kurt. When he started listening for the fourth time, he realized there were tears running down his face and he was ashamed of himself for allowing them to be apart this long.

"Hey B-Blaine…it's me. Of course you know it's me, my number probably popped up, which is probably why you didn't want to answer. I get it… I totally understand that you're angry with me, and I know I deserve it. I could say that I was still exhausted from the night before…I could say I was half asleep…I could say a lot of things. The bottom line is this…I heard it, I thought I knew what was going on, and it was so much less about not trusting you and so much more about my thoughts of losing you over it…that you were so angry with me that you didn't want me anymore…that you picked him…anyone, it didn't matter who it was. I was terrified of losing you in that instant and I panicked. I freaked out, Blaine. I kept thinking I'd ruined it all with one stupid dance, with one wrong decision, and then I hated myself for it…and I kept up the cycle of self-hate by reminding myself how dumb I was to have told you everything about me…everything that could hurt me and everything that triggered me. I doubted myself, Blaine…never you. Please… can you find it in your heart to just…to just talk to me? You don't have to accept my apology. I don't expect you to…I know how you must feel thinking that we've all doubted you…but the more I think about it, Blaine, the more I know I never doubted what we have, I doubted myself and hated myself for what I'd done to push you to that. I can apologize until the cows come home…I've forgiven myself…I hope maybe you can give me just a few minutes to talk about us…if there is still an us because, really, I can't be without you, Blaine. I said it before, and I'll say it again….you're it for me, and I love you…I love you more than I can-"

Then the message cut him off with a loud, annoying beep that Blaine detested on principle.

Blaine felt the arm around his waist before he heard his mother approaching. Her soft smile said that she knew he'd been thinking of Kurt. She was right, obviously.

"Can you explain to me what happened that was so wrong that the boy you love looked so broken and wounded yesterday when I met him?" she asked.

"Y-you… you met Kurt?" he said, totally surprised.

"I did…we stopped to get your phone and he was in the hallway. It was very clear he thought it may have been you in the hallway by the way he nearly ripped the door from its hinges. He was unimpressed with the fact that it was only Cooper and me." She smiled at him, her dimples showing.

"Cooper didn't tell me you went inside with him…was he…did he look awful, mom? I've left him hanging on for a week with no word. I've been stubborn…I thought I was justified, but now I just feel like a heel, sort of. I…I want to talk to him. I just hope he'll still want to see me."

"Well, he looked rather put out yesterday that it wasn't you, so my guess is that he'll still want to speak with you, darling. Be kind…remember that you love that boy, and he loves you if I'm not mistaken?" Cris said.

"I do mom…I love him so much. I'll call him…see if he's available to just talk for a little bit after dinner?"

Cris sighed. She'd wanted to talk to her sons about some things…needed to, in fact. They deserved to know what was going on. The question was when she was going to have the chance to do so? She had no idea how to bring it up, and she didn't want to ruin dinner, but if Blaine wasn't coming back after dinner, and he was leaving to go right back home, it seemed her window of opportunity was quite limited. She sighed, wondering when she should bring it up. It seemed like there was no better time than the present.

"You know what…go head and call Kurt really quickly….find out if you can talk after dinner, but I need to discuss something with you and your brother before you leave. I'll go find Coop, you call Kurt, ok?" she said.

"I will, mom." Blaine said with a smile, walking into the spare bedroom and closing the door. Before he lost his courage, he dialed Kurt's number.

Kurt's phone buzzed on the table and he reached for it casually as he watched an old episode of Project Runway. If he'd had it on anything but vibrate, he would have known who was calling right away by the ringtone, but when he picked it up and glanced at the screen, he nearly fell off the sofa.

"Oh my God…" he whispered to himself. "Ok, be calm….just answer it. It's just Blaine…." He said, feeling anything but confident. "H-Hey…." Was all he was able to get out.

"H-Hi…hi Kurt…." Blaine stuttered out. Good, they were on even footing, he thought. Kurt was clearly in the same boat as him with his words.

"I've missed you…please don't be angry with me…" Kurt blurted out. "I'm so damn sorry, Blaine…" he said, a tear escaping down the side of his nose.

"I'm not angry, Kurt. Not anymore. I um….my phone broke on Monday and I haven't been able to call anyone or get any texts since then…I wasn't ignoring you or anything, I promise…" Blaine rushed out.

Kurt let out a huge breath he'd been holding in. Hearing that was like a soothing balm….Blaine wasn't ignoring him, he just hadn't been able to call.

"What happened to your phone?" Kurt asked.

"Um….well, it met an untimely demise against the wall in my room at school…." Blaine said, a little squeaky laugh sneaking out. "After I talked to Jeff Monday night, I was a little tense about everything going on and I took it out on the phone…unwisely. It left me kind of out on an island with no means of communication…sort of. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, Kurt, I really am."

Kurt sniffed, his nose running now because of the happy tears running freely down his face.

"Can we talk, B? I think there's a lot to talk about and I don't ever want to have this happen again….please. I know you're probably only in town for a short time, but please…." Kurt nearly begged.

"I have to go to dinner with my mom and Coop tonight. He's introducing Maggie and the kids to my mom….so this should be interesting." Blaine said with a hiccup. He was emotionally as unsteady as Kurt was now. "But um… can I stop by after that? I'd really like to see you. I've missed you a lot, Kurt."

"Please! I mean…um…sure…by all means, stop by, I'll be here… ready and waiting. I've missed you too, Blaine…so much I can't explain it. Have a good dinner, ok, and…can you text me when you're on your way?" Kurt asked.

"I can, and I will. I'll see you soon, Kurt." He said, then paused. "I love you, you know it? Never stopped." He smiled, then listened to Kurt break out into harsh sobs and a little chuckle.

"God, Blaine…." He nearly choked. "I love you, too."

A/N Thanks to Christine for her keen eye, once again. She always manages to read it and get back to me super quickly, God love her!

I'm going to say this here, and now, and I will remind about it at the beginning of the next chapter, but there will be massive, major things happening in ch 64. I will just cite ch 20 of the story and leave it at that. If chapter 20 bothered you, please avoid reading ch 64. You all knew it was bound to happen, and it's going to.

That being said, I want to just throw this out there. That, above, is your warning. I love you guys, but I'm not going to give away the entire storyline with a thousand "trigger warnings". When you get a book from the library, you don't go back yelling at them because something happened in the book that made you unhappy and upset. It's the same here. I will tell you when there's something you may not be happy with as much as I can, but I'm not going to list a bunch of stuff out just in case, etc.. You've all been SO great about your reviews so far, and I hope, very much, that you can bear with me on this. So, with that, thank you so much for reading and for always telling me what you think.

And a hello to Coni who always leaves me such kind reviews but never has her pm's turned on so I can say hello back! :) Hugs!

Have a great weekend, you guys!