If Kurt was being honest, it took him way too long to move two feet from the bar. He knew that the bar was packed. Of course, he did. He'd been sitting there, sipping on his Diet Coke and watching people all night. He just hadn't realized how much people would refuse to move! If he'd thought it was hard getting into Marie's and making it to the bar to order a drink, it was an entirely different beast getting through the crowd now. No one wanted to move, afraid they would get shuffled to the back and away from their friends. He didn't blame them. He really hadn't wanted to be separated from Santana and Brittany either, but here he was, trying to shove his way through.

At first, he tried saying, "Excuse me," but he was getting nowhere. No one heard him, and no one cared. So, he switched tactics, trying to just dive between people, splitting them with his two hands. That also didn't work. He was too polite to shove, and the whole Midwestern, "Ope. Just gonna squeeze past you," bit wasn't going to fly either.

Other people, however, were not afraid to push and shove, and as Kurt was standing in the throng, trying to figure out the best way to go and how to get out of there, he was pushed hard, stumbling a half-step backward and into someone else.

"Hey! Watch it," the other guy yelled, pushing him back just as hard.

That sent Kurt wheeling into someone else, and he looked up at them immediately, apologizing.

"Hey, don't sweat it." The someone he'd bumped into was actually one of Marie's employees, on his way back from delivering drinks to someone.

How the hell did he get through this mess? Kurt wondered to himself. Deciding to take his chances, he tapped the man on the shoulder as he slid past, making his way back to the bar. "Excuse me!"

"Yeah?"

"I'm just trying to get to the bathroom. Is there a better way to go than trying to plow through all of this?" He gestured around him, the question self-explanatory.

"Um, ooh," the employee answered, looking around them. "I guess I'd recommend going outside and around to the back of the building if you aren't comfortable with pushing and shoving. The bathroom's all the way at the back, and you're going to have a really hard time getting back there at this rate." The employee smiled. "There are some VIP guests using the back entrance, and our security guy, Bill, will probably be back there. Just tell him that Puck sent you that way to use the bathroom, and he'll let you through. Promise."

"Thanks," Kurt told him, happy to have a reason to get out of the bar for a few minutes. He loved the bar; Marie's was a fantastic environment when he wasn't trying to get to the bathroom like a turtle going the wrong way through a school of fish.

It was much easier getting to the front door, and Kurt breathed a sigh of fresh air as he stepped onto the sidewalk. The air was cold, growing chillier by the second, and Kurt was glad he hadn't taken off his coat at the bar. He'd need it for the walk to the back entrance. Marie's was in the middle of the block, so he was going to have to go all the way down one side to the little alley he'd noticed just before they pulled up in order to get around to the back.

Setting one foot in front of the other, Kurt headed down the sidewalk, his mind thinking back to what Puck had said about the VIP guests. He already knew, of course, that Blaine was at the bar. He wondered if that meant that the rest of Warbler Attack was, too. Would he get the chance to meet them? That would be cool. Then, his mind began to wander… Would he get to meet Blaine?

Ah, Blaine… The one and only man that had ever hooked him from the first moment he'd laid eyes on him and kept him hooked ever since. It was a complicated love affair from Kurt's angle, and he hadn't breathed a word to another living soul about just how deep his affections ran for the singer.

It had all started in his music appreciation class. He hadn't been terribly excited about enrolling for college classes at Dalton Academy, but he'd gotten a full-ride scholarship there, so he hadn't had a lot of choices. It wasn't like he could afford tuition anywhere else. He'd enrolled as a photography major, something he thought he could stand since they didn't have any majors he'd loved, and he'd chosen a minor in music. His first semester, he'd taken music appreciation. Upon walking into the music room on his first day of class, there had been a giant picture of Blaine on the wall, and that had been it. Kurt had swooned right then and there and been positively hooked ever since.

He'd later learned that his music appreciation teacher was Blaine Anderson's brother, and what the hell he'd been doing at Dalton Academy Kurt had no idea. Anyway, Blaine's brother hadn't been able to shut up about Blaine, and Kurt had finally had to see what the fuss was all about-besides his good looks, of course. He'd watched one video, a rehearsal they'd put on their YouTube channel to promote their first album, and he'd immediately known.

Blaine had oozed confidence from every pore, had the cutest smile, the most adorable laugh, and Kurt felt, whenever he watched a new video, that Blaine was somehow looking directly at him, singing to his very soul. From that point on, Kurt's YouTube search history had become jam-packed with Blaine. He'd watched every interview he could find, every concert recording that had been uploaded, and anything else he could find, even videos where he merely appeared in the background. Kurt had it bad, he knew it, and he didn't care; there were worse things to fanboy about, he told himself.

Despite his major love for the boy who'd started a band at the very college he hated to be attending less than two years before Kurt, himself, had been enrolled there, Kurt hadn't told anyone about his obsession. No one would understand, and he didn't want to try to explain himself. He wasn't sure he truly understood it either. The closest he'd come to letting anyone know about his love for Blaine was his final photography project for his Photography 3 class last year, the class that marked the end of his junior year. They'd been told to take "interpretive photos," and that had been the only instruction. So, Kurt had gone just a little bit crazy. He'd tracked down an old Polaroid, the kind that would spit out the photos directly after he'd taken them, and he'd used that to take the 10 shots he'd needed. Then, he'd scoured the web for music-themed photos of Blaine-well, mostly. There was one he'd found of Blaine in leather that was just plain old hot, and he couldn't resist using it-and he'd printed them off and carefully cut the singer out. Then, he'd layered a piece of black construction paper under a colorful circle and taken snapshots of the photos of Blaine, editing them to perfection digitally. He'd gotten an "A" on that project, and he was never quite sure if that was because of the unique photos he'd turned in or because he'd featured a subject that everyone at Dalton loved: Blaine Anderson.

Rounding the corner of the buildings at the end of the street and entering the alleyway, Kurt could just see the silhouette of a large man-probably Bill, he decided-standing just inside a short gate under an overhead light. Beyond him were a few fancier sports cars and some men dressed in leather jackets singing and laughing. Kurt couldn't be sure, but he thought maybe they were other members of Warbler Attack. He couldn't make them out very well, but he knew none of them were Blaine. They didn't have his amazing hair.

As he approached, Bill called out, "Gotta go around front; this is for VIP only."

"Actually," Kurt replied, hoping he didn't sound defensive or rude, "I know. But, um, Puck sent me. He said I could get into the bathroom this way instead of trying to fight through the zoo of people in there." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the building.

Bill narrowed his eyes at him. "Who did you say sent you?" he asked again.

"Um, he said his name was Puck, I'm pretty sure," Kurt replied. "M-maybe I got the name wrong, though? He was, uh, t-tall, and he-he had a mohawk…"

"That's Puck," Bill replied, giving him a smile. "Go ahead and go through. I know what you mean about the crowd. They're always crazy like this after a big festival or music event, and Blaine's Legends Festival really brings them in. Good luck getting into the bathroom, kid. Feel free to come back out this way, too, if you don't want to fight your way back through the crowd."

"Thanks," Kurt said, smiling at the man as he opened up the tiny gate and stepped aside.

As he walked toward the open back door of Marie's Crisis, Kurt could hear the voices of the gathered men outside, standing around in a circle. They were singing, and at first he didn't recognize the song. However, as he got closer, he recognized it.

"I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life"

He knew that song. It was I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. Tons of people had done covers of it, including a few people he knew from Dalton when they'd been asked to choose something for their musical showcase. It was a good song, and the lyrics resonated with him. He hadn't met his soulmate yet, didn't have a clue who they might be, but he knew already that he loved them. Every story he'd ever heard, everything that his parents had ever told him about soulmates was that they were perfect for one another from moment one. They may not have perfect relationships, but they understood one another like no one else and loved one another as no one else could. He was ready for that, desperately needed a love like that to help him achieve everything he wanted to achieve. He'd been floating around in the universe his whole life, trying to find a place where he belonged, searching for a foothold that would give him the confidence to pursue his dreams.

Kurt recognized the voices as belonging to Nick, Jeff, Elliott, and Sebastian, four of the six members of Warbler Attack. He idly wondered where Eli was which led him to something else: What if the rumors are true?

A few months ago, he'd read something in Teen Magazine that had made his blood run cold. According to the exclusive interview with Eli, he and Blaine were an item. "We've been together for nearly six months," he'd been quoted as saying. "I don't want to brag or anything, but it's pretty dope to be banging the lead singer of one of the best bands in the country."

That was the line that had made Kurt roll his eyes. Was Warbler Attack good? Hell yeah! They were amazing! Were they among the best bands in the country? Not yet. But they could be. They just hadn't had enough time yet, hadn't played enough shows. They would be, Kurt was sure, if Blaine's ever-growing connections and friendships were anything to go by. The interview all around, however, had struck a sour note with him, though he'd tried not to let it bother him. He'd never really liked Eli. Something about him-the way he acted like such a pompous ass, really-made Kurt not trust him, and he was beyond disappointed that Blaine, someone so kind and caring, who radiated love and support every time he opened his mouth, would willingly be with someone like that. It was enough to make him question whether or not the rumor was true, but he didn't pursue it after the interview. That was enough.

The saving grace had been that there was no mention of the two of them being soulmates. While it was possible to be in a relationship with someone who wasn't your soulmate, they almost never lasted very long, and it was even rarer still that they ended in marriage. So, Kurt had done his best to push the idea of "Bee-Li"-as Teen Magazine had dubbed them-out of his head.

Inside Marie's Crisis, Kurt had a whole new view of the place. The back door opened up just to the left of the stage, and the bathrooms were right there. There were almost no people standing over there, and Kurt wondered if the bar kept them away on nights like that night on purpose. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed likely. They didn't need anyone to bombard the VIPs when they came in.

Kurt made a beeline for the bathroom, pushing open the creaky wooden door and taking in his surroundings immediately. The bathrooms were rather dingy in the small bar, left that way on purpose. They weren't gross, but they were far from pristine. There was chipping paint on the walls, old and scuffed enamel sinks, and vintage paper towel holders on the walls. Though he would never try to recreate something like this, the condition of the bathroom gave the place some charm, and it was a hotspot for people to take photos to post on the internet; there was just something about the place they seemed to like.

Heading over to one of the two urinals in the room, Kurt did his business before going to the sink to wash up. He'd just pumped some soap into his hand when he heard the creak of the stall door open and shut. Glancing in the mirror out of habit, Kurt's breath caught in his throat when he saw a face he'd recognize anywhere: pink sunglasses nestled into curly hair, an adorable little nose, triangular eyebrows, and lips that were just perfect enough to kiss. There was no mistaking who he-and he alone-was sharing a bathroom with: Blaine Anderson.

The lead singer approached the sink beside Kurt's turning on the faucet before pumping a bit of soap onto his own hands.

Stop staring. He's going to catch you and think you're a weirdo. Stop staring. Stop staring! Kurt yelled at himself, but he couldn't avert his eyes. Blaine was even more gorgeous in person, and Kurt was taking him all in.

Unbidden, more lyrics from the song the members of Warbler Attack had been singing rang through his head:

"Maybe it's intuition
But some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes

I see my future in an instant
And there it goes"

Realizing that someone was watching him, Blaine flicked his eyes up to meet Kurt's, smiling at him. The golden hues in his eyes that only ever seemed to appear in the most perfect of conditions and his smile made the other man feel like he was watching magic happen right in front of him. "Hey," Blaine greeted pleasantly, turning his gaze back to the sink so he could rinse his hands.

"I think I've found my best friend

I know that it might sound more than

A little crazy but I believe"

Kurt opened his mouth, and at first, no sound came out. He opened and closed it a few times, looking for all the world like a fish out of water. Then, he closed it again, licked his lips, and swallowed, stuttering out, "I-You-I mean, you-I'm-You're-It's-Sentence-Kurt-Hi." Everything flowed together and came out in one long, smushed together byte of sound.

Blaine turned off the tap and reached for a few paper towels sitting on the small ledge between them. His eyebrows knitted together as he looked at Kurt once more, concern lacing his gaze. "What?"