Chapter 2

Kurt was a bundle of nerves as the plane prepared to land. They were ready. Mr. Anderson and Wes had praised their presentation, but it was Blaine's first pitch as the lead, and Kurt's first pitch ever. He couldn't let his team down. He couldn't let Mr. Anderson or Wes down. Ultimately, though, the person that he didn't want to let down the most was Blaine. Blaine was not only his new best friend and his work partner, but he was also the man of Kurt's dreams.

His leg bounced up and down, up and down, as he tried to suppress his anxiety, press it down as he repeatedly recited affirmations in his mind that he had control and that they were ready. However, he knew he had failed when Blaine's hand rested on his lower thigh, and his other hand squeezed his."You ok?" Blaine asked with a comforting smile spreading across his lips. "First time flying?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, but some things never get easier," he said, even though he didn't mean flying. This whole situation with Blaine was reminiscent of all of the times he had fallen for forbidden fruit. First, it had been Finn, then Chandler. Each time, it had been hard to get over that attraction and focus on something besides finding his Prince Charming. This time was proving to be more difficult though because, with both Finn and Chandler, there were things that ultimately made Kurt realize that neither man was his person, his other half. Finn was a slob that couldn't dance, and Chandler was deeply closeted. Those were deal breakers. Not to mention that Finn became his step-brother.

Blaine, however, was out, graceful, tidy, intelligent, empathetic, talented, and just an amazing person. Kurt wasn't disillusioned enough to believe that Blaine was perfect, because he wasn't. But for the first time ever, those imperfections were more endearing than annoying. Blaine's inability to focus in meetings was not a pesky habit because Blaine's mind was always in creative mode. The way he often procrastinated was not so much putting things off as they were Blaine trying to make sure that he had all the pieces of the puzzle sorted in his mind before he started assembling the pieces together. Actually, the one flaw that did bother Kurt was that Blaine had this need to please his father, which, unfortunately, was never going to happen. Kurt had meant it when he said that Blaine's father was a hard-ass, and he was hardest on Blaine, pressing him and trying to mold him into something he wasn't, and Blaine was so desperate for his father's approval, that he just kept trying to appease him.

"Just breathe, Kurt. Everything will be ok," Blaine assured him, squeezing his hand once more, and even allowing his thumb to caress the back of it.

If only Blaine knew that he shouldn't say things like that, because every time Blaine said or did something like what he had just done, Kurt's affection for him grew. He had tried fighting it, but damn it, Blaine's charm was infectious. It was also dangerous because Kurt was fully aware that Blaine was his kryptonite. Damn that interoffice dating policy.

Others had fought it and lost. Tina had told him about Mike and their amazing romance, and now the two of them couldn't stand to be in the same room with one another. Santana and Brittany thought that nobody knew that they were fooling around, but it was a well-known secret, with only Wes and Mr. Anderson being none the wiser. Jeff and Nick had been the exception. Jeff had moved to the sports advertising department, and their relationship was still going strong. They were sitting a few rows back, and they were adorable. Kurt wanted something like what they had, and he wanted it with Blaine.

Kurt sighed and readjusted his travel pillow for the umpteenth time.

"You can use my shoulder if it will help," Blaine offered. "And I have some melatonin in my travel case. Elliott gets restless on flights too, and he usually sits next to me, so I packed it out of habit. You can also listen to my iPod. I made a playlist on Pandora that I think that you'll love, the two Stephens- Schwartz and Sondheim. I know how much you love Wicked and Into the Woods. There may be some Menken, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lin Manuel Miranda, and Jonathan Larson thrown in there for good measure," Blaine smiled.

"God, you're so perfect," Kurt blurted, and immediately, he felt a fire burning his cheeks.

"Not according to my dad. He's just waiting for me to screw this up," Blaine frowned.

"But he believed in you enough to make you the team leader on this pitch. You, Blaine. Not Nick, Rachel, Elliott, Tina, or me."

"Us, actually," Blaine smiled. "Actually, though, I know it's my final chance. You don't know him the way that I do. I've been on the receiving end of one-too-many speeches about my failing to live up to my potential. He's been disappointed in me since the day I came out. Nothing else I did was enough, being named Valedictorian at Dalton, getting into Julliard's prestigious music composition program, which he wouldn't pay for so I didn't go, graduating Summa Cum Laude, getting chosen to play in the orchestra at Carnegie Hall during my senior year. Nothing."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand this time. "Those are all amazing accomplishments, Blaine, and I'm sorry that he doesn't see that, but maybe he's beginning to see what you are capable of. I have hope that he will, Blaine."

"You're the amazing one, Kurt. Thank you. You and me together, we're going to land this account. I just know it," Blaine assured his friend. "Now, here. Get some rest," Blaine propped Kurt's travel pillow against his shoulder. "It's gotta be more comfortable than that headrest."

Kurt smiled. "Thanks, Blaine," he said, as he took the earbud Blaine offered, put it in his left ear, and laid his other ear on the pillow perched against Blaine's shoulder. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


It turned out that it was just as hard for Blaine to focus on a meeting led by someone other than his father or Wes. The company's product manager had sounded promising at first, with their vision and mission statement, but then she droned on and on about all of the products that they would eventually want to launch. They decided that they would only release two products a month until they started making a name for themselves and enough revenue so that they could finance the manufacturing of more products.

Blaine sighed with relief. That meant that they would only need to generate two product taglines and two ads before Friday. That was certainly manageable. The company had decided to start with full-body shapers, one for men and one for women. After the manager left, Blaine and the rest of the team decided to divide into two teams, one male and one female, so that they could test and sample the products. Once that was done, they'd decided to come back together after lunch and create the ads. However, there were major flaws in that plan. Blaine had seriously underestimated the amount of time it would take to come up with catchy slogans.

Blaine had also underestimated how much arguing and in-fighting would happen between Rachel and Santana. After a prolonged shouting match, Blaine had decided that they needed to call it a night. They had headed to a gay bar not far from the hotel, and the girls and Elliott had all found someone to dance with, Nick and Jeff had left early, and Kurt and Blaine were at the bar discussing one of the products that they couldn't get the slogan right for.

"Body Formations- full body shaper for men: Because what's under your clothes is nobody's business but yours and ours."

Kurt almost spit out his drink. "No, definitely not," Kurt laughed.

"Body Formations, full body shaper. Shaping your body, shaping your day," Blaine said.

"That's better," Kurt sighed, "but I still don't think that we have it."

"Kurt, are you ok?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, I'm not. I was so excited. This was my first big pitch, and I had such big hopes for this company, Blaine. This was supposed to be life-changing for people like me that could never find the right product for his body that wasn't in the woman's department. Even then, it didn't fit right. I had to alter everything that I ever bought. It's so frustrating. You have no idea what it felt like to be a teenage boy shopping in the woman's undergarment department trying to find control top tights, only to get harassed by teenage homophobes. After living in New York for a while, I guess I started to think that things were starting to change, but then I got back to Ohio, and I realized that middle America is stuck in their stereotypical mindset about clothing and gender norms. Only women need this, and only men would want to wear that. There's a market there, Blaine, and I was really hoping that this company would help bring about change."

Blaine nodded. "I understand more than you would think. When I first moved to New York, my friend, Sam, who does modeling for a lot of our ads, got an ad for Bubble."

"The Wonderbutt undies? I tried those. I realized I would have to purchase brand new jeans because that fake ass wouldn't fit. I never wore them again."

Blaine chuckled and sat down his. "Well, I got drunk one night and tried a pair on, and they were so uncomfortable."

"Oh God, Blaine. The last thing you need is more junk in the trunk," Kurt laughed.

"Are you trying to say that I have a big ass?" Blaine teased, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, kinda," Kurt teased back, giving a playful slap to one of his buttcheeks, "but it works for you and your body type. Blainey's got back," Kurt laughed. "And you don't need to change that."

"Change is a good thing sometimes," Blaine smiled, taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, but it's frustrating when you're desperate for something to change, but it never does," Kurt sighed, taking a sip of his Cosmopolitan.

"Sometimes, if you want something to change, the change has to start with you," Blaine said, matter-of-factly.

"Wait, what? Say that again,"

"Sometimes, if you want change, you gotta initiate the change. Change yourself. Your mindset, your routine, sometimes, it's as simple as changing your drink order or the brand of ties that you wear, and sometimes, it gets more complicated, like changing jobs, or moving to a city like New York. This isn't new to you, Kurt. We both got out of this simple-mind place and made changes. We may not be where we imagine, but we sure the hell aren't stuck where we were," Blaine said, shrugging his shoulders and taking another swig of his Sam Adams light.

"That's it, Blaine. I know what I need to do. I'm going back to the hotel. I'll see you later."


Blaine trudged up to his door and swiped the key card in the door. It was midnight, and he meant to finish his drink and head back to the hotel, but the girls dragged him out on the dance floor, and now he was exhausted. At least he had made the wise decision to switch to water, so he was pretty much sober now, which was the reason he was confused when he heard a high-pitched laugh when he opened the door.

"Kurt? Is that you," Blaine asked, his hand rummaging for a light switch. "Where are you? And what are you doing in my room?"

"I got sexiled. I guess that you warned me about Elliott. I'm in the bathroom, taking your advice," Kurt giggled goofily.

"My advice?" Blaine asked, scratching his chin in confusion. "Which advice is that?" He didn't have to wait for an answer, because the door burst open, and there stood Kurt, clothed only in a very snug body shaper, like the one they were trying to create a jingle for. Blaine felt his jaw drop and his pants tighten as Kurt stepped closer to him.

"You said, and I quote, that if you want change, you gotta be that change. So I changed. Into this, and I can definitely see what Tina meant when she tried one of these on. I'm experiencing some serious chafing. This is worse than the 'Single Ladies' leotard I wore that one time."

"Kurt, you're drunk. Elliott kicked you out without even checking on you or making sure you were decent first?"

"You don't think I'm decent looking?" Kurt giggled, batting his lashes at Blaine.

"Kurt, how much did you drink after we left the bar?" Blaine asked with a sigh.

"Just one," Kurt giggled again."

"One what? Glass, shot?"

"Bottle!" Kurt giggled, pointing to where the empty wine bottle lay discarded on the bathroom floor. "They had these bottles in the mini bar in my room, and I was only going to take a little sip and put it back, but it was delicious and fruity, and I couldn't find that stupid thing you close it with, so I did the only thing I could to not waste it." Kurt licked his lips. "Want some? Wait. You can't because I drank it all and I can't go back in my room and get another one 'cuz Elliott and that guy are doing the dirty." Kurt pouted. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't share, and Mrs. Hanigan would be so disa-disapo- upset with me," Kurt said slumping down on Kurt's bed.

"Mrs. Hanigan? Who the hell is Mrs. Hanigan?"

"She was my kindergarten teacher, and she was always telling us to share, and I meant to save you some, but I got thirsty," Kurt whined. "And now, I've been a bad friend, and things are a little fuzzy."

"Hang on, Kurt. I'm gonna go talk to El. Stay right here, ok," Blaine ordered his friend, as he walked over to the door and twisted the knob.

Kurt grinned at him. "The most gorgeous guy I've ever met asked me to stay with him. I'll stay. Just don't ask me to take this off, because it's stuck. And Elliott won't answer the door. He told me what he was planning to do was going to take all night long. He said you wouldn't mind sharing, even if I didn't."

"Damn you, Elliott," Blaine cursed under his breath. Then he led Kurt to his dresser and pulled a pair of pajama bottoms out of the drawer. "You should probably change. That looks really uncomfortable," although what Blaine really thought was you're going to have to take that off, or I'm going to come in my pants. Again.

Kurt yawned. "Yeah, they're really uncomfortable. They ride up your ass."

"Holy hell, Kurt, stop talking! Stop talking right now!" Blaine ordered as he metally tried to will his erection away. The way that leotard clung to his body was sinful, and now, Kurt was saying ride and ass in the same sentence. "Go change."

"Ok," he said, as he headed to the bathroom with the pajama pants that Blaine had loaned him. "I'm sorry I didn't share," he said, seeing the empty bottle still on the floor. He shut the door behind him and started grunting and groaning as he changed out the black leotard. All of a sudden, the bathroom door flew open, and Kurt stood there with the shaper on the floor and clothed in only the pajama bottoms. "Wait! I know! How you can taste it?" Kurt said, grinning.

"Kurt, you need to sober up, and you need to go to bed." Blaine said matter of factly. "I'll get you a t-shirt."

"Ok, but I wanna let you taste this," Kurt whined.

"Kurt, how the hell am I supposed to-"

All of a sudden, Kurt pressed him into the wall, kissing him messily, his lips hot and wet as they slid against his own. Blaine kissed back at first, but after tasting all of the liquor on Kurt's breath, he pulled away. "Kurt, stop. Stop! Not like this!"

"Did you not like the wine, Blaine? Or," Kurt's eyes shot open wide. "Or do you not want to kiss me?"

"Kurt, I've wanted to kiss you since the very first time that I saw you," Blaine admitted, scooting back beside his friend. "But we can't. We're coworkers, and you're very drunk."

"I know what I'm doing, Blaine," Kurt grumbled, wrapping his arms around his knees, which was clearly the wrong thing to do because suddenly he felt nauseous. "Oh, god! I think I'm gonna be-" Blaine grabbed the trash can quickly beside the bed and thrust it under his face just in time for Kurt to hurl in it, and a little on Blaine's houseshoes. "Oh God! "Where's the bathroom?"

Blaine held on to the waste can just in case as he led Kurt carefully to the toilet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm gonna hurl agai-" Kurt luckily ducked down in time for the contents to spill into the commode. He hunched down over the bowl, careful not to get too up close and personal since he was aware he was perched over a toilet bowl in a hotel room, and there was no telling how dirty it might be. "Now, I know why she said to share. My head feels fuzzy, and the last time I did this, I ruined someone's shoes."

"Then, you're zero for two, there Kurt, because I'm not sure that smell is coming out of my houseshoes." Blaine sighed.

"Blaine, make my tummy stop flipping," Kurt whined, curling up next to Blaine who was now sitting next to him on the bed, squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered sweetly."Is your tummy still spinning?"

Kurt shook his head and blinked his eyes several times. "No, but I'm sleepy," he yawned, stretching his arms above his head and letting them fall back down again.

Blaine brushed the limp piece of hair that had fallen in Kurt's eyes and kissed his forehead gently. "I'll be right back."

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and squeezed. "Blaine, don't go! I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I messed up your shoes," Kurt yawned. "I'm sleepy."

Blaine raised up and went into the main suite area and quickly returned with a bottle of aspirin, a paper cup, and a little bottle of water. He grabbed two washcloths from the rack above the commode and wet them in the sink. He gently wiped Kurt's mouth. "You're going to feel like hell in the morning. Take this," he urged, handing Kurt the pills, which he swallowed without protest. "You need to sleep it off, ok," Blaine said with a soft smile, as he ushered Kurt to the bed.

As soon as they were in front of the bed, Kurt pretty much fell back on top of the blankets that were still tucked into the mattress. Blaine pulled them loose and tucked Kurt in. Then, he grabbed a few pillows, a thin sheet, and a scratchy blanket from the drawer and walked over to the upholstered bench by the window. "Good night, Kurt. The waste can is right beside you if you need it. Sleep tight."

"Blaine! I can share the covers. That's something that I can share. Come back. I want cuddles."

Blaine fluffed the stone-like pillow as much as he could. "Not tonight, Kurt. Hug a pillow, ok. I'll see you in the morning." Blaine flicked the switch on the lamp, and the room went dark.

Author's Note: This story is finished. The entire story is posted on AO3. I'll try to post a chapter on here a day. I'd love to hear your thoughts.