It had been over two weeks since Blaine last saw Kurt. The longest he had gone since they started this thing together. He had tried to text him a few days after their last meeting but only got a short reply saying Kurt was busy. It was the first time that an invitation wasn't accepted. Blaine should have known it was too good to last. After coming to an understanding with Kevin that it probably wasn't for the best to pair Blaine with inexperienced singers, Blaine was feeling light and happy. But the continued silence and rejection from Kurt had stolen that happiness away.

He contemplated texting Kurt again, but feared the response he might get. He tried to think back to their last meeting, tried to suss out what he could have done wrong, but could think of nothing. Unless… unless he had not satisfied Kurt the way he thought he had. The thought turned Blaine's stomach.

Needing a distraction, Blaine found himself in a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant Kevin had told him about months ago. It was late, after ten, and he just needed to eat his feelings for the night. He sat at a small booth near the door waiting for his take-out order, too much food for one person to eat, but Blaine was determined to try. He was staring out the window, not seeing just wallowing in his misery when an all too familiar voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"Blaine?" He looked up to see Kurt standing there, a worried expression on his face.

He smiled sadly at the other man, "Hey, Kurt."

"Everything ok?" Kurt asked, his brow furrowed.

Blaine huffed a humorless laugh, "I don't know? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"May I?" Kurt asked gesturing to the seat across from Blaine.

"If you want to." Blaine answered dryly.

Kurt looked at him for a moment, "You're upset with me," he said plainly.

"I just…" Blaine let his shoulders rise and fall before continuing. "Did I do something wrong?"

"What?" Kurt asked confused.

"I haven't heard from you, and when I texted you, you said you were busy. And I haven't heard from you since. Did I do something or was I… bad?" Blaine said looking away not wanting to see Kurt's face as he uttered the last word.

Kurt's hand enveloped his, tugging on it until Blaine looked up, "You were wonderful. I'm sorry, life has been… well life. And I guess I got caught up in it. I didn't mean to make you think… I still want to see you."

"I know this is supposed to be a casual thing, I get that Kurt. But I woke up that morning, and you were gone. And just everything that happened after, can you really blame me for thinking you didn't want me anymore." Blaine confessed.

Kurt's eyes softened, "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep, my brain just wouldn't shut up. I went home hoping that I could sleep there. Insomnia can be a bitch," Kurt huffed a laugh. "Things have been crazy at the shop. Good crazy, but business has been pretty steady, and I haven't been sleeping well. I honestly didn't have the energy for more than sitting at my apartment."

The waitress approached their table with two bags of food and set them down in front of Blaine, thanking him. "Have you ordered yet?" Blaine asked feeling embarrassed at the sheer amount of food he had ordered.

Kurt smiled, "Not yet. I saw you first."

Blaine rubbed the back of his neck, "You want to come to my place and help me eat this? You will be saving me from an early grave from eating my weight in Chinese food."

Kurt's mouth opened and closed for a moment as if he were trying to make a decision. "I... I would love that." He finally said.

Kurt took one bag and Blaine the other, as they walked down the streets of New York to Blaine's place. Blaine feeling bold and needing a connection, just to touch Kurt and know this wasn't a hallucination, took Kurt's hand. His heart leapt when Kurt squeezed it and gave him a sweet smile.

They sat on the floor in front of Blaine's coffee table, all the food spread out in front of them, laughing, talking, and eating. Kurt told him about the article that had appeared on some popular tattoo blog that had ramped up their business. Blaine told him about his meeting with Kevin. They talked about inconsequential things. It almost felt like they were friends... or more. Blaine was content in a different way than he ever had felt with Kurt.

They were just playfully fighting over the last dumpling when Kurt's phone rang. As he pulled it out to answered it Blaine triumphantly popped the dumpling in his mouth smirking at Kurt.

"Hey, Baby, what's up?" Kurt said.

Blaine tried not to choke on the dumpling, and Kurt gave him a knowing smirk as he listened.

"I can't come back to the shop, I'm busy." Kurt grumbled, the amusement gone from his face replaced by annoyance. "Surely Elliott can take care of them."

"I don't care if they only want me, I already came in today and did a six hour tat. I am not coming in at eleven, on what is supposed to be my day off, for a fucking consult." Kurt growled down the phone. "They can come in tomorrow when we open. I should have an hour free on the schedule, or they can let Elliott handle it, or they can find another damn shop. I'm done for the day."

"I am not at my apartment, and why should it matter anyway, day off remember!" Kurt listened for a moment shaking his head. "Baby, please just take care of it. That is what we pay you for. Now if you will excuse me I was in the middle of something important. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up the phone still shaking his head.

"Baby?" Blaine asked intrigued now.

Kurt laughed, "Elliott and I can't figure out if she has the world's least creative parents or if they were hippies. I did her paperwork myself. Says it right there on her driver's license. Baby Girl Thompson."

"Seriously?" Blaine giggled.

Kurt smiled softly at him, "If I'm lying, I'm dying."

"So things have been really crazy at work, huh?"

"They have," Kurt confirmed. "I mean, it's great, if not a little exhausting. We hired a piercer, what four, five months ago. We are looking to hire another tattoo artist. It is getting to be too much for just Elliott and me. We've been working twelve hour days and have had to give up our day off because we have just been slammed. Tattooing is very physical, it may not seem it, but it can be. And I haven't been sleeping well, even though I am bone weary all the time."

"Really? You never seemed it before?" Blaine said, eyeing Kurt closely.

Kurt closed his eyes, "My sleep troubles have only been in the last couple of weeks, it's just like whatever I do I can't get my brain to shut off, and I can't get comfortable."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Blaine asked concerned.

"I've missed you," Kurt sighed. His eyes sprang open as if gauging Blaine's reaction.

"I've missed you too, Kurt." Blaine replied with a smile.

Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine slowly and gently.

"I'm sorry I didn't text, even just to tell you what was going on… I didn't think…"

"I could have texted too," Blaine admitted. "I just… I was afraid you were done with me."

"I'm not done unless you want to be done." Kurt said.

Blaine answered him with a kiss. It started out sweet but soon turned needy. Hands scrambled for hold on the other and clothes found their way to the floor. They moved to the bed only because Blaine didn't have stashes of lube and condoms hidden around his apartment the way Kurt seemed to. They couldn't get enough of each other, and any space between them was seen as the greatest of sins. They were frantic in their desire, finding everything they needed in the body of the other. Even as they lay spent, entwined on Blane's bed, they didn't move more than a few inches from each other, but fell asleep clinging together.

Blaine was pleasantly surprised to find Kurt still in his bed when he woke up the next morning. He nuzzled his nose in Kurt's hair, smelling sex and sweat with a faint hint of that wonderful citrus smell. Muted sunlight was peeking through a gap in the curtain, so he knew it must be at least mid morning. He squinted his eyes trying to focus on the microwave clock across the room. It was almost 10:00.

"Kurt," He whispered, kissing his cheek. "It's pretty late. What time do you have to be at the shop?"

"11:30 why?" Kurt yawned stretching his arms above his head accidentally smacking Blaine in the face. "Sorry."

"It's almost 10, I have a staff meeting later today, but it doesn't start until 1." Blaine said laughing and rubbing his nose.

"Shit," Kurt hissed sitting up. "I should get up, I need to go to my apartment and shower before going in."

"Why don't you shower here? I am sure I have something you can wear." Blaine offered.

"Blaine, I don't think your pants will fit me," Kurt huffed, running his hand through his hair.

Blaine laughed, "You never seemed to have a problem getting into my pants before."

Kurt's face broke into a smile, "You are entirely too much fun in the morning. You know what I mean!"

"Wear your jeans, I have plenty of shirts for you to choose from." Blaine said.

Kurt kissed him gently before saying, "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Never," Blaine said getting up, "You take a shower, and I'll get you some breakfast and coffee."

"Mmm, coffee sounds wonderful," Kurt hummed.

"Go," Blaine teased, "It will be ready when you get out. I have bagels too, the best in New York."

Kurt hummed again before standing up, retrieving his pants and retreating to the bathroom.

Blaine busied himself making the coffee and tidying up the mess they had left the night before. He could hear a high clear voice singing over the falling water. At first it was just snippets of songs, indistinguishable through the wall. Then Kurt settled on singing 'Blackbird'. Blaine stood near the door listening, and his heart swelled. When the song ended, he heard the rattle of the pipes as the water was shut off. Blaine rushed to the kitchen and popped the bagel into the toaster before he could be caught listening at the door.

He was just adding the second bagel when Kurt exited the bathroom rubbing his hair with a towel. "Where are your shirts?" He asked.

Blaine went and opened the closet door and watched as Kurt shuffled through the hangers before settling on a heather grey henley. As he pulled the shirt over his head, Kurt noticed Blaine watching him.

"What?" he asked confused.

Blaine just smiled, "Come on, your breakfast is ready."

He poured Kurt a cup of coffee and pushed the plate with the bagel over to his place at the bar. After serving himself, he smiled again at Kurt.

"I heard you singing in the shower."

Kurt hid his face in his hand, "Oh god, I didn't think you could hear me. You should never judge someone on their shower singing. It isn't fair."

"You have an exquisite voice, Kurt," Blaine said honestly.

Kurt huffed, "You don't have to say that. It's high and girly and…"

"Exquisite," Blaine interrupted him. "I'm a professional, remember? I hear all sorts of people singing every day, and I could listen to you all day long"

"No, you are just flattering me," Kurt shook his head.

Blaine took his hand and looked him deep in the eyes, "I am not. I am being honest with you. Please, just take the compliment."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, "I… thank you. I appreciate it."

They ate in silence for a while before Blaine blurted, "I want to record you."

"What?" Kurt asked looking at him like Blaine was crazy.

"I want to record you singing. Please."

"No," Kurt shook his head emphatically. "I'm not… that's not me."

Blaine couldn't explain his need to get Kurt into the recording studio but grasped for a way to convince him. "I want you to see what I can do, I want you to be able to hear yourself the way I do, please Kurt."

"Blaine, I'm sure that you are wonderful at your job, but I'm not comfortable with that." Kurt looked away.

"If you let me record you, I will let you tattoo me." Blaine said seriously.

Kurt's gaze shot over towards Blaine, his eyes wide.

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm completely serious, if you let me record you, just one song, you can tattoo me, anything anywhere you want." Blaine held Kurt's gaze, he seemed to be still processing the idea, so Blaine added, "You know how uncomfortable the idea of needles makes me, and I get that the idea of being in the studio is hard for you, too, but I will face my fears if you do."

Kurt sighed, looked away from Blaine. When his eyes returned to Blaine's they were fierce and determined.

"You have yourself a deal."