Brunch with the Hummels was nice. Blaine still wasn't use to the comfortable way conversation flowed; it was a welcome change from the stilted almost formal conversations from his own adolescence. He envied Kurt in his relationship with his dad and step mom; but couldn't find it in his heart to let that feeling grow, Kurt deserved the best things.

Kurt had tears in his eyes as they hugged his family goodbye. Blaine listened as he promised his dad he would see him at Christmas; he wasn't looking forward to spending the holidays alone again.

He wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist as they walked, wanting to give Kurt the comfort he knew that he needed.

"My dad likes you," Kurt told him softly.

Blaine smiled. "I like your dad. Carole, too."

"Oh, Carole absolutely adores you! She never gushed over any of Finn's girlfriends the way she does about you." Kurt laughed.

"Really?" Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled sweetly at him. "Really, in fact they both told me I had better invite you to join us for Christmas… I would love to have you if you think you can."

Blaine's heart rate picked up in an unpleasant way. "I don't think…"

"It's fine, maybe it is too soon." Kurt interrupted.

"It's not that." Blaine said squeezing Kurt to his side. "It's not you, or your parents. It's… I haven't been back to Ohio since the Christmas before I graduated. That May, my parents found out that my degree wasn't in electrical engineering but for sound and musical engineering. I know I shouldn't have lied, but well, as it turns out my fear wasn't unwarranted. My dad flipped out and cut me off; my mom just stood there and did nothing. The thought of going back to Ohio, especially at Christmas, is not something I can face. Not right now. I know that I will never have a relationship with them, but being so close, yet knowing I won't see them isn't something I can do right now. So as much as I would love to spend Christmas with you and your family… I can't."

Kurt looked so sad Blaine wanted to take it back. Before he could say anything, Kurt said, "I'm sorry, I didn't even think that going back to Ohio would be hard for you. Do you… do you think that you will ever be able to go back?"

Blaine took a moment to think, "I think I might, maybe if we went in the summer first. The holidays are already a hard time for me, but if we went another time first, it might make it easier."

"My dad would be thrilled. He has been trying to get me home more often, but I just haven't felt like I could leave more than I already do." Kurt said smiling. Then his face turned sad. "I wish your parents could see what an amazing son they have. It would be easy to say it is their loss but I know that isn't entirely true; I know it has to be hard for you."

"Was your dad always so accepting?" Blaine asked leading them to a little park.

Kurt shook his head, "Yes, but that isn't to say we always had the relationship we have now."

They found a bench overlooking the small patch of snow and sat hands entwined.

"When my mom died," Kurt continued, "it was like we forgot how to communicate. We would try to spend time together, but it was like there was this huge hole between us. As I got older, I realized that I was gay and started trying to do things to make up for it, if that makes sense."

"Like what?" Blaine asked.

"Helping my dad in his shop; he's a mechanic. I learned to do almost anything you needed to with a car. I tried valiantly to like football since my dad played in high school, and I thought we could bond watching games. That one didn't work out so well…" Kurt laughed at the memory. "Muscular guys in tight pants tackling each other was not as appealing as I thought it would be. When I finally came out, he said he had known since I was three. He didn't seem too bothered by it. He told me he loved me, but things didn't change. We still didn't really talk, and then he started dating Carole."

Kurt's eyes grew sad for a moment as he looked off into the distance. "Finn seemed like he was my dad's ideal son. He was a football player and liked all the things my dad did. I thought he was trying to replace me. I let it fester for a while, and when I finally said something to my dad, he was so hurt. We had a long, hard talk; he assured me I was exactly the son he wanted and that he loved me. He also told me things were easy with Finn, but that didn't mean it was better. Those words haunted me for a long time, still do sometimes I guess. I hated to think that I wasn't an easy person to get along with. I realize that he didn't mean it that way."

"Do you want to know what was hard for me being with you?" Blaine asked, giving Kurt a serious look. Kurt swallowed hard but nodded anyway.

"The only thing I found hard being with you was not being able to be open and honest with how I felt. It wasn't easy feeling all of these wonderful emotions and not being able to share them with you. That's it," Blaine said honestly.

Kurt's eyes filled again with tears, Blaine waited for him to say something. Instead he leaned in and gave Blaine a sweet emotion-filled kiss.

When he pulled back he whispered, "Aren't you glad we aren't there anymore?"

"That I am," Blaine chuckled.

They lounged on the bench in comfortable silence for a few moments, before Kurt asked, "Will you tell me a little about your childhood?"

"There's not much to tell," Blaine said evasively.

Kurt squeezed his hand. "Please."

Blaine took a deep breath. "I was a surprise. My parents weren't planning on having any more children after Cooper. They had their son, and that was all they ever needed. My mom told me when she found out she was pregnant, she wanted a girl. I obviously wasn't. I grew up knowing this. When I was little, things were okay. My mom took me to music lessons, and she even took me to dance lessons when I asked for them. My dad was never really home, but that was normal for our neighborhood, I guess. Things were okay until I was in middle school. I came out. At first, my dad blamed my mom, saying it was her fault for treating me like the daughter she never had. Then he was home more often, insisting I spend time with him, but it was never doing anything I was interested in. He made me help him rebuild an old car, tried to get me to build an outdoor kitchen with him; he even took me hunting one time. It didn't take long to realize he was trying to straighten me out."

"Did he really think that would work?" Kurt asked.

"Who knows?! All I know is that with each failed attempt at bonding, he became more distant. Eventually he decided just to ignore it and me," Blaine said with a shrug.

"What about your mom?" Kurt spoke softly.

"She didn't seem to care, just wanted me to be happy. I could talk to her about crushes and things, but I knew she would never stand up to my dad. I was right, she never did. Even when my dad finally cut me off, she didn't say a word."

Blaine hated the empty feeling the conversation was giving him. He shivered not just from the cold outside but the cold feeling that seemed to be invading him.

"Thank you for telling me," Kurt said standing. When Blaine mirrored the action, Kurt pulled him into a bone-aching hug. The action warmed him in every way.

"I am so sorry you didn't have the family you deserve," he whispered into Blaine's ear.

Blaine relished in the hug for a long time. Just content to be held by Kurt in a small park in New York.

When he pulled back, Kurt asked, "How does hot chocolate sound?"

"Sounds like heaven," Blaine smiled.

They spent the rest of the morning, before Kurt had to go to the shop, cuddled on Kurt's couch, cups of hot chocolate in their hands, watching Food Network. Blaine was glad the hard conversations were behind them for the time being; he was content wrapped up in Kurt in an entirely different way than he was used to.

The next morning, Blaine woke up to his phone ringing.

"Kevin?" he asked groggily.

"Blaine, " Kevin sounded relieved over the line. "I am so glad you answered. Can you come in today? Tony has the flu and is stuck in Dallas until he is well enough to fly. He booked sessions all week. Do you think you can take over?"

Blaine rubbed his eyes trying to think; he was between projects at the moment, and was mainly scheduled to help out the other engineers when needed.

"Yea, I don't have anything right now. What time do I need to be there?"

"She is supposed to be in at one, so if you could be here at 11 to set things up that would be great." Kevin sounded so relieved.

Blaine squinted at the clock, and willed himself to get out of bed, "I'll be there."

Blaine only had half and hour to get ready before he would need to leave. He rushed around the apartment, showering and getting dressed not even taking the time to eat.

Before he hopped in the shower, Blaine texted Kurt.

I got called into work, do you think you can bring lunch to me today? Around Noon?

Blaine knew that Kurt had a therapy session that morning but was still surprised when he received a reply before leaving his place.

Anything to help. Should I bring enough for both of us or will you not have time?

You know I would love to eat with you, silly! Just tell Jack (he's the day time guard) you are here to see me. I will probably have to send an intern down to bring you up. Thank you! At the subway station; will see you later. 3

Blaine pocketed his phone and hurried down the stairs, excited to see what project he was taking over and to see Kurt later.

Blaine was pleased to find that Tony had left detailed notes from his previous sessions, so it wasn't hard for Blaine to get the equipment set for the session. Tony was the only colleague Blaine didn't enjoy working with, but this time his meticulous ways were finally of a benefit to Blaine. He was happy to be taking over this client, his first major account and he would be working with Maddox, his favorite intern. Maddox reminded Blaine of himself when he had first started at the company in his junior year; he was passionate about the music and eager to please.

"Maddox," Blaine called down the hall when he saw him. "You're with me today."

"Really? What happened to Tony?" Maddox asked not hiding his excitement.

Blaine stood next to him trying to hide his own excitement. "Still stuck in Dallas, he has the flu. You'll be in the booth with me today, but first, my boyfriend is coming to have lunch with me. When Jack calls up would you bring him to the break room?"

Maddox's smile was unmatched, "Sure thing! I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"He's the cutest." Blaine smiled, "Let's get the green room set up."

"I can get it, that is why I am here," Maddox protested.

Blaine clapped him on the shoulder.

"Nonsense, it will be faster with two of us. You know it wasn't that long ago I was in your shoes. I remember wanting to actually learn hands-on, only to be sent for coffee and being left all the thankless tasks. I've been watching you; you work hard, you are eager to learn, and you are always happy to help. I think you have a great future here, at least if I have any say."

"That means a lot. Thank you," Maddox beamed.

Blaine helped Maddox set up the green room and then went back to the booth. He double- checked the levels Tony had specified and then just let the space center him. He had to admit he was nervous to take on such a big client but was excited for the challenge. He busied himself trying to ease his nerves.

Before he knew it though, Maddox was popping his head in the booth, "I'm heading downstairs to bring your boyfriend up."

"Thanks Maddox. I'll meet you in the break room," Blaine smiled.

Blaine made his way to the small break room. When he entered he was happy to find it empty. He didn't want to have to share Kurt for the short time they would have together.

It wasn't long before Maddox was pushing the door open followed closely by Kurt lugging two paper bags.

Blaine approached them and kissed Kurt gently on his cheek.

"Hey," he greeted before saying, "Thank you Maddox, you can take your lunch break now. Just be back by 1:00."

"Yes, sir," Maddox said with a smile before walking out, shutting the door behind him.

"Very impressive," Kurt teased, "Sending your assistant to fetch me."

"Maddox isn't my assistant, although if I could pick one intern to assist me, it would be him." Blaine laughed.

"Should I be jealous?" Kurt pouted.

Blaine laughed again, "Not on your life, even if he wasn't painfully straight, he couldn't hold a candle to the amazingness of you."

Kurt's mouth dropped open a moment before he regained his composure. "I brought food."

"You are a lifesaver!" Blaine praised before kissing Kurt gently, then taking the bags. He led the way over to the table.

Kurt had brought gyros and fries. Blaine served them their food with a smile.

"How was your session this morning?" Blaine asked, focusing on Kurt.

Kurt picked at his food for a moment. "It was okay. I was nervous to tell Dr. Renner about you. Well about us… I was afraid she would tell me it was too soon."

"And did she?" Blaine asked suddenly nervous.

Kurt looked up at him, and he looked stunned for a moment.

"No, I told her about our talks, about taking it slow and… she said she thought we were setting ourselves up for success."

"That's great," Blaine smiled, feeling relieved.

"So…" Kurt relaxed, "how do you feel about having to come in today?"

"Excited, actually. I hate that I have to work on your day off, but this is a huge client. Maybe if they like what I do, I could take on the account full time," Blaine said quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear.

Kurt took his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sure they will love what you do. You are amazing and magical!"

They ate and talked, luckily not being interrupted until Maddox returned half an hour later looking frantic. "She's here, she's early. Jack just called up."

"Relax, everything is ready. Let's go to the elevator to greet her." He said before turning to Kurt. "You want to join us?"

Kurt looked shocked for a moment. "What, really?"

"Sure, I'm sure it will be fine." he said, taking Kurt's hand and leading him down the hallway. They stood in front of the elevator doors watching the numbers above rise until they reached the number 23.

When the doors opened Blaine greeted, "Miss Jones, I'm Blaine Anderson, I will be your engineer today. I am ecstatic to be working with you."

Mercedes Jones smiled at him for a moment before her eyes roved to the man beside him, who looked shocked and at a loss for words.

"Kurt? Kurt Hummel" she asked with awe.

Kurt whispered, "'Cedes? I had no idea."

He then turned to Blaine and lightly smacked him on the arm, "Why didn't you tell me Mercedes was the client you were working with?"

Blaine wasn't sure if Kurt was mad or just shocked.

"I thought it would be a great surprise."

"It's the best surprise, but a little warning would be nice," Kurt grumbled at Blaine before turning back to Mercedes. "My boyfriend, the best sound engineer in New York, but he's impossibly cute and sweet."

"As much as I approve of the boyfriend, you had better get over here and give me a hug!"

Kurt slowly moved forward and enveloped his long lost friend in a strong, comforting hug. Blaine wished he was on the receiving end of that hug but relished in the compliments Kurt had given.

After long moments they pulled back.

"It is good to see you, but I have work to do. Kurt, I hope you stay and watch. I would love to catch up when we are finished," Mercedes said.

Kurt looked to Blaine for guidance, who nodded to him encouragingly.

"I would love that, as long as I won't be getting in the way."

Mercedes looked back at Blaine, and her face lit up.

"Wait, I remember you. You helped on my last album didn't you?"

Blaine couldn't control his own bashful smile.

"I was just an intern. I didn't get to do much helping, but I loved sitting in on the sessions."

"Well, I am sure you are a big boy engineer now," Mercedes said, giving him an appraising look. "You are, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm a senior engineer now. Trust me they would give nothing less to the one and only Mercedes Jones," Blaine smiled.

Mercedes preened, "Well lead the way, and let's get this party started."

Blaine led Mercedes and Kurt to the sound studio while Maddox led her entourage to the green room to wait. Mercedes walked to the booth, and Blaine showed Kurt into the control room and pulled a chair beside himself for Kurt to sit in. By the time Mercedes was placing the headphones on, Maddox was entering the room and sat in front of the other set of controls.

"Okay, so Tony left the notes for the levels he used last time, so we should be good to go. Which song do you want to start with?" he asked over the microphone.

"Number 5, Found My Way Home. Seems appropriate today." Mercedes laughed into the microphone. Blaine had almost forgotten how much she seemed to enjoy the process of recording.

"Sounds good," Blaine said pulling up the track on his computer. "Just let me know when you are ready."

Mercedes closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and nodding through the glass. Blaine hit play and began recording.

Almost immediately he knew something was wrong. The levels coming through were not at all to his standards, the sound tinny and thin. He listened for a few more bars before he stopped the machines and apologized.

"Sorry, I'm going to have to adjust some of these levels. We want you to sound your very best, and this isn't going to do it. You were great; this is on us."

Mercedes nodded watching him through the glass.

"Okay, I'm going to start again. I'm not recording I just want to get these levels perfect."

Mercedes smiled, "Work your magic, so I can work mine."

The music started again and Blaine adjusted each control, taking his time until you could hear the full power of Mercedes voice. Something was still off, when Maddox said, "What if we did.. this," as he moved one knob slightly. There it was, the perfect mix.

"Good job," Blaine said to Maddox before turning his microphone back on. "Okay, I think we are ready."

When Mercedes began again, Blaine could almost lose himself in the sound of Mercedes voice. He looked over at Kurt for a moment to see an awed smile there.

"She was good in high school, but damn…" he whispered.

"She is amazing; second best person I have worked with," Blaine replied with a smile.

He loved the way color flooded Kurt cheeks, and he saw Maddox shake his head with an amused smirk on his face.

The time passed quickly, Mercedes sang through each song half a dozen times before picking which song to do next. Blaine was amazed by her stamina, but it was enjoyable to watch her sing. It was even nice to watch Kurt watch his old friend in her element. He was quiet but his face told stories; admiration, nostalgia, and love the main themes.

When seven o'clock rolled around, Blaine said, "We've laid down half the tracks. What do you say we call it a day, and we can maybe finish up tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. Can I get a sneak peek?" Mercedes asked.

Nerves filled Blaine's stomach as he said, "Sure. Just hang up your headphones and come in here. I will get it set up."

He worked with his computer doing two quick mixes of the first song they recorded. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kurt stand and offer his chair to Mercedes.

"Okay, first I am going to show you what Tony wanted to do, and then I am going to show you what I did, just to give you an idea," Blaine said.

He wasn't trying to throw Tony under the bus, but part of him wanted to show Mercedes why he would be the perfect fit for her. He wanted to keep making musical magic with her.

He hit play on Tony's track and let it play until Mercedes vocals died out. He was sure to most people it sounded fine, but to his own ear it was a weak imitation of what he knew Miss Jones could do.

"Okay, now that is just the rough cut. I'm sure he did more in post production. Now this is my track."

He hit play again, and Blaine was pleased at the full rich sound he had achieved. He looked over at Mercedes to see a sly smile on her face. He stopped the track after the first chorus and said, "That is just a quick mix too, but I hope you can hear the difference."

"Okay, now where were they hiding you before. I think I will be having a talk with the bigwigs. They better make sure they pair me with you from now on." Then she laughed, "I never thought I would say it, buy thank God for the flu!"

Blaine knew he was beaming at her. "I would really like that, but why don't we wait until you hear the finished product."

"I don't think I will be changing my mind," she said, giving him a stern look.

She then turned to Kurt, "Okay, so I am only in town for the week, and we have a lot of catching up to do. So grab your things, and take me to dinner."

Kurt sputtered, "But Blaine…"

"You can bring him along, as long as he doesn't mind you dishing the dirt on how you met and that tattoo," she said indicating the stars on his neck. "We are long overdue for a gossip session."

Kurt smiled, his eyes bright, "I know the perfect little bistro in Hell's Kitchen. Will our reservations be for 3 or 4?"

"If your man is coming, then 3 will be enough." She then gave a wink, "I left my man back in LA, didn't want the paparazzi outing us before we get the chance. We've avoided them for a year already, we weren't going to let a trip to New York ruin that."

They spent the evening in a little bistro down the street from Kurt's apartment. Blaine sat quietly listening to Kurt and Mercedes reminisce, banter, and talk, almost ignoring their food until it was cold. They didn't seem to mind; talking and eating with enthusiasm, occasionally bringing Blaine into the conversation, but mostly too caught up to think about it. Blaine didn't mind, he loved watching them interact, especially the carefree way Kurt talked about them with such a loving tone it made Blaine's heart squeeze. When Kurt wasn't gesturing wildly with his hands, he was clasping one of Blaine's; just a sign that he remembered he was there.

The waitress was stacking chairs when they got the hint that it was time to leave. There was a friendly fight over who would pay, which Blaine won by pulling out the company credit card.

"We like our artists to be happy," he smiled.

He made sure to leave a sizeable tip in apology for holding up the staff.

When they stepped out into the cold night, Blaine hailed a cab for Mercedes as Kurt pulled her into another tight hug. Blaine couldn't hear what words were whispered between them as he held the door open for her. He was surprised when she pulled him into a hug.

"Good night, Blaine. Thank you for sharing your fabulous boyfriend with me for the night. I will see you tomorrow."

She gave one last wave before getting into the cab.

Kurt put his arm around Blaine's shoulders, and they stood like that a moment watching the cab drive away. Blaine snuggled into the hold as they made their way to Kurt's apartment.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered, "for the surprise and for tonight. It was amazing."

Blaine leaned his head on Kurt's shoulder.,

"It was all just luck, but I am glad I could share it with you."

Kurt kissed the top of his head.

"I'm glad I could share it with you too. And it was amazing to watch you work, to be on that side of the booth and really see you work. God, the focus in your eyes… it was mesmerizing."

Blaine could feel himself blushing, he didn't know what to say so he snuggled deeper in to Kurt's warm arms.

"Do you want to come up?" Kurt asked. Blaine hadn't even realized they were at Kurt's door.

Without hesitation Blaine agreed. He really felt like a teenager again, sitting on Kurt's couch kissing and making out, knowing it wouldn't lead any further. Instead he let himself get lost in just the feel of Kurt's lips on his. Blaine hated having to pull away to go home an hour later, his lips kiss-swollen and his pants uncomfortably tight, but the punch drunk smile Kurt gave him was enough to make his knees weak as he tried to stand. He knew in the long run it was for the best. His steps felt lighter as he made his way back to his apartment, an idea forming in his mind. He smiled, planning to ask Maddox for his help as soon as he saw him.