Chapter Four-
"Hey." Blaine sat across the table in the seat he was beginning to think of as his own. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I love corsets, too."
"Excuse me?" Kurt looked at Blaine with an eyebrow raised. Then he frowned. "Do always just take someone's chair without asking?"
"Uh, I'm sorry. Is this chair taken?"
"Yes." Kurt set his messenger bag on the chair, nudging Blaine up with it. His eyes snapped back to the magazine in front of him.
Blaine shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. He could hear Mercedes laughing at him from behind the counter.
Strike 1.
x
"Hey, do you mind if I sit?" Blaine asked, gesturing at the chair he'd taken the first time he and Kurt had met.
Kurt stared at him, clearly flustered. The words that came out of his mouth, though, were French and meant to drive Blaine away. He sighed and headed for the door.
Mercedes laughed at him again, but this time she had a friend with her, a big guy with a mohawk for a hairdo. He grinned at Blaine, a wolf's smile, causing Blaine to tally up the bet in his head so far.
Mercedes and her new friend: 2
Blaine: 0
x
The third visit, he was feeling pretty pathetic, just sitting at the counter and stealing glances at Kurt's back. This wasn't even about the money. They'd already hit it off once, so he knew Kurt liked him.
Well, desperate time called for desperate measures. Blaine did something he hadn't done since he was eight years old and lost his favorite bowtie-he cried like a baby. Clutching his menu, he made sure to turn in Kurt's direction as he sobbed.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" Kurt asked, standing up and crossing the short space to Blaine's table.
"No," Blaine sniffed. He felt so stupid. "I can't read the menu."
"Oh. Did you forget your glasses?"
"I can't read," Blaine sobbed again.
Kurt made placating gestures and took the menu from his hands. "No, no, don't cry. I'll help you."
He sat down next to Blaine and together they went through the menu, Kurt pointing out certain words while Blaine slowly sounded them out. Mercedes rolled her eyes.
"Thanks," Blaine said after they'd eaten the food they'd so painstakingly ordered.
Kurt glanced at his watch and suddenly stood up. "Oh! I have to go. Finn's supposed to come pick me up."
Blaine hesitated, swallowed, then asked, "Do you think I could have your number? We should keep in touch."
Kurt's smile was soft and pleased, and it crinkled up his eyes in the most adorable way. "Of course. Do you have a pen?"
Ha!
Mercedes: 2
Blaine:1
x
On his fourth day, he got dragged out of the shop by a giant of a man. Or a boy. Blaine wasn't sure which, but they were definitely around the same age, so he supposed it didn't matter.
"Stay away from my brother. He can't remember you, anyway."
"Oh!" Blaine had been so preoccupied with Kurt, he'd forgotten about the brother. "Sorry. Finn, right?"
The big guy blinked down at him. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"Kurt told me." Blaine looked back through the window to where Kurt sat engrossed in his Vogue magazine. "Does anyone ever tell him what day it is?"
"No. And neither are you. Just leave him alone, okay?"
Blaine held up his hands in surrender. "I won't bother him here again."
Finn leaned back inside and shouted for Kurt, who came to them looking disgruntled.
"You didn't have to yell, Finn. The table's not that far away."
"We're leaving."
"I haven't even gotten my coffee yet!" He squawked when Finn grabbed his arm, barely even glancing in Blaine's direction as he was pulled away.
Mercedes clapped Blaine on the shoulder, making him jump. "Sorry. Love's rough." She held out the money Blaine had given her. "The hat wasn't that special, anyway."
Blaine took the money from her and tucked it into his blazer. He felt a little guilty, though, because he was going to do exactly what he told Finn-not bother Kurt at the coffee shop. He hadn't said anything about the rest of the day.
x
He was a creep, that's all there was to it. It took one week of snooping and stalking for Blaine to find an opening in Kurt's very exact schedule. The only time he didn't seem to either be at the coffee shop or with his family was when his parents left for work and Finn for school. He had the time in between, a few hours at most, before Carole Hummel came home. Blaine couldn't be there when she did.
So, now he had to figure out how to work this. Blaine could have just committed to acting out the same scenario every day, but not only was it boring for him, he also loved seeing all the different reactions Kurt offered-from Cable Guy Blaine to Lost Hiker Blaine, Kurt, after a bit of witty banter, always let him in. And always let him know that his cell phone had 911 on speed dial.
It was all going so well, Blaine forgot to be careful and started to lose track of the time he was spending at the Hummel house. One day, the door opened and Mr. Hummel frowned out at him. He eyed Blaine's sunglasses and cane, then shook his head.
"You finish with whatever game you're playing, then come talk with me in the kitchen. I'm guessing you already know the way."
Blaine swallowed. "Yes, sir."