They had been out on a water taxi to go and see the Statue of Liberty, they had been to the very top of the Empire State building, and had lunch in the café at the top, there had been a lot of different shows and music things around the city, and Blaine had stopped to listen to every one of them.
It was an amazing place, somewhere he had always dreamed he would be living.
Through a friend of Cash's, they were able to get tickets for a show on Broadway, on the third night that Blaine was there, and it had been amazing. The lights, the costumes, the singing, it had blown him away.
But Blaine couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong. When he asked Sebastian if there was something going on, he had been adamant that it might just be the new strange atmosphere around them, but Blaine couldn't put his finger on the discomfort he felt.
Cash had been a little more distant than the last time Blaine was here, he wouldn't be as chatty and care-free like before, Blaine thought maybe he was just being paranoid, but he could swear that Cash doesn't like touching him.
Cash was always watching Blaine's movements, and watching his hands like they would bite him, and he would seat himself away from Blaine, and avoid brushing against him as they walked, even when they pass one another, it was like he wanted to shrink into a wall behind him to avoid close proximity.
Blaine had no idea if he had done or said anything to force this behaviour, but he certainly didn't like it. It didn't make him angry, he was just hurt.
Sebastian didn't seem to have the same hang-ups, always draping an arm over his shoulders or leaning on him, laughing and joking around with him, nudging him when he wanted his attention, or even hugging goodnight. Blaine lay on the fourth night, on the couch, trying to think of some way to bring it up to Cash without it sounding like a spoilt kid who wasn't getting enough attention.
He wanted to know if there was something he could do to ease the tension that had seemed to build itself between them.
In the morning he was first up, even though he didn't sleep all that well, all of the things that were on his mind, playing over and over all night like a broken record player.
Cash walked into the kitchen, just as Blaine had made a pot of coffee and had sat at the table with his own mug.
"Good morning," Cash said cheerfully, even though Blaine could see the forced smile on his lips, and he smiled in return but remained silent, "So I thought we could maybe hit the New York City zoo today, what do you think?"
"Sure." Blaine said in a quiet tone and Cash raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well I just thought you might like to see everything in the city before you leave again," Cash said in a gentle voice and Blaine sighed, "Is everything alright?"
"Maybe I should be asking you that question." Blaine said as he stared up at Cash, and the other man's face crumpled a little but then a forced smile came back to his face.
"Why wouldn't I be alright?" Cash said with a forced little chuckle and Blaine sighed before placing his coffee down on the table.
"Cash, please, if I did something to offend you, or said something wrong to make you avoid me, please tell me." Blaine said in an almost nervous and hurt tone and Cash looked back at him in slight alarm.
"What? Why would you think that?" He asked with wide eyes and a frown and Blaine shrugged.
"Because you have been avoiding me."
"No I-" Blaine didn't let Cash make an excuse so he interrupted.
"You don't sit next to me, you watch my hands like they're rattlesnakes waiting to strike, you avoid making physical contact with me at all costs, and I don't understand why." Blaine came to the end of his explanation and Cash looked away, guiltily, avoiding the hurt he saw in Blaine's eyes.
"Look, Blaine, it's not like that, you didn't do anything wrong ok?" He said quietly and Blaine stood from his chair.
"Then please tell me, what's going on?" Blaine said as he made his way around the table, to stand in front of Cash, without him flinching away.
"I...I-" Cash stammered out as Blaine walked a step closer.
"I'm your friend, you can tell me anything." He pleaded with him and Cash shook his head slightly and looked down.
"I'm not sure."
"What aren't you sure of?" Blaine asked him, using a gentle voice, and Cash shook his head again as he took another step forward.
"If I can tell you."
"You just said it wasn't anything I did or said, right?" Blaine said and received a nod in reply and he let out a sigh, "So why can't you tell me, is it because I'm close to Sebastian?"
"No, of course not." Cash said quickly and Blaine reached out for his hand, squeezing it in his own before looking down at them.
"Then please tell me, I don't kn-" Blaine stopped and Cash extracted that particular hand from his grasp.
"Shit." He exclaimed quietly as Blaine stood still, staring down at where his hand had been before looking up through his lashes at Cash and frowning a little.
"Why do you have my name on your finger?"
Cash opened and closed his mouth a few times, not knowing how to respond and Blaine gulped a little as he waited.
"Morning all!" Sebastian said with a grin as he walked into the kitchen, and Blaine and Cash remained silent as he strode through to get a coffee of his own, "So how was your night?"
Blaine realised he was asked a question directly and smiled politely at Sebastian.
"Erm...not that great, but-"
"Sebastian, maybe you should take the couch for a couple nights?" Cash said as he gave Sebastian a pointed look, and Blaine shook his head.
"No, it's ok," Blaine said quickly as Sebastian was about to retort, "I'm a guest, I'll stay there, it doesn't bother me."
They all remained silent for a few seconds after that, Sebastian now realising the tension and awkwardness he had walked in on and he looked between them with a raised eyebrow.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No!" Cash said but Blaine shouted "Yes!" at the same time.
Sebastian's frown deepened as Blaine turned to him with a glare.
"Did you know?" Blaine asked him and Sebastian looked confused for a moment before Blaine elaborated, "Did you know that Cash has my name on his finger?"
"Erm..."
"I can't believe you two, you're supposed to be my friends, and yet you keep something like this from me?" Blaine said with a shaky voice, cracking around the words, Sebastian looked at him with a pained expression before they were both interrupted by a voice.
"My name isn't Cash Carter."
Blaine turned back to him.
"What?"
Blaine watched as Sebastian walked over to Cash and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, but he just looked up at him and shook his head, before Sebastian removed the hand and sighed.
Cash took in a shuddering and shaky breath as Blaine continued to watch him.
"My name isn't Cash," he said as Blaine watched him, "It's Kurt."