WATC 4

A/N- I wanted you guys to have this. I know that some of you were a little…worried after the last chapter but hopefully after this your minds will be now at ease.

I will forewarn any chapters if I need to, but this is not an angsty fic. My Blaine in this story is supposed to be presented in this jerky kind of fame-hungry way, but he's not a bad guy. My Blaine's never are. Trust me, all will be revealed in good time.

It's a story of dislikes, people changing their minds…and hearts, non-friends to friends and to then possibly more? A rom/com of sorts. Thank youyou're your support so far. I hope you continue to read, review and enjoy.

P.S I will be updating asap, the story is almost completed and will run to around 8 chapters?!

"The other person you saw in that dressing room with me was my old manager." Blaine begins as soon as their waiter has poured them their drinks and leaves them be.

They're seated in a private secluded booth towards the back of the restaurant near the kitchen. There are sounds of distant clattering and sizzling and muffled orders being tossed back and forth. Kurt doesn't even know where they are. They were ushered into the side entrance of a building covered with vine leaves and lead straight in to a fancy room with four separate booths in each corner divided by a plush, plum velvet curtain. Either they're alone in here or the curtains must be pretty sound proof—Kurt can't hear a thing.

He can tell that Blaine is known here, he must be a regular. The manager greeted him warmly but didn't ask any invasive questions. Blaine spoke to him about his family and then addressed their server by name and asked how things were running in the kitchen tonight.

Kurt can only imagine that this place is suave and upper class, they don't even have menus to look at, and wine and water was automatically brought to their table and served to them on arrival. Kurt didn't get a say in the matter. Not that he thinks he'd have much to say anyway, his mouth feels dry and his throat tight. He still can't comprehend where he is right now and who he's with and what conversation they're having.

Kurt takes a sip from his wine glass. The taste feels a little sour on his tongue, he's not used to drinking but he swallows it down anyway, knowing that he may need a little extra courage. He's 21, he's allowed to drink alcohol he just hasn't had much cause for it. He doesn't do the usual college parties like everyone else his age. He's much too busy focusing on his goals and dreams and ticking them off one by one.

Kurt gives Blaine a patient look and one of his trademark eyebrow quirks, signalling him to continue. Blaine looks nervous, he's already took several gulps from his wine glass and drained his water glass. He rubs his hands against his knees under the table.

"I um- I have new management now. I didn't like the way they represented me. The way that they wanted me to act or just be." He pauses to give Kurt time to respond but Kurt only nods and waits. "When I was asked to attend that mixer at your school, I was so psyched about it. It's something that meant a lot to me. I felt like I could give back to something that gave a lot to me that helped me get to where I am now."

Kurt's face softens a little and he takes another eager sip from his glass. This is the Blaine that he remembers, the Blaine he was a big fan of. The Blaine he thought he could relate to, from one artist to another.

Blaine huffs out a bitter laugh before he continues, unwanted memories obviously returning to him. "They watched my every move that night. They wouldn't let me come and mingle with the students, you know to give my advice or praise or encouragement—the reason why I thought I was there in the first place. And I was so mad because I wanted to come and meet you and talk to you and tell you how impressed I was with what I seen you do up on that stage."

Kurt blushes no matter how much he hates himself for it. Kurt back then would have died just hearing Blaine Anderson say those words about him. Now, he finds it a difficult pill to swallow.

Blaine smiles a little, noticing Kurt's flushed cheeks and wide bright eyes. "After the show, I was pissed at them because I thought you had gone and they made me go back to my dressing room to change for leaving. They wouldn't let me acknowledge or encourage a local, genuine talent like yourself. You hadn't responded to my email I left on the comment card and I just felt so…like I was a robot you know? Hollow. Some machine for them to control and for people to look at and get enjoyment from." His voice deepens and lowers a little, his eyes harden and his irises deepen to a dark chocolate.

Kurt can see how sincere Blaine is right now, there's no mask or other role to play here. It's just Blaine wide open and…broken?

Suddenly Blaine perks up and takes another drink. "It was a low point, I'll admit. I started drinking too much and partying too hard. But it's over now, I have more control over my life and career choices and I'm happy." He smiles and it's so wide and bright, his eyes crinkling at the corners that Kurt can't help but feel happy for him.

"I'm glad for you, Blaine. Really. I cant imagine what it must have felt like for you back then," Kurt says truthfully, his voice soft, "but um- the rest of the story- the part where I come in?"

"Right yes, of course." Blaine snaps back to attention, fully focused and Kurt can see where all of those awards and nominations have come from over the years. Blaine is so expressive, he can tell a whole story without even speaking. "So I'm back in the dressing room, I'm changing and I pick up a complimentary bottle of vodka to mix with a little tonic. My manager comes in and behind him are four girls. Students."

Oh, no…

"I mean it was nothing like that, they were 21 and I'm only 28. But you know…I'm gay. Open and proud. And I'm never looking for anything like that especially with a fan." Kurt feels his stomach drop but he can't quite figure out why. He doesn't want Blaine Anderson like that and he certainly doesn't want Blaine to want him like that. Does he?

Do you?

When he gathers his wits and looks back at Blaine, Blaine is staring at him so curiously, so…reverently? Blaine shakes away what ever thought he was having and continues. "The press know of my sexuality, my fans know and have been very positive and supportive but my management were still trying to push the whole teenage heart throb routine on me. Something that I do not care about or want to promote. It just happens, people just think that of me."

"Blaine, I'm sorry. That's so not fair for you—"

Blaine nods politely but waves Kurt off, he clearly needs to finish his tirade. "So I asked them to leave, politely. And they kept knocking and coming back."

A wave of guilt comes across Kurt, then. He must have been one of those annoying fans turning up at Blaine's door when the guy just needed 5 minutes peace.

"No." Blaine says suddenly, rather urgently. He's looking right at Kurt, determinedly. His hands are back on top of the table and he looks like he's about to reach out and take Kurt's hands in his. "I know what you're thinking, but no. I would have loved to have met you. To discuss with you options about your future. To tell you that I was a fan of yours. The things that inspiring drama kids need to hear. Those girls? They were there for something else. Something that is not me or my lifestyle no matter how much it is portrayed that way in the press."

Kurt sits back in his seat, a little awestruck. He thinks back to that night when his dreams were shattered and his idol became a stranger. Blaine looked so frantic and frustrated in the doorway, he wasn't even looking at Kurt. His eyes may have even been squeezed shut. His voice was a little rough and the bottle of vodka in his hand actually hadn't been opened, it was full to the top. He was wearing socks and pants and his shirt was still there, just unbuttoned with one arm hanging out of the sleeve. –He was just changing, like regular guys should be allowed to. Not stripping to have sex in a school like what Kurt had first assumed of him.

Blaine regards Kurt carefully, watches the thought process whirl through Kurt's mind like a freight train. He leans in and whispers, "Hey, you remember what I said to you on the rooftop earlier today? Never to believe everything you read and see—"

Kurt bites his lip. "Yeah, and I would say I agree with you in most cases but I was standing there that night with my own two eyes and ears. It's kind of hard not to believe what you can actually see and hear."

Blaine gives him a sad look. "That wasn't me. Your memory and mind have taken all of the bad snippets that the press have given you and when you saw me for real it was sadly somebody else you had perceived."

A throat is cleared and then the curtain is parted. Their server sweeps in and places two plates of salad down in front of them. He refills their wine and water glasses before leaving promptly.

Blaine doesn't look anywhere but at Kurt's face. "Do you believe me, Kurt?" He asks, gentle as if frightened that Kurt may flee.

Kurt thinks about it. He has no reason to believe Blaine. There's no evidence behind what he's saying to back it up. But on the other hand he still has no reason not to believe him. Why would Blaine go to all of this trouble just to set something straight that really didn't need to set straight?

Looking at Blaine now, Kurt can see that he really does care. For what reason is beyond Kurt but then sincerity is there. And Kurt wants to understand why? He feels grateful and relieved to have heard all that he's been told tonight.

But he wants more.

Kurt picks up his salad fork and with a quick nod he spears at a piece of aubergine, a sly grin appearing just before he places the fork to his mouth. "Ok, you got me. But you're not off the hook yet, Mr Anderson."

He looks up just in time to see the most wondrous grin on Blaine's face, even better than any of all the other smiles he's already experienced. Kurt feels a weird twitch in his stomach, it almost feels like…satisfaction?

Blaine picks up a wedge of avocado and nibbles at daintily between his fingers. His eyes are sparkling. He's delighted. "Anything, Kurt. Now that we have that cleared up and you can like me again, what do you want to know?"

Kurt can't stop his smirk. Blaine has gone from wounded to excited puppy in less than a minute.

What am I doing? …Maybe just go with it…

"Let's go back to where we began with this. How did you and Isabelle get to this- this conspiring against me?"

"Now, now Kurt. I wouldn't call date setting conspiring—"

Kurt almost chokes on his salad. "D-date?"

"Is it not?"

"Are- are you interested in- that?"

Blaine's eyes are smouldering "Are you not?"

Holy hell…

Thanks for reading and reviewing guys.