Oh wow.

When I first got my fanfiction account, I thought that I might use it to read my best friends' work (IThinkILeftMyCoatOutside and I-might-BE-slightly-INSANE). When I first broadened my reading, I thought that I'd just read a few and then get bored. When I first wrote a story, I thought that only my friends would read it and it'd be the only story that I'd upload. When I first got the idea for Tears & Cookies, I thought that I'd never upload it. When I first published it to this website, I thought it'd get at most 100 views.

It already has. In fact, the first chapter got exactly 117 views before I uploaded number 2. Within four hours after that, the number had more than doubled. I cannot believe how many people have read this. Three weeks on from first uploading this, I am looking at my traffic stats and seeing nearly 300 views. Yes, from 117 to 297 in a week. I am more than a bit happy!

I have so far received 7 reviews (6 signed, 1 unsigned). So that's 70p for charity. I have a designated money box for it and I am filling it up with 10p pieces. I need to hurry up and empty it into charity box before it overflows!

You may recall that I said the last chapter was original chapter was going to have the events from this chapter in it too, but I cut and split it because it seemed like a good place to stop. Well, I'm glad I did! This chapter is almost twice as long as the last one, and if I'd kept them together, this would now be impossibly long!

Stupid thing, I can't get this formatting to work: where it says "I 3 U", imagine the 3 as a heart, written Facebook or Skype-style.

So, I shall stop rabbiting now and let you read it. Enjoy, and please please please review!

Story so far...

It is Kurt's 23rd birthday. Blaine comes home to find him crying. He finds out the problem and then cooks him dinner. They leave the house in the direction of the theatre...

-*T&C*-

The conversation had flowed about work, life, people, fashion, the Warblers. Now, with empty plates, Kurt leaned back in his chair and threw his hand behind his head. "That, Mr Anderson, was fantastic."

"Thanks! But… I believe the best is yet to come."

Kurt's eyes lit up at the prospect of receiving something as nice as that last course had been, better even, then deflated with the thought of eating any more. "I'm going to explode!"

"Trust me, you'll want to make room!" Blaine teased. With a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes, he turned to the freezer and pulled open the door, extracting an ice cream tub. He had disguised his dessert in an old tub to trick Kurt into thinking it was simply a shop-bought vanilla ice cream. He dumped the ugly carton in front of Kurt, then got two bowls from the cupboard and an ice cream scoop. Finally, he opened the oven door. His timing had been spot on, and he scraped the contents of the baking sheet on to a plate. He set the plate down in front of his boyfriend and Kurt's eyes started to well up again, this time in happiness.

"Oh, Blaine!" Behind a misty screen of tears, all Kurt could now see was a blurry outline of a heart-shaped cookie. "Oh, my Blaine," Kurt repeated.

"Open the tub then!" Blaine sat down and bounced in his chair like an impatient puppy. His eyes were wide with anticipation. Kurt took the backs of his hands to his eyes to crudely wipe away the tears from his eyes and then tugged at the lid of the box, wondering why his boyfriend was getting so excited at a box of vanilla ice cream. When it finally popped open, Kurt caught his breath at the back of his throat, eyes continuing to leak. Blaine had made cookie dough ice cream - his all-time favourite - and had spelt out "I 3 U" on the top with chocolate drops. Kurt brought his palm shakily to his mouth and sobbed with sheer happiness.

Opposite him, Blaine wasn't sure if he should be overjoyed or concerned. The man he loved was being really emotional recently and he didn't know if it was a phase that would pass or if there was an underlying problem. His worries were pushed from his mind as Kurt stood up, opened his arms, and practically fell on Blaine, showering him with kisses wherever he could reach skin. Blaine laughed him off and Kurt flopped back down on to his chair and proceeded to scoop the ice cream into his and Blaine's bowls.

When the meal finally finished, Blaine stacked the final plates next to the sink and gave his boyfriend a peck on the cheek before going into the bathroom to have a shower. Kurt sat where he was for a few minutes longer, revelling in the romantic that Blaine had become. He leant his elbows on the table in front of him and cupped his face in a tulip-like pose, his chin on his hands. His eyes were facing the window but he took no notice of Columbus outside. Instead, he was wondering what the rest of the night would be like. Where was Blaine taking him? He'd been secretive about tonight for months; Kurt had pestered him, convinced that he'd give up and tell him what was going on, but to no avail. His brain was still working overtime to figure it out. After all, he had to know what to wear! He had put some clothes on after his shower just to eat in, and Blaine seemed happy enough with them. But this was his birthday! He had to wear something nice. Something suitable. As this new thought occurred to him, he stood, pushing his chair under the table and strolling into the bedroom. He stuck his head around the bathroom door as Blaine had the water turned down to lather shampoo into his hair.

"Honey?"

Blaine looked up, hearing his voice. "Mmm?"

"Where are we going?" Kurt pleaded. Blaine smiled and turned around so that Kurt could only see his perfectly rounded backside and his soapy curls. "Please? I need to know what sort of clothes to wear."

Blaine considered this and turned back to face Kurt. "Wear something nice. And smart. Got to be smart. No navy or red, but something that would work well with those colours. Wear something that you wouldn't mind people seeing you in. Don't take too many layers, but make sure you take something which can be left if you do get cold." Kurt looked alarmed. "No, not to abandon it, but just that you would trust other people not to steal." Kurt furrowed his brow, confused. Blaine just laughed and turned the pressure up again, turning his back once more on Kurt as he shut the bathroom door and strode over to his wardrobe.

With the doors wide open, he stared in. His eyes brushed his entire collection, and then flew back again. His brain ticked over; firstly, he was wondering what he could wear. Secondly, he was wondering where the hell they could be going. And thirdly? Damn, Blaine's body was hot.

He turned his back on his clothes and pictured, mentally, what he'd like to wear. He considered what trousers he could wear first. He had bought a pair of jeans the other day. But no, they're red. Perhaps his cream cut-offs? No, too casual. And black work trousers with navy, just no! So, that left his jeans. Did he want skinnies or flares? Skinnies! He hadn't worn anything else since that stupid wide legged trouser obsession four years ago. He pondered what skinny jeans he had. Obviously there was blue, but that didn't feel quite right. Grey? They had a few rip holes around the knees, so probably weren't smart enough. What else? White! Would white work? He racked his brains for any reason as to why his white jeans wouldn't be suitable. His conclusion was: nothing. Right, white skinnies it was then!

With half of his outfit planned, he turned back to his wardrobe and located the jeans, pulling them out. He hung them where he could look at them while selecting what to wear on his top half. He picked up, and put back down, his Lady Gaga t-shirt. He figured that, whatever the event was, it wouldn't suit it. The next item to be discarded was his button up pink shirt. He didn't want any stupid remarks, not tonight. He spied a shirt at the back of his wardrobe and pulled it out to get a closer look. He had hardly worn it - a cream button up short sleeved shirt with a wide pale green gingham pattern. He titled his head to one side, then the other. It was a nice shirt. And, he thought, it was perfect for the occasion! He held it up next to his jeans and his heart sank. With the cream, it clashed horribly with the white. Disappointed, he went to replace the shirt. However, he paused. A green leg was hanging over the top of his chest of drawers. Of course! Last week he had bought himself a pair of bright green skin-tight jeans, only to discover that he needed a belt to go with them and he didn't have one that would suit it. And then… his brain sped at 100 miles per hour. He had bought a belt! He dived into his top drawer and pulled out the black and gold belt with a cheer. Replacing the white jeans, he grabbed the green ones and pulled them on, before remembering the trousers he already had on and, blushing, had to remove those before attempting again to wriggle into his new jeans. He slid the belt on and his heart leapt. They were now a perfect fit! He tore his shirt off, eager to see his entire outfit. Not bothering to undo most of the buttons on the green shirt, he slid it over his head, doing up the final buttons, then undoing two of them again. He admired the look in his full-length mirror and smiled. Perfect!

Meanwhile, Blaine had finished his shower and was now drying himself. He wrapped his towel around his waist and stood over the sink, shaving his skin. With smooth cheeks, he decided to move onto hair next and his hand went down on his gel. Only he didn't pick up his gel. His hand held only air. Now off auto-pilot, he looked at the surface next to the sink, searching for his vanished hair product. At that moment, Kurt came in and Blaine caught his breath. His boyfriend looked even more stunning now than when he had poked his head around the door ready to eat. Now, he looked good enough to eat! Quickly shaking his head to rid it of any thoughts of that kind, he resumed his search. Kurt leaned over him and grabbed his concealer, standing in front of the mirror to make his perfect face as flawless as he could get it. Blaine still stood, bemused.

"Kurt, have you seen my gel?"

Kurt's eyes showed a shocked, puzzled expression. "Is it not on the side?" Blaine pointed to the spot where it always sat. "Oh," was all that Kurt could reply with. "Maybe you ran out?"

Blaine raised his gorgeous dark eyebrows in mocking. "Yes Kurt. And maybe the moon is actually home to millions of tiny, purple ants called Thud and every night they sit watching reruns of Doctor Who."

Kurt giggled. "I see your point. But no, I haven't seen it." Kurt's face was unreadable, but not that Blaine doubted him anyway.

"Oh, well I guess I'll keep trying!" He squeezed Kurt's shoulders as he shimmied past him and out into the bedroom. He had picked his outfit out months ago, but little things had been slowly added to his collection. He opened up his own wardrobe and stepped into a pair of boxers after sliding his towel off. He pulled his grey jeans on and put his arms into a short sleeved white shirt. He buttoned it up and then pulled his navy woollen vest over his head. He smoothed it down and then thought about it; it would be cold later but at the minute it was still boiling hot outside. Maybe he should wear his braces (red and blue striped, of course) first, then put his vest on later? Confident with that decision, he tugged the vest off again. He grimaced as he saw his hair getting messed up, but then smiled when he thought of how much Kurt loved his curls. However, the grimace soon returned when he realised how public his hair would be later. He dug his hand around in his drawer and pulled out the red-and-navy-striped bowtie that he had got especially for the occasion. He decided to put his braces on first and he clipped them in place. He tied the bowtie with perfection (well, it should be after all those years!) and then rummaged around in his sock drawer. He laughed as his hand closed on what he was looking for and pulled out the pair of socks that Kurt had had made for him. At the time, he knew it was perfect for this event. Kurt had been clueless.

The socks were navy, red and white. Down the front was a navy and red striped tie, surrounded by a white shirt, and that by a navy blazer with red piping. The toe and heel were red, and around the top of the sock, the words 'Warbler Blaine' were written in white cotton. Blaine sat down on the bed and tugged them on, pulling his polished black shoes over the top of them. He grabbed his messenger bag with the sheet music in (for emergencies) and stuffed his vest inside. He then continued the search for his elusive hair gel.

As Kurt finished concealing the worst of his scars, he grinned at the spot where Blaine's gel had once sat. He had waited for this day for weeks. Months. No, years! Kurt strolled out the bathroom to find Blaine rummaging around in his bag and lying on the floor to check under the furniture. Kurt blushed a little as he saw his boyfriend just laying there, his hands pressed to the floor and head titled slightly to peer around. He coughed politely to make his presence known and Blaine looked up.

"Oh, there you are. You look…" Blaine was at a loss for words and Kurt started to worry. Seeing his boyfriend's discomfort, Blaine pushed himself from the ground and went to stand next to Kurt, looking at the same level as himself in preparation to kiss the other boy. "Beautiful," he concluded and brought his lips in for a tender kiss. As he pulled away, Kurt was staring straight into his hazel eyes, and seemingly looking right into his soul.

"I like it when we're the same height," he exclaimed. Blaine grinned and looked down to see the shoes on his feet next to Kurt's bare ones. Kurt's toes wriggled slightly and Blaine bit his lip.

"Five more minutes. Just five, I promise, and then we'll go!" Blaine started searching the room again and Kurt watched for a few seconds before grabbing a pair of socks from his own sock drawer and heading out of the room, into the lounge.

Kurt flopped down on the sofa and pulled his socks on. They were nothing special, just black ankle socks. He remembered Blaine's Warbler socks that he'd seen him wearing and his curiosity for the night increased. Although, he considered with a less excited part of his mind, he did wear them a lot. Like, at least once a week. And most of the time more often than that! Kurt sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he'd just have to wait and find out. He wandered over to the front door of their apartment and picked up his brown brogues, loosening the laces and slipping his feet in, before kneeling on the floor to tie them again. He got up and grabbed his cream summer jacket for in case it got cold later.

He meandered back over to their bedroom door and leaned in, face leaning on the hand that held on to the doorframe. Blaine saw him, glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up. He picked up his bag off the floor and flung it over his shoulder. He walked past Kurt and out into the corridor, grabbing Kurt's coat on the way.

"Right, that's it - I give up!" Blaine announced.

Kurt grinned. He turned to glance at the top drawer of his bedside cabinet through the gap in the bedroom door before following Blaine out the door, towards the theatre.

Well, how was that? Did you like it? If so, review. If not, REVIEW!

My dad booked a holiday on Saturday, so I am going away. Yes, I am going away THIS SATURDAY! And no, I am not going to abandon you. There will, unfortunately, be no wifi where I am staying, but I have asked Coatsy if she'd be kind enough to upload for me while I'm away, and guess what? She said yes! So I shall be busy scribbling away these next few days to make sure that everything is ready for her to just log on and upload. I have also given her permission to sabotage my author's notes, so make sure you say hi to her! Chapters 4 and 5 will be uploaded by her, and hopefully, while I'm away, I will be able to write chapter 6. So all is well!

in the next chapter I am going to begin to introduce my original characters (OCs). I am going to give fair warning now; I will introduce most of the Ne Directions at some point (not quite yet), but be prepared for change. I understand that things change after high school, so I may well break up your favourite pair. I am sorry, but I always strive to write my stories realistic over happy and cheerful.

And yes, I couldn't resist getting a Doctor Who mention in there! I mean, who hasn't made a link? I'll say three things: childishness, the Boy Who Waited, and bow ties. And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, find a hole and crawl into it with your computer and spend three whole hours researching Doctor Who. Okay? Okay? Good.

On a brief side note, there is currently a spider hanging above my head and I am terrified of spiders. And the dark. But right now, it's the spider that's bothering me. :/ Oh shit; it's gone.

Right, I'm going to finish quickly. I can't thank you enough for reviewing, favouriting, alerting, or even just reading.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

I never feel like I do enough for charities. Sure, all my old stuff goes to Cancer Research and I am always in the charity shops in my town. But I want to just go up to collection pots and put money in. So, for every review I get for this story, I will donate 10p to a charity. If you have a favourite, please let me know in your review and I'll see what I can do. Let's see how much we can donate, eh?

Oh, I found the spider by the way. When it crawled on my neck.

If you were brave enough to read all the way to here, say "ants called Thud" in your review!