"Fashion is what you're offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose." — Lauren Hutton

February

At 8am on Saturday morning, the sun pours through the bedroom window and Blaine cautiously opens an eye. His head is pounding, and Blaine quickly realizes that he is sprawled on top of his bed, still wearing last night's tux. He groans and slowly moves to the window to close the blackout curtains. When Blaine returns to his bed, he notices that Sam has left a huge glass of water and two pain relievers on his nightstand. Best. Roommate. Ever. He strips to his boxer briefs and crawls under the sheets for a few more hours of sleep.

At 11am, Blaine wakes up to the smell of bacon and sausages frying in the kitchen. He feels infinitely better than he had at 8am, but not all that great. He takes a brisk shower to liven himself up and changes into sweatpants and a T-shirt. When Blaine approaches the kitchen, he sees Amy, his housekeeper, making western omelets. Sam is sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping at a cup of coffee and chatting away to Amy.

"Good morning, Blaine," Amy greets when she sees him. "There's freshly brewed coffee in the pot and breakfast is almost ready. Nothing like a greasy meal to soak up all the excess alcohol swimming around in your body." She quickly places the dishes on the table, along with Blaine's tablet, which she charged up earlier in the morning. "I'm off to tidy up your bedroom and see what needs doing with last night's outfit. Just holler if you need anything."

When Amy disappears, Sam chuckles at Blaine's state. "You know, Amy spoils you rotten. Once she saw the photos of you last night at the National Awards after-party on Instagram, she was googling hang-over remedies. She even popped out to the corner shop to buy you some Alka Seltzer and energy drinks."

Blaine drops his head onto the table top. After the National Awards ceremony, Blaine and Sam had been whisked away to Variety's after-party. Blaine was in such a happy place with the coveted 'Magazine of the Year' award, that he broke his sobriety in public rule and had two glasses of the delicious vintage champagne. The rest was just a fuzzy memory of singing and dancing. Blaine shyly looks up and asks, "I didn't do or say anything really embarrassing, did I?"

"Of course not, Blaine. I wouldn't have let that happen– I had your back the entire evening. Tina was there too, looking out for the paps. However, you did sing 'Magic Man' during karaoke and rambled on about blue eyes. Everyone thought you were referring to Frank Sinatra, but I knew better." Sam starts to gently sing.

Cold late night so long ago
When I was not so strong you know
A pretty man came to me
Never seen eyes so blue

Okay… Blaine did remember that part of the evening. The lyrics of 'Magic Man' do refer to a pretty man and eyes so blue, but he had definitely not been thinking of Frank Sinatra when he sang the song. He digs into his breakfast and mentally thanks Amy for the greasy offerings - he's feeling better already. "Did anything embarrassing hit social media?"

"Relax, nothing really embarrassing. Blam is still trending world-wide on Twitter. I can't decide which photo I like best – the one of you kissing my cheek when you won the 'Magazine of the Year' award, or the one of us walking out of the Variety party with arms wrapped around each other. That last photo looks more like 'we can't wait to be alone together', and not like I am holding you up."

Blaine chuckles at the thought. He trusts Sam's judgment and decides to leave the review of the social media sites until later in the day. He notices that Sam has been staring at him for some time, but doesn't understand why. "What? Why are you staring at me?"

Sam takes his and Blaine's coffee mugs and he refills them before rejoining him at the table. After a sip, Sam starts to speak. "I know I'm not a genius, but I can tell that you are really taken by Kurt. I can see it in your eyes, and we both know why you sang 'Magic Man'."

Blaine ducks his head and blushes furiously. "Well, maybe I do find Kurt Hummel rather intriguing. It's not so much his looks, but how he treats me. Kurt is the first genuine person I have met in a long, long time. But, nothing is going to come of it… It's never going to happen. He must think of me as an old man. After all, I'm ten years his senior."

"Well, old men can be sexy too. Think of Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, and Colin Firth, to name a few. And you're not that old."

"It just wouldn't work. Ultimately, I'm his boss. Nothing good can come from mingling business and pleasure."


Sam shakes his head vehemently. "Dude, what do you mean by that? You're my best friend and I work for Vogue. It doesn't hurt our relationship because I'm not working directly for you. I really think you should give Kurt a chance. Start off with baby steps and let him be your friend. If you ever want to become more than friends, you just take one small step at a time. If you want to tell him about our 'relationship', you can. No problem."

"I would never do that. We let 'Blam' flourish in the media to take the pressure off the both of us. The more people who know, the bigger the chance our real status will leak to the press. I only met Kurt on Friday… I barely know him. There's no way I'll risk our privacy… At least not until Mercedes finishes her national tour."

Amy returns from the bedroom and glances at the wall clock. "Blaine, you have 15 minutes before you are expected downstairs at the gym. I've booked you a session, with a sauna afterwards. Whatever alcohol is remaining in your body after that greasy breakfast, you can sweat out."


Blaine hates to admit it, but Amy was right. A gentle exercise session at the gym, followed by a sauna, has left him feeling refreshed. Amy is one of his best finds. She's been working for Blaine for two years now and is the rock in his personal life. Not only does she take care of the usual housekeeping duties, but she makes sure his personal life runs smoothly. She pays the household bills, manages his computer back-ups, and runs all his personal errands. She reminds him when Mother's Day is approaching and bookmarks web pages for potential presents. Most importantly, he trusts her. Amy's discreet and helps keep his private life ... private.

Blaine takes a long shower and changes into his pajamas. Who cares that it's 4pm? He's not going out and he isn't expecting any visitors. He enters the living room and feels the warmth of the logs burning in the fireplace. He gets himself comfortable on the couch, with his tablet in hand. This seems the best time to take a look at what the Internet has to say about last night. Before Blaine can power up his tablet, Amy enters the room and sets down a drink. "I read that coconut water is really great at curing hangovers. When you were at the gym, I took the liberty of going to that health food store you like so much and they recommended this brand. I'm going to be in the kitchen to make you and Sam a lasagna, but let me know if you need anything."

Blaine quickly rises from the couch and gives Amy a hug. He whispers into her ear, "Nobody takes care of me like you do. What did I do to deserve you?"

"You do plenty, Mr. A. Now go relax on the sofa and I'll tuck that throw blanket around you. They're predicting it's going to be cold tonight and you need to keep warm."

Now snugly warm in his living room, Blaine checks the social media sites about last night's awards and the after-party. Sam was right – the photos of them leaving Variety's after-party looked more like they had intimate plans for the rest of the evening and not like Blaine was buzzed from a few glasses of champagne. Blaine knows he's a lightweight when it comes to drinking, and reaffirms to himself that it won't happen again – at least not at high-profile public events.

Blaine watches a video on YouTube of his acceptance speech for the 'Magazine of the Year' award. He feels that he might have been foolhardy alluding to the special features in Vogue's May and June editions. But at the time, he was so happy and it had felt so right to include them in his acceptance speech. He had wanted to demonstrate that under his realm, Vogue was going to be number one for a long time ahead.

The YouTube side bar shows a video entitled 'Sebastian Smythe and Elle's reaction to the National Awards'. He clicks on the link and soon the screen is filled with Sebastian's face. "…Vogue deserves the 'Magazine of the Year' award, but time will tell whether it's a result of Anna Wintour's final influences before her retirement or Blaine Anderson's leadership. I'm betting on the former."

Blaine tosses his tablet to the other side of the couch and finishes off the coconut water. The nerve of Sebastian Smythe! Of course he would find a way to devalue his contribution to Vogue's success.

Blaine has known Sebastian since their Dalton days. During his sophomore year, Sebastian transferred to Dalton. In Blaine's eyes, Sebastian seemed like the height of sophistication. He had just moved from Paris and spoke impeccable French. Sebastian was oozing with confidence, out and proud, and wasn't shy about he wanted… And he wanted Blaine.

Blaine was initially flattered with the attention that Sebastian gave him. He agreed to a coffee date at the Lima Bean within a week of their meeting. Blaine enjoyed all the compliments that Sebastian gave him. It made him feel special to have someone as sophisticated as Sebastian notice him. When they were at the Lima Bean, Blaine agreed to go to Scandals, the local gay nightclub, the next Saturday night. Sebastian promised he would organize the fake IDs and Blaine felt like he was off on a new adventure…. a new gay adventure. The reality was slightly different than Blaine had expected.

Scandals was a dive that attracted all sorts of gay men, both desirable and undesirable. However, Blaine didn't notice the crowd, having just finished his first beer ever.

"Hey, Blaine. Let me buy you another beer. You sucked that one down really fast."

"Thanks Seb. It's hot in here, and I'm feeling really thirsty."

After Blaine had finished his second beer and was pleasantly buzzed, Sebastian led him onto the dance floor. 'Dancing Queen' was playing and Blaine shook his booty for all it was worth. Sebastian was smiling and soon encroached on Blaine's personal space.

"What do you say we go to the restroom and I'll fuck your sweet little ass? I'm sure you'll love it."

"I..I don't think so," Blaine tentatively replied.

"Why the shy act, Blaine? You're shaking your ass like crazy, so clearly you're desperate for some action. I don't usually bother with virgins, but you're sex on a stick and sing like a dream. Let me fuck you. I'll soon have you singing my my name so loud that everyone in the club will hear you. You'll be feeling it for days."

Blaine didn't want his first time to be 'fucking' in the restroom at Scandals or any other place, for that matter. "I'm not going to fuck anybody unless I'm in a committed relationship with him. I think that I'm worth more than that."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and drawled, "Are you now? Well, I think you're a cock-tease, and no gay man wants that. You need to learn how to live for the moment and get some when you can if you want to be a gay man. 'Put out or get out' as they say."

Blaine quickly rushed out of Scandals and was relieved that Sebastian didn't follow him.


Blaine places another log on the fire and thinks back to that night in Scandals. In many ways, he's glad that it had happened. It had made Blaine think about what he wants from another man, and a casual fuck is not it. Blaine has always desired a loving relationship. He wants the dates, the romance and someone who will love him, warts and all. Blaine wants the emotional stuff, as well as the physical, with the man of his life. Now, sitting alone in his penthouse, it seems like that it's a pipe dream.

Blaine thinks back to the Dalton years after the Scandals night. When Sebastian realized that he wasn't going to get into Blaine's pants, he started resenting Blaine's 'holier than thou' attitude and soon became his rival. Sure, Blaine was the Warblers' lead soloist and had a say in what they would sing. That all changed once Hunter Clarington became head of the Warbler Council… and Sebastian had his ear. Sebastian bagged himself a few of the solos, choosing lewd songs – how could Blaine forget 'Blow my Whistle'? Sebastian then went one step further and had spread rumors that Blaine was frigid and a cock-tease. While Blaine had loved his time at Dalton, he'd been very happy to graduate and move away from Sebastian.

However, that was not meant to be. Sebastian had attended Yale University and also majored in business studies. They were both members of their universities' debate teams and went head to head at intercollegiate challenges.

"…and I'm looking forward to marriage equality in all 50 states. Thank you." Blaine felt he had done his best to put forward his team's case for gay marriage equality. He had touched upon all the points he wanted to make – separation of church and state, an increase in adoption and foster parents, no effect on the heterosexual community, gay marriage already a reality, etc.

Sebastian soon stood up to represent the Yale team. He spouted off the cons for marriage equality – tax hikes, church rights, high divorce rates, violation of tradition, etc. Sebastian took a long cool look at Blaine and then added, "Besides, real gay men don't care about a committed relationship. The great thing about being gay is you can get some without any strings attached. I should know, I'm gay and proud of it."

Of course, the Yale team lost with Sebastian's closing remarks. Sebastian just couldn't keep his temper in check around Blaine, and he had retorted with vindictive remarks aimed at Blaine.


In a way, Blaine thinks that Sebastian has always been destined to be the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, Vogue's main competitor. Blaine followed Sebastian's career after graduating Yale. Through his father's connections, Sebastian landed a job at Elle Magazine upon graduation and made his way up the ladder to editor-in-chief. There were rumors about how this happened - sleeping with right people, blackmailing higher-ups, and stealing other people's ideas. Last year the contents of Vogue's Christmas edition was leaked to Sebastian and Elle released its own version of it one week earlier than Vogue. It made Vogue look like a copycat. The mole inside Vogue was identified and fired, but Blaine had no doubts that Sebastian will find other means to find out their well-kept secrets.

Blaine makes a vow to himself that he won't say another word about the May and June issues and will keep their contents under wrap. Sebastian would stoop very, very low to get a whiff of Vogue's brilliant ideas. Blaine goes to the dresser in the entrance way and pulls out a photo from his wallet. It's a picture of Blaine and Sebastian from their Dalton Warbler days. Blaine keeps it in his wallet as a reminder that Vogue does has real competition with Elle and he needs to work hard to keep Vogue on top.


The New York Fashion week is a whirlwind of events for Blaine. He has front row seats for all the top runway shows and VIP passes for the after-hour parties. Tina does her best to minimize schedule conflicts and Bentley gets him to the right place at the right time. In general, Blaine isn't impressed with the new lines - not enough fashion houses have taken risks in their new designs. However, it will make Marc Jacob's Hamilton-inspired line even more impressive when it's released in June.

Blaine manages to catch up with his mother at the Small Boutique event. It's held in a large convention center that houses row upon row of stalls, containing the offerings of smaller design houses that are just starting off. As they examine the booths, Blaine notices that his mother is in her element. She loves talking to the boutique owners and independent designers. While she's discussing the pros and cons of varying dress lengths, Blaine walks ahead and examines some vintage-styled brooches at a jewelry stall. He eyes an intricate bird brooch and thinks of Kurt. On impulse he whips out his phone, takes a photo of the brooch, and sends it to Kurt with the message "Crazily busy times at FW, but this reminded me of you. Birds are hippos' friends, but far less dangerous."

Blaine momentarily panics about having sent the text. Was it too much? How will Kurt react to it? When his phone pings, and Blaine quickly looks down at the new message, "Ha! Wish I could see the brooch for real. Keep looking, you might find other 'friends'. – K"

Blaine smiles at Kurt's response. He's done the right thing sending the text, and maybe, just maybe, it's the start of a new friendship. Blaine returns his focus to the stall and a vintage styled butterfly brooch studded with blue and green gemstones catches his eye. The jewels remind him of Kurt's eyes and the butterfly design prompts him to think about how the insect can change from an uninteresting cocoon into a gorgeous creature.

The stall owner notices Blaine's interest and cautiously approaches him – Blaine's the editor-in-chief of Vogue after all. "You have a good eye for jewelry, Mr. Anderson. That's my personal favorite from my collection. The gemstones are sapphires, emeralds and diamonds. Each one of them is unique in form and color. Are you buying for someone special?"

Blaine ducks his head so that the stall owner can't tell that he's blushing. "Uh… – I guess it does remind me of someone special. The brooch is beautiful, and I can't pass it up." Blaine takes out his credit card and adds, "I'll buy it. Is it possible for you to send it to my office?"

As the stall owner processes the credit card and Blaine writes down Tina's contact information, his mother approaches and glances at the piece of jewelry. "Oh Blaine, this brooch is exquisite. Are you buying it?"

"Yes, I am. It just… reminds me of someone." Blaine's nervous because his mother can read him like a book. Blaine doesn't want to get into a conversation with her about Kurt and what he means to Blaine… because he doesn't know exactly what Kurt means to him.

Once the sales transaction is completed, Pamela comments, "Well, that someone must be very special. I'm sure he'll love it. Now come over here with me. I need your opinion on these hats."


"Wes, I have Mr. Kurt Hummel here to see you," the receptionist announces.

"Thank you. Send him in." Wes gets up from his seat, approaches the office door and greets Kurt warmly. "Kurt, it's great to see you again. Wow - look at you! Could you slowly spin around please?"

As Kurt spins around, Wes can already see the effects of the make-over and the two weeks of training and diet. Kurt's shirt fits that much more snugly and accentuates his newly acquired muscle definition. His hair is even more impressive, with a higher quiff and a few selected highlights in the front. Kurt still has the flawless porcelain skin, but his cheeks have a healthy glow. In a nutshell, Kurt is a perfect male specimen and a modeling agent's dream. "You look wonderful, Kurt. Please have a seat and tell me how the last two weeks have gone."

Kurt sits down on the upholstered seat and recounts his time since he last saw Wes. "I have to admit it's been a tough two weeks. Chrystal might appear sweet on the outside, but she's as tough as army boots on the inside. Did you know that she can tell when I haven't completed all my daily exercises at home? She's given me some equipment, like hand weights and an exercise ball, to make the daily routine a bit more interesting."

Wes laughs at Kurt's remarks. "Chrystal is one of the best in the business, and she didn't get there by being sweet. I can see the results in your upper arms already. Just make sure you don't bulk out. Beefy-looking models come a dime a dozen. How about your new diet regime?"

"There have been some highs and lows. It's much easier to eat healthily since I quit my job at the Starlight Diner. I've banned my roommate, who also works there, from bringing home any doggie bags. And the meal delivery system is really working. It helps that my main meal of the day is prepared for me and I just need to heat it up."

"So what are the lows?" Wes asks.

"It is so hard to keep to the approved food list when I am working out so much. Exercise makes me hungry! I've seen Oz Garcia four times since the initial consultation and we've devised a strategy of what to eat before and after exercising. He also has given advise how to allow myself to indulge on treats on occasion. I hope you don't mind that I've seen him so often. I'm sure he must cost a pretty penny."

Wes waves his hand to dismiss that idea. "Nonsense, Kurt. Judging by your look, he is worth every penny spent. I consider his consultation fees an investment in your future."

"Speaking of my future, what's happening? I feel guilty that Vogue is paying me so well to just take care of myself. Don't they want me to work?"

Wes chuckles and replies, "You're an eager beaver, Kurt. I met with Blaine before the New York Fashion week and he wants to keep you under wraps until the May issue is released."

"But that's months away!"

"Yes, it is. Blaine has made a business decision that you are to be Vogue's fresh face, which he referred to during his acceptance speech at the National Awards ceremony. And in order to be a fresh face, you need to keep a low profile until May. Timing is key in the fashion industry, and Blaine knows what he's doing."

"Okay, I can see your point. So do I just continue to look after myself for the next few months?"

"Yes," Wes confirms. "Blaine and I have already agreed that you'll be part of the Hamilton-inspired photo spread that will be in the June issue. The photo shoot will happen sometime in May."

"What? A Hamilton-inspired photo spread? I only casually mentioned the idea to Blaine two weeks ago!"

"One of Blaine's many strengths is his ability to act on great ideas quickly. He has already discussed it with Marc Jacobs, who is designing a Hamilton-inspired summer fashion line."

"Marc Jacobs? The Marc Jacobs likes the idea? And he's designing his summer line around it?"

"Yes, he likes the idea and his new summer line includes Hamilton-inspired designs. The fashion industry can move quickly when it wants to. I've agreed with Blaine that not only should you continue with your make-over regime over the next couple of months, but you should also brainstorm about the variety of ways in which Vogue can use Broadway in its June issue. Blaine plans to call you soon to go over your ideas."

Wes grins to himself when he sees the shocked expression on Kurt's face. Blaine has given Kurt the opportunity of a lifetime, both behind the camera and behind the scenes. Wes has a feeling that Kurt will be up for the challenge.

"I'd better get going, Wes. I have some research to do, and I need to get my ideas ready to present to Blaine. This has been the most interesting meeting."


With the New York Fashion Week behind him, Blaine can now focus on the day-to-day running of Vogue. He looks at the final mock-ups for Vogue's May issue and is pleased with the results. The editorial committee has picked four wonderful photos of Kurt to be included in the May issue. He loves one of the photos in particular – it perfectly captures Kurt's smile and the feeling of hope. Blaine decides that the photo will be on the cover of the May issue. He then contemplates where to put the framed cover in the office. Should it be on the opposite side of his desk so that he has a good view of it? Or should it be on the wall directly facing the office entrance so that visitors will see it? As he daydreams about what the cover will look like, Tina buzzes him. "I've got Wes Montgomery on line one for you."

After thanking Tina, Blaine picks up the phone. "Hey, Wes. I trust you're calling about your meeting with Kurt this morning?"

"Yes, I am, Blaine. He's ready."

"Ready for what? Don't leave out any details." Blaine can hardly contain his excitement with the prospect of Kurt being 'ready'.

"You are going to be impressed with Kurt's make-over. I can hardly believe the results myself – and that's just after two weeks. I didn't give him a thorough inspection, but his upper arms are definitely more toned and have the perfect muscle definition for his build. His hair is even more amazing than before. But most importantly, he is positively glowing."

Blaine shakes his head to get rid of the image of an even more perfect Kurt. "How did he seem emotionally? Is he still on board with the modeling career?"

"Yes, he is totally on board with being a model. However, I sense that he's bored and wants to prove his worth to Vogue over the next few months… before his next photo shoot. I told him about the Broadway theme for the June issue and how you really want to tap into his ideas. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He left the office with a new sense of purpose. You are going to meet with Kurt to explore his ideas, aren't you Blaine?"

"Yes, of course. Now that the New York Fashion Week is over, I have more available time in my diary. I'll set up a meeting sometime next week."

"Great, Blaine. I think that you can get a lot of useful ideas from Kurt, with a little bit of encouragement and direction. Let me know how it works out."

"I'll talk to you soon, Wes," Blaine replies and hangs up the phone. Blaine looks at the photo of Kurt that will adorn the May issue. He can hardly imagine what a new and improved Kurt Hummel will look like. He trusts Wes and knows that when he says Kurt's ready, Kurt is really ready.

Blaine considers the best way to approach a meeting with Kurt. Of course, the editor-in-chief side of him wants to explore Kurt's ideas on the Broadway theme. However, the man inside of him – the man who is lonely and doesn't let people in – wants to get to know Kurt better. He decides against a meeting at his Vogue office, which puts it on an entirely professional footing. But he can't be seen in public with Kurt either - there are too many prying eyes, and he wants Kurt's first public appearance as Vogue's fresh face to occur in May. He finally makes up his mind.

Blaine walks to his reception area and approaches Tina. "I need you to arrange for Kurt Hummel to come over to my place for lunch on Saturday. I want to explore his ideas on the June issue. Do you still have his contact details?"

There is a stunned expression on Tina's face. "Sure, I'll organize it right away, Blaine. But your place? I've never known you to conduct business at your place before. Is this a date?"

"No, of course it isn't a date. I don't want to come into the office on Saturday and we can't go out publicly until May - I want to avoid the paparazzi. The only logical place is my penthouse."

Blaine cautiously looks at Tina and wonders whether he has gotten away with this cover story. Secretly, he's thinking of it as a 'date' date and is already planning the menu.

Tina smirks and replies, "Whatever you say. I'll call Kurt now and I'll let you know afterwards." As Blaine returns to his office, Tina starts gently singing 'Anything could happen, anything could happen…"

Author's notes

Song that Blaine sings at Variety's after-party – Magic Man by Heart.
Song playing at Scandals – Dancing Queen by Abba
Song that Tina sings in the office – Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding

Thank you to Lilyandersteen, the most fabulous beta ever, although all mistakes are mine. Come visit me a Tumblr (HKVoyage) for the story artwork and my thoughts when writing this chapter. Reviews are like an iced-cool lemonade during a hot summer's afternoon.

Next up: Kurt has lunch with Blaine.