Oh my god I'm sorry this is later than expected! Please don't think I forgot! In fact I've really only just finished this over and had it approved by my friend/beta reader! Like I said on Monday, these chapters have been really hard for me to write and I had terrible WB with this chapter, so I've been writing little bits over the past few days and then I finally broke through today and wrote the second half of this in about three hours. That sounds like a long time, but I also had a little problem with my laptop telling me there was a security risk every 2 minutes and so I had to hurriedly update my Norton Antivirus stuff. *Sigh*

Oh well, it's here now! And I'm sorry if it's not up to standard - I had my maths exams this week and I've been freaking out about them for the past few weeks!


"Well, that was lovely." Blaine smiled as he rested his knife and fork on his plate, leaning back in his chair. Kurt smiled from across the table, just finishing the last bite of his own food before standing up to take both of their plates to the sink.

Upon entering the kitchen earlier they had found Finn helping himself to the contents of Kurt and Rachel's fridge, his fiancée scolding him from the table of how many calories she could only estimate were in all the food that he ate. Rachel had since left for her bedroom to prepare her class work for the following day, leaving Finn to entertain himself. Seeing that Kurt and Blaine had left the living room, Finn had called 'dibs' on the television and seconds later the apartment was filled with the sound of cheering as Finn watched some football game or another.

Kurt had then ordered Blaine to 'sit down and leave lunch to me', ignoring Blaine's protests that he had promised to cook lunch for him today. But he had to admire how quickly Kurt could put together a dish, and even though it was only a pasta salad it was one the freshest meals Blaine had eaten in a long time.

Blaine stood up and moved towards the kitchen, eager to help Kurt tidy up in return for the food he had prepared him, but once again he was directed back to the table. "You are my guest, Blaine," Kurt told him. "I will not have you partake in housework."

"But I want to help," Blaine moaned. "Just let me do something." He stood next to Kurt, leaning against the countertop as he watched Kurt immerse his hands into the hot water. Kurt eyed him sideways and Blaine pouted back. Against such a childish expression, Kurt could only hold his stern expression for so long and eventually gave in, letting out the laugh that he had tried so hard to hold back.

"Fine, you can dry." Kurt grabbed a tea towel from where it was hung on the cupboard door next to the sink and threw it lightly toward Blaine, smiling as it landed on his chest. Blaine smiled and took the towel in his hands, the two of silently working together until everything was washed and dried.


"So," Kurt said quietly as he pulled out the plug and watched the water in the sink slowly disappear. "This morning, you and… How'd it go?" He turned to Blaine, and felt slightly guilty when he saw that his friend's smile had vanished, only to be replaced by a sorrowful, almost painful, frown.

"It was… I mean, obviously it was, erm… hard." Blaine looked to the floor, wringing the towel in his hands as he thought about the argument he had had with Sebastian after Kurt had left. "We… argued- Well, more like I yelled at him and he just fucking sat there and took it." He twisted the towel harshly and Kurt could see the material straining. He reached out and gently removed the towel from Blaine's grip before it got torn, hanging it back on the cupboard handle. "Sorry," Blaine mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, breathing deeply to calm himself down.

"But, you ended it with him, right?" Kurt asked, a little more hope in his voice than he intended to show. Blaine looked up at him with a blank expression and then began to frown.

"Well of course I did," He retorted. "It's not exactly something you can forgive easily, is it?" Kurt was taken aback by his tone and shifted uneasily. "I'm sorry, Kurt," Blaine sighed, realising and looking up. "It's not your fault, I just- I guess I'm still in shock."

"It's okay," Kurt reassured him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it, yet?" Blaine sighed again and looked anywhere but at Kurt. He was still reeling from earlier and his emotions were all over the place. He opened his mouth to talk, but was interrupted before any words could escape his lips.

"Hi, Blaine," Rachel smiled sympathetically as she came into the room, coming over and wrapping her arms around him before Kurt could stop her. She held him close to her and squeezed slightly, catching by surprise. He looked to Kurt, who was just as shocked as he was, before cautiously returning the hug. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Rachel pulled away and held Blaine at arm's length, peering up at him with friendly concern. "How are you doing?" She asked, her tone almost patronizing as she tilted her head to the side.

"I'm… okay," He replied, trying to gently ease his way out of her grip. He felt a little uncomfortable with this girl he had never met before randomly hugging him, let alone knowing his name and being aware of the fact that he was in need of comfort. He'd already guessed that Kurt had told this girl about him and Sebastian by the way she had greeted him, her voice full of sympathy. But he hadn't expected her to be so… forward, especially to a stranger. He looked up at Kurt to see him with his hand over his mouth, obviously trying to hide his amusement but failing at it miserably. Blaine felt his cheeks flush and looked back to the girl, who was still smiling up at him. He wasn't exactly sure if he was comfortable with her knowing more about his personal life than he did about hers, but he didn't have a choice in the matter. "You must be Rachel." He held his hand out to her and she raised an eyebrow at him, obviously not satisfied with his form of greeting, but shook it anyway.

"I am," She smiled widely, fluttering her eyelashes ever so slightly. Kurt rolled his eyes behind her so that Rachel couldn't see, and Blaine smirked as Rachel turned around to see what he was laughing at, Kurt raising his hands in defence and denying that he had done anything.

"I just want to say how much I loved you in West Side Story on Sunday," Rachel gushed, turning back to Blaine and blushing ever so slightly.

"Erm, thanks," Blaine blushed himself, not used to being confronted by fans.

"No problem," She smiled, trying to act casual. Both Kurt and Blaine had expected her to leave then, but instead Rachel remained where she stood, smiling up at Blaine.

"Look, Rach, I'm sure Blaine is very glad to meet you," Kurt stepped forward and took her by the shoulders, steering her away from Blaine. "But now is not the time, okay?" She pouted at him before turning abruptly and going into the living room to join her fiancé.

"So, where were we?" Kurt turned back to Blaine, coming over to stand next to him and leaning against the countertop.

"I think I was just about to spill my guts out about this morning?" Blaine half-smiled, but Kurt could tell that he was far from happy talking about it.

"Ah yes," Kurt straightened up slightly, his expression going from joking to concerned. "I remember. Want to sit down?" He gestured towards the table and Blaine nodded, deciding that if he was going to cry it would be easier to have the chair and table for support, rather than letting his knees buckle beneath him.

They sat opposite each other; it made it easier to talk that way and it just seemed to work for them. Blaine had no idea where to begin – the whole affair (pardon the pun) was still sinking in, and he wasn't exactly sure he'd fully understood it at the time – but luckily for him Kurt had some idea of at least how to start this difficult conversation.

"So, how are you feeling now? Y'know, now a few hours have passed."

It took Blaine a few minutes to think about his answer because, in all honesty, he wasn't sure how he felt about it all right now. Of course, he was utterly heartbroken, but he almost felt… relieved. For months his relationship with Sebastian had been dwindling, hanging on a thread that could snap at any moment, and Blaine was certain that it was his fault – at least now he knew the reason behind Sebastian's distance from him. However, he still couldn't completely believe that none of this was his fault; he must have done something for Sebastian to turn to an affair.

"Stop it, Blaine." Kurt suddenly said, eyeing him closely.

"Stop what?"

"Stop blaming yourself for this. None of it was your fault, okay?" Blaine's jaw almost hit the floor. How could Kurt have possibly known what he was thinking about?

"How did you-?"

"Because it's written all over your face," Kurt stated, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and smirking slightly. "I've helped friends of mine through break-ups before; I'm not stupid - I know that look." He reached a hand across the table and took Blaine's gently, squeezing it slightly. "The only person in the blame here is Sebastian – okay two people; Jeremiah's to blame as well -" Blaine winced at the names, but Kurt just gave his hand another affectionate squeeze combined with a smile. "So don't you dare go blaming yourself. I won't allow it."

Blaine gazed at his oldest friend with – what was it? Admiration? "How'd you get to be so smart, huh?" He smiled, and Kurt blushed.

"Shut up." He demanded playfully, his cheeks still a faint shade of red. "This isn't about me," He looked Blaine in the eye. "It's about you."

Blaine sighed; he didn't want to talk about it so much anymore. The wound was still fresh and talking about was just like rubbing salt in. Annoyingly, Kurt seemed to be able to read his thoughts exactly.

"Look, I know it's hard and I'm really starting to feel like I'm bugging you for pushing you to talk about it, it's just," He paused, looking down at the table. "I don't want you to bottle it all away – trust me; it only makes it worse." The look in Kurt's eyes told Blaine that he must have had an experience in the past where he'd bottled up his emotions over something and it hadn't turned out well, but he refrained from asking about it because, quite frankly, he was a little scared of Kurt telling him off again.

They sat for a while with only the faint sounds of the TV to fill the silence between them, and at the same time seemed to realise that they were still holding hands over the table. Blaine didn't really want to let go, but Kurt pulled away before he could protest, clearing his throat awkwardly and rubbing the back of his neck.

Blaine wanted to talk about everything, get his feelings off his chest and allow himself to move on, and even though he'd only met Kurt again a few days before he felt completely at ease with him. So why was this so hard? It was almost as if he didn't want to taint their renewed friendship with the bad memories of Sebastian, but he realised that had already happened; Kurt had been there this morning.

"What happened after I left?" Kurt asked quietly, and Blaine looked up from his hands on the table to see Kurt looking at him with curiosity.

Blaine shifted in his seat, remembering the argument that had broken out after Kurt's departure, and how he'd nearly thrown Jeremiah out of the apartment before leaving himself. "We… argued. A lot." He finally answered, looking back to his hands. He didn't know whether to tell Kurt about how he'd smashed all of the photos of him and Sebastian together, and how he'd had to hold himself back from causing any serious injury to the man who had caused all the commotion.

"What about Jeremiah?" Kurt asked, his eyes not quite meeting Blaine's.

"I… I had to stop myself from hitting him in the face," Kurt snorted across the table before clamping his hand across his mouth, a look of both shock and embarrassment on his face.

"Sorry," He mumbled as his cheeks burnt bright red. "It just… sounded funny. You said it so bluntly. I wasn't expecting it." He shrugged his shoulders slightly and looked away, but found his gaze snapping back to Blaine when he heard him laughing.

"No, now I think about it, it is pretty funny." Blaine shook his head slightly and ran a hand through his hair, recalling the constant look of panic on Jeremiah's face; despite Blaine being two years younger than him, Jeremiah was still wary of him after the one time he had seen Blaine actually fight anyone. But that was another story.

"So, apart from nearly hitting Jeremiah in the face, what else happened after I fled?" Kurt spoke up again, seeming to have regained some of his confidence from the awkward moment before. "Sorry about that by the way." He added quickly.

"It's okay," Blaine replied, and he meant it. "I didn't expect you to stay; that would have been weird. For the both of us." Kurt didn't say anything but nodded in agreement, and so Blaine continued. "But, after you left, I got – well, I got pretty upset. And very angry. I smashed all those pictures," Kurt's eyes widened and he gasped. "And I pushed Sebastian onto the sofa and yelled in his face. That was until Jeremiah butted in and I nearly threw him out." He looked down at his hands, opening them up so that his palms were facing him, remembering the feeling of holding Jeremiah up against the door by his collar.

And then the next thing he saw was Kurt's hand in his, making him look up at the chestnut-haired boy in surprise, but he didn't draw his hand back; he liked it where it was.

"So that's it?" Kurt asked, pulling his hand away again as his goal of getting Blaine's attention had been accomplished already. "Nothing else?"

"Not really," Blaine shrugged, lacing his fingers together and setting his hands in front of him on the table rather than acknowledging how empty they felt without having someone else's hand to hold. "Just shouting and stuff that I'd really rather not repeat; it wasn't my finest hour."

"I bet," Kurt chuckled, and Blaine was relieved that he was taking it so easy on him now that he'd actually spoken up. Of course, he knew that Kurt wanted him to actually delve into his emotions on the topic, but right now Kurt seemed satisfied with Blaine at least telling him what had happened.

And it was then, it that moment of silence, that Blaine realised that he had nowhere to stay tonight; there was no way that he would be going back to that apartment while he was still breathing, and he couldn't expect Kurt and Rachel to put him up for the night having only just met Rachel a few moments earlier and Kurt again on Tuesday night.

"Are there any good – cheap – hotels nearby?" Blaine asked, not meeting Kurt's gaze for fear of having offended him. But he didn't need to look at Kurt to know that he had.

"Excuse me?" Blaine looked up; Kurt looked absolutely horrified at him.

"Well, I'm going to need somewhere to stay tonight," He explained, knowing that he was probably making it worse for himself but Kurt was already helping him out enough and he really couldn't ask him for anything more than being a stable shoulder for him to cry on and support him. "I'm not going back… there, and I can't expect you to-"

"Blaine, shut up." This time, Kurt's tone wasn't light and playful; it was serious and Blaine knew better than to fight it. "You're staying here tonight and you know it."

"What about-"

"Rachel can go to Finn's. I'm sure they won't object to her staying over for a few nights."

"A few nights? Kurt, I can't ask you to do that-"

"Good; because whether you ask or not, you're staying here anyway." Kurt stood up from the table and headed towards the living room, most likely to check that Rachel and Finn were okay with the sudden change of arrangements. He stopped abruptly at the door and turned back to Blaine. "It may have been sixteen years since we last saw each other, Blaine," He said, his tone of voice and facial expression now much softer. "But don't for one second think that it means I care any less about you."

And before Blaine could reply Kurt had disappeared into the living room, the only thing he could hear then being the muffled voices of Kurt, Finn and Rachel and the TV, the volume of which had now increased slightly due the door being opened.

Now on his own, Blaine could allow himself to actually think over what Kurt had said to him. Of course Kurt would still care about him – he still cared about Kurt – but to hear that the extent of it hadn't changed? That was what had taken him slightly by surprise. Blaine was pretty sure that, had they had their own apartments when they were nine years old and they had gone through the same – if not, similar – circumstances, Kurt would be demanding that Blaine stayed with him, even if that meant temporarily kicking out his roommate.

And Blaine knew that if the tables were turned, and Kurt had just broken up with his boyfriend of six years, he would be doing the exact same thing. It was a reassuring feeling to know that their friendship had stayed so strong over the past sixteen years despite them not seeing each other until a few days ago; it held good prospects for the future.


Kurt came back into the dining room to find Blaine smiling to himself, still sat in the same position as he had been when Kurt had left him. He opened his mouth to ask Blaine what he was smiling about, but decided not to ruin it; if Blaine had a smile on his face, what it was for didn't matter.

"It's sorted," He said, without even realising he'd been planning to say anything at all. Blaine's head shot up and it seemed to take him a few moments to snap out of his reverie and recognise Kurt, and Kurt's heart sank a little at seeing Blaine's smile disappearing. "Rachel's going to stay at Finn's for a few days and she said it's fine for you to stay in her room, so it looks like we're going to be roommates for the next few days." He grinned at Blaine; the prospect of getting to know him again after all these years was too exciting for him to hide it.


Was that okay? Gah, I'm freaking out so much that my writing standard has declined over the past few days. My friend told me that she thought this was adorable, but I'm still a little... eh, about it.

Anyway, I shall stop rambling about this now and get onto Chapter 16 now. Or maybe another drabble... who knows? All I know is I wanna write Klaine, I wanna write it bad and I wanna write it now. :)

Reviews make me smile like a fool, and I think next chapter I'm going to start doing shout-outs for my reviewers because I love you guys so much :D 3

C xx

P.S - Oh, and thank you to RainySunnyEnding for the chapter name suggestion for chapter 14! :)