Author's Note: Whew! Back again. Another update is here. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. I can't stress enough how much they mean to me.

This chapter ran longer than I intended, so I had to split it up. :/ If I'd have kept it as one whole one, this wouldn't have been updated for another week or two. And I really wanted to give y'all guys an update!

SO without further ado, here it is!

Duet explanations:

Blaine (Bold)

Kurt (Italic/Bold)

*Both* (Italic/Bold/Stars)

Hope you like it and it makes sense! Let me know if it doesn't!

Happy Reading!

*Warning* for one or two curse words.

Again, no beta. All mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing, nothing. No profit made etc. See Chapter 1 for more elaborate disclaimer.

~C.J.

(Chapter 19)

"Blaine?" Kurt giggled, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm dying. Let me do it in peace." Blaine lay on the rooftop floor, head hanging over the side as he spit out that horrendous food one last time.

Kurt just took another bite of gluten free spaghetti and meat-substitute sauce. It was honestly one of Rachel's better-prepared vegan meals. "Stop being so dramatic. It's healthy."

"It tastes like deception and LIES!" He huffed, finally getting up off the floor to sit back across the table from Kurt. Blaine glared at the plate of faux-food, grabbing his beer and taking a swig to wash away the taste of deceit. "Fanny tried to poison me."

The chestnut haired boy rolled his eyes, "Rachel has been a vegan for like ever. Her cooking used to be a lot worse. Are you seriously not even going to try?"

"I never knew true sadness until I tasted meatless meat."

I should not find this cute.

"You are nothing more than a finicky toddler." Kurt snorted.

"Blech!" Blaine wrinkled his nose, sticking his tongue out at Kurt childishly.

"If my brother can stomach this, why can't you?"

"Because Finn wants to please Rachel. I have no such obligation." He said simply.

Kurt shook his head, "Don't make me spoon feed you."

"As adorable as I would find that, I fear not even your cute airplane noises would get me to swallow this concoction."

He stopped just as the spaghetti was about to touch his lips, raising an eyebrow at Blaine. "Wanna bet?"

"You wouldn't dare."

*Airplane Noises*

"I hate you." Blaine grimaced at the fork full of odd colored spaghetti that was zooming towards him, trying to hold his frown in place even as his lips tried to quirk up into a smile. At Kurt's expectant look, Blaine sighed, finding it impossible not to acquiescent with the blue eyed boy's wishes when he tilted his head like that. He begrudgingly accepted the fibbing food, inhaling it quickly and chasing it with another sip of his beer. The dark haired male burped. "Ugh, can I be done now?"

Kurt smirked, happily taking another bite of his food. "Well, you have been a good boy. I guess you can skip dinner this one time."

"Why must you mock me?"

"Why must you make it so easy for me to do so?" He smiled cheekily.

Blaine laughed, leaning back in his chair just to admire Kurt. The red sweater he wore highlighted his subtly rosy cheeks, a beautiful contrast against his alabaster skin. "Did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?"

Kurt choked a bit on his food, clearing his throat and taking a sip of sweet tea. "Um no, you haven't. But thank you. I…uh…I actually bought this outfit specifically for tonight."

"Don't I feel special?"

"Well, what about you? I can't speak for anyone else, but plaid bowties and suspenders are my kryptonite." He commented, leaning over the table to finger the purple and yellow accessory. Their faces were now within each other's intimate space.

I could kiss him right now.

Blaine cupped Kurt's cheek, softly rubbing his thumb along the prominent cheekbone. Kurt's glasz eyes flickered to hazel ones in surprise, features softening under the comforting touching. The olive skinned boy started to lean in. "Blaine?" The other whispered.

"Yes?"

"If you wanted to just skip to desert, all you had to do was ask." The paler boy ducked his head away, breaking their eye contact. Blaine could feel the porcelain skin heating up in his palm.

He let out a light huff, stroking the shell of Kurt's ear before pulling his hand away. The shiver that went through Kurt didn't go unnoticed. "Cold?"

Not exactly.

"I'm fine." Kurt righted himself back in his own chair; the cheek Blaine had been touching feeling oddly too cool now that it was exposed once again. "Just…still overwhelmed by all this." He gestured to the lit up area around them.

Blaine covered up their imposter Italian dish, wrapping them up and putting it away. Even though he wanted to do was toss them over the side of the building, but he could do that when Kurt wasn't around. "Good. If you'd been underwhelmed, I'd have been a bit peeved." He placed the plates in the small cooler he'd brought from his apartment, taking out two other smaller containers. "You're dessert, Monsieur."

Kurt watched as Blaine placed it in front of him, snorting at the horribly done French accent. "We just had Italian—"

"No, we had untruthful noodles."

"—and you're speaking French?"

Blaine made a pfft sound, opening his treat. "And you call me finicky."

Kurt pursed his lips, trying to his conceal his smirk. Blaine's grumblings were too cute. When he opened the desert however, "I'm confused."

He stabbed his sweet, scooping a bite into his mouth. "How so?" Almost moaning at eating something so yum after something so ugh.

"It's tiramisu." It almost sounded like a question.

"Mhmm…"

"But, not tiramisu."

"How about you take a bite to find out for certain?" Blaine smiled, licking his forth as Kurt tried to strategize going about attacking the triangular substance.

Kurt settled for taking a piece off the tip with his fork, staring at it for a moment before he let it disappear between his lips. "It's cheesecake."

"And?"

"Custard?"

"Uhuh."

"And coffee…what?"

Wait for it.

"Oh my gawd." Kurt moaned; eyes fluttering closed as he swallowed the delectable taste.

"I'm guess that means it's good?"

"Is this what I think it is?

"If by 'it,' you mean Tiramisu Cheesecake courtesy of The Cheesecake Factory, then yes, yes it is."

"It's so beautiful. I'm gonna cry." Kurt said dramatically, wiping at imaginary tears.

Blaine chuckled, "Aren't you glad I didn't let Rachel bake us her 'famous' carrot cake?"

"One: Count your blessings. That would have been vegan as well. Two: There is a foodgasm in my mouth. I can't even right now…" The paler man scooped up a bigger piece to eat, poking his tongue out to run over his bottom lip to chase the deliciousness.

Taste bud heaven.

Blaine smiled, continuing to enjoy his slice. "Just think how deprived you'd be back in Lima without me."

Kurt froze at Blaine's words, thickly swallowing what was in his mouth before wilting. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't start, Blaine." He pleaded. "This is nice. I don't…I don't want to talk about leaving when we're having such a great time."

Blaine sighed, and put down his fork. "You know why I asked you over here. Yeah, I wanted to show you a good time. Sue me, but I like making you smile." He gave Kurt a meaningful look. "I also don't want you to leave."

Oh, no.

"Kurt, you are the most stunning, interesting, and most heart-felt person I have ever met." Blue eyes widened, both in shock and a little in fear. "Stop me if I'm wrong but, I feel something happening between us. Something worth seeing through."

I feel it too.

GOD, I feel it too!

"Do you?" He whispered, trying not to get his hopes us.

"Yes, and I want us to give this a shot. A real shot." Blaine reached across the table and grasped Kurt's unmoving hand, ignoring that fact that he was gripping his fork knuckle tight. "Don't throw us away, not when we could be such a good thing, a great thing!" His other hand slipped down his side, pulling a sheet of paper out of his pant pocket.

I'm sorry, Trent.

But I can't let him slip through my fingers.

"It's not that simple. I need to—"

"Stop telling me what you NEED to do, and start telling me what you WANT to do."

Kurt scoffed, pulling his hand out of Blaine's warm grasp and wrapping his arms around himself. The fork clattered to the floor. "You think making a life changing decision is that easy? I have NOTHING here, Blaine. I have no money, no place to live—"

"Like Rachel and Finn would even bat an eye at you staying with them!"

"I'm not some free loader, Blaine!" The chestnut haired boy threw his hands in the air, "I'm not gonna put them out like that. I refuse to be anyone's burden."

"They're your family, and they fucking love you! You couldn't be a burden even if you tried." Blaine shook his head, frustrated. "I'm not the only one who wants you here. Everyone wants you to stay. Rachel, Finn, even Puck…we all want you here."

Kurt was trying to keep from getting too emotional, biting the inside of his lower lip to keep it from wobbling. "At home I have a purpose. I have a JOB."

The shorter male stood up and slapped the piece of paper down in front of Kurt. The other boy snatching it before the small sheet could flutter away in the cool breeze. Neither one paid attention to the chill, the small space heater doing it's best to keep them comfortably warm as the temperature steadily dropped. "But it's not the one you want, nor is it the one you deserve."

He stared at the paper in his hands, his entire being floored when all he saw was a specific time. Kurt pushed it back at Blaine, making sure to shove the precious item into the other's hands before letting go. Avoiding eye contact, "What is it?"

Blaine snorted, "You know what it is. I know you do."

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest protectively, still refusing to look at the other. "Don't know what you're talking about." He mumbled.

Bull. Shit.

Hazel eyes stared down the stubborn young man, seconds ticking by as he watched Kurt shift uncomfortably under his persistent gaze. "Baz. Luhrmann."

His gaze finally snapped up towards Blaine's, disbelief evident in his features. "Are you mental?! You don't give up an opportunity like that! PEOPLE don't give away opportunities like that!" Kurt stood up then too, clenching his teeth. "How can you even for one second think of giving me this? You don't toss away a chance with Baz Luhrmann."

Tell me about it.

"That's exactly what you're doing right now!"

"No! No, I'm not. I'm preventing you from making one of the stupidest mistakes of your life."

"A stupid mistake is not seizing this moment, this second chance at the dream you gave up on." He walked around the table towards Kurt. "I'm not the one looking for something in his life. You are. And this, this right here, this is it." Blaine held up the piece of paper again, urging Kurt to take it. "I already got what I need here."

He laughed humorously, "What you have isn't what you want, nor what you deserve." The glasz eyed man said pointedly, echoing Blaine's earlier justification. "And you don't have anything. THEY have you."

"Funny how you're able to notice all these things about everyone else, and yet, you refuse to see anything about yourself." Blaine sighed, carefully grabbing one of Kurt's fists. He put the time slot in pale hands, balling the other's hand back up to grip the sheet. They could hear the paper crunch. "Stop letting your past have you, and I'll start working on my present."

Kurt could feel it, the subtly sting in his eyes. How is this real? How is HE real? "You would literally throw away a golden ticket on a stranger. Why? Blaine, you don't even really know me."

The dark haired male grasped onto Kurt's shoulders gently, rubbing them when he felt the other boy trembling under his palms. "Then let's fix that, and just…let me in."

He huffed, "It's not exactly like flipping a switch."

"Well, call me crazy, but I'd be willing to work through each dimmer phase of your defensive lighting."

…

"That statement gave me a headache."

Blaine laughed, throwing his hands up before they settled on his head. "The entirety of your being gives me a headache! And yet, even after this frustrating ordeal, I find myself falling for your snippy, stubborn, goddamn sexy face harder and harder the longer I'm in your presence."

Kurt's breath caught, incredulity evident on his face as he gawked at the insane talking man in front of him. He took a few moments to blink slowly, processing Blaine's words. "Y-You're right," was what he decided on saying.

Blaine perked up at that.

I am?

…uh, what about now?

"You are crazy."

Oh…

His hands dropped to his sides once again, snorting at the comment, "Crazy for you maybe."

"That was cheesy and uncalled for and NOT funny!" Kurt shook his head, really trying not to smile.

"The truth is never cheesy."

"Shut up!" A slender finger pointed at Blaine in warning, "Or you might say something you can't take back." Before he could second-guess himself, Kurt reached forward and hastily stuffed the time slot into Blaine's front pocket, forgoing the other's olive hands. "I should go. This…I've already let this go too far." He started walking away from the hazel-eyed man, eyes set on the elevator.

"Why? Because I'm talking about something more than a hook-up, more than some fling?"

Kurt stopped mid-step, closing his eyes to take a deep rationalizing breath and refusing to turn around. "Beyond that, nothing else exists."

Nothing good. At least, that's been my experience.

"What about love?" Blaine asked softly.

He laughed dryly, opening his eyes to stare down at his red shoes. Kurt could see white specks beginning to float to the rooftop floor, melting and making it wet. "Love is just a game."

It's sleeting.

"Now that…that I don't believe for one second."

Kurt sighed in exasperation, turning to tell Blaine that anything else was nothing more than a fairytale myth they were force-fed as children. It was time to grow up.

But, as was strangely becoming the norm, Blaine surprised him.

I was made for loving you baby,

You were made for loving me.

The taller male furrowed his brows, caught off guard. "What are you doing?"

Blaine smiled, waving for Kurt to follow his lead. "Giving you a reason to stay." Confused blue eyes blinked at him, not comprehending at first. "Come on, Kurt." He held out an olive hand to him. "Sing with me."

Kurt looked at the gesture, his guarded self screaming at him to run like it's been doing the entire night, but—

The only way of loving me baby,

Is to pay a lovely fee?

His hopelessly romantic self, the part of him that he'd thought had been stamped out of him years ago, was already singing. Hesitant, but still.

Hazel eyes lit up.

Just one night,

Give me just one night.

Blaine stalked forward, pleading the words at the tentative young man.

There's no way,

'Cause I can't stay.

A small smile was forming on his porcelain face, even as the shorter man was backing him up against the side of the elevator. Shielding himself under it, and protecting his coiffed hair as the sleet came down a bit harder.

In the name of love!

One night in the name of love!

Two hands planted themselves against the cool brick of the wall, trapping the blue-eyed beauty in front of him.

Kurt giggled, brushing a stray white ice-flake from Blaine's long lashes. He leaned in close.

You crazy fool,

I won't give in to you.

Then he pushed the dark haired male off, sauntering away teasingly and turning the corner of the elevator.

Don't…leave me this way.

I can't survive, without your sweet love,

Oh baby, don't leave me this way.

Blaine gave chase, popping his head around the side to see Kurt leaning against it.

You'd think that people would've had enough of silly love songs?

His head was tilted down, but glasz eyes were fixated on Blaine.

I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh no.

Kurt smirked slightly, almost lethargic. He shifted so his cheek was pillowed on the wall, facing towards the other.

Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.

Blaine moved forward, cupping Kurt's exposed profile lovingly in his less guarded state and moving in for a kiss.

Well what's wrong with that?

I'd like to know.

Kurt's eyes had been closing, almost giving into the kiss. Once their lips brushed against each other, he squeaked at suddenly letting himself become so unraveled. He let out a harsh breath through his nose, pushing away from the elevator all together.

Cause here I go...again...

Hazel eyes narrowed, Blaine wasn't one to give up that easily.

Love lifts us up where we belong!

Kurt gasped as he heard utensils and the vase of flowers clatter to the floor, covering his mouth in horror when Blaine climbed the table in front of him and held his arms out at his sides like a crazy person. "Get down!" He tried, once his composure had returned to him somewhat.

Blaine only looked down at him, and laughed triumphantly. Then closed his eyes and lifted his head up to the sky, reveling at the feeling of drop after drop of frozen ice as it melted on his heated skin.

Where eagles fly,

On a mountain high!

When Blaine was yanked off the table, he was only barely surprised by it. Even though he wanted to smile, he had enough sense to look sheepish under Kurt's chastising glare.

Love makes us act like we are fools.

Throw our lives away,

For one happy day.

Two hands ran through his dampening chestnut hair. How is it possible to want to strangle and kiss somebody at the same time?

We could be heroes…

Just for one day.

He snaked his arms around Kurt's waist before he could retreat again, singing with conviction and certainty.

You, you will be mean.

Kurt lowered his head, softly whispering his fear, even if it was masked by coincidental lyrics.

No, I won't.

Blaine lifted Kurt's chin a bit, forcing the other to look him in the eyes. The shorter male had seen that familiar flash of hopelessness before, how he was resigned with the assumption that Blaine would hurt him as well.

And I…

Kurt sighed, exasperated.

I'll drink all the time.

He shook his head sadly, and pushed Blaine's arms away in hopes that he could still escape, preserve what was left of his heart.

We should be lovers!

Glasz eyes widened, blinking owlishly.

We can't do that.

Blaine damn near beamed, life and—wouldn't you know it—optimism flicking behind timid blue orbs.

We should be lovers!

And that's a fact.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat, the rooftop quiet as downy little flakes descended upon them.

Though nothing, would keep us together.

Neither one was moving, waiting to see if the climax of the song was going to come to fruition. The part where Kurt shuts his mind off, and just allows his himself to FEEL.

Blaine had to press forward, break the silence.

We could steal time...

Kurt's smile was bright enough to light up the rooftop all on its own.

*Just for one day.*

He held out his hand to Blaine, being the one to reach out for him this time.

*We could be heroes*

*Forever and ever*

Finally letting himself trust.

*We could be heroes*

*Forever and ever*

Letting himself have courage.

*We can be heroes...*

It was all the invitation Blaine needed, threading Kurt's piano playing fingers between his slender guitar strumming ones.

Just because I…will always love you.

I...

Giddiness, there was definitely giddiness. Blaine can't remember the last time he felt something like that.

*...Can't help loving...*

…You.

He brought one of Kurt's hands to his lips, kissing it sweetly. The countertenor couldn't deny the butterflies he felt in that moment.

How wonderful life is,

*Now you're in, the world…*

Blaine leant his forehead against Kurt's, sighing contently through his nose. The other smiled, and unlaced one hand to pet the wet curls unraveling from the gel helmet. "Blaine?"

"Hmm?" He hummed, tracing a porcelain cheekbone with his nose.

"Promise me something." Their lips brushed together, almost teasingly as Kurt whispered against them.

"Anything."

"Audition with me."

Blaine blinked rapidly when a stray fleck of ice blew into his eye, also then pulling back slightly to see Kurt gazing at him with a soft, fond look. "But—"

"You deserve this chance just as much as I do. I don't care if we audition for the same role or not. I just…I REALLY want you to do this with me."

"Why?"

Kurt seemed to grow coy, fluttering his lashes in a way that made Blaine's stomach flip pleasantly. "Without you, this wouldn't even be an option. And I can't let you deny yourself this opportunity either. So if I stay, if we do this, we're gonna do it together."

Blaine was silent, unable to speak as the boy before him had him in awe. It was different, someone else taking him into account so often. He wasn't used to this, a two-way street relationship. The hazel-eyed boy had heard of it, sure. His friends had experienced them at one time or another, but he never has. Now though, now he had the chance to be in one. And that…well that was downright terrifying, more so than anything else that's happened the past few weeks.

Courage.

He had to remind himself. Blaine had wanted this, he'd actively sought after it, and now he has it. The chance to be apart of something real, to go after his DREAM. Damn, he'd be a fucking idiot to sit back and watch it pass him by. "I promise."

There it was again, that blinding smile that Blaine found so infectious. "Really?"

"Really."

Pale fingers gripped the loosened curls a little tighter, bringing Blaine's head closer so the two could share a kiss. When their lips touched, Kurt melted into the kiss, letting himself be held up as he pressed their bodies together. Blaine hummed into the other's mouth, gripping the hand still in his a bit tighter. He could feel it, a wall that's been brought down. Kurt was beginning to trust him, allowing himself to just fall into the motions of being with another without the overthinking. There was something more vulnerable in this kiss, the way Kurt didn't want to tease or devour, just move their mouths together languidly and hotly. Kurt hadn't been lying though. It wasn't going to be as easy as flipping a switch. But if he was going to be a foolish victim of the heart again, at least this time Blaine was right there with him.

Besides, just like his dad said.

Not everyone ya meet is gonna hurt you.

A/N: The song was of course the 'Elephant Love Medley' from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack. If all goes according to my mental plan, Kurt will begin telling Blaine his backstory in CHAPTER 20! Woo! I know, finally. Y'all can smack me with your frustrations. Anyways, leave a review please. And I'll see you lovelies next time!