Chapter Text
The boy had blue eyes and was just a little bit shorter than Blaine, yet he was definitely braver. Because he was the one who approached first.
“Hello,” he said, and there was something slightly off about the way he said it. Almost as though he hadn’t used the word in a while, and was out of practice. “Do you have time to play, right now?”
Blaine did.
They played catch, at first, and then an embarrassingly short game of hide and seek where the boy somehow found Blaine behind the first tree he looked. And then, to Blaine’s utter delight, they played pretend.
“When I grow up,” the boy said, sitting down next to Blaine by the tree, “I’m going to be a king.”
He sounded so sure, so absolutely certain. Blaine was impressed. And eager to join in.
“Where will you be king?” he asked.
“In Scherzia.”
The syllables of that word seemed a bit strange to Blaine, but the boy had spoken them very naturally. Almost as if he’d had lot of practice with that particular word.
“And where is that?” Blaine couldn’t help smiling. He loved this game. “Is it a magical place?”
The boy frowned at him.
“It’s home,” he said, simply.
“Kurt, honey? We’re about to leave.”
The boy looked up, grimacing towards the woman who had called out for him. Yet he immediately moved to stand up.
“Your name is Kurt?” Blaine asked quickly, because for some reason he wasn’t ready for their encounter to be over just yet.
“Yes,” the boy said, glancing back at him briefly. “It was nice making your acquaintance.”
There was something overly polite about Kurt’s tone, Blaine thought, yet the boy’s smile was warm. Blaine was glad to return it.
*
“Who is that?”
Blaine turned around, following Jeff’s gaze across the cafeteria. There was a kid sitting on his own at one of the corner tables, quickly eating his lunch as if he mostly just wanted to get through it. He had light brown hair that seemed to be styled quite carefully, and clear blue eyes. He was cute, Blaine quickly realized, but more importantly there was something oddly familiar about him.
“I suppose he’s a transfer?” Blaine guessed, eyeing the boy’s unmistakable Dalton uniform curiously. It did look new. “Strange, it’s already past the middle of the semester.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think they allowed transfers so late.”
“Maybe he’s like, a genius,” Blaine said, still watching the boy intently. “I actually feel like I recognize him from somewhere...”
“If he’s famous, then wouldn’t we have heard something by now? He’s probably nobody special.”
“Hey, did you guys hear the big news?”
Blaine reluctantly tore his eyes away from the mysterious transfer student to see David slide into the seat next to Jeff.
“Is this about that new kid?” Jeff asked, sighing. “God, I have this feeling we’re going to be talking about him for the rest of the week, and I’m already getting sick of it.”
“You definitely won’t be in a moment,” David promised, his tone beyond excited. “Okay, so about that kid? Apparently he’s like, some kind of royalty. And before you ask, I mean that as in actual royalty. How cool is that, huh?”
“Is he the cousin of a baron, or something?” Jeff wondered, sounding only mildly interested.
Blaine looked over at the transfer student again, taking in the sharp angles of his face, his clear blue eyes. And that’s when it clicked.
“No,” he said, still staring at the boy. “He’s an actual prince, isn’t he?”
“You think?” David wondered, because apparently he hadn’t found out that much. “Prince of what country?”
“Scherzia,” Blaine said, firmly. “I think he’s the prince of Scherzia.”
“And where, exactly, is that…?”
“North of Italy, south of Switzerland,” Jeff supplied, shaking his head at David. “Remind me to never let you help me with geography.”
“I’ve gotta go check something,” Blaine said abruptly, getting up.
“You’re not going to eat your lunch?” Jeff wondered, his expression a bit concerned. “You okay, Blaine?”
“Just fine. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Blaine quickly made his way out of the cafeteria. His heart was beating fast as he half walked, half ran through the hallways of Dalton, finally making it to his dorm room. As soon as he was inside, he immediately went to his desktop, pulling out the bottom drawer and rummaging through it until he found what he was looking for. It was an old photo album, full of pictures from when Blaine was younger. There were pictures of him in piano class, of his first day at school, of him and his brother riding bicycles. And towards the end of the album, there were a few shots from his first trip abroad, the family holiday they had gone on when Blaine was six.
They’d spent three weeks in Italy. Blaine remembered the warm summer sun, and the amazing, never-ending beaches. And he remembered the boy he’d met, in a park. The one he’d happened to play with for a while. His mother had snapped a picture of them, sitting by that tree, the one Blaine had failed to hide behind. And apparently, she had been talking with Kurt’s mother, too. Because as soon as Kurt had left, she had rushed over to Blaine’s side, to tell him. That Kurt’s mother was an actual queen, out on a rare, private vacation. And she’d just happened to be out for a stroll with her only son. Kurt.
The crown prince of Scherzia.
Now, as Blaine carefully took the picture out of the old album, looking at those beautiful blue eyes, he knew he hadn’t been mistaken. For some inexplicable reason, the Kurt he had met all those years ago had just transferred to Dalton Academy.
That same evening, Blaine went over to Jeff and David’s room. He showed them the picture and told them about that one time when he had happened to play hide and seek with a crown prince. By the time he finished, both Jeff and David were staring at him.
“This,” David begun after a moment, his eyes wide, “Is seriously awesome!”
“You think?” Blaine wondered, feeling a bit weary.
“Well, yeah,” David said, grinning. “Because now you get to see him again, show him the picture. You can be friends with a prince!”
“Or maybe just a little bit more than friends,” Jeff suggested, raising an eyebrow towards Blaine. “He’s pretty cute, huh? And it’s about time you got over Marcus, already.”
“No, that’s…” Blaine tried his best to glare at Jeff. “I mean, yes, Kurt is kind of attractive. And I’m more than over Marcus, thank you very much. I just don’t think I should actually talk to Kurt. About anything.”
“What?” David exclaimed, sounding far too concerned for someone who technically wouldn’t be affected either way. “But Blaine, you’ve already talked to him. You already know him!”
“We played together as kids for less than five minutes,” Blaine reminded them tersely. “I was six, I suppose he was seven. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember.”
“So remind him,” David said, staring incredulously at Blaine. “I mean, why in the world not?”
“No, I just… No.” Blaine sighed. “I’m sure everyone’s going to try to be his best friend. I don’t want to bother him. He’ll probably get way more attention than he’d like, as it is.”
“And you don’t think you’ll regret it?” Jeff wondered, his tone sort of doubtful. “After he graduates and leaves, I mean. You definitely won’t get another chance to see him, once he goes back to his country.”
“It’s seven months until the end of the school year,” Blaine pointed out calmly. “If I change my mind, I can just approach him whenever. No problem.”
It was the fastest seven months of Blaine’s life.
Before he knew it, it was June, and he was sitting in the school auditorium watching the graduation ceremony of the senior class. By that time, the students at Dalton were well over the fact that a prince had been attending the school along with them. Their parents, however, were not. When Kurt’s name was called, the members of the audience seemed to crane their necks a little extra as he walked across the stage to receive his diploma.
After the ceremony, Blaine spent the entire reception watching Kurt across the room.
He had the picture of the two of them together tucked safely into his pocket. If he wanted to, he could easily cross over the room to Kurt. Politely introduce himself, and share his anecdote about how they’d met, long ago. Maybe it would make Kurt smile, just a little. Maybe it would make Kurt smile towards Blaine.
Before he lost his nerve, Blaine got up. Slowly, he made his way towards Kurt, who was talking with his small group of friends. He didn’t really have much trouble getting to Kurt’s side, yet once he was there, and Kurt turned to face him, he somehow found himself completely unable to think of what to say.
“Congratulations,” Blaine finally decided on, offering Kurt a slight smile. “On graduating, I mean. I… I hope you have safe travels.”
“Thank you,” Kurt said, watching Blaine a bit uncertainly. “That’s kind of you to say.”
Blaine hesitated, wondering if he should continue. Where he could start. Yet before had managed to find the right words, someone spoke up behind Kurt.
“We should get going. Unless there’s anyone else you want to speak with?”
“No,” Kurt said, yet his eyes were still on Blaine. “There’s… There’s no one else. Let’s go, Mike.”
“After you, then.”
Kurt nodded, and with one last, rather curious look towards Blaine, he left. Mike, an Asian-looking man wearing a black suit and a very obvious earpiece, glanced suspiciously in Blaine’s direction before he followed Kurt out the room. As the door closed behind them, Blaine finally allowed himself to take a deep breath, lowering his gaze.
He’d missed his chance.
And for some reason, that almost made him feel relieved.
Almost.
*
Just a little bit over a year later, Blaine was dragging an oversized suitcase up a flight of stairs in an upscale apartment complex near Kensington Gardens.
“Of course Cooper lives on the top floor,” he muttered to himself as he paused to catch his breath for a moment. “Of course the damn elevator’s broken. Of course.”
“Need a hand?”
Blaine wasn’t sure what he had expected when he looked up, but it certainly wasn’t those familiar blue eyes and a warm smile.
“Which floor are you headed to?” Kurt asked, lifting the other end of Blaine’s suitcase with surprising ease.
“Ninth,” Blaine heard himself answering, his voice coming out strange. “I… My brother lives there.”
“All right,” Kurt said brightly. “Only two floors to go, then.”
Together, they managed to carry Blaine’s suitcase up fairly quickly. When they reached the top floor, Blaine was panting again. Kurt, meanwhile, seemed almost unaffected.
“Thank you so much,” Blaine still managed, because he wasn’t about to forget his manners even when his body was aching and his mind was spinning in circles. “I really owe you one.”
“Don’t mention it,” Kurt said, leaning casually against the banister. “Are you visiting your brother?”
“I’m staying with him for a while. Until the semester starts, when I’ll be moving into the dorms.”
“Oh, you’re a student,” Kurt said, his tone suddenly more than just politely interested. “What’s your major?”
“This will be my first year, so I haven’t really declared,” Blaine replied, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt about the fact that they were having an actual conversation – their third, even though he was becoming increasingly certain that Kurt didn’t remember much of the previous two. “But I’m thinking of going into musical theatre.”
“Sounds fun,” Kurt said, sounding like he actually meant it. “I’m doing international relations.”
“Of course you are,” Blaine replied, before he could stop himself. “I mean… That sounds very interesting. Yeah.”
Kurt raised a curious eyebrow, yet before he had the time to ask, a woman’s voice was heard from a few floors down.
“Kurt? Are you coming inside?”
“I’ll be right there!” Kurt called in response, offering Blaine an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t let me keep you,” Blaine said, and then he couldn’t help but ask, “Your mother?”
“Step-mother,” Kurt said, his tone even as he continued. “My mom’s dead.”
“Oh,” Blaine said, his eyes widening. “I’m so sorry.”
“Anyway,” Kurt continued, actually offering Blaine a small smile. “I might see you around, yeah?”
And just like that he left, quickly making his way down the stairs.
It was a full five minutes before Blaine had calmed down enough to ring the doorbell to his brother’s apartment.
*
Even though he and Kurt had talked more in their latest encounter than ever before, it had left Blaine with so many new questions about the prince. Which was why that evening, after Cooper had finally called it a night and gone off to sleep, Blaine took to the internet.
It didn’t take him long to find an article from a year earlier, about Kurt’s acceptance into Imperial College London. That had to mean that Kurt was currently living in the city, which would at least partly explain why he was hanging about in empty stairwells and helping silly Americans carry their luggage. Of course, Blaine didn’t find anything regarding where exactly Kurt lived, but considering their meeting earlier that day and the fact that Cooper’s neighbourhood was of the ritzier variety, he figured he had a pretty good guess.
Finding out the details of Kurt’s mothers death had been even easier. Queen Elisabeth of Scherzia had died about ten years earlier, from an unusual heart disease. It seemed to have been quite unexpected. Many of the articles were accompanied by pictures from the funeral, where a young Kurt with a solemn expression featured in most of them.
Blaine only read one of the articles, and then quickly decided to skip the rest. The emptiness reflected in Kurt’s eyes had already told him more than he’d ever wanted to know about the queen’s death. Instead, Blaine pulled up google, and typed in his next query: order of succession Scherzia royal family who is king???
Thirty minutes and two Wikipedia articles later, Blaine leaned back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at a picture of Kurt on his screen. It was a recent photograph, taken that year in Scherzia. Apparently, Kurt had been home for spring break, and had attended a few public events along with the queen. Queen Anne. She was the late queen Elisabeth’s sister, and consequently Kurt’s aunt. According to the succession laws of Scherzia, which Blaine suddenly found himself quite familiar with, Kurt was first in line for the throne and could have taken it from his aunt the day he turned eighteen. However, it had been decided that Queen Anne would continue to serve for a few more years, as Kurt wished to at least complete his studies before assuming the throne. Which, Blaine thought, seemed like a pretty smart idea. Blaine couldn’t even imagine being tasked to run a country on his eighteenth birthday, and the fact that Kurt couldn’t either was somehow reassuring.
Then again, there were a lot of aspects of Kurt’s life that Blaine couldn’t seem to imagine at all. The Kurt in the pictures seemed so calm, so perfectly composed, even as he held public speeches or greeted important politicians. Blaine wasn’t sure that he could take even one step before that many cameras without inevitably making a fool of himself one way or another, but it seemed like Kurt could do no wrong. He carried himself with such confidence, such poise, that Blaine was sure could only come from being born into a world of royalty.
Before Blaine closed the browser, he went ahead and saved a few pictures of Kurt to his computer. Because Kurt had evidently become even more handsome since high school, and Blaine was only human. Besides, it somehow seemed fitting for Blaine to admire Kurt this way. From afar. Because at the end of the day, Blaine knew all too well that this was the reality of things. He and Kurt were worlds apart, would always be worlds apart.
Despite the startling fact that they seemed to keep meeting.
Blaine didn’t run into Kurt again during the time that he stayed with his brother. He kept glancing over his shoulder every time he came and went from the apartment, but Kurt was simply never around. So when the start of the semester came three weeks later, and Blaine found himself dragging his giant suitcase down the stairs by himself, he allowed himself to wish, just this once, that Kurt could have appeared before him one last time.
Although not primarily because of his suitcase.
*
When Kurt came out, Blaine didn’t actually hear about it until over a week later.
“I’ve decided to join the postcard campaign for that royal dude who just got himself out of the closet,” Blaine’s flatmate, Tina, told him one afternoon. “I’ve got no clue who exactly he is, but he seems really sweet and everyone’s been giving him grief, you know? And I think it’s fabulous that people are trying to reach out in support, too.”
“Wait, who’s this about?” Blaine asked, sitting up straight and throwing his brand new copy of Vogue carelessly to the side. “Is he a… A prince?”
“Crown prince, apparently,” Tina said, clicking a link on her phone and turning the display so Blaine could see. “Openly gay as of last Tuesday. He’s had a rough week.”
As Blaine looked down at Tina’s phone, he wasn’t actually sure of what he hoped to see. However, there was one person he couldn’t help but expect. Which was why he wasn’t very surprised to see those clear, blue eyes staring back at him from the picture.
Of course it was Kurt. Somehow, it was always Kurt.
“Super cute, yeah?” Tina said, grinning. “I thought you’d be a fan.”
“He’s... Definitely cute, yes.” Blaine cleared his throat, not sure how to phrase what he was about to say next. Which encounter to start with. “He went to high school in the US.”
“Really?” Tina wondered, scrolling down to the article on her phone. “That’s not mentioned here.”
“He went to Dalton, Tina.”
Tina looked up at Blaine, her eyes wide. Somehow, she suddenly reminded Blaine a lot of David.
“So you know him?” she wanted to know, excitement shining in her eyes.
“No,” Blaine said firmly, because at least that was simply the truth. “Although I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He actually lives here in London, right now.”
“Wait, really? How come?”
“He attends Imperial College,” Blaine explained, trying to sound casual as he continued. “I, uh, may have ran into him last year. Once.”
“Where?” Tina asked immediately, and okay, no, Blaine wasn’t about to reveal that much even to Tina. “Did you give him your number?”
“Of course not. I haven’t even told him my name. He sort of helped carry a suitcase and we talked for a bit, but that was it. It’s not like either of us were flirting.”
“Well,” Tina said, looking back towards the article on her phone. “You obviously should have been.”
Blaine didn’t answer. Mostly because he couldn’t figure out a convincing enough way to disagree.
“Why don’t you write him a postcard of your own?” Tina suggested after a moment. “Everyone’s doing it, it’s all over my Twitter feed.”
“Really?” Blaine said, pleasantly surprised. “That’s actually really nice.”
“I know, right? And you even know him, a little bit. Plus, you’re actually gay. You could definitely write something really personal.”
“I don’t know,” Blaine said, yet somehow he found himself actually considering it. “I’m not sure if there’s anything I want to say to him.”
Except that there were a lot of things Blaine may or may not have wanted to tell Kurt, through the years. None of them seemed quite right for this occasion, though.
“Just write that you support him, like everyone’s doing,” Tina encouraged, smiling cheekily at him as she continued. “Or, better yet, go ahead and ask him out. Attach a picture! I bet he’d adore you.”
“That’s very funny, Tina. I’d be better off not writing him at all.
*
Kurt,
We’ve met a couple of times, although I’m sure you don’t remember me at all. It seems like I never made much of an impression on you. I still owe you one, by the way, but I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to return the favor.
I just wanted to tell you that I really admire you for being so honest about yourself. It must have been a difficult decision, considering your position as crown prince. Probably more difficult than I can even understand. I hope you’re not discouraged by some of the initial reactions you’ve received. You seem to be so loved by your country, and I believe that there are many people who will share in your happiness someday, when they get to see the way you smile at the man of your dreams. There will come a time when all of this was just the prequel to your perfect, happy ending. Have courage, Kurt. I believe in you.
Also, I’m definitely starting to regret that I didn’t ask you out any of the times when I arguably had the chance, but that’s a different story entirely.
I wish you every happiness.
B.A.
*
The first time Kurt walked into Blaine’s new part-time job, Blaine dropped a tray of very expensive chocolate truffles.
Quickly, Blaine ducked behind the counter, scrambling to pick up the chocolates. It took him well over a minute, perhaps because he couldn’t quite keep his hands from trembling. By the time he got back to his feet, Kurt was standing right before the counter, holding a small bag of dark chocolate covered almonds.
“Hello there,” he greeted Blaine, offering a small smile. “Everything all right?”
“Yes,” Blaine said quickly, clearing his throat and setting aside the tray. “I’m great, everything’s… Everything’s fantastic.”
“That’s good to hear,” Kurt said, his tone perfectly polite. “I’d like these almonds.”
“Of course,” Blaine said quickly. “That’s… That’ll be three pounds ninety-nine. Please.”
Kurt payed by credit card, and Blaine busied himself with placing Kurt’s purchase in a brown paper bag. As he handed it over, their fingers brushed lightly.
Kurt offered Blaine one last smile, before turning around and starting to make his way over to the door. It was only then that Blaine noticed a decidedly familiar man standing over by the entrance to the shop. He was wearing a black suit and, of course, an earpiece. As Kurt walked out, the man threw a curious glance towards Blaine, before he followed.
Blaine didn’t tell Tina about it until Kurt had already stopped by the chocolate boutique twice more. Of course, Tina was ecstatic.
“You have to ask him!” she encouraged Blaine, positively beaming.
“About what, exactly…?”
“About what he thought of your postcard, of course! What else, Blaine?” Thankfully, Tina didn’t wait for Blaine to respond. “He’ll want to thank you in person, of course, and maybe one thing will lead to another, and… Oh, this is so exciting!”
“No, it’s not,” Blaine said firmly. “Because I’m not asking him that, or anything else. Also, remind me never to introduce you to David.”
*
The sixteenth time Kurt entered the chocolate boutique, Blaine definitely wasn’t keeping count.
Kurt looked over towards the counter, offering Blaine a brief smile, before he wandered over to a corner of the shop. Meanwhile, Kurt’s security detail had apparently decided not to linger about by the door, this time. Instead, he was making his way directly towards the counter, and Blaine.
“Hi,” he said once he’d reached it, scanning the items closest to him and quickly selecting a heart shaped box of nougat truffles. “I’ll have these.”
“Right,” Blaine managed, punching the purchase into the register with a hopefully discreet glance towards the man’s earpiece. “That’ll be five pounds forty-nine, please.”
While Blaine placed the box in a bag, the man watched him quite closely.
Too closely.
“Do I know you from somewhere?” he wondered, tilting his head a bit. “There’s something kind of familiar about your face.”
“Well…” Blaine hesitated, wondering how advisable it was to lie to a man who was most likely part of some kind of secret service. Probably not very. “You might have seen me in here before, I work Tuesday and Thursday nights, and every other weekend.”
“I know that,” the man said, still staring quite intently at Blaine. “You sure we haven’t met sometime before? I don’t know where, I just…”
Blaine glanced over towards Kurt, finding him busy in the other end of the shop, before he replied to that question. Because now he actually had to say it. “Well, it might be that you recognize me because… I attended Dalton. Around the same time as Kurt.”
“Oh,” the man said, looking from Blaine, to Kurt, and then back towards Blaine. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Blaine tried a smile. “You’re Mike, as I recall? Bit of a coincidence, all of this.”
“Coincidence, you say,” Mike said, and Blaine didn’t quite like how unconvinced he sounded. “Do you know Kurt?”
“No,” Blaine said, pausing for a moment before deciding he’d better go for full disclosure. “I mean, we’ve talked. A couple of times.”
“At Dalton?”
“Once, at Dalton,” Blaine said, trying his best to sound casual. “And again, about a year after his graduation, when I had just moved to London. We happened to run into each other. Although actually, I sort of doubt he recognized me.”
“Right,” Mike said, and now he was starting to look almost amused. Which was far better than suspicious, but Blaine couldn’t say he was thrilled. “All of this purely coincidental, of course. Just like how you happened to become the cashier in the chocolate shop Kurt frequents, by accident.”
“I guess it sounds a bit strange when you put it that way.” Blaine cleared his throat, not sure if he should be worried, or just plain embarrassed. “Can I ask… Am I in trouble?”
Mike grinned.
“Not really,” he said, his tone almost too friendly. “Between you and me, I’m the one who’s in a pinch.”
Blaine blinked, confused. Mike, meanwhile, gestured towards the chocolates he had just purchased.
“You’ve just made me late for my date, tonight,” he told Blaine, and even though his tone was cheerful, something about his smile had changed. “Because even though you seem like a great kid and all, protocol requires me to run a background check on you after my shift. And that’s going to take a while.”
“Oh,” Blaine said, feeling surprised and actually a little bit guilty. “That’s… I’m so sorry.”
“That’s all right, mate. Not your fault.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Mike raised an eyebrow towards him, clearly surprised. Yet he also looked thoughtful. With one quick glance towards Kurt, who was still a safe distance away, he leaned a bit closer to Blaine.
“Probably not,” he said, his tone quieter, now. “I mean, what I’ll basically need to do is, get in touch with a couple of authorities, have them look up your social security number and then run it through a few systems. That’ll give me all the information I need to verify your story. The longest part of the process is waiting for them to get back to me.”
“Okay,” Blaine said, thinking quickly. “So what if I just gave my social security number to you, right now? That would help, wouldn’t it?”
Mike stared at him, incredulous.
“You’re very trusting,” he remarked, shaking his head a little.
“You’re a man in a suit wearing an earpiece,” Blaine shot back, daring a slight smile. “I think I can trust you to keep a secret.”
Mike chuckled.
“I can’t say you aren’t right about that,” he told Blaine, shaking his head again. Yet he was still smiling. “All right, then. Thanks. I seriously owe you one.”
“Don’t mention it,” Blaine said, already reaching for a pen.
And so it happened that Blaine wrote down his full social security number on the back of a discarded receipt. Just as he finished, however, a familiar voice was heard.
“Mike? What are you doing?”
Blaine froze, barely daring to turn his head to Mike’s left, where of course, Kurt was standing. Looking right at them.
“Kurt,” Mike said, glancing from the receipt in Blaine’s hand and back towards Kurt, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “That’s, you see-”
“He’s buying chocolates,” Blaine interrupted quickly.
Both Mike and Kurt turned to stare at him. Blaine, meanwhile, calmly slipped the receipt onto the bag of chocolates before holding it out towards Mike.
“Good luck on your date, yeah?”
Mike slowly reached out to take the bag, offering Blaine a faint smile.
“Thanks.”
Kurt was still eyeing the bag with a vaguely suspicious look in his eyes.
“Would you like something?” Blaine dared to ask him, knowing he was smiling wider than before. “Chocolate covered almonds, maybe?”
Kurt turned to look at him, yet for once, he wasn’t smiling.
“Maybe another time. Come on, Mike. We’re late.”
And then he turned around, quickly making his way out of the store. Mike mouthed a silent thank you towards Blaine, before he followed.
*
Kurt (… and Mike) didn’t come back to the chocolate boutique for three weeks.
Blaine couldn’t say it bothered him. Not much, anyway. After all, Kurt might simply have been going to the store like always, just not on the days when Blaine happened to be working. Except that Blaine usually saw Kurt in the shop once, sometimes twice a week. But still. It was entirely possible that Kurt wasn’t avoiding the store at all, and that if he was, it had nothing at all to do with Blaine.
After exactly three weeks and two days had passed, Blaine got a phone call. From Mike.
“Hello, is this Blaine Devon Anderson, born April 4th 1994, son of Dylan and Pamela Anderson, currently residing on 23rd Parmiter Street and enrolled at King’s College London, Musical Education major?”
“I… Who is this?”
“It’s Mike. You know – sunglasses, earpiece, crown prince in tow…”
“Oh! Hi. Wait, how did you…? Oh. I suppose that much information was fairly easy for you to find out?”
“Tip of the iceberg, really,” Mike said cheerfully, continuing before Blaine had the chance to ask what else he may or may not have uncovered about Blaine. “So, could I possibly ask you a favour?”
“You mean in addition to the one you already owe me?”
“… yeah. I guess. Although this would technically be more for Kurt’s sake, than mine.”
“Really,” Blaine said, suddenly a lot more curious. “Did something happen?”
“Well, you were there.”
“I… I was?”
“Yes. And as I’m sure you’ve noticed, Kurt hasn’t been back to your chocolate place since.”
“It isn’t my chocolate place,” Blaine couldn’t help but clarify. “I just work there, part-time. I don’t even make any of the chocolate.”
“I’m not sure if Kurt even cares about the chocolate anymore.” Mike’s tone was tired. “Before you started working there, Kurt used to stop by no more than once a month.”
“Wait, what? No, you don’t mean… What do you mean?”
“And I think that Kurt somehow got the wrong idea, last time you saw him,” Mike continued, wisely choosing to ignore Blaine’s incoherent questions. “I have no idea what he might have assumed, because he doesn’t really talk to me about things like that anymore. But he’s still moping about it, and frankly, it’s getting annoying.”
“But is he...” Blaine begun, before he realized he wasn’t sure what he was trying to ask. “Do you really think he thinks I’m… Why would he ever, in any way, notice me?”
“Well aren’t you just full of confidence,” Mike muttered. “Look, it’s not that complicated. You seem nice enough, you’re very decent-looking for a guy and you’re always happy to see Kurt. No, don’t even deny it, I’ve seen the way you smile at him. Plus, you remember things like his favourite sweets. That’s kind of cute.”
“But would you say he’s… I mean, I still can’t believe he’d want-“
“I think he really wants to talk to you, is all,” Mike interrupted him, speaking very firmly. “I think he’s wanted to get to know you for a while, now. And I think he was both annoyed and a bit worried when I supposedly beat him to it.”
Blaine was quiet for a moment, considering that. Because except for how he couldn’t quite grasp how this could be happening, it also made just a little bit of sense.
“All right,” he finally conceded. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“You working this Saturday?”
“No, actually.”
“Let’s pretend I didn’t already know that,” Mike said, quickly continuing. “Could you come to Victoria Park?
“You mean the park closest to where I happen to live? Because now you’re being almost too obvious.”
“You just need to get better at pretending,” Mike told him, his tone actually teasing. “Look, Kurt’s going to be meeting some friends there, around one o’clock in the afternoon. They’re playing frisbee.”
“So basically, you want me to… Crash their royal outing?”
“Pretty much, yes. Talk to him – he wants you to, okay, so just do it. Don’t overthink it. Explain how you’ve met him long before he set foot in your chocolate store, and that you’d love to hang out sometime. Simple as that. And also, tell him that I never told you any of his dirty secrets or otherwise betrayed him. That last bit might actually be especially important. For you, I mean. If you want this to go over well.”
“But do you really think Kurt will appreciate me showing up, out of nowhere?” Blaine wondered, still feeling a bit unsure. “Especially if he’s been avoiding me for three weeks.”
“I’m sure he’d be absolutely delighted,” Mike immediately enthused. “So that means you’ll do it, right? You’ll be there? Please say yes?”
*
The following Saturday, Blaine found himself sitting on a bench in Victoria Park, trying his best to pretend that he was reading a book.