Blaine's heart stopped. Literally stopped. He knew the exact moment that it stopped and, for the few moments that he and Kurt stood staring at the girl who'd pulled the gazebos cloth panel open, he was sure it would never start again. I'm going to die. In fact, I may already be dead.

"Blaine Anderson?" The girl said once again, as if she knew it was him but couldn't be quite sure. In that moment Blaine realized that he knew the girl's name but it would not come to him. He assumed it was the type of mental block that came along with not being able to accept one's situation. And this is certainly a situation I cannot accept. Blaine knew that Kurt wanted their affair to remain private. Though Kurt hadn't said anything, Blaine could tell that Kurt was fighting some internal battle with whatever was floating around in his head. Blaine assumed it had something to do with Kurt's past and chose not to ask. Kurt would tell him if he wanted to. Apparently he did not.

Blaine stood idly by for another moment as Kurt and the girl - Chelsea if Blaine remembered correctly- stared each other down. They looked like animals, one waiting for the other to pounce. The air grew tense as the friends and band mates stared at one another, each wearing a look of shock.

Luckily, the tension did not last long. Rather than allowing Chelsea to ask once again if he was Blaine Anderson, Blaine stepped forward and spoke. "Chelsea?" He asked. The girl's face transitioned from questioning to pure shock. "Am I right?" Blaine questioned.

The girl's mouth snapped shut and nodded curtly. She was obviously trying to recover from the momentary shock. "Yes." She stated simply. "I am Chelsea, but everyone knows that." She was doing her best to play off the fact that she was surprised that Blaine knew her name. Blaine would not call her out on it. The situation was too complicated already.

Kurt continued to stand stock still while Blaine turned to the girls behind Chelsea and addressed them. "Kate? Emily?" The girls nodded as Chelsea had. "I'm Blaine Anderson and it's a pleasure to meet you all." Blaine put on his most charming smile and stuck out his hand for each of the girls to shake. One by one the girls shook Blaine's hand. Kurt remained unmoving just a few feet away.

No. No. No. NO! This is not happening! I repeat, this is not happening! Kurt could not move. He was stone and he was stuck in his spot, there was no way in the world he was going to be able to move. Ever. For the rest of his life, Kurt Hummel would be stuck in his spot - disheveled and humiliated. My life is over!

Kurt watched as Blaine introduced himself and the girls shook his hand. Once the introductions were complete everyone turned to him. Literally, it felt as if the entire world was staring at Kurt and he did not like it. "What?" He eventually asked because there was nothing else that would come out of his mouth.

"They asked if we wanted to go hang out in the room. I told them it was up to you." Blaine explained calmly. He was extremely calm, considering the situation. Blaine's calm demeanor did absolutely nothing for Kurt's nerves or his stone, still posture.

Kurt focused all of his attention on Blaine. He tried to send telepathic signals to the musician, letting him know that Kurt was shocked and slightly embarrassed and could not leave his spot but it did not work. Blaine received none of Kurt's telepathy, forcing Kurt to speak once again. "Okay." He squeaked. Together the group of five headed towards the room. It was the most awkward journey from a gazebo to a hotel room that any of the group had ever experienced.

It was also the most interesting exchange Tanner had witnessed in a while.

Nerves ran to and fro in the tiny hotel room. Kurt was propped against the sink, just behind the room door, while Blaine sat in a nearby chair. The three girls sat cross-legged on the bed, staring intently from one boy to the other. When it became evident that neither had anything to say, the girls began to speak. One at a time they presented the boys with questions.

"So….you two seem close." Emily offered, earning a snicker from Chelsea.

Blaine nodded slowly. "You could say that."

"She did." Kate shot back, not meaning to say anything at all. "I mean….well...you said that….well…"

"Foot in mouth disease, it's real." Chelsea joked. Kate shook her head. She was so embarrassed. She hadn't meant to start out on that foot.

"Ummm…" Blaine blushed a bit as he tried to answer. "Well...Kurt and I-"

"Met on tour." Kurt stepped in. Blaine turned to him with eyes as wide as dinner plates. Why is he lying? "Blaine and I met after a show and….well….being on the road is hard sometimes and we….things happened." Kurt hastily explained.

The girls began to nod slowly. They seemed to believe the lie that Kurt was feeding them. Blaine's only question was why Kurt was feeding them such a lie. Is he embarrassed? I hope not.

Kurt was not embarrassed. He simply was not ready to accept everything that came along with admitting that he and Blaine were once a couple. Kurt was not ready to accept the reaction his friends would have if they knew that he was the guy that Blaine released an entire album about. More than anything, he was not ready or willing to talk about why they'd gone from Kurt&Blaine to Kurt and Blaine. It was all too much in Kurt's mind, so it lied and he lied well.

Kurt watched as the girls accepted his explanation. They looked impressed, as if the idea that Kurt could bag a 'big time' celebrity like Blaine Anderson was the most amazing thing that Kurt was capable of. Kurt was not sure whether he should be excited or a bit offended.

In the end, the girls were impressed. After another nervous half an hour, Blaine stated that he had to head back to his hotel and Kurt walked him out. When he returned it was to the open and excited arms of his three best girlfriends. They attacked him with hugs, jumping up and down excitedly as they hugged him to death.

Once the girls calmed a bit, they guided Kurt to the bed and begged him for details.

"How?"

"When?"

"That's where you got all those hickeys! Oh my God he gave you hickeys and begged you not to stop fucking him. I'm so completely in love with this idea right now!"

Kurt did his best not to let his spirits fall with each question. Blaine was a secret affair that he liked having all to himself. With this new found information, Kurt was certain that he would have to share Blaine with the girls now. They'd want to hang out all the time and Kurt wasn't sure how he felt about that. Actually, I am. I don't like it.

The next few weeks were hectic. First Blaine's group, followed by Kurt's band, headed to San Francisco. Blaine played on Monday and Kurt's group played Tuesday. By Wednesday they were on the road again. Friday Blaine played a show in Denver, followed by Kurt and his band on Saturday. A week later the two separate groups were taking on St. Louis, and then Philadelphia a few days later. Two weeks before Christmas they'd finally made their way back across the country and home to New York City. It was the break in the tour that everyone had waited not so patiently for.

Once they were back in their city, the two tours went their separate ways. Dani returned to the apartment she shared with her girlfriend and the girls planned a very thorough stay-cation. Sam didn't stay in the city. He and Ryder chose to head home to their respective families. Sam flew back to Kentucky and Ryder flew back to Miami. They would meet back up with Blaine and the rest of the group when it was time to resume touring. Cooper stayed in New York. His mother would be in town in the next few days and she would stay with him until after the holiday season was over. Blaine, who had gone from living with Eli to sleeping on Santana's couch, was enjoying the view from his apartment. Well, it's not my apartment. When they were in L. A. Blaine was so taken with his AirBNB experience that he asked Cooper to rent him an apartment for a few weeks in Manhattan. Cooper found a modern apartment in the heart of Manhattan with a reasonable rate. Blaine jumped on it. While he would be spending a great deal of time with his brother and mother during the holiday season, he wanted somewhere to go that would provide a bit of peace and quiet. I also want somewhere to bring Kurt to hang out.

Ah Kurt! Since the two separate groups returned to the city a few days prior, Blaine and Kurt had been attached at the hip. They met for Coffee in the mornings, they met for lunch in the afternoon, and they met for dinner more than once. They stayed up talking through the night, and refused to be the first to hang up. It felt like high school once again and Blaine loved it. He and Kurt had turned a corner with their date in L. A. and now things felt surreal. For the first time in a long time Blaine was able to go to sleep with a smile on his face.

Each morning Blaine woke with that same smile on his face. Nothing could wipe the smile from his face. Everything was going his way. He and Kurt were doing well, he had interviews lined up and all of his tour shows were sold out, Eli had given up, everything was perfect and nothing hurt.

"Why aren't you with your man?" Kate asked as Kurt tapped away at his phone. They were at The Underside bothering Sebastian. Emily had insisted on going to show him all the pictures from the tour, so Kurt and Kate decided to tag along. Chelsea had gone home to visit her mother for the evening, but would be back in the morning.

Kurt shrugged as he picked up his glass. Since being back in New York he and Blaine had been almost inseparable. They spent their days together and then separated at night. Blaine went back to his rented apartment and Kurt went back to Chelsea's couch. She'd lent it to him since, technically, he didn't have a home in the city. He hadn't even tried to look for one, not that he was in a rush. In all truthfulness, Kurt was falling in love with another city and he kind of wanted to look for an apartment there. Unfortunately, that would require him to relocate, once again breaking up the band. Not an option. "He's not my man."

"You know what I meant." Kate responded. Having no real family to speak of, Kate was staying in the city for the holidays. She and Emily would cuddle together on Christmas Eve, like they did every year, and pretend to be each other's family. Kurt had other plans. While Chelsea would be visiting her mother off and on over their break, Kurt would be spending time with his father...and maybe Rebecca. I do like her.

"I do but I don't want it to come off as we are doing anything more than having sex." Kurt insisted.

Kate rolled her eyes as she turned her bar stool from side to side. She was like a fidgeting child, she couldn't stay still. "Uhhh huh….that's why he made sure to call you every day this week for one meal or another."

"How do you know we weren't having sex?" Kurt asked nonchalantly. Kate's eyes shot out of her head and her glass nearly slipped from her grasp.

"Wait! Were you?" She asked, almost hopeful.

Kurt smirked and raised his glass to his lips. He was usually opposed to liquid lunches but he was in the mood and in good company. Besides, Blaine bailed on me for lunch and I'm a little sad about that, though I won't admit it! Unbeknownst to Kurt, Blaine was at his attorney's office, signing paperwork to end his marriage; a marriage that Kurt was also oblivious to.

"I'll never tell!" Kurt sing-songed, much his friend's dismay.

"You bitch!" She hollered as she punched him repeatedly in the arm, earning the attention of the bartender.

Sebastian's voice carried across the empty bar. It was hours before his opening but he'd allowed the two to drink while Emily showed him pictures of their tour so far. "Hey! Take your domestic violence outside like everyone else."

Kurt scoffed and turned his attention back to his drink while Kate stared at the bar's owner in pure disbelief. "You shouldn't make small of domestic violence." She insisted.

Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed. "So… do you want me to call the police on you then? You were hitting him, after all." Instantly Kate shrank back. She shook her head. She hadn't thought that far ahead. "That's what I thought. Besides, I just promised Em that I would see if you could open for a pretty big show I have going on Saturday. You guys up for it if they say yes?"

"Who is it?" Kurt asked, curiously. Not that he was opposed to opening what Sebastian had described as a 'pretty big' show. Opening for act would get the band's name out to fans other than the ones that saw Blaine's shows. While their fan base had grown a bit on its own during their tour, most of that had been a result of Blaine and Dani mentioning them in interviews and on social media sites. Kurt was always up for expanding. Besides, we picked a logo for the band and my dad is paying some merch to be made. It would be nice to unveil that at a show.

After much deliberation, Kurt and his girls picked a design. It was the band's name in a blue calligraphy with each of the 'I's' dotted with a pink diamond that looked as if it should be on a ring, rather than a t-shirt or a button. Once the logo was picked, the band contacted Sunshine and Harmony, advising them that they would be using one of the logos and that they wanted an updated version with a little more sunshine and a little more harmony. What they actually wanted was for the girls to initial the work so that their initials could be printed on the merchandise as the artists. The girls insisted it was not necessary but the band ultimately got their way. They felt it was only right to give credit where credit was due. The girls thanked the band profusely and a beautiful friendship was formed between the five individuals.

"I'll let you know if they say yes." Sebastian advised, turning his attention back to Emily. Kurt rolled his eyes and finished his drink.

Later that evening, after Kurt had gone back to Chelsea's empty apartment, Emily had retreated to Sebastian's for the evening, and Kate had retired to her rundown slum home in a bad part of town, Kurt received at message in his WhatsApp group chat.

They said yes! - Emily

Who said yes and to what? - Chelsea

Really? [Fireworks emoji] Who is it? - Kate

You'll never guess! Seb just called them and they were so down with it! - Emily

Who is it? - Kurt

He wanted to know as soon as possible. If it was an artist he wasn't familiar with then he wanted to get familiar with them.

Guess! - Emily

What the hell are you guys talking about? -Chelsea

Before Kurt could type the information into the chat, Kurt's phone flashed with a notification. It was a mention on Twitter. Against his better judgment Kurt checked the message. He could not believe what he was reading.

BlaineAnderson: So excited to announce that KurtsDirtyD will be opening for me at Saturday's sold out show TheUnderside. This is going to rock!

Kurt could not believe his eyes. Really is this what we're doing? He could not believe it. He'd psyched himself up to do something that was new and different. This...this was what he'd been doing for weeks. Needless to say, Kurt was a bit disappointed.

Regardless, Kurt screen capped the tweet and placed it in the chat. The girls flailed as expected. Though they'd spent an evening grilling Blaine after they caught them having sex, the girls hadn't had much interaction with the star.

FUCK YES! A WHOLE NIGHT OF BEING ON THE SAME LEVEL-ISH WITH ANDERSON! MY LIFE IS MADE. - Chelsea

And that's truly what it is. I mean, we're excited to see his shows but holy fuck we're going to be performing with him. That's amazing. - Kate

I'm so happy! What are we going to wear? - Emily

Kurt watched for a while as the girls discussed their outfits. He then exited his app and found Blaine's name in his contacts. He chose to call rather than texting.

Blaine answered on the first ring. "Couldn't wait until Saturday to see me?" He asked smugly. Kurt scoffed.

"Hardly. I was calling to...thank you for letting us open for you." Kurt stated, though he didn't sound thankful. Blaine caught that instantly.

"You don't sound too enthused? Did I read this wrong? Should I have said no?" The musician asked nervously. Kurt shook his head, though Blaine couldn't see him.

"No, you did everything right. I'd just gotten kind of excited about broadcasting to a different audience and….well….I'm not. We're playing another show of Blaine Anderson fans and….I don't know."

"You kind of wish that these weren't the same people that you'd been interacting with. You kind of wanted to spread your wings." Blaine offered.

Kurt made a face. "That makes me a dick, doesn't it? I am thankful if that makes me sound less like an ass." He heard Blaine chuckle at the other end of the line."

"That makes you sound like a real musician. Who wouldn't want to gain a larger fan base? That's part of the game." Blaine offered. Kurt slid back on Chelsea's couch, a smile creeping up his face. "If it makes you feel better, I have a present to give you that night."

"Really? Is that what we're calling sex now?" Kurt asked incredulously. "A present?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant. I meant a real present."

Kurt wasn't sure how to feel about Blaine getting him a gift. "You didn't have to." He stated, though he secretly wanted whatever Blaine had to offer.

"It's not much. It's just...something."

"Can I have a hint?" Kurt asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope. You'll have to wait until Saturday. Isn't your Dad coming into town on Friday and staying until after the holidays? You probably have a lot of getting ready to do. I think we should just wait until Saturday to see each other again. Ya know...get acclimated before rushing off together again."

Kurt liked this idea. It would give him time to get Blaine's gift together - I kind of have to get him one now! And I know exactly what it's going to be. "Sounds great! See you Saturday." Before Blaine could respond, Kurt disconnected the call and got to work. He had an entire song to write and distribute to the band before Saturday. I better get to work.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! My beta and I are both riding the new semester train and that is taking up what little time we have left after work and families. Thank you for your patience and please forgive any mistakes I may have missed.