This part was never meant to exist. Only, I forgot to mark the story as complete, and my brain got started, and... *sigh* Anyway, this time I'm leaving this as a WIP on purpose, since there'll be a third part, when I get the time to write it.

Titles, both for this and "CME&L" are of course from Defying Gravity".

Take a Message Back from Me

The last thing Kurt wanted to do was turn his cellphone on. Having had close to 24 hours of peace and quiet had been...paradisaical.

Sadly he didn't really have an option. First there was the fact that while he was supposed to have the day off from Vogue, Isabelle could call him at any time, and that was something he would never want to miss out on – her last minute calls always meant something amazing. Secondly, there was his dad and his health.

You have to take the bad with the good sometimes. And with a sigh he turned the phone on.

The amount of messages felt like a mountain landing on him, weighing him down and crushing his happiness. None of them were from his dad, or Finn. One was from Mercedes – that one he was going to read – but the rest... Blaine, Blaine, Blaine, Sam, Blaine Blaine, Blaine, Tina, Blaine, Blaine... He stopped scrolling down and started mass-deliting instead.

It was the same with his voice mail. Delete, delete, delete, de– oh, Finn.

"Hey little brother. Ehm, so I guess you have your phone off. Good call. Except, you have to have turned it on now, to listen to this," Kurt smiled, enjoying Finn's nervous ranting, "but I'd turn it off again if I were you.

"Some people didn't take you not coming too well. Blaine, for one. Well, Blaine especially. Tina's backing him up, which is a completely different hornet's nest, and I'll explain all about it later, but. Pretty sure I've seen him try and call you like ten times already, three of them before the ceremony was supposed to start, and I don't think he's going to give up. I think he's up to something, and I don't like it. Are you sure I can't tell Puck? He'd take care of this for you, and you'd never have to be bothered again."

And yes, Kurt was sure. While the idea of Blaine being terrified and hurting held some allure to him, it wasn't worth it. He was a better person than that, and he actually thought Puck was too, history aside.

"Anyway, the wedding was called off, and I... I think it was my fault. Mr Schue's pissed and I think I need to lay low for a while. I wouldn't mind one of our talks either. So, get back to me? And remember: turning your phone off again is probably a good idea."

Kurt nodded to himself and went to do exactly that. But, the universe apparently had it out for him – a karmic justice of sorts, maybe, to balance out the amazing night he'd just had? Whatever the reason, his phone rang before he could turn it off, and to make things even better it was Blaine.

"Great. Dammit."

There was always the option of not answering of course, but. It was Blaine. He'd realize Kurt was ignoring his call, and get even more pissed off than he probably already was. Plus, when Blaine was in the mood he was like a badger; there'd be no getting rid of him.

Worst case scenario would have him hop on a plane to New York, for the third time since the breakup – ironical, since he hadn't managed before he cheated – and show up at the loft. And that, in the end, made up Kurt's mind. The last thing he wanted was to open the door to Blaine's face, especially since Adam was coming over again, this time to stay until the girls got back Sunday.

Blaine would take one look at Adam, and call me either a whore or a cheater, I just know it.

Better to take this one call.

"Blaine."

"Kurt! Where are you? You missed the wedding, I can't believe you! Why would you do that to Mr Schue?"

Blaine continued ranting, and Kurt sighed, holding the phone a bit further away from his ear. As he'd suspected. Once the ranting on the other end calmed down, Kurt took a deep breath and prepared to do battle. Sort of.

"I had school, as most people do during weekdays, and–"

"Rachel managed to come"

"Yeah, well, that's Rachel. Besides, even she wouldn't have dared miss the class I had." Because while several teachers let Madame Thibedeaux's pet get away with too much, Cassie July was not one of them. "And besides, I had to work as well. Isabelle needed me. I didn't get off until nine last night."

"You could have told her no. It was Valentine's Day, and a wedding! Plus, it's not like she pays you!"

Don't start screaming in public, don't start screaming in public, don't–

"No, she doesn't. And if I start blowing her off to go back to Lima, she never will. Vogue is an amazing chance for me, Blaine, and unless I screw up, like, say by not being there when I'm needed, it could lead to a paying job.

"Besides, I have a paying job too, remember? Where they also need me – I'm working tomorrow. So, while going back for the wedding sounded great at first, it just wasn't working."

There was silence for a little while, where Kurt felt as if he could practically hear Blaine pouting. Just as he figured the other boy had gotten the message, and that he'd be able to hang up soon, Blaine started up again.

"You work too much. You should cut down – you never have time for anyone these days, everyone says so."

"And exactly how am I supposed to pay for things then? Sure, I like a certain amount of stereotype, but I think actually trying the 'starving' part of being an artist is a little too much."

"I'm sure Burt would–"

"No." Because there were limits, and one of them was apparently hearing his ex refer to his dad in such a familiar way. "Dad has enough, okay. There's the house in Lima, and a residence in DC, plus he has to pay someone to do his work at the garage. He's undergoing serious medical treatment, for the second time in less than three years, and there are all kinds of things that suffered after his heart attack that he's still sorting out." Like paying tuition at Dalton, because I ran there, partly for you, instead of trusting dad... "On top of that he's paying mine and Finn's tuition, since neither of us got much in the form of scholarships, starting in the middle of the year as we did. I'm not asking him for another cent unless I absolutely have to."

Sure, his dad had made it very clear that he'd pay for tickets should Kurt want to come for a visit – be it to Lima or DC – and any emergencies that might arise. Still. Kurt was supposed to be somewhat of a grownup now, and that meant making sure he could pay for coffee, the subway and basic food for himself.

He just didn't think Blaine would understand that kind of thinking, not with how he'd heard his ex talk about how his parents would pay for this and that when Blaine went off to college.

"Get it? Besides, Miss Pillsbury and Mr Schue are both educators. They should understand that wasn't willing to risk my college education and my job in order to go."

"You didn't even call! Mr Schue was really disappointed. I can't believe you did that to him!"

"Oh, for the love of– I called Miss Pillsbury. Also, I talked to Finn, who was best man. I was assured they'd tell the groom. Besides, it's not like the wedding actually happened. Meaning I would have risked all that for nothing.

"I just don't get why you're so upset, Blaine. It's not like it was your wedding, or as if we would have spent that much time together – I would have been with Finn and Mercedes most of the time." He hoped.

"But, but..."

"Blaine, I'm sorry you're upset. I don't really understand why you are, but I'm still sorry. That wasn't my intention. It's just, I'm living in the real world now, not in the choir room. I have responsibilities, and I have to adjust accordingly. That's just how it is. And you can tell anyone else that might have an issue with me not coming to the wedding exactly that.

"Speaking of those responsibilities, I need to run. Take care, Blaine."

He hung up before his ex got a chance to reply, and immediately turned his phone off. Maybe it was time to consider a change of numbers?

What it definitely was time for though was hurry home – Adam would be showing up soon, and while Kurt still wasn't 100% sure where he wanted things between them to go, he knew beyond a doubt he wanted to be with Adam while he figured it out.

Maybe this would turn out to be just a fling, a rebound. Maybe it could become something amazing, and beautiful, and lasting. They might even, Kurt thought with a startled laugh, turn out to be the greatest team there ever was.

He moved through the crowds, completely in sync with the city's pulse by now, quietly humming the tune that felt like his anthem while looking forward to strong arms, warm eyes and a sunny smile.

Oh, and cookies.

~ The End ~