The next month whipped by in a blur of happiness Blaine wished would never end. Nate visited him at work every day and they ate a lunch together that Nate would bring; that lunch was usually accompanied by a CD Nate had made or some flowers. They saw two Broadway musicals together and went dancing nearly every weekend. Blaine was not used to being doted upon because in his relationship with Kurt, he was the gentleman. But Blaine wouldn't have his relationship with this new man any other way. Nate was the perfect gentlemen. And a handsome one too. Blaine usually wasn't into men who were too much taller than him, but Nate was a welcome exception. He was over six feet tall and lean with dark brown hair, matching eyes, and long narrow piano fingers that felt so right when they were interlaced with Blaine's. His smile could light up a room and his low voice was always sure and comforting.

"-aine! BLAINE!" Blaine snapped his head out of the clouds to find Elise planted in front of him with her hands locked on her hips. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Blaine looked around and ventured a guess because truthfully, he hadn't been paying attention to anything Elise had said in the last five minutes. "Uhhh, closing time?"

Elise shook her head and smiled, crossing her arms. "Nice guess, lover boy. Got boy problems on your mind?" she asked setting about emptying the old coffee from the pot and washing it.

Blaine shook his head and went outside to take the umbrellas inside. The sun was down and the night life of New York City was just picking up. He came back into the empty coffee shop with an armful of table umbrellas and set them down in the back room. "I wouldn't call Nate a problem." Blaine began upturning chairs and putting them up on the tabletops.

Elise smiled, busying herself behind the counter. "Not when you smile like that he isn't. Are you seeing him tonight?"

"I am going over to his place and he's cooking dinner," Blaine smiled.

"You really like this guy, huh?"

Blaine didn't even hesitate, "Yeah," he laughed. "He just makes me feel young again."

"You're not old, B."

She smirked and Blaine shook his head turning the last chair up onto a table. "Not young as in age. I feel like I'm making up for lost time. All those years I was in Ohio, I wasn't really living. With Nate," he shrugged, "I feel alive again."

"Sounds like a knight in shining armor," Elise teased flipping the "OPEN" sign on the door to "CLOSED".

Blaine took off his apron and snatched his guitar case from the back room. "As cliché as it sounds, he kind of is." Blaine smiled and shrugged. "How's John?"

"John's, John. We're past the honeymoon stage of our relationship unlike you and Mr. Wise. I think we're all set here if you want to head out, you must be anxious to get going."

"Thanks Elise," Blaine said giving her a one-armed hug and racing for the door, "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!"

Elise smiled and waved as Blaine rushed out into the night with his guitar. He stopped in the street and thrust his hand up hailing a taxi. He jumped into the back seat and gave Nate's address to the driver and settled in for the 10 minute drive. He could already feel the butterflies in his stomach in anticipation of tonight's date. Nate said he wanted to do something more personal and not quite so public because as a gay couple, you can't exactly act like a straight couple during a public dinner-date. Blaine pulled off the flour-covered and coffee stained long-sleeved sweater and flattened down the front of his white button-down shirt. He unbuttoned the top button revealing a little more of his chest, but just enough to be tasteful with the right amount of sex appeal. He secretly wished he had the time to go home and freshen up so he would not look and smell like he had just gotten off of work, but going back would be stalling the date and Blaine would not do that. The cab rolled to a stop along the curb in front of Nate's apartment complex. Blaine handed the cabbie his fare and thanked him graciously as he stepped out of the cab. He gripped the handle of his guitar tightly as he walked up the steps of the building. He pressed the buzzer number for Nate's apartment and heard the speaker crackle to life.

"Yes?" came his boyfriend's voice from the old speaker.

"Someone ordered some coffee?" Blaine teased in reply.

Blaine could hear the smile in Nate's voice when he answered him, "come on up!"

The door clicked, signaling it was unlocked and Blaine strode over the threshold. The lobby was nothing short of expensively spectacular, and it was much fancier than Blaine's apartment. He made his way over to the stairs and took them two at a time as he made his way to the third floor. He reached the top and waited a moment to catch his breath and smooth down his shirt before opening the door at the top of the flight of stairs. Nate's apartment was one of two on this floor, so Blaine made his way over to the left hand apartment door and knocked three times. There was a shuffling from the other side of the door and a pause while its owner peered through the peep-hole. Blaine waved knowing Nate could see him, and the door opened. Nate stood in the doorway casually dressed in a close-fitting blue polo shirt and designer jeans. He leaned in the doorframe taking in Blaine and his guitar.

"Are you going to let me in, or just let me stand here in the hallway?" Blaine snipped, but the smile on his face let Nathanial know it was a joke.

"I was just going to have you stand there so I can look at you," Nate shrugged with a devilish grin. Blaine dropped his guitar at his feet and struck a few poses making the man in the doorway burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, come inside," he conceded, retreating into the apartment.

Blaine snatched up his guitar and strode into the dwelling, closing the door behind him. He had been inside Nate's apartment a few times before, and the lavish decadence never failed to impress him. Blaine's family was pretty well off growing up, but his status was nothing compared to Nathanial's. He was a well-known and sought-after composer, author, and pianist; his talents for music and literature fund his lavish lifestyle and the dates he and Blaine went on. Living off a coffee shop and an occasional show salary were not exactly what one would call "lavish" especially given the high cost of living in NYC. The furniture was leather and a grand piano was the focal point in the immaculate sitting room. In this room, rows and rows of books and volumes of sheet music lined the room on either side of a large entertainment center, which organized probably somewhere around one hundred movies of all genres. Blaine set his guitar next to the glossy piano, his fingers had always itched to tickle the keys but he never asked Nate in case it was a touchy subject.

Blaine passed the book-filled sitting room and followed the sound of rummaging coming from the kitchen. All the lights in the kitchen were off and the only illumination was the soft flickering glow emitting from two long, wax candles on the dining table. A vase of red roses was set in between the candlesticks and stray red petals littered the table around the centerpiece. On each side of the small table were two plates of steaming food, the smell mingling with the scent of roses and making Blaine's mouth water. Nate emerged from the nearby walk-in pantry with two long-stemmed wine glasses and a bottle of red wine dangling from his fingertips. He smiled when he saw the look on Blaine's face as his boyfriend took in the whole scene.

"Impressed?" he inquired setting the glasses and the bottle down on the table. He uncorked the wine and poured it carefully into the wine glasses, being careful not to spill a single drop on the white table cloth. He handed a glass to Blaine and tapped their drinks together before taking a sip. Blaine smelled the wine, appreciating the scent before he took a sip.

"Oh! That is amazing!" Blaine exclaimed covering his mouth in surprise.

"Thank you," Nate smiled, "I've been saving for someone special to share it with."

Blaine gushed, his eyes smoldering in the candle light and his cheeks taking on a pink hue. Nate removed the glass from Blaine's hand and set their drinks down on the table. Blaine was about to protest but the words never got the chance to leave his lips because suddenly, Nate was pressed against him, trapping his lips in his own. Blaine sighed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Nate. His lips were warm and tasted of the delicious wine. Nate grew more urgent, moving his mouth faster and less gently against Blaine's. He backed Blaine back up against the doorway, his lips moving hungrily to Blaine's neck when the shorter man gasped.

Nate's lips returned to Blaine's and began to press one heated kiss after another onto Blaine's lips. For some reason, kissing Nate like this was awkward, not unpleasant, just awkward. He had been so used to kissing only Kurt that he had fallen into a pattern, kissing this new man was strange. It felt good but for some reason if it was anything more than a peck, his lips would not cooperate and his kissing was slow and clumsy, though it didn't deter Nathanial. His hands pressed against Blaine's hips and his greedy fingers were digging into his flesh. Blaine gasped for air and before Nate could start another onslaught of kisses, he said, "you're lovely dinner is getting cold."

Nate paused and looked over his shoulder at the table. He sighed and turned back to his lover who was still pressed against the door frame. "I suppose you're right," he murmured. He leaned down and pressed one last kiss into Blaine's pink lips before untangling himself and walking over to the table. Blaine took a deep breath and smoothed down his shirt again meanwhile, Nate pulled out a chair and gestured for Blaine to sit. He smiled and sat down as Nathanial pushed the chair in before taking his seat across from him. Blaine spread the napkin over his lap and looked over the food in front of him. Steamed vegetables and succulent salmon adorned with rosemary and lemon slivers. Blaine lifted a bite to his mouth and sighed.

"This is delicious," he moaned around a mouthful of salmon and he scooped up another mouthful.

"I'm glad you are enjoying it, I wanted everything to be special for tonight."

"What's the occasion?"

Nate shrugged taking a sip of wine. "I don't know. I just wanted a perfect evening with the man I love," he murmured over the lip of his glass.

Blaine inhaled sharply, nearly choking on the asparagus in his mouth. He swallowed and coughed lightly, sipping his wine to cover his surprise. "Pardon?"

Nate smiled at having caught Blaine off guard with his declaration, "I love you, Blaine."

Blaine froze, the glass of wine clenched in his fingers. He knew the relationship was going really great, but love? Was he in love with Nathanial Wise? NO, shouted the voice in the back of his head. In that moment, all he could picture was the day in the coffee shop back in high school when he and Kurt said 'I love you' for the first time. That day he meant it, and every 'I love you' he had said to Kurt was true. Blaine hesitated, panic gripping his chest. Why was he reacting like this? This should make him happy, right? This is what he wanted, right? Still, he could not shake the feeling of unease those three loaded words from Nate had caused. Blaine smiled and tried to look as calm as possible though inside he was screaming at himself.

"Too soon?" Nate asked when Blaine did not reply.

"No, no. It's just," Blaine hesitated, "this is the first relationship I've been in since Kurt and I really care about you and—"

"Blaine, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Nate slid his hand across the table and took Blaine's. "I just want you to know that I love you, and I am completely dedicated to you in mind, body, and soul."

Blaine felt tears prick his eyes. "Wow," he breathed.

"Just know that I love you. Don't feel pressured to say it, only say it when you're ready," when Nate smiled, it was warm and damn near melted Blaine's heart.

"I do care about you, a lot," Blaine paused taking Nathanial's hand in both of his.

"But you're not in love with me," Blaine started to hesitate, but Nate held up his free hand, "I told you it's fine, only say it when you mean it."

Blaine smiled, leaning across the table and pressed his lips sweetly to Nate's.

The next morning, Blaine woke more refreshed than ever. Though last night nearly turned into a disaster, it was just too perfect. He no longer felt pressured in his relationship with Nathanial, and Nate loved him. Loved him. He had never thought it could happen again to him. The way he and Kurt ended put a lot of doubt in his head. If Kurt could leave him so easily, how would anyone be able to love him and never leave him? Nathanial found a way.

Blaine headed into work and opened the shop. He was outside with his guitar just about to begin playing when Elise came bounding up to him. "SO?"

"What?" Blaine asked, perfectly aware of what she wanted to know.

"What happened? Details! Details!" She exclaimed seating herself across from him at the table. Blaine sighed, faking exasperation to tease his friend. "Blaine Anderson, if you don't start talking so help me God, I will put perm chemicals in your shampoo!"

Blaine gasped, "you wouldn't!"

"Don't test me Anderson, now spill."

Blaine laughed. "Alright, alright, calm down. Well, I got there and he wouldn't let me in at first, but eventually he did. He had all the lights off and it was candle lit, with red roses and rose petals. He cooked salmon and we drank expensive wine. It was so romantic."

"Awwww!" she exclaimed clasping her hands together. "What else happened? Did you guys… you know?" Elise deliberately cut off, arching her eyebrows suggestively.

Blaine was puzzled for a moment, not really understanding what she was asking, then it hit him. "No! No we haven't gone that far!"

"No?" she asked raising an eyebrow, skeptical if he was telling the truth or not.

Blaine shook his head and told her, "no. I assure you we didn't do anything."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "What was the occasion then? One month anniversaries seem kind of trivial when you aren't in high school."

"It wasn't an anniversary thing," Blaine said crossing his arms and resting them on the side of his guitar.

"Then why did he make it so special if it wasn't for a romantic love-making evening?" she practically shouted.

"Shhhhhhh!" Blaine looked around to see if anyone was giving the pair of them any strange looks. Luckily, the full force of New York sidewalk traffic had yet to hit, so there were not too many people around to listen to their conversation. "Calm down or I won't tell you and I'll just let you perm my hair!"

"Okay!" she made a zipping motion across her lips and silently waited for Blaine to continue.

He paused a minute, remembering the scene from the night before. "He told me he loved me," he murmured.

"What?" she half jumped out of her seat and flailed her arms around. Blaine gave her a stern look and she sat back down. "Really? Oh Blaine, that's fantastic! What did you say?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

She looked bewildered, "you didn't say it back?" Blaine shook his head. "Why not? You're crazy about him! How can you not say it back? What's not to like?"

"I don't know! It just didn't feel like the right time. I like him a lot, but I'm not in love with him yet."

Elise waited a few minutes nodding and thinking, "how did he take it?" she asked eventually.

"So well. He was the perfect gentleman about it. He said to only tell him when I was ready and when I really, truly meant it. He said he just wants me to know he loves me with all his heart."

"That man is perfect. You're lucky he's gay," they laughed. "Do you think you will ever love him?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Eventually, I know I can."

"You don't think it's because of… Kurt, do you?"

Blaine nodded, "it's just the way it ended. I think I still have a wall up."

"Well," she said getting up, "I guess you're gonna have to fix that then," she walked into the shop. "What's cooking?" she shouted from inside.

"Biscotti in the oven, scone batter in the fridge!" Blaine shouted back. When he didn't hear a reply he assumed she had found it.

He sat there alone for a few minutes thinking about last night. It really was the perfect date. Roses, dinner, wine, chemistry, what could possibly be missing? Blaine shook his head, determined to forget about the awkward portion of the evening and concentrate on the romantic parts. His fingers came to life and began plucking the strings. Whenever he played, he drowned out the entire world, not hearing the cars in the street or the footsteps of people passing by. He let himself get absorbed by the music, and he would ignore any people who stopped to watch. Today was another one of those days when someone stopped to listen to him. Blaine was aware of the other presence but kept his head down and focused on the strings, hoping the guest would go in and buy some coffee.

"You still have that same guitar," the guest remarked.

Blaine wasn't really paying attention to the potential customer but looked up from his strings to politely ask them to go in and try some coffee. When he looked up the words were caught in his throat and his eyes widened in shock and panic, his strumming hand froze, playing out a ringing sour note on his guitar. He was looking up into the most beautifully familiar eyes, his stomach rolled.

"Kurt."