Blaine wrapped both arms around himself and collapsed into Elise's arms in the doorway of her small apartment. She hugged as tight as possible, pulling him with her into the apartment and slamming the door behind her. Quickly skirting the island in the kitchen, she made her way to the living room where she threw their bodies onto the couch. Blaine wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder, sobs racking his body. Tears soaked into Elise's nightshirt, salt water blossoming across her shoulder. She rubbed soothing circles on his back in between his shoulder blades, not speaking, she just let him cry himself dry on her shoulder. He needed this, he needed to get all of this out all at once. His chest was heaving and his whole body was trembling before the tears ebbed. He pulled away and they were still trickling down his face, but the sobbing had stopped. Elise raised a hand and gently wiped the tears away with the tips of her fingers. She combed her fingers through his hair and let her hand rest on the back of his neck.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, stroking his neck.

Blaine sniffed and nodded, "do you have any ice cream?" he croaked, his voice rough. Elise laughed and strolled back into the kitchen. She returned to the sofa with a gallon of chocolate fudge ice cream, two spoons, and a box of tissues. She plopped down on the couch, tossing the box of tissues in him lap. He took up the box and blew his nose noisily, sniffled, and wiped the rest of the tears and salt off his face. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He could feel Elise staring at him, waiting patiently for an explanation. He reached over, snatching the spoon from her grasp and scooped a huge spoonful of chocolate ice cream. He stuck it in his mouth, the cold of the dessert cooling his tongue. Ice cream really does heal everything. He licked the spoon clean and stuck it back in the gallon.

"Hey, who said you could double-dip?" Elise asked hitting the back of his hand with her spoon. Blaine's lips cracked, the corners turning up a little. "That's better," she said smiling. "What happened, honey?"

Blaine looked down at the spoon in his hand. He scooped more ice cream out, reluctant to relive that nightmare. He sighed, a mouthful of ice cream rested on his tongue, numbing it. He swallowed hard, "he's engaged," Blaine rasped, "to the man he left me for five years ago." Elise clapped a hand over her mouth as tears welled up and spilled over Blaine's face again.

"Oh, Blaine!" Elise stretched out and wrapped him in her arms again. Blaine didn't sob this time, though silent tears spilled down his face.

"I expected him to have seen people or maybe even be married," Blaine muttered against her shoulder. "But to be engaged to the guy he left me for?" he shook his head. "It just hurts. If I could have saved us, that would be me. We would be engaged. He took Kurt to Paris to propose!" he wailed. "That had been my plan since I was seventeen!" he began sobbing again. "What did I do wrong Elise? Why did he get Kurt? Why is he so happy and I've been miserable for five years?" Blaine asked all the questions he knew no one had the answers to, but he needed those answers to keep his sanity. "What did I do wrong?" he whispered.

"Nothing, B. You did nothing wrong. You didn't drive Kurt into the arms of another guy. You grew apart. It happens," she said petting his head.

"This shouldn't hurt, Elise. I got over him. I have Nate now."

"Are you over him?" she asked pulling away and arching an eyebrow.

He forcefully cleared his throat, "yes." He dug his spoon into the ice cream.

Elise looked at Blaine who was now fuming on the couch, hurt turning to blistering anger. "You're sure?"

"Positive," he barked stuffing ice cream into his mouth.

"Then why do you care? If you really are over him, why are you here crying on my couch and eating my ice cream?" Blaine paused, mouth open. Why am I so upset about this? He shook his head and ate more ice cream, glaring at the coffee table. "Maybe it's your pride?" Elise suggested.

Blaine shrugged, "maybe." My pride? Is it because I lost? Am I upset just because I lost Kurt to Glen? That has to be the reason… Why else would I be upset? He nodded more, harshly laughing at himself for being so stupid. Not everything in his life was like competing for solos as he did when he was in show choir.

"So other than the engagement thing, how did it go?" Elise asked dipping her spoon into the ice cream.

"It was alright for the most part," he shrugged, "it got a bit awkward at some points when I had to tell him about dropping out of school and stuff. Other than that it was nice, he wants to try and just be friends. We are going to double date at some point."

"Sounds good," she chirped, afraid to elaborate in case Blaine was still upset.

"It is I guess. You're right about the closure thing I think. It felt good to talk to Kurt again after all this time."

She beamed, "I am always right, you should know this by now."

"Yeah, yeah. I should get going," Blaine groaned putting his spoon back on the table.

"Oh, no you're not. You're just going to go home and dwell on this and get upset over it all over again. No, you're staying the night with me tonight," she commanded crossing her arms.

"And I'm just going to wear these clothes again tomorrow?" Blaine asked standing and putting his hands on his hips.

"Don't be stupid, you have clothes here from the last time you stayed over. Go pick out a movie to watch and we'll finish the rest of this ice cream," she smiled up at Blaine with a warm grin.

Blaine grinned and laughed, "I love you, you know that?"

Blaine and Elise dragged into work the next morning, opening the shop and laughing about their sleep-over the night before. Blaine's mood improved since he had the heart-to heart with Elise. He chalked up his panic attack to his hurt pride over losing Kurt to Glen and not over still having feelings for his ex. He and Elise opened the shop together even though it was usually Blaine's job. He had left his guitar at the shop overnight and after they finished opening, he sat at one of the tables inside and played for Elise. It was pouring outside, the sky dark and overcast as pregnant, black clouds swirled and dumped their contents on the city. It looked like it was going to be a slow day. They had to deal with a huge throng of people in the morning as people made their way to work but once that died out, there was no one to serve. Blaine liked days like this, rainy days where he got paid to just wait for customers and play his guitar. He loved talking to the customers, but the quiet was nice for a change.

Around noon, Nate came to the shop with lunch for three. Blaine recounted the pleasant points from his dinner with Kurt and neglected to mention his break-down and the sleep-over with Elise. Nate agreed that the dinner was successful and he was optimistic about Blaine and Kurt being friends again. Nate left at quarter to one, giving Blaine a swift kiss goodbye, and Blaine went back to playing his guitar.

He was in the back room passing the time by reorganizing shelves thirty minutes later when he heard the chime on the door ring. Elise stalked into the room and eyed Blaine as he mused over where to put the coffee filters. He looked over his shoulder at his boss, "do you have any idea where the other bag of filters is? I could have sworn we had an opened bag in here." She lingered in the doorway looking uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kurt's here," she mumbled leaning in the door frame. Blaine snapped his head around and his stomach knotted. Relax, it's just Kurt, he told himself. He took a deep breath and stowed the filters on a shelf. He walked past Elise and into the shop.

"Hi, Kurt!" he greeted his friend cheerily.

Kurt looked taken aback by his positivity, "hey Blaine."

"Here for some coffee?" Blaine asked getting a cup out and starting Kurt's order.

"Yeah, I'm here on my lunch break and I needed something hot to drink, this weather is ghastly," he groaned wrapping his red sweater more tightly around himself. Blaine smiled and glanced at the rest of his wardrobe. Red sweater, red and blue striped shirt, black trousers that hugged his hips, and black knee high boots.

"I remember you wearing those boots in school," Blaine said stirring sweetener into Kurt's coffee. Kurt looked down at his boots and up at Blaine in horror.

"You most certainly did not!" he nearly shrieked. "These are straight of the runway from my favorite spring line! Those boots I wore back in high school are so old and tired they could be my grandfather."

Blaine chuckled and rang Kurt's order up, he threw in a biscotti with his coffee order. Blaine and Kurt went over to one of the tables as Kurt sipped his coffee. "Did you want to go out to lunch and get something to eat?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shook his head, "Nathanial just left, we eat lunch together every day."

Kurt's jaw tightened and he gave a stiff smile, "that is adorable," he cooed. "Glen never has time to just get lunch. He's so busy at his law firm."

"He works at a firm?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shook his head and swallowed a mouthful of coffee, "he owns one."

Blaine propped his chin up on his hand, "impressive. I never took you for a businessman's man."

Kurt sucked in his cheeks, unsure how to respond for a minute. Blaine smiled, feeling satisfied he had made Kurt feel awkward for a change. Kurt gave a prissy smile, "we balance each other very well. He's the business and I'm the pleasure." Blaine was frozen a moment at how Kurt said that with a perfectly straight face, completely serious. Kurt's face broke into a full-fledged smile and he started laughing loudly at Blaine's reaction. Blaine shook it off and gave a few forced chuckles. "I was joking, Blaine," he snickered. "You should have seen the look on your face!" Blaine laughed with Kurt, relieved he wasn't actually serious. "In all seriousness though," Kurt said after he had calmed down. "We balance each other very nicely. And he lets me dress him, which is fantastic."

Blaine smiled, "I haven't been up on fashion like I used to be."

Kurt looked Blaine up and down with a sour look on his face. "Yes, I can see that."

Blaine looked down at himself "I'm at work, not walking the runway!"

"That's no excuse to be wearing a brown shirt and black shoes," Kurt griped.

"Okay, so maybe I've been a little neglectful towards fashion trends—"

"Blaine, you don't have to be a fashion expert to know that a brown shirt and black shoes are never good together. You really are slipping." Blaine nodded. "Oh! I have the best idea to fix your fashion ignorance!" Kurt beamed.

"I wouldn't call it ignorance…"

"You are fooling no one with that bull, Mr. Anderson."

"Well how do you plan on educating me in the ways of fashion oh all-knowing one?"

"There's a small fashion show I have to attend tomorrow night. Just to check out the competition and mingle with some big name people in the business. You should come with me!" Kurt exclaimed bouncing lightly in his seat.

Tomorrow was Friday, and Blaine usually went out with Nate on Friday nights. He mulled it over, "Kurt, I don't know…"

"Come on Blaine! It will be incredible, you'll love it!"

Blaine sighed, "but I don't have anything to wear," he complained.

Kurt tapped a finger on his chin, thinking for a moment. "Shopping! I'll take you shopping! Oh, please Blaine? Please, please, please?"

Blaine protested, "Kurt—"

"Blaine Anderson, don't make me get down on my knees in these designer pants and beg. Let me take you shopping." Kurt looked into Blaine's hazel eyes, his ice blue eyes piercing into him. Blaine felt the knot in his stomach again. Kurt's gaze pleaded with Blaine, like a puppy begging for his supper.

"Fine!" Blaine sighed throwing his arms up in defeat.

Kurt clapped enthusiastically and bounced out of his chair to his feet. "Oh this is so exciting! I'll come by tomorrow same time and we can go shopping, can you get the afternoon off?"

Blaine called into the back room, "Elise?"

She peaked her head around the corner, "of course you can!" she chimed before disappearing into the back room.

"Excellent!" Kurt squealed, "this is going to be so much fun!"

Blaine chuckled, "we'll see about that."

"Don't doubt me, Blaine. I love a good challenge."

"I wouldn't dream of doubting you," he said bowing his head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will, indeed," Kurt smiled before snatching up his coffee and strutting out of the shop.

"Well, what do you make of that Elise?" Blaine called into the back, fully aware that she was carefully listening to the entire conversation.

She peered around the corner again, "looks like you're going shoppin'!"