A/N: This is based off of the song 'The Story' by Brandi Carlisle. I have an unhealthy obsession with it, but it's beautiful, so yes.

A/N: I do not own Glee, Brandi Carlisle, or any affiliates.

On a small table of the Lima Bean, a man sits alone and frowns as he takes a gulp of his medium drip. Somewhere across the café, another young man sits and watches him, curiosity etched into his face. The first man is writing something with an agitated expression on his face. As the second man watches him, he makes a mental note to walk by and take a glance over his shoulder. The first man leaves, throwing away the paper as he goes. The second never got to read it.

The second time it happens, the first man is the one who watches the second man. The first man takes in his exquisite but familiar tone of voice. His shoes make no noise on the hard floor as he slowly walks to stand behind a pillar that separates him from the tables and the till. The second man walks to a table with a flair that he's seen someone possess before, but is still the most amazing thing to see. The way that he sits down and immediately stirs his coffee with the wooden stick; the way that he pauses as his eyes reach the second man before shaking his head and deciding that the flicker of recognition that he feels is just an illusion. The flicker never dies though.

The third time it happens, they speak to each other. The second man approaches the first with a coffee in his hand and speaks up.

"Excuse me?" His voice is like satin. The first man's head snaps up.

"Yeah?"

The second man chews on his lip, "It's busy today and-"

The first smiles. It doesn't reach his eyes. "You want to sit here?"

The second nods.

"Go ahead." He gestures to the chair, sleeve rolling up slightly as he does so. He pulls it down quickly, but not fast enough to prevent showing an ugly white scar that trails down his wrist. The second wonders where it came from even though he knows where it's from without trying. He doesn't ask. Instead, he looks at the man through pained eyes and tries to remember why this man is so familiar.

"I'm Kurt." The second man, Kurt, says. He smiles with a certain sadness as he says it. The other man doesn't smile; his frown deepens.

"I'm Blaine." Blaine watches as Kurt's eyes widen in shock.

"If you don't mind my asking, what's your Surname?" Kurt asks nervously, eyes trained on Blaine. Blaine chews on his lip.

"Anderson." As Kurt's eyes widen in shock, Blaine gathers his courage up. "Your Surname wouldn't be Hummel, would it?"

Both of their hearts are racing at this point. They don't want it to be this moment and yet at the same time they do. It's what they desire the most of all things. They need it to be each other because they've yearned for each other for so many years. They used to live off of the support of the other, gaining strength and support from each other. But they don't really know each other anymore. They haven't talked for five years. They haven't stopped loving each other for seven.

Kurt inhales sharply, "You're…" He swallows, "Blaine?" Blaine looks down before looking up again and nodding nervously. Kurt looks him over. "I haven't seen you for five years." He says bluntly.

Blaine sighs, "I know." He says gravely.

Kurt chews on his lower lip, "What happened, Blaine?" He asks.

Blaine shrugs, "I don' know." He slurs sadly.

Kurt looks him over with a sort of sad realization, "I've missed you."

Blaine is silent for a minute. When he talks again, it's quiet and choked up. "I've missed you, too." He whispers, voice shattered.

Kurt looks at him. He takes in Blaine's broken appearance: the bloodshot eyes, the excessive stubble, the messy hair (all signs of the gel helmet gone), and dear god, the stained hoodie. He's skinny and there's no more light in his eyes.

"How have you been?" Kurt asks even though he knows what the answer will be. He also knows that the answer will be a lie.

Blaine shrugs, "I've been okay, I guess." Kurt notes down the gravel in his voice.

"Have you really?" Kurt asks.

Blaine shakes his head, "I miss loving you." He admits.

Kurt sighs brokenly, "We didn't have love, Blaine; it was serendipity. It was nice, but it was always going to be as ephemeral as a craze and as evanescent as cigarette smoke."

Blaine looks him in the eye, "Do you really believe that?" He asks.

Kurt nods, "It was felicity, but it didn't last. As surreptitious as Sebastian was, maybe he'd have been better for you." Kurt goes through his diaphanous speech sadly, as though he's rehearsed it so many times but he doesn't want to speak the words if he doesn't have to.

Blaine frowns at him, his eyes becoming more lifeless than before, "So you're saying it was all just a dalliance?"

Kurt looks him in the eye and nods, "The night that we broke up was an epiphany for The World, Blaine. Not all stable couples stay together; when are you going to understand?" Kurt beleaguers Blaine with his harsh words.

Blaine gives Kurt a hurt look, "Our love was efflorescent before we broke up." He tells Kurt, annoyed.

Kurt slams a hand on the table, "It wasn't love, Blaine! I'm happy for you to use this as an emollient for whatever nasty break up you have with a comely yet furtive young man when you finally let go of me, but I can't do this!" The entire shop is staring at them by the time Kurt has stopped shouting, and the nervous tension is ethereal.

Blaine is silent for a moment. "Okay. But to me, it was always love. It was always lithe and lilting for me, but I understand that it wasn't the same for you." He says calmly.

Kurt sighs, "It wasn't; I'm sorry." He says with a genuinely apologetic tone to his voice.

Blaine sighs under the awkward tension as the rest of the café go back to their respective conversations. They don't speak for a minute until Blaine rests his chin in his hands and speaks quietly again, "You're not in New York." He points out.

Kurt looks sadly down to his coffee, "My dad had another heart attack while I was in my sophomore year at NYADA. This one restricted blood flow to his brain. He's dependent on Carole and I now." He explains.

Blaine looks at Kurt, "I'm so sorry." He says softly.

Kurt manages a half smile, "I need to get back to him now. Carole's been with him all day, so I feel like I should help her." He pauses, "I hope I see you again." He adds as an afterthought.

And then he walks out of the café and the small essence that Blaine thought he saw of Kurt's old, happy gambolling is gone. The Halcyon days are over.

They never see each other again.

A/N: WHAT IS THIS MADNESS? Alice, you should not have written this. It's just depressing. And short.