Blaine couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous. He was waiting for Kurt outside the tiny restaurant—it wasn't a fancy place, but the food was okay and the prices affordable for a college student who'd already spent a majority of his savings on a summer holiday by the lake.

His palms were sweating and he rubbed them dry on his dark jeans for the fifth time or so since he'd arrived a few minutes earlier. Despite Kurt's last text he still wasn't quite sure how the night was going to go. He was pretty sure he had planned it out as best he could, but still. This had to be perfect. For Kurt. Nothing else would do.

It had been a long time since Blaine had felt about anyone the way that he felt about Kurt and he really didn't want to screw this up by being either too casual or by expecting too much and scaring Kurt away.

He knew he could come off as clingy, and he didn't want that. He also knew that the easygoing, fun-loving side of himself often made people think he wasn't serious, and he didn't want that either. He wanted... Kurt. Simple as that. He wanted him so much it scared him. They had known each other for only a few weeks, for crying out loud. He wasn't used to wanting this much so early on. And yet he just... knew that he had stumbled upon something great, something he didn't want to let go off if he could help it at all.

Checking his reflection in the window again, he sighed audibly. There was only so much he could plan and organize. His outfit and overall appearance for tonight was something he would never be quite content with. Kurt basically only knew him in swim shorts—and the occasional jeans and t-shirt ensemble if it had been a cold night back at the lake cabins. He should have gone with a simple shirt instead of the red cardigan. Maybe he should have done something with his hair too. He was pretty sure that Kurt liked his curls, the way he had carded his fingers through them, tugged on them lightly sometimes when they'd been curled up on the dock or at night on Blaine's bed—but they were so... all over the place. He wanted to look nice for Kurt. He wanted to impress him.

Laura had laughed at him when he'd voiced his concerns before leaving. “That boy has touched you places I don't even wanna hear about and seen you the morning after too. And he still agreed to go out with you. Now stop being stupid and go get him, Hobbit.” and with that, she had practically shoved him out the door, slamming it in his face.

And yes, Kurt had agreed to go out with him. Kurt. Had agreed. To go out with him. Oh god. Drying his clammy hands on his pants again, he straightened up, trying to breathe away the nerves. He could do this. He wanted to.

“Hi.”

His heart did a tap dance in his chest upon hearing the familiar voice behind him. Of course he'd been looking for Kurt in the wrong direction, allowing him to sneak up behind Blaine while he least expected it.

Suddenly, he didn't even have to force the smile onto his face as a rush of happiness made the worry fade into the background for a moment. Turning around, warmth flooded through him as his fingers tingled and he felt himself blush. “Hi.”

Kurt's face looked slightly red as well, but his eyes were laughing, crinkling sightly at the corners. Blaine felt his breath hitch as he took in the long, lean lines of his body, the smile on his face, the elegant way he held himself. Holy fuck Kurt was gorgeous. And he was here for him. Blaine didn't know just what he'd done right in his short years on this planet to give him this (he didn't recall saving anyone from a burning building or inventing a cure for cancer at some point in his life, he hadn't even carried any old lady's shopping bags recently), but he didn't even care. Didn't want to question it. Not tonight. Kurt was here. Kurt was here and that was all he knew right now. Everything else he would figure out later. They had time. (He hoped.)

He realized they had been staring at each other for what felt like about a minute and he was sure the grin on his face probably bordered on demented by now. He quickly cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “I—” He broke off, not quite sure what he wanted to say. There was too much and none of it was entirely appropriate for their situation right now. But he was sure that blurting out I missed you so much I couldn't sleep sometimes was probably the best way to make Kurt turn on his heels and leave him standing here like the pathetic, overexcited idiot he was. “We should—it's really good to see you.”

“It's good to see you too.”

“How's Rachel?” Blaine winced. He didn't want to talk about Rachel. He wanted to... He didn't know what he wanted. He wanted too much. He wanted everything at once.

“She's... good. Busy. You know her.” Kurt laughed.

“Yes.” Clearing his throat again, he motioned toward the door. “Shall we? Eat? Because that's why we're here. I mean, that's not why, that's just what you do on a date, but maybe we should get on with it then so we can...” What? Blaine shook his head, mentally kicking himself. This was a really great time to start babbling incoherently.

“Oh, sure. We should probably...” Kurt waved a hand in the direction of the restaurant as well. “Sounds good.”

“Good,” Blaine repeated, standing rooted to the spot. Should he hold the door for Kurt? What was the etiquette for a first date with a guy he had already slept with?

Kurt laughed again and Blaine joined him this time. “This is awkward, isn't it?” He asked.

“Kind of,” Kurt agreed, then took a deep breath. “I'm glad you asked me out, though. I'm... just... glad.” He shrugged helplessly, the little smile on his face making Blaine's knees wobbly.

“You're welcome,” he said lamely.

God, he just wanted to reach out and touch Kurt already. Just have some sort of physical connection. So much of their... thing... by the lake had been physical, he thought he needed it to remind himself of that closeness they had shared. He needed to feel Kurt.

“Okay, then.” He put on his best happy face and turned toward the door, thinking things were probably going to be easier once they were inside and seated. They had eaten together before. He knew how to talk to Kurt over dinner. He didn’t know yet how to be around him on a sidewalk in New York City. He wasn’t usually this bad this either, god. “Let's go.”

“Blaine.” Kurt reached for his shoulder, just as he was about to open the door. “One more thing.”

Blaine shivered at the touch, turning back toward Kurt who was standing much closer all of a sudden, close enough for Blaine to feel his body heat, to smell his cologne and the underlying scent of just Kurt, and Blaine felt lightheaded, dizzy with happiness and hope and longing. “Do you remember what I told you when you asked me out?” He blushed slightly, a hint on nervousness on his features.

Blaine nodded weakly, heart beating double time. He simply couldn't find his voice.

“I said I was going to kiss you.”

“You did. Say that.” Oh, there was his voice. He just wished it sounded stronger.

“Okay if I do that now? Before we go in?”

“Fine by me.” Blaine attempted a playful grin, but he wasn't sure his body was obeying him right now. Kurt was standing so close to him.

“Okay,” Kurt breathed, placing both hands on Blaine's shoulders.

Blaine felt his arms lift without conscious thought, his own hands finding Kurt's hips and the simple touch seemed to ground him, his body remembering how to be close to Kurt before his brain caught up to it. He was going to kiss him again. Finally.

He leaned up as Kurt leaned in, breath mingling in between them, and Blaine let his eyes drift shut, overwhelmed by the moment. They were still in the middle of the sidewalk, cars going by and someone shouting at a cab driver in the distance. All of it faded away the instant Kurt's lips brushed against his in a kiss so gentle, so sweet, it simply took his breath away.

It was everything he remembered and much more. He pressed his mouth against Kurt's more firmly, arms sliding around his waist the way they had done many times before as he felt Kurt's lips moving against his, soft and wet and perfect. And then there was a tongue caressing his bottom lip and he had to suppress a groan as his lips parted willingly for Kurt, deepening the kiss as their tongues found each other, and god, he was flying, falling, melting into Kurt in the middle of everyday life on a sidewalk in New York City.

There was such a sweet tenderness in the way Kurt kissed him slowly, for a moment Blaine wasn't sure his poor little heart could take it. It was simply too good, too right, too everything he had wanted this kiss to be.

They parted too soon and Blaine kept his eyes closed, his face still so close to Kurt's they were breathing each other's air, their bodies not quite touching but arms still around each other.

All the times he had kissed Kurt before, it had been amazing, but never like this. Their kisses had tasted of summer and lake water and we-only-have-this-summer-so-let's-make-the-most-of-it.

This time, it was different. This time, they were back in their own lives, back where they were vulnerable when they opened themselves up to each other, and they had done it anyway. They were here.

That had to mean something, right?

He leaned in again, pressing another small, innocent kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth, feeling him smile against his lips.

“Hey,” Kurt breathed.

“Hey,” Blaine breathed back, touching his nose to Kurt's. “Ready to go in now?”

“Ready when you are.” Kurt's fingers brushed through the soft hair at the back of Blaine’s neck before he drew back, hand sliding down Blaine's arm until he found his hand and tangled their fingers together.

“I've been ready for weeks,” Blaine replied, his palm tingling where it was touching Kurt's.

“You say the cheesiest things sometimes.” Kurt squeezed his hand, grinning but looking quite pleased, actually.

Blaine counted it as a win.