Kurt all but ran up the stairs when Burt pulled into the driveway. The ride home had been painfully quiet and no one said anything as Kurt ran to his room. It was as if they had known what happened, and Kurt figured they probably did. He did not care anymore. This was a stupid idea, and he let himself nearly fall twice just to have Blaine break his heart again. This time he was leaving on his own accord, Blaine would not kick him out. In fact, the only speaking that had gone on during the ride home was Blaine begging him to stay for a few more days.

However, Kurt could not do it this time, he had to leave. He knew it would break his heart again. He knew he would cry and lose nights and nights of sleep. He knew his father would have to hold him, and that Natalie would not simply forget this time. Nevertheless, he could not help it, Kurt was tired of being the strong one; tired of being the bad person; tired of pretending that his feelings meant nothing.

There was a gentle knock at the door as Kurt threw all of his clothing into the suitcase. He did not care about wrinkles; he had people who could get rid of them in a second. He just wanted to leave nothing behind. He tried to ignore the knocking but it came again, this time a little stronger – something he could not ignore.

"Yes?" his voice was tense and it seemed to bounce off the walls of the quickly emptying room. Kurt did not even bother to turn around because he knew who was behind him. "Dad, you can't change my mind. I am leaving. You can stay here if you want to play house with Blaine some more. But Brittany, Natalie, and I are going to New York tonight."

Burt chuckled, "Do you really think you can make Brittany do something she really doesn't want to do?"

Kurt whirled around to face his father, "What do you mean she doesn't want to do it? I suppose Blaine captured her with his charms too, has he?" Kurt continued to pack his bag with a scowl and a few ungraceful noises. "Are you really staying here?" his voice was pitiful as he asked the question. He just wanted his father to not make him feel worse about his decision.

"Tonight? Yes. But only because there are no flights back to New York tonight," Burt did not quite meet his eyes when he said it.

Kurt appraised his father, "Why are you lying to me? There is almost a constant stream of flights to New York from here."

Burt smiled again, "Well you know I hate the longer flights, and Southwest doesn't fly until tomorrow afternoon. Plus, I think you should at least give Blaine a night to say goodbye to Natalie, Brittany to say goodbye to Santana, and give yourself a night to think this over."

"This what over? And Brittany and Santana?" Kurt stopped packing but made no move to remove his pajamas or creams from his bag.

Burt moved into the room and sat heavily on the corner of a desk, "This is it, Kurt. This is the only chance you are going to have to be with Blaine. Do not think in ten years this will happen again. And now you aren't just ripping your own heart to pieces by leaving like this. You are ripping Natalie and Haley's apart. Those two girls love each other to pieces. They sit up every night and talk about things they want the other to see about themselves. You are tearing apart Brittany and Santana. I'm not too sure what's going on with them, but I know they aren't friends. You don't realize how many emotions are tied up in this kid."

"Dad, I know you want a happy ending for me, but I can't sit here and pretend everything is going to work out," Kurt's eyes strayed to his hands, "It won't work Dad, it can't."

Burt sighed, "You know, for someone so intelligent and visionary, you have no sense of foresight in your own life. I don't really think I want you and Blaine together."

"What?" Kurt stood up and stared at his father.

"Now listen to me, Kurt. I do not think the two of you being together as a romantic couple is the best course of action today. However, I do think you two have to get out of this as friends at least for the sake of everyone involved. You can get us tickets for a plane tomorrow, Kurt. But first, you're going to sit down and talk to Blaine. You have both grown so much but you're afraid to talk to each other. Do not jump right to the romantic. You were friends first, remember? Maybe you can end being friends as well." Burt sighed heavily ending his speech, "Damn, I thought these speeches would be over when you got out of high school."

Kurt fell back onto the bed, "Let me guess, you have a plan. Just like my plan to lie to Blaine worked, just like Santana's plan to leave us alone in the woods worked."

Burt could not help but let out another chuckle as he looked down at Kurt. "True, but those weren't planned by me."

Kurt sat up quickly, "Dad…I swear to god, if you leave us stranded somewhere I will kick you out of the house."

Burt made his way toward the door, "I doubt you will kick me out of the house. And son?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you dress nicely tomorrow. It will be a big day," Burt winked at his son before turning to leave.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Get some sleep, I know you can't sleep on planes," Kurt said warily, not wanting to kill his father's hopes.

"I doubt I'll sleep tonight, I have some work today. But thank you for caring," Burt closed the door behind him and could not help but laugh at his son's stubbornness.

O0o0o0o

The next morning Kurt opened his eyes harshly, still expecting to hear the buzzing of insects and the gently tide against the shore. Instead, he heard the buzzing of a blender and the soft tiptoe of someone outside his room. He braced himself for the knock.

"Come in," he said gently when it finally sounded. He had no right to be angry with Natalie and hated himself for days when he took those aggressions out on her.

"Good morning," she said as she padded into the room, already dressed.

"Good outfit," Kurt said with a smile, taking in the cardigan and sweater.

She grinned and self-consciously ran a hand down her side, "You have to wake up. We're going to breakfast."

"Who is this "we" you speak of?" Kurt asked suspiciously, already planning his outfit in his mind.

Natalie bit her lip, "You, me, Haley, and Dad…."

Kurt glared at her a little over the blankets.

"You, Haley, Dad, and me," she sighed as she flopped down onto the bed.

"Thank you," Kurt said simply, curling in on himself to get out of the bed. "What should I wear?"

"You have to look handsome."

A few rooms over, the same scene was happening.

"Daddy, you have to look real handsome. Grandpa Burt picked you out an outfit," Haley pointed to the navy blazer and gray pants hanging from his wardrobe.

Blaine smiled from his bed; he knew exactly what Burt was doing. "You grandfather is one of the greatest men I've ever met," Blaine said with a laugh, pulling Haley down into a hug. "He fixes things when your father and I mess up. He always has."

Haley quickly untangled herself from Blaine's grip, "No time to talk now. We have to get you up, ready, and handsome."

"You mean I'm not handsome like this?" Blaine pointed to his messy hair and the stubble on his chin, "I thought I was prince charming."

Haley put her hands on her hips and just stared at her father, "Not a chance, Dad."

Both men quickly dressed and met at the bottom of the staircase.

Kurt sucked in a deep breath when he saw Blaine. The navy blazer and red tie seemed to bring out the youthfulness of Blaine's face, and the pants fit him far better than the Dalton ones ever did.

Blaine had known Burt was trying to recreate what they looked like when they were younger but he was not prepared for what he saw. Kurt looked amazing in his skintight black jeans and his crisp button up shirt that was rolled to the elbows.

Blaine still did not know how to respond to Kurt. His mind wanted him to apologize as did his heart, but he knew Kurt would not accept it. He knew he had to take this for what it was. A man could always use more friends, right?

"Well, I guess you father has set us up a goodbye breakfast, huh?" Blaine was at least going to try to make conversation.

Kurt nodded, "Our plane leaves at 3."

Blaine's heard sank, "You really are leaving? Kurt…I thought maybe we could work this out."

Kurt smiled faintly, "I think we can be friends." He offered his arm, Burt was right – a lot of feelings depended on their getting along. Besides, Kurt still had a soft spot for Blaine. "So do you have any idea or know where they are taking us?"

Blaine shook his head and tightened his hold on Kurt, "I tried to get Haley to crack all last night but she won't. She's tough as nails.

Natalie walked in front of them, "Okay, we have these for you both," the girl held up a matching set of blindfolds.

Kurt raised an eyebrow and turned to Blaine, "Where did she get those?"

Blaine was blushing, "She might have found them in that trunk of our things I had upstairs," he said out of the corner of his mouth.

It was Kurt's turn to blush, "They were lined with red," Kurt pointed out.

Blaine was going to answer as they walked out to the driveway and saw what was waiting for them, "We're going in a limo? Isn't that a little overkill girls?"

Haley put her hands back on her hips, "Do you want one of us to drive you there?"

Blaine shot her a look that rivaled on of Kurt's own.

"Please, indulge us. We worked hard with Grandpa on this." She motioned for them both to put their blindfolds on.

Once they were in the car they both tried to figure out where they were going, but neither could keep the twists and turns the limo was taking.

It took nearly ten minutes, but the limo came to a complete stop and both men felt butterflies form in their stomachs.

Natalie got out of the limo and turned back to help her fathers out of the car, "Okay, you can take them off."

Kurt and Blaine took off their blindfolds and both of their eyes widened at what they saw. A popular Starbucks was completely shut down and the inside was glinting with candles. "What?" Blaine asked, glancing up to look at Kurt.

"She's ours for the morning," Haley said shyly, playing with her cardigan.

"And how exactly did you do this? Pay for this?" Blaine didn't want to think about how much it would cost to shut down the popular coffee shop.

Natalie shrugged, "Haley and I pooled our allowances."

Blaine and Kurt both scoffed at the thought. They looked at each other and laughed when they realized they did it in perfect unison.

"Okay, Grandfather pitched in a bit," Natalie said with some hesitation. She looked back up at them and they still didn't believe her, "Okay, he pitched in a lot."

Kurt and Blaine just looked at each other and shrugged. They both knew there was no turning anything around. They were at the whim of two very creative children and an overprotective father who wanted to get his own way.

Haley moved to motion her fathers into the boat, "Okay folks, right this way... "

Natalie and Haley moved to open the double doors of the Starbucks, "Ta da'!"

They looked into the Starbucks, and both grinned. The candles flickered all over, making the room seem both cozy and romantic. Neither voiced that the atmosphere wasn't quite appropriate for their children or even the pair, but they couldn't help but get swept up in the emotions of the room.

Blaine looked at the only table in the entire room, "The table's only set for two, girls."

Haley bit her lip and looked back at Natalie, "That's the other part of the surprise we're not joining you."

Kurt swallowed thickly and looked at the girls, "You're not?"

The girls smiled at their fathers and shook their head in perfect unison. "Nope."

"No, but I am," a voice sounded. They looked up and Santana walked in the room. She wore a pair of khakis, a white collared shirt, and a black apron with a coffee cup, "Good evening, I'm Santana, I'll be your server on this beautiful morning. No wisecracks please or I will hurt you."

More movement in the back of the room caused Kurt and Blaine to glance at Brittany walking out wearing the same outfit, And I'm Brittany, your barista. May I offer you both a cup of our best coffee in hopes that the caffeine and atmosphere will make you both forget that you hired both this lovely lady and myself. We'd like to keep our jobs."

Santana smiled lovingly at Brittany before looking back to where Haley and Natalie had moved, "Natalie, mood music if you will."

Natalie pushed a button on a remote and made the lights dim even more until only the candles lit the room. She pushed another button and a familiar song echoed off of the walls.

You Think I'm Pretty
Without Any Make-up On
You Think I'm Funny
When I Tell The Punch Line Wrong
I Know You Get Me
So I Let My Walls Come Down

Natalie started walking backwards toward the door, "Relax... Sail through time..."

Haley followed her, walking just as slowly, "Back to yesteryear."

The girls disappeared. Kurt and Blaine just stood looking at each other. They had no idea what was going on. "This is confusing," Kurt whispered to Blaine, "I'm lost."

"You aren't the only one." Blaine said through laughter.

Santana rolled her eyes, "You don't get it, do you? Teenage Dream, the song Blaine sang to you the day you met, Kurt. Man, you two are oblivious. Quiche?"

Kurt laughed, "So, that's what this is all about. They are trying to recreate us falling in love, Blaine."

Blaine looked back and laughed when he saw a handmade Lima Bean sign, "They pulled no stops. Our crafty little girls."

Kurt couldn't help the tears that prickled at his eyes, "It's romantic." Kurt let the last of his walls fall. He thought he'd been worn through about fifty times that week, but when the last wall fell, he knew it.

Blaine sighed and pulled out a chair for Kurt, "Sit. I think we'll have that drink. Kurt will have nonfat mocha…"

"And Blaine will have a medium drip," Kurt answered, slightly in awe of the fact that Blaine remembered.

Blaine sighed and leaned back, "To tell you the truth, I haven't even been to the Lima Bean anytime we went home. I couldn't get myself to do it," Blaine looked at the logo again, shaking his head.

"Neither have I," Kurt admitted, "and I think I've been in Ohio a few more times than you have." Kurt shrugged. Blaine couldn't help but notice the way the candles reflected off of Kurt's pale skin, making his eyes seem even bluer in contrast.

Blaine was too taken with Kurt to even notice the coffee cups being placed in front of him. They took him by surprise but he lifted his cup toward Kurt, "Well then, here's to..."

Kurt lifted his own cup and clinked it with Blaine, "To our daughters."

Blaine looked down, blushing. That hadn't been exactly what he was thinking, "To our daughters," he echoed.

Blaine didn't let go of Kurt's hand, "You know, it's funny to me. I always saw your creativity in Haley. She goes about things like you do – throwing them into a mess and then coming out with something beautiful."

Kurt blushed and sipped at his drink, "That's funny because I definitely see everything about in Natalie. She's like this…ball of energy all the time. And when she smiles?" Kurt smiled on his own and ducked his head, "she is you inside and out, it's probably why I adore her."

They smiled at each other over the rims of their cups. It was slightly awkward, being like this. But they were back in their element. For a few minutes, they didn't want to fight. They both wanted to just be together – even as friends.

Kurt glanced over and nodded toward the window where Blaine just caught a glimpse of two little girls running away. "Now I know how a goldfish feels," Blaine laughed, his thumb brushing over the back of Kurt's fingers.

Kurt shakes his head, "They turned out pretty good though, huh? We've been lucky."

Blaine moved his chair in again, a habit Kurt knew meant Blaine was nervous again, "Can we just…talk about what happened to us? It all ended so fast that I can't even remember what my feelings really were...because I don't think I ever stopped loving you."

Kurt shrugged, "Well, I mean I guess everything for us was a weird whirlwind. Emotions ran so high throughout our entire relationship, even in the beginning."

Blaine rolled his eyes, "But see, now that part I remember perfectly."

Santana and Brittany looked through the window of the door to the kitchen.

"They are going to be in love so soon," Brittany said dreamily, "do you think we can serve the biscotti now?"

Santana smiled, not sure whether it was for the men outside or the girl in front of her, "I'll help you."

They both moved toward the back, momentarily getting stuck in the tight hallway. Santana was stuck tight against Brittany, and they both forgot how to breath. Eventually they managed to cooperate with each other enough to break apart.

Brittany shook her head slowly, "Right…I'll just go get that biscotti…"

Santana stared up at Brittany, "And I'll…uhm...I will"

"Help," Brittany offered.

"Right, help," Santana said with a little laugh.

Blaine and Kurt continued talking in the restaurant, "So, you've done incredibly well. Your dream of owning your own coffee company, it came true," Kurt was now playing with Blaine's hands.

Blaine shook his head, his eyes sparkling at Kurt, "Hey, how about you, always drawing on napkins and corners of newspapers? Now you're this major designer... pretty impressive."

Kurt took a deep breath, "Yeah, it's amazing. We both actually got where we wanted to go..."

"Yeah we did," Blaine bit his lip, "I mean…though I always felt like something was missing..."

Santana walked into the room at that moment, a half-dozen biscotti sitting on the plate.

Blaine tried to ignore her presence but also used it to quickly change topics, "So, what do we do about the girls?"

Kurt sighed, realizing that they would have to figure this out. Even if he wanted to be with Blaine, he was leaving in a few hours, "Well, I guess now that they've met, we can't very well keep them apart. I could keep them half the year and you could..."

Santana interrupted, "Guys, they can't go to two schools every year. That's crazy."

Blaine smiled thankfully at Santana, "I agree."

Kurt sighed, silently wanting Santana to leave so they could work it out on their own, "Okay, I could keep them for a whole year, then you could..."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand again, "You see, this is why we came up with the idea in the first place…"

Santana nodded, "Of course. That was why…" she met both of their eyes and realized she was supposed to leave. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving."

Blaine sighed and repeated himself, "This is why we came up with the solution we have."

Kurt peered up at Blaine from beneath his lashes, "Really? I thought it was because we decided never to see each other again."

Blaine licked his lips, "No we, Kurt."

Kurt shrugged his shoulders, "You know that part's become a bit hazy for me too over the years. I don't…I remember characterizing you as one person, but I'm sure it was different."

Blaine laughed hollowly, "You don't remember the day you packed?"

"No, that day I remember perfectly. Did I hurt you when I threw that… what was it?" Kurt laughed.

Blaine rubbed his shoulder, "I never was able to throw a ball again. And it was a mannequin." Blaine stopped talking for a few seconds, lost in his own thoughts, "So how come you never got married again? I always figured by now you'd be re-married with a new family..."

Kurt was visibly startled, "Me? No...no, no... no…NO."

Blaine couldn't help but laugh at Kurt, "That's a lot of no's.."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, "That's because I realized a long time ago marriage wasn't for me..."

There was silence for a moment. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't the most comfortable they have shared either. Blaine brought the biscotti to his mouth but then brought it down.

Blaine looked back at Kurt, "You know I may be alone with you again, so... About the day you packed... Why did you do it? Why didn't you fight? Part of me...even though it was me who ended it...I always thought you'd come back."

Kurt had tears in his eyes again, "Blaine, we were getting along so badly, we found out we each had tempers, we said foolish things... So I packed... I got on a plane and you didn't come after me. I waited ten years and you never came after me."

There was dead silence between them, neither wanting to move a muscle.

Blaine let out a shaky breath, "I didn't know I was supposed to."

Kurt felt vulnerable again, his emotions raw, "Well, it really doesn't matter now... Let's put on a good face for the kids, shall we and get this show on the road..."

Blaine wanted to shake his head and tell Kurt no, that he wanted to fight again, but he couldn't put his emotions out on the line. He had the friendship with Kurt, and that would be enough for him.

They cleaned up their table and shared looks. Blaine bit his lip, "Maybe…you and Natalie could come back at the end of August? Or…or Natalie and I could come to New York? I really do want us to be friends."

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's shoulder, "I'd like that. We can't keep them apart."

They got a fight from everyone involved when they told the family that they would continue to be friends, and that the flight was still leaving that afternoon.

"I really thought that would work," Burt said in disbelief, "I really thought I would be able to get them back together," he didn't want to admit that he was disappointed. He tried not to push his own thoughts and feelings onto his son or granddaughters.

Kurt grabbed his bags as the car pulled up outside of the house, "Okay, then, I guess that's that. We're really off this time."

Blaine watched Kurt with a sad look on his face. The muscle in his jaw goes as he tries to hold back any of his emotions. He couldn't let his emotions get the best of him. "Kurt," he said quietly, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I'm going to miss you."

Kurt pulled back and held Blaine with both of his shoulders, "You can call me anytime. Anytime, Blaine. I meant it when I said we will be friends."

Blaine wiped his eyes quickly, "Please Kurt, take care of yourself and of Natalie." Blaine had already had a tear filled goodbye the girl.

"You too," Kurt whispered.

Burt slammed the trunk shut and looked over to Kurt, "Come on. We're off."

Haley and Natalie hugged one more time, whispering that they would see each other soon.

Brittany held a sobbing Santana close, not really wanting to let go of her. She debated not even going back, but knew her allegiance had to be to Kurt.

They all got in the car, sadly looking back at the trio they were leaving behind.

Haley waved as Blaine held her, his tears falling onto her shoulder.

He couldn't believe Kurt was leaving again.