That morning had felt different to Blaine. Being woken up by Kurt gently stroking his cheek just like he had when falling asleep was the most glorious feeling, and he had never been more relaxed. Something had shifted within Kurt and he no longer looked upon Blaine as someone that had hurt him. They had both been burned and it looked like Kurt was done and moving on.

"Mmm, I love waking up to you," Blaine whispered, his eyes opening to see the blue of Kurts eyes staring back at him. Kurt said nothing, just continued to mark Blaines skin as his own and smiled as Blaine made a sound that resembled a purr. Eventually, Kurt broke his reverie.

"Pancakes?"

"That sounds delicious," Blaine said happily, until Kurt started to get out of bed. He whined as Kurt left him behind under the covers.

"Come with me," Kurt said, turning around near the door. Blaine wasnt tethered anymore by the weight of guilt. At the suggestion he bounded out of bed like an excited puppy and took Kurts hand. As Kurt made breakfast and they got ready for their day, Blaine never left his side.

Kurt didnt mind one little bit.

Sebastian could never be early; the thought of arriving and having to wait would be panic inducing. Instead he arrived nearly half an hour late for his coffee date, not that he was worried if Mark had decided he wasnt worth it. But as he walked in, Sebastian saw Mark nursing a coffee in the darkest corner of the café. Mark smiled as his eyes alighted on the confident swagger of Sebastians.

"Keeping me waiting, another trick in the book," Mark said, smiling widely. He always unnerved Sebastian a little.

"You want another coffee?"

"Yeah sure, whatever youre having will be fine."

Sebastian walked to the counter, confident and tall, aware that Mark was probably watching his every move. He returned with two black coffees.

"Thanks…. are you going to tell me your name?" Mark asked, an eyebrow rose in mock seriousness.

"I dont know, I dont really trust you," Sebastian replied. "How do I know that youre not some psycho?"

Mark laughed. "Do you always mess about with guys that you dont trust?"

"Mainly," Sebastian said bluntly. "My normal encounters last a few hours at most."

"So Im the exception?" Mark asked. "I feel special."

"Look, this isnt normal behaviour. Everyone knows the deal, you ruined it," Sebastian said, annoyed. His coffee was scolding, but he sipped it anyway.

"You want to fool around with several different guys until you find the one?" Mark doing the air quotes, who was just as annoyed by the situation as Sebastian was.

"It makes waiting a little more bearable," Sebastian said defensively. "Whats your plan?"

Mark looked around the crowded coffee shop as an answer. Sebastian watched too, not too sure what he was looking at.

"Dont you see all these people? They wait for their soulmate like he or she is just going to pop into their lives. What happens if it takes years? What if they only meet the one when theyre old and grey? Dont you think the universe fucks it all up and leaves us hanging?"

Sebastians eyes wandered. There were couples of different ages around, obviously soulmates, others were groups of friends. No one seemed to be on their own or with just one person that wasnt their soulmate.

Sebastian had always thought it was unfair. The expectation was that youd be satisfied to wait until the one came along, making friends, becoming successful in your own right. But what if you wanted to feel an intimate touch of someone that was more than a friend? Sebastian looked at Mark intently.

"I never intended to sit and wait," Sebastian said, leaning back in his seat, sipping more coffee. "Im always searching. There are many flaws in the universe."

"But surely youll meet your soulmate eventually, why not calm down and appreciate what you see?"

"What, you? I dont see the point," Sebastian said, looking around.

"Still playing hard to get?" Mark laughed. "Look, Im not suggesting we settle down and get married while we wait."

"What are you suggesting?"

"That we keep each other warm while we wait. Whatever rocks your boat. I believe in love, just not the soppy kind where youre bound by its rules and regulations. Why cant we date with no strings attached?"

"And if you meet your soulmate?"

"We end it. I fully understand that I wont wind up with you at the very end."

Sebastian saw a couple at the opposite corner, nauseatingly close. Their arms linked so their hands could touch, and their eyes were locked, but they were listening so intently to each other as they spoke that no one else existed. Sebastian had already given up hope that hed ever find that, but what was the point of wallowing. If the universe was making him wait, hed wait with someone else.

"Okay," he said simply and Mark smiled. "My names Sebastian. Tell me more about yourself."

Blaine finally made it home after a glorious day spent with Kurt. He didnt know he looked quite so happy until he heard the biting comment of his roommate.

"God you could make candy floss spin with that dopey smile of yours," Mark said. "Where have you been?"

"With Kurt," Blaine said happily, nothing banishing his smile. "We walked around, drank coffee, saw a movie…"

"All with Kurt?" Mark asked, "Definitely your soulmate then?"

Blaine looked surprised as he took off his shoes. "Yeah, I didnt think you could dispute that?"

"Oh, not with the look on your face," Mark said, changing channels on the television. "Worked out your issues then?"

"Yeah," Blaine said, flopping happily on the sofa next to Mark, making his roommate move away in annoyance. Blaine was completely oblivious.

"Was it that easy?"

Blaine was shaken a little out of his blissful expression, looking at Mark carefully. "What do you mean?"

"Well its been a week since you met again, right?" Blaine nodded. "I thought it would be harder, thats all."

Blaine sat up straighter. "We discussed it, I never meant to leave, he knows the deal with my parents. Weve had to move past a lot of stuff, but were soulmates." He shrugged. "We have to make it work."

"You have to?" Mark asked, eyebrow raised.

"No, I mean theres no point thinking that were going to struggle. We know were soulmates so we work at it. We are meant to be so its worth the baggage we come with."

Mark nodded. "But it doesnt change the fact that you both missed out on a lot. High school had to be tough after what you told me about the bullies at your old school."

"Yeah it was, he told me more today and last night. I missed out on a lot."

Blaine avoided looking at Mark. "But he was your best friend, right?"

"Yeah," Blaine said, looking again with a small smile. Kurt was always his best friend; nothing was going to change that. "We have history."

"Well that counts for a lot," Mark said. "I think friendship counts for most of the worlds happiness." It occurred to Mark that hed yet to confide in Blaine about his soulmate despite their apparent close friendship.

Blaines smile got wider. "Getting wiser in your old age?" He smirked.

"Im the same age as you!" Mark said indignantly, causing Blaine to laugh again. Mark watched Blaine for a while, the lightness obvious in his face.

"You know you look younger now," Mark said quietly as the laughter died down. "Less hard and burdened. Is that what it feels like when meet your soulmate?"

Blaine nodded, a little overwhelmed that he was now with Kurt. "Its the best feeling in the world, like someone gets you, someone knows the real you and still loves you. I can stop pretending. Hes amazing."

"Okay, stop making me feel sick," Mark said, to cover the very real feeling of jealousy burning in his stomach. Blaine laughed.

"Youll know when it hits you and you wont be feeling sick, or mocking anyone for their lovey dovey stuff anymore. It just makes life better."

"Right," Mark said getting up. "When youve finished soliloquising about love, you want some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure," Blaine said, smiling again at the television without really seeing what was on.

Mark shook his head. Hed text Sebastian instead.

A few weeks later, Kurt found his apartment empty when he returned. A quick coffee with Rachel after hed said goodbye to Blaine and hed had all the girly talk about soulmates he could stand. He was hoping that Sebastian would make him laugh about the whole setup.

He started to make dinner, texting Sebastian to say hed leave some in the oven if he wanted to heat it up later when he got in. Sebastian said he was walking around, but would be back later. The apartment felt empty, but not lonely as Kurt stirred the pasta. Hed loved spending time getting to know Blaine again, but there was a security hed started to feel that hed forgotten. He was happy in his own skin and liking his own company. He was singing along to an old familiar song on his iPod playlist when he was surprised by a knock at the door.

Knowing it couldnt be Sebastian, who always remembered his key, he opened it with hesitation.

"Karofsky?" he whispered, backing away from his old bully. David smiled sadly, but didnt come any closer.

"You still cant call me David?"

"What are you doing here?" Kurt looked visibly shaken, though he tried to appear more together.

"I work in New York now, on the staff for a sports agent. Its the lowest rung on the ladder but its a start." He shrugged, though Kurt seemed to want more of an answer.

"Can I come in?"

Kurt was startled, but nodded quickly. "Sure, yeah of course, of course."

He led him in.

"C-can I get you a drink?" Kurt asked quickly, "Something to eat? I was just starting dinner if you…"

"No, no its fine," David said, seeing the panic on Kurts face and wanting to get started. Kurt walked to the kitchen anyway, turning the pasta down low. Why was David here? Surely he had said all he had needed to at Scandals.

David watched Kurts back in the kitchen as he took deep breaths.

"Its a nice place. Are you here on your own?" David said to break the ice.

"No, I live with Sebastian," Kurt said, spinning around to face him. "I dont know if you remember him from Scandals. He went to Dalton and was a total pain in the ass, but he seems to have stuck around." Kurt walked closer, finally taking a seat.

David laughed. "Yeah he did seem pretty determined to make an impression. Soulmate?"

Kurt laughed. "God no. Never."

"You dont know your soulmate?"

Kurt smiled coyly, remembering their last conversation and feeling a little more easy at the thought of Blaine. "I do. We met again a few weeks ago actually. Its Blaine, it always was."

"Blaine?" David asked incredulous. "I knew it!"

"Well he left, but looking back I guess it was pretty obvious."

"Yeah," David laughed. "Youre lucky. And everythings okay now?"

"Well weve had issues but generally its perfect. What are you doing here David?" Kurt asked again, quietly. "I just wasnt expecting you to come knocking on my door."

"I called your dad, I wanted to apologise."

"My dad? Why would you want to apologise? You did that before."

"No, I tried but it seemed pretty pathetic. I get it now, understand so much more. I never really did feel that everything was okay before."

"Why? Whats happened?"

"Senior year was tough." David shrugged. "Lets just say I get what you went through and Im sorry I made it ten times worse."

"It made me stronger," Kurt said smiling. "I dont think you can live through life wishing that your past hadnt happened. I wouldnt be me without all of that."

"I tried to kill myself and I only had a week or so of the torment you endured throughout high school."

"You did?" Kurt said extremely quietly.

David nodded. "Seems pathetic, but I couldnt take it. If that was how my so called friends would react, my own mother thinking I had a disease, well…" He shrugged to cover the difficulty he was having discussing his past.

"Theyre not worth it. If they cant accept you for who and what you are, well, then screw em."

David laughed a little. "I know and in some ways I got passed it but I just wanted you to know that I get it now. I know I was stupid, so blinded by my own prejudice that even when I suspected I was gay too I couldnt budge."

"Do you know your soulmate?" Kurt asked, hearing the key in the lock.

"We havent met yet, but Im not worried about finding him. I can accept now that its a guy and theres nothing wrong with that."

Sebastian came in and looked between the two sitting down.

"I didnt know you had company," Sebastian said, taking off his shoes.

"No it was a surprise," Kurt said laughing, standing to introduce David. "I dont know if you remember David? He frequented Scandals around the time we did. David Karofsky this is Sebastian Smythe."

"This is David?" Sebastian shouted, causing David to panic. "Why do you keep bumping into people from your past?"

"Hes fine now," Kurt said defensively. "Hes accepted that hes gay; were okay." Kurt looked apologetically at David.

"He knows about me?" David asked quietly so only Kurt could hear.

"Yeah, sorry, he knows everything about me really." David nodded.

"Hes fine?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, Ive apologised in the hope that Kurt will forgive me. I live in New York now," David explained.

"We were just chatting about soulmates, actually," Kurt said, trying to draw Sebastian into the conversation. Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Ive had enough with all this talk of soulmates. I escaped this apartment in case you might have brought Blaine back after your day of perfection."

He got a bottle of water from the fridge and opened it easily.

"Fine, stir dinner then," Kurt said rolling his eyes at David who laughed.

"So Mark Foreman is it? Kurt said addressing David, "Never met him?"

"What did you say his name was?" Sebastian came into the living area, panic etched on his face, eyes wide.

Kurt was surprised. "Mark Foreman, right?" he asked David in case hed remembered incorrectly.

Sebastian sat on the sofa quickly, hands wringing his hair.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck."