CHAPTER 22

Now that the weight of uncertainty was off Kurt’s shoulders, the world looked so much brighter and more colorful. In just over a month he would graduate, and then it would be summer – long days home alone, outings with friends, all the time to prepare and plan. And then… and then August would come, and with it, New York and a new life, together.

Kurt’s college admission was not the only thing to celebrate, though. Just two weeks after the letter arrived, the Hummel-Hudsons were once again pulling up to the garage on a Saturday afternoon, all set for a party: Shannon, the fourth slave in the household to reach her ten-year tenure at the garage, had just been officially declared a free person. If that was not a reason to celebrate, Kurt didn’t know what was.

The atmosphere as they entered the spacious living area couldn’t be more festive: there was music and balloons and a huge hand-drawn banner spelling CONGRATULATIONS FREE GIRL in colorful glitter, spread above a long table set with snacks and drinks. Shannon was wearing a paper crown that was perched precariously on her curly hair, and she was grinning widely as she wound among her friends, chatting. By Kurt’s side, Blaine was grinning, delighted. Five months after the Christmas party and he was not the same shy, terrified boy. Jim whistled when he saw him.

“Oh my, if it isn’t little Blaine! We were expecting you months ago! Look at you, all healed and strong. Told you the Hummels would take good care of you! So when are you joining us here? We could use another pair of hands.”

“I–” Blaine looked at Kurt, but it was Burt who replied.

“There’s been a change of plans, guys. Blaine won’t be joining you. He’s going to New York with Kurt in the summer.”

In the moment of silence that followed, with everyone just looking at them with various degrees of curiosity, Kurt reached to take Blaine’s hand. Cheers erupted.

Soon, Blaine was kidnapped by Hopper, who’d been to New York before with a past owner and wanted to tell him all about it. Kurt stepped aside, watching him with a smile. It was good to see Blaine so cheerful and animated, with a healthy glow on his cheeks and his clothes fitting him beautifully. The bowtie collar was firmly in place like Blaine had insisted.

A door behind Kurt opened and he heard a shuffle and a scatter of greetings in the long hallway, and soon his eyes lit up as he saw the newcomer.

Cooper was one of the younger slaves his dad had ever owned, and the youngest to be freed, just over a year ago at barely 25. He’d come to live with them as a beaten, exhausted, half-starved 15-year-old, after his first owner had worked him nearly to death at some factory or other. Kurt had been six then, and in his eyes, the young slave looked like a gorgeous Disney prince. A gorgeous Disney prince who’d come up with the best games and activities, and played with Kurt for hours.

Cooper was also the only slave who had left the garage once he was free – he and his fiancée Sara got married right afterwards, opened a little flower shop two towns over, and were now expecting their first child.

“Sara had to stay at home, and she was very grumpy about that. The baby seems too eager to get out, and it’s six weeks too early, so the doctor makes her rest a lot,” Cooper said to Shannon now, a beautiful bouquet in his hands. “But these are for you, and she told me to hug you especially tight from her. Congratulations, girl! You’ve made it!”

“I sure did!” Shannon laughed and wriggled out of Cooper’s embrace. “I’ll go put them in water while you say hello to everybody else.”

Cooper walked into the room and his grin widened as his eyes fell on Kurt. “Oh my god, look who’s here!”

“I haven’t seen you in ages,” Kurt exclaimed.

“And who’s fault is that? Last time we were here, I heard you were busy with another slave.” Cooper winked and Kurt found himself blushing even as he laughed. Cooper had been his first crush, and even now, despite being happily in love, Kurt’s heart beat faster at that wide smile and that easy charm.

“Well, he needed me more. How are you?”

“I’m great, but you look fantastic.” Cooper put his hands on Kurt’s shoulders, shaking his head in exaggerated awe. “Boys must be throwing themselves at you. Damn, I’d throw myself at you if I wasn’t straight and married. Come here, you owe me a hug!”

Kurt relented with a grin and a bit of a blush, and was immediately swept in a bone-crushing hug.

“Coop, have you met Blaine yet?” Shannon’s voice came from behind his back, and suddenly Cooper froze against him, his hold loosening.

Kurt turned to look between Cooper and Blaine, who were staring at each other as if the whole world disappeared around them.

“Coop?” Blaine said in a small voice, looking stunned and so very young.

Cooper looked just as shocked, stock-still like Kurt had never seen him. “Squirt?”

And then Blaine moved, with a sound that was half-sob and half-laughter, and threw himself into Cooper’s arms.

Kurt watched them, suddenly noting the similarities, connecting the dots even before Cooper said, choked up, “My baby brother, I can’t believe…” He pulled back to stare at Blaine, drinking him in with a teary smile. “Look at you, all grown up. I thought I would never see you again and now you’re here and–” Cooper frowned, realization dawning. “Wait, you are the new slave?”

Kurt wondered just how much the others had told him about Blaine’s history.

Arm firmly around Blaine’s shoulders, Cooper strode over to Burt who was standing with Jim in the middle of the room, watching the exchange.

“Sir? I’d like to respectfully ask for permission to have my brother move in with us. I can drive him to work every day. Or even…” Cooper’s expression grew intense, his tone pleading. “Would you let me buy Blaine’s contract from you? I’ll pay whatever you say, I’ll get the money somehow, please sir, I haven’t seen him in twelve years, and he should be with family–”

Burt frowned, taken by surprise. “I understand, Cooper, but I can’t pass Blaine’s contract to you. I’m sorry.”

“But sir–”

“I can’t sell Blaine because he’s not mine.”

Cooper’s eyebrows shot up. “He’s not?”

Burt looked at Kurt, who stood there, struck silent by the sudden turn of events, and Cooper’s eyes widened. “Kurt?”

“Yeah. Blaine… Blaine’s mine.”

Cooper glanced between him and Blaine, who still looked stunned and overwhelmed, then nodded slowly. “Will you do it, then? Will you let me take him home? I’m sure you are a wonderful owner, but there’s no better place for Blaine to be than with his family, right?”

Kurt felt like he couldn’t breathe. “I… I think– If he wants to… yes, of course I’ll let him go, if that’s what he wants,” he said, surprised that the words didn’t choke him. They felt too big in his throat.

Cooper reached his free hand to squeeze his shoulder. “You’re the best,” he said earnestly before turning to Blaine. “Okay. I love everyone in here, but right now, all I want to do is talk to you. We have so much to catch up on,” he said, leading Blaine to a couch in the faraway corner. “I feel like I don’t know you at all!”

That’s because you don’t, Kurt thought bitterly, and quickly chastised himself.

*

The party was in full swing now, with champagne and cake and loud conversation, congratulations to Shannon and toasts and talk about her plans, but all Kurt saw were the two men in that secluded corner, lost to the world as they talked for the first time in years. He nodded attentively, barely listening to Shannon’s descriptions of the exam she’d taken, and saw Cooper cover his mouth with a horrified expression. He winced with sympathy over the mandatory X-shaped brand freshly burned into her neck to mark her as a freed slave, and watched Cooper hide his face in his hands. He talked about college and forced himself not to stare at Cooper hugging Blaine, holding him close and tight for the longest moment.

It wasn’t fair, he knew – not to Shannon, because it was supposed to be her night, and not to Cooper and Blaine, because they definitely deserved this time together after the miracle of finding each other. But knowing was one thing, and actually losing that sinking feeling in his chest was another. It was like watching a car crash about to happen, frame by frame in slow motion, powerless to stop it. Because Blaine deserved this, what he’d never really had – his family, a home, love and safety and freedom, even without the official paper. And Kurt would never take that chance away from him. Even if it hurt.

But oh, was it going to hurt.

He wasn’t even surprised when Blaine asked, by the end of the evening, if he could go home with Cooper for a few days. The luminous happiness in Blaine’s eyes was reason enough to smile and nod and tell him he could stay however long he wanted. And if every breath hurt because of the tightness in Kurt’s chest as he helped Blaine pack his clothes, that was fine. He could keep a brave face until he was alone in his room for the night.

He could do it. There were very few things he wouldn’t do to see Blaine happy.

His family didn’t seem concerned. Over the next few days, they talked as if Blaine was coming back soon, planned as if their move to New York together was still decided. The only time Kurt’s dad mentioned the happy coincidence of Cooper and Blaine meeting like that, Kurt nodded and changed the subject as soon as he could.

He went to school. He cooked. He started the huge task of picking through his things to decide what to take to New York with him. It was too early, but he needed the distraction.

It was nearly midnight on the third night when Kurt’s phone rang, the display lighting up with an unfamiliar number. He picked it up before it could wake up the whole house, anxiety already lodged in his throat. No one calls this late unless it’s bad news.

“Hello?”

“Hey Kurt. I didn’t wake you, did I?” Blaine’s voice was warm and close in his ear, and it was like a balm on Kurt’s bruised heart.

“No, no. I’m in bed, but not asleep yet. Is everything okay?”

There was a rustle on the line, as if Blaine settled in his own bed. “Yes, it’s great. I just miss you, and Cooper said I can use his phone whenever I want to, so I decided to call.”

“I didn’t know he had my number.”

“He didn’t. I took it from my collar.” He hesitated. “Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay! It’s so good to hear you.” There was a self-conscious little laugh in the receiver, and Kurt grinned. “So how is it, living with Cooper?”

“Oh, it’s great! I’m sleeping in the guest room, but other than nights, I’ve been spending all my time with Coop. We’ve been talking non-stop, there’s just so much we missed out on. He took me to their flower shop, have you been there? It’s so lovely. Of course, now that Sara’s on bed rest, it’s hard to manage everything, so I’ve been helping Coop a little. He even let me arrange a bouquet today. He says I have talent.” The note of pride in Blaine’s voice was painfully sweet.

“You’re a boy of many talents.” Kurt smiled in the soft darkness. “Speaking of Sara, how is she?”

“She’s great! I like her, she’s really nice and she makes Coop happy. And the baby is so wiggly! Sara put my hand on her belly last night and he kicked it, it was so weird! And awesome. Weird-awesome, to feel there’s a little person inside.” He laughed. “I’m going to be an uncle soon, can you believe it?”

“Yes you are. Are you excited?”

“So excited. You have no idea! I had no one, and now I have my brother back, and a new sister, and soon I’ll have a brand-new nephew, too. Do you know they were going to call him Blaine? I guess it’s a good thing we met now and not in two months!”

Kurt could practically hear the beaming smile on Blaine’s face. He sounded so full of life, bubbling with happiness, and that eased the ache. He was doing the right thing.

“I love hearing you so happy.”

“I am happy,” Blaine said in a soft, earnest voice. “You know, I never hoped to have this. Slaves don’t get much time with their families. The first ten to twelve years if we’re lucky, usually not even that. So being allowed to spend time with my brother, the one constant from my childhood… It’s such a gift. I know it may not feel like much to you, but it’s just– I though I lost him, you know? I was sure he must be dead by now.”

Kurt throat felt tighter again, but he swallowed through it. “I know. I understand. Believe me, I’m not one to take family for granted.” He took a breath, hoping Blaine couldn’t hear how shaky it was. “You can stay with Cooper however long you want, okay? Enjoy your family.”

“Thank you, Kurt.”

There was a moment of comfortable silence, with only the sound of breathing in the receiver, and if Kurt closed his eyes, he could almost imagine Blaine was right there beside him, within reach. He could fall asleep like this.

Then Blaine yawned, and Kurt laughed fondly. “Time to sleep. Thank you for calling me.”

“Can I call you again?”

“Any time you want.”

“’Kay,” Blaine murmured sleepily. “I love you.”

“I love you too. So much.”

It was easier to fall asleep that night.

*

Blaine called every night after that, just to talk about his day – what he’d done with Cooper, new places he’d seen, new people he’d met, the stories he’d heard about his family and his childhood and Cooper’s life. And every single time, he sounded happy – and that was what helped Kurt most.

He’d bought Blaine only so that he could help him, make his life better, right? And what better way to do that than reuniting him with his loving family? Cooper and Sara were great people; they would take good care of Blaine, Kurt was sure of it. And they probably wouldn’t mind him seeing Kurt every now and then, whenever Kurt visited from New York. It was too much to hope to keep their relationship alive long-distance, but Kurt would try. He had to try.

It was surprising how little he’d cried over the eight days that had passed since Blaine had left to stay with Cooper, but all that was happening felt like fate; like he’d fulfilled his role in Blaine’s life. Anyone else, Kurt would have fought tooth and nail for Blaine. But this was Blaine’s family. This was bigger than Kurt.

Still, he couldn’t really focus on anything else. Thankfully, it was merely a week until graduation, and in the general chaos, no one paid much attention to Kurt’s distracted state.

On day nine, Cooper’s phone number flashed on Kurt’s display earlier than usual. He’d only just finished cleaning up after dinner, and barely got to his phone in time, already smiling at the prospect of hearing Blaine when he picked up.

“Hey honey,” he said into his phone, breathless after running up the stairs.

“Well hello baby.” Cooper’s voice in the receiver was warmly amused, and Kurt blushed.

“Oh. Sorry, I thought it was Blaine.”

“Obviously.”

“Hi, Cooper. Is everything okay?”

A car door closed in the background, and Cooper said, “Perfectly fine. I’m about to bring my baby brother home to you. Is now a good time? Because I don’t think he can wait a minute longer.”

Kurt lost his breath for a moment. “Home? You mean… he’s coming back here? To stay?”

“Yeah. Turns out I was mistaken,” Cooper said. “He already has a home, and it’s with you. He doesn’t need me to rescue him. So, is now okay?”

“Yes. Yes, definitely, I’m here.” Blaine was coming home.

“Great. See you soon.”

The car pulled up to the house twenty three minutes later, and Kurt was out on the porch before he even heard the car door shut. Blaine had a little suitcase that Kurt didn’t recognize, and a radiant smile on his face. If it wasn’t for their nosy neighbors watching from their balcony, Kurt would have run to him and pulled him into a hug right there. He barely kept his legs from moving as it was, waiting for Blaine to come to him instead.

Cooper was two steps behind him, his own smile wide and bright, but before Kurt could take a step aside to let them both in, he raised his hand. “I have to go, keep Sara company, so I’m only dropping this one off here. Do you think he could visit us some more before he goes to New York?”

Kurt’s jaw fell a little. “Of course! Any time he wants.” He looked at Blaine. “You’re still coming to New York with me?”

Blaine’s eyebrows shot up. “Of course I am.”

“But… your family?”

“My family will still be here, and I’m sure you will let me be in contact with them, won’t you? Cooper got me a phone, and I can write letters, and we will visit sometimes, right?”

“Of course.”

“They have each other. And I am yours. Cooper understands.”

Cooper nodded. “I do. And Kurt… I don’t think I can ever thank you enough. For saving my little brother, and for making him this happy.”

Kurt could only nod, unsure what to say. Blaine was back. And he was still Kurt’s. They still had a future together.

*

One hot Wednesday afternoon in early July, Blaine left Cooper’s flower shop at five sharp and nearly skipped down the short paved path to Kurt’s car, his face split in an elated grin.

“You know what? Cooper says it’s my birthday tomorrow!” he said as soon as he settled in the passenger seat.

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up. “It is?”

“Yeah. I’ve always wondered. I mean, I kind of remember it being in the summer from when I was little, but no one has ever celebrated it since Coop was sold, so I wasn’t sure when. And he says he’d never forget because it was two sevens, so he’s sure it’s tomorrow.” He bounced in his seat a little, excited. “Do you know how rare it is for a slave to know exactly when they were born? I know it’s silly, but it makes me happy.” He smiled shyly, and Kurt squeezed his hand briefly, unable to hug him while parked on a busy street.

“That’s not silly, that’s amazing! We have to celebrate. You’re turning eighteen!” He was already picking a number in his phone. “Dad?” he said as soon as his call was answered. “Dad, it’s Blaine’s birthday tomorrow.”

His dad hummed. “Is it? Great, that means a party at the garage this weekend. I’ll tell the guys, and we’ll talk about the details tonight.”

Talk they did, Blaine flailing adorably between wild excitement and timid embarrassment about having a whole event planned for him, but while the party was shaping up to be nice, Kurt didn’t feel satisfied as he excused himself to go to bed before ten. He needed to do more; wanted to give Blaine something special, something better than a party and a physical gift. If he’d known earlier, he would have time to plan something romantic, a date disguised as something innocent, a special outing, something.

What could he surprise Blaine with to pamper him a little? How could he get it organized in merely a day? What would Blaine enjoy?

An idea brewing, he glanced at the clock and picked up his phone. He hoped she wouldn’t be asleep yet.

*

“Kurt, what is this place?” Blaine asked with awe after Kurt opened the back door with the keys Sugar handed him this morning and led Blaine in through the wide, marble-laden hall.

“It’s a friend’s guest house. Her parents are on vacation now, and they only use it occasionally anyway, so she lent me the keys for a few hours. I wanted to surprise you,” he admitted, still not quite sure if the idea was brilliant or terrible.

“Surprise me… with a house?”

“No, silly. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Taking Blaine’s hand, Kurt led him through a decadent living room with a huge fireplace, down a short flight of steps, to the back of the house, where a set of glass doors revealed a large tiled room filled with sunlight reflecting off the blue water of a small swimming pool. Blaine stepped in and looked around with wide eyes, breathing in the chlorine-scented air.

“I know how much you like water, and you said you’ve never been to a pool,” Kurt said nervously, babbling to fill the silence. “But I couldn’t really take you to a public one, because all the ones I know don’t allow slaves, and Sugar told me about this place once, and the windows face the garden so no one will see, and… I don’t know, do you hate it? Tell me if you hate it.”

Blaine finally looked at him, his expression both excited and nervous. “I love the idea but… you know I can’t swim, right?”

“I’ll teach you if you want,” Kurt hurried to say. “Come on, there’s supposed to be a little lounge somewhere here to change. I have swimming trunks for you. And later we’ll have a little picnic in the private garden.”

His plan soon turned out to have one major flaw. The pool was designed more for swimming laps than splashing around, and 8 feet deep throughout. As much as Blaine enjoyed being immersed in water, he clung tightly to the edge at all times, terrified with the depth beneath his feet. Kurt’s attempt at getting Blaine to hold onto him instead ended with panicked flailing and both of them half-drowning due to Blaine’s desperate attempt to hold onto the only solid thing within reach. It took Kurt a long while to calm Blaine down afterwards, and he didn’t even think about getting him back into the pool anymore.

Okay, so that was a total fail.

Unless…

Kurt got to his feet and took Blaine’s hand, still a little shaky. “Let me show you something and tell me if that would be better.”

Blaine nodded and scrambled to his feet. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I just–”

“Don’t apologize, it’s my fault. I haven’t thought it through. But I may have a better idea.”

He led Blaine to the open door at the opposite end of the pool. Inside the small, black-tiled room, a large jacuzzi gleamed, complete with mood lighting around it and a collection of little bottles of bath foams. Yes. That should be a much safer option. Kurt chose not to think about the fact that his innocent plan of just swimming with his boyfriend was turning into something much more… intimate.

They would be keeping their swimwear on, of course.

Kurt busied himself turning on the water and figuring out the controls on the jacuzzi, trying to get his train of thought under control. In the last two months, they hadn’t gone any further than the rushed, clothed grinding against each other, and even that they’d only managed a couple of times. Kurt couldn’t deny that his libido was becoming a problem. He had a stunning, perfectly eager boyfriend, and more and more he had to remind himself that he should go slow.

It didn’t help that when he looked up, that stunning boyfriend was almost naked, with droplets of water still clinging to his skin and dripping from his hair. In the low lighting, Blaine’s eyes looked golden and his long eyelashes threw dramatic shadows on his cheeks.

Kurt silently cursed himself for buying Blaine a speedo instead of any reasonable swim shorts. Preferably baggy and knee-length.

“Okay,” he said aloud, aiming for cheerful and not at all turned on. “The water should be the right temperature, I think. Hop in.” He reached out to Blaine, to steady him as he climbed the three steps and stepped into the foam that smelled of sandalwood.

Blaine moaned as he immersed himself in the warm, bubbling water. “No offense, but I like this a lot more than the pool.”

“None taken,” Kurt laughed.

“Aren’t you going to join me?”

“I… yes, of course.”

The water really was lovely – warm and fragrant, with the bubbles massaging the tension out of Kurt’s  muscles and the foam hiding the beginnings of his uncontrollable reaction. It felt great just to relax, stretch out and melt into the comfort. They stayed silent for a while, just enjoying it, their hands brushing against each other underwater.

“One day, we’ll have a tub like this in our apartment,” Kurt murmured after a while, not opening his eyes.

Blaine hummed, reaching to intertwine their fingers. “I like that you say our apartment.”

“Yeah?”

“I like it when you think about your future and see me there.”

Kurt turned to him. “I always do.”

“Really?” Blaine’s face was open and earnest, flushed from the heat and lovely in the warm light, and Kurt just had to kiss him. He pulled on his hand until Blaine scrambled closer – even closer than Kurt intended, getting right into his lap on the wide jacuzzi seat. Kurt wasn’t going to complain.

“Really,” he whispered against Blaine’s lips in between kisses, then dropped his head to trace the drops of water on his neck with his tongue. Blaine moaned and arched against him, and Kurt gasped when he felt Blaine’s erection press against him.

“Oh god,” Kurt moaned, his own cock hardening quickly. “Please don’t tempt me like that. I won’t be able to stop myself.”

Blaine leaned in to whisper in his ear. “What if I don’t want you to stop yourself?” He groaned when Kurt’s hips bucked up, their cocks pressing together for a moment, and Kurt kissed the sound off his lips. He pulled away breathless.

“What do you want me to do?”

Blaine whimpered. “Just… touch me? I’ve been dreaming of your hand on me for so long, Kurt–”

Kurt’s body reacted before his brain even gave permission, and the feel of Blaine’s thick length through his tight trunks was almost too much – and not enough. He flipped them, turning Blaine and setting him down on a higher seat, where the water barely covered his thighs.

Blaine whined when Kurt stroked him through the fabric. “Not… not like that. I want to feel your skin, can you­­–? Please.”

Their lips collided when Kurt rushed forward, desperate to feel him closer. He didn’t look down as his hands fumbled to push Blaine’s trunks down over his erection, but then his hand closed around the hot, silky skin of Blaine’s cock and Kurt froze, his heart hammering in his chest. He moved his hand, just slightly, and Blaine moaned into his mouth, and that was it, Kurt had to see.

He’d braved porn sites a few times; he’d seen other men’s cocks if only onscreen, and it was always a little scary and a lot awkward. But this wasn’t scary at all – just hot as hell; the pink head of Blaine’s cock disappearing in the channel of Kurt’s hand only to appear again, the powerful feeling of holding Blaine’s pleasure literally in the palm of his hand, the gorgeous view of his beautiful boyfriend with his head thrown back, water droplets sliding down the long line of his throat, his face stunned and delighted.

No, it wasn’t scary in the slightest.

Kurt kept moving his hand, but the drops of water on Blaine’s golden skin were calling to him, and he leaned in to lick them off, kissing a warm path down from Blaine’s collarbone, through his pebbled nipple, down the flat pane of his stomach where his muscles were tensed with anticipation. Down, down to his bellybutton, down where the soft hair of his happy trail tickled Kurt’s lips – and then it was just a matter of millimeters, and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing the wet, salty tip of Blaine’s cock.

The response he got, the frantic jumble that contained his name and please and several other half-broken words, was enough to tell him that Blaine had absolutely nothing against the direction this was going.

And Kurt was not going to back off.

He slid his mouth lower, taking only the head of Blaine’s cock in, tasting water and precome and just a hint of the bath foam, the skin silk-soft and smooth against his tongue. He swirled his tongue around, enjoying the sensation, before moving his head in sync with his hand. There was no way he’d be attempting anything pornstar-like anytime soon, but this seemed to be more than enough for Blaine who shook and cried out and tangled his hand in Kurt’s hair after only a few strokes, his voice frantic.

“Kurt, I’m gonna–”

Kurt pulled away quickly, not quite ready for more than this yet, and with a final stroke of his hand Blaine was coming, strings of white release shooting over the water and across Kurt’s chest, and this shouldn’t be so hot. But Blaine’s face, his voice breaking over Kurt’s name, his hand still in Kurt’s hair, tightening as he got lost in his pleasure – it was too much. Kurt reached to squeeze his own cock, overwhelmed, but it was too late – the pressure only heightened the desperate need gathering in his balls, and then it spiked, and Kurt came in his own swim shorts, his head falling onto Blaine’s shoulder to muffle his moan.

They came down from their high slowly, smiling dopily at each other. At some point Blaine pulled his trunks back up and slid into the water to embrace Kurt and they stayed like that, chest to chest in the tub, kissing and catching their breath, not saying anything.

Then–

“Ew, okay, the water is officially gross now,” Kurt groaned, and the afterglow was over.

But the afternoon wasn’t, and a romantic picnic in a secluded garden turned out to be a perfect follow-up. Lying on the grass at sunset, kissing Blaine, Kurt knew: this was what he wanted for them, one day. The right to just be together like this, without hiding; to just enjoy the normalcy of what most people took for granted.

“Best birthday ever,” Blaine sighed happily before they slipped out of the house and resumed the carefully maintained master/slave personas for the world to see.

And secretly, Kurt promised himself that this was only the beginning. He would make sure Blaine’s birthday would be perfect every year. He had so many wasted years to make up for, after all.

*

The little dorm room was not designed for so many people.

Kurt’s family decided to make a trip out of the boys’ move. All five of them crammed into the extended cab pick-up truck Burt borrowed from a friend, packed all the boxes and bags, and drove to New York. Cooper had wanted to go too, but between the flower shop and the new baby, there was no way he could leave even just for two days. So he’d just hugged Blaine for the longest time, made Kurt promise he would take good care of him, and waved goodbye.

Currently Finn was sitting on the edge of the bed, bouncy about the promised pizza outing before heading back home in the morning, Carole was fussing over the lack of wardrobe space, and Kurt’s dad was standing in the middle of the crowded room, looking a little lost and a lot determined not to show it.

“Okay guys, time for us to go, I think,” he said finally and turned to Kurt and Blaine. “Take good care of each other, do you hear me?” They both nodded, and Kurt knew the clench in his chest would have been nearly unbearable if he didn’t have Blaine here – his love, his boy, his piece of home.

“I’ll call you every day,” he said wetly.

His dad laughed. “No you won’t. And that’s okay, once a week is good enough. Call us if you need anything, okay? Anything at all. And… it’s okay if it’s hard at first. Change is hard. You can always talk to us, and to Cooper.”

He looked at both of them until they nodded, and then pulled them both into a tight hug. More hugs, a few tears and five minutes later, the door closed behind Kurt’s parents and Finn, and the room was suddenly empty, silent – and theirs.

Kurt reached out his hand, and Blaine took it, and they stared at each other, grinning despite how overwhelming everything felt. They were in New York, and they were together.

The rest of their life was officially starting.