The early signs had been there, but it was in early October that things really began to unravel.

"Howre you holding up?"

Startled, Kurt looked up to see Santana standing over him, a plastic cup of beer in her hand and an uncharacteristically sympathetic expression across her face. "Pardon?"

She plopped down next to him on the couch, sipping from her beer. The New Directions party had been going for a couple of hours, and everyone in attendance was either drunk, making out, or both. Santana gestured across the room at Blaine, who was chatting with Sam as he piled potato chips into a paper bowl. "Your relationship is going down the tubes. Im asking how youre handling it."

He let out a short laugh. "What are you talking about? Blaine and I are fine. Great, in fact."

"Really."

"Yes. Really."

She stared at him. "Oh, god, you dont know."

"Know what?"

"That hes cheating on you."

Kurt shook his head incredulously. "Youre insane."

"No, Bambi, Im an expert on cheating. And mark my words, your man isnt your man anymore." She leaned closer to him, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "Try asking him about your future together."

"Weve talked about our future plenty already."

"Then prove me wrong. Ask him to commit to doing something with you in the spring." She fell silent as Blaine returned with the chips and a couple of water bottles.

"Hey guys, Sam says were gonna do karaoke soon," Blaine said brightly. "You two in?"

"Only if it doesnt involve you and Rachel hopping around like rabid Easter bunnies," Kurt replied. He noticed Santana giving him a pointed look, and cleared his throat. "Hey, Blaine, so I was thinking."

"Im not getting highlights," Blaine said immediately.

"No, not that." Though it wasnt a bad idea. Kurt made a mental note to push him on that later. "No, I was thinking that we should wear matching tuxes to senior prom this year. Something really classic, with sleek lines, and..." He trailed off, noticing the odd look on Blaines face. "What?"

"Its nothing."

Santana ground her heel against the top of Kurts foot.

"What, Blaine?" he insisted.

"Im just not sure I can go to your prom this year. Lets not plan anything definite yet, okay?"

Kurts jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Youre really going to abandon me for my senior prom?"

"I didnt say... I mean... Im just not positive what my schedule is yet."

Blaine looked utterly uncomfortable, and Santana looked utterly smug. Kurt just sat there, stunned. It didnt mean Santana was right, though... but if she wasnt, he wasnt at all sure what it could mean.

Blaine couldnt be cheating on him. No way.

There were a lot of reasons – Kurts utter fabulousness topping the list – but one of the most compelling was that Kurt would have heard about it by now. Everyone at Dalton thought they were the sweetest couple ever, and would stage an intervention if they thought their lead soloist were being unfaithful. And when Blaine wasnt at Dalton, he was in Lima with Kurt.

There just wasnt time for him to be seeing anyone else.

Then, during the second week in October, Kurt found out that he was wrong.

There was another guy.

Construction on Willow Street had lengthened his drive to the Lima Bean. He arrived late and saw that Blaine was already seated at their usual table, talking on his cell phone with two cups of coffee on the table in front of him. Kurt approached from behind, unnoticed.

"This is all too much, too fast," Blaine was saying into the phone insistently. "You cant pressure me into this, Scott."

Kurt stopped short, listening.

"Im not an idiot. But youre asking a lot of me. Im not sure I can go through this again." He was silent for a long moment, then spat out, "Dont you dare question my commitment. Not you of all people." He glanced at the clock mounted on the coffee shop wall and shook his head. "Look, I have to go. My... my friend is meeting me for coffee. Well talk about this later." Then he ended the call and put the cell phone on the table, huffing out a sigh.

His heart pounding furiously, Kurt lifted his chin and breezed over to the table. "Hello."

"Kurt. Hey." Blaine slipped the phone into his bag. "How are you?"

"Im okay. Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, just this guy in my physics class. Were doing a lab on centrifugal force, and he had some questions."

Kurt took a sip from his coffee. "Anyone I know?"

"You remember Ben Connors?" At Kurts nod, Blaine said, "Yeah, it was him. He sends his best, by the way."

They smiled weakly at each other, and drank their coffee in silence.

Two days later, Blaine texted him at seven oclock, asking if he could come over. It was a Warblers practice night, and between the odd timing of it and the mysterious Scott, Kurt was pretty sure he was going to be dumped that night.

What he didnt expect, though, was to find Blaine on his doorstep, looking miserable.

"Whats wrong?" Kurt asked, a little guarded.

"I quit the Warblers," Blaine replied, then burst into tears.

Horrified, Kurt hurried Blaine up the stairs and into his bedroom, closing the door behind them. He waited until Blaine was seated on the bed, then asked simply, "Why?"

"It was too much of a time commitment," Blaine intoned dully. "I needed to focus more on my schoolwork, with college applications coming up–"

"Bullshit," Kurt interrupted. "Youre using that voice that you use whenever youre repeating something someone else told you to say. Who is it? Your mom? Your dad?"

"No, I havent even seen–" Blaine squeezed his eyes shut, tears still leaking out steadily. "I just quit, okay?"

"Okay." Kurt lay his hand gently on Blaines back. "So why are you so upset?"

Blaine let out a sob. "Because they were my friends. The first real friends Id had in forever."

"Youll still see them at school," Kurt consoled. "Its not like–"

"Tell me our plan again." Blaine looked at him beseechingly. "Please, Kurt."

He pulled Blaine into his arms and rocked him like a child. Hed never seen Blaine look so broken. "Were both going to enroll at New York City colleges. Ill make an instant impression on the fashion world, and grab a kickass internship at one of the top fashion houses. Youll get disgustingly good grades and clerk for a top judge."

"Keep going," Blaine whispered, clutching his waist.

"Well rent an apartment together. A place with hardwood floors and good light. Somewhere in the Village, or Chelsea. Well paint our bedroom in stripes of white and burgundy, to complement both our skin tones. Every weekend, well hit up the antique flea markets, until weve found enough treasures to decorate the apartment. Well visit every coffee shop until we find the perfect one, and well become regulars there. Ill do all the cooking, youll do all the cleaning." He smoothed back Blaines hair.

"What else?" Blaine asked softly.

"Well visit karaoke bars when we need to escape from our studies. Youll make all the women in the place fall in love with you, while Ill captivate all the men. So when we leave together, every single person there will be envious. And then Ill take you home and kiss every inch of you."

Blaine let out a whimper.

"Ill never have any trouble falling asleep at night, " Kurt continued, "because as nice as falling asleep next to you is, waking up next to you is even better. So Ill want morning to come as soon as possible."

They sat together, listening to Blaines shuddering breaths. "Its a nice plan, Kurt," he said faintly. "I wish it could happen."

Kurt pulled him up, taking him by the shoulders and looking at him firmly. "It will happen."

Blaine hesitated, then said, "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do."

"I love you more than anything. More than anyone." Blaine was trembling. "Id do anything for you. You know that, right?"

Kurt nodded, feeling lost, and when Blaine leaned forward to kiss him desperately, he knew something wasnt right. He knew it through the kisses, he knew it when Blaines mom arrived at the Hummel house to pick Blaine up, and he knew it when Blaine said goodbye.

Still, though, he didnt see it coming.

Wes called twice the next day, while Kurt was in class. After school let out, Kurt called him back.

"Kurt," Wes said, sounding relieved. "Glad to hear from you."

"Whats up?" Kurt asked.

"I just wanted to know whats going on with Blaine. Is he okay?"

"Hes fine," Kurt assured him. "I think it was a little tough on him to leave, but his reasons are understandable."

"What reasons?" Wes inquired.

"He didnt tell you?"

"No, he didnt tell any of us."

Well, that was strange. Kurt paused. "He told me that he wanted to devote more time to his college apps."

"What?" Wes sounded less irritated than Kurt expected, and more confused. "Why would he quit, though?"

"Because, Wes," Kurt said slowly, "he would have more free time if he werent going to all those Warbler practices. I know you think you go easy on that group, but the practice schedule can be pretty grueling."

"Warblers aside, he quit school so he could apply to college? How does that make any–"

"Wait, what?" Kurts eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Blaine withdrew from Dalton yesterday," Wes said.

"He did what?"

"Yeah, and he didnt even tell us. We heard it from Mr. Kappage during fourth period. Jeff tried calling him, but it said his numbers been disconnected. Same with his home phone. And he deleted his Facebook."

"Okay, wait." Kurt was reeling. "Wait, just... wait." He headed for his car at a swift pace. "This has got to be a misunderstanding of some kind. Blaine wouldnt just drop out of school without telling anyone." He hopped into his car, cradling his phone under his ear as he started the ignition. "Im driving over to his house now. Ill call you back."

They hung up, and Kurt drove toward the Andersons home, his heart in his throat. None of it made any sense. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

There was a For Sale sign outside Blaines house. Kurt ran to the front door and pounded on it, then checked the windows when no one answered. The interior of the house, once filled with lovely furniture and an even lovelier curly-haired boy, was completely empty.

So yes, there had been signs. Clues that Kurt missed completely.

But on that October day, when he stood in front of an empty home and tried to make sense of it all – that was the moment when the possibility first occurred to Kurt that he might never see Blaine again.

It seemed like an overly dramatic, reactionary assumption.

And, as it turned out, he was right.