The door closes behind him and Kurt slides down the wall, tears overtaking him, sadness washing every piece of sense and reason out of him. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. In high school things were so easy. His whole life laid out in hopes and dreams of stardom, fame, singing at the top of his lungs and making the world cry with happiness when they saw him. He’d dared to dream he was different than the others. Tiny dramas played out in the hallways, puffs of air as the egos rose, hormones that never troubled them changing them from childhood forever. He’d dreamed. He’d gained Blaine, his own dream and drama, his own love and helpless hormone-driven desire. For two and a half years they’d been everything to each other, falling hard and fast into a love that consumed them. The explosion of their love had taken out them both, leaving their lives tattered and broken, to be rebuilt into different men, going in opposite directions.

In the end though, life would always draw them back together. Something had connected that day on the stairwell and no matter how they changed, they were meant to be. It’s something Kurt can’t reconcile, this drive to be with Blaine while his body fails him, like some disturbed fantasy of love and blood and death, while they love, Kurt dies and Blaine is left alone like Christian to watch life go by, the glory drained out of the world that held them up to the light and made them sparkle.

It’s why Kurt had let go when Christophe had confronted him. He’d been so close to telling him, but the thought of those big brown eyes widening in pain and loss had almost broken Kurt, so he’d let the reality fade and pushed the one man he’d always love away. He’d loved Blaine; he still loved Blaine with a fire that spurred him on. It was the same one that had dragged him out of the wreckage of his life, pushed him in the way of the stage and rebuilt him. A man to be proud of, no matter the loss. He’d followed the life of Blaine, the overachiever, the man who’d walked out McKinley and into CSU, building a life as a musician and singer. He’d followed it from afar like some fan boy, a need to know what Blaine was doing, seeing, loving every second of every day.

He’d almost picked up the phone a million times but as the years passed the cord that held his future seemed so long Kurt wasn’t sure if he tugged on it, Blaine would be on the other end. Too long, too far, too lost.

“I was a fool to believe,” Kurt sings brokenly, crying through his words. “A fool to believe, it all ends today. Yes, it all ends today.”

Santana sat in front of Blaine’s building picking at her coat distractedly. She stared up at the brick building, it seemed nice. Not as nice as her place but, as she sniggered to herself, he was just a pianist. The smile slipped off her face for a second. A fired pianist. What did that make him?

She didn’t get to think on it too hard as the door opened and a blonde walked out of the doors. Santana glanced over and her breath stuttered. Brittany. The blonde looked over at her and her eyes widened. Santana stood and ran over, checking there was nothing about to knock her over first and the girls wrapped their arms around each other.

“How are you here?” Santana asked, enjoying the feel of her ex-girlfriend in her arms.

Brittany giggled and they leant away, their arms still around each other’s waists. “Blaine brought me. Apparently a while ago Rachel said you guys wanted him and Kurt to be together so one of you three could be happy, then he had me and Finn come over so all of us could be happy. This kind of sucks though, he had a big thing planned for all of us but Kurt’s left him so I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Santana smiled, nothing really changed. “I should have known he’d plan something like this. I don’t think he’ll mind if I steal you, we have a lot to talk about.” Santana loops her arm through Brittany’s and the girls walk towards the Latina’s apartment, barely tearing their eyes off of each other.

Finn steps up behind Blaine as he looks out of the window, watching the scene below him. “Not to plan, huh dude?”

Blaine shakes his head, not looking at Finn. “No but none of this has been. I just don’t know what to do.”

Before either of them can speak again there’s a knock at the door. Finn goes to answer and his mouth drops open. “Rachel?”

Rachel stands there; speechless then launches herself into Finns arms, kissing him deeply.

Blaine stands, still by the window, watching their reunion and shrugs. Why should anything go to plan?

The two smile as they break away. Finn traces her face and speaks low. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Tears fill Rachel’s eyes and she smiles back, whispering. “I’ve missed you too Finn.”

A cough behind them startles them and they turn to look at Blaine, leaning against the counter. “I’ve missed you both!” He says cheerfully, throwing up his arms and they all laugh.

Rachel breaks away from Finn and walks over to hug Blaine, who almost bursts into tears at the way she smells a little of Kurt. She gives him a sympathetic look and smiles, looking around. “So, what’s your game plan?” She asks as Finn closes the door.

Blaine looks at her and lets out a breath. To be honest he had none past showing up at Kurt’s with a bouquet of roses like that wasn’t the cheesiest thing ever. “I don’t really have one. I was going to go see the show but I’m probably banned or something.”

Rachel grins and claps her hands together. “Well it so happens I have one for you, and you’re not banned. Christophe’s been fired. Somehow it seems someone talked to Mr Will Schuester and he’s now the director. Had anything to do with that Mr Anderson?” She quips at him, smiling knowingly and poking his chest.

Blaine grins and lowers his head. “Yeah I did. I had this plan to get all of us back together and get rid of him but nothing’s gone to plan. Kurt left me, for the show and for the stupid deal he made with Christophe. He’s never returned my calls or texts.”

“So you gave up? Oh Blaine, you gave up once, you can’t do it again. Look just text him and then leave the rest up to us. Finn and I will sort everything out. Promise.” Rachel says and hands Blaine his phone. Something in the way she looks at him reminds him of high school and everything that’s good in the world and he nods. Rachel strides over to Finn and grabs his hand, opening the door and leaving before Blaine, or Finn, can say anything else.

Blaine looks down at his phone and opens up a text to Kurt. The cursor blinks for a few seconds before the right words come into his head.

Kurt sits on his floor, sad eyes flicking over everything he owns. If he could give everything away for just one more day, two, a new heart, a new life; he’d give up everything and live in a box in Central Park, or under the stairwell of Blaine’s apartment so he can see the other man every day.

Suddenly his phone comes to life with a text message and Kurt looks at it like an alien life form just sat down on his carpet and started speaking to him before he crawls over and grabs it.

Blaine Anderson: Never give up on what feels right

His fingers move over the keys before he can really think of the reply.

Kurt Hummel: In the end what’s right is all that matters

His phone doesn’t light up again and Kurt stares at the message, running his fingers over the words before he gives up and opens up the folder on his phone marked ‘True Love’. Pictures of a younger, happier them stare out at him and he smiles. Nothing felt bad with Blaine around, back then or now. The four and a half weeks he spent as Blaine’s made him better, stronger, happier and though life is working hard towards his end, he’ll feel forever blessed that he had those weeks, and back then, those years because he’s pretty sure that if he ever gets to see what his soul was made up of Blaine would be a big part of that.

Kurt falls asleep to brown eyes reflected out of a screen.

A few hours later he wakes to his doorbell ringing and he curses as his body creaks as he stands to answer it, yelling ‘wait a minute’ at whoever’s intruding on his well-needed sleep.

At the door stand Finn and Rachel and he opens and closes his mouth a few times, gaping at the sight of his brother and best friend standing arm in arm together, happy.

“Hi Kurt!” Rachel trills and before he can reply launches into a hurried speech. “Finn and I met up and we’ve been talking all afternoon and then we decided to come over because Finn really wants to catch up and I’m going to let you two have some brotherly time.” She pushes Finn at Kurt and they smile at each other before Kurt nods and grabs his coat from inside the door, never noticing Rachel’s foot as it keeps Kurt’s door open slightly and the man crouched out of the way hidden under the stairwell.

They have a quick walk around and some dinner, talking more about their lives, Kurt’s heart issues, Finn taking over the tire shop and the meeting of Finn and Rachel, leaving out the plan between Finn, Rachel and Blaine.

An hour later they get back to Kurt’s apartment and as he’s about to fish out his keys Finn knocks on the door. Kurt raises an eyebrow and Finn shrugs helplessly.

Rachel opens the door and slips out, hugs Kurt and loops her arm around Finn’s. They walk down the stairs together as Kurt watches. He turns back and opens the door. His apartment has been transformed. The furniture has been pushed back and draped with sheets. Across every surface fairy lights have been spread and in the centre of the room there’s a large rug, blankets, pillows and a guitar. He looks over and Blaine looks back, his finger flicks and the lights flood the room with twinkling lights. Kurt grins and rushes at him as Blaine opens his arms. They wrap their arms around each other and kiss deeply, happy.

“What are you doing here?” Kurt asks finally as they sit down on the pillows, confused.

“I’m winning you back,” Blaine says and smiles at Kurt tracing his fingers over his love’s cheek.

Kurt smiles and takes Blaine’s hand. “I should be winning you back, Blaine. I left you but Blaine I can’t be with you, I can’t afford to love you.”

Blaine’s eyes momentarily fill with tears them he sighs, squeezing his hand lightly. “You can, Kurt. Christophe’s been fired. Will Schuester’s in charge.”

Kurt’s jaw drops then he smiles. “Another of your plans?” Blaine grins and shrugs and Kurt sighs sadly. He has to tell him. Life will change forever but he can’t keep Blaine in the dark to the truth. He loves him, and he deserves to know. “Blaine there’s something I have to tell you. It’s not going to be easy but-“

“Do you mind if I go to the bathroom first? I really need to pee and I want to hear whatever you’ve got to say.” Blaine asks and kisses him before rushing to the toilet. Kurt cringes as he realises the bottles are still on the sink, the note still on the counter top and he may not get to tell Blaine properly before he notices. “Kurt?” Blaine calls as he leaves the bathroom a few minutes later. Kurt turns his head and his heart sinks at the sight of the confused man walking towards him, in his hand is an empty pill bottle. “What is this?”

Kurt remembers a similarly heart-broken look on the other man’s face years ago when a message on a phone almost ended their relationship then. “Blaine come here, sit down.” He says softly and waits for him to comply. Blaine sits and Kurt wraps his arms around him.

“Is this what you were going to tell me?” Blaine asks, tears in his voice and Kurt nods. A tear slips down Blaine’s face and Kurt curses himself. Of course he’d notice. Blaine’s an intelligent man and he knows what all of the words that escaped Finn mean.

“Blaine,” Kurt starts and he closes his eyes, willing himself to get through this. “I have heart problems, my mom died from a weak heart and my dad had a heart attack, granted his diet wasn’t that great but he still was prone to them. They passed them on to me. Apparently I’ve always had them but I’ve been working so hard and so stressed that…I need a new heart. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Blaine’s crying hard by the time he finishes and he cuddles Blaine to his chest, the tears seeping through his shirt and if Kurt believed tears could heal a heart they’d be healing his right now as the wet seeps into his skin above his heart.

“Did- did I make you stressed?” Blaine sobs and Kurt moves him back and cups his cheek, making hazel eyes look into glasz.

“No. You made me better Blaine. Those four and a half weeks were the best of my life. I slept better, ate better. I was almost well again. You make me better, Blaine.”

“Then why did you leave?” Blaine cries.

Kurt looks away and bites his lip. This here is why he wanted to leave Blaine to find another love, carry on with his life and forget him. “Do you know how hard it is to look the man you love in the eyes and tell him you’re dying? I tried, Blaine. I tried so hard and I had Christophe telling me I’d made a promise and to keep it or he’d ruin our careers and I thought that’s all you’d have left when I died so I left you so you could have another life.”

Blaine glares at him for a second then his face crumbles and he starts crying hard again. “But I don’t want another life, Kurt! I want you!”

“I’m dying Blaine! I didn’t want to let you watch me die and leave you alone!” Kurt cries back, bursting into tears himself.

Blaine grabs him and cups his face, a hand on each cheek. “You’re doing that anyway. Don’t you understand? We’re soul mates. You’d leave me alone anyway. We can work through this. You can’t do the show. We’ll get you an operation; you can get a new heart.”

Kurt can’t reply, he just hugs Blaine to him and they cry for a while before deciding to cuddle in bed.

Kurt wakes a few hours after they slowly make love, sharing feelings of love and devotion between them in their heartbreak. He can still feel the slick stickiness in his ass and runs his fingertips down Blaine’s back to feel his own mark between the other man’s cheeks.

He kisses Blaine’s lips softly and starts to sing. “If I should die this very moment, I wouldn’t fear, for I’ve never known completeness, like being here, wrapped in the warmth of you, loving every breath of you, still in my heart this moment, or it might burst, could we stay right here, until the end of time until the world stops turning?”

Blaine wakes to cold sheets and an empty bed. On the pillow is a note in Kurt’s curvy scrawl. ‘I belong there’ is written across the paper and Blaine jumps out of bed, rushing to grab his clothes and phone. He dials Finn’s number and shouts down the line. “Get to the theatre! Kurt’s there!”

He practically sprints all the way to the theatre and slams his way into the back. He can hear the orchestra tuning up and his steps falter for a second. He needs to get to Kurt before he gets onto the swing.

He looks around the deserted dressing rooms and his heart sinks at the empty pill bottle in Kurt’s room. He looks back and runs towards the stage.

He gets there just as Finn joins him and as they get to the wings Blaine’s heart almost falls out of his body. The stage is set, everyone in their places and Kurt high above them on the swing. The hazel-eyed man pants and watches, waiting.

Suddenly Kurt’s mouth opens and he gasps, his breath faltering as his heart stops. He can barely hear below him as Blaine screams.

“Kurt, no!” Blaine screams and runs forward as his love falls backwards off the swing.

Epilogue

This is a story. A story of sex, lust, desire, betrayal, redemption and sacrifice; but above all, a story about love.

A love so strong it survived decades, miles, tragedy and circumstance. A story of a boy, the boy who loved him and the world that would tear them apart. Their story starts on a staircase in Ohio, but this story starts in a theatre in New York with taken chances and a fate that wasn’t done with them yet.

“How does that sound so far?”

“Perfect, for a lowly piano player.”

He laughs and turns from where he’s sitting on the couch. “I’m serious. Thank you for letting me tell our story.”

“Well it is the perfect star-crossed lover’s story. With one difference.” The glasz eyed man looped his arms around his husband’s neck from behind and kisses him soundly.

“What’s that?”

“No-one died in the end.”

Blaine laughs as Kurt walks away and watches him. The perfectly coiffed hair is greying, as is his own and the wrinkles around his mouth and the corners of his eyes are deeper than they were at 18 or 28 but his hips still swing the same and his voice still makes Blaine shiver and as Kurt starts singing Your Song he makes a promise to whoever’s up there looking over them, to never let his black bird go again.

Looking at the pages, Blaine thinks back to those days. Kurt got his operation, giving him life back for what they’d hoped would be well into old age. So far it was looking good but Blaine knew they’d probably have more hospital trips as Kurt got older. Their lives are simpler these days. Blaine writes and Kurt teaches acting when he wants but spends most of his time cuddled up against Blaine, kissing his neck, telling him how much he loves him and correcting his work.

They married a year after Kurt’s operation, moving to LA and living between there and New York. The cord, the bond that held them together growing stronger with time; love and dedication taking over any doubts Kurt had that being with Blaine, letting him see the pain with him was the right thing to do.

Rachel and Finn got back together and Finn moved to New York, trying again and getting into acting. He still makes the joke they used the ‘Kurt Hummel’s brother’ card, and it might be partially true but the man really can act and sing. They married about a year after Kurt’s fall and had three children. Daniel Blaine, Jacob Kurt and Caroline Tana. The two boys had gotten into acting like their parents and Caroline had become Blaine’s protégée, learning guitar at a young age before going onto other instruments, the wide range giving her something extra special in the musical world.

Santana and Brittany had gotten back together too and a few months after Finn and Rachel had married were just behind Kurt and Blaine to get married. They’d adopted a girl and a boy, both were now singers and enjoyed life in the spotlight with Finn and Rachel’s children.

Kurt and Blaine had dedicated themselves to becoming great uncles to their nieces and nephews, the uncertainty over Kurt’s future practically ending their own fatherhood ideals. They'd never really talked much about it and Blaine had to admit having Kurt to himself was the best thing about his life.

In the end they had each other, forever. Come what may.