The ache burns in his gut like embers of a long forgotten campfire, the ash blowing in his brain like the dust of burned wood. He can’t think, can’t speak, can’t function when the embers flare and the flames ignite the buzzing in his head that almost blind him when he’s alone and won’t go away when he’s not.

He feels the trickle of water against his neck and shudders as it raises images of his father, breaking glass and rage filled eyes above him. He’ll never be clean of it, the marks have faded but he can still see them in the mirror on his skin, on his soul. His father’s fingers wrapped around his neck, wrapped around his psyche.

He climbs out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and wipes the condensation from the mirror. He looks the same to everyone else. The same tanned skin, the same black, curly hair, the same strong jawline, the same muscular body but he doesn’t feel the same, not any more.

The blade is just resting there, innocently on the counter waiting for him to use it to shave, never realising the thoughts running through his mind. He’s done it before, years ago, when everything became too hard, too complicated and the pain just wouldn’t go away. Scars, just another mark left by someone else.

The first time was after he’d come back from the hospital after the Sadie Hawkins dance. His dad had left him alone, cursing his existence; Cooper had gone back to Los Angeles. He was alone. He’d picked up a knife from the kitchen and somewhere between the blood on the dark floor and the white lights in his eyes; he’d ended up in the hospital again.

The second time had been at Dalton, two days before an angel had swept into his life and changed it, and him. He was so unhappy. He loved Dalton, their rules about acceptance and the friends he’d made but he’d been instantly made the star of the Warblers, their desire to have a star and his natural ability making them love him and the things he could do for them. The pressure was too great, the expectations too great and in the end the lonely, pressured boy had just snapped. He’d taken a razor and left a shallow cut on his wrist. His roommate had alerted the school nurse; she’d patched him up and sent him to the psychiatrist. He hadn’t spoken to him.

Instead he’d made his plans, settled his thoughts and arranged everything for his last major swansong before bowing out of life forever. That day he’d laid everything out and prepared for the day. He’d left his dorm room and joined the other students on their way down the spiral staircase on his way to the common room. He was ready.

He wasn’t ready for him, though.

A soft touch, a quiet voice and his soul had awakened again. He couldn’t do it. He had to live, to have this angel in his life, to show them both that life was worth living. His angel, his Kurt.

“Yo Blaine!” Finn’s voice shouts, breaking him out of his daze, the bangs on the door startling him. “You ok in there? Kurt wants to leave.”

Blaine looked back at the razor. It would be so easy, too easy, to shut the world out and just give in but he can’t. He has Kurt, Kurt to think of, Kurt to love and Kurt to keep the embers doused. “I’m fine!” He shouts and unlocks the door, slipping out and into the bedroom.

Kurt sits on the bed, smiling at him and if Blaine didn’t know better, knowing in his eyes. He walks up and rubs his hair with the towel in his hands. When Kurt rubs the towel down his face and Blaine opens his eyes, grinning at the love in Kurt’s eyes he realises that Kurt knows, accepts and understands because, as he glances at the barely-there scar on Kurt’s own arm, he’s been there.

“Scruffy today,” Kurt says, rubbing the towel over Blaine’s chin. “I like it. Anything you need to tell me?”

Blaine shakes his head. “Just a moment.” He says and Kurt grins and wraps his arms around him. Blaine sighs into the hug and rests his head on his love’s shoulder.

“I’m proud of you.” Kurt whispers and Blaine relaxes into his love’s embrace.

Cooper leant against the doorway, watching with glazed eyes as he listened to the voices around him and watched his brother as he slid into the car. Kurt was telling them the details. He, Blaine and Finn were going to New York to pack up the things he had in New York ready to give to the shippers to send to Cooper’s place in Los Angeles then all three would take a flight straight to L.A, meeting Cooper and Mercedes on the other end. It should all take a few days, a week at the most. Rachel had already informed their landlord that they were moving when Brody had suggested renting a place together, the diva readily agreeing to it. Apparently Isabelle had finalised everything with Anna and as an assistant Kurt had been given time off to move and as he had Blaine too, was given time off to deal with the shift in life and sort out the doctors Blaine would need.

“You ok kid?” Burt’s deep voice intoned behind him and he turned to look at the older man.

“Things happen fast around here, that’s all,” Cooper said with a sigh and a small smile. “How do you deal with it?”

Burt shrugged; shouldering the duffle bag Blaine had packed and repacked three or four times between the day and a half since Isabelle had called and this morning. “By now I just sit back and let it happen, make sure I’m there when I need to be. Kurt’s a good kid; he knows what he’s doing. So is your brother and Kurt knows what’s best for him. I just go with the flow.”

Cooper laughs as Burt chuckles. “I think I’ll have to learn a few tricks from you.” He says, smiling as Kurt slips past them, squeezing both of their arms in a loving gesture then slipping into the car beside Blaine, fussing over him as Blaine cuddles up against him.

Kurt took a deep breath, taking in the warm sea air, his eyes closed as he savoured the clean, fresh air. It was so different from New York. It was different here, more peaceful though the people here, and him, were just as busy but there was a laidback enjoyment that didn’t exist in New York as much as it did here.

The plane ride bringing them here had been quiet and uneventful. Of course Blaine had spent most of the time silently watching the people around them, not saying a word to Kurt or Finn as the airport bustled around them. His wide eyes had taken everything in and given nothing out. He’d been the same on the way to New York. The whole weekend had been an exercise in patience for Kurt and Finn. Blaine would shut down in public, at the airport, on the ride to the apartment and the times they went to get food; but in private he’d be more open and talk if only when he was spoken to. Kurt had guided them through the airport, through check in, security, and boarding and onto the plane with a silent, wide-eyed Blaine and a worried, confused Finn. The second they’d settled into their seats Blaine had pulled up the complimentary blanket and fallen asleep, leaving Kurt and Finn to stare at him then talk about their plans.

Cooper’s apartment was in Santa Monica, perfect for the beach and entertainment and to enjoy themselves. Cooper had spent most of the time since his father’s quiet burial, handled by an aunt they rarely saw, on the phone to his father’s attorney and his aunt. They’d found out, surprisingly, that Max Anderson had left his fortune, house which was in the process of being sold, and business which had been put in the hands of his lawyers; divided 50/50 between Blaine and Cooper along with Blaine’s trust fund and his own savings, leaving both Anderson men very rich.

Something clatters to the ground behind him, bringing him out of his thoughts and he turns to see a sheepish Blaine duck behind the French windows, picking up the headphones he’d dropped. A fond smile spreads across Kurt’s face as Blaine straightens up and they look at each other before Kurt opens his arms, inviting him over. Blaine walks over and sits between his legs and Kurt kisses the shell of Blaine’s ear softly. “Did you ever think we’d get here?” The glasz eyed man whispers, enjoying the shiver of pleasure that runs down his boyfriend’s spine.

“I hoped,” Blaine whispers, his eyes searching the horizon. “But so much has changed since last year. Last year we were sat in the choir room singing about red solo cups and arguing with Sebastian. A few weeks later I was promising you things with a gum wrapper ring. I kept those promises so well.” He says, rolling his eyes and choking up as he thinks about how innocent they all were, before they saw how real the world was.

“Hey,” Kurt whispers and tugs his hips until Blaine’s turned around, looking at each other on the big seat. “You kept some of those promises,” He says weakly as Blaine scoffs. “You’ve always loved me, you never fail to surprise me, you’ve baked me cookies a few times, you always pick up my call, you love kissing me and you always, always remind me how perfectly imperfect I am, just by doing those things, just being who you are.” Kurt takes Blaine’s hand in his and wipes his tears away with the other.

Blaine scoots closer until they’re sat up close, their legs around each other. He leans in and kisses Kurt, the warm, loving sensation curling inside him, filling him with love and his nose with Kurt’s scent. Blaine leans away and looks at the other man. “Who am I?” He asks.

Kurt sighs and runs his hand through Blaine’s curls, smiling as the hazel eyes slip closed in enjoyment. “You, my perfectly imperfect boyfriend, are Blaine. The man I love and adore. You’re an amazing singer, a great actor, an amazing boyfriend, a good friend and a loving brother. We’ll work out the rest as we go.” He smiles and rests his forehead against Blaine’s, the hazel eyes staring at him in awe.

“How do you always know what to say?” Blaine asks, smiling.

Kurt shrugs and blushes. “It’s easy with you for a boyfriend.”

Blaine laughs and kisses Kurt quickly. “You know, you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I was so scared to love you at first, you’re so perfect and I’m just not but then you showed me what honesty and bravery was. I could see my future as you sang Blackbird and I wanted it so badly. I got so scared that I’d lose you to New York and all this stuff you’d have and I’d have nothing. You make me better. You make me fearless and brave and feel loved and adored. I love you so much, Kurt and now we’re here and I’m not sure of anything but you and you’re just so much I can’t even start to say.”

Kurt looks at him, speechless and then cups his cheek, talking low and looking into the hazel eyes he loves so much. “You are beautiful, imperfectly perfect and the best thing about my life is that I’ll be spending the rest of it right here, in your arms. I love you Blaine.”

Blaine blinks, tears in his eyes. “I love you too Kurt.”

Kurt’s sitting on the balcony when he hears guitar strings and he turns to see Blaine holding his brand new guitar and strumming it, his eyes on Kurt. A memory of two teens walking down a hallway, talking about brothers and love, one holding a little dog that lies on the black haired teen’s bedside table and telling the same black haired teen to show what he feels in the best, most honest way he knows how fills his head and he laughs, Blaine could always say through song what he couldn’t through words. Kurt’s come to terms with it, Blaine’s a doer, a thinker and with his family background it’s understandable that he’d be able to sing or bottle things up, rather than just let them out as Kurt’s always been taught to; and he has to admit, being serenaded and kissed senseless when the feelings overflow aren’t exactly the worst thing ever.

Blaine’s deep voice flowed as he strummed, as effortless as he’d always made it seem to show how he felt through someone else’s words.

“I've never been the kind that you'd call lucky
Always stumbling' around in circles
But I must have stumbled into something
Look at me
Am I really alone with you
I wake up feeling like my life's worth living
Can't recall when I last felt that way
Guess it must be all this love you're giving
Never knew never knew it could be like this
But I guess

Some hearts
They just get all the right breaks
Some hearts have the stars on their side
Some hearts,
They just have it so easy
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes
Some hearts just get lucky, lucky sometimes

Now who'd have thought someone like you could love me
You're the last thing my heart expected
Who'd have thought I'd ever find somebody
Someone who someone who makes me feel like this
Well I guess

Some hearts
They just get all the right breaks
Some hearts have the stars on their side, yes
Some hearts,
They just have it so easy
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes
Ohhhhhh

Even hearts like mine
Get lucky, lucky sometimes
Even hearts like mine
Ohhhhhhhh

Some hearts,
They just get all the right breaks
Some hearts have the stars on their side
Some hearts,
They just have it so easy
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes

Some hearts
They just get all the right breaks
Some hearts have the stars on their side, yes
Some hearts,
They just have it so easy
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes
Some hearts just get lucky sometimes”

Blaine dipped his head as the song ended and kissed Kurt lovingly.

Kurt kissed Blaine back and sighed happily. Some hearts, their hearts just got lucky and together, Kurt felt like they were the luckiest beings in the universe