New Year's Eve 2012

Blaine was learning that in long distance relationships there were bad months and there were good months. Last month was one of those bad months. After that awkward Skype call with Kurt, their relationship was really strung out. It was like their relationship was a tightrope and one wrong word, one bad decision, or one misunderstanding would make it snap, sending everything they had worked on tumbling down around them. The trust. The love. The comfort. tumblingdowndowndown Blaine was trying so hard make it work. He just wanted to be enough for Kurt. He wanted to be everything Kurt needed, and he was so worried that he wasn't. Especially after his introduction to Jake. From the few minutes they talked, Jake seemed to be everything he wasn't: comfortable, confident, sexual.

The time he wasn't spending trying to make everything fit with Kurt was spent trying to please his parents, which in retrospect he should have known was impossible. They were not pleased that he was applying to only schools in New York City so that he was close to his boyfriend. It may have been different if he had a girlfriend. They wanted him to apply to the Ivy Leagues all around the country, not just the ones within a 100-mile radius of New York City and most importantly Kurt, his center.

It drove him crazy that they were giving him hell just because he wanted to be closer to his boyfriend. His parents liked to ignore that he was gay. It wasn't a problem if he didn't act on it. They liked to pretend it was something that could be hidden in the corner, or in the house's back closet no one went in anymore. When people came over they told him to "turn it off," acting like it was as if there was a button in him that he could push to make the gay go away. He had to act like he was straight at parties. Say these things, dress this way, act proper. He liked to pretend that he was dating Rachel Berry because it made him laugh. Kurt always said that if Blaine was straight they would date. He never let Blaine live down *Rachel Berry's House Party Extravaganza*.

The charades were exhausting when things weren't right with Kurt, both when Kurt was there and even when he wasn't, but when they were on good terms it was easy. Because with Kurt everything just fit. But when he wasn't there it was like Blaine was missing a part of his puzzle. Kurt was that last puzzle piece. The one that made everything *fit* just so. When Kurt wasn't around, his puzzle was incomplete.
But that was last month, and this month is a good month.

He and Kurt had worked everything out and he had applied to some other schools outside of New York City to entertain his parents, so they were off his back. Plus he got to see Kurt for the first time in months.

Christmas break was wonderful. He and Kurt had spent every possible waking moment together, mostly in bed relearning everything about each other. Connecting in ways that they only did with each other. When they weren't in bed they were by a fire place drinking hot chocolate or outside for the few minutes Blaine could convince Kurt to venture out, pinky-promising him that the snow wouldn't ruin his complexion and that he wouldn't get too much snow in his hair. (Which was a lie: One of Blaine's favorite things was to see Kurt's hair a mess, totally debauched and relaxed. Blaine was the only one to ever see Kurt like that.)

But hanging over their heads was the day that Kurt had to leave, which was before the end of December since he had to go back early to audition for NYU's spring musical: Spring Awakening. Blaine thought that he would have to say goodbye early, but Kurt came up with an amazing idea: Blaine could come back with him for a bit. He could tell his parents that he was visiting schools and they would let him skip a few days at McKinley. It took a little bit of convincing but his parents eventually said yes. Kurt was kind of shocked it was so easy but Blaine wasn't. They were probably ecstatic that he was going to be gone for a few days because now they didn't need to pretend to care. They could go to parties and do as they pleased, all the time not worrying about being a parent and "shaping him as an individual," as they thought was their job.

So that is how Blaine found himself in the middle of Times Square on New Year's Eve.

"Blaine, come on! I want to get closer. I can't see." Blaine chuckled as Kurt grabbed him by the hand and pulled him through the crowd. It was now 11:30 P.M. and they had been in Times Square all day, going to various pre-shows and staying warm inside coffee shops. Blaine would have been content staying at home watching Ryan Seacrest poorly imitate Dick Clark but Kurt had insisted they go out. He said that when they were living here they wouldn't do these touristy activities, but they had to experience it once.

"Calm down, baby. We are already super close and I don't think all these people," Blaine paused to wave his hand around, "want us to steal their spots." Blaine laughed as he finally was right by Kurt's side. He wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist, pulling him towards him so they were touching from shoulders to toes. Other than being with Kurt, Blaine's favorite part of New York was the fact that no one cared if they were gay. No one questioned it.

"Look, the ball is right there." Blaine pointed at it with his free hand. They were only about a half a mile away which Blaine thought was incredible considering how many people were here.

"Growing up, I always thought it was bigger." Kurt looked like an eight year old who found out Santa Clause wasn't real. His bottom lip was pouted out, his head was bowed and he looked genuinely disappointed.

Blaine leaned in closer to Kurt. "I am going to have to kiss that pout away aren't I?"

Kurt nodded. Blaine turned around to face Kurt, arm still holding onto his side as he leaned in to peck Kurt on the lips, sucking on his bottom lip just to tease him a little. It wasn't a long kiss, but kissing Kurt was always breathtaking. Because kissing Kurt was something only he got to do, and while their first kiss had been awkward with clanking teeth and bumping noses, now they just fit together. Lips gliding and slotting together perfectly every time. They had a lot of practice.

Blaine unwound his arm from around Kurt and slotted their fingers together, tearing his attention from Kurt's lips, which was really hard because they were now beautifully swollen and utterably kissable. He refocused his eyes on the ball.

"Things always look bigger when when you're little, but just because it's smaller doesn't mean it's not amazing. I mean, they built this nearly 12,000 pound ball and stuck it on top of Times Square. That's incredible. Plus more importantly, that ball and its descent signify a new year full of hope, challenges, dreams, and changes. And new starts for us here in New York."

Blaine looked over to Kurt who was staring at him, eyes gazing lovingly, head tilting to the side and lips parting as he opened his mouth to say, "You really are incredible, you know that?"

Blaine couldn't tear his eyes away from Kurt, but out of the corner of his eye he could see the ball beginning to drop.

"Hey, look, it's starting to move." Blaine was so close to Kurt's mouth as he said these words that he could see his breath mixing with Kurt's.

All around them the crowd began to scream.

10!

Blaine's arm wrapped around Kurt's waist, hands resting on Kurt's lower back and right at the waistline of Kurt's jeans, pulling him even closer. Kurt's arms came to wrap themselves around his shoulders, hands lying at the back of Blaine's neck.

9!

Blaine rested his forehead on Kurt's, breathing out as he could feel Kurt's heart pound with lust and excitement.

8!

"Here's to a new year and a new start." Blaine whispered against Kurt's lips.

7!

Blaine tilted his face to the side, capturing Kurt's lower lip with his lips.

6!

Overcome with lust he traced over Kurt's bottom lip, begging for entrance.

5!

Kurt immediately obliged, parting his lips to allow Blaine's tongue to enter. Blaine moaned involuntarily, so caught up in the moment and the feeling of Kurt's tongue as it brushed over his.

4!

Blaine's eyes were fully closed with emotion and he moved one of his hands to the back of Kurt's neck, grabbing on to the hair at the nape.

3!

All around them couples were kissing, significant couples were getting engaged, and thousands of people were cheering but neither of them was aware of this. All they were aware of was each other. In their heads they were the only two people in the world.

2!

Blaine swore he would not have rather been anywhere else in that moment.

1!

He didn't realize as the ball finally finished its descent and the clock hit midnight that a camera was set on him and Kurt. As people all around the east coast rang in the New Year they saw two boys lost in each other and love on their TV screens.