Chapter Twenty

It didn't seem to matter that the flight from New York to Lima Ohio had been a short one, because Blaine and Kurt were very much worn out all the same. At least their trek was over now; the young couple had made it to Kurt's house, finally.

Kurt let out a heavy sigh. He went up to the door, put down his luggage and found that it was actually locked. That was odd; where was Finn? Kurt knew that Burt and Carole were away for the week but he'd expected his step brother to be around still. Although it was late in the evening so Finn should be inside still – good thing Kurt had his spare key in case he wasn't.

Kurt brought out the said key and unlocked the door and as soon as they stepped inside the house, Kurt and Blaine were thrust into darkness. That settled it then, unless Finn had gone to bed (unlikely) then that meant that he and Blaine were alone. It suddenly dawned on Kurt that he hadn't seen Finn's car in the driveway either.

Kurt put down his luggage momentarily so he could turn around and face Blaine. "It looks like we're the only ones here."

"Seems that way," Blaine said.

"Are you feeling all right, Honeybee?" Kurt made sure not to sound too concerned, because Blaine's behaviour wasn't that off.

Blaine smiled back at him, albeit weakly. "No I'm fine; just tired."

It didn't take much for Kurt to guess the reason for his boyfriend's fatigue; his body was in a similar state as well. His idea to give roleplaying a try had been fun at the time, but now their tired bodies were paying the price. It was ironic that holding themselves back so no breaking point was reached felt more strenuous than if they'd had actual sex.

Once they were both safely in the privacy of his bedroom, Kurt put his suitcases down and turned to face Blaine. "You know Blaine, I can't help but realize that this is our last night together – at least for a while – and I feel like we could maybe... do something special for it..." he explained nervously. "So we'll have a lovely memory to think back on once we're forced to sleep alone again."

Blaine gulped. "What um, what did you have in mind?"

"Well... I think we can both agree that we're not ready to have anal sex just yet..." Kurt paused to note Blaine's nod of agreement. "That still doesn't mean we have to fully deny ourselves from all types of sexual pleasure," Kurt saw the hunger in Blaine eyes and it was already turning him on.

"You haven't seen me with my shirt off still," Blaine said encouragingly.

'Good on you, Blaine,' Kurt thought approvingly, he'd almost forgotten about that.

Now that they had something to start with, Kurt got right to it. He advanced on Blaine, who stood perfectly still as his boyfriend grabbed onto the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head. As soon as Blaine head was free Kurt kissed his lips teasingly. The first layer was off but there were still two left to go, Kurt could have paced himself but then, where would the fun be in that? Kurt went for Blaine's dress shirt next, then his undershirt soon followed and Blaine's bare torso was finally revealed to him.

Kurt kissed Blaine again and ran his arms down the front of Blaine's chest, causing his boyfriend to shiver with pleasure. Blaine slowly guided them backwards until he was sitting on the bed and he pulled Kurt into his lap. This suited Kurt just fine and so did the heavy pace Blaine was setting as they began to make out. "You're so fucking hot, Blaine," Kurt panted in between kissing.

"Kurt, oh my god, Kurt," Blaine moaned as Kurt continued to coax his body into arousal (whether he'd meant to or not).

"Should we... tone it down?" Kurt asked, though he sure didn't sound like he wanted to but he still would if Blaine asked him to. Luckily, Blaine saw no reason why they needed to stop; they'd already set some boundaries.

"No, this is good Kurt, very good," Blaine said.

Kurt grinned at him widely. "I was hoping you'd say that, because I haven't finished drinking in all of your gorgeous splendour yet, Blaine."

"You can do more than just look at me," Blaine whispered, kissing him again. "Don't be shy now, Starlight. You said you wanted to make it a special night for us after-all."

Kurt chuckled; he could tell that while Blaine was playing around, he was just as nervous as he himself was on the inside. They hadn't allowed themselves to go this far before, at least, not when they had the whole night alone and without any parents in the house. Baby steps, that's what this was for them, a small taste of what was to come, when they were ready for it. But for now, Kurt was content to climb to another level, and he could see in Blaine's sparkling eyes that he was equally on board.

Good didn't even begin to describe what Kurt was doing to Blaine, who could barely contain his urges as they went back to heavy kissing. Eventually Kurt's lips slowly gravitated from Blaine's mouth to his neck and then later on, all the way to his right shoulder blade.

Blaine let out a sharp gasp when Kurt's butterfly kisses changed to light biting. "Shit!" he swore loudly.

Now he knew why Kurt had made so much noise when their roles had been reversed on Christmas. Less layers meant that his body was much more sensitive to Kurt's touch and that also meant that it was difficult for his body not to get too excited. He knew it would only be a matter of time before his cock began to respond but he would ignore all that for the time being-- or he'd sure try to. Only, as the sexual chemistry between the couple began to rise, that wasn't very easy to manage. "Fucking hell, Kurt," Blaine swore again.

This time Blaine was intentionally using profanity to tell Kurt just how turned on he was. "Please tell me whatever you have in mind ends in orgasm still."

"Oh, trust me Blaine, it does," Kurt breathed in Blaine's ear.

"That's a relief to hear; not that I doubted you, babe."

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's hips and he began to rock them back and forth, rubbing their groins together.

The build of friction was almost too much for Blaine to handle; he bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. "Can you take your shirt off too?" he asked Kurt all of a sudden.

"Sure. Would you care to do the honours, Blaine?" Kurt flirted back.

Happy to comply, Blaine cupped the side of Kurt's face and kissed him tenderly before getting to the said task. Once he'd properly showed his deep affections for Kurt, he tugged at the bottom of Kurt's sweater until Kurt raised his arms so his boyfriend could pull it over his head. Blaine found the act of undressing each other far less sexy than any films and TV shows had lead him to believe. Good thing they were taking their time or tearing off so many layers off of Kurt would have been quite the tall order. It wasn't like Blaine could talk either, but it was winter still. Never the less, it didn't take Blaine very long – or much effort – to free Kurt's upper body from his clothes.

"There. Finally!" Blaine exclaimed as he placed Kurt's undershirt on the bed.

"You're so adorable," Kurt said.

"I'd rather you describe me as sexy right now, Kurt."

"Oh, don't you worry about that Blaine, because I find you oh so very sexy. In fact... why don't I show you just how badly I want you..."

Blaine grinned at Kurt, flashing his best come hither look to show how much he liked that idea.

But surprisingly, making out without their shirts off wasn't as sensual as Kurt had originally thought. It was certainly stimulating enough and yet at the same time, things got kind of sweaty for them as time went on. Although, that still wasn't enough to stop Blaine and Kurt from frantically grinding against each other.

So many things were going through Kurt's brain at once; the pleasure rushing through his body most of all, but it wasn't enough for him somehow.

"Kurt," Blaine gasped as he tried to speak properly through the rush. "Can we do something other than just frottage this time?"

Bless Blaine and his almost telepathy; they were so in sync, it was incredible! "Oh, god please, yes! Let's give hand-jobs a try finally!" Kurt said hurriedly.

"I wanna do you first Kurt; can I?"

Of course Blaine would be considerate even during sex, but Kurt just bit his lip and nodded vigorously in response.

Now that Blaine had his boyfriend's consent, He just needed to actually go ahead and do it. That was easier said than done though, since hand-jobs were a new frontier for them, yes they'd seen each other naked through a webcam, but it wasn't the same thing. 'Eyes on the prize Blaine, you can do this, you want to do this...' Blaine told himself and he glanced at Kurt to see his nervous but still thrilled smile. '... and so does Kurt.'

With shaky hands, Blaine moved towards Kurt's waist; he unbuckled Kurt's belt and pulled it out from the belt loops of his pants. Kurt's pants zipper was up next and just as Blaine was showing signs of hesitation, Kurt began to stroke his back coaxingly while whispering sweet nothings in his ear. The boost of encouragement made it so Blaine successfully pull Kurt's zipper down all the way. He then spent a moment reaffirming his desire for Kurt by kissing him hard on the mouth. If Blaine were lucky it would also help arouse Kurt so much that giving his boyfriend his first hand job would even be possible.

It wasn't long before any such concerns were no longer a worry, not that Blaine had been actually concerned. They were young viral teenagers who were widely attracted to one another after-all. That still didn't mean Blaine could fully shake off his nerves, especially when his hand brushed against Kurt's obvious bulge. Kurt's shudder in reply was enough for Blaine to say screw it and pull out Kurt's fully erect cock before he could think about what he was doing.

Blaine's eyes widened at the sight of it but he quickly saw the desperation in Kurt's eyes and he recovered from his initial reaction. "Should I get some lotion?" he asked as he began pumping Kurt's cock with his hand.

"No it's okay; this is good," Kurt said.

Kurt was so hard and enjoying Blaine's handiwork that even if Finn himself had knocked on the door then he wouldn't have been able to stop-- nor would he want to either.

'Blaine is touching my... he's actually... fuck!' Kurt's inner thoughts shouted at him as Blaine picked up the pace. Kurt knew he was breathing too loudly but he didn't care, and why should he? Blaine certainly didn't seem to mind it. If anything he was encouraging him to get noisy, with how good he was making Kurt feel. Also, Blaine's hand was actually on his cock! Touching him, teasing him, inching him towards release.

"I'm so close, Blaine," Kurt panted.

"I got you, babe," Blaine said. "Just you leave it to me."

No matter how amazing it felt to pleasure Kurt, Blaine was still fully aware of his own erection. His cock was throbbing; at this rate, he'd come before Kurt could take his own swing at giving his boyfriend a hand job. Oh well, they'd have other chances-- tonight most likely-- considering how easy it should be to get them going again.

Blaine's train of thought was quickly derailed when he saw Kurt's body tense at the key moment, shouting as he came into Blaine's hand.

Kurt smiled shyly at Blaine when he finally brought his head back up so he could look his boyfriend in the eye. From the moment their eyes met both boys broke into matching big goofy smiles. "Well, that was certainly a fun first..." Kurt began, but then, his eyes widened for some reason. "Geez, what am I doing! I'm sorry Blaine, I've left you hanging haven't I?"

"You don't need to apologize, Kurt," Blaine said, smiling at him lovingly.

"All right then; I won't... I'll go ahead and return the favour instead," said Kurt, who handed Blaine a tissue so he could clean his hand off.

Once that chore was quickly dealt with, a seductive expression washed over Kurt's face. He still felt somewhat nervous on the inside; what if he couldn't top Blaine's performance. 'Come on Kurt, it's not like this is rocket silence,' Kurt reminded himself encouragingly.

In the end, all it took was for Kurt to look at Blaine and see the strain on his face and that was it, Kurt threw any lingering doubt in him aside. Since Blaine was clearly reaching his limit already, Kurt wasted no time in freeing his cock so he could begin stroking it. Blaine inhaled sharply as soon as Kurt's hand made contact and they both succumbed to the experience. All seemed to be going well, Blaine seemed to be enjoying Kurt's efforts; fuck he looked so hot as he was nearing orgasm. The way that Blaine was biting his lip like that bordering pornographic-- but in a non trashy sort of way.

Suddenly a very exciting idea entered Kurt's mind, and it was far too good to dismiss. "Blaine, you trust me completely right?"

"Yes," Blaine barely managed to croak back.

Grinning sensually, Kurt let go of Blaine's cock and half slid off the bed so he was on his knees. Before Blaine could ask what he was doing, Kurt beckoned Blaine towards him. His boyfriend scooted forward until his legs hung over the side of the bed. Blaine eyed him curiously, but not for long, because Kurt quickly brought his head down to Blaine's cock and began to run his tongue along it.

'Oh, my god! Kurt's mouth is on my cock... he's actually... oh shit!' Blaine willed himself to calm down, but it was no use. Blaine closed his eyes, swearing under his breath; he wasn't going to last much longer at this rate! "Uh Kurt, not to complain but you might want to move it along before you'll miss the chance to."

Kurt smirked in response. Per Blaine's warning, Kurt finally went to the next level by actually taking Blaine's cock into his mouth. He had no real idea what he should do now; he hadn't gotten around to googling 'how to give good head' yet. In the end he decided just to wing it. Kurt began to hum when he went a little deeper (he remembered reading somewhere about vibration feeling good during blow jobs).

"Oh, god of, Fuck!" Blaine incoherently shouted. "Kurt, I'm so close; please don't stop!"

As if he would. Kurt would have smiled if his mouth wasn't already occupied, so instead he slid his mouth downwards, intending to fully take in Blaine's cock but he never got the chance. Kurt barely managed to jerk his head backwards right as Blaine reached orgasm. It didn't matter that he'd only gotten a small amount of come in his mouth, it was still enough for him to sputter off a round of choking coughs.

Blaine's eyes widened as he watched Kurt slide down to the floor. "Kurt! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Blaine, I was just caught off guard that's all."

Blaine didn't even bothered to cover himself back up; he just grabbed a water bottle from his luggage and handed it to Kurt. "That makes the two of us then."

Kurt laughed before he took the bottle and had a long drink from it. "Thanks."

"Better?" Blaine asked, zipping his pants back up.

"Physically yes, but emotionally... not so much. I feel kind of mortified. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I do; you wanted to try something new." Blaine smiled at Kurt lovingly and rubbed his shoulder for moral support. "For what it's worth, it felt really,really, good, Kurt."

Kurt let out a small sigh and his mood lifted a bit. "Well, that's something at least."

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders and pulled him close, kissing his boyfriend's neck playfully after Kurt snuggled up to him. Just the fact that they were both so clueless but oh so very eager to explore the physical side of their relationship made it easier to cope with any awkward moments that happened along the way.

"I guess I forgot about gag reflexes... turns out I have one," Kurt said sheepishly.

"Most people do Kurt, and we'll both get the chance to work past that. From what I learned – which isn't a lot mind you – it is possible to, with practice, so try not to worry about it much."

"I won't. But how about we don't try it again tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said amusingly, kissing Kurt on the forehead.

"why don't we end our final night together with something we're already good at: cuddling," Kurt said. "After we clean ourselves up of course."

Blaine's heart eyes were very visible as he watched his boyfriend cheeks flush bright pink. He was blushing also and yet he didn't mind it; how could he? "I'd love that Kurt, oh so very much."
_______________________________________________________________________________

When morning came, neither Kurt nor Blaine, who was holding onto Kurt for dear life, wanted to face the cold hard truth that their days of sharing a bed were over. Aside from spring break, there was no telling when they would get another chance either.

'Maybe we can nap a bit together still,' he thought hopefully. Blaine would agree to that no doubt, even if they weren't actually tired enough to sleep.

Kurt feared that he wouldn't be able to sleep without having Blaine's body pressed against his. Spooning with his boyfriend had quickly become a favourite pastime of his. He hated having to give it up already; life could be so unfair at times.

"I really don't want to get out of bed, Kurt," Blaine said sleepily from behind.

"If only it were that simple," Kurt sighed. "Do you think your folks might allow us to have sleepovers this week?"

Blaine chuckled. "I seriously doubt it and I'm not that keen on asking them. I can't say I'd blame them for saying no either. I may be eighteen already but I'm still living under their roof. Not to mention, trying to assure them that we've decided not to have sex yet would be a horrible experience to go through." Blaine shuddered at the thought. "And I doubt I could convince them enough, even when I know they trust me."

"And I wouldn't want you to lie to them and risk destroying that trust, Blaine," Kurt added.

Blaine kissed the back of Kurt's neck softly. "So as much as I hate to admit it, it's not going to be possible. We did have a nice week keeping each other warm though."

"I'm glad we decided not to have sex yet too, or else suddenly being cut off would be unbearable."

"Not to mention how tough it would be for us to have sex for the next week and not get caught."

"My place wouldn't be too bad for that; I know Finn and Sam wouldn't rat me out, but I still agree with you, Honeybee."

Blaine gave Kurt's body one last hug before he let his boyfriend go so he could sit up properly on the bed. Kurt let out a tired sigh as he ran his hand through his hair and began to stretch his tired muscles. Blaine smiled at him affectionately; he was really going to miss this – getting to wake up beside Kurt was beginning to feel so natural to him already. He checked his phone and saw that it was ten-thirty in the morning. "I guess we should go drop my stuff off at my house next?"

Kurt nodded. "Carole's lending me her car while I'm here. But we have time Blaine, so we can continue one ritual of ours before you start school tomorrow at least ."

"Making each other breakfast?" Blaine offered.

"You know it, and since you're my guest once again, I'll go fix us up something while you shower."

"Sure," Blaine said. "But not before I have my way with you first." Blaine suddenly pounced on Kurt and pushed him back down on the bed. He began to decorate Kurt's neck with sweet little butterfly kisses. Kurt giggled from the enjoyable contact, even if had been unexpected, and he made no attempts to free himself from Blaine's clutches.

Too bad Kurt was too hungry to let things between them go on for much longer though. "Blaine, we have a whole week to make out together still."

"That's not nearly long enough for me, Starlight," Blaine murmured softly as he nestled his lips against Kurt's now exposed collarbone.

"Oh, what the hell," Kurt muttered under his breath. What was the harm in giving into Blaine's whims while he still could. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy having his boyfriend tease and kiss him in all the right way and places (north of the equator -- for now).

The couple spent another fifteen glorious minutes making out on Kurt's bed before they had to break apart. Blaine practically sprung off of the bed and away from Kurt when the moment hit him; he looked so giddy it was ridiculous (but equally cute).

"I might need to take a cold shower now," Blaine admitted.

Kurt laughed and made a shooing motion with his hands at Blaine, who headed off to the bathroom with a jolly spring in his step. Now that Blaine was out of the room, Kurt was left to see to his state of dress. He chose to keep it casual because he wanted have a shower before they'd leave the house. Still, even Kurt's leisurely house attire, which this time was a black long sleeve shirt and loose fitting pants, were still designer brands so he didn't look the least bit frumpy. He put only a small amount of product in his hair too and once he deemed himself presentable enough, he headed downstairs.

When Kurt entered the kitchen he saw that Finn was nowhere in sight, but that wasn't too surprising. He was probably still asleep; it Sunday after-all and his step brother liked to sleep in late on the weekends (or he'd used to, back when Kurt had been at home still). That idea made Kurt wonder if Finn had overheard him and Blaine last-night. At the time, Kurt hadn't thought about keeping quiet, he'd been too preoccupied with Blaine. He really hoped that wasn't the case, but if it was, then Kurt would just have to live with the possible embarrassment.

As for Sam, he'd no doubt spent the winter break with his family, so Kurt wasn't sure when he would be back. On the off chance that both men could appear at any moment, Kurt decided to make enough food for the four of them – just in case.

After Kurt took stock of the food in the cupboards, he decided to make some good old fashion pancakes; Blaine loved his pancakes. His mind began to drift off as he stirred the batter. Seven days together might seem like a lot of time still but Kurt knew it could fly by in an instant. At this point he wasn't sure if getting to spend an extra week in Lima with Blaine would help their impending separation or not. Considering how much Kurt had come to love being with Blaine for the past week, his hopes weren't very high. But regardless of whatever hardships they might face, Kurt knew they would get through it together. And that the summer would be here before they knew it.

Kurt had just finished his first batch of pancakes when he heard the front door open. He turned off the stove element and hurried to see who it could be. It was Sam he quickly discovered, and he was carrying a large amount of baggage with him too.

Sam looked up to see Kurt there and the initial surprise on his face quickly changed to a friendly smile. "Hey there Kurt, what are you doing here?"

Kurt smiled back of him and took one of the bags Sam had been struggling with. "Oh, that's right, you probably have no idea how exciting my life has become, Sam."

"I know you have a boyfriend; Finn told me. I just didn't know you were coming back to Lima," Sam said.

"I decided to stay here for my final week of vacation so I could spend it with Blaine; he's a high school senior you see," Kurt explained. "I hope you're hungry because I made pancakes." Kurt placed Sam's things in the living room so he could go back to cooking breakfast.

"I'm starving; I been driving since the crack of dawn. I'm just gonna put my stuff away first," Sam said before darting up the stairs.

Sam was nearing his room when a freshly showered man he didn't recognize stepped out of the bathroom. The two narrowly missed stumbling into one another, save for the guy's surefooted steps. But Sam was the one to save him from falling over when he reached out the steady him with his hand (he'd dropped all of his stuff in the surprise).

"Sorry about that; you must be Blaine?" Sam said.

"That's me, and that must make you Sam?" Blaine had heard all about him already from Kurt, who had explained how Sam had come to live with Kurt and his family as of last year. Even after both Kurt and Finn had graduated Sam, who was in his senior year now, Burt and Carole had insisted he keep staying there.

"Kurt's making pancakes for breakfast," Sam said.

"Of course he is," Blaine said affectionately.

After Blaine helped Sam put all of his belonging into his room, the two teenagers walked down together to the kitchen. There they found Kurt at the stove, and he turned to face them as soon as they were in view.

"I see you two have met already then," Kurt said in observation. He personally thought that Blaine and Sam would get along very well, if they were given the chance to know each other better. "I should have told you Blaine was here too, Sam."

"It's no biggie," Sam said as he sat down to begin eating his generous plate of pancakes. "You two have a nice sleep over?"

Kurt rolled his eyes; though on the inside he was glad that Sam felt comfortable enough to tease them already. "Do you know where Finn could be?" Kurt asked, deciding to change the subject rather than answer Sam's innocent question.

"No," Sam mumbled back with a mouth full of pancake.

"I don't know where he could be at this hour," Kurt said worriedly.

"You could just text him to find out, Kurt," suggested Blaine.

"Yes of course, thank you Blaine," Kurt said as he brought out his phone.

Finn, it's Kurt, where are you? There's a plate full of delicious pancakes waiting for you.

Oh. I went out for breakfast this morning actually, Kurt.

What for?

Finn's reply took slightly longer than his first one, which made Kurt think he wasn't sure how to answer exactly. 'Oh no, he did hear something last-night then!' How could he make this easier for the both of them Kurt wondered?

Finn, did you hear something? You did, didn't you? Is that why you're not here?

Yeah I did. Sorry. I dunno why I left like that.

I'm the one who should apologize. Although, considering the times I've overheard you and Rachel, I should consider it some longer overdue payback.

Apparently Finn couldn't think of anything good to text back, so Kurt decided to save him the trouble.

I'll put your pancakes in the oven to keep them warm until you're back.

I'll heading there now. Won't be long. And thanks, little bro.

Little? I'm older than you are!
_________________________________________________________________________________

"So Blaine, now that we're conveniently alone at your house, there's something special I'd like us to do finally," Kurt said as he put down the last of Blaine's luggage.

"I think I know where you're going here but tell me anyway, Starlight," Blaine replied.

"I thought we could exchange our Christmas gifts to one another," Kurt said, pulling a package out from Blaine's largest suitcase.

Blaine laughed, "When did you sneak that in there?"

"When you were busy showering of course."

Blaine fished out his gift for Kurt and hurried back to stand in front of him again. "I'm glad we decided to wait to give them to each other but it sure wasn't easy being patient," he admitted sheepishly.

"I hear you there, but now... the wait is finally over." Kurt handed his gift over to Blaine, who did the same for him.

"Should one of us go first or should we open them at the same time?" Blaine asked.

Kurt considered it for a moment before coming to a decision. "I suggest one of us goes first, that way, we can see each other's reactions properly." He suddenly got a fun thought and he grinned mischievously at Blaine. "You should go first Honeybee, since I was the one who did last-night."

Blaine blushed at first before he nodded in compliance. "That sounds fair enough to me." Except Blaine seemed to change his mind all of a sudden. He came over to kiss Kurt softly on the lips, as if he were trying to sway his boyfriend's mind. "Unless you'd be willing to open yours first, because that's what I'd really like to happen, Kurt."

"Oh, all right." Kurt carefully began to unwrap the pretty red wrapping paper that had been used, even when he was dying to know what Blaine had gotten him. Once he managed to get it all off – and without becoming a barbarian in the process – Kurt found a red box underneath that had the words 'Long Distance Boyfriend Survival Kit' written across it in stylist calligraphy.

"Blaine, what is this?" Kurt asked.

"Why don't you just open it and find out for yourself?" Blaine playfully answered.

Kurt placed the box down on the bed so he could lift off the lid. Inside were various items, or trinkets rather, and there were so many that Kurt couldn't take them all in at first. His eyes lit up in delight and he beamed back at Blaine. But not for very long, because he was too intrigued about the inside contents of Blaine's gift to show his true appreciation just yet. The first article Kurt took out of the box was a framed photo of Blaine, who was dressed in his school blazer and looking oh so handsomely dapper. This had to be his official school photo and Kurt was so happy to have his own copy now. Underneath it were even more photos, many of which must have come from Blaine's cell phone originally. Kurt's eyes went to one that had been taken of them and Rachel in front of the Ghost Buster HQ and he giggled softly.

He finally realized that they weren't just photos, Blaine had gone and turned them into fridge magnets! Kurt studied each and every one, smiling as he did until he came to what appeared to be the last of them. Kurt gasped at the sight of it; the photo was the one he and Kurt had taken in the hospital waiting room on the first day they'd met. Kurt was wearing his new sling and there was Blaine in those silly ripped jeans.

"You're such a sweetheart Blaine, and I can't wait to put all of these on my fridge!" he cooed.

"I thought you'd like those, but keep looking, Starlight; there's a lot more to see."

"Is there a tissue box in here, because I think I'll need one soon."

Kurt couldn't wait to see what else his thoughtful boyfriend had gotten him. When Kurt was finished sorting through the remaining items, he was the proud owner of one of Blaine's favourite bow-ties (which was Kurt's to keep Blaine had informed him), a Lima Bean coffee mug, some obligatory dark chocolate, sheet music of classic love songs, and then lastly, a CD that had a stylized letter D on the front. Kurt eyed the disk case as he picked it out from the box; he looked at Blaine in puzzlement, hoping that Blaine would give him an explanation.

Instead of just telling him, Blaine went so far as to take the CD from Kurt and put the disk inside into his laptop. "It's something I made for you especially Kurt, for those lonely moments when I can't be there with you – like at night."

Blaine's dreamy voice soon filled the room and Kurt recognized the song immediately; it was 'I Just Haven't Met You Yet' by Michael Buble. "Did you make an entire album for me, Blaine?"

"I may have, yes, but it was actually great practice for me and the Warblers. They helped me put it all together, so it goes without saying that it's for your ears only, Kurt. Or at least until Nationals is over anyway."

Kurt launched himself at Blaine, who caught him with his arms and hugged Kurt tightly against him. Kurt slipped his arms around Blaine's waist and the two stood there happily pressed together. He felt so full of emotion that Kurt thought he would burst. "I love it Blaine, all of it, thank you so much."

"You're very welcome, Kurt." Blaine pulled back so they could share a tender kiss. "Are you up for seeing me open your gift yet?"

Kurt nodded as he sniffled lightly. "Yeah, I'm good." He picked up Blaine's gift and handed it to him. There was no fear that Kurt's gift to Blaine would pale in comparison, thankfully, and he knew Blaine would be equally overjoyed when he saw what Kurt had gotten him. He watched as Blaine tore away the paper with the same care he had done earlier to reveal the scrapbook hidden underneath. Blaine's eyes lit up with wonder as he read the cover, which was; Kurt Hummel: a history ~ his life before Blaine.

"Oh Kurt, this is..." Blaine whispered as he opened the first page. "... this is wonderful."

Kurt had taken the time to create a scrapbook that went through his entire life, starting with his birth and posted on the first page was a photo of an infant Kurt in his mother's arms. Blaine stared at the women who Kurt had lost at such a young age. Kurt smiled at him; there were tears in his eyes but he didn't say anything. Blaine powered through the emotion welling up in him so he could continue through the book. There were not only photos, but stories and anecdotes, some from Kurt himself and others from his dad, as well as sketches and other things. But Blaine soon found himself most drawn to Kurt in his high school years.

There he saw the pinnacle moment where Kurt's cherub features had begun to mature into that of a young man on the cusp of adulthood. The transformation was almost uncanny and from there on, Kurt continued to grow in height as the months went on. Kurt was just as fashionable back then as he was now, though in some cases he'd gone a little overboard, Blaine secretly thought.

"Wow, puberty sure was good to you in the latter half of your sophomore year, Kurt," Blaine said absentmindedly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I can't help but notice the contrasts between your freshman and senior year of high school. How many feet did you end up growing?"

"Are you seriously jealous of the growth spurt I had, Honeybee?"

"Maybe just a little, but I've accepted the fact that I'm the shorter one in our relationship already," Blaine said.

"I'm not even that much taller than you, Blaine," Kurt pointed out.

Blaine soon found Kurt's official graduation photos and he smiled at his boyfriend's proud beaming face. "I like your spider brooch."

"It barely survived the ceremony; Finn thought it was real and tried to kill it with his rolled up diploma."

Blaine wasn't sure if Kurt was being serious or just kidding around but he laughed anyway. The next chapter in Kurt's life was of course his big move to New York. Kurt had told him in lengths about that adventure but he still loved seeing it all chronicled in his new scrapbook. Rachel of course had written a very long passage about how they'd found their loft apartment in Bushwick. Underneath it was a photo of Kurt and Rachel sitting on the floor of the bare space as they shared their first meal (a pizza) together.

"I told you the place was super bare when we'd first rented it," Kurt said.

"You did an amazing job furnishing it, Kurt." Blaine flipped through the next few pages and saw they were about Kurt's first two months in NYADA. He couldn't wait to go through the entire book page by page and photo by photo. He saw himself spending hours looking through it, over and over again and each time learning new things. "This is such a thoughtful gift Kurt, you're way too good to me."

"Nonsense," scoffed Kurt, who kissed him on the cheek. "You did the same for me." He smiled down at the book and placed his right hand over Blaine's. "I thought you would enjoy getting to see the man I was before we met." Kurt brought Blaine's hand up so he could kiss the back of his palm.

When Blaine came to the final page, he could no longer hold the tears that he'd been fighting back. Because there was the exact same photo of him and Kurt, the one taken at the hospital and written above it were the words 'The beginning.' Blaine stared at the message and the photo and that was it, he came undone and began to sob uncontrollably.

Kurt took the scrapbook from his boyfriend to save it from getting wet and he scooped Blaine into his arms. Blaine nestles his head on Kurt's shoulder, pressing his cheek against Kurt's neck and he continued to cry. Kurt was no better off than him but they were both crying tears of joy so they were fine to just let it all out.

"You're my wish come true, Kurt," Blaine whispered when he'd finally recovered enough.

Kurt leaned back to gaze at him. "And you're mine."

After such a heartfelt confession, the only thing that Kurt and Blaine wanted to do next was share a passionate kiss. It also came to surprise of either of them that they spent a good portion of the day doing just that; sharing kiss after kiss, some soft and sweet, while others were far more aggressive. The common trait between all of them was that being together like this, where no actual words were needed, was a way for them to connect on the most intimate level.

Kurt had definitely said it best with his words on that final page; how this was only the beginning, to what Kurt hoped would be a lifelong partnership.
________________________________________________________________________________

Along with the evening came the end of Kurt and Blaine's blissful day together and while they hadn't done very much, they still felt very satisfied all the same. Kurt didn't even mind they hadn't done a single thing they'd planned to do together that day. In his humble opinion, it was amazing that they'd stopped making out long enough to properly feed themselves. But the most remarkable thing of all was that no embarrassing moments had occurred. They were really getting the hang of cooling down so they didn't have to stop completely – or at least for very long.

Those intermissions had been spent cuddling in each other's arm, so all in all, there was no real loss to to be had.

Kurt and Blaine were lying together on Blaine's bed after finishing what they both promised would be their last kissing session of the night. Kurt's head was lying on the edge of Blaine's shoulders as he half leaned against his boyfriend's chest. Their fingers were laced together and Kurt let out a little sigh of contentment. 'What a wonderful end to a perfect day,' Kurt thought dreamily.

"I've never been angrier that I'm a year behind in school than right now," Blaine grumbled.

'There goes ending things on a positive note.' Kurt still managed to console his boyfriend by kissing Blaine's shoulder though. "What was the reason? I know you've said it had something to do with school bullies?" Kurt hoped he wasn't overstepping by asking Blaine about what had to be a very difficult time for him.

Blaine nudged Kurt gently so they could both sit up on the bed. "It started after I came out of the closet in my sophomore year of school. After I did, a lot of people started treating me differently and not in the nice way. Some people seemed to think they could scare me back into the closet. I tried to keep positive but it wasn't easy for me. My friends were sympathetic but no one knew what to do, especially the faculty, who couldn't put a stop to it even when they tried."

"This sounds oddly familiar to me, Blaine," Kurt said.

"It's not surprising, as much as I hate to admit it. The same can be said for most guys who struggled with accepting their sexual orientation like we did. There was one other openly gay kid at school and we decided to go to Sadie Hawkins together, in the hopes that people might accept us better." Blaine's shoulders slumped as the memories came back to him. "Boy were we ever wrong though. At first it seemed as if our plan was working but we have no idea what was about to happen to us. We both waited in the parking lot for his dad to pick us up and that's when these four guys from school found us."

"Oh Blaine," Kurt whispered.

"A teacher came to our rescue but not before we both got the crap beaten out of us. I was so badly banged up that I had to go to hospital. I had broken my left arm, had two broken ribs, a black right eye and a chipped tooth. My friend was better off but not by much; his right wrist was broken and he'd gotten a mild concussion too. My parents saw me at the hospital and they were super freaked out at the sight of me. I'm sure it's one of the reasons my dad resisted accepting my sexuality for so long, because in his mind, it had brought so much pain. They pulled me out of school, and my friend was home schooled after that too. I was too terrified to go back to school right away either, so my parents offered to let me enrol in Dalton in the fall, the catch being that I would have to repeat my sophomore year there."

"I decided to go for it, because I knew Dalton had a strongly enforced anti-bullying policy and I figured getting to do the year over would be good for me. It would let me erase the horrible things that happened, or at least let me rewrite them somewhat..."

"Did it get better for you then?"

Blaine nodded. "Almost immediately; I couldn't even believe it at first. Suddenly my sexual orientation wasn't a big deal, sure nobody really talked about it but they didn't tease or harass me either. I ended up getting into the Warblers not long after and that's when I really felt like I belonged somewhere finally."

"It was basically the same for me when I joined the New Directions," Kurt said.

Blaine decided to ask Kurt something that he'd wondered about for a very long time, that only now did he felt comfortable to bring up. "How did you do it, Kurt? How did you manage not to run when Karofsky threatened to kill you? I couldn't imagine having that much inner strength to stay..." He still remembered when Kurt had told Blaine about that struggling time in Kurt's junior year of high school and he had been so blown away by Kurt's courage.

"I'm not going to lie and say that it wasn't difficult for me Blaine, and many times I came close to wanting to transfer. But something inside me kept me from going through with it, told me I needed to be strong and remain so I could overcome my fear. I simply refused to be the victim anymore. But finding enough courage to remain didn't suddenly make my problems – or my overwhelming fear towards Karofsky -- disappear though. My friends did their best to band around me and while I appreciated their efforts... I still felt very much alone. No one really understood what I was going through..."

"It's not like that for you anymore though, because we have each other now," Blaine said.

"Yes we do Blaine, and I am so thankful for that. It makes me feel like everything we've been through, every struggle, has been leading to this; to where we've finally found each other."

"You're not making it easy for me to let you go home tonight, Kurt."

"Just think of it this way; if we let time keep moving and let tomorrow come then that's another day closer to your graduation day."

Blaine smiled weakly and gave Kurt one last long hug before they both stood up. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door."
________________________________________________________________________

Kurt must have had quite the smile on his face that night, because the moment he walked into the living room to find Finn sitting there, his step brother grinned at him teasingly.

"Hey there Kurt, I'm surprised you're back so early," Finn said.

It was true that ten-thirty wasn't very late, especially when Kurt was used to living in New York, though in all honesty, most nights he stayed up late just Skyping with Blaine. "Blaine and I figured we shouldn't prolong our separation by too much. I'm not sure if having more time will help me fall asleep though." Kurt noticed Finn furrow his brows in confusion and he sighed. "I got too used to having Blaine in bed with me at night."

"Gotcha," Finn said.

Kurt wondered if Finn thought he and Blaine were having sex already but he wasn't about to clarify things, on the chance he wasn't. "I know it was only for a week, but I liked having him so close to me."

"You must really love him, huh?"

Kurt was so caught off guard by the question that he didn't know what to say at first. He just blushed and darted his eyes back and forth nervously.

Finn apparently knew what this meant somehow. "You mean you two haven't even said it yet?"

"No, we haven't," Kurt confirmed.

"You do love him though?" Finn asked.

Kurt wasn't so sure he liked this new side of Finn, yes he was happy there was no awkwardness -- at least on Finn's part -- but he'd been avoiding this exact subject for a while. "I think so but... I'm honestly not sure yet. I adore Blaine, and I really care about him... but I can't tell yet if my feelings have grown that strong already." As much as a romantic such as Kurt liked to believe in the idea of love at first sight, real life was rarely that simple -- especially for him. "For now, I'm just content to be with him and when the moment comes where I know for sure, then I'll tell him," Kurt said.

"I'm happy for you, Kurt," Finn said.

"Thanks, Finn. How about you? Are you happy?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I finally feel like I'm on the right track."

"I'm glad." Kurt glanced at the TV; Finn was watching some action movie. "Can I join you? I'm not the least bit sleepy yet I'm afraid."

"Sure. We haven't hung out for a while."

Technically speaking, he and Finn hadn't really hung out that much at all; Kurt still considered Finn a friend but he'd spent most of his time with Rachel (or Quinn, depending on what school year it had been). Kurt knew it hadn't really been intentionally done, they were just different people who had suddenly become family after their parents had married one another. But thanks to their one common interest, meaning music, Finn and Kurt had become brothers in every sense of the way. Kurt was grateful to have Finn in his life too, even if he kept calling him 'little' brother -- regardless of their actual ages.

Kurt made them some popcorn and the boys sat down to watch what Kurt thought were just a series of high paced fight scenes and explosions. Blaine was still in the back of his mind and Kurt missed talking to him already, but hanging out with Finn did remind him that however much he felt for Blaine, he still had a life of his own, and there was nothing wrong with that either. Kurt had his own friends, and his own separate agenda, even when he was back in Lima for Blaine. That didn't mean he couldn't survive on his own or anything.

His first hope however, was that he could manage to sleep on his own, and so far, he wasn't too optimistic.
________________________________________________________________________

"I knew this would happen, it's nearing one in the morning and I still can't fall asleep," Kurt whined through his phone to Blaine.

"Me either," Blaine said. "Which is why I called you up."

"I still don't regret letting you share my bed though Blaine, even if it makes me feel guilty now... considering you have to go to school in seven hours."

"I have no regrets either, Kurt."

"What should we do?" Kurt asked.

"I guess we can talk until we're too tired to anymore and we finally fall asleep?" Blaine said. "You know, like we did for the night before I arrived in New York."

"Okay, I'm willing to try, if only so you can get some sleep tonight, Honeybee."

"That's my, Starlight," Blaine cooed.

Kurt's brightness, that Blaine loved to gush about, was quite dim at present; he missed Blaine so much that he could barely stand it. Never the less, he wasn't about to wallow in sheer misery, not when Blaine's soothing voice was already helping him cope. They talked together for well over an hour; going through their many shared interests. He eventually heard Blaine yawn and yet neither of them were willing to hang up first. So they kept on chatting, right until Kurt's eyes were so heavy that he couldn't keep them open any longer and he fell deep asleep, with his phone still pressed against the side of his face.