Blaine couldn't believe it. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. David patted his shoulder with a strained smile. Kurt could sing. Kurt had been part of a Glee club. He didn't understand. Why didn't Kurt have a voice then?

"He gave it up, Blaine," Thad said, turning to look at him from the passenger seat.

"Gave it up…"

Thad nodded sadly, "to get away from his bullies, his old life…" he paused and met David's eyes before he continued, "to be with you"

Blaine gasped. He didn't understand everything, or how it had happened, but he understood that. Kurt had given up his voice, his precious voice for him, to be with him and Blaine hadn't realized, hadn't seen him.

"Oh, god," he said and dropped his face into his hands, "I…so, what are we doing? Where are we going? You didn't say…"

"Just go around him," David sad to Wes. They'd come across a particularly slow driver.

Wes nodded. "Give me a sec."

"Where are we going?"

Thad answered him, "we're going to stop Kurt from giving up on you. He…he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. He misses his dad and his friends and it's gotten to be too much for him."

"Oh. So, he's just reversing it, then? Why the rush?"

Thad stared at him for a while as if he hoped that Blaine would just get it from the look he was giving him.

"He's giving up his voice permanently to be with his friends and family. He'll never sing or talk again. He thinks it's a better option for him than staying at Dalton."

Blaine gasped. No. He couldn't do that. He couldn't just give up. This was why he'd been crying all day, looking so miserable. Blaine couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe that Kurt would just give up.

"Why?" He asked. There needed to be an explanation, something more than Kurt just getting tired of waiting.

Thad looked at his phone for a moment and then back to Blaine, "his father's getting married in three days and he hasn't talked to him or his friends since coming to Dalton and it's killing him and you…you kissed him and ignored it and went out on date after date and even today, even though you knew he was hurting, you were out with some guy."

Blaine gaped at him, surprised at the anger interlaced with Thad's voice, anger at him, he knew. It was his fault then, his fault for being oblivious and stubborn and even shallow when it came down to it.

Blaine said nothing else for the remainder of their drive to the Lima Bean. Instead he tried to look out the window and not consider that they could be too late. They couldn't be late. The universe wouldn't want them to be late.

Wes didn't even properly park his car, before he and Thad were running into the coffee shop. Blaine had already spotted Kurt's car.

"How long before us did he leave?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes, possibly half an hour," Thad said, "we didn't realize he was already gone. Something…he wasn't leaving until tomorrow."

Again, that had been his fault. He should have just stayed despite what Kurt said, stayed with him rather than run off to try dating Sebastian.

The Lima Bean was mostly empty. There was just a man half asleep in a corner booth, the two baristas and an upset looking girl that looked mildly familiar.

Kurt was on the stage, eyes closed, tears rolling down his cheeks. He opened his mouth and Blaine stopped short when he heard the voice. There it was, that clear sound he'd been dreaming of, coming from Kurt. God, he'd been stupid.

"Come on, we have to stop him," Thad said, urgently.

Blaine broke out of the trance, he weaved through tables to the stage, eyes never leaving Kurt.

He'd begun to sing, the song Blaine had always heard in his mind. Why was he singing?

Thad pushed him forward. Blaine tried to step onto the stage, but something, some kind of force pushed him back.

The girl that had been standing by the stage gasped. "No," she said.

"Why didn't you stop him, Rachel?" Thad asked her.

She didn't answer because she was sobbing into her hands. Kurt's voice carried over them. Blaine tried again and again to get to him, from all sides. Kurt never once opened his eyes, but as the song went on the sadness that had been present on his face began to be replaced by some sort of peace.

More light surrounded him, different colors winding around him like strands. He kept singing, his knuckles white from how he held the microphone.

Blaine couldn't believe it. Were they too late? He pushed against the force around the stage again, but he was pushed back instead. He groaned and tried to keep the tears pooling in his eyes from falling, but they were there, ready fall. He wiped at his eyes and tried again. Nothing.

Kurt kept singing.

Blaine saw Wes and David rush in out of the corner of his eye, he collapsed against them both and they stood back and just watched. Blaine couldn't believe that this voice, this beautiful voice could be gone from now on. He couldn't stand the thought.

The light began to disappear as Kurt's song came to an end. He gasped loudly and then clutched at his throat, eyes still closed. He fell in a heap on the stage and Blaine rushed forward, this time allowed through to the other side. Thad followed behind him, but Blaine reached him first.

"Kurt?" He asked.

Kurt didn't stir. Blaine knelt down next to him and gently pulled him into his arms, his limp body falling into him perfectly. How had he not noticed Kurt, not realized that he was just what he needed.

"Oh, Kurt," he whispered.

There was a serene expression on Kurt's face, a small smile was on his lips. Somehow, he was happy. Blaine leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe, he needed to heed that saying, to let Kurt go because he loved him.

Blaine didn't dare kiss him on the lips, not like this, but he held him for a while longer, before he stood, Kurt cradled in his arms.

"Where?" he asked.

The girl, Rachel, stepped forward, still sobbing a little. "His car," she managed to get out.

He nodded.

"What are you doing, Blaine?" Thad asked.

"I'm letting him go. He…he wants his friends and family. I can't do this to him, stay with him now, after everything he's gone through. It'd be like mocking what he did. It would destroy us."

Rachel opened the passenger seat and Blaine set Kurt down in there. He cupped Kurt's face and pressed his forehead against the passed out boy, closing his eyes. How had it come to this.

Rachel got into the driver's seat. "He told me to take him home as soon as possible," she explained.

Blaine nodded. "Don't tell him we were here."

Thad began to protest.

"It will hurt him more and you know it. We didn't get here in time…all is this is my fault. I don't deserve him. I never did…let's just go, please."

They watched Rachel and Kurt drive off. Blaine got back into Wes' car, refusing to let himself cry more even though his heart was breaking to pieces.

- - -

From the journal of Blaine Anderson

- - -

Kurt leaned his head against his father's shoulder, wishing that he could say something, anything more than he'd ever before, but the silence was nice too. The thing was, that being with his dad, just sitting there even though he could go back to his room and practice a song for Glee club like he would have normally, it did quench some of the sadness that had been ever present in his last days at Dalton.

Burt held his hand tightly, as if he was afraid that Kurt would disappear again.

"In the back of my mind I knew you were gone. I would turn around and there was always something missing, but I just could never figure out what. I guess that was that stage of your talking?"

Kurt nodded. Because Rachel knew, because she'd been there and witnessed it, she'd remembered and even with knowing she hadn't tried to contact him until he saw her at Sectionals. Everyone else had forgotten, not noticed that he wasn't there. Out of sight, out of mind, as they said.

"We'll post pone the wedding if you want, so you can have your say on everything," his father continued.

Kurt shook his head.

"Okay. I know you would have wanted to be a part of the planning."

Kurt shrugged. He was just tired now. He knew he wasn't going to be happy with every choice they'd made without him, but he also knew that there was no point in postponing the wedding just for him.

He closed his eyes and let out a breath, inhaling a moment later and taking in his dad's scent, the slight smell of motor oil mixed with the subtle scent of the face cream Kurt had insisted his father use.

"Finn's been using your room," his father said suddenly, "for some reason he hasn't touched your things."

Kurt nodded. The more important things had been with him anyway, he still wasn't looking forward to going down to his room and seeing the state it was probably in. He pulled back from his dad a little and lifted his legs to fold underneath him. He'd missed this too much. He just wanted to sit like this forever.

"They should be home soon," his dad said a few minutes later. "I was supposed to get dinner started, want to help?" He tilted his head to look at Kurt.

Kurt smiled and nodded again, wishing that he could answer with words instead. But this was going to be the rest of his life. They stood up together and Kurt leaned into his father as they walked towards the familiar kitchen. He picked up the dry erase board from where he'd left it, leaning against the wall and fished the capped marker out of his pocket. He couldn't even think about what the rest of his life would be, always writing out messages, typing things out, or eventually even learning sign language.

Despite having been mute for weeks and having gotten used to it, now that he was back at home, he had a hard time remembering again. He opened his mouth as they got to the kitchen to ask what they were making, but closed it with a pout, writing the question out instead.

Finn and Carole arrived halfway through the dinner making process and Carole pushed Kurt out of the room after hugging him.

"I'll take care of the rest, honey, just go hang out with Finn."

When he didn't say anything, because he couldn't say anything, she didn't even question it. He looked at his father.

"Rachel talked to us for a bit."

Carole smiled at him a little and Kurt sighed and went out to the living room. He'd been dreading seeing Finn and the rest of New Directions.

"Hey, dude!" he said, "come watch Family Guy with me."

Kurt hated Family Guy and Finn knew it, but he nodded anyway and sat down next to Finn on the sofa.

After a while, Finn shifted a bit, "so, are you coming back to school tomorrow? Mom sort of told me what happened…and I'm sorry about your voice, dude, I know how much it means to you…although you're definitely taking it better than say Rachel."

'I guess I will' he wrote on the dry erase board. After showing Finn, he erased the words and added, 'I'll have to go back sometime'.

"Right," Finn said with a thoughtful expression, "listen, Kurt, I'll have your back this time, alright, all us Glee guys and even the girls. Santana's scary."

Kurt wanted to burst into laughter. He wanted to let Finn know how much he appreciated him right then and there, but he didn't want to write it. So, he leaned towards his soon to be brother and Finn smiled, not backing off from the hug that Kurt was intending to give him to Kurt's surprise.

"We'll all walk you to your different classes and made sure you're not alone in the hallways. I know it won't be fun for you and you don't want us to do this for you, but, dude, you're mute. No one would hear you if anything happened and none of were around."

Kurt had already resolved himself to this. Rachel, when she'd been around when he first came to had already made her position about this and she knew more about what he'd been going through than any of them.

'I guess I'll take the escort service' he wrote on the dry erase board and Finn grinned at him.

By the time dinner came around, Finn had gotten Kurt's old schedule from him which Kurt was positive would be the same schedule he'd get once he returned officially the next day. He was already trying to figure out when he could personally walk Kurt to class and Kurt didn't even try to tell him that he'd have to consider everyone else's schedules too before a decision was actually made.

Dinner went by without the awkward moments that Kurt had expected. Somehow, it was the same as the last time he'd had dinner with his dad, Carole and Finn even though now he didn't have a voice and it was only days away from his father and Carole's wedding.

After dinner Carole ushered him out of the kitchen again and pulled Finn towards the sink where she'd piled the dishes.

"You'll be alright tonight sharing with Finn?" His dad asked, as Kurt decided he should head down to his room.

He shrugged. "Should be fine." He didn't dare mention that he'd had a roommate for a few weeks now.

Thinking about Dalton and Blaine, and even the other boys was painful. He'd avoided it so far and his father hadn't really pressed the subject. Kurt thought that maybe his dad didn't want to know what had been so important for him to give up so much or Rachel had told him even about that.

His room was just as he'd left except for the addition of the extra bed and some of Finn's things. He'd seen boxes up in the living room so he knew Finn and Carole hadn't finished unpacking yet. Most of his things from Dalton that he'd brought with him were still in his car and he suspected that the magic of the stage would bring the rest to him.

Finn entered the room after Kurt had changed into his pajamas.

"Do you want to talk about any of it?"

Kurt shook his head.

"Okay."

During his moisturizing routine, Finn played some sort of video game he thought he'd seen Wes and David playing once. It brought a few tears to his eyes. In the end the boys had been wonderful, accepting of his decision, in their way. Kurt thought they might have tried to stop him, but when they didn't show up after Rachel trying to stop him from going up on the stage, he'd realized that they weren't going to.

The stage had let him sing one last time, to have his voice for just those last minutes, before it took it away forever. Kurt didn't regret the decision.

By the time he got to bed, his thoughts had strayed to Blaine. Blaine and his gorgeous eyes, his unruly hair, and the smile that made Kurt's heart beat speed up like nothing else did. He must have been really tired, because with that picture in his head he fell asleep.

That night, Kurt dreamt.

He was singing and Blaine stood right in front of him, looking more handsome than ever. He was smiling and crying at the same time, just staring at him and then he began to sing. Their voices melded well together, enhancing each other perfectly. But about halfway through the song, his voice failed. Cracking at first, before it was gone altogether.

Kurt woke up with tears on his cheeks and Finn leaning over him.

"Are you okay?"

Kurt nodded, trying not to think of the dream or his first night at Dalton, when Blaine had comforted after his nightmare.

"Well, you were crying so I figured I'd wake you. Um, school's in like two hours, so I'm going to go back to bed. You are alright, right?"

Kurt nodded and dropped his head back on his pillow, wondering if he'd be able to fall asleep again for the extra half hour that he would have usually allowed himself before he set about getting ready for the day. He tried for a few minutes even though he knew it'd be futile and then pushed off his covers and headed to the bathroom.

Finn walked him to the office to make sure everything was in order and then to his locker where his books had been left alone, before Mercedes brushed him aside and told him she'd walk Kurt to class.

His friends acted as if no time had passed, as if he hadn't been gone for a few weeks and hadn't been with them at Sectionals. They took his lack of voice as well as they could, each of them trying hard to not really react to it, but failing in some way.

By the time the end of the school day arrived, Kurt had gotten his fill of pitying looks and from the classmates that didn't know why he didn't speak up in class anymore, curious glances.

He wrote Finn a note that he'd see him at home and headed out to his car instead of going to Glee club and when he got back to his room, let himself cry again. Seeing them all again was great and wonderful and it was just what he'd wanted and he'd missed each of them a whole lot…but he missed Wes, David, Thad, and Blaine, now, just as much, if not as painfully.

- - -

From the diary of Kurt Hummel

- - -

Blaine spent a week trying to convince himself that he'd done the right thing, that letting Kurt go back to his old life, even if he no longer had his voice, was the right thing for Kurt. In the mean time, he'd gotten Thad to show him the youtube videos they'd watched of Kurt and he didn't want to admit it to his friends, but he'd watched everything that featured Kurt more than a hundred times at least since he'd been first shown the videos.

He'd also researched the stage with little results, but he didn't want to ask Thad about it, let them know that he wasn't just moving on and letting Kurt live his life.

Kurt's things had disappeared some days after Kurt had left, leaving the room just like it had been before he moved in, giving the illusion that he hadn't actually been there and technically as far as the school knew he hadn't been.

Someone knocked on his door and then pushed the door open.

"Hey," Thad said, "what are you doing?"

Blaine had been watching Kurt sing '4 minutes' with his headphones on, but he paused the video and took them off.

"Nothing. Idling time away." He tried to smile, but knew that his expression was most likely just a grimace, "Why?"

"Because I miss him too, and I know you figured it out in the end. You love him, Blaine. I know it was hard letting him go and I've been watching you, not on Warbler business, I'm not under Wes' thumb like David, but as your friend…as Kurt's friend and, Blaine you're more miserable than ever."

Blaine stared at the other boy, not sure how he was going to respond. Did he deny how he felt, did he refuse to even talk about it?

"Before Kurt, you spent all your time thinking about him even though you didn't know him…you heard his voice in your dreams and I think you even saw him sometimes…and now that he's gone you've lost that thing that makes you, you. I…I talked to my mom again and she said something that really just made me think…I know what you have to do…."

Blaine frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"Blaine, the stage, it doesn't get anything from taking someone's voice. It's just some cosmic rule or something."

Blaine didn't understand. What did that mean, then? Could they get Kurt's voice back somehow?

Thad continued, "It's about balance, but see no one can ever be truly happy, not forever, there's only small moments and that's what it was looking for. Of course now it won't matter if Kurt is ever really happy, he won't get his voice back, but…" He trailed off looking at Blaine as if he were waiting for Blaine to get it, to understand what he was getting at.

The reason Blaine never went to Thad for homework help, other than the fact that he didn't always need it, was that he never gave Blaine a straight answer. Kurt and David had gotten straight answers from him, or occasion Wes, but never Blaine. There was always something he needed to figure out on his own.

"What do I need to do, Thad? I would do anything for Kurt. For him to have his voice even if…even if I never got to hear it outside of my dreams."

"Or youtube," Thad said and coughed.

Blaine didn't try to deny it although his cheeks became slightly pink. It didn't matter anymore, though. He couldn't hide that he loved Kurt.

"You really need to figure it out on your own, Blaine, it will mean more if I don't tell you." He smiled a little before he walked to the door, "also, Wes wants to have a meeting after dinner, terrible timing, but he's got it in his head he knows what song would be perfect for Regionals. I think he's become as obsessed with watching all of New Direction's performances as you."

With a roll of his eyes, Thad closed the door behind him. Blaine heard his footsteps recede before he looked back at the paused youtube video. For a moment he thought about just grabbing his keys and heading to Lima, going to his school and finding him, just to see him again in person. Kurt didn't even have to know. He shook the thought, he'd never be able to just see Kurt, he'd have to talk to him, to explain, to hope for some form of forgiveness. No, he couldn't do that.

He didn't know what Thad wanted him to do. There was nothing he could do, Kurt's voice was gone forever, wasn't that how the stage worked? Thad had said it himself, so how was he supposed to get it back?

He pushed the computer away and flopped back onto his bed with a sigh. He still couldn't fully wrap his mind around the idea that Kurt had given up his voice for him. Blaine didn't think he would have ever been able to do that for anyone. He stopped mid thought. It was what he had to do. He had to use the stage. He had to give up his voice for Kurt, for Kurt and his voice because the one thing that would mean the world to him, that would make him happiest, was to see Kurt happy. It didn't matter if he lost his voice forever as long as he could listen to Kurt sing and talk and see him smile.

Blaine jumped off the bed and grabbed his keys, running towards Thad's room. He threw open the door.

"I have to do what he did for me, for him, for his voice," he said without a pause, and added, "because I love him and I can't live knowing he's unhappy."

Thad dropped the book he'd been holding and nodded. "Yes, that's what you have to do, but, Blaine, only if you're sure. Only if you know it's what you want…"

Blaine nodded. "It's what I want. I want him…I want him to be happy, I want to hear him sing."

David who'd been sprawled out on the floor with his History book, looked up, grinning. "So, it's not over?" he said and rushed to his feet, stopping in front of Blaine, "you're really sure about this?"

"More than anything," Blaine breathed. "I've been dreaming of him again…I see him every night, he always looks so sad. I…I need to this for me…for him…"

David nodded. "Alright then, to the Lima Bean, then? I'll go get Wes."

Blaine began to shake his head, to tell them he could do it alone, but he stopped. These were his friends and they just wanted to be with him. So, instead he nodded.

"Okay, yes, hurry up will you."

"Blaine," Thad said, "you're not wearing shoes."

"Oh," Blaine said, "I guess I'm not. I'll…I should get some."

He put on the first shoes he found and grabbed his jacket and scarf just in case, before rushing out his room again. Wes and David were already out in the hall and Thad was just closing his room door.

"Let's go," David said and he looked more excited than he had in days.

This second time they were piling into Wes' car on the way to the Lima Bean, there was excitement in the air instead of the morose atmosphere that had surrounded them last time.

When they entered the Lima Bean this time, there were more people. The stage was empty and Blaine rushed towards it. He faintly heard Wes talking to a barista as he walked forward. Thad stopped him before he got up there.

"We don't know what will happen after, Kurt lost his friend in a way. I…good luck, Blaine."

Blaine nodded. "Thank you," he said and on impulse pulled Thad into a hug. David joined the hug a moment later and pulled Wes into it as well, even though he hugged them reluctantly and pulled away at once.

Blaine took a deep breath and stepped forward and immediately felt something come over him, some sort of magic. He'd known it was coming but it was still surprising. There was some sort of music playing to a song he knew well. The air around him became warmer. A shock ran through his body.

He took a final deep breath and began to sing, almost stumbling with his words when he heard his voice, more powerful, clearer than ever.

The air changed again, some sort of scent appearing as if out of nowhere. It was familiar, but Blaine couldn't quite place it. Then it was gone, replaced by something more powerful, something much heavier. If Blaine had wanted to stop singing, the stage would not have let him. It demanded that he sing, it wanted him to continue, to get to the end and then it began to speak to him, words only he could understand.

It knew everything about him, it knew just what he wanted. It knew him better than anything or anyone had ever known him. But no, Kurt knew him. Kurt.

"So, it shall be." the voice said, as the song came to an end.

Blaine waited. It said nothing more. Suddenly the energy around him shifted again. Something was swirling around him, it was like what he'd seen happen around Kurt. Colors melded together and he didn't try to keep track of them, just admiring and letting it happen. Some sort of fog started to appear. He couldn't see the rest of the coffee shop anymore. His eyes drooped and he thought he heard the stage say one more thing before he passed out.

- - -

From the journal of Blaine Anderson

- - -

There was something different about that morning, Kurt realized as he got out of bed. He didn't know if it was because it'd been a week since he'd returned to McKinley and he was finally getting used to waking up in his room - with the addition of Finn snoring from the other side of the room to greet him in the morning - or if it was the lack of dreams from the night before, but something was different.

He went through his morning routine, and walked into his closet to pick his clothes out for the day in his usual silence, trying to look forward to the day but failing when he remembered that he wouldn't be seeing Blaine and he wouldn't get to talk. He rubbed at his throat absently. There was nothing to be done, he knew, but he couldn't help but still wish that some way, some how he'd be able to get his voice back.

After he'd picked out his clothes, he shook Finn awake. The taller boy shot out of bed, startled, but after rubbing at his eyes and stretching with a few mumbles that Kurt couldn't make out, ever, he stumbled into his closet to grab whatever looked cleanest and threw it on.

Kurt wrinkled his nose even though he knew this was the usual with Finn and dressed quickly in the bathroom before walking to his vanity to do his hair while Finn used the bathroom and woke himself a bit further.

While Kurt put his books in his bag, and fixed Finn's for him as well, Finn finished getting ready, flashed Kurt a smile and headed up the stairs.

Their mornings were wordless. Neither spoke, Kurt because he couldn't; Finn because he didn't function until he'd gotten breakfast.

Kurt hadn't been used to someone making him breakfast before he headed out for the day. Usually he'd been the one to get himself something to eat and prior to his dad's heart attack, hadn't had to worry about what his father ate. But Carole moving in, meant that she was awake when they arrived upstairs with breakfast ready for them.

That morning it was pancakes. Finn high fived his mom and grabbed as much as he could.

Carole rolled her eyes and patted her son on the cheek, before smiling at Kurt. "He's always been like this," she told Kurt fondly and poured Kurt a cup of coffee, letting him add his own sugar and milk.

Finn who detested coffee, just grabbed the carton of orange juice and Kurt handed him a glass before he could drink straight out of it.

After breakfast, he and Finn headed out, Kurt driving because Carole still didn't trust Finn to get his license, especially after he'd failed the test the first time, almost a year after the mailman incident. Kurt liked to think that it wasn't just Carole who was scared of Finn driving, but Finn himself.

Kurt continued to feel strange for the rest of the day, like there was something the hadn't noticed. And then, it happened. Finn had gone to his locker and Kurt to his. He'd seen Karofsky out of the corner of his eye but since the other boy hadn't actually bothered Kurt in the past week, he didn't pay him much mind, but then suddenly he was pushing Kurt into his locker. Kurt hit the locker hard and with a gasp. An audible gasp.

Karofsky sneered at him and walked past him. Kurt just stared at him, not knowing what he should do.

Rachel appeared then, smiling and walking down the hall as if she knew something everyone else didn't. She grinned at Kurt and then it fell away.

"Kurt did something happen?"

He pointed down the hall.

"Was it Karofsky?" Rachel asked, spotting the jock with a few of the other football guys.

Kurt nodded.

Rachel stared at him oddly for a moment as if she was waiting for something and then sighed. "Do you want to do anything about it?"

Kurt shrugged. There really wasn't that much that could be done against Karofksy that was even worth doing. Without actual proof that he'd done anything, the school wouldn't take action against him. Angering him and using violence was the wrong way to go and

Rachel looked disappointed about something for a moment, but she nodded and made to walk away, but stopped, "hey, Kurt?"

Kurt opened and closed his mouth.

"Come to Glee club today after school, okay?"

He wanted to shake his head, to somehow tell her that he couldn't go to glee club and see them sing and dance and do everything he couldn't, but for some reason he didn't shake his head and try in his way to explain that to her, instead he nodded.

"You won't regret it," she said and left before Kurt could begin to question what she meant.

After classes were over, Kurt reluctantly went into the choir room with Puck and Lauren, surprised at how well Lauren seemed to handle Puck and the strange affinity that they had to each other.

The rest of the club was already there, and they all greeted Kurt warmly, but Rachel pulled him to the front of the room before he could sit down. He stared at her. What were they doing? They knew he had no voice, unless they were performing something for him from where they sat.

"Kurt," Rachel said with a bright smile, "we want you to sing for us."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "you know I can't." He gasped, reached up to his throat. He could talk. "What? I can…"

"Sing for us, Kurt," Rachel said.

"I…" he gulped. His voice was back. How?

"Sing, Kurt. Anything," Rachel encouraged him again.

It had been a week since he'd sung last, up on that stage, finalizing the spell, breaking it once and for all. He'd given up his voice.

Rachel handed him a mic. He stared at it for a while, hands shaking. Somehow she'd known what he wanted to sing and had come prepared with the music for Brad, because Brad began playing the piano behind him and the words were at the tips of his lips just ready to burst out.

His voice didn't sound like it had on the stage, but Kurt didn't care that it wasn't as clear or as perfect as that stage had made it, because all that mattered was he had his voice back. .

When the song came to an end, he gasped as the tears that had been threatening to fall the entire time he'd been singing did. For once they were tears of joy. Rachel rushed forward from her seat, her arms wrapping around his waist.

Kurt wanted other arms to wrap around him, another body to lean into, but he let Rachel hold him and then Mercedes and Finn. Soon they were all in one big heap on the floor and he could talk, he could say anything he wanted. He didn't question why. He didn't want to ask if something had happened to bring his voice back. All he wanted was the enjoy it. Still, in his chest there was a pang that missed four boys that should have been there with them during this celebration.

Mr. Shuester walked in then, looking at them all in surprise before Mercedes announced the return of his voice.

"That's wonderful, Kurt!"

They all slowly untangled themselves and got up and Mr. Shuester clapped Kurt in congratulations.

"Well, the reason I am late," Mr. Shuester said, "is because I ran into a boy looking for Kurt. He didn't want to come in here, but he's waiting outside for you Kurt."

Kurt gasped. It couldn't be Blaine. He couldn't get his hopes up. It wasn't Blaine. It was probably Thad or Wes or David. He didn't need to get his hopes up over this. He took a deep breath.

"I guess I'll be right back, then," he said.

Rachel took his hand and squeezed it, "don't look so sad, Kurt."

He tried to smile, but knew that he hadn't given it a good enough effort. He stopped just at the door to look back at them. He had his voice and he has friends, and still there was that one thing missing. Blaine. He couldn't get his hopes up.

It was Blaine waiting for him. Blaine looking as wonderful as always in his Dalton uniform, hair for some reason out of its gel, his eyes shining. Kurt paused just in front of him, not knowing what he was supposed to do now that Blaine was right in front of him.

"Blaine," he said at long last.

Blaine opened his mouth, he shaped words that weren't said and he scrunched up his eyes. A lone tear ran down one cheek. Kurt stepped forward.

"Blaine?" he asked. His voice shook.

Suddenly, Blaine had his arms around Kurt and Kurt felt Blaine burrow his head into the crook of his neck, crying silently. Kurt rubbed at his back. It wasn't possible. Blaine hadn't done what he thought he did.

"Why aren't you speaking Blaine? Please…please tell me you didn't."

Blaine said nothing.

"Oh, Blaine." Kurt wrapped his arms tighter around the slightly shorter boy. "You didn't. No…not for my voice, not…you'll never get it back…why?" He pulled back to look at Blaine, but Blaine was looking at from him, "why, Blaine? Why did you do it?"

There was only one reason that Kurt thought he would take, one answer. Blaine began to smile a little, apparently having found that spark of hope in Kurt's eyes. He reached a shaking hand up, hesitating a little before he placed it on Kurt's cheek, his fingers just brushing his skin. He ran his thumb under his eye wiping away the tears still present on his face and then he leaned forward, eyes trained on Kurt's as if he wanted Kurt to know something.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered.

Blaine leaned towards him, head coming closer. Kurt remembered the last time he'd had the other boy this close. But this was different. For one, Blaine was sober, and for another, it meant a whole lot more.

When Blaine finally kissed him, Kurt gasped, holding still for a moment before he kissed back. This kiss was different that the first. It was tentative, yet sure. Blaine kissed him gently, a sweet soft kiss that melded their mouths together and gave each of them just a taste of the other.

- - -

- - -

You've dreamed of him for years.

He saw you one time and he knew.

Go to him.

Don't do this if you're going to act the coward.

Love him.

What The Stage said to Blaine

- - -

He must have really been out of it the night he kissed Kurt while drunk, because he didn't remember this feeling. He didn't remember the overwhelming wholeness that came from kissing Kurt; he didn't remember how it left him thoughtless and how all he could focus on what Kurt. Nothing mattered, now he was kissing Kurt. He didn't care that he had no voice, or that there was every possibility he wouldn't get it back again. Kurt was in his arms, and Kurt was kissing him and it was the most magical thing in the world, the most important thing.

Kurt was the first to pull back, gasping for breath, and smiling brightly in a way that Blaine had never seen before.

"Blaine," he whispered.

Blaine shuddered. He hadn't known that just hearing his name come from those lips would make his body turn to jelly, but it did. He slumped a little into Kurt who let out a breathy giggle.

His eyes wanted to fall closed, but he kept them open, looking at Kurt, taking in the euphoric happiness that had overcome him. Blaine knew, then, this was what he wanted. Seeing Kurt so happy, so ready for the world to throw anything at him because he had his voice back, it was everything to Blaine.

Kurt pulled away a bit. "Come on, I want…I want to sing for you. I want you to hear my voice…"

Blaine nodded eagerly and Kurt laughed. Blaine could have done anything to hear the sound again. This was so much more in comparison to the barely there laugh he'd been associating with Kurt before.

Kurt pulled him down the hall, they turned into another corridor and then through a door into a curtained stage.

"Go, sit. I don't exactly have anything prepared, but I just want to sing you something…before..." He trailed off.

Kurt let go of his hand and Blaine felt immediately cold. He wanted to reach out and take Kurt's hand again and never let him go, but then he was seated and Kurt was singing. This was unlike the last time he'd seen Kurt sing at the Lima Bean. His voice sounded beautiful in a way that Blaine appreciated more than when he'd been on the magical stage. It sounded real, powerful, full of emotion.

When the song came to an end, Blaine clapped madly. Kurt laughed and motioned for him to come back on the stage. Blaine practically ran back up, wrapping his arms around Kurt. It didn't matter that he had no voice, and Kurt certainly didn't seem to care. It didn't matter because Kurt had a voice, because Kurt could sing for both of them. He wanted to voice this, to tell Kurt everything he was feeling, to finally say those three words.

It was then, that it happened.

Light appeared all around them. Kurt gasped and dropped his head to Blaine's shoulder with a resigned expression, before he pulled back and with a determined look, cupped Blaine's face and brought him into a short kiss. When he pulled back, he stared deep into Blaine's eyes sadly.

"I love you," he whispered.

Around them, mist appeared, and Blaine could feel that same power that was on the stage. He could smell the strange scent. He didn't understand.

His eyes closed of their own volition and he held Kurt tighter against him.

'You both chose well. Hard is the path to true love, but you have found it.'

Blaine fell into Kurt. Something was happening. He didn't know what, but something had and then he was coughing.

"Blaine?" Kurt's faint voice asked.

They were on the floor, Blaine could feel it underneath him. He opened his eyes. Kurt leaned over him, looking as beautiful as ever, his Kurt.

"Mine," he said, before everything around him went black.

When he came to, he was still on the floor, and Kurt was humming something.

"Kurt?" he asked, speaking before he could realize that he could. "I can…"

Kurt nodded, tears were pooling in his eyes again. "You broke the spell…we broke the spell, it…it gave you, your voice back."

Suddenly he was flat on his back again, Kurt in his arms. "Sorry," he mumbled, but made no move to get up, "I just…I never expect it to…Oh, Blaine." He buried his face in Blaine's chest and they stayed like that for a while, Blaine starting to realize what had happened.

He was happy. He did love Kurt. Having Kurt sing for him, hearing Kurt's voice…it had been enough for him. His voice hadn't mattered, but Kurt's did.

"Kurt," he said, appreciative that he could say Kurt's name now, "I…I'm so sorry, Kurt. This…all of this could have been avoided. I've…I've been so stupid and I just…"

Kurt shook his head. He sat up and then stood, offering his hand to Blaine. Blaine took it at once.

"I shouldn't have left. I…I ran when I thought I could just forget about you and get back to my old life, but, god, Blaine, I should have stayed."

Blaine reached for Kurt's other hand, "we're together now, Kurt, and I just want to say that you are the most beautiful, most self-less person I have ever known and I love you with every bit of my being, even if it took me this long to get it…and I…"

He was cut off by Kurt's lips on his. He paused the kiss long enough to whisper an, "I love you too, Blaine," he before they were kissing again.

Blaine for once couldn't think, couldn't concentrate on more than just holding Kurt to him and kissing him as if he would never be able to again. He found the appeal now that Wes had tried to make him see all those weeks before. Having Kurt in his arms, kissing Kurt, just having him around him, it was the kind of thing that one needed in their lives though he didn't see how it was going to help him in the long run with the Warblers, especially if Kurt stayed at McKinley.

There were still tons of things to work out, lots for them to talk about. They had come out stronger than ever from their lack of voice, but now there was everything else.

Blaine didn't let it worry him. They would work it out together. They.

Kurt whined into their kiss, pulling back a little to stare at him as if he couldn't believe Blaine was real.

Blaine smiled and pressed his forehead against Kurt, dropping his hand from where it had ended up on Kurt's neck, to grab Kurt's hand and intertwining their fingers.

From behind him he heard a cough. He and Kurt turned. Blaine broke into laughter. He'd forgotten them. Kurt's face lit up and Blaine didn't let it bother him when he dropped his hands and ran, wrapping an arm around Thad and Wes. David joined them a moment later and when he was called over he let himself be hugged.

"I like this whole happy ending thing," Thad said, poking Blaine, "you know, I might have to write this whole thing into a book or something...it's kind of booklike, right? And I do have all those notes David took."

Blaine groaned. "No book, Thad."

"Notes?" Kurt asked, speaking for the first time for his friends.

That led to another group hug and Wes pulling Kurt away.

"What is he saying to Kurt?"

"Oh, he's not threatening him on your behalf, Blaine," David said, "no, he's recruiting. You see, Kurt's a countertenor and Lima is two hours away, so you'll hardly get to see him…so, it's really in all our interests to get Kurt a scholarship for next semester. Plus, have you heard New Directions?"

Blaine rolled his eyes even though he knew David had a point. Kurt staying at McKinley meant he wouldn't see him more than on the weekend, maybe once during the actual week.

"Would he want to go to Dalton though?" he asked.

No one answered and then Wes and Kurt were, Kurt grinning and Wes looking pleased. Kurt wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist and dropped his head to Blaine's shoulder and Blaine couldn't help but be amazed at how easy it was. He'd always held some sort of disdain for couples that were always touching, but he understood now. He didn't ever want to stop touching Kurt.

"So?" He asked in a whisper, bracing himself for the answer.

"I'll have to discuss it with my dad…but Karofsky's still around and I want to be as close to you as possible. You and Dalton, Blaine, you were my dream…I…I'll miss my friends, but I can come visit. I belong at Dalton."

Blaine, not caring that his friends were still there, turned a little so he could angle his head the right way and kissed Kurt yet again.

"Oh, come on, guys," Wes said.

David laughed and Blaine didn't hear what he said.

"Oh, let them," Thad said, "they're in love and they’re both on the same page for once…it's sweet…" He continued a few moments later, "plus, good observations for that book."

Blaine pulled away from Kurt who was blushing and began to giggle as soon as Blaine glared at Thad and opened his mouth to tell him off again, Kurt shook his head and took his hand.

Blaine looked back at him, matching his smile. He couldn't believe how happy and how whole he was. Kurt had done that. He didn't even mind that Wes had actually gotten his way.

While Wes, David, and Thad walked ahead of them a few minutes later, Kurt and Blaine hung back.

"I love you," Blaine whispered, "I was looking for you, you know, my entire life…I could see you in my dreams, I could hear you sing…"

Kurt blushed and Blaine didn’t know if he'd ever get tired of seeing him do that. "I spied on the Warblers," he admitted, "and you were singing lead and I just…I knew I wanted to be with you and then you were in the Lima Bean and you fell out of your chair…"

Blaine began to laugh. "It was you," he breathed, "I thought maybe it had been…but even after everything I thought I imagined it…"

"Rachel wouldn't let me stay with you…she was paranoid about the spying we'd done and you were the competition, after all."

Blaine leaned his head against Kurt's. "Well, now we're finally together."

Kurt nodded with a happy sigh.

THE END