His dad and Carole had already gone upstairs and he could hear the tv from their room even down in the living room. Rachel had gone home, expected there by midnight, and Finn was already back in his bedroom probably playing some sort of video game.

"There you go," he said, "all set."

Blaine who was wearing a spare set of Kurt's pajamas grinned at him. "I could have done it myself, but thanks."

"I wanted to," Kurt said and sat down.

Blaine joined him a second later.

A part of him wanted to just stay up all night and continue talking. He wanted to hear everything about Blaine from the most miniscule detail of his childhood to what his dreams and aspirations were. They were getting somewhere in getting to know each other and Kurt was enjoying everything immensely.

He now knew more about Blaine than he probably did about Finn or Rachel and it was the best feeling in the world. He knew that Blaine didn't like thunder, but he liked going out and taking walks just after it rained because everything was fresh and dewy. He knew that Blaine had a strong dislike for raisins because Cooper had once told him they were mouse droppings and then thrown some at him and they'd gotten caught in his hair. Kurt knew that Blaine had sensitive eyes and had to squint in bright lights. And there were tons of other things that were so inconsequentially important.

"A part of me wants to just stay down here with you tonight," he admitted to Blaine, "but I don't think my dad would allow it. He's probably upstairs waiting to hear me come to my room."

Their hands had come together again without either noticing and Kurt was already starting to realize that this was going to be a thing between them, the hand holding. It was just such a natural thing to reach out and take Blaine's hand, to cherish that his name was still there when it easily could have been taken away from him.

"I should head up," he said.

Blaine nodded. "I'll be right here in the morning."

Kurt leaned over to hug Blaine while they still sat there. He stayed in Blaine's arms for longer than was probably required and when he pulled back he leaned in again instead and pressed a small gentle kiss to the corner of Blaine's mouth. Then, he got up and headed upstairs.

Back in his room, Kurt was sure that he wasn't just going to fall asleep. He was restless. Knowing that Blaine was just down the stairs was driving him mad.

Someone knocked on his door.

"Come in."

Finn peaked his head in first and then entered the room, leaving the door slightly open.

"Hey," Kurt said, "what's up?"

He and Finn had really grown closer together in the past year or so. Before that they'd been acquaintances at best and Finn had been the only football player to actually try and stop the others from hurting him, although he did sometimes partake in the dumpster throws. Kurt could even imagine that he could have had a crush on Finn if he didn't know that he was going to end up with Blaine anyway.

"I just…I wanted to make sure you were okay. It's kind of overwhelming at first and I know for me it was hard to come to terms with it."

Kurt motioned for Finn to come closer. "I think I'm half in love with him already," he said, "which is not something I expected, but…gosh, I don't think I could ever see my life without him now."

Finn smiled in his dopey way. "It's how it's supposed to be," Finn said. Then he looked thoughtful for a moment, "what about your plans though…New York. Broadway."

Kurt knew why Finn was asking and it wasn't about him. It was about Rachel. Kurt had already told Finn what he thought about Rachel's need for Finn to go with her to New York, but it was different now that he really knew the kind of pain that he himself would face if he and Blaine were to be separated like that.

"She will never be happy if she doesn't at least try," Kurt said, "but she also won't be happy if she has to be without you to do that. I know you want to leave Lima too, so why are you fighting her on this?"

Finn shrugged. "I don't know, man, I'm not going to do something as amazing as she is. I won't get into those schools and isn't it worth it to do the long distance and know that we'll be together at some point again?"

"It's something you have to decide with her, Finn."

Finn nodded and he got up from where he'd perched himself on Kurt's bed. "I want to say I'm happy for you, though," Finn said, "you deserved to meet him finally and he's really kinda awesome."

Kurt chuckled, "thanks Finn."

Kurt hadn't thought about his future plans. He still had a whole year to figure things out though New York had always been one of the things he wanted for sure, but now it wasn't just about what he wanted. It was about Blaine too and what he wanted was going to matter too.

He didn't know how long he lay in bed, restless and far too awake, but after it'd been at least a couple of hours he sat up and considered for a moment just going to see if Blaine had fallen asleep.

It took him another fifteen minutes to get out of bed and walk to his door. There was still a small tiny grain of doubt left in his mind about the entire thing. He couldn't stop thinking about his dad and Carole and how that had all just worked out. What if the same happened to him and Blaine? Or what if what happened to Mr. Shue did?

He went down the stairs as quietly as he could and then he approached the pull out. Blaine slept facing the right, legs curled up a bit and a hand under his face. His curls were free from the confines of gel and they weren't too unruly, not like Blaine had said they were.

"Can't sleep, kid?"

Kurt jumped.

His dad grinned and dropped a hand to his shoulder. "Come on. Warm milk?"

They silently walked to the kitchen and turned on the light. Kurt fetched the milk while his dad got the cups. Back after his mother died this was one of the few things that could Kurt to get to sleep and then later it was just something they did together when they both couldn't sleep. Kurt had gotten Finn to start drinking milk with him too some nights, but Finn had always used it as a way to rant about Rachel than anything else.

"I like him," Burt said, "Blaine Anderson."

"Me too."

Burt grinned at him. "I know."

"I didn't think it's be this intense, knowing him," Kurt said while his dad poured the milk, "and I want everything with him and I never thought it'd be like this, but dad I don't understand how it can last. Not when I know that you and Carole weren't…you weren't soul mates before you met."

They put the milk in the microwave and Kurt waited until it was at 1, to press stop so it wouldn't make a noise and wake Blaine.

"Kid, you know that's different and if your mom didn't get sick she'd still be here with us. You get one soul mate, Kurt, one person that matches your soul perfectly. And with that person everything will be easy and perfect and just work. But, when something happens to your other half it's horrible and painful and it tears apart. It changes you. Your mother's death changed me drastically and what happened to Finn's dad, it changed Carole too. And the only way that you can get another soul mate is if you are so damaged by the first, if you are so broken hearted that your very soul has changed.

"Carole and I, we're compatible because we're suffered, because we've known the greatest love and we lost it. But we're only compatible so far, Kurt, and there are many things that Carole will never understand about me that your mother did and it's the same for her and Christopher. But what makes it work is that we both know and accept it.

"You can't use me as a model, kid, because it's not supposed to end up like this. You and Blaine…what you have, that's the real thing. And this isn't putting down what Carole and I are, because I do love her, but you have to understand that it's different and you have to stop worrying about that."

Kurt drank his milk slowly. He'd worried about this too much, he knew, and it was probably because of how his dad had been after his mom's death.

"There is a risk to everything, Kurt, but that's life and you can't predict what will happen tomorrow but that boy out there cares about you and he'll do everything in his power to make you happy and that's all that matters in the end."

His dad got up, drinking his milk quickly. He set the glass in the sink and smiled at Kurt, "I know you won't do anything."

Kurt didn't even get to respond before his dad was walking out of the kitchen towards the stairs.

He stayed in the kitchen until he'd finished off his milk, and then he took a deep breath before he walked out to the living room. Blaine was still fast asleep, though he'd moved a bit. He was towards the middle of the small bed, the covers half on him. Kurt hesitated for a moment before he slowly peeled them back and crawled in next to him.

Blaine groaned as if he had felt the movement and then when Kurt settled down next to him, he seemed to move closer, as if realizing that Kurt was there. Kurt inched slowly closer until his head was right next to Blaine's and he could feel the even breaths on his face.

Blaine looked younger in his sleep, still as beautiful and handsome but somehow happier and young.

"I could love you," Kurt whispered, "god, but I could."

"Kurt?"

His voice was groggy and low, but it was also the best thing that Kurt had ever heard.

Blaine cracked open one eye. "Whatcha doing down here?"

"Sleeping," Kurt replied, "with permission and everything. I can't…I couldn't sleep and I think I just can't stand to not be near you."

Blaine made a noise that sounded like a giggle and then he grunted as he moved into a better position before he opened his arms. "Well, come here."

It took them a few tries to find the perfect position that worked for them, but once they did, Blaine curled into Kurt with his head on Kurt's chest, they both smiled happily, moving their bare feet against each other.

"Wanna do this forever," Blaine mumbled.

"Me too."

Kurt leaned down to kiss Blaine's forehead. He really could see this being a forever type of thing. He could finish doing his nightly skin routine and then get into bed where Blaine would be waiting, curls free of their gel confine, a book held up in one hand, reading to the light of a lamp. They would curl up naturally and fall asleep talking about nothing and everything, and nothing in the outside world would matter as long as they were together.

- - -

The next day, Blaine woke up first and for a split second he didn't know why his bed was moving, or why it felt so warm. He also didn't understand why he felt like he'd just gotten the best sleep of his life, ever. It wasn't until he slowly opened his eyes that it all came back to him and he nuzzled his head under Kurt's and sighed happily. Kurt's arms tightened around him.

He remained where was a while longer, knowing that waking up like this tangled up in each other was not going to be an everyday thing for a few more years at least.

Someone coughed and Blaine froze. Hadn't Kurt gone up to his room last night? Why was he next to Blaine? Not that Blaine was complaining.

"Morning," Burt Hummel said, "he still out?"

Blaine nodded. "I…nothing happened last night, I'm sorry if this is…"

Burt raised his hand to stop him, "it's alright, Kurt and I had a talk last night and I told him it was okay. Now, don't go waking him, he was up pretty late and he'll be annoyed if he doesn't get his eight hours."

"Oh," Blaine said lamely.

Burt grinned. "I'm making breakfast. Are you alright with pancakes?"

"Can I help…"

Burt shook his head, "he has a good grip, and I think you know you'd rather be there than in the kitchen."

Blaine probably lay there, gaping, for a while after Burt had gone into the kitchen. Kurt definitely had the best father ever. Burt was the kind of father that Blaine had always wanted his to be.

They didn't get out of the bed until Burt called them to breakfast and Kurt woke from the nose, hiding his face into Blaine's neck for a moment before he began to pull back.

"Good morning," he said, sitting up and stretching.

"Your dad's making pancakes."

Kurt rubbed at his eyes. "He does so on Saturday mornings," Kurt responded.

Kurt excused himself to his room after that and told Blaine that he'd find clothes for him after he was presentable. Blaine tried to tell him that there was no need and that he looked beautiful just woken and rumpled from sleep, but Kurt had a look in eyes that told Blaine that no matter what he said, it was Kurt's opinion of himself that would matter at that moment.

So, Blaine padded into the kitchen and found Burt finishing the last of the pancakes.

"You can get out strawberries and syrup from the fridge, Blaine," he said, "and anything else you'd like."

The strawberries were easy to find, but the syrup took a while longer and then he poured himself a glass of milk. Milk was the starting point of his day, followed by a cup of coffee and whatever was served that morning at Dalton if he didn't have time to walk to the Starbucks and get something there.

"Finn and Carole should be down in a bit, but Kurt will probably take a while longer. You guys have anything planned for today?"

Blaine hadn't even been thinking about where to go on from there, because suddenly he was remembering that he'd had things to do the day before and that he had things to do now.

"Shit," he said and then ran towards the living room. He heard Burt laugh.

He found his phone easily enough and there were already a few texts.

Wes and David collectively sent him winks and congrats texts, as had other warblers. But the only important one was from Cooper and Blaine couldn't believe he'd forgotten.

'Heading your way now. If you can swing it bring your Kurt along, make it a double date or something.'

Blaine smiled a little. Of course his brother had thought everything through. Still, he pressed the call button.

"Blainers!"

"Hey, Coop," Blaine said, "where are you?"

He sat down on one of the couches and crossed his legs.

"At a dinner in Westerville preparing to head into the lion's den for brunch – mom insisted. I don't think Emma realizes how bad this is going to go."

Blaine rolled his eyes, "I won't be there, and if you don't bring me up it'll go swimmingly."

Cooper laughed. "You being there might actually be a good idea…get them off of Emma and me."

"Can't do that, even if I wanted to. I'm not in Westerville."

At that Cooper really laughed. Blaine could almost picture him sitting in a booth somewhere his head thrown back his soul mate confused and endeared at the same time.

"Oh, my little brother," Cooper said, "so, still with Kurt then? How are his parents taking that?"

"Well, his dad is making us pancakes right now and his step mom's asleep. Kurt's been in the bathroom for the past twenty minutes and according to his dad won't come out for another half hour, and they let us share a bed last night. And Cooper, they're amazing. All of them, his entire family."

"I'm glad. God, Blaine you deserved that."

Blaine shook his head as if Cooper could see him, "we got each other, Coop. But enough about that – how do you feel about dinner in Lima?"

"Well, we hadn't picked a place anyway – it was probably going to end up being TGI Friday's or something – so, whatever."

Blaine loved how laid back his brother was. He'd always sort of been like that, going with the flow of life and reacting accordingly.

"Well, I don't have my car and I don't want to have Kurt drive us out there and then have to drive back those two hours and his dad would probably appreciate if he didn't either. So, want to just have an early dinner. I'll ask Kurt for a good place and text you the address."

In the background of the phone call, Blaine could hear noises that indicated the restaurant atmosphere, but there was also a voice he could hardly make out that was probably Emma.

"Sounds good."

"Alright, see you later."

"Love ya."

"Love you too."

Blaine hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen. Finn had come down at some point and was setting out plates on the table.

"Hey, man, sleep well?"

Blaine nodded. "Best sleep I've ever gotten."

Kurt didn't join them for another fifteen minutes by which time Finn was almost done with his portion of the pancakes and was still shoving toast into his mouth. Blaine didn't hear him come in at first, but then he looked up and he was stunned yet again by how beautiful Kurt was, and how he managed to look hot and sexy as well. And there he was, in Kurt's pajamas the pant legs rolled up because they were too long and the plain white shirt both loose and tight on him in places, his hair a mess of curls that were probably more messed up by sleep.

- - -

Breadstix was usually a place Kurt tried to avoid unless he really couldn't. He'd gone there with Finn and Rachel occasionally, and sometimes with Mercedes. A few times he and his dad had gone back when it was just the two of them and more recently with Carole and Finn as well.

Breadstix was one of the few date places in Lima. It was mostly made up of couples with too much pda and not even the quality of the food could make up for that. Kurt had hated going and seeing all the happy couples around him, and now that he had Blaine he wasn't entirely sure if that would change or not.

They spent a lot of the time before lunch in his bedroom, and then they wandered out back to the living room to watch tv. Being with Blaine was almost like being on his own, except that it was better and it meant not being lonely. But Kurt was becoming so comfortable with Blaine that he knew he could do anything and be anything without worrying about what Blaine might think. Other than his father, Kurt had never had anyone that he had felt that way about.

After the conversation with his dad it was getting easier to just go with it and let nature lead him. It was easy to relax into Blaine's shoulder and curl up closer to him without giving it another thought.

"What's your brother like?"

They were watching The Sound of Music which despite its length had been chosen because Blaine had been making fun of Kurt for his name.

"Well, he's taller than me and he will never stop making fun of me for that. He's majoring in Sociology which pissed off my dad, but Coop's fascinated by all that sorta thing. Um, he's kind of a goof ball in all the best ways and sometimes I think I'm the older one. He's also the most supportive person I know, and he is – was – the first person I would call for any reason."

"Was?"

Blaine smirked at him and raised an eyebrow. "I've found you, now, Kurt. He'll be second on my call list from now on. Not only because he'll probably call Emma before me and serves him right, but because logically and practically if I needed something desperately you are closer to me and wouldn't you want to be informed of anything anyway?"

Kurt nodded. Blaine would probably be the first person he called too.

They ate lunch alone in the kitchen because his dad and Finn had gone to the shop to finally work on Finn's car and Carole had a shift at the hospital. Kurt made them sandwiches because he didn't think he could properly concentrate on making anything else.

"I'm really glad I'm not meeting Emma on my own," Blaine told Kurt, "I mean, I want to meet her and she's probably great but I just knew I was going to be this third wheel the entire night. But now I have you and we Anderson brothers can both be on dates."

They got to Breadstix before Cooper and Emma a few hours later, and sat in the car for a few minutes longer before they got out and holding hands walked to the restaurant's front door. Blaine opened it for Kurt.

"Table for four," Kurt told an older waitress, "we're waiting on two more people."

"Sure thing," she said and smiled, leading them to a booth.

Kurt and Blaine sat down next to each other, hands still clasped, leaving their menus un open in front of them. Kurt had never thought that he would ever have a date to bring to Breadtix. He's resigned himself long ago that it wouldn't happen and that he'd find his mate once he left Lima.

"When am I going to see you after today?" Blaine asked suddenly, "I mean, we live two hours apart and that's not a drive either of us should be making every day even though I'm not going to be able to stand being apart from you – I mean, with school and glee and I don't even know what else…"

Kurt hadn't thought about it. It had only just been twenty four hours with Blaine and he hadn't considered what would happen after Blaine went back to Dalton. Of course they could visit, and his dad could be convinced into letting Blaine stay over on weekends, but would that be enough for them? Would phone calls and texts and Skype be enough until summer when they were free to spend more time together without worries for their responsibilities?

"I don't know," Kurt said, "but, we'll figure something out and make it work. We'll talk every day and plan dates, and dad probably wouldn't be opposed to you staying with us on the weekends. I could come visit you sometimes too after school. I'm never saying goodbye to you, Blaine Anderson."

Blaine's face after he said that was the most beautiful Kurt had seen it, and he probably liked every face that Blaine had been making at him since they met. It was joy and happiness and something that Kurt didn't want to label as love because they couldn't be in love yet.

"Can I…" Blaine began, bit his lip and tried to look away from Kurt.

"Yes," Kurt breathed.

Blaine leaned towards him, his face coming closer, close enough that Kurt could feel his breath hit his cheek. But the kiss didn't happen. A loud voice called out, "Little Bro!" and Blaine almost fell off his seat, scrambling back.

"Cooper," Blaine said and groaned. His cheeks were pink and he was avoiding Kurt's gaze.

"It's okay," Kurt said and while Cooper and Emma approached he leaned over to kiss Blaine on the cheek.

Blaine stood up when his brother arrived and was pulled into a hug. They did look a lot alike. Cooper was taller than Blaine and he didn't seem to have inherited the mop of curls that Blaine had, or the hazel eyes, but he was still rather handsome. His soul mate, Emma, was about Blaine's height, but that was probably because she wore heels. She had a pretty smile, dark brown hair, and a taste for fashion. Kurt decided that he was going to like both of them.

"This is my brother, Em, Blaine. Blaine, Emma," Cooper said and then he turned to Kurt who had remained seated, "and you must be Kurt."

Kurt nodded. "Yes, that's me."

He shook Cooper's hand and smiled at Emma who glanced in his direction while still talking to Blaine.

They all sat down and Cooper immediately opened his menu.

"The last thing I ate was brunch at home and it was horrible," he announced to the table, "I am never going back to that house again. We're never going back there again."

Emma laid a hand on Cooper's arm and nodded.

Blaine next to him sighed. "What happened?"

"Well, they brought your name up," Cooper said, "father lamented that you would never bring a nice girl home. I told them you didn't have to and that you already found your mate. Mom was kind of quiet after that. They're all kinds of messed up. He was completely disrespectful to Emma and it just went horribly. But enough about that."

Cooper was louder than Blaine, much more outgoing and a little bit crazy, but he was also pretty amazing and from the way that Emma was looking at him, it was clear that she thought so too.

By the time their food came, Cooper had started telling stories about Blaine as a child and Kurt was loving every moment of it. Hearing about Blaine coloring on Cooper's school books, or Cooper losing Blaine in their house once while playing hide and seek because he'd forgotten they were playing and Blaine had fallen asleep waiting to be found, or even the time that Blaine refused to put on clothes and ran into the living room where Cooper and his friends had been working on a project for school and gotten an eyeful of naked toddler Blaine.

"What about Cooper?" Emma chimed in, "anything good on him?"

Blaine would have rubbed his hands together if he hadn't been holding Kurt's wit one. "Well…"

He, Cooper, and Emma exchanged numbers while they waited for the check which Cooper offered to pay.

"We have to do this again," Emma said, "it was lovely meeting you Blaine, and Kurt. We're going to be family someday, so it's only right."

"Definitely," Kurt said.

Cooper paid for their food and then they all slowly got up. Kurt didn't want the night to end. He didn't want to see Blaine get into Cooper's car and drive off. Luckily Cooper seemed to get that they needed to have a moment alone because he and Emma rushed outside and got into the car and Kurt and Blaine walked slowly to Kurt's car to get Blaine's things.

Blaine closed the door to the passenger's side and leaned against it. Kurt dropped his hands to Blaine's waist and Blaine wrapped his own arms around Kurt.

"I'm going to miss you," Blaine said, "it's silly, I know, but I don't know how I'm going to handle being without you even if it for a few days."

Kurt laughed. "I know. I didn't think it'd be this way. God."

They stood in their embrace for a little while until Kurt pulled back. "I want to try something," he said.

Blaine nodded, anticipation bright in his eyes as Kurt inched forward. They'd been interrupted before, but Kurt would not let Blaine leave without this, not when they didn't know for sure if they'd see each other before the next weekend.

When their lips met it wasn't fireworks, it wasn't some crazy insane moment of absolutely passion but there was a spark, a small tiny tingling feeling that rushed from the place where their lips met down to their toes. It was a feeling of belonging and warmth. It was home.

Their lips moved gently against each other instinctively with the tiniest bit of hesitancy of a first kiss.

"Wow," Blaine breathed when they pulled apart.

"Yeah," Kurt responded. He leaned his forehead against Blaine's. "Call me when you get there?"

"Okay."

"You should get going, don't want to keep them waiting."

Blaine nodded but made no move to leave. Instead his hands went up to hold his face and then they were kissing again. It was more insistent this time, harder. Blaine's tongue flicked at his lips and Kurt gasped, opening his lips and letting out a small moaning noise when it began to explore his mouth. It was only when they needed air that Blaine pulled back.

"Now, I should go."

Kurt laughed and watched him go. Blaine turned and looked at him one last time, waved, and then got into Cooper's car. Kurt had no doubt that he'd be teased all the way to Dalton.

He stood in the parking lot of Breadstix long after Cooper's car was off, and he smiled to himself, one hand lifted to touch his lips. He'd never put too much faith to the whole soul mate thing, but there was no denying that what Blaine Anderson did to him had to be something only he could do. Kurt couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with him.