Cooper flew back to Los Angeles three days later. He had accepted Blaine's decision to stay in Ohio and understood why uprooting and moving to another state this close to graduation wouldn't be beneficial to anyone, especially someone with Blaine's past. They agreed to call and talk on Skype regularly, and Cooper insisted that Kurt and Blaine come visit him in California over the summer.

Blaine took Cooper's return to California a lot better than Kurt had expected. He didn't appear to be the slightest bit fazed by the situation, or worried about losing Cooper again. It filled Kurt with relief, even more so when Cooper called Blaine the very next day just for a chat, and to promise he would be back in Ohio to see Blaine graduate.

He was glad Blaine no longer had Cooper to worry about; he had enough stress as it was. NYU had requested he send them a video recording of a musical performance for a final audition piece and Blaine had been panicking since he'd received the letter. Kurt even turned down Rachel's request to help her practice for her NYADA audition to help Blaine choose what to perform. In the end, Blaine decided on Phil Collins' "Against All Odds." It wasn't a particularly difficult song, but it was more the passion put into it that mattered.

That didn't mean Blaine didn't practice a lot; every spare few minutes he had he was dragging Kurt down to the music room to listen to him play the piano and sing. He didn't want to polish it so much that it became robotic, but he also didn't want to mess up the lyrics or miss a note.

"You must really love Blaine," Rachel said as they put their books away in their lockers before Glee club. "Before you met him you would never have turned down an offer to help me practice."

Shutting his locker door, Kurt gave Rachel a small smile and patted her arm. "I'm not ditching you for him, Rach, I promise, he just really needed my help. And let's be honest here - you didn't need my help to prepare, you've been ready for this audition for years." His attention slipped away from Rachel and his face lit up when he spotted Blaine walking towards them.

Rachel pouted at Kurt, her eyebrows drawn together in a slight frown. "I'm still annoyed that you didn't even choose an audition number with me."

But Blaine reached them at that moment and Kurt barely heard her.

"Ready for Glee?" Kurt asked Blaine excitedly.

Blaine had joined Glee club a few days earlier. Kurt knew show choir was something Blaine had longed to be a part of at his old high school, but the club had been disbanded before he could join due to excessive bullying of its members.

Their friends had been ecstatic at the news; they had all been waiting and hoping for Blaine to join for a few weeks now. Kurt wanted to help Blaine with his audition piece, but Blaine had insisted on keeping it a surprise, practicing in the music room with the door shut while Kurt was on the phone or helping Carole with dinner. And despite Kurt's impatience, he had to admit it was so worth it when Blaine sat down behind the choir room's piano during the next Glee meeting and played the opening chords of a hauntingly beautiful, slowed-down, acoustic version of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," a song Kurt hadn't realised could possibly sound so tender and breath-taking. It had him on the edge of his seat, his eyes fixed on Blaine as he sang and moved his fingers deftly over the keys, but at the same time it somehow soothed him, sending him into a warm, heavy-lidded trance where he floated in the smooth beauty of Blaine's voice. Blaine poured his heart and soul into the performance, his voice and the notes he played varying in strength from soft and delicate to powerful and spine-tingling. Kurt couldn't remember the last time a song had made him feel so much, or so moved, and Blaine was singing it to him, his soft, shining eyes meeting Kurt's regularly throughout the performance. The song wasn't even halfway through when tears began to blur Kurt's vision. And he wasn't the only one; by the end of the performance even Puck was blinking back tears.

He was welcomed into the club after an awestruck round of applause, punctuated by much sniffing.

"I'm ready," Blaine confirmed, smiling in greeting to Rachel as he reached for Kurt's hand and gave it a brief squeeze.

They ditched Rachel as soon as they arrived in the choir room and left Finn to deal with her incessant yammering about Nationals and her NYADA audition. Blaine shifted uncomfortably in his chair and Kurt took his hand. He knew all of Rachel's talk about her audition preparations was making Blaine nervous about his own and he wished she would shut up. He also knew Blaine had nothing to be nervous about, though; he was extremely talented, both at singing and playing the piano, and NYU would see that in Blaine's video.

When the time to record Blaine's audition piece finally arrived there was no other word to describe how Blaine looked other than 'sick.' His limbs were shaky and every time he opened his mouth he would close it again, as though he were about to throw up. He stayed silent while Kurt set up the camera by the piano and got ready to record, fiddling with the sheet music in his hands and practicing the piece by drumming his fingers against his thighs. Kurt was feeling the nerves, too; his hands shook as he clicked on the camera and adjusted the settings. He knew Blaine only wanted to record this once, if possible. If they had to do it a second time Blaine would probably be much more likely to mess up from the stress.

Once the video of Blaine's audition piece was recorded and sent, though, he wondered why he'd been so worried. He sang better than ever, throwing everything he had into it. If he didn't get a place at NYU, at least he'd performed at his best. No regrets, or what-ifs.

Since Blaine's audition was such a success, they both felt even more hopeful about going to New York after the summer, so much so that they began to look at apartments online. Their budget was limited, and New York was expensive, so they only had the option of small, somewhat shabby apartments in areas far-flung from where any of their prospective colleges were located. But it would be theirs, and it didn't matter if they had to get up early to commute. Living there together would still be a dream come true.

Their classmates were gradually beginning to get the all-important letters from colleges, and Kurt's anticipation and nausea increased with each day that he didn't get a letter. He, Blaine, and Finn pounced on the mail when it came, but each time they were disappointed.

The strain was getting to Blaine as well, and he spent a lot of time shut up in the music room by himself playing the piano. Dull grey rings were almost constantly present under his eyes from nights lying awake worrying. Doubt began to creep in.

"Don't," Kurt told him, sliding his hands across the small table they were sitting at in the library and covering Blaine's with them. "Don't be so hard on yourself. NYU is considering you even though your application was late. They wouldn't have done that if you didn't have a good chance of getting in."

Blaine looked up from their entangled hands. "Like you haven't been worrying as well," he teased weakly. Then he sighed. "It's just- So much rests on me getting a place at NYU."

"You will," Kurt assured him, squeezing his hand lightly in further reassurance. "And even if you don't get into NYU, you'll come to New York once you have your degree or we'll both move somewhere else - together."

Blaine gave a small shrug. "Yeah, I guess so," he agreed half-heartedly.

Kurt let go of Blaine's hands and returned his attention to his studying, trying to ignore the way his stomach lurched with nerves.

Please let our letters come soon.

Blaine was the first to receive his letter. The three of them had scrabbled to check the mailbox after arriving home from school, Kurt reaching the mailbox first and extracting the small bundle of envelopes and junk mail with trembling hands. With Blaine and Finn peering over his shoulder, he flipped through the stack, his anticipation mounting with each envelope he moved to the back of the pile. He paused when he spotted the crest for NYU emblazoned on the top right-hand corner of one. Blaine exhaled shakily in his ear as he read the name of the addressee - Mr. Blaine Anderson.

He lifted the letter from the pile and turned to hand it to Blaine, but Blaine didn't take it. He just stared down at it with wide eyes full of fear and worry.

Finn, ever impatient and not understanding the momentum of the situation, shifted his weight to his other foot and frowned at Blaine. "Aren't you going to open it? You won't find out what it says by staring at it like that."

Blaine's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. He reached for the letter with a shaky hand and slit the envelope open with a fingernail. Kurt stepped back to give Blaine some space and a bit of privacy and gestured for Finn to do the same as Blaine fumbled to extract the letter. Kurt's breath froze in his chest as he watched Blaine unfold it and read the contents. The letter began to shake in his grip.

"Well?" Finn pressed after several long, tense seconds passed. "Did you get in?"

Kurt shot him a glare and Finn fell back another step, holding up his hands in placation. Their exchange caused Blaine to look up from his letter.

"I got in," he whispered numbly.

Kurt and Finn gaped speechlessly at him.

"I got in," Blaine repeated in a slightly louder voice, sounding stunned.

Kurt felt like he was floating in some kind of dream state. "You-"

An amazed, elated grin was slowly spreading across Blaine's face. "I got in!" he shouted. "I got in!" He tripped forward, catching Kurt in his arms, lifting him off his feet and spinning him around in a circle. Kurt laughed in delight, ducking down to kiss him on the nose when his feet were on the ground again.

"I'm so proud of you." Kurt kissed Blaine swiftly. "So proud." Blaine beamed up at him, his hazel eyes bright and shining.

Finn slapped his hand down on Blaine's shoulder. "Congrats, dude!"

Blaine dragged his eyes away from Kurt to look up at Finn. "Thanks," he said with a grin. Finn patted his shoulder again before shuffling off.

Kurt leaned in and rubbed his nose against Blaine's, nuzzling against his cheek. "I knew you'd get in," he murmured against Blaine's skin.

Blaine tilted his head to capture Kurt's lips in another kiss. "Your acceptance letter will come soon, and once it does we can start calling to inquire about the apartments we were looking at - start really planning for New York."

Humming in agreement, Kurt pulled Blaine closer for a hug, burying his nose into the soft curls on top of his head and hearing Blaine's acceptance letter crinkle as it was crushed between his hand and Kurt's back. The relief he felt now that Blaine had been accepted was freeing, as if a physical weight had been removed from him. All of his own applications were for schools in New York, so as long as he got into one, they'd be set. (Although, of course, his heart was set on Parsons.)

He was in French class when his dad showed up at the school holding an envelope. Before he even reached him, before Burt even told him why he was here, Kurt knew. His mouth went dry.

"Thought I'd bring it straight to you instead of making you wait," his dad said as he pressed the letter into Kurt's trembling hands.

Kurt barely heard him; everything around him had turned into a nonsensical blur, his world centred on the Parsons-marked letter in his hands. He swayed, his pulse pounding in his ears, and he wished he were sitting down. He smoothed his thumb over the Parsons stamp. This insignificant-looking letter would affect his entire life.

He turned the envelope over and began to open it with a finger, praying that he was about to receive good news. He already had a place at NYU to fall back on with the possibility of another at FIT, but Parsons was where he dreamed of going.

As he pulled the folded letter from the envelope, he wished Blaine was there with him. He knew his dad was just as capable of celebrating with him or comforting him, but with Blaine it was different, it felt different. Blaine would be the one in New York with him, after all.

Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the letter. His dad leaned towards him, his face lighting up hopefully.

"Dear, Mr. Hummel," Kurt read out in a low mutter. His eyes lowered to the next line. Every muscle in his body froze. He read the next sentence again, and then a third time just to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

He'd gotten in.

He was accepted to Parsons.

The printed words turned into a black and white blur as his eyes filled with tears. He lifted his head to face his dad.

"I got in," he told him in a choked voice.

His dad's face lit up into one of the widest smiles Kurt had ever seen and a watery laugh bubbled out of Kurt's throat.

"That's my boy!" Burt scooped Kurt up in a hug. "I knew you could do it!" Kurt beamed into his shoulder, a tear slipping down his cheek. His dad rubbed at his back before pulling away just enough to see Kurt's face. "When are you gonna tell Blaine?"

Kurt's stomach squeezed pleasantly and his smile widened at the thought of telling his boyfriend. "We have a class together next - I'll tell him then."

"I wish I could see his face when you do," Burt said wistfully. "I bet it's priceless."

An image of Blaine gazing at him with an elated mixture of joy, pride, and excitement filled Kurt's head. "He's going to be so happy."

Kurt stepped out of his father's arms and read through his letter again, his heart leaping. Burt moved to read it over his shoulder, and when Kurt glanced up at him he found his dad misty-eyed with pride.

"I can't believe my boy's all grown-up and going to New York."

Kurt's stomach flipped with excitement. He was going to Parsons. He and Blaine were going to New York. What they had both dreamed and fantasized about during lazy afternoons curled up on the couch together was all actually happening.

His dad pulled him in for another quick hug, and then he was stepping back and adjusting the cap he was wearing.

"I'm so proud of you," he said, and Kurt smiled even wider, his face beginning to hurt. "I'll let you go back to class, but we're celebrating tonight - for Blaine's acceptance at NYU as well."

Kurt nodded his approval. Blaine had refused a celebratory dinner on the day he'd gotten his letter, wanting to wait for Kurt to get his Parsons one so they could celebrate together, confident as always that Kurt's letter would contain good news. "Sounds good."

He walked back to French class in a daze after his dad left, still holding his letter open in his hands, glancing down to read the lines congratulating him on earning a place at Parsons every now and then just to make sure it wasn't all a dream. He sighed impatiently when he sat back down at his desk and realised he still had over ten minutes until the class was over. He couldn't wait to tell Blaine.

He ran to his next class as soon as French was over, satchel banging against his hip, letter still flapping in his hand. People stared at him as he barrelled down the corridor, almost colliding with Artie in his wheelchair but too fixated on seeing Blaine and telling him to notice.

The teacher stared at him when he skidded into the classroom, breathless. Blaine wasn't there yet. In fact, no one else was there yet; he was the first one to arrive. He used the time until Blaine arrived to straighten up his outfit and smooth the creases out of his letter, glancing up eagerly every time one of his classmates trudged into the room.

"What's that?"

Kurt's head shot up from where he'd been bent over his letter, re-reading it for what must have been at least the tenth time - the words would be imprinted in his brain soon.

Blaine was standing by his desk, lifting his satchel off his shoulder and gazing curiously down at the letter lying on the desk in front of Kurt.

Kurt blinked, thrown by Blaine's sudden appearance. "It's my-" His fingernails scrabbled against the plastic top of the desk as he pic ked the letter up. He gave his head a tiny shake. "I got in," he told Blaine, his voice rising in excitement. "I got into Parsons."

Blaine's mouth fell open. "You-"

Kurt handed him the letter and Blaine almost immediately let out an excited yelp that caused everyone in the room to fall silent and stare at him. "You got in! I knew you would!" Blaine dropped down into his chair, his eyes shining with joy, his whole face lit up in elation. He threw his arms around Kurt's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "I'm so proud of you."

Kurt beamed into Blaine's collar until someone cleared their throat loudly.

"Boys," their teacher chastised, "I need to start the lesson; break it up now."

Blaine reluctantly sat back in his own chair, his cheeks flushed a happy pink. He pulled his notebook out his bag before reading through Kurt's letter. He smiled adoringly at Kurt when he handed it back, his eyes full of pride.

"You did it," he mouthed.

Kurt grinned as he folded the letter up and slipped it into his bag. He'd done it.

Blaine pulled him into another hug after class was over and they'd stepped out into the corridor.

"Congratulations!" he squealed, turning his head to the side and pressing a kiss to Kurt's neck. He squeezed Kurt gently. "You realise what this means, don't you? We're going to New York together!"

Kurt froze as the complete reality of what his letter meant hit him. They would have to find an apartment to rent, one with a decent-sized bathroom and enough closet space for all of his clothes; they'll try all the local coffee shops to find one to be ‘theirs'; they'll be cooking dinner for each other and brushing their teeth at the same sink...The domesticity of it all made Kurt's heart swell. He looked down as Blaine moved back a little, his gaze soft and loving.

"We're going to New York together," Blaine whispered, his voice catching, so full of a deliriously happy awe.

The smile that tugged at the corners of Kurt's mouth was full of wonder. "We're going to New York," he echoed, and laughed as Blaine kissed him, right there in the middle of the corridor. And Kurt didn't tense up like he would have done not too long ago, because McKinley had changed, only a couple of people stared at them as they kissed - close-mouthed, chaste, and sweet - and no homophobic slurs were thrown their way. The majority of people in the corridor ignored them. Without Karofsky and his friends leading the way, nobody really cared about harassing them anymore. Kurt still didn't feel comfortable enough to hold Blaine's hand as they walked to lunch or kiss his cheek when they split to go to separate classes, but it was enough.

That night, when Burt saw them lingering in the doorway to Kurt's room - arms around each other, murmuring softly, Kurt's chin on Blaine's shoulder, and Blaine nuzzling his cheek into the curve of Kurt's neck - he sighed in resignation and said, "Go on then."

When they turned to look at Burt in confusion, he jerked his head to indicate Kurt's softly lit bedroom behind them.

"You can stay together tonight. Just don't make me regret it."

Blaine ducked his head and blushed at the implication, but Kurt just grinned happily and pulled Blaine back into his room, nudging the door closed with his hip on the way.

They settled down under the covers, legs tangled and bodies pressed together, sharing the same pillow and smiling at each other in their warm cocoon of blankets.

"We're going to New York together," Blaine said again, voice soft but tinged with excitement.

Kurt's smile widened at his words. "We are."

Blaine rubbed his hand up and down the length of Kurt's forearm. "We have to go to Central Park every weekend."

Kurt laughed gently, lifting a hand to stroke the line of Blaine's clavicle. "Honey, we probably won't be living anywhere near Central Park. It's not going to be easy to go there every week."

"If we set aside time for it, we could," Blaine shrugged.

Kurt just smiled at him, knowing that if this was something Blaine really wanted, if he truly did want to visit Central Park every weekend, then Kurt would go with him. He could never say no to his boyfriend when he was like this - he could practically see the pout now.

"Why do you want to go there so often?" Kurt asked, not in a mocking ‘you're being ridiculous' way, just curiously.

"I loved Central Park when I visited New York with my family as a kid. I loved how it was so quiet and peaceful and laid-back compared to the noise and rush of the rest of the city. I want us to make time every week to go there and take a break from studying and work, time where we slow things down and forget about everything but being together in the park," Blaine explained. He made a small, happy, surprised noise when Kurt darted forward and kissed him.

"We'll do that," Kurt promised him, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah?" Blaine asked with a hopeful raise of his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Kurt confirmed, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's cheek. "It sounds perfect."

Blaine yawned into the side of Kurt's neck. "New York with you will be perfect," he murmured drowsily.

Kurt smiled at that, his heavy eyelids falling closed of their own accord. Ever since he'd seen New York on the TV and learned about the bright lights of Broadway, he'd dreamed of going to the city. And ever since he'd fallen in love with Blaine, he'd dreamed of spending his life with him. Combining both of his dreams could never be anything but perfect.

Blaine spent most of graduation day in a state of joyous disbelief. He didn't know what was more difficult to believe: that he was actually graduating high school today or that less than a year ago he was teaching himself out of borrowed textbooks without a hope of ever attending school again. He was so incredibly thankful to Kurt and his family for everything they had done for him. He succumbed to tears three times before they even left the house for the ceremony.

Like he'd promised, Cooper flew in the day before to see him graduate. He spent the morning-of lounging around discussing football with Burt, and he laughed when tears spilled down Blaine's cheeks during a mid-morning cup of coffee.

"You should be happy you're graduating, B!" Cooper said as Blaine swiped at the tears. "You're finally getting some freedom."

Hiccupping, Blaine leaned into Kurt's side and his boyfriend put an arm around him, rubbing his hand up and down the length of Blaine's bicep. "These are happy tears," he sniffed.

Cooper sipped at his coffee. "I jumped around the house cheering on my graduation day," he reminisced.

The graduation ceremony was a lot more boring and dragged-out than Blaine had expected it to be. Too many people gave speeches that all had the same underlying message; a list of rather abstract moments from the senior class' final year was read out, the situation and meaning of some of them twisted to show them in a better light; and way too many supposedly inspirational quotes were read out. Blaine gave up paying attention after the third speaker. He passed the time by having a silent conversation with Kurt who, due to alphabetical seating arrangements, was in the row behind him, smiling at how his boyfriend rolled his eyes each time another speaker stepped out onto the stage. In the seat next to Kurt, Finn dozed.

Finally, the important part of the ceremony arrived. Blaine almost cried again when his name was called, but managed to hold himself together as he crossed the stage, received his diploma, and flipped his tassel over. He even managed to exchange a grin with Cooper when he caught his brother's eye. Kurt didn't do so well, breaking down as soon as his name was called and crossing the stage with the tears clinging to his cheeks and glistening under the lights. He made a beeline for Blaine as soon as he'd flipped his tassel and Blaine pressed a handkerchief into his hand, which Kurt used to dry his face with a grateful smile. When the last person had finished shaking hands with Figgins, they threw their hats up into the air with a cheer. Kurt threw his arms around a laughing Blaine, pulling him into a tight hug as the hats tumbled to the ground all around them.

As their classmates and families slowly trickled out of the auditorium, Cooper took Blaine aside to a quiet corner a short distance away from where Kurt stood talking with his family. Blaine couldn't seem to stop smiling but there were still tears welling up in his eyes. He had expected today would make him a little emotional, but he hadn't anticipated the internal upheaval he was experiencing.

Cooper smiled proudly at him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, Blainey! I can't believe my baby brother just graduated!"

Blaine scowled, a reflex reaction to being spoken to as if he were six years old. "Thanks." He brushed away a tear that had begun to trickle down his face. "I'm just glad today was actually possible."

The smile on Cooper's face faltered. "Have you heard from our parents since the day they...?" He trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"Not since that day in the coffee shop," Blaine told him, his own smile finally fading a little. "I-" He hesitated for a beat, gave his head a small shake. "I don't particularly want to hear from them again, to be honest."

Cooper frowned, concern flickering in his eyes. "I could try talking to them again? Make them see sense and realise what assholes they are and what an incredible son they're losing?"

Blaine shook his head. "Don't waste your breath. They aren't going to change, and judging by how they've treated me over the years, they don't think I'm incredible."

"And you're happy with them not being in your life? With not having any contact with them whatsoever?" Cooper asked, still looking worried. Blaine wasn't too sure why he was so concerned about this when Cooper himself had no intention of ever contacting their parents again either.

A smile tugged at the corner of Blaine's mouth. "I have a different family now." His gaze slid over to Kurt and the rest of the Hudson-Hummels. Kurt smiled at him when he caught his eye, excusing himself to come over and join them.

"Looking good, Hummel," Cooper greeted him when Kurt reached Blaine's side. He eyed Kurt thoughtfully. "I think you're the only person I've ever seen accessorise their graduation gown."

Blaine looked at the little handmade bird brooch Kurt had pinned to the front of his gown. When he'd first seen Kurt wearing his gown earlier today he'd almost starting crying again when he'd noticed the wire bird. Blinking back his tears, he'd placed soft, adoring kisses all over Kurt's face - on his mouth, his nose, his cheeks - and Kurt had simply smiled at him and hooked his arm around Blaine's waist, holding him close.

Now Kurt glanced down at his pin and touched it gently, a fond smile on his face. "I thought this was appropriate. It symbolises our freedom, after all."

Not knowing the story behind the pin, Cooper glanced between Kurt and Blaine curiously while Blaine rubbed Kurt's lower back. Shrugging, he began digging in his jeans pocket. "I got you both a graduation present." He extracted a blank white envelope and held it out to them. "I got the same thing for both of you; I figured you'd want it that way."

Blaine accepted the envelope and opened it curiously while Kurt watched over his shoulder. He blinked in surprise when he saw what it was.

Flights for two people to Los Angeles.

"They're for about a week," Cooper said before Kurt or Blaine could do anything but stare at the tickets. "This way you have no excuse for not coming to visit me over the summer."

Blaine got his voice back first. "Cooper, I-"

Cooper waved away what he knew was going to be a protest about the cost. "It was nothing," he assured them. "I wanted to get you guys something and I thought this was the best thing."

Kurt nodded enthusiastically. "It is, it really is. Thank you so much, Cooper."

Blaine threw his arms around Cooper in a heartfelt hug. "Thank you," he murmured into his brother's shoulder as Cooper returned the embrace.

"Promise me you'll use those tickets?" Cooper asked, rubbing Blaine's back.

"Promise," Blaine swore. Kurt nodded.

Burt and Carole gave Finn, Kurt, and Blaine money for their graduation presents, knowing that it was what the three of them would find the most useful as Kurt and Blaine headed for New York and Finn went to Columbus for college. Blaine didn't protest when he received his present, thanking them profusely for their kindness and generosity instead. He understood now that it was the thought and meaning behind the gift that was important. Not what he owed them in return.

He and Kurt flew out to Los Angeles in the middle of July, looking forward to getting a break from organising the move to New York. Although exciting, the repetitiveness and stress of it still caused them to grow tired of it all after a while. A week in LA where they could relax and push it all to the back of their minds was just what they needed.

Cooper met them at the airport, all gleaming teeth and eyes crinkled with his smile just like Blaine's did. He talked excitedly about everything he had planned for their stay as he drove them back to his place - a small single-story house he shared with a friend who was currently on vacation with his girlfriend.

"That means you two can share the sofa bed and do whatever you want as long as you warn me first so I can get my earplugs out," Cooper stated brightly at the end of their tour around the house. He then watched in amusement as Blaine spluttered and turned an identical shade of red to Kurt.

The week was spent visiting all the tourist attractions with Cooper playing tour guide; a romantic meal at an expensive restaurant all paid for by Cooper one night and Kurt cooking them all one of his speciality dishes another night; there was a walk along the beach; shopping on Rodeo Drive; and kissing and bare skin-on-skin under too-hot blankets, gasping breaths punctuating the still silence of the house after midnight and Cooper winking at them with a sly grin the next morning. It all passed too quickly, flying by in a blur of sunshine and waking up next to Kurt's smile with Cooper singing Duran Duran songs while making coffee in the kitchen. When he woke up on the morning of their flight back to Ohio, Blaine lay with his eyes closed, savouring the warmth of Californian sunshine on his cheek and of Kurt's body curled around his back, committing this and the sound of Cooper in the kitchen to memory. He didn't want to leave; he was getting used to living with his brother, but he had New York to look forward to, and Cooper had promised to visit once they'd settled into their new apartment.

They went to New York for a few days with Kurt's family less than a week after returning from LA, spending the short visit viewing apartments to rent and familiarising themselves with the colleges they would soon be attending. Blaine found it hard to take everything seriously when all he wanted to do was stop in the middle of the street and stare because he was going to be living here with Kurt soon. He was in a constant state of excitement, a smile a permanent feature on his face, and he kept taking Kurt's hand and squeezing it, the pair of them exchanging grins and thrilled glances.

"This is the one," Kurt announced, turning away from the wide window and running his eyes over the sparsely furnished space before him. "This one is perfect."

Blaine walked slowly over to join him by the far wall. He paused to look through the doorway into the tiny bedroom with its small, square window overlooking a narrow side-street lined with parked cars. He could see themselves here, see Kurt checking his hair in a mirror in this bedroom, see himself sitting in the living area surrounded by scattered sheet music which Kurt would tut at before chastising him for being disorganised, warning him that he'll lose something one day if he doesn't change his ways - he could see it.

Kurt's hopeful gaze followed him as he turned away from the bedroom and crossed the apartment.

"It's perfect," he agreed, and laughed as Kurt shrieked with delight, engulfing him in a hug that almost knocked him over and kissing his smiling mouth. "Perfect," he repeated when Kurt drew back to beam at him. Burt called the estate agents.

They moved in a week before the new semester began at their colleges. Burt and Finn came to help. The day of the move was long and tiring, made even worse by the hot, sticky heat of summer in New York, causing boxes to seem heavier and tempers to fray. More than one argument broke out between Kurt and Finn, so it was with great relief that they called it a day and sat by the open window, which spilled cooling air over them as they ate takeout pizza. Shouting turned to laughter. Blaine lolled in his chair, surveying the apartment with a fond smile. It maybe wasn't really perfect - the bedroom was a bit on the small size, it wasn't particularly close to either of their schools, and it got really hot on a day like today - but it was theirs, their own little (rented) piece of New York, and that made it perfect for them. And now that they were almost finished unpacking, the apartment somehow seemed even more ideal.

Time seemed to pass by at a different pace in New York than it did in Lima, and before Blaine knew it they'd been living in the city for a month. They'd both settled into their respective colleges, become comfortable on campus, made friends in their classes, and kept up the agreement to visit Central Park every weekend. They'd gotten used to living alone together quite quickly. It felt right, and taking turns to make dinner or clean felt natural, like breathing. It was great not having to worry about being interrupted when they stumbled through to the bedroom, attached at the mouth and frantically tugging at each other's clothes. But the best part of living together in their own apartment was falling asleep curled in the same bed and waking up next to each other every morning.

Lying in bed one night, drifting in that fluid state between sleep and wake, Blaine thought about the past month. It was almost exactly like the dream he'd had all those months ago in an attic. Back then he didn't think he would get any sort of future; his outlook had been short and incredibly bleak. But now, here in New York with Kurt, his future was really beginning, and he couldn't be happier. His dreams were becoming reality in this shoebox apartment with the leaking tap in the kitchen they really needed to fix and the constant thrumming heartbeat of the city pouring through the window as he drifted towards sleep, cuddling closer to Kurt in spite of the stickily hot night air pressing down on him, listening to his soft breathing and familiar, comforting heartbeat - a lullaby gently soothing him to sleep. It was everything he had dreamed it would be, and more. He smiled drowsily as Kurt rubbed his cheek against his shoulder in his sleep.

Funny how the world worked.