"Judging by the goofy smile on your face, I'm guessing it was a good date," she said, pressing a button on the remote and turning to sit cross-legged on the couch, facing Blaine.

He tried to fix the silly expression on his face, but to no avail. He was high on Kurt and nothing could bring him down. "It was perfect."

The blonde patted the area next to her on the couch. "Have a seat, come tell me about it."

Blaine obliged, settling down into the comfy cushions and breathing a happy sigh. He recalled everything from that day; the obnoxious wake-up, the sexy cheerleading, their mutual break-downs, and then the lovely cuddling afterward. The thing about them, Blaine was starting to realize, was that even when they did things so different than normal couples—could Blaine really even consider them a couple after only one date?—they were still so very clich�. On the one hand, they'd only been on their first date for around 2-3 hours before they were already spilling their guts and sobbing into the other's embrace. On the other hand, Kurt had taken him to a beautiful clearing and they'd lain there for hours, wrapped up in each other and alternating between light, get-to-know-you conversation and comfortable silence.

"Okay," Laurel started, breaking his reverie, "obviously you're still on the date in your mind, so I'll prompt you. He came and woke you up and alluded to a potentially dangerous activity? I must admit, from his first impression I'm not very fond of him, so help to clear that negative air and enlighten me as to what that was."

If possible, Blaine's smile got even wider. "The scariest thing about that was that I got a new nickname from a mentally insane cheerleading coach."

"Cheerleading?" She asked, and her expression was so funny, Blaine just had to laugh.

"Yeah. You remember how you referred to McKinley as 'the school with the kickass cheerleading team'?"

"Yes," Laurel replied, the word drawn out in a skeptic tone.

"Kurt was on it. Their crazy coach, Coach Sylvester, asked him to come help teach some of the newbies a routine." Blaine paused, trying hard to concentrate on the older woman and not on the way Kurt moved his hips.

"So he brought you along to sit on a bench and watch him teach a cheerleading routine? How romantic."

"I think sexual would be a better word."

Laurel's eyebrows flew to her hairline and Blaine thought that he really needed to start thinking before he spoke.

"Not like that. We didn't…It's not like that. Kurt's not like that. For all the flirting and the teasing and the smirking, he's actually really shy when sex is brought up."

"So you two are discussing sex already?"

Okay, that might not have helped as much as Blaine thought it would.

"No, no! Just…nevermind. It's hard to explain. All you need to know is that no, we are not talking about sex. I don't think he'd even want to, if his facial expressions at any slight or indirect mention of sex are any indication."

Laurel still looked skeptical, but she waved her hand. "Okay, we'll have the sex talk later—"

"So unnecessary."

"—but for now, continue telling me the story of your first date with Soulmate."

That lovesick smile wormed its way back onto Blaine's face at the nickname. "After the cheerleading episode, as we headed back to his car, I held his hand. It was nice." He thought back to the way Kurt's fingers slipped perfectly in the slots between his own; as if their hands were made to fit together. "And then he took me to the arboretum."

The atmosphere immediately shifted, and Laurel visibly stiffened. "Did you tell him…?"

"I knew where we were going before we even got there," Blaine continued, ignoring his cousin's question. "He noticed the way my mood changed, and asked what was wrong. It turns out his mother used to take him there too." Thinking back on what Kurt had told him, the smile left Blaine's face completely. "He took me to a little clearing off-trail, where we could be alone."

Blaine suddenly stopped, unsure of what to say next. Should he really talk about what had happened there? Kurt shared something very personal, and it didn't feel right to talk about it with someone else. It was Kurt's story, what right did he have to spread it to others?

"And then we just talked for a few hours and he brought me home," he said, shrugging.

He made to get up from the couch but Laurel caught his wrist, holding him there. "Hold on a second. There's something you're not telling me."

"No there's not," Blaine lied, averting his eyes.

"Yes, there is. I know that look. What happened? Did he hurt you? Did he…?"

"What? No! I already told you, he's not like that. Look, it's just…he shared something with me. Something personal and I don't feel comfortable telling it to you because it's his story to tell, not mine. All I'll say is that things got a little…emotional."

"Emotional…" Laurel repeated, eyeing Blaine oddly.

"We cried, okay?" Blaine exclaimed, now completely frustrated with his cousin. He leapt up from the couch and started pacing in front of the muted television. "He told me something really sad and he cried and he was embarrassed so I told him about Mom and Dad to make him feel not so alone in his breakdown."

"Wait," she studied him hard, her eyes wide, "When you say you told him about your parents, you mean the abridged version right? You came out, they weren't happy, you left, the end?"

Blaine sighed, pausing in his trail to look directly into his cousin's eyes. "No. I mean I told him everything. About you and I at the family reunion in 2006, about me coming out 2 years later, and exactly what happened that night. About all the legal stuff—"

"Oh, Blaine."

"—and about everything you did for me, have done for me…I told him about everything."

Laurel just sat there, staring at Blaine with concern written all over her face. Just the fact that she wasn't speaking said everything Blaine needed to know. "Don't say it, Laur. I don't want to hear it."

"Blaine—"

"Don't."

"That's not normal," she said, ignoring the fact that he told her not to. "You never talk about that. Hell, I don't think you even told Trevor about that."

Blaine clenched his teeth. "I didn't. And it would be really great if you stopped comparing Kurt to him. For that matter, it would be really great if you would stop bringing him up at all."

"You called him Soulmate after knowing him for a day, Blaine!" Laurel shouted, jumping up from the couch. "You knew him for less than 5 minutes before you were flirting with him! Two weeks later, you two are going on your first date, where apparently he shared something really private and you told him something you haven't told anyone! What do you expect me to do? I'm worried about you." Her voice grew softer and she crossed the room, placing her hands on his shoulders and trying to look into his eyes. He refused, staring at the floor. "Look at me." Reluctantly, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "I'm just worried about you. I thought, after everything that happened with…him…there was a while when I didn't know what would happen. You were so…broken, Blaine. So unbelievably broken, and I didn't know what to do. I was scared for you, I thought you might try to…"

They both shut their eyes and turned away, shuddering at the thought. "But then you joined the Warblers and found happiness again. Your life just completely turned around and I was so relieved, I thought the worst of it was over and we could move on with our lives, until you left for New York. You got that scholarship, Blaine, you beat out so many kids and you earned that, and I'm so proud of you for it. I thought, this is his chance; he's finally going to get out of this shit hole and live a real life, away from all the horrible people here. I knew you'd find another boy, but I thought it would be in New York, when you were already gone and at college and having the time of your life. I figured you'd go on a few dates, try out different guys, develop a 'type.' And maybe a year or two down the road, you'd find one you wanted to bring home to me.

"I never thought you'd fall in love, just a few months shy of escaping, after knowing the kid for two weeks."

"I'm still leaving," Blaine whispered. "So is he. Regardless of whether this turns into anything, I'm going; either way he's going too."

"And that's what scares me," Laurel replied, meeting Blaine's hazel eyes again. "That right there."

"What?"

"You didn't even deny that you're in love with him."

"I…" Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to finish his denial statement.

"Exactly." The blonde took his face in her hands. "Be careful, Blaine. You have such an open heart, and you love so fiercely. That's always been your downfall. You fall too quickly, love too much, and let's just say hypothetically that you two do decide to become an official couple. Let's say you stay together all summer, and when you go away to college together, you think you're so in love that nothing can break you guys apart. What happens if Kurt decides that he wants to experience college and all that is has to offer, and wants to see other people? What if he doesn't want to be tied down?" She curled the short ends of his hair behind his ear. "What if he breaks your heart and I'm not there to help you pick up the pieces, Blaine?"

"He wouldn't do that."

"He could."

"No," Blaine practically spit the word at her, throwing her hands from his face and walking away. He turned back to her, ranting from the archway that connected the living room to the dining room. "I know that half of this I'm probably making up in my head. I know that I'm probably blowing it up to make this bigger than it is. I know that we've barely begun to know each other, and that my feelings are out of control. But that's just it, you can't control how you feel. I don't know if I would call it love yet, it sounds crazy to say you love a person after the first date, but they say you know when you know. And something about this just feels right. Something is telling me that this is all going according to some grand plan; Kurt and I were meant to meet. It's fate.

"But I'm not stupid, Laurel. After what happened with Trevor," he bit out the name, literally leaving a bitter after taste in his mouth, "I'm not na�ve enough to think Kurt and I are going to skip out into the sunset and live happily ever after. I'm still cautious; I know the risks I'm taking with him. He could turn out to be exactly like Trevor and I could go through everything all over again…" Blaine had to pause and take a steadying breath, keep himself rooted in the present and not go back there. "But he's worth it. For Kurt…For Soulmate," he added, laughing to himself, "I'm willing to take those risks. I'm not asking you to be happy for me or to completely accept it, but just please, don't try to stop me. Don't try to deter me from being with him. Because it won't work. I just want to be with him."

Neither of them spoke; instead, they just stood still, staring at each other, letting the other's words sink in. It was too much, it was all just too much. The memories of Trevor were trying to break free in Blaine's mind, trying to rush back at him and remind him how real the possibility was that Kurt might just follow that same pattern.

But he had to believe. He had to have faith that this time, it would be different. It wasn't love with Trevor, Blaine could see that clearly now. But why was that only clear to him now, why couldn't he tell the difference at the time?

Because at the time, he didn't have anything real to compare it to.

"Fine," Laurel sighed. "Alright, I'll…I'll try to leave you alone about him. You can keep whatever this is up with Soulmate, not like I could really stop you, you're 18 now anyway, but I promise I won't let it come between us. I need you to promise me two things, though."

Blaine was so relieved that Laurel had given up fighting him on this that he was ready to promise his soul. "Anything."

"One, you keep me updated. Just…don't be afraid to talk to me about him because you think I won't approve. I still want to know every overly-saccharine, lovey-dovey detail, got it?"

Despite the situation, Blaine cracked a small smile. "Got it."

"Two, I want you to talk to Kurt. The next time you see him, I want you to ask him exactly what is going on between the two of you so that you're both on the same page. I know in your head you two are already married with 2 kids and a dog and a white picket fence, but that's even more reason for you to find out exactly where he sees this going. Okay?"

That was a little less easy to agree to. If Blaine asked him where he saw the relationship going after only one date, that would surely scare him off. Then again, maybe it would be a good thing. If Kurt was running away at the mere thought of a relationship, he wasn't right anyway.

"Okay."

…

June 18, 2012

That Sunday, Blaine spent the entire day lying in his room, wishing that he had gotten Kurt's number so they could have been texting or talking on the phone or something. And really, wasn't it a bit strange that they'd been on a date and didn't even have each other's phone numbers?

Just one more thing to talk about today, Blaine thought, sitting in his chair in English and waiting for Kurt to show up.

The thing was, he never did. The professor came in and shut the door and began his lecture, and Blaine thought that maybe Kurt would just be running a little late. But he wasn't. The minutes ticked on and on and Kurt never showed. Part of him was worried that it was because of their date, that Kurt hadn't enjoyed it as much as he had and now he was avoiding him. Maybe he'd regretted opening up about his mom like that and now he wanted nothing to do with Blaine. Another part of him was just concerned for Kurt's safety. After all, accidents happen. Kurt could have been mugged or gotten in a car accident or any myriad of awful things.

By the time class was dismissed, Blaine was struggling to control his erratic breathing because he was on the brink of a panic attack just thinking about all the horrible things that could have prevented Kurt from showing up to class that day.

Blaine knew it was just a force of habit that he still went to the coffee shop after class, because it was part of his daily routine now. But if you asked him, he'd tell you it was because fate brought him there to reassure him that his soulmate was just fine.

The second he entered the caf�, his eyes found Kurt's glasz ones from across the room, and he smiled in relief. His smile grew even wider when Kurt returned it, and he realized that at the table Soulmate was sitting at, there were two coffee cups.

"Here you go, sir. Your customary medium drip. How was English?" Kurt said, gently nudging the cup towards Blaine as he took the seat across from him.

"I wouldn't know, I couldn't concentrate. I was a little distracted."

Kurt's typical smirk spread across his features. "Was someone daydreaming about a certain stud in a red and white cheerleading uniform dancing to the song 4 Minutes?"

"Actually," Blaine said, taking a sip of his coffee. Perfection on his tongue. "I was more concerned about your welfare than your very talented hips."

The smirk faltered a little. "You were worried about me?"

"When you didn't show up, yes. It's not like we have each other's numbers, so I couldn't text you to see if you were alright. You could have gotten in a car accident or something and I wouldn't even know."

Now, every trace of Kurt's playfulness had drained from his face and he was staring intently at Blaine. "For the record, I slept through my alarm this morning. That's why I skipped English. But I have a feeling that's not all this is about, so is something wrong?"

Blaine sighed, running his hand through his hair and swirling his coffee cup, gazing at the circular motion. "No. Yes. I don't know…"

"Just say it." Kurt's tone almost broke his heart and Blaine's head whipped up to see Kurt looking utterly and completely defeated. "Go ahead. I freaked you out on Saturday, didn't I? Taking you to that place, and my mom…it weirded you out and now you don't want anything to do with me."

The dark-haired boy was so thrown off by this that he couldn't even form words at first. Kurt thought that he freaked Blaine out? That was definitely not how Blaine had imagined this conversation would go.

"What? No! No, Kurt, stop. It's nothing like that, not at all…I just…" He took a deep breath, steeling himself just in case Kurt decided that this wasn't what he wanted after all. "Our date was perfect. You weren't lying when you said you had awesome plans, it was the best date I've ever been on. I'm just wondering…I mean…I know it was only our first date and all and I know that I'm getting ahead of myself here and feel free to just get up and leave if this is too much and I'm too much but I was just wondering where you saw this going."

Kurt's eyes danced back and forth between Blaine's two hazel ones, and for a moment, Blaine was sure he'd run. But he just stayed there, looking at Blaine like he was the only one in the room, and he quietly asked, "This?"

"This…thing, between us. I don't want to call it a relationship yet if that's not what you want or where you want it to go but I just have to know, because I've been driving myself crazy thinking about it, about you, all weekend, all week, hell, every day since I've met you."

Why was it that once Blaine was talking he could never seem to stop at the appropriate time? Kurt didn't seem to mind though. It was a little startling to look at, because the boy sitting across from him right now was not the same cocky, flirtatious boy he'd met two weeks ago today. This was an insecure young man, frightened at the prospect of a new relationship, a new journey of uncharted territory. If Blaine didn't know any better, he'd think he was looking in a mirror, that Kurt was sharing every emotion that he was having. But for that to be true, Kurt would have to be as crazy about him as he was about Kurt. And there was just no way that was true.

"Really?"

And the way Kurt said that, so tentatively, almost like he couldn't believe Blaine had been thinking about him, just broke him. Blaine no longer had any qualms about sharing his inner thoughts with this boy, because he could tell his random outbursts of candid emotion were not going to waste.

"Really. So, I just…Before I get any more wrapped up in you, I want to make sure we're on the same page."

Kurt smiled, and it was that beautiful smile Blaine saw for the first time on Saturday when they were laying together, just staring at each other. It lit up his whole face and made Blaine feel like he was the only boy in the world. "Give me your phone."

For a second, Blaine hesitated, but then he decided that it just wasn't worth it and Kurt could have said "Give me your life" and he would have done it. So he slid his phone out of his pocked and placed it in Kurt's hand. Kurt pressed a few buttons, scrunching up his face in that adorable concentrating way he did sometimes, then set the phone on the table in front of Blaine and got up, starting to walk away. Confused, Blaine picked up his phone and looked at the screen. It was a contact entry in his phonebook.

Nickname: Best Boyfriend In The World

Last Name: Hummel

First Name: Kurt

Mobile: (419) 555-6237

Blaine's mouth dropped at the nickname Kurt had entered, and he spun around to start at Kurt's retreating figure.

"What did you…Did you just…"

Kurt turned around in the doorway and smirked at him. "I won't be in biology today, either. I have a dentist appointment. But I expect a call from you tonight. I like to talk to my boyfriend on the phone every night. 'Kay?"

Blaine couldn't even form the words, so he just nodded and watched his boyfriend leave.

Oh, Laurel was not going to be happy about this.