The next night, Kurt was dizzy with excitement as he waited for Blaine to come home (their home, their home, their home) from work. He had changed his outfit twice already, tried the vase with the roses in different rooms of the apartment to see where they looked better before finally settling them on his night-stand and then he had changed his outfit once again.

The door opened just when Kurt was considering changing his shoes and he forgot all about it as soon as he saw Blaine. Blaine's face lit up with the same excitement and they smiled at each other from across the room before they remembered they were actually allowed to do more than stare, so Blaine closed the door and walked right into Kurt's arms, dropping a few kisses on his neck and jaw before claiming his mouth in his.

"Missed you," he mumbled against his lips and Kurt hummed blissfully.

"Not as much as I missed you," Kurt assured him, throwing his arms around his neck.

Blaine smiled and pecked him quickly on the lips. "Not possible." Another peck, just because he could. "Are you ready to go?"

Kurt took a step back and looked down at himself. "Should I change my shoes?"

"You look beautiful," Blaine answered, sweetly. "Don't change a thing."

Kurt had the feeling Blaine wasn't talking about the shoes or the clothes and it made his heart beat faster and his cheeks blush a bit.

"Then I guess I'm ready to go," Kurt sighed happily.

It was a cold night, but not as cold as it had been a week before. Spring was slowly coming closer. They walked hand in hand down the street, Kurt asking Blaine about his day and Blaine asking Kurt about his.

"Is there somewhere in particular you'd like to go?" Blaine asked as they stood at a corner, waiting for the red light to change to cross the street.

"Whatever you've got planned will be more than fine with me," Kurt kissed his cheek and slipped an arm around his waist as they waited.

Blaine took a deep breath. It was obvious he was nervous about this date, as if he was thinking Kurt wouldn't want to be with him if the place he chose wasn't good enough.

Kurt tucked his face against Blaine's neck and started mouthing at the sensitive skin there, much like he had done before their first kiss. "I love you. I don't care where you take me as long as you're there with me."

"Even if the food sucks?" Blaine tried to joke, not very effectively.

"Even if the food sucks," Kurt assured him, pulling away to smile at him. "Then we'll make fun of the awful chef together and you can buy me coffee on the way home to wash the horrible taste away."

That made Blaine chuckle. He grabbed Kurt's hand again and crossed the street with him.

There was a small, cozy restaurant almost hidden in a less busy New York City street. Blaine took Kurt there and, before going inside, he hoped it was a good place.

It was almost empty, except for another couple and a lonely man eating in a corner. They chose a nice table by the window. The restaurant seemed taken from a movie. The tablecloths were checkered red and white and the walls were covered with pictures of kids running around parks and beaches. A waitress walked to them, greeted them politely and put two menus and a basket with breadsticks between them before walking away to let them decide what to order.

Blaine observed Kurt's face for any signs of disapproval or discontent as he opened the menu and started reading it. The restaurant looked good, but to Blaine anything looked good, even a crowded, child-infested McDonald's. Kurt, on the other hand, was used to nice places…

"Blaine, honey," Kurt said without averting his eyes from the menu. "You're staring."

"Oh," Blaine cleared his throat and hurried to open his own menu, almost knocking down the basket of breadsticks. "I-I'm sorry."

"Stop freaking out," Kurt smiled at him warmly and offered him his hand, which Blaine took eagerly.

"I've never taken anyone on a date before," Blaine muttered, knowing even his ears were turning red.

"Well, you're doing great so far," Kurt brought Blaine's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "And I don't know about you, but the ravioli sounds delicious to me."

Kurt made it so easy for Blaine. As soon as they started talking, reading the menu together, teasing each other about the simplest of things… Blaine forgot about being nervous, about the restaurant maybe not being the best one in town, about whatever he was worried about… he forgot. He just enjoyed being there with Kurt, starting a new life.

"Mm, oh my gosh, Blaine, you have to try this," Kurt practically moaned once they had their food. He speared a ravioli in his fork and offered it to Blaine, who nodded his agreement with wide eyes. "Apparently you're not as bad at choosing restaurants as you thought you were."

"Shut up," Blaine muttered, but he was grinning and blushing and so, so happy he could explode. He had ordered fettuccini Alfredo, which had been one of his favorite foods as a kid and he hadn't eaten any in years. He put a bit on his fork and held it up for Kurt. "This is amazing, too."

Kurt took a bite and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "It is! Okay, we'll be definitely coming back here very often."

Blaine's heart seemed to grow in his chest to fit all the love he fell for Kurt into it.

Kurt would never forget the huge smile on Blaine's face when the waitress handed him the check and he paid for it, tip included with cash from his wallet.

Kurt promised himself he'd never take the simple things for granted again. Not as long as Blaine kept showing him how some of those simple things were more wonderful than they seemed, if you shared them with the right person.

It was late and it had gotten cold to enjoy the walk back home, so they hailed a cab and climbed into the backseat, sitting very close together. Kurt threw his arm around Blaine's shoulders and let him rest his head against the crook of his neck.

"Tired?" Kurt murmured against his hair.

"A little," Blaine answered. His hand found Kurt's and he tangled their fingers together. "Thanks for letting me do this. I know it wasn't much…"

"It was perfect," Kurt assured him, sweetly, without a doubt. "The best date I've ever been on."

"Really?" Blaine's eyes lit up, hopeful.

"Of course, silly," Kurt nuzzled their noses together. "I told you. I don't care where we go, I just want to be there with you."

And Blaine finally started to believe it, because… why would Kurt lie? Why would Kurt tell him that if he didn't feel it? Why would he give him love and a home to come to every night if he didn't mean it? Kurt could have any man he wanted to. He was gorgeous, funny, amazing… and he wanted Blaine.

How that had happened, Blaine had no idea, but he knew he was the luckiest guy in the whole world.

And maybe life had punched him in the face several times. Maybe things hadn't gone as he had imagined they would when he was still a kid. But Blaine was sure of one thing: if he had to go through all of that again, knowing he'd find Kurt at the end, he would do it without a second thought.

After looking for so long, he had finally found a home. And it wasn't a place. It was a person.

Kurt was his home.

"I love you," he whispered to the warm skin of Kurt's neck.

Kurt smiled down at the man he loved and thought about how life had given him a second chance when he didn't know he needed it. "I love you, too."

They held each other tighter, never wanting to let go, and sighed in contentment as they watched New York City passing around them as the cab took them home.