There was something very strange about being back in his old dressing room. Kurt sat in front of one of the mirrors, the room crowded with all the other ensemble members coming and going, filled with post-show adrenaline, and looked at himself, trying to find the same man who had been here a handful of weeks ago, only caring about not being in the spotlight enough.

That man had been turned to ashes. He had reborn like the phoenix.

The last couple of hours seemed to have gone by in a daze. Being back on stage sent a thrill down his body: there was nothing like the lights on his face, the sound of the applause enveloping him like a hug. He knew it wasn’t directed at him, not really, but he fed from it nonetheless.

Broadway was his home. It was nice to be back.

A few of his coworkers patted him on the back, saying for the millionth time how nice it was to have him here. Kurt smiled politely at them, thanked them for their words. It felt surreal. Not too long ago he had been struggling for his life, and now he was here, like he had never walked away from his everyday life.

The world didn’t stop while Kurt Hummel’s whole life was shifted on its axis. It kept spinning, and now Kurt was thrust back into it, and he had to cope and learn how to fit back into something he had once known so well…

He sighed. His thoughts the last few days had been scary and full of confusion. He had changed, but he still didn’t know what to do about that.

His phone buzzed on the desk in front of him, and he grabbed it to find a text from Finn. His brother had been worried sick about him being out in the streets after the sun had set, and Kurt couldn’t blame him. Finn’s world had changed a bit, too.

Kurt texted him back to reassure him, let him know he was still in the theatre but would leave in a few minutes. Finn replied almost immediately with a smiley face and saying he looked forward to hearing how Kurt’s first performance back had been.

Kurt smiled at his phone. No matter how much everything else changed, Finn was the best constant he would ever have.

After saying goodbye to his cast mates, Kurt grabbed his bag and walked down the hallway towards the exit. As soon as he opened the door, he was faced with the crowd waiting for the stars. Once again, no one even noticed him slipping out the stage door. He was not the reason they were here.

But he was here, and he was alive, and there was so much, so much, to be grateful for, still.

“Excuse me,” a voice said, as a Playbill appeared right in front of his face, making him stop. “Would you mind giving me your autograph? I thought you were the most mesmerizing, beautiful and talented person on that stage.”

Kurt blinked in absolute confusion and looked up from the Playbill to find Blaine standing in front of him, his eyes warm and his lips curled in a little smile.

“Blaine!” He exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, we kept missing each other, what with your rehearsals and me leaving the hospital, so…” Blaine shrugged. He was wearing a blue button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and jeans, his face freshly shaven, and his dark hair styled carefully. He looked absolutely breathtaking. “Here I am.”

“You…” Kurt looked back at the Playbill and then at Blaine once more. “You saw the show?”

“Yes, and I wasn’t lying just now. You were amazing, Kurt,” Blaine replied warmly, stepping closer to him as a group of people tried to pass by them on the sidewalk. Or maybe it was just an excuse to be closer. Kurt was fine with either option. “I knew you were talented, but… wow.”

Kurt felt himself blushing. “I’m just in the ensemble…”

“It doesn’t matter. I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” Blaine said, his hand going slowly towards Kurt’s face, giving him enough time to move away. Which, of course, was ridiculous. Kurt leaned his cheek into Blaine’s touch, feeling invigorated by it.

“Blaine…” Kurt murmured, moved by his words. “Thank you. I wish you’ve told me you were coming. I could have got you the tickets…”

“I wanted to surprise you,” Blaine said, grinning widely. “Did I succeed?”

God, Kurt loved him. With every little fiber of his heart, he loved him. “Of course you did. I’m so happy you’re here.”

“I was hoping you would like to have dinner with me?” Blaine said tentatively. “I mean, I truly couldn’t take my eyes off you, so I need you to explain what the whole musical was actually about.”

Kurt’s laughter burst out of him unexpectedly. It took him a few seconds to realize it was the first time he laughed since coming back from Maryland. Being with Blaine just made him so unavoidably happy.

“Well, since it was my fault you couldn’t focus on the show…” Kurt teased, rolling his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

Blaine extended his arm towards him, like the gentleman he was. Kurt took it without a second’s hesitation, and they strolled down the New York City sidewalks, heading to a restaurant Blaine suggested.

“Can I ask how you’re feeling or are you going to chew my head off for it?” Kurt asked, nudging him playfully with his shoulder.

Blaine chuckled under his breath. “I’m fine, I promise.”

“Fine enough to be out and about and go back to work and all that?” Kurt said, as they paused at a corner to wait for a red light.

“Yes,” Blaine answered. “Though I’m actually taking a few days off work.”

Kurt frowned. It didn’t sound like Blaine to take time off. “You are?”

Blaine turned to face him fully. The traffic stopped as the light turned red, but they ignored it for a moment. “I need the time off. And I was hoping I would get to spend a lot of time with you. I didn’t want silly distractions, like work, to interfere.”

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine’s chest, fingers grabbing at his shirt a little desperately. “God, Agent Anderson, you really do know how to make a man swoon.”

Blaine grinned, and his smile could have powered all of New York City, it was so bright. Kurt loved that smile. He loved everything about this man.

Blaine’s eyes flickered down to Kurt’s lips. Kurt held his breath in expectation, but Blaine didn’t move forward. “Kurt… would it be okay if I…?”

“Please, just kiss me already,” Kurt practically whimpered, and Blaine didn’t need to hear another word.

He surged forward, capturing Kurt’s lips in an ardent kiss, one of his hands moving up Kurt’s side until he was cupping his jaw, his thumb pressing slightly as if guiding Kurt to part his lips a little more. Kurt happily granted access, and Blaine’s tongue teased his own. The fire that had been lit in Maryland returned full force, and for a moment, Kurt was scared they would burn Manhattan down with the intensity of it.

They only parted when it became hard to breathe. Kurt leaned his forehead against Blaine, panting with his eyes closed, and willing his heart to stop trying to break through his ribcage. Blaine’s hand remained on his cheek, his thumb now caressing his cheekbone, so very softly that it sent shivers down Kurt’s spine.

“I missed you,” Blaine mumbled quietly, his words almost swallowed by the sounds of the city around them.

“I missed you too,” Kurt said, moving in to place the softest of kisses to Blaine’s jaw.

Blaine sighed in contentment. “I could stay right here and just kiss you for the rest of my days.”

Kurt laughed – again; the second time in just a handful of minutes, and only Blaine could have that effect on him right now. “That sounds like a perfect idea, but I’m starving.” Kurt forced himself to pull away just enough to look at Blaine. “Maybe we can go kiss somewhere where there’s food?”

Blaine’s hand found his. He tangled their fingers together and then pressed a kiss to their joint knuckles. “Let’s go.”

They arrived at the Italian restaurant Blaine had suggested a few minutes later, and as they waited for their waitress to bring the menus, Kurt pulled out his phone to let Finn know he wasn’t going home yet, after all.

“He worries,” Kurt said, apologetically, as he put his phone away and returned all his attention to Blaine.

“Understandable,” Blaine nodded kindly. “How is Finn doing?”

“He’s great. He’s happy everything’s over, and he’s been over the moon since Rachel accepted going out with him,” Kurt leaned over the table a little bit, as if he couldn’t resist being even a few inches closer to Blaine. “I guess we Hummel-Hudson brothers are very popular with you FBI peeps.”

Blaine chuckled. “Can you blame us?”

Kurt hummed in contentment. “I guess not.”

Once they had ordered, Blaine’s hand found Kurt’s on the tabletop, and it just felt so natural, like they had been holding hands forever. Like their hands were meant to hold each other.

“Have you heard from Manuel? I’ve been worried about him since he went back to Maryland. I asked at the bureau while you were still at the hospital, but no one could tell me anything,” Kurt said. He had grown so fond of the old man. He hoped he was fine.

“He’s happy to be home. I talked to him this morning, and tried convincing him to take a few weeks off, go somewhere with his children, but he doesn’t want to leave the ranch. He says it’s his home and he doesn’t need a break from it,” Blaine explained, shaking his head with a loving look on his face. “But one of his sons is staying with him for now, just to make sure he’s fine.”

Kurt nodded, looking down at their hands. He didn’t want to think about what had happened in the ranch, but it wasn’t something he could just turn off like a light. Memories came back to him in flashes, and he knew Blaine could tell by the look on his face.

“How have you been?” He asked, squeezing Kurt’s hand in comfort. “For real.”

“For real?” Kurt repeated, and he suddenly felt very tired. “I found a therapist, and I have my first appointment in two days. I think I… I really need to learn to live with what I did.”

“That sounds very reasonable, Kurt. I’m glad you decided to do this,” Blaine said reassuringly. “And I hope you know how brave you are.”

Kurt smiled at him faintly. “I guess I’m a little braver than I thought I was…”

Blaine leaned over the table and kissed him, just a quick but perfect peck on the lips. “My hero.”

Kurt blushed, and their food arrived before he could even think of something to say to that.

They drifted towards lighter topics as they ate. Kurt mentioned he was living with his brother and looking for a new home, and Blaine laughed at the horror stories he told about the apartments he had found online (“Seriously, Blaine, if they are going to post pictures online, the least they could do is make sure the cockroaches aren’t the main focus.”). Blaine told him about Santana and Brittany’s new son, and how they had chosen his name (“I swear, Kurt, I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest when they told me. Cooper would have loved this so much.”). They shared their food, feeding each other bites of ravioli and tiramisu like the corniest of couples, and they talked about their favorite restaurants in the city (“Oh my god, we have to go to Adela’s. Their roasted salmon is to die for.”).

By the time their waitress brought them their check – which they argued over until Blaine shyly suggested that Kurt could pay on their next date – it felt as if they had been together for a lifetime. It felt as if making plans to go out to eat, and go to one of Finn’s games, and even suggesting going on a weekend getaway was just what you do after one date.

But they weren’t a regular couple sitting down together for their first time after their friends had set them up on a blind date. They hadn’t met on the subway and bonded over carrying the same book to read during their commute. They hadn’t bumped into each other at Starbucks and bashfully exchanged phone numbers.

They had met in the most awful circumstances, and they had learned the hard way that there was no time to waste. When something felt right, you had to hold onto it. You didn’t know when it could be taken away from you.

They stepped out of the restaurant hand in hand and stood in the sidewalk for a moment, both hesitating. Neither wanted to say goodbye.

“Would like to, uhm, walk me home?” Kurt suggested, even though it wasn’t what he wanted. But he didn’t want to part ways right here and now.

Blaine turned to him, brushed some of Kurt’s hair with his fingers, placing it behind his ear. His eyes were wide and bright, and Kurt hated being a cliché, but he truly felt like he could fall into them. “Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask if you want to come home with me? I just don’t want to say goodbye yet.”

Kurt kissed him. It was the only way to express his relief at Blaine’s words. He kissed him thoroughly, pressing their bodies together, and Blaine understood. It wasn’t presumptuous at all.

They hailed a cab. During the ride to Brooklyn, which felt endless, they held hands, and Kurt once again texted Finn to ease his brother’s mind and tell him he wasn’t coming home tonight. He would have to put up with Finn’s teasing the next day, but it would be so, so worth it.

Kurt stood behind Blaine as he fished the keys out of his pocket once they had arrived. He looked up at Blaine’s home, a beautiful renovated carriage house, and felt the bubbling of anticipation in his stomach. As Blaine placed the key in the lock, Kurt took a deep breath and made a decision.

“Wait,” he said quickly, and Blaine turned to look at him, eyebrows up to his hairline. “I… before we go inside…”

“Kurt?” Blaine asked, stepping closer to him, tilting his head curiously, a hint of concern in his whiskey eyes.

“There’s something I should tell you,” Kurt said, taking a deep breath. “There’s something you should know. Before I go inside with you.”

“Okay?” Blaine muttered, and he looked thoroughly confused now.

“I love you,” Kurt said simply. Blaine’s eyes widened slightly. “I’m in love with you. I think I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you. Or maybe the second time I saw you, since I was pretty traumatized when you interrogated me that first night.” He chuckled, mostly out of nerves, twisting his hands together. “What I mean is… I don’t want to come in if this is going to be a one-night only thing. I’m… here for so much more than that.”

Blaine inhaled sharply. He took one more step towards him and cupped his face in his hands. “Oh, you silly, silly boy.”

Kurt blinked at him. That was not the answer he had hoped for. “I… what?”

“If you haven’t figured out that I’m head over heels for you and that I’m here for so much more than just one night, too, then I’m either doing something very wrong here, or you’re just so, so blind,” Blaine retorted, grinning at him.

“Head over heels, huh?” Kurt repeated, as he felt his cheeks burning at Blaine’s words.

“I thought I was being horribly obvious,” Blaine bit his bottom lip, clearly amused. “I don’t make a habit of sleeping with the witnesses under my protection.”

Kurt covered his eyes with his hand and laughed. He was being ridiculous. “God, I’m sorry, I just…”

“Kurt?” Blaine whispered, carefully removing Kurt’s hand from his face. When Kurt’s blue eyes were fixed in him, Blaine added: “I love you.”

A slow, happy, delighted smile bloomed on Kurt’s lips. He pressed a quick, chaste kiss against Blaine’s mouth, and then rubbed their noses together, in a tender and playful way. “Then let’s go inside.”

Blaine opened the door and felt on the wall for the light switch. Kurt stepped into a warm living room, simply yet nicely decorated, with a large black leather couch, a flat screen TV and bookcases filled to the brim with books and picture frames. The style reminded him a bit of the ranch, although more lived in, less country-like.

“Your house is lovely,” he commented, as he moved towards the nearest bookcase.

“I actually grew up here,” Blaine explained, moving into the kitchen area, surprisingly spacious for a New York City home. “This was my parents’ house. When my mom moved out after my dad died, I decided to live here.”

Kurt grabbed a picture from the shelf. It showed four smiling faces: Blaine, Cooper, and their parents, when the boys were teenagers, during a fishing trip. They looked like a happy, loving family. “I love how long your curls were here.”

“Oh shush it. It was a bird’s nest,” Blaine laughed. “Trust me, you don’t want to see me with my hair that long.”

Kurt was still studying the picture when Blaine joined him, offering him a glass of wine, and taking a sip from his own. His free hand found its way to Kurt’s waist, and simply rested there as if it was second nature to him.

“Cooper was so handsome,” Kurt said softly.

“He was,” Blaine nodded. “I was always a little jealous of him for that. People were always so welcoming to him, so open. I didn’t have it as easy. It was silly of me, I know. He was an amazing brother, even if he sometimes believed the world spun around him.”

Kurt pressed a kiss to his cheek and then put the picture back on the shelf. He was tempted to ask more questions about Blaine’s family, about his relationship with Cooper, about that fishing trip, but he didn’t want Blaine to feel sad. Not now.

Plus, they had the rest of their lives to talk about that. And about so much more.

He turned around in Blaine’s grasp, so they could be face to face. Blaine was beautiful. He wasn’t sure if he thought of him like that before: hot, yes; attractive, always; beautiful? Yes, he was the most beautiful man Kurt had ever seen, but not only because of his golden eyes, his strong body, or the shape of his tantalizing mouth. He was beautiful because he had a beautiful soul.

And for some amazing, fortunate reason… he was in love with Kurt.

How had his nightmare morphed into such an idyllic dream?

Kurt took a sip of wine to try and calm his racing heart. It tasted bitter and strong in his tongue, its texture almost as silky as Blaine’s kisses.

“Would you like a tour?” Blaine asked into his ear, and oh, when had he stepped so close to him? They were pressed together as if they were in the middle of the most intimate dance, but they weren’t moving at all.

“Is that just an excuse to take me to your bedroom?” Kurt asked, nuzzling Blaine’s hairline.

He could feel Blaine’s chest vibrate as he chuckled, they were so close. “Kurt Hummel, you’re too smart for your own good.”

“Or maybe you just haven’t realized you don’t really need an excuse to take me to your bedroom,” Kurt practically purred into his ear, and oh, maybe the wine had gone to his head already.

Blaine took his hand, and slowly guided him farther into the house, down the hallway, up the stairs. Kurt barely had time to take a look around - the pictures on the walls, the guitar leaning against a wall, the colorful carpet in the hallway - before Blaine was crossing the door into his bedroom.

His bed had a navy blue duvet and was carefully made, with a couple of fluffy decorative pillows in matching tones. Kurt was about to comment on the vintage side tables, when Blaine wrapped his arm around his waist and made him turn to face him.

“Kurt, I… I hope you know…” Blaine murmured, looking into his eyes intensely.

Kurt smiled at him, encouragingly. “What is it?”

“I know what I do for a living can be scary. I know maybe you had enough of scary situations for the rest of your life, and that being with an FBI agent could be…” Blaine said, but Kurt interrupted him before he could look even more worried.

“Blaine,” he said sweetly. “I’ve known since the start exactly who you are and what you do. And I’m not going to lie, it is scary as hell. But… what kind of person would I be if I decided not to be with the man I love only because of what he does for a living? What kind of man would I be if I didn’t take advantage of every precious day I can spend with you when I know how it all can be over in a second?”

Blaine relaxed in his arms. “Are you sure? Because my schedule is crazy, and ending in the hospital isn’t actually that unusual, and…”

“Blaine,” Kurt interrupted again, this time with a roll of his eyes. “Shut up, put that wine glass down, and just kiss me already, okay?”

With a chuckle, Blaine did what he was told. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled, before he captured Kurt’s lips in a desperate kiss.

*

Kurt would never forget how gentle Blaine was as he used his lube-coated fingers to open Kurt’s body, or the dark look in his eyes as he watched Kurt fuck himself down onto them, eager for more. He wouldn’t forget the spark of pleasure when Blaine’s tongue made its way down his chest, to circle his belly button and further down, until his mouth was right where he wanted it, his cock wrapped in a velvety heat he couldn’t get enough of.

He would never forget the sounds that escaped Blaine’s mouth as he pushed inside Kurt’s body, the trembling of his arms as he tried to hold himself up as not to crush him. He wouldn’t forget the sloppy kisses, the ones he was too lost in pleasure to focus on, or the way he placed his forehead against Kurt’s and closed his eyes tightly, as if he couldn’t deal with everything he was feeling.

What they had shared back at the ranch had been wonderful. The way their bodies worked together… Kurt thought they had been made to move against each other, to rip pleasure from the deepest parts of them, to feed the fire that burned within them when they touched. But this… Kurt had never felt closer to another human being. This was more than sex. This was something that was beyond words.

When they were right on the edge of their orgasms, Blaine reached for Kurt’s hands, intertwining their fingers together and pulling them up above Kurt’s head, bringing them impossibly closer. Their lips were pressed together, parted, as they panted and moaned into each other’s mouths. Kurt arched his back, his chest glued to Blaine’s, and spilled all over his stomach, sending Blaine over the abysm as he clenched around him.

They held each other through it, whispering little nothings between one kiss and the next, an endless string of kisses that brought smiles to their faces, which were erased by one more kiss, and then one more smile, and then one more kiss. It was the most perfect cycle, and neither wanted it to end.

How was it possible that the most horrible thing Kurt had gone through in his entire life had also brought him the most amazing thing he had ever had?

Blaine’s love had been so unexpected, and yet so welcomed, so needed. And it would be so, so cherished.

He buried his hands in Blaine’s sweaty curls and brought him in for a sweet, deep kiss. As they parted, already falling asleep tangled under the covers, he whispered: “Goodnight, Agent Anderson.”

Blaine’s lips stretched into a smile, but he was too far gone to reply, and simply sunk into Kurt’s arms and closed his eyes.

*

The next morning, Blaine woke up moaning. His rock hard cock was trapped between his body and the mattress, and there was a silky wet heat in his ass. He moaned again, slowly slipping into consciousness, before looking over his shoulder to see Kurt pulling away from him, cheeks flushed and lips cherry red.

Blaine could have come from that sight alone.

“Kurt…” He whimpered, arching back and silently asking for more.

“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up for a while,” Kurt said, voice thick with arousal. “Do you mind if I…?”

“God, please,” Blaine moaned, burying his face in the pillow.

Kurt leaned back in, using his thumbs to spread Blaine’s cheeks apart, and then he was right there, the heat of his mouth covering the very center of him, his tongue giving long, teasing licks before pushing in. Blaine closed his eyes and focused on the insistent waves of pleasure this sent through his body, and he knew he could come soon, if Kurt didn’t stop.

And then Kurt added a finger alongside his tongue.

Blaine just melted into the bed and allowed Kurt to prep him, to open him up, to get him ready for what was coming next. He had never felt so safe and taken care of during sex before. It felt so new. But every second with Kurt felt new and bright, like stepping into a new adventure.

After a few minutes under his ministration, Blaine started begging him for more. Fingers weren’t enough. His mouth - as wonderful as it was - wasn’t enough. He needed more.

Kurt covered Blaine’s body with his, his chest pressed against his back, as he thrust in, burying himself deep into Blaine in just one swift move. Blaine growled in appreciation, shifting his body to give him better access.

“You’re so… relaxed,” Kurt commented, nibbling on Blaine’s earlobe.

Relaxed was the right word to describe how Blaine felt. Suddenly, he didn’t have a care in the world. He wasn’t worried about a case, obsessed with catching a criminal, or grieving what he had lost. He was relaxed, happy and ready to give himself away to this – to this feeling, to Kurt, to what they could build together. Life was, for once, exactly what it was supposed to be.

And if new challenges appeared, Blaine was sure, without a single doubt, that they could face them together.

So he let himself sink into this moment. He closed his eyes and focused only on what Kurt was making him feel, on the weight of his body behind him, the pulse of his cock deep within him, the gentleness of his fingers as he caressed randomly across his skin.

On one of those caresses, Kurt’s fingers came upon the new scar on Blaine’s shoulder. It was still fresh, and even though Blaine wasn’t exactly in pain, it was sensitive. Kurt’s hips stuttered, hesitant, when Blaine inhaled sharply at the touch.

“I’m sorry, I…” Kurt murmured.

“No, it’s fine,” Blaine said, twisting his head enough to smile at him. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Are you sure? I should have… should I have been more careful? Is any of this hurting you?” Kurt asked, peppering small kisses on the back of his neck.

Blaine groaned. “The only thing that hurts me is that you stopped.”

Kurt chuckled, but his hips began moving again, and Blaine arched into them, seeking for more. “Just like this?”

Blaine moaned, and as he shifted, he could feel Kurt even more fully, which he hadn’t though was possible. “God, yes. Oh Kurt, oh please, oh…”

As his voice grew more and more desperate, Kurt’s pace also became faster. “It’s okay, darling. Just tell me what you want.”

“Touch me,” Blaine muttered brokenly, and they had to maneuver themselves enough so Blaine could lift his hips and Kurt could reach under him, his fingers immediately closing around his hard cock.

It didn’t take long after that. Just a few strokes and Blaine was spilling all over the sheets, and the sounds he made and the way his ass clenched Kurt’s cock, sent Kurt over the edge as well. He stayed buried deep inside of Blaine even after both of them had gone soft, like they couldn’t bear to be apart, like this was the only way to truly be close.

“That was…” Blaine mumbled stupidly, as soon as his brain began to function again. “I want to wake up like that every day.”

Kurt laughed, his lips pressed against the curve of Blaine’s neck. “I’ll see what I can do about it…”

Once they had no choice but to pull away, they shifted until they could face each other, blue eyes looking into whiskey eyes, and whatever they were searching for, they seemed to find it, because they moved in for a soft, slow kiss.

“I love you,” Blaine whispered, like it was a secret.

“I love you, too,” Kurt replied, without missing a beat, like it was the only certainty left in the world, the only thing that couldn’t be questioned.

Outside, New York was already awake and busy, the sun bright in the sky, the traffic heavy, the people moving non-stop, like they couldn’t waste a second getting to their destination. But inside these walls, Kurt and Blaine had no rush and simply kissed the morning away.

There was nowhere else they’d rather be.

*