Blaine was a little sleepy as he looked around the LAX terminal, scanning for his brother. Cooper had promised to come pick him up, but he was nowhere to be found. Blaine fished his cell phone out of his pocket and turned it back on to call him, but was immediately distracted when he found a message from Kurt, sent two hours ago.

From: Kurt

Thank you for such a perfect weekend. I hope you had a nice flight. I love you.

A smile tugged at his lips, and Blaine didn't even try to bite it back. He felt filled to bursting with the kind of happiness he hadn't experienced in a very, very long time. He already missed Kurt – a weekend with him hadn't been even remotely enough – but he also felt calm. It was as if these past few days had helped recharge his energy for whatever was going to happen next. There had been a weight lifted from his shoulders and he was ready to face the next big question buzzing in his head: what was he going to do with his life from now on?

It was difficult to find an answer when his skin was still vibrating with the vestiges of Kurt's touch, and his lips were tingling with the memory of their last kiss back at the airport in New York. Kurt had hugged him like he didn't want to let him go, and that had been exactly what had given Blaine the strength to pull away and get onto his plane – Kurt wanted him, and he would be waiting at the end of this road that Blaine needed to navigate on his own.

The Sunday they had spent together had been magical. They had woken in each other's arms, and shared lazy kisses that had turned into roaming hands, and heated panting breathing. They hadn't left the bed until well past noon, when Kurt insisted he wanted to cook for him. They had missed breakfast altogether, and by now Blaine was starving, so he eagerly followed Kurt to the kitchen.  Kurt made a delicious brunch, far too much food for just two of them. Unfortunately, most of it was wasted when it went cold, distracted by more kissing. Blaine couldn't remember a more enjoyable meal.  

Later, they cuddled on the couch and watched some of their favorite movies, until Blaine announced he wanted to take Kurt on a proper date, which made Kurt's blue eyes light up with excitement. They made a reservation at Kurt's favorite Thai restaurant and then dressed up, before leaving the building hand in hand. The restaurant was just a few blocks away, so they walked, and Kurt giggled in delight when Blaine stopped to buy a red rose from a street vendor, handing it to him with a flourish. It earned him a very passionate, grateful kiss under the awning of a closed antique shop.

Even though they made plans for seeing a show together next time Blaine visited, or to go to the beach when Kurt went back to Los Angeles, their plans didn't go further. They didn't want to push for something more solid, because it would only taint all the progress they had made so far. But Blaine could feel, just there under the surface, that future they wanted to promise to each other. They were so close to having it that they could taste it almost as easily as the luscious red wine they had with dinner.

They had spent most of their last night together awake, making love, and holding each other afterward, enjoying each other's proximity, filing it away in their memory to help get them through until they were together again. They didn't have to talk about it, but they could see in each other's eyes how much it meant to share this.

Blaine thumbed through his phone and pulled up one of the pictures they had taken together that weekend. His favorite had been taken at Central Park during their walk on Saturday. Kurt was smiling, his nose scrunching and his cheek pressed against Blaine's. He looked happy and just as beautiful as he had always been…

“Hello? Earth to Blaine?”

Blaine jumped and almost dropped his phone, startled by Cooper's sudden presence. He turned to his brother with a scowl and found him smiling brightly at him. “What the hell, Coop?”

“Hey, I've been trying to get your attention for two minutes,” Cooper said, smirking. “It's not my fault you're cum-dumb after a weekend with your long-distance husband.”

Blaine punched him in the arm.

“Ouch! Damn, I always forget it's not wise to make fun of you since you took up boxing,” Cooper frowned as he rubbed his arm. Then he sighed. “Are you all ready to go?”

“Yeah, I'm ready,” Blaine replied, smiling. He was happy to see his brother again, even if Cooper was a jerk.

They waded through the crowds, edging toward Cooper's car. It was hot outside. Los Angeles was in full summer already, while New York still clung to spring's cool breezes. Blaine peeled off his hoodie, as Cooper maneuvered the car through city traffic.

“So…” Cooper started, his blue eyes shifting from the car in front of them to his brother. “You look good. Happier.”

“Yeah, it was a good weekend,” Blaine admitted, unable to hide his smile.

“Good. Good, Blaine. I'm glad,” Cooper clasped his shoulder and squeezed it briefly. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better,” Blaine answered, relaxing against the seat. He was tired. He had caught some sleep on the plane, but clearly not enough. “We talked a lot, I met my old friends again, and I think we're past the worst now. Kurt was amazing, really. He… he really cares about me. We had a very honest conversation when I got there, and I feel like I'm ready to… to forgive myself.”

He glanced at his brother to gauge his reaction. Cooper smiled proudly at him.

“That's fantastic, Blaine. God, you have no idea how relieved I am,” Cooper laughed a little, shaking his head. “I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I came pick you up. But I'm so happy for you.”

“Thanks, Coop.”

Cooper changed lanes and then drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for the traffic to speed up again. “So… what are you going to do now? What's the plan?”

“Well…” Blaine said, with a sigh. “I'll probably get a job. I have no idea what kind of job I want, but anything will do while I figure that out, I guess. I should probably get back to my apartment, too…”

“No way,” Cooper interrupted so firmly that Blaine turned to him in surprise. “No. You have a family and we love having you with us. That place… Blaine, that's not a home. And you spent some of the worst years of your life there. There's nothing good waiting for you back there.”

“I can't live with you forever, Coop,” he said fondly. “You and Madison have your own life. You've been amazing, but I'll have to go back to live on my own eventually…”

“Not yet,” Cooper retorted, seriously. He looked at his brother intently. “Please? Do it for me, Squirt. Stay with us for a little longer. It's nice to have you so close after missing you for so long.”

Blaine's heart warmed at that and he smiled at his brother softly. “Okay. I'll stay for a little longer.”

“Great,” Cooper visibly relaxed. “And about that job… I don't know if you're interested, but I may have something for you.”

“But your secretary is back now,” Blaine said, confused.

“It's something else. You see, I'm representing a few new actors. They're quite young, very new to the business, and they don't have formal training, but they're naturals. A few of them have really good voices, so I was thinking that with a bit of guidance, they would be unstoppable,” Cooper explained. “Now, I would help them myself, because I definitely have the voice of an angel…”

“Oh, wow, so modest…” Blaine snorted.

“But I don't really have time for that, not when my main focus is elsewhere, making sure the people I represent have auditions to go to,” Cooper stepped on the brake as he spoke, once again coming to a stop behind a long line of cars. “So, what do you say? Would you be interested in being my vocal coach?”

Blaine's eyebrows shot up all the way to his hairline. “Are you sure you don't want someone with more experience?”

“Blaine, come on. We both know this fits you like a glove,” Cooper rolled his eyes. “You don't have to do it if you're not interested, but I thought I'd offer the position to you before I go looking for someone else.”

“No, I'm definitely interested,” Blaine assured him.

“Wonderful! Then we'll talk about the details when we get home. Now, however, I want to hear all about your weekend.”

Blaine closed his eyes for a moment, leaning his head back against the head rest, and allowing a little smile to tug at his lips. He had been miserable for so long that he wasn't quite sure about what to do with all this happiness bubbling inside of him.

I hope I'll have to get used to it, he thought, before he began telling Cooper about his weekend in New York.

*

Kurt left the meeting room rubbing his temples and willing the impendent headache away. He walked straight to his office without looking at anyone and dropped down onto his chair, with a huge sigh. Every now and then, he wondered what he had been thinking when he decided to join the fashion industry. Sure, it had been a lot of fun designing and creating clothes in his own room when he was a teenager, but this… this was stressing.

Vogue's anniversary was just around the corner, and one of the big names in the magazine had decided they wanted to celebrate it with a big project this year, covering every fashion trend in history and featuring the timeline in the website. It was a lot to deal with, and there were a few members of Kurt's staff that tended to lock up and panic for a while, before the ideas started flowing. It drove him crazy, but he understood at the same time. Maybe fashion wasn't the most vital business in the world (as much as it pained him to say so), but it certainly was the most competitive.

There was a lot to plan, many decisions to make, and not enough time. Kurt could see many late nights at the office and many sleepless nights in his future.

He looked at the time and noticed his lunch time had come and gone. His stomach rumbled in protest and he decided to take a moment and relax – there would be plenty of opportunities to allow the stress already gathering in his shoulders to grow heavier.

Kurt grabbed his wallet and his cell phone and slipped them into his pocket. As soon as he walked out of his office, his secretary intercepted him.

“Kurt, would you like me to…?”

“Clara, honey… just tell me I have no appointments in the next hour and I will love you forever,” Kurt cut off with a pleading tone.

“The meeting was that bad, huh?” She said sympathetically as she flipped through his schedule. “Nothing urgent. You have some phone calls to return, but they can wait. Do you need anything?”

“No, thank you. I'll go out for some lunch and get some air,” Kurt replied. “And if Isabelle calls, tell her I know this is one of her ideas and I will get back at her for it.”

Clara laughed and waved him away. “Just go. I'll take care of everything.”

“I love you. Remind me to give you a bonus,” Kurt blew her a kiss as he walked towards the elevators.

“Oh, I will!” She exclaimed and Kurt chuckled.

Kurt went out into the rush of New York City and started walking aimlessly. The good thing about New York was that, no matter where your feet took you, you always arrived somewhere. In this case, his feet took him to a lovely café.

He ordered a hummus wrap and a cup of coffee and sat by the window. He took a sip from his drink, immediately feeling better as the hot liquid slid down his throat and the caffeine seemed to wake his brain. This was probably the fifth cup of coffee he had had today, but on days as difficult as this, he just needed the kick to keep going.

He checked his phone and found a much appreciated reason to smile.

From: Blaine

I work until three today. Call you when I get home? Love you.

Kurt hummed happily as he typed his response.

To: Blaine

Yes, please. Hearing your voice will make this day so much better. Love you too.

He put the phone down on the table and absently munched on his wrap. Since going back to Los Angeles, Blaine had been in an excellent mood. He hadn't had a bad day since before his visit, and it gave Kurt so much hope that he could barely stop himself from dancing around his apartment every time he talked to him. Things were going great, and he hoped they would soon be ready to take another step forward.

He still wasn't sure what that step was supposed to be, but he wanted it.

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts when his phone vibrated once again, but it wasn't Blaine this time. It was Finn.

From: Finn

Hey, Kurt. Did you get anything for Mom's birthday yet? I don't know what to get her.

Kurt smiled as he read the text. Becoming a teacher had been wonderful to improve Finn's texting skills. There were some monstrosities he had received when they were still in high school that he hadn't been able to forget about yet.

Carole's birthday was just in a few weeks, and with everything that had been going on, Kurt had completely forgotten about it. He still had time to get her the perfect present, though. As he tried to come up with an option for Finn, he looked out the window, lost in thought, and found the right place to get her something.

To: Finn

I'm going to get her some earrings. Whatever you do, don't let Rachel help you. That Japanese jar from last year was the ugliest thing I've ever seen. If I see something you can get for her, I'll let you know!

Last time Kurt had gone to Ohio to spend some time with his parents, Carole had worn the ugliest earrings ever created. She had chosen the color perfectly since they matched her dress, but they were plastic, tacky things with a very unfortunate shape. Now he had the ideal excuse to get rid of them.

Once he was done with his lunch, he checked his phone and noticed he still had some time before he had to be back at the office, so he crossed the street towards the jewelry store and looked at the different items in the window for a moment. Carole was a simple woman, whose idea of a fancy date was going to Breadstix on Sunday night. He wanted to get her something classy but not extravagant.

He walked inside and found a sales assistant who immediately got him a few options that fit what he was looking for. He finally decided on a white gold pair of leaf-shaped studs with a few simple diamonds, and some emeralds in the contours that would match her eyes beautifully.

Kurt was waiting while the girl put them in a box and wrapped them, looking at the different display cases and already thinking about work again, when something else caught his eye. He bit his lip, but said, impulsively: “Could I take a look at these, too?”

He felt a little breathless as the woman showed him the different wedding bands. Since he had realized he wanted to be married to Blaine, the lack of a ring on his finger had made him uncomfortable. He wanted everyone to know he was a married man, that he belonged to Blaine in the only way he would ever belong to someone else. He knew Blaine wasn't ready for it – but Kurt had been fantasizing about it for a while now.

He didn't want anything fancy. He didn't care about that – but it couldn't be something plain, either. There was nothing plain about Blaine and him. Their history was full of twists and turns, and he wanted something that could represent that…

“These two,” he said suddenly, as his eyes widened and he felt as if he was about to choke, a lump forming in his throat. “I want these two.”

The rings were of white gold with an intricate vintage gold scroll that encircled them. They were unique, but remarkable, exactly like them. Kurt's hands shook as he took them from the clerk.

“Oh my god, they're perfect...” Kurt said, his voice breaking. He rolled his eyes, and chuckled apologetically. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so emotional.”

“It's alright,” she assured with a smile. “Would you like an engraving on them?”

Kurt was still looking at the rings, mesmerized. “Yes. I want them to say…”

“Kurt?”

Kurt, surprised, turned to see who was calling him. He didn't expect to find Alexandre standing there, looking confused. “Oh. Alex. Hi.” They hadn't seen each other since they had parted ways in Los Angeles, and somehow they had both managed to avoid running into each other at work. This was the last place Kurt had expected to see him. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm looking for some new cufflinks for an event,” he answered, coming towards him. He frowned when he saw what Kurt was looking at. “Are those… engagement rings?”

God, talk about awkward. “No. They are… they are wedding rings.”

He saw Alexandre visibly swallow and nod jerkily. “You're gonna marry him, then.”

“I never divorced him,” Kurt replied softly. “I'm sorry, Alex, you know I…”

“No, no, it's fine,” Alexandre interrupted quickly. “I always knew things would end like this. I just hope you never have to regret your decision.”

Even though the words were brusque, Kurt knew they came from a place of caring and hurt, so he bit his tongue and stopped himself from saying something nasty. “We're doing great. He's a lot better now. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Good,” Alex muttered half-heartedly. He looked a little desperate, as he took a step closer to Kurt. “But you know that if you ever change your mind, mon ange…”

Kurt put a hand on his arm, just as much to stop him from coming closer as to comfort him. “Alex, I think it's safe to say I won't ever change my mind.” He turned to the sales assistant, who seemed terribly uncomfortable. “I want the rings to say fearlessly and forever, please.”

“Kurt…” Alex said sadly. “He's an addict and his life is a mess… what kind of life do you think you can have with him?”

Kurt was angry now. He would never allow anyone to talk about Blaine like that, or to doubt what they had. He leaned closer to him, and Alex stepped back when he saw how menacing he looked. “The happiest.”

Alex nodded dejectedly and opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think again and stopped. He simply turned on his heels and left the store without another word.

There was nothing left to say.

*

Kurt looked up from his notes and watched the increasingly annoyed faces of his team. He looked down at his clock and realized it was past dinner time, and though he usually hated keeping them at the office so late, especially on a Friday night, they were tight on time and there was no way they were missing their deadline. He tried to find the brightside to this situation, though – if they got enough done today, they wouldn't have to spend their weekend working as well.

And then he remembered his Skype date with Blaine was in only five minutes. He had completely forgotten about texting Blaine that he wouldn't be able to make it on time.

“Shit,” he whispered and then cleared his throat when several people turned to look at him. “Okay, people. What do you say if we take a little break, get some food and come back? I know you all had more interesting things to do with your Friday nights, but if we focus, you won't have to miss your Saturday, too.” Some groaned, others nodded eagerly. “Alright. Be back in half an hour, please!”

They left the room quickly, and Kurt finished scribbling something down in his notes, before he left the meeting room and walked down the hall towards his office. Most of the other offices were dark and closed for the day, and he massaged his neck while he thought about his lovely bed, too far away after such a long day. Kurt sat at his desk and brought his computer back to life. He hoped Blaine wouldn't be mad at him for having to cut their date short, but he still wanted to see him at least for a few minutes.

Blaine was already online when Kurt signed into Skype, and he immediately made the call, that only took Blaine a couple of seconds to accept. When Blaine's face appeared on the screen, smiley and as beautiful as ever, Kurt felt all the tension vanish from his shoulders.

“Hi!” Blaine said excitedly, waving at the screen.

“Hi sweetheart,” Kurt said with a happy sigh.

Blaine frowned. “Where are you? That doesn't look like your apartment…”

“Oh, I'm still at the office,” Kurt replied, not really caring about how much he missed his bed anymore. “We're working late again.”

“Again?” Blaine retorted severely. “Kurt, you've been working late for two weeks. You must be exhausted…”

“It's just until we're done with this project,” Kurt hurried to say, because he knew Blaine worried about him overworking. “I'm sleeping enough and eating when I need to. I promise I'm not going to get sick over this. I just told my team to take a break so they can get some food and I can talk to you. I'm sorry, by the way. I thought I'd be out of here earlier and make it home in time for our date.”

“It's alright. How long do we have?” Blaine asked.

“Half an hour,” Kurt replied sadly, because it wasn't nearly enough. Their Skype dates usually lasted a couple of hours. They had dinner together, and sometimes they even watched a movie. “Did you work today?”

“Yeah, I had an appointment with Tara today. Damn, that girl has pipes. She's a tiny little thing, you'd never guess,” Blaine explained, but he seemed distracted.

Kurt frowned, suddenly concerned that something went wrong. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just…” Blaine cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit. “I just really miss you.”

His tone of voice conveyed what his words didn't. Kurt bit his lip. “I miss you too. I'm sorry. Maybe we can have some alone time this weekend?”

“No, I'm not going to find alone time for a few days. Cooper has to read through some scripts and Madison promised the girls they could build a fort and watch movies,” Blaine sighed in frustration. “It's fine, though. I'll, uh, I'll find a distraction.”

Kurt's eyes widened as he stared at him, mouth going dry. “Does that mean, uhm, that you're…?”

Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled bashfully. “Quite. I've been thinking about you all day. I was really looking forward to this date. But, uh, what time will you be home? Maybe we can talk again later? I'll have the house to myself for at least another hour…”

“I won't make it on time,” Kurt whined. God, why was the universe conspiring against Kurt seeing this beautiful man come undone in a computer screen? Wasn't it enough that he couldn't touch him himself?

“Oh,” Blaine tried to hide his disappointment, but when he licked his lips, Kurt lost all control.

He grabbed the remote that lowered the blinds, completely hiding his office from the rest of the building, and loosened his tie at the same time. Blaine's eyes were wide and shocked as he watched him.

“What are you doing?” He asked breathlessly.

“We don't have much time,” Kurt replied. He pushed his desk chair a little to fit better in the webcam. “God, I can't believe I'm about to do this in my office, but it's unfair that we can't spend enough time touching each other. I've lost count of how many times I've jerked myself off in the shower, remembering everything we did that weekend…”

“Kurt,” Blaine whimpered, and Kurt saw his hand move downwards and was sure Blaine was palming himself over his pants.

“Let me see you. Please, Blaine, I need to see you,” Kurt pleaded as he pulled down his zipper.

The image became blurry as Blaine maneuvered the computer, putting it on the bed between his legs, giving Kurt the perfect view of the erection tenting his sweatpants. Kurt swallowed with difficulty and pulled his cock out, feeling absolutely sinful. He had never done something like this. He and Blaine had been fooling around on Skype, but he had never tried doing it outside of the comfort and privacy of his apartment.  He knew most of the people in his team had gone out for food and wouldn't return for a few more minutes, but still, the chance of someone walking in on him existed.

“Oh fuck, look at you,” Blaine moaned, lowering the waistband of his sweatpants to reach his erection. His pupils were dilated as he watched how Kurt started stroking himself.

Kurt groaned and spread his pre-come to make the motion easier. “Take your clothes off. I want to see all of you.”

Blaine rushed to comply, a little awkward because he was trying not to disturb the computer, but he still ended kicking it accidentally. Kurt chuckled and squeezed the base of his cock to keep himself in control for a little longer.

“C-can you unbutton your shirt?” Blaine asked, biting his lip and running a slow, teasing finger down his shaft.

Kurt didn't know how to say no to him in moments like this, so he did as Blaine said. As soon as his chest was on display, Blaine let out another little moan. “That hickey you left on my thigh is gone now. I'm gonna need you to make a new one.”

Blaine smiled at him way too cheerfully for someone who was jerking off so frantically. “It'd be my honor.”

“Do-ork,” Kurt said, going for teasing but ending in a grunt when he twisted his hand on an upstroke.

Blaine used his free hand to reach for something Kurt couldn't see, and came back with a bottle of lube. He spread some on his fingers. “I had plans for tonight, you know. I wanted to finger myself for you…”

Kurt whined. “Fuck. We don't have enough time for that… I'm so close, Blaine.”

Blaine spread his legs a little bit more and started teasing his entrance with his slick fingers. Kurt thought he would have a heart attack as he watched. “Just one finger, Kurt? Please? Or two? I just miss having you inside me so much…”

Kurt released a high pitched moan and hoped no one had returned yet, because it was far from quiet. “Yes. Yes, put them in, sweetheart. Let me see.”

Watching Blaine finger himself without being able to touch him or kiss him was maddening. Kurt was so turned on he could barely stand it, and he jerked himself off quickly and unforgivingly, a lot more roughly than he was used to. He was so close to the edge that his body was already tightening and filling with warmth. Blaine's body moved desperately as he used two fingers, eliciting a long, wanton moan when he brushed against his prostate.

Blaine bit his lip and stared at the screen with wide, lust-filled eyes as he pressed against that perfect spot inside himself once again, breathing out “Kurt” in such an urgent voice, so full of desire and longing, that Kurt gasped and came all over his exposed chest, arching off the chair and curling his toes inside his shoes.

When he managed to focus his eyes back on the screen, Blaine was very close to losing control, panting and rolling his body to meet every thrust of his fingers. Kurt could see the raw need in his eyes, how he was just one little push away from his own orgasm.

“Come on, gorgeous,” he encouraged. “God, you're killing me. I wish I could be right there with you, helping you, touching you… come on, Blaine,” Kurt couldn't tear his eyes away from him. It was a sight he would never forget, that would always feed his fantasies and his lonely nights. “That's it, beautiful. My beautiful, amazing husband…”

Blaine came with a sudden cry, hips shooting off the bed as his cock jerked, spilling come all over his chest and stomach, and his hole contracted harshly around his fingers. His orgasm seemed to last a very long time, and Kurt watched in awe as Blaine shook and moaned, still working himself with both hands, until he was too sensitive.

Kurt reached for a tissue and cleaned himself, cringing at the drying come on his skin, but glad none of it got on his clothes, because that would have been difficult to explain. Blaine carefully pulled his fingers out and used his t-shirt to clean up, earning a reprimanding look from Kurt.

“I'll wash it later,” he promised in a soft voice. He pulled the computer closer and lied down next to it, glancing at Kurt. “That was amazing.”

“It really was,” Kurt agreed with a hum, as he fixed his clothes. “I'm sorry we had to hurry, though. Shit, I can't believe I had Skype sex in my office.”

Blaine chuckled lazily. “Yeah, probably not the smartest idea, but you can't deny it's pretty hot…” Blaine sighed and looked down for a moment, causing his thick eyelashes to paint shadows on his cheekbones. “I hope you won't get into trouble. I just really miss you…”

“I miss you, too,” Kurt said, running his finger down the screen, wishing it was his warm skin instead. “And I won't get into trouble. Being the Web Content Editor has some perks…” He looked at the time and realized he was five minutes late. “I should probably get back to the meeting, though. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Don't work too late, okay? And get some dinner.”

“I will. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Blaine blew him a kiss before disconnecting the call, and Kurt allowed himself a minute to will his heart back into normal speed, before he went to rejoin his coworkers.

He worked for the next few hours with the biggest smile on his face, and if anyone noticed it, they didn't mention it, but deep down inside, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to bear the distance.

*