Rachel Berry thought she deserved a medal for not squealing when she overheard Kurt officially ask her brother out the morning after prom.

Kurt and Blaine were sitting at the kitchen island eating chocolate chip pancakes when Rachel was about to walk in the room to make herself some scrambled tofu. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the sound of kissing, followed by Blaine telling Kurt that he had some chocolate "just there." After more kissing sounds and a few giggles, Rachel was about to barge in on the boys and tell them to get a room when she heard Kurt clear his throat nervously. She tiptoed as close to the doorway as she could without being seen and leaned in to eavesdrop.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"Mmm hmm?" Blaine replied through a mouthful of pancakes.

Kurt had to stop himself for a second to just appreciate how easy it felt to just be with Blaine in this moment. They were both still in their pajamas and Kurt knew he looked like a wreck because he could feel his hair sticking up everywhere and he hadn't done his moisturizing routine the night before since he had left his overnight bag in Rachel's room. But Kurt didn't feel self-conscious like he would have around Landrick. He felt comfortable around Blaine and knew that this was where he was supposed to be and whom he was supposed to be with. "Blaine," Kurt said again. "This is going to sound silly, but… will you be my boyfriend?" Blaine's eyes got wide and he had to finish swallowing his food before he choked. Kurt got nervous that he didn't answer right away and started rambling. "It's just that, we didn't really talk about it last night, and I thought I would ask. I mean, we don't have to label this, we could just see where it leads, but I really don't want to lose you again and –"

No one ever heard the end of Kurt's sentence because Blaine's lips cut him off in a non-verbal response that screamed yes.

Rachel did a silent dance just outside the doorway, thrilled that her best friend and brother were finally together. She couldn't imagine two people who were better suited for each other and it was killing her that they were taking so long to be in a relationship.

Not able to stay out of the kitchen any longer due to being hungry and overly excited about her brother and Kurt, Rachel walked through the doorway and managed to pretend she hadn't overheard what just transpired. She tried to hide a smile as she caught Blaine and Kurt pulling out of their latest embrace. "Morning boys," she mused as she skipped over to the fridge.

"Morning Rachel," they replied, never taking their eyes off of each other.

…

Kurt was over at the Berry household a lot more after prom weekend. He would still visit with Rachel (and they had their occasional sleepover), but since he saw her everyday at school, most of his time was spent with Blaine. Though make-out sessions were a frequent occurrence, Kurt and Blaine had to buckle down and study for the statewide tests that was quickly approaching.

Flashcards, study guides and schoolbooks were a constant presence on Blaine's floor and bed. The boys would quiz each other for an hour or so, and then take a few minutes to themselves. Though they frequently would spend their down time wrapped in each other's arms and learning each other's bodies (they decided they would stick to over the clothes and above the waist for the time being, though they left the topic wide open for discussion as they saw fit), sometimes Blaine would put on his headphones and work on music stuff while Kurt would pull out a sketchbook and draw out some new designs. Kurt and Blaine liked being in the same room together, but they didn't have to be interacting with each other all the time. Though they had the added benefits of a physical relationship, Kurt and Blaine's friendship was also stronger than ever.

The tests came and went by in the middle of May. Since all juniors had to take said tests, they were granted a half day off on Friday of the test week, regardless what school they attended. However, even though Blaine took the tests, he had to go to school the whole day on Friday since he was still considered a sophomore.

Kurt drove to Dalton to surprise his boyfriend and take him out to dinner to celebrate their tests being done. While Kurt waited in the parking lot near Blaine's car, he saw Landrick approaching. Trying to be polite, Kurt flashed him as sincere of a smile as he could. Blaine and Kurt had made their relationship Facebook official, so he assumed Landrick must be aware of the situation.

"Hi Landrick," Kurt said civilly.

"Why hello, Kurt Hummel," Landrick replied. "Fancy seeing you around these parts. How's that public school treating you?"

"Fine, thank you."

There was some awkward silence during which Blaine walked over. He wanted to throw his arms around Kurt since he was shocked to see him (because as far as he knew, they didn't have plans until the next day because of Kurt's usual Friday Night family dinner), but didn't know how to act around Kurt's ex-boyfriend. "Hey Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed when he got close enough to his car.

Kurt smiled and immediately reached his hand out for Blaine to take. "Hey you." Blaine took a quick look at Kurt's hand, then over at Landrick, then back at Kurt's hand before he finally slid his fingers through Kurt's.

Landrick scrunched up his nose at the sight of Kurt and Blaine holding hands, but opted not to comment. He forced his eyes up to Kurt's face and plastered a smile across his own. "Well, it was nice to see you, Kurt." He glared at Blaine. "Berry." Blaine and Kurt watched as Landrick stormed off toward his own car.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all!" Kurt said cheerily as he leaned in and kissed Blaine on the cheek. "Come on. I'm taking you out to celebrate us being done with those stupid tests."

…

Even though the tests were over, Blaine and Kurt were forced to spend less and less time together as the New Directions trip to Nationals in New York City approached. The New Directions didn't have a set list and instead spent a majority of their time after school doing booty camp and trying to write more original songs. Because they had done so well at Regionals, the whole of the group decided that if they wrote original songs for Nationals, they would have an advantage over the other groups because they would be doing something unique.

The New Directions would leave for New York on Friday, perform Saturday (for sure in the morning, and then again in the afternoon if they made it through the first round of the competition), and then fly back to Ohio on Sunday. Kurt promised Blaine that he would text him as often as he could, but three would likely be little free time in New York as well.

At their insistence, Blaine went with his dads to drop Rachel off at the airport on Friday. The Berrys ran into the Hudmel's near security and everyone watched as Kurt and Blaine tried to have a private moment among a crowded airport. The two boys hugged each other in a tight embrace, but didn't dare kiss. Though they knew their parents were okay with their relationship and didn't mind if the two of them showed affection, Blaine and Kurt were always mindful of their surroundings when in public. It was almost unbearable not being able to kiss or even hold hands when they were out on a date or in a public setting, but they dealt with it they best the could.

When it came time for Kurt to join Finn and Rachel in the security line, Blaine reluctantly let go of his boyfriend and joined his dads, Burt and Carole as they waved the others off.

Once back at the car, Blaine buckled himself into the backseat and looked forlornly out the window, waiting for his dad to start the car.

In the front seat, Hiram turned to Leroy and lifted an eyebrow. Leroy smiled and turned around in his seat.

"So, Blaine… since your sister is gone for the weekend, how would you like to go on a little trip?" Leroy asked, hands still on the steering wheel.

Blaine was confused because he hadn't heard his dads mention anything about going somewhere this weekend. "Um, okay… where are we going?"

"Somewhere where people ride in a hole in the ground," Hiram mused as he looked at his son while waggling his eyebrows.

"What – you can't be serious? We're going to New York?!" Blaine practically screamed as his dads laughed at his excitement.

"You got it, kiddo," Leroy smirked. "Why'd you think I parked in long term parking?" Blaine scrunched up his nose, not even realizing where they had parked earlier since he was too busy thinking about how much he was going to miss Kurt that weekend. "Your sister doesn't know, though, so please refrain from texting your paramour for now, or you'll ruin the surprise."

"But –" Blaine started to protest.

"Your dad and I will get you and Kurt Wicked tickets for Saturday night if you can keep your mouth shut," Hiram said casually, knowing that would push Blaine over the edge of excitement if he wasn't already there.

Blaine tried to launch himself forward over the console to hug his dads, but was stopped abruptly by his seatbelt. After fumbling to release the latch, Blaine threw off his restraint and climbed toward the front of the car. He kissed both his dads on the cheeks while they laughed at their son.

Hiram and Leroy had packed the car the night before and printed out their tickets, so they and Blaine grabbed their carry-ons from the trunk and walked back toward security. They were flying a different airline than the New Directions, so their flight wasn't leaving until a little later.

While Blaine and his dads sat at their terminal, Blaine's knees bounced with anticipation. He had never been to New York City before and was excited to get to see the New Directions perform, in addition to getting to see Wicked with Kurt. Hiram and Leroy both put a hand on their son's back and rubbed small circles while they flipped through the newspapers they were reading on their iPads. Blaine was comforted by the touch and smiled at each of his fathers. "For the record, you guys are the best dads ever. Thank you for this."

"We love you, Blaine," Leroy said as Blaine smiled.

"We love your sister too, of course," Hiram added. "But you're definitely a pretty great kid."

…

By time the New Directions landed in New York and checked into their hotel, it was late in the evening. The kids were told to stay in their rooms and work on songs for the next morning's performance. All of their cell phones were confiscated so they would concentrate. When their songs were finally written and they got their phones back, it was almost 2:00am on Saturday. Before he went to sleep, Kurt sent Blaine a quick "Mr. Schue took our phones earlier – finally got it back. I miss you so much. See you on Sunday!" text. Little did he know, Blaine was fast asleep in his own hotel a couple blocks away.

…

Blaine was practically shaking in his seat in the auditorium where Nationals was being held. He wrung his program into a tube several times over before Hiram wrestled it out of his hands. They had sat through several show choirs already and the New Directions were scheduled to perform after the brief intermission they were sitting through at the moment.

The lights finally dimmed and Blaine settled back into his seat, heart racing. He realized he hadn't seen Kurt perform on stage the whole year because he was in the Warblers for the past two competitions. Blaine grinned to himself, excited to see his boyfriend sing and dance.

The New Directions first song was a duet sung by Rachel and Finn. Blaine thought they were still broken up, but then gasped along with his dads when the two of them started making out on stage after their song. The rest of the crowd was dead silent until Blaine saw Mr. Schue start clapping. Blaine joined in the clapping and watched as his dads shared a significant look. He grimaced and instantly felt bad for his sister; she was obviously going to get a talking to later.

Blaine almost forgot about his sister's public display of affection when the rest of the New Directions came out on the stage. Though they all were facing backstage, Blaine immediately spotted Kurt and blushed when he realized he was staring at his boyfriend's ass. They still hadn't gone very far in their physical relationship, but Blaine was well aware of how gorgeous his boyfriend was and how perfect he looked in his black pants.

Since the New Directions were doing original songs again, Blaine wasn't familiar with the music. He still bounced around in his seat, giddy from watching Kurt up on stage. He couldn't wait until after the performance and he could actually talk to Kurt. It was hard not texting him throughout the day any time his phone buzzed, but he was afraid he would ruin the surprise and his dads wouldn't get them the theater tickets he was promised.

As soon as the New Directions stopped singing, Blaine bolted out of his seat and clapped ecstatically along with his dads and the rest of the crowd. While the audience didn't seem to appreciate the kiss after the first song, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the up-tempo second song.

The Berrys left their seats after the New Directions were finished on stage so they could meet up with the show choir in the lobby. Blaine heard his sister before he saw anyone from McKinley.

"You guys, we were amazing and if we don't make it to the next round than the judges are out of their freakin' – Blaine? DADS?!" Blaine looked up and saw his sister running toward him and their dads with a huge smile on her face. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you shine, honey!" Leroy responded as he wrapped his little girl in a loving hug.

"Yeah, that was quite a show, baby girl," Hiram mused. "I didn't know you and the Hudson boy were back together."

Blaine didn't even hear his sister's response because he found himself face to face with his boyfriend. "Kurt!" The boys threw their arms around each other, smiling wider than any showface seen on stage that day.

"Blaine! How are you here?" Kurt asked, still in shock from seeing his boyfriend.

"My dads told me yesterday after we dropped Rachel off. They made me promise not to tell you because they wanted to surprise Rachel. I'm so glad to see you! And now weget to go see Wicked!" Blaine gushed as he continued to hug Kurt.

Kurt's eyebrows shot up at Blaine's last comment. "What's this about Wicked?"

Blaine smiled as he pulled back a bit so he could look Kurt in the eye, "My dads bribed me with a pair of theater tickets for us for tonight. You'll go with me, right?"

Kurt squeezed Blaine again, not wanting to ever let go. "I'd go with you anywhere, Blaine."

…

The New Directions didn't make it to the next round of competition. They came in 12th place and only the Top 10 advanced to the finals. While everyone was busy blaming Rachel and Finn for their inappropriate lip lock on stage in between their songs, Kurt managed to get permission from Mr. Schue to slip out of the room and meet up with Blaine and the Berrys outside the hotel.

"Hello Kurt," Leroy said as he reached his hand out to shake Kurt's.

"Hello Mr. Berry," Kurt replied, shaking Leroy's hand, and then Hiram's. "Mr. Berry." Kurt's eyes locked on Blaine's and he broke out into a huge grin. "Mr. Berry." Blaine blushed.

"So, son, here are your tickets, as promised," Hiram said as he presented Blaine with an envelope. "Your dad and I will meet you outside the theater when your show is over, okay? It's not that we don't trust you, but it'll be late and I promised Mr. Schuester we would have Kurt back to the hotel before their curfew."

Blaine took the envelope from his dad, "Thank you, Dad." He looked at Kurt and smiled. "We'll meet you underneath the marquee after the show." He held out a hand, which Kurt promptly took. "We promise."

Leroy smiled at how happy his son and boyfriend were in that moment and was reminded of his and Hiram's first few months of dating. "Excellent." He held his own hand out for Hiram to take. "Come on, Hi. Let's go have some fun."

Hiram slid his hand into Leroy's and gave it a squeeze. " Capital idea, Leroy." He winked at Blaine before he and his husband left their son and his boyfriend to themselves in front of the hotel.

"Your dads are adorable," Kurt commented, squeezing Blaine's hand.

Blaine smiled as he watched his dads walk away, looking so in love even after 20 years of marriage. "Yeah. They are." Blaine looked down at his watch to check the time. "We have about an hour before the show. Do you want to go get something to eat?" Kurt nodded and the two started walking toward the Gershwin Theatre.

Deciding they weren't super hungry, Blaine suggested they split a soft pretzel from a cart near the red stairs. After purchasing a pretzel and two bottles of water, Blaine and Kurt found themselves seated near the top of the steps overlooking Times Square.

"I'm so happy you're here," Kurt said as he broke off a piece of the pretzel. "It didn't feel right being here without you. I kept turning around to tell you something or point something out, but I had to remind myself that you were back in Ohio." Kurt chuckled to himself. "Though, I guess you were here, huh?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you!" Blaine said as he bumped Kurt's shoulder with his own. "But at least were here together now." Blaine popped a piece of pretzel in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "This is amazing – being in New York on a date with you and we're going to see Wicked. I feel like I should pinch myself or something." Kurt reached over and pinched Blaine on the leg. "Ouch!" Both boys giggled as they were perfectly content to be living in the moment. "I love this," Blaine said, his voice full of awe and reverence.

"I love you," Kurt confessed quietly, turning to look Blaine in the eye.

Blaine's heart stopped for a fraction of a second, scared he misheard Kurt. But, when hazel eyes locked on blue and he saw epic amounts of sincerity there, Blaine knew he heard correctly.

Kurt saw the stunned look in Blaine's eye and gave him a small smile. "I love you, Blaine. And I don't want you to feel like you have to say it back. But I needed to tell you because I couldn't go another moment without you knowing how I feel."

"Kurt," Blaine exhaled, his voice low and thick with emotion. He leaned over and captured Kurt's lips in a gentle kiss and then smiled to himself when they tasted like salt. Blaine gave Kurt another quick peck before pulling back to look him in the eye. "I love you too. And I'm not just saying it to say it. I love you Kurt and I'm thankful to be with you every single day."

Both boys smiled and leaned into each other's shoulders. They finished their pretzel and people watched for a little bit until it was time to head over to the theater. They were excited to find that the Berrys got them orchestra seats and they gripped each other's hand as soon as the lights dimmed.

Kurt and Blaine knew the Wicked soundtrack backwards and forwards but had never seen the show before. Their hands stayed intertwined throughout the entire show, though at times one of them would bring their hands up to his lips to kiss the other boy's knuckles or palm.

After "As Long As Your Mine," Kurt leaned over and whispered "Thank you for this. For everything." Blaine smiled and nestled his head onto Kurt's shoulder. He was so overwhelmed with feelings, but in the best way possible.

Later, during "For Good," Blaine heard Kurt sniffle partway into the song. He felt his own tears coming on as he really listened to the lyrics. Though the song was about friendship, the words really resonated with how Blaine felt about Kurt. It was his turn to lean over and whisper to his boyfriend, "because I knew you, I have been changed for good." Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and Blaine squeezed back.

Both boys' eyes were wet with tears when the curtain closed for the final time and the houselights came up. Hands still clasped, the boys grabbed their Playbills and side-stepped their way past the chairs in their row to the aisle. When they got to the lobby, Kurt stopped. "Wait," he said, causing Blaine's feet to plant. "I just need a minute with you before we go meet up with your dads." Kurt's eyes were still glassy as he searched Blaine's face as if trying to memorize it. "Tonight has been one of the best night's of my life, Blaine, and it's because I'm with you. I know it took us awhile to get here, but…" Words escaped him, but it was okay because Blaine knew what he was getting at as he felt the same way.

"I know what you mean, Kurt. I'm going to remember this night for the rest of my life and there is no one I would rather be with right now than you. I love you so much, Kurt."

"I love you too."