The hotel lobby was filled with people, some arriving, some checking out and the others just milling about, getting ready to go out and explore the city. Kurt Hummel scanned the lobby and frowned. He couldn't see a member of New Directions anywhere. It's not like they didn't stand out – of course they did; they weren't exactly conventional city folk – but they were nowhere to be seen. Kurt had taken a few extra minutes to pack his bag and make sure that nobody had left anything behind and as a result, had been the last to leave the room. None of the girls had waited for him but they usually didn't so he hadn't taken much notice of it.

Now, however, no one was in sight. Frowning, he wheeled his bag to the reception and was greeted by a perky woman sat behind the desk.

"How can I help you?" she asked, her smile showing bright white teeth that obviously had work done on them, Kurt thought critically.

"Have the New Directions checked out?" Kurt asked, voice calm and trying not to let the panic set in. They wouldn't just leave without me, he told himself.

"Yes, you're all checked out and the taxi that was ordered has already left," the woman told him, her smile never faltering.

OK, so maybe they would.

"Can you please order me a taxi?" Kurt asked, gritting his teeth. The level of intelligence that Mr Schuester possessed astounded Kurt sometimes. How he managed to become a teacher was still a mystery to him – as was how most of the teachers at McKinley had been chosen for their jobs.

"Of course. It will be here in a few moments," she said, beaming, already picking up the phone. Kurt nodded politely and moved away. He walked swiftly to the exit, pulling his suitcase along behind him, pushing the door open and made his way outside to wait. She wasn't wrong when she said a taxi would be there soon because he was only waiting a few minutes before one pulled up. The taxi man grunted as he lifted Kurt's suitcase into the taxi and Kurt slid into the back seat. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale tobacco and made a mental note to buy some sanitary wipes at the airport before he left.

He was thankful that Mr Schuester had handed him his ticket before leaving – one of his very few smarter moves – and that he would be able to check in. The taxi moved slowly through the traffic and Kurt pulled out his phone to look at the time. He bit his lip. It was going to be close. He quickly dialled Mercedes number but it went straight to voicemail. He frowned and dialled Finn's number but the same thing happened. He tried all of New Directions' phones but apparently they had been all switched off. He bounced impatiently in his seat, silently cursing every slow car that was making him later and later.

It seemed like hours before the airport finally came into view. Kurt looked at his phone and his stomach dropped, heart pounding painfully in his chest. He was late. His flight would be already boarding and there was no chance he would make it. He sunk back into his seat dejectedly and prayed that Mr Schuster noticed his absent and none of them got on the plane.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clearly I need to lower my standard with Mr Schuster and his ability as a teacher, Kurt thought angrily. They had all boarded the plane without him, leaving him behind in New York.

I suppose there are worse places to be left behind, Kurt mused but he was now stuck with a dilemma. What was he suppose to do now? He pulled out his phone and hit his favourite number one – Blaine. Thankfully, it only rung three times before he picked up.

"Kurt! Shouldn't you be on the plane?"Blaine asked and Kurt immediately felt reassured by his boyfriend's voice.

"They left without me," Kurt told him bluntly.

"What?"

"First they left me at the hotel so I had to take a taxi out to the airport by myself and then they got on the plane without me," Kurt ranted to him, his anger bubbling to the surface.

"They left without you?" Blaine growled and Kurt smiled. He knew Blaine would see it his way and to have someone on his side felt reassuring.

"Yes. I'm still in New York while they are all on their way home," Kurt snapped, gripping his suitcase handle tightly. "Apparently Mr Schuster can't count – that or he doesn't care about us, after all he left us to go audition for a Broadway show. What am I meant to do now? I don't have that much money, Blaine!"

"Don't worry," Blaine soothed, trying desperately to control his anger. He couldn't believe this. "I'm going to give you my brother's number – Cooper – and you can call him. He'll take you back to his place and you can stay there until you can get another flight out."

"I can't do that to your brother –" Kurt started but Blaine cut him off.

"Yes, you can. I'm not letting you remain stranded in New York," Blaine told him firmly. "I'll call your dad and let him know what's going on while you call Coop and tell him what's happened."

Kurt agreed and quickly scribbled down the number that Blaine read out to him. He sighed and Blaine waited for him to speak.

"Thank you, Blaine," Kurt murmured. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, babe," Blaine assured him. "I'll meet you at the airport when you come home."

Kurt smiled at this, blushing slightly. "I'd like that. I had better call Coop."

"I'll ring your dad. Bye, Kurt."

"Bye, Blaine." Kurt hung up and quickly dialled Cooper's number, biting his lip nervously.

"Hello, this is Cooper Anderson," came a smooth voice on the other line and Kurt took a deep breath.

"Cooper? It's Kurt Hummel, Blaine's boyfriend," Kurt answered.

"Kurt! Finally, I get to speak to you. Blaine has told me all about you," Cooper boomed on the other end and Kurt felt his nerves melt away.

"All good I hope," Kurt joked and Cooper laughed.

"All good, of course. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Did Blaine tell you about our show choir competition?" Kurt asked curiously.

"Yes, he told me how proud he was of you and how much fun you were going to have in New York. I was going to come watch you but I couldn't get out of work," Cooper told Kurt, who blushed.

"Well, I've been left behind in New York," Kurt told him. There was silence on the other end and Kurt frowned. "Cooper?"

"You got left behind?" Cooper echoed and Kurt shifted, unsure of himself.

"Yes."

"Where are you?" Cooper demanded.

"At the airport. I tried to get a taxi out here but I got stuck in traffic and missed the flight," Kurt explained.

"Stay there. I'm coming to pick you up," Cooper told him and Kurt could hear ruffling in the background. "I'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Cooper," Kurt thanked him sincerely.

"You're welcome, Kurt. I'll be there soon. Go get yourself something to eat." Cooper instructed and he hung up. Kurt put his phone back in his pocket and wheeled his suitcase behind him as he looked for a coffee shop, though the thought of going for coffee without Blaine only made him miss his boyfriend more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kurt!"

Kurt looked up sharply and glanced around. His eyes widened as he saw Cooper striding towards him. Blaine had showed him pictures of Cooper and he knew he was good looking – though he thought Blaine was much more handsome – but pictures hardly did him justice. He was tall, lean and drop dead gorgeous, though he still didn't even compare to Blaine.

Kurt stood up and was surprised when Cooper pulled him into a hug. So, it's just not Blaine who's touchy-feely; it must run in the family, Kurt mused and he pulled away.

"Are you okay?" Cooper asked, looking over Kurt for any signs of distress and Kurt smiled shyly.

"I'm fine. Pissed off but fine," he assured him and Cooper chuckled.

"I don't blame you. I'll take you home and book you the next possible flight out of here," Cooper assured him.

"I'm sorry about this," Kurt said as Cooper grabbed his suitcase and started pulling it along. They weaved through the people, making their way to the exit. Kurt kept up easily with Cooper and stuck close so they wouldn't get parted among the sea of people.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Cooper assured him. "Your teacher, on the other hand, will have a lot to answer too."

Kurt shuddered. His dad was going to be furious and this was certainly going to put stress on his heart. Suddenly, Kurt's phone began to ring and he fished it out of his pocket, seeing Burt's number flashing across the screen.

"Hi, Dad," Kurt greeted, answering the call.

"Kurt! Blaine just called me. Are you okay?" Burt demanded.

"I'm fine, Dad. Cooper has just come and picked me up," Kurt explained gently.

"Put him on the phone," Burt instructed and Kurt handed it over to Cooper who smiled, taking the phone easily.

"Hello, Mr Hummel," Cooper answered politely.

Kurt listened as Cooper talked to his dad with ease and his eyes widened with surprise as Cooper laughed. He had won over Burt Hummel, just as Blaine had. He shouldn't have expected anything less. It wasn't long before Cooper was handing the phone back.

"Dad?"

"I'll get this all sorted out, Kurt," Burt promised, sounding much calmer than he had when he first answered.

"Thank you, Dad," Kurt smiled, feeling better than he had all day.

"Alright. Love you, Kurt."

"Love you, too, dad," Kurt smiled and he hung up, sliding his phone back into his pocket. They were outside now and Cooper led him to his car. He easily put Kurt's suitcase in the trunk and Kurt slid into the passenger seat as Cooper climbed in behind the wheel. He pulled out effortlessly into the traffic and Kurt was heading back into the city.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He lives by Central Park!" Kurt exclaimed over the phone to Blaine, who chuckled in response. "This place is amazing and must be so expensive."

"It is," Blaine agreed. "But Cooper has a good high paying job and he loves the place."

"Of course he does. Have you seen this view?" Kurt cried and Blaine chuckled again.

Kurt sighed and dropped down on to the spare bed that Cooper had set up for him. Kurt was only able to get a flight tomorrow morning, but he was OK with that. Getting to stay in this amazing apartment was well worth it.

"I've seen it and it's amazing," Blaine told him. "But I wish I was there to see your expression."

Kurt blushed. "You're so cheesy." But they both knew that Kurt secretly loved it and Blaine did, too.

"Did you get a hold of your dad?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, I did. Thank you so much for all your help," Kurt told him sincerely.

"You don't have to thank me for anything," Blaine assured him. "You shouldn't be there in the first place. I can't believe they left the hotel without you!"

"They'll be home by now," Kurt murmured and couldn't help but picture the image of Burt picking up Finn and creating a scene at the airport, yelling at them all for being so irresponsible and leaving a team member behind. Kurt didn't blame him, though. He was furious himself. "Dad's going to go mental."

"He wasn't happy when I told him," Blaine agreed. "I'm not happy with this either."

"How could they forget me?" Kurt found himself asking bitterly. "Am I that insignificant to them?"

"Oh, Kurt, don't think like that," Blaine cooed softly. "Of course you are important. You are the most important person to me and your dad." Kurt was silent. He at least thought Mercedes would have spoken up about him not being there. "As for the others...I don't even know what to say."

Kurt sighed and flopped down onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "I thought everything was getting better," Kurt murmured and felt stinging behind his eyes. He blinked away the tears, determined not to cry, "After all the rumours and then prom. I thought things were getting better between us all, as a group."

Blaine was at a lost as to what to say. All he wanted to do was pull Kurt into his arms and hold him tightly. He told Kurt this and his boyfriend whimpered softly.

"I want you to hold me," Kurt whispered.

"Soon," Blaine promised.

"I don't know how I'm going to talk to everyone when I get back," Kurt murmured, wiping a stray tear that was sliding down his cheek.

"We'll figure it out," Blaine assured him.

There was a knock on Kurt door and he lifted his head to see Cooper standing sheepishly in the door way.

"Sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner?" Cooper asked and Kurt smiled.

"Dinner sounds good."

"Alright. I'll just grab my coat and wallet. Bye, Blaine!" Cooper yelled the last part and Kurt smiled as he heard Blaine laughing.

"Have fun at dinner and tell Coop I say bye," Blaine smiled.

"Will do. Bye, Blaine," Kurt smiled.

"Bye, Kurt. Miss you," Blaine repeated and Kurt smiled as he hung up. He grabbed his coat and moved to the living room where Cooper was shrugging on a long, stylish black coat. He smiled at Kurt and wrapped a scarf around his neck.

"I'm going to take you to a great little place for your last night in New York," Cooper beamed and Kurt smiled shyly.

"You don't have to do that," Kurt started to protest but Cooper waved him off, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"Nonsense. I'm going to educate your taste buds," Cooper grinned wickedly and led them out of the apartment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blaine stood next to Burt, bouncing on his toes, trying to catch a glimpse of his boyfriend. He had asked Burt if he could come along to pick up Kurt and he had agreed. Finn had asked if he could come too but Burt had given him a very stern look and told him no.

Burt had gone to the airport to pick up Finn with Carol and as soon as he had seen William Schuester he had seen red. He wasted no time in laying into him.

"How dare you forget my son?" Burt roared. Schuster looked around in confusion and then his face filled with horror. "You didn't even notice!"

"Burt, I'm so sorry –" Will tried to say but Burt cut him off.

"None of you noticed!" Burt growled and he watched as they all dropped their heads. Mercedes looked horrified with herself and Finn had turned pale. At least they had the decency to look ashamed but Burt shook his head. "What was going on in your head? You're their teacher for crying out loud!" He snapped. "You left my kid stranded in New York!"

"Burt I –" William tried again but Burt raised a threatening finger.

"Shut up," Burt growled. "You'll be lucky if you work again. As for the rest of you, Kurt is your friend and none of you noticed that he wasn't there! You left without him!" They shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Burt's heavy glare. Burt shook his head in disappointment. "We're going, Finn."

Burt and Carol both turned and walked off. Finn hurried after them, knowing that if he didn't Burt wouldn't hesitate to leave him behind.

"There he is," Blaine yelped and Burt looked to see where Blaine was staring. Kurt was hurrying to them, suitcase rolling behind him. When he got to them he dropped his bag and threw his arms around Blaine's neck, burying his face into his shoulder. Blaine wrapped firm arms around his waist and held him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're home," Blaine whispered in his ear and Kurt pushed himself closer. Blaine dropped his head and placed a kiss to Kurt's neck, holding him tighter. Burt allowed them to have their moment, glaring at anyone who so much as looked at them. They pulled away quicker than Burt thought they would have, but he understood that they were in Ohio, after all. New York may have offered Kurt glimpses of acceptance, but Ohio was a world away from that.

Kurt hugged Burt, who returned the embrace.

"So glad you're home, Kurt," Burt told him gruffly and his son smiled at him.

"Missed you, Dad," Kurt murmured and Burt patted his back. Burt leant down and lifted Kurt's suitcase up by the handle. He shooed Kurt away when he tried to take it from him and they headed out.

"Was the flight home OK?" Burt asked and Kurt shrugged.

"I was a little nervous travelling by myself," Kurt admitted, "that being my second time on a plane."

Burt's jaw clenched and he saw Blaine's expression shift. No more was said as they made their way to the car. Burt slid behind the wheel while Kurt and Blaine slipped into the back seat. When they were buckled up, Blaine immediately took his boyfriend's hand, linking their fingers together. Kurt smiled at him and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles.

"I can't thank you and your brother enough for everything you did," Kurt murmured and Blaine smiled.

"It's no problem," Blaine assured him. "Cooper loved having you, he told me so."

"I had a good time. I also saw some very interesting pictures," Kurt smirked and Blaine frowned, confused. It finally clicked and his eyes widened.

"He showed you my baby pictures!" Blaine cried and Kurt grinned, nodding. Burt chuckled in the front seat and Blaine pouted. "No fair! You don't let me look at yours."

"They're on the bookshelf, Blaine," Burt told him and Blaine grinned.

"Dad," Kurt whined and Burt just continued to chuckle. As they approached the Hummel-Hudson home they grew quiet. Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand tighter as the pulled into the driveway and Blaine squeezed it back, trying to reassure him. They slid out of the car and Burt took Kurt's bag while Blaine wrapped an arm around his waist and pushed him towards the house.

Carol greeted him warmly, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "I've missed you so much," she beamed, pulling back. "It's so good to have you home and I can't wait to hear all about your time in New York."

Kurt smiled and nodded. "I'm going to unpack."

He took his bag upstairs, Blaine hot on his heels. He was about to go into his room when Finn stepped into the hallway.

"Hi Kurt," he greeted sheepishly. Kurt ignored him and went straight to his room. He waited until Blaine was in before slamming the door shut. Blaine pulled him into his arms and held him tightly. Kurt nuzzled at his neck before bringing his lips to Blaine's kissing him lightly. They kissed languidly, Blaine re-familiarizing himself with Kurt taste and touch.

Blaine pulled away and stared into Kurt's eyes, smiling. "I love you."

Kurt's breath hitched and he reached out to cup Blaine's face. "I love you, too."

Blaine grinned and gently touched his lips to Kurt's again. "I'll help you unpack."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Directions weren't sure how they were going to talk to Kurt. He had barley spoken two words to Finn, who had tried to apologize but Kurt was being stubborn.

"It could have happened to anyone," Rachel reasoned but everyone just stared at her.

"I can't believe we left Kurt at the hotel," Mercedes shook her head and Sam gently rubbed her back, "and got on the plane without him, too."

"I blame Rachel and Finn," Santana told them and both Finn and Rachel glared at her. "If it wasn't for that kiss in front of everyone that cost us Nationals then we wouldn't have been so mad and disappointed that we would have remembered that Kurt wasn't with us."

"We shouldn't have forgotten him," Tina sighed. "We're terrible people."

"We all had a lot on our minds," Rachel tried again but they shook their heads.

"We shouldn't have forgotten him," Finn agreed with Tina.

Will was in deeper trouble. Figgins had laid into him as had Sue, telling him off for not paying more attention to "her sweet Porcelain". He was lucky to still have his job by the end of it. Kurt hadn't come back to glee but Will didn't blame him.

"It's hard to talk to him when Blaine's there all the time," Finn whined. "The way he just looks at me."

Needless to say, Blaine was not happy with Finn. How could he forget his own brother?

Since they had professed their love for one another, they were spending more time together than usual. Summer was just about to start and Kurt was glad to get some space from New Directions and spend it with his boyfriend.

They had hurt Kurt and he needed space to revaluate his relationship with them. For now, though, he just wanted to focus on Blaine and the beautiful sensations he was giving him as he pinned him to the bed and kissed him with such love that he felt it all the way down to his toes.