PART FOUR

My heart beats fast
My blood runs slow
Like the aftermath of a tornado

The months continued to fly by faster than Quinn could understand, as time always seemed to when there were plans to be made and things to accomplish. The new year was upon them in no time, and with the wedding on the horizon, Quinn was drowning in floral arrangements and gown fittings, bachelorette party planning and cake tastings. Drew helped where he could, adding his opinion and offering foot massages, and Quinn relied more and more on Rachel and Kurt.

But, there were some things outside of all of their control. Quinn's father was refusing to come to the wedding, on some ridiculous protest of Drew's background and religion and "bad attitude." Blaine had confided in Drew and Quinn that he and Sebastian were on some weird break that no one really understood, which meant things would be weird for the other groomsmen, to be sure. Quinn had booked a florist, who had called to cancel just the previous week, and her caterer was hesitant to guarantee a vegan option (for Rachel's benefit), unsure what the next month would bring.

Quinn was overwhelmed, to be sure, but she was, more than anything, counting down the days. She was ready, so very ready, to start her life with Drew, to exchange vows and rings and promises, to change her name and to find an apartment together. It might turn out to be the worst, most disaster filled wedding of all time but, at the end of the day, it would be her and Drew, with the people they loved the most. Drama free or not, it was sure to be a party. And Quinn Fabray loved a good party.

Drew Cassidy remembered, with perfect clarity, the three times in his life he had fallen in love.

He had first given his heart to a beautiful, freckly and feisty brunette named Clare. They had met in school and, from the first time he laid eyes on her, he knew. There was something about her laugh and her smile and this strange quality he couldn't place - this fire she seemed to have inside her - that captured his heart. For a few wonderful weeks, he was sure the Clare was his soul mate - that they would be together forever, playing hopscotch until they had grey hair, exchanging sappy valentines and having adorable, spunky children - and then it all fell to pieces.

At recess, Clare broke the news: she had started dating another boy who was taller than Drew and funnier than Drew and was way better at hopscotch than Drew. Her one concession was that Drew wrote her far nicer notes, but she didn't really think that was important. So, at the ripe old age of nine, Drew fell in love for the first time and had his heart broken.

Seven years later, when he was a junior in high school, love struck Drew again; this time, in the form of a tall, guarded blonde named Lila. She barely gave Drew the time of day, choosing, instead, to date each and every one of his friends over the course of high school. She teased him mercilessly and scoffed at his attempts to woo her, with poetry and flowers and chocolates. She refused to talk to him in class, even though they sat side-by-side in no fewer than four classes. She was quite the enigma, and, of course, that made her all the more appealing. Drew fell and he fell hard, hoping everyday that Lila would look his way and smile, just once; that was all he wanted.

Finally, the day before graduation, Lila did more than smile at Drew. She smiled at him and walked toward him and kissed him, square on the lips and it was the best moment of Drew's young life. Apparently, she had loved Drew all along. So, they spent a wonderful summer together and, in August, said a tearful, heart-wrenching goodbye as she packed her bags for UC Syracuse and Drew for Northwestern. They promised to write and call and make it work, but they didn't. They couldn't. At the time, Drew was heartbroken, devastated, but looking back, he realized they never would have worked anyway. No, life had bigger plans for him. Because, five years later, he fell in love again.

Falling in love with Quinn scared Drew out of his mind. It was unlike anything he had every experienced and, the farther he fell, the happier he was that things had never worked out with Clare or with Lila. With Quinn, things were just simpler, better. He never had to put on an act, never had to try to be someone he wasn't. He was just Drew and she was just Quinn and, somehow, nothing else mattered. When Drew read Quinn his poem about her and leaned across the couch to kiss her for the first time, he knew, somewhere deep inside him, that it would be his last first kiss. That day set something in motion, something wonderful and hopeful and permanent: the rest of his life, with Quinn by his side.

Before they could say "going to the chapel," it was time for the wedding. Quinn and Drew gathered with the bridal party the night before the wedding for the rehearsal dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant in the city. Blaine sat next to Drew, distancing himself from Kurt, who was flanked by Rachel and Quinn, and Sebastian, who seemed to be chatting up one of the bridesmaids. Blaine didn't really know how to feel: with Kurt and Sebastian once again in the same room, he was more confused and conflicted than ever. He had spent time with both of them since Sebastian had asked for a break, and he felt things shifting, changing.

He and Kurt became more open, often finding excuses to touch, brushing hands as they split a croissant, wiping dirt from each others coats, Kurt finding a stray eyelash on Blaine's cheek. There were moments of significance, moments were Blaine was sure something was passing between them, as they locked eyes over coffee and sat, eye contact held for longer than was friendly, longer than what made sense.

When he was with Sebastian, though, things were similarly confusing. He had to resist the habit of kissing him hello or hugging him when he said something cute or placing a kiss on his cheek when he passed him on his way to the kitchen. And now, with them all sitting around the same table, Blaine thought he would lose his mind.

Drew did his best to distract Blaine, introducing him to Rachel's old high school choir director, who, Drew explained, would be officiating the ceremony. Drew entertained Blaine with as many jokes as he could and described, in more detail than anyone cared to know, his romantic plans for the honeymoon.

On the other side of the table, Kurt had to resist the urge to look over at Blaine again, worried about him. Was it Kurt's imagination, or did Blaine look off? Upset or stressed or something? Kurt had tried to give Blaine a warm smile hello, but found that Blaine seemed too distracted to notice. Kurt was worried, and couldn't help but wonder why Blaine wasn't sitting next to Sebastian, why Sebastian, too was shooting Blaine worried looks. He attempted to distract himself with Rachel and Quinn, with wedding details and news from Rachel's latest round of auditions, with speculations about how Finn would act around Rachel the next day and questions about Quinn's honeymoon.

Sebastian sat, trying to figure out how to hint to Quinn's flirty friend from college that he was very much gay and so not interested, sneaking glances at Blaine. The last few weeks had been weird, to be sure. Ever since he had asked Blaine to take time to think, to put their relationship on a break, there was a tension between them, an understandable feeling of uncertainty. They didn't talk about it, as if hoping ignoring it would make it go away, and acted as friends, or something similar. Sebastian missed Blaine. He missed flirting with him and touching him, kissing him and spending the night with him. He contemplated breaking it off for good, finding some other source to fill the spot Blaine left in his life, but he knew it wouldn't be the same. He would take what he could get with Blaine, knowing that anything less, anyone less, than Blaine wouldn't be good enough.

As all three boys sat, trying to avoid thoughts of love and lust and conflict, they eventually found themselves caught up in the excitement of the dinner, the promise of a wedding the next day and the fun it would bring. They laughed and toasted the bride and groom, they shared stories of Drew and Quinn and smiled, happy imagining their friends getting married, spending their lives together. They wondered what the next day would hold for them, and the days after that. As Drew and Quinn began their lives together, what would happen to Kurt and Blaine and Sebastian? They were excited, to be sure, but each equally scared, apprehensive, reluctant to hope for the best.

Desserts were finished and bills paid, the last toasts made and classes clinked. The three boys went their separate ways, all exchanging equally confusing, stiff goodbyes. The wedding loomed on the horizon and neither Blaine nor Sebastian nor Kurt found it easy to fall asleep that night. Maybe it was pre-wedding jitters, excitement for their friends, but they doubted it. Something big was on the horizon for Quinn and Drew, and, they suspected, for the three of them, too.

"How do I look?" Quinn stepped out of the bathroom and twirled around, grinning from ear to ear. When she stopped twirling and faced her best friends, Kurt burst into applause and Rachel burst into tears. The other bridesmaids eyed them both warily, unsure whether they should follow Kurt's suit and clap, or Rachel's and sob. Quinn went to Rachel's side, concern on her face, "That bad, huh?" She asked, hoping to put a smile on her friend's face.

"You look..." Rachel hiccupped and smiled through her tears, "so beautiful." Quinn and Kurt laughed, rolling their eyes at the friend and the other bridesmaids, two of Quinn's friends from�college and a distant cousin, looked on, clearly confused by Rachel. Once Rachel's tears had stopped, the bridesmaids and Kurt worked together to tie a perfect bow around Quinn's dress. They put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup, kissed her on the cheek with best wishes, gushed to her about what a perfect wedding it would be.

One by one, they trickled out, until Quinn was left with Rachel, her maid of honor, and Kurt, her personal attendant, her two best friends in the world. The three of them stood in a circle, holding hands and trying not to cry.

"You're really doing it," Kurt said, lips curling into a smile. "These are your last moments as a single girl. As one of us," he smirked and Quinn and Rachel laughed. "If it were anyone but Drew, I'd tell you not to do it. But he's wonderful, Quinn. You two are going to be so happy." Quinn smacked Kurt on the arm and tried to wipe at her eyes without ruining her makeup.

She huffed and said, "Well, thanks for making me cry. If you ruin my makeup I'll never forgive you." Kurt wiped tears from his eyes and Rachel did, too, following suit.

"You are going to be the most beautiful bride," she said, smiling at Quinn through her tears, "and nothing will make be prouder than to stand up there next to you." Quinn started to cry again and she hugged Rachel, waving for Kurt to hug her from the other side.

The day marked a big change for the trio; it was their first wedding, the first time one of them changed their life in such a permanent way. They knew things would never be the same and yet, as they stood in a group hug, crying in spite of Quinn's makeup woes, they weren't afraid of the change; they welcomed it. They were growing up and falling in love and getting hurt, as they always knew they would; and they were doing it all together. When it came down to it, that was the most important thing of all: through thick and through thin, Rachel and Kurt and Quinn were a family, and nothing, no husbands or fights or distance, would change that.

Is it really possible to love two people at once? To be in love with two people at the same time? Is it, instead, more plausible to love two people, but in different ways?

Blaine couldn't help but wonder how he could love Sebastian, be loved by Sebastian, and yet still think of a future with Kurt. He didn't understand his heart or his head, or what either of them wanted.

How can you forgive the past, forget it? How can you move on when old feelings of hurt and betrayal still linger? When old feelings of love still remain? How can you hope to move forward when the past still haunts your thoughts and dreams?

Kurt wanted to move forward, to accept that Blaine was happy with Sebastian and move on. The only problem was, he didn't know how. And, Blaine, too, wanted to move forward. He wanted to make Sebastian happy, to do what he had promised when he became his boyfriend: to love him and support him. Whenever he and Kurt got coffee or watched movies or did anything as friends, he remembered what had happened the last time, when he and Kurt had tried to be friends before. He remembered the devastation and heart-wrenching pain he had felt. And yet, he remembered the good, too. The love and the kissing and the feeling of total rightness.

And how, when confronted with a choice between your past and your present, between loyalty and fate, between what is right and what feels right, do you decide? When there is no easy answer, no perfect solution that prevents pain and heartbreak and loss for everyone involved, what can you possibly do? Even in the face of morals and promises and loyalty, can you ever really avoid what is meant to be?

Did it make it better, Blaine wondered, if Kurt was his soul mate? Did that make it okay? Were they just being stubborn and obtuse, staying apart when, it seemed, the universe kept throwing them together? And what about Sebastian? Blaine barely knew which way was up. Nothing made sense anymore. He loved Sebastian, that much he knew. But, with every passing day, he worried that that love would never measure up, would never compare to the love he had felt for Kurt; the love that he felt returning more and more, creeping up on him, threatening to overtake his heart.

How many people do you have to hurt before you get it right?

How long can you prolong the inevitable?

"It our turn," Rachel said, leading Blaine toward the doorway.

He had been looking out the window, watching the snow fall, thinking about love and marriage and Sebastian and Kurt. Sebastian had entered the chapel a minute earlier, escorting one of Quinn's cousin's. He had looked, as expected, quite dashing in his suit and tie and the sight of his sad smile was still burned into Blaine's eyelids.

As he and Rachel reached the door and stood, waiting for their cue, she turned to him with a smile and straightened his tie. "Perfect," she said, her eyes bright and slightly teary as she looked up at Blaine. She looped her hand through his elbow and gave him a quick squeeze and they entered the chapel. As they walked down the aisle, Blaine took a minute to appreciate the beautiful room: its huge windows, sun streaming in, the countless tulips, white and light blue, covering the room. The guests all sat facing forward, occasionally looking back to watch as they made their way toward the front of the church. Blaine recognized some of Drew's relatives and their friends from college. As he neared the front of the church, where Quinn's high school choir director stood, beaming, he looked over at Sebastian and smiled, his stomach lurching in response as Sebastian returned the smile. Blaine kissed Rachel on the cheek as they reached the end of the aisle, turning in opposite directions and he turned to his best friend, who looked equally nervous and thrilled.

"Hey," Drew whispered, smile on his lips, "I'm getting married." Blaine stifled a chuckle and nodded, patting Drew on the back.

The music changed and the congregation stood, more people looking back now to catch sight of the bride. The two adorable flower girls reached the end of the aisle as Quinn walked into the room, and Blaine couldn't help but gasp: she was stunning. Her hair was done up in a beautiful up do, small, white flowers decorating her hair. Her dress was simple, strapless and long. Her face, however, was the most beautiful, eyes bright and happy, a small smile on her lips. Blaine looked to Drew, about to make some comment about Quinn, but he stopped as he saw the look of complete and utter adoration on his best friend's face.

Drew's smile grew as Quinn came closer and closer and, when her dad gave her a gentle hug and let her go, Blaine could see tears in the eyes of the bride and the groom. Blaine couldn't help but seek out a pair of blue eyes, smiling sweetly at Kurt who stood in the second pew. He was surrounded by a motley crew that, Blaine knew, represented their old high school glee club. As Kurt smiled back at him, his heart began to race and he couldn't help but imagine a day when, surrounded by their loved ones, he and Kurt promised their lives to each other. He broke the eye contact and turned to face the bride and groom, shaking his head slightly, trying to clear his head of all Kurt-related thoughts. It wasn't appropriate to be imagining his and Kurt's wedding, not when they weren't even dating, not when his boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or whatever was ten feet away. He turned to Sebastian, to smile at him again, but found that his head was down, face obscured.

The ceremony began and Blaine was swept up on the romance of it all: this was the stuff of his dreams. He watched as his best friend married his true love and Blaine felt tears of joy and of confusion fall from his eyes. If only it were that simple for him. If only he, like Drew and Quinn, knew who he would wake up to every morning and fall asleep to every night, till death do them part.

~~~
And the feelings pass, but I still shake though
That's why
I could never let you go

Sebastian Smythe wasn't a bad guy. He wasn't evil or self-centered or cruel. Maybe he used to be. Okay, he definitely used to be. But who doesn't have skeletons in their closet? Who isn't glad to have grown up? He had changed, really he had. And he was proud of the guy he had become. But sometimes, sometimes when he thought about Kurt Hummel in particular, he didn't feel very much like a good guy either.

He stood, Drew's cousin on one side and his high school friend on the other and watched as Drew and Quinn exchanged vows. He watched as Blaine watched Kurt, smiling at him, both boys' eyes full of tears. He watched as they both blushed from the prolonged eye contact, pretended to return their focus to the ceremony. He watched as they continued to sneak glances at one another, matching smiles on their faces.

Sebastian wished he had Blaine's conviction, confidence in fate and destiny, in some grand design that would guide them to where they ought to be. Whenever he had bad day, Blaine would take his hand and squeeze it, telling him that everything would work itself out, if only Sebastian gave it time. Blaine believed in all the same things as kindergarteners: magic and fairytales, true love and destiny. As much as Sebastian tried, though, he couldn't believe.

His parents had seemed like soul mates, a perfect match, until they weren't and they were divorced and were the farthest thing from soul mates that he could imagine. He found that life had a way of screwing with him: letting him get just happy enough and then taking it all away.��So how, then, could he believe in fate? How could he have faith when he was constantly given reasons not to?

As he stood, watching Blaine watch Kurt, he wondered if Blaine was right. If true love existed, then who was Blaine's true love? With whom was Blaine fated to be? Sebastian knew the answer he would like to believe, but he feared for the worst.

If Blaine was right, if there was some grand design, it seemed that Blaine was meant to be with the tall, blue-eyed boy from Ohio, the first boy who had ever broken his heart. Sebastian felt tears in his eyes and he wasn't sure why: was he moved by the ceremony? By the thoughts of true love? He was afraid not. He suspected his tears came from the thought of losing Blaine, of letting him go. As he discreetly wiped at his eyes, he realized what he had to do. And the tears kept coming.

Quinn wanted the bridal party to join her on the dance floor, so Sebastian and Blaine found themselves slow dancing, neither quite sure what to say. They had left things on vague terms: Sebastian telling Blaine to take the time he needed, to think about what they had, to think about Kurt. In the weeks that had passed, they had spent some time together, but neither wanted to complicate things, neither was sure what it all meant. So, as they held onto each other and swung around the dance floor, it was probably the first physical contact they had had in a while, certainly the most intimate.

A few songs passed and they decided to get some water, both feeling oddly nervous, and Sebastian feeling quite contemplative. Freshly watered, Blaine asked Sebastian to return to the dance floor with him, this time, out of choice, not obligation and he agreed. But, as Blaine held Sebastian and they spun and dipped and spun some more, Sebastian could feel Kurt's eyes on them from across the room. Kurt had danced the obligatory dances with the bridal party but had retired to his seat as soon as he could. He was currently gesturing wildly while talking to Rachel, glancing over at Sebastian and Blaine every few seconds. It was unnerving, the feeling of being watched, being on display. Sebastian felt odd, off, like he was filling a role or playing a part. He turned to ask Blaine if they could take a walk, and noticed that Blaine's eyes were locked on Kurt, barely paying any attention to the boy with whom he was dancing.

Irritated, Sebastian stopped moving and dropped Blaine's arms. Blaine looked at Sebastian, finally looking away, with a confused expression and Sebastian made an irritated noise. "If he's the one you want to dance with, then dance with him." Blaine had the decency to blush and Sebastian turned and walked off, leaving Blaine alone on the dance floor.

Sebastian went to the bar to get a drink and, minutes later, Quinn sat down next to him. "Penny for your thoughts?"

He chuckled halfheartedly and frowned into his drink. "Everything has been really lovely, Quinn," he said, as sincerely as he could muster.

With one look at his facial expression, Quinn laughed, "Then why do you look so miserable?"

Sebastian met her watchful gaze with a grimace, "I look miserable?" She nodded and he groaned, "Perfect." Quinn reached up a hand to pat him on the back and he said, "It's Blaine." Sebastian heaved a heavy sigh and asked, "Was there ever a chance that he'd love me the way he loves Kurt? Was that stupid to hope for?" Quinn rubbed his back and smiled a sad smile at him.

"Ah, so you've realized then?" She asked, a somber expression on her beautiful face. He nodded sadly and she continued, "I thought about telling you, even tried a few times, but you never would have believed me."

He nodded his agreement, "You're right. I was so sure we could make it work."

Quinn frowned slightly and met Sebastian's sad eyes with her concerned ones, "Have you talked to him?" When Sebastian shook his head she nodded, "You should. Sitting and sulking will only make it worse; and that's coming from an expert at sitting and sulking and avoiding conversation." Sebastian laughed a genuine laugh at that an Quinn smiled at him. "For what it's worth, I wanted you two to work. But..." she trailed off, giving him a sad look and went on, "I don't know that you ever could have. And that makes me sorrier than you will ever know."

Sebastian nodded, too drained to respond and stood to embrace Quinn, expressing his thanks. He held on for what was probably longer than appropriate, but Quinn didn't seem to mind. "You'll be okay," she said, smiling up at him. "You'll see. Someday soon, you're going to fall in love again, with the most wonderful guy; and when you do, you'll never have to wonder, never to ask yourself if it's real or forever or right. I just know it." Sebastian smiled in disbelief and Quinn gave him a kiss on the cheek and returned to her husband.

Sebastian sat thinking for a bit, hoping against hope that Quinn was right, wishing that the wonderful guy could have been Blaine.

With Sebastian nowhere to be found, Blaine chatted with the happy couple, talked to some old college friends and let Rachel tease him mercilessly for his cheesy dance moves. After a while, Drew and Quinn returned to the dance floor, love in their eyes, and his college friends went to the bar and Rachel got distracted talking to her friends from glee club. Blaine wandered the room, smiling at Drew's relatives, wondering where Sebastian had gone, why he had been so angry out of the blue.

As he neared the table of desserts, he saw Kurt, standing alone by the punch bowl, watching wistfully as Drew dipped Quinn on the dance floor and gave her a kiss. Blaine watched as Kurt clapped, along with other guests, and a smile graced his features. Kurt turned his way and saw Blaine looking, so he stepped forward to join Kurt at the punch bowl.

"Great party!" Kurt said, eyes twinkling, and Blaine nodded his agreement. "They're going to be so happy together," he added, smiling into the punch as he poured himself a glass. Blaine nodded again, watching as Kurt took a sip of the punch and smiled at the taste.

"I want that," Blaine said, suddenly.

Kurt glanced up, brow furrowed. "The punch?" he asked.

Laughing, Blaine shook his head, "No, the happiness, the marriage, the 'till death do us part.'" Kurt's confusion turned to a smile, with what Blaine thought looked like a bit of sadness, as he nodded.

"Don't we all?" he asked, looking at Blaine with wide eyes and Blaine was lost for words. They stood, eyes locked, not speaking or moving, completely unaware of the world around them.

"Well, doesn't this look like fun?" A glum voice broke their trance and both Kurt and Blaine blushed, turning to look at Sebastian who stood, arms crossed, on the other side of the table.

"How are you, Sebastian?" Kurt asked, ignoring Sebastian's foul mood.

Sebastian eyed Kurt and glanced at Blaine suspiciously. "Oh, you know..." he said, trailing off, expression somber. Blaine sent Sebastian a concerned glance and Kurt took the tension as he cue to leave, wandering back to the dance floor.

"I was trying to find you," Blaine said, reaching to touch Sebastian's arm. "I wanted to talk, you seemed so upset when we were dancing." Blaine looked up into Sebastian's face but found it was unreadable. "Do you want to find someplace to talk? We could get some air," Blaine suggested, and Sebastian nodded. Blaine steered Sebastian away from the crowd, toward doors that lead to an empty lawn. Outside, they found frosty trees and a snowy bench and a view of the night sky; a place where they could be alone, have privacy.

"So, how was Kurt?" Sebastian asked once they stepped outside. Blaine shot him a look, and Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Not what you wanted to talk about?" Blaine frowned, his eyes worried and Sebastian sighed deeply. "I can't do this anymore," he started. "It's just too hard. I thought I could, but..." he trailed off and looked at Blaine with sad eyes.

"But what?" Blaine prompted, looking up at Sebastian.

"But I realized," he said slowly, as if every word was a hardship. "I realized it's not possible. You can't love us both, Blaine. Not the same way," he said, pain etched on his face and Blaine's face fell. "You either love him more, or you love me more." He looked to Blaine, as if waiting for him to disagree. When Blaine didn't respond, Sebastian continued, "I thought I could wait, I thought I could be patient and give you space. But I can't. I can't do this anymore, Blaine. It's either him or me." Sebastian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "During the wedding..." he started, face full of sadness and pain and a bit of anger, "I watched you. I couldn't help it. With the romance and eternity and love talk, all I wanted to do was look at you and have you look at me and know: know that you felt it too. But you were looking at him." He began to pace back and forth, seeming to ignore the snow falling from the sky and the tears falling from Blaine's eyes. "When you think about spending forever with someone, marrying someone, do you think of him or me?"

Sebastian stopped pacing to look Blaine square in the eyes, tears streaking both boy's faces. Blaine made a pained expression, begging, "Sebastian, please. Don't do this."

"I'm not doing anything." Sebastian said sadly, wiping at his eyes. "I'm just asking you a simple question."

Blaine stepped toward him and placed his hands on Sebastian's shoulders, "I don't love him the way I love you, I don't." His pleading eyes met Sebastian's and he begged, with his hands and his heart, for Sebastian to believe him.

After a few moments, Sebastian nodded, "I know you don't." Blaine's plea began to fade from his eyes as Sebastian whispered, "You love him more." Blaine began to interrupt but Sebastian cut him off, "I think I've known it for a while, I just hoped it wasn't true. You never stopped loving him. And I never stood a chance against what you two have." Lost for words, Blaine stood, dumbfounded as Sebastian went on, "I'm going to go. Tell Quinn and Drew...tell them congratulations; tell them I couldn't stay." Sebastian smiled at Blaine and reached up a hand to wipe a tear off of Blaine's face.

"I'm sorry," Blaine said softly, leaning against Sebastian's hand. "I wish I could..." he trailed off and heaved a ragged, wet sigh. "I do love you. So very much."

Sebastian smiled and nodded, pulling Blaine in for one last hug. "I know," he whispered. "But it would have never been enough." He pulled back to look Blaine in the eye as he said, "And that's not your fault."

They stood, holding each other, crying, as the snow fell around them. A few minutes passed and Sebastian said goodbye, kissing Blaine one last time for good measure. Blaine sat on the bench, either not noticing or not caring as the snow continued to fall, as the winter air wrapped around him, freezing him to the bone.

Kurt and Blaine found themselves, as they often did, in the practice room after class. Blaine sat at the piano, attempting to figure out some melody Kurt didn't recognize and Kurt lay on the ground, listening to Blaine play and attempting to study for an upcoming exam. Eventually, he gave up and watched Blaine, his long fingers stretching to reach all the keys, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Kurt couldn't help but smile at Blaine's frustration and stood up, asking, "Do you think you should take a break?"

Blaine sighed and nodded, dropping his hands from the keys and turned to face Kurt.

"You're really adorable when you're annoyed, you know that?" Kurt asked, before he thought better of it, and Blaine blushed in response. Blaine joined Kurt on the floor and began to study. He started to hum, absentmindedly, and Kurt hummed along with him. Blaine looked up to meet Kurt's smiling eyes and blushed again.

An hour passed and Kurt stood up to stretch, needing a break from the floor. "Do you think..." he started, his voice startling Blaine, who had nearly fallen asleep over his Economics textbook.

"Huh, what? What?" Blaine said, shaking himself a bit.

Kurt laughed and his voice was shy and soft as he said, "I was wondering if you'd sing with me." Blaine's eyes widened and Kurt hurried to say, "If you don't want to-"

"No," Blaine said quickly, cutting him off. "I want to."

"Oh-Okay," Kurt stammered, smiling at Blaine. "I need to practice a duet and I'm fine when I sing it alone, but when I go to sing it with my partner in class, I freeze." Blaine nodded his understanding and Kurt went on, "So, I thought you could help me."

"Of course!" Blaine said eagerly, his smile growing. Kurt grabbed the sheet music from his bag and placed it the piano, gesturing for Blaine to sit down with him. Kurt began to play and Blaine sneaked a glance at his concentrated expression, his cute frown. When Kurt began to sing, Blaine nearly forgot to watch the music, forgot that he, too, would be singing. Kurt's voice was, as always, magical. Blaine read along in the song - something pretty and Latin - and, when the time came, Blaine joined Kurt in song.

The sound of their voices together was breathtaking; Blaine could barely concentrate, could hardly remember who or where he was; all he knew was his voice and Kurt's, that moment and those words and that song. Blaine stumbled here and there, no expert in sight-reading, but by the end, he had picked up most of it. As they cut off and Kurt played the coda, Blaine sat, preoccupied with thoughts of all the songs they could sing together, all the harmonies that would sound so perfect coming from him and Kurt. Kurt played the last notes and turned to Blaine, grinning. "Well, I'd say that was pretty great," he said happily.

Blaine laughed and nodded, "And you said you couldn't do the harmonies." He playfully shoved Kurt and Kurt blushed, shoving him back.

They finished their studying and packed up their things, stalling as much as they could, before exiting to their separate dorms, separate rooms, separate lives. Blaine had to resist the temptation to skip to his room, so giddy from the singing, the sound of their voices together, in perfect harmony. Some voices flowed together, fit together, better than others, Blaine knew. It was a matter of tone and quality and timbre. It wasn't something that could be learned or taught, it just was or it wasn't; and there was no doubt in Blaine's mind that his and Kurt's voices were perfect for each other. He couldn't help but wonder if that was a coincidence.

As Kurt made his way home, he smiled to himself. Was it fair of him to make Blaine sing with him, under the pretense of helping Kurt, when he didn't need help at all? When, that past week, his professor had complimented him on his harmony, his ability to hit every note? Kurt had to admit that he didn't care. He had been wondering how Blaine's voice�would sound with his own, and so he decided to find out. Last time he checked, that wasn't a terrible thing to do; not when Blaine loved to sing, and had clearly enjoyed himself. No, Kurt was pleased with himself and unashamed. And, he had answered his question: together, their voices sounded as beautiful as anything Kurt had ever heard. He began to think of more excuses for them to sing together again and couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"You're my wife," Drew whispered in Quinn's ear, voice filled with glee as he spun her around on the dance floor. She laughed quietly and Drew smiled.

"You're my husband," she replied, leaning back so their excited eyes could meet. They grinned at each other and laughed, and Quinn leaned back into Drew's arms.

Quinn looked over Drew's shoulder to watch the other couples on the dance floor. Drew's parents were dancing, peaceful smiles on their faces, along with several other couples. The music was wonderful and the food had been divine and, at the last possible moment, her dad had arrived to walk her down the aisle; everything, it seemed, had turned out perfectly.

"I kept waiting for something to go wrong," Quinn said honestly and Drew made a questioning noise so she went on. "I just kept thinking that there's no way I should get to be this happy. There has to be a catch."

Drew chuckled and said, "No catch, my dear. Just happily ever after."

Quinn smiled and nodded, pressing her cheek into Drew's shoulder. She watched as Finn went up to Rachel, who was sitting with Kurt at the head table, and offered her his hand for a dance. Quinn couldn't help but smile as Rachel nodded eagerly and she and Finn went toward the dance floor. She looked around the room and wondered after Blaine and Sebastian, who had seemingly disappeared, and figured they were probably talking somewhere. That would be best, she thought. Convinced that her friends were happy, she rested her head on Drew's shoulder and whispered, "I love you, husband."

He pulled her in closer and said, smile clear in his voice, "I love you, wife."

I, oh, I could never let you go

"There you are!" Kurt exclaimed, stepping out into the snow, pulling his jacket tighter around his shoulders as he made his way to sit on the bench with Blaine. "I was looking for you inside," he said, smiling at Blaine, who merely nodded in response.

"I'm here," he said, voice soft and hollow.

Kurt laughed lightly and said, "Well good. Because, I wanted to talk to you about something..." he trailed off as he looked at Blaine, eyes empty as he looked out at the snow. "Are you okay? You seem off." Blaine shrugged and Kurt reached up a hand to touch Blaine's shoulder. At the contact, Blaine winced and scooted farther from Kurt, separating them. "What's going on?" Kurt asked, eyebrows raised in confusion and worry.

Blaine sighed, "Nothing. Nothing's going on."

Kurt scoffed, "You're a bad liar, Blaine. Always have been." Kurt smiled, teasing, but Blaine merely looked at him and then looked away, turning his gaze back to the snow. "You're scaring me, Blaine," Kurt said softly, eyes filling with concern. "You're not yourself."

"Maybe you should just go inside, Kurt," Blaine said sadly, eyes still focused on the falling flakes.

"Maybe I should just-" Kurt repeated. "Seriously?" He asked, irritated at Blaine's refusal to talk to him. "You want me to leave you out here in the cold looking like your puppy just died-?"

"Just go, Kurt." Blaine's voice was louder this time, less sad and more harsh. His eyes met Kurt's and Kurt shook his head. "You should just go inside," he repeated, irritation flashing in his eyes.

"No!" Kurt said, raising his voice to match Blaine's. "Not until you talk to me. Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"What's wrong?" Blaine said, mockingly, voice even louder. "You've got to be kidding." Kurt gave him a confused look and he went on in a bitter voice. "I am�so bloody tired," Kurt's eyebrows raised as Blaine said, "tired of getting hurt and feeling like crap and messing things up."

"Blaine," Kurt started, putting his hand on Blaine's shoulder again, eyes shining with concern.

"STOP!" Blaine yelled, jumping to his feet, turning to face Kurt. "Don't you get it?" he cried, eyes angry. "It's you. It's loving you that's screwing with my entire life." Kurt inhaled sharply and his eyes widened as he began to shake his head.

"Don't say tha-"

"But it's true!" Blaine interrupted. "And you sit there, happy as can be, like usual. Totally oblivious." Blaine scoffed and went on, voice harsh and loud, "You have no idea, no idea, what I went through. I sat and watched as you and Erik paraded around, never once thinking about how it might hurt me. You knew! You both knew how I felt and you didn't stop." Blaine turned around and took a few steps, running his hands through his hair and breathing heavily. "I loved you so much," he said softly. He turned to face Kurt again, face full of anger and pain. "You have no idea what you put me through."

"Blaine, I thi-" Kurt started, but Blaine interjected again.

"Don't you get it? I'm sick of being hurt by you. I'm sick of watching you feel nothing while I fall apart!" Blaine shouted, voice louder than ever, hands jerking to his face to wipe away angry tears.

"Oh, please!" Kurt cried, standing up to face Blaine, face filling with pain to match his. "You think it's easy for me?" Kurt laughed harshly and shook his head, "You think it's a walk in the park to watch you with him?! God, Blaine, I know I hurt you, but do you really think you're innocent in this whole thing?" Blaine scoffed and started to speak, but Kurt just raised his voice over him. "You told me you would love me forever, do you remember that?" Blaine grew quiet and still, watching Kurt with wide, angry eyes. "I guess forever isn't a very long time, is it?"

Kurt looked at Blaine, as if daring him to respond, to disagree, but they both knew that Kurt was right. They both remembered everything Blaine had ever said to him. Kurt took a breath and said, "It breaks my heart every single day to see you two together." Kurt's voice grew louder as he continued, "I go home and I cry and I'm miserable because it hurts when I'm with you and it hurts when I'm not. Trust me," he said, eyes shining with tears and anger and frustration. "I know exactly how it feels to sit by and watch as the boy you lo-"

"Don't you dare," Blaine hissed, voice obscuring Kurt's. "Don't you dare say you love me." Blaine shook his head slowly, "Not like this."

Kurt stood, hands balled up into fists, breathing heavily and watched as snowflakes fell all around them. How did we let this happen? he wondered.

Kurt lowered his gaze to meet Blaine's eyes and he saw a flash of something, something he didn't understand before Blaine said, "I can't be your friend anymore. It hurts too much."

Kurt's eyes widened, and he took a step toward Blaine. He raised his voice and spit back, "Fine. You were a lousy friend anyway."

Blaine scowled and took a step toward Kurt, their eyes meeting. They held eye contact and Kurt saw as the anger in Blaine's eyes faded, turning into something else. Before he had time to realize what it was, Blaine stepped forward, closing the space between them. Blaine's lips were on Kurt's and his fingers tangled in Kurt's hair and Kurt reached up to cup Blaine's face in his hands. It was messy as their teeth collided and their tongues battled for control. It wasn't like any kiss either of them had every had: it was angry and rough and desperate. Kurt moaned against Blaine and Blaine leaned back to kiss a trail down Kurt's neck and then, as abruptly as they had started, Blaine stopped. He stepped back, eyes wide and cheeks red.

"I can't..." he trailed off and hurt flashed in his eyes. "I have to go," he said, and he turned from Kurt and walked away, as quickly as he could.

Kurt stood, frozen in place, fingers touching the lips that had just been tangled with Blaine's, not knowing what to think or what to feel or�what to do next.