Chapter 36

Kurt skidded around the corner, designer boots squeaking on the polished linoleum floor. Blaine looked up from the choir room piano, hands slipping into his lap as he smiled warmly, "Hey, I got your text, what's up?"

For a moment, Kurt's words failed him, heart beating wildly. His throat was tight as he simply slid a folded piece of paper over the piano top towards Blaine. Blaine's eyes widened, reached over and pulling the paper close to him with a fingertip as if it was hazardous material. Kurt watched as his boyfriend carefully unfolded the paper, drunk in every minute expression on Blaine's face, the Parsons logo stamped clearly at the top of the letter.

Blaine's eyes widened as he read the first line, and Kurt's breath was stolen with a shock of pride-joy-excitement-love barely seconds before Blaine jumped up and swept him up into a hug. Blaine spun around as he lifted Kurt off his feet, "I knew it! Oh my god Kurt, I knew they couldn't say no! You're going to New York!"

Kurt laughed, tears of happiness welling in his eyes as Blaine set him down, "I can't believe it Blaine, I actually got in! They want me..."

Blaine shook his head, pressing a kiss to Kurt's lips in a swell of love, "They'd have been crazy if they didn't. What did your dad say?"

Kurt grinned, still disbelieving. It had been a long waiting game, and Kurt had tried to put his applications out of his mind and just enjoy senior year with Blaine. Aside from their regular sessions with Dr Nordstrom and Dr Monroe, and Blaine's still delicate relationship with his mom, the painful memories of their summer were finally fading in to the past.

It was nice just for once to be normal teenagers in love. Glee Club of course had supplied its fair share of drama, from the splinter group of the Trouble Tones, to Rachel's near manic attempts to boost her extra-curriculars to help her NYADA application. Then there had been the slight set-back with Sectionals, when at the last minute not only had they already been short on members, but Dr Nordstorm decided it was too early for Blaine to try and perform in such a highly charged atmosphere.

Blaine had been disappointed and angry with himself, but Kurt had tried to remain positive. For him, just being able to watch Blaine perform in front of their friends in the safety of the choir room was something to treasure. It was all about baby steps, and he truly believed that they would get there.

But then the new year had swung around, and Quinn heard back from Yale, while Rachel got her finalist letter from NYADA. Kurt had started to think the worst, despite Blaine's confidence that his letters were just taking a bit longer. After all, unlike NYADA, there were no interviews or auditions. Parsons offered places on the sole basis of the submitted portfolio, design project and essay, and like Blaine kept reminding Kurt, that's a lot of material to get through.

"Dad said pretty much the same as you, said he'd never doubted it. He wants to take me out to Breadstix to celebrate. You're invited of course."

Blaine grinned, looking back at the letter as if to memorise the words on the page. But then a frown crinkled his features as his arm slipped slightly down Kurt's back in a draw of confusion. Kurt waited, carefully watching Blaine as this time he read past the first line of the letter.

"Kurt..." Blaine said slowly, "This says you've been accepted for spring intake next year, not this fall."

Kurt smiled softly, "I know."

Blaine's head snapped up, his eyes searching Kurt's for an answer, "I don't understand, we agreed you wouldn't give up your dreams for me."

Kurt took Blaine's hand in his, twining their fingers as he purposefully focused on how much he loved Blaine, pushing the feeling through their touch. "And I'm not. I talked it through with my dad before I submitted my applications, and we looked into it. There's no disadvantage if I start in January, and this way I get to stay with you a little longer through your senior year, make sure we're both going to be really ready for New York. Besides, college isn't cheap. I could use the extra few months to save money."

Blaine still looked uncertain, eyes flicking back to the letter, "Kurt..."

"This was my choice, Blaine," Kurt said quietly. "Be as happy as I am?"

Blaine swallowed, leaning into Kurt as he kept one arm looped around his boyfriend's waist. "I'm so proud of you," he murmured, making sure Kurt felt every word. And then he smiled, finally looking up from the letter to lock eyes with Kurt's steady gaze, "And yes, I am beyond happy for you. You're incredible."

Kurt raised his chin, eyes sparkling, "I know I am."

00000

Kurt kept his eyes closed, focusing on the pressure of Blaine's spine lined up against his as they sat back to back on the floor. Dr Monroe's voice lilted through Kurt's consciousness, a lulling calm of imagery and guidance that had long lost the meaning of real words since they began this little meditation.

His senses were tuned to Blaine, and he wasn't sure if he could separate them as they floated there in their very own ocean of calm. All he knew was that Blaine was with him, that they were safe. It was peaceful.

Blaine's hands were loose within Kurt's, his fingers warm.

Gently, one hand broke contact, and there was a cascading flicker of anxiety from Blaine, but Kurt easily washed that away. There was nothing to worry about, he was here, they were together. Nothing could touch them.

"Well done, Blaine," Dr Nordstrom's deeper voice broke the spell on Kurt, "You're doing really well."

Kurt opened his eyes slowly, unsure how much time had lapsed since the beginning of their session. He twisted his head to look over his shoulder, careful not to move away from his position against Blaine's back, right hand still holding Blaine's left. Dr Nordstrom was firmly holding Blaine's right hand, skin to skin. He must have been the one to break Kurt's hold.

And Blaine was still sitting there, eyes still closed. His breathing was a little uneven, and Kurt could feel a second flare of sharper anxiety begin to build within Blaine as Kurt's awareness returned completely.

Kurt shifted, breaking his hand hold with Blaine to turn, sliding his legs either side of his boyfriend so that he could wrap his arms around him, pulling them back-to-chest. Kurt rested his chin on Blaine's shoulder, "It's okay, I'm here, it's okay."

He felt Blaine's muscles relax under his arms, and Dr Nordstrom smiled encouragingly. He seemed to be concentrating on something, but Kurt couldn't feel anything from the man through Blaine. His boyfriend had slipped back into a calm lull, trusting Kurt to hold him in his silence.

They sat like that for another good ten minutes, until Dr Monroe started to switch up her constant stream of words, Dr Nordstrom carefully letting go of Blaine's hand. "...and whenever you like, you can open your eyes Blaine."

Kurt felt Blaine blink a few times, shifting as he registered Kurt's change in position since they had started the session. Sluggishly, Blaine moved to cover Kurt's hands with his own where they rested around his chest, "Hey."

Kurt smiled against Blaine's shoulder, "Hey."

"How do you feel, Blaine?" Dr Monroe asked.

Blaine yawned, "Kinda sleepy, but good."

"Anything else?" Dr Nordstrom prompted, "Any emotions that are not your own?"

Blaine frowned, "I don't think so? I felt a bit weird I think at some point, but most of the time there was just Kurt."

Dr Monroe smiled, "That's excellent, Blaine. Kurt?"

Kurt drew back slightly, starting to become more aware at just how intimate a position he was sitting in with his boyfriend. Blaine seemed happily and purposefully oblivious to Kurt's sudden discomfort, leaning back into him. Kurt said, "Everything just seemed peaceful to me. Blaine wasn't very happy when you took his hand to start with, but I think I just got distracted."

"You took my hand?" Blaine asked blankly.

Dr Nordstrom nodded, excited. "Yes. And I was projecting to you as well. But you remained shrouded. It is excellent progress from both of you."

Blaine's face broke into a grin, "Does this mean I can perform at Regionals?"

Dr Monroe rolled her eyes fondly; Blaine had been asking them that for the last four sessions without getting an answer. But then Dr Nordstrom nodded, "I really don't see why not," he held up a hand to try and curtail Blaine's yell of excitement. "As long as you make sure you take five minutes before the show to do the exercises we've been practicing. It's very important."

Kurt grinned, "Of course, we definitely will! Thank you!"

Dr Monroe laughed, "Just make sure you win!"

00000

"Hey, what's this?" Kurt picked up a flash drive from Blaine's desk, running his finger over the neatly written label.

Blaine twisted, catching himself halfway through the move he had been practicing. He danced over, still keeping rhythm to the music as he wrapped himself behind Kurt, his arms warm around Kurt's waist. "What's what?"

"This has my name on it." Kurt showed the flash drive to Blaine. That was all it said, just one word. KURT.

A scattered mix of shyness, nervousness, pride and embarrassment flitted through Kurt just before Blaine broke contact, taking a slight step back as he replied with badly faked nonchalance, "Oh, that's nothing."

Kurt smiled, catching Blaine's wrist as he enjoyed watching the deep blush rising to colour his boyfriend's cheeks, "Blaine."

Blaine ducked his head, and Kurt knew that look. It was how Blaine looked whenever he was carefully measuring what he wanted to say, weighing each word in his mind before he let it out into the world and set himself up for scrutiny. "It's... well, you know I said I want to follow you to New York next year? Well, I've kinda been preparing stuff early. I know I've got tonnes of time, but... I want it to be perfect."

Kurt blinked, not having expected that answer. Sure, they had talked about Blaine following him in abstract terms, but they hadn't really gotten much further than that. Kurt hadn't wanted to push, preferring to focus on their sessions with the doctors. Blaine still hadn't ever been to a city bigger than Columbus, let alone somewhere like New York. And if they won Regionals, they would first have to deal with Chicago. "So, what's this got to do with it?"

Blaine's eyes remained fixed on what must be a very interesting bedspread. "It's my current version of one of my application scores. If I want to get into Julliard for Composition, I need to send them two samples of my work. My first is easy, you've heard it plenty of times when I mess about on the piano at school. I'm just going to record myself playing it. But for my second, I needed to compose it digitally."

"And... this is it? With my name on it?" Kurt barely managed to ask, his heart swelling.

Blaine finally looked up, plucking the flash drive from Kurt's fingers. His eyes were earnest, "It's you. I just... you're so amazing and no one can feel you except me and that just isn't right. And, well... I kinda needed a whole orchestra..." Kurt's eyebrows rose, and he was unable to verbalise how he felt in that moment. But it didn't matter, because Blaine knew. "Would... would you like to hear it?"

Kurt nodded, overwhelmed. And then Blaine popped it into his laptop, and turned up the speakers and wow Kurt knew Blaine was talented but this was something else.

And it was him.

When the last echoes of the instruments died, Kurt was frozen in the quiet. "That's how I feel to you?" He asked in wonder.

Blaine nodded, slipping his hand into Kurt's, "As best as I could get it, yeah. It still needs some work but I've got all summer. Hopefully by application season I'll have got it right."

"Blaine, there is no way Julliard is going to say no to you," Kurt said with absolute certainty, pride swelling up within him. "I had no idea..."

Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's shoulder with a smile and a blush, "I'm glad you like it."

Kurt could only nod, throat stuck, and simply let Blaine sense his overwhelmed emotions. Words couldn't have expressed how he felt anyway.

00000

Kurt sidled up to Blaine, sitting down on the piano stool in the empty choir room that had been transformed into the New Directions' dressing room. The first group were performing right now, and their friends were outside in the audience watching. Blaine and Kurt had decided ahead of time that it was better to sit that out, just in case.

"That Cooper?" Kurt asked, leaning into Blaine's shoulder as his boyfriend typed a reply text.

"Yeah," Blaine smiled, a warm happiness exuding from him. "I think he's feeling bad for not being there for my first performance."

Kurt nodded. He had been on the Skype call last week, both of them persuading Cooper not to ditch his show for Regionals, especially as it was his first major role Off Broadway. They had reached a compromise by agreeing that Cooper would come to Nationals to watch them win, because obviously they were winning Regionals, but the older Anderson brother hadn't been happy about it.

Still, both their parents were in the audience, and Kurt knew Blaine was excited to perform for his mom and dad.

A swell of applause echoed down the empty corridor. One more group to go, and then it would be their turn. Kurt looked at Blaine's face carefully, watching his boyfriend carefully close his eyes and breathe against the onslaught of emotions thrumming out of the auditorium by sheer weight of people. Kurt rubbed a hand between Blaine's shoulder blades, "You doing okay there?"

Blaine nodded jerkily, taking a moment before opening his eyes with a nervous smile that sent pre-show butterflies dancing in Kurt's stomach. "I'm good. It's just... big, you know?"

Kurt smiled, pressing a kiss fondly to Blaine's temple, "Remember a year ago, our last Regionals? Think back to that, and then to where we are now."

Blaine quirked a grin, replying deadpan. "Yeah, I know. I wanted to kiss you so badly that I went to a show choir event full of emotionally charged people I couldn't block out, only to nearly collapse on you when you should have been on stage accepting first place. Smooth."

Kurt huffed, bumping Blaine's shoulder with his own, "You know what I mean. Wait, you wanted to kiss me way back then?"

Blaine rolled his eyes, "I wanted to kiss you the moment I met you at my locker. Have you seen yourself?"

Kurt bit his lip, feeling his cheeks heat up as his stomach squirmed pleasantly, Blaine's compliment accompanied by tingles running up his arm where they sat touching side by side.

Somehow, Kurt gathered himself and his hormones. Focus. "I think it's nearly time – the others will be here for show circle any minute. Come on, turn and face me."

Kurt slid back on the piano bench, throwing one leg over so he was straddling it, facing Blaine as his boyfriend mirrored him. Blaine scooted forwards, their legs and ankles tangling as Kurt reached forward and rested his arms on Blaine's shoulders, loosely linking his fingers behind his boyfriend's neck. He watched as Blaine let his eyes slip shut once more, reached up to take a light hold of both Kurt's wrists, anchoring himself.

Kurt studied Blaine's face carefully, stroking the nape of Blaine's neck with his thumb in a soothing motion. "It's just us. There's no one else here. Just us," Kurt murmured, letting his voice follow a careful cadence that ebbed and flowed with the shushing of the waves between them. "I'll always be a touch away, just dance close to me, and I'll be right there. We're going to be amazing Blaine, and you're going to get on that stage beside me, with our friends. And we're going to get our place in Nationals."

Blaine sighed, a soft exhale through his nose, before he opened his eyes again. He lightly squeezed Kurt's wrists with a rush of gratitude and love, and for a moment, they just existed.

Then Blaine grinned, and Kurt only had a split second warning before the other boy surged forwards in a kiss that stole the breath from Kurt's lungs in a rush of fiery confidence. Kurt squeaked in surprise, but fell into the kiss with equal enthusiasm, uncaring if their friends walked in any second.

Too soon, Blaine broke the kiss by barely a hair's breadth, his eyes alight with a cascade of sparks that settled deep in Kurt with a tugging desire for something more, "Let's win this thing."

Kurt nodded dazedly. Right.

The moment broke as their friends came sweeping into the room, and then it was all about the competition. They took to the stage in a burst of light and song, and Kurt couldn't have been more proud. In that moment, things were perfect. He was performing, he was doing what he loved next to the love of his life, surrounded by friends who had risked everything for him and Blaine.

In that moment they shone like stars.

So, when the first place trophy was announced, Kurt wasn't even surprised. The New Directions had killed it, and they were going to beat everyone in Chicago too.

And when Blaine's parents mentioned amidst the congratulations that they had a load of errands to run in Columbus, and would probably be having dinner there too, so Blaine might want to go to the Hummels following the Regionals after party that afternoon...

...both Kurt and Blaine had just nodded, sure sounds great, see you later.

But one graze of fingertips, and both knew that they weren't especially fussed by any after party, Kurt's lips grazing Blaine's ear in a breath of a whisper.

It was the longest drive, followed by the tallest stairs in an empty house, but finally Kurt was able to capture Blaine's lips in a continuation of their kiss, his back pressed against Blaine's closed bedroom door as every nerve in his body lit up with electricity.

Kurt looped his arms to rest over Blaine's shoulders, his words escaping with barely any air, "You take my breath away..."

Blaine smiled, his eyes adoring, and Kurt couldn't believe that he had found this boy. "I love you, Kurt."

Kurt reached up to cup Blaine's cheek with his hand, overwhelmed by the echoing reverberation as their emotions fell perfectly in sync with one another's. "I love you too Blaine."

When Kurt had first kissed Blaine, the incredible boy in front of him had set the stars alight in a cascade of sparks. It had been scary, and impossible, and wonderful.

When Kurt had first felt, truly felt, just how much Blaine loved him, in a perfect mirror of his own feelings, Kurt had been stunned, and petrified, and overwhelmed.

That afternoon, Kurt couldn't describe how he felt.

Everything was heat and skin and Blaine, and all Kurt could do was let himself fall into it. To let himself be swept away into the vast unending expanse of midnight blue and molten gold, as waves crashed up to catch the stars.

And as they lay there wrapped up in each other, Blaine's lips hot on Kurt's skin, Kurt's finger's tangled in Blaine's hair, Kurt felt whole.

TBC