"What do you mean?" Kurt asked quietly, his fingers twirling around a loose thread on his comforter.

Blaine sighed deeply and sat down on the bed next to Kurt taking his hands in his.

"It's…It's for the best you know?"

Kurt looked at Blaine angrily. "For the best? How is this for the best?"

Blaine closed his eyes for a minute, before continuing. "Long distance relationships never work out. I don't—I don't want that. It'll be too hard for…for us."

Kurt squirmed his hands out of Blaine's grasp and turned away to look out the window. "I thought you would fight for us Blaine. I thought you—of all people—would have the�courage�to stay in this relationship. Isn't that what you always say? Courage?"

Blaine winced at the coldness of Kurt's words. He could feel every bone in his body begging to just grab Kurt and wrap his arms around him, to tell him that he was sorry, that he was being stupid, and everything would be okay—

"Don't you have any faith in us?" Kurt snapped.

"Of course I have faith in is Kurt, it's just—it'll be hard. I don't—I don't want to hold you back. Long distance relationships are tough, and painful—"

"You told me you loved me." Kurt said in a whisper, feeling his eyes sting from the tears slowly welling up in his eyes, still refusing to look at Blaine.

"I do love you Kurt. I'll always love you. It's just that…" Blaine moved toward Kurt, his eyes searching to meet the sparkling blue-green eyes beside him.

"Then why are we doing this?" Kurt asked, shifting away from Blaine on the bed.

"Kurt…Please. We can still—we can still be friends."

Kurt's head shot up, beginning to feel the heat rising in his chest. "Just friends? Are you serious right now?�Friends?�After everything we've—"

"Kurt please…summer's almost over, we'll have to say goodbye eventually."

Kurt stood up abruptly, walking toward his bedroom door and opening. "Leave, Blaine. Just leave. I don't—I don't even want to see you right now."

Blaine looked so defeated as he stood up, "Please Kurt…let's just talk about this. I don't—I don't want to lose you!"

Kurt turned away angrily. "Too late..."

"He's gone."

Blaine sunk into his chair as the words sunk in.�Gone? What did that even�mean? Where the hell could he have gone anyways? There was still 3 weeks of summer left. He hadn't even had time to make it right, to at least leave off on good terms.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked quietly, staring at the floor.

Mercedes sighed and slipped into the seat next to Blaine, awkwardly placing a hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort the obviously upset boy.

"Blaine. He loves you! You broke his heart. Beside, you know he was only staying here for you anyways. He could have been gone as soon as summer started. He told you he'd gotten a lot of internship offers right?"

Blaine stared up at her incredulously. "I—I…"

"Anyways, I gotta go Blaine. I'm sorry, but even�I'm�not sure where he's gone yet."

Blaine watched Mercedes leave. "But…I…I never even got to say goodbye," he said softly,

"To him…you�did�say goodbye." Mercedes replied, as she walked towards the door.

Blaine stared down at his hands. "I love him," he whispered, but he'd already heard the Dalton common room door click shut.

Blaine dropped his face into his hands. "I never even got a chance to tell him how much he meant to me. I can't believe I'm losing him like this."

"Hello?"

"Kurt!"

"Oh, hey Dad."

"You all settled in over there?"

"Dad, I'm fine. Seriously, one phone call a day will suffice, I promise."

"Oh sorry kiddo, I get worried you know? You're almost officially a college man now! You know Blaine's been uh—he's been calling the house pretty often after you two, you know. I think he wants to say goodbye or something. Do you think I should pass along your new phone nu—"

"Dad! Please don't! I made everyone swear to keep my contact info away from anyone at Dalton—especially Blaine. I don't think I could stand to see him again…it hurts too much."

"Well, alright Kurt. We'll drive up to visit soon. Tell us how the internship goes!"

"Yeah dad! I'll good, I promise. Just make sure Blaine doesn't know where I am, I don't think I could face him again after everything. New York is a clean slate. No way is this petty high school drama following me to new York."

"Is anyone over there giving you a hard time or anything? Because if they are—"

"Dad, this is a fashion internship, and I'm going to a fashion school. I'm going to be worshipped as a God. Please don't worry about me! I'll be fine."

"Alright, alright, just making sure! We'll see you soon"

"Blaine?" Wes asked, knocking gently on the dorm room door, causing the door to creak open slightly.

Blaine was lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. His tie hung loosely around his neck, his blazer tossed aside, and his eyes rimmed red. He clutched a piece of paper in his hand, aimlessly turning it around in his hands.

"Hey, Blaine, are you—are you alright?"

Blaine didn't reply, his eyes focused on the dull patterns on the Dalton Academy Dorm room ceiling.

Wes stepped into the room and sat down on the corner of Blaine's bed. "Blaine, C'mon, let's go outside and grab some fresh air, yeah?"

Blaine let out a heavy sigh and waved the piece of paper at Wes, who took it questioningly.

"It finally came." Blaine said in a groan, and rolled over, smothering his face in his pillow.

Wes's eyes widened as his eyes glossed over the paper. "You got in? Blaine! You�got in. Dude. You should be flipping out. Hey…why�aren't�you flipping out?"

All Wes got was a muffled reply from beneath the pillow. Wes rolled his eyes and hoisted Blaine up by the shoulders until he was sitting up right.

"Blaine Anderson. You just got accepted into Yale. Fucking�Yale. You've been wait-listed since March! Please pretend to be at least a little bit excited, or I might have to smack you."

Blaine raised his hands slightly, letting out a sarcastic "whoo"�while doing a little jazz hands gesture, and flopped back onto the bed.

"Damn it Blaine, Still? It's almost been a month, its time to get over it. You guys broke up. It happens. It's time to let it go. There's no point in mopping about it now."

"How the hell do you let go of Kurt�freaking�Hummel?" Blaine squeezed his eyes shut, throwing his arms over his face. "Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe long-distance relationships�do�work"

"Blaine. You know it'd be nearly impossible to keep up a long distance relationship. Both me�and�David are living proof of it. But I got over Tasha, and David got over Maggie. You were lucky! You're gay, at an�all boys�school. It's hard to keep up a relationship with people who aren't at school with you, let alone a different city, hundred of miles away!"

"I guess you're right…but—he's Kurt!�My�Kurt. I don't know if I can just…get over it."

"C'mon buddy," Wes said sympathetically, "I'll help you pack."

Kurt Hummel was tired of relationships, tired of being rejected or heartbroken all his life. Rejected by crushes, broken by loves, and hurt by the ones he cared about the most. Growing up in Lima, Ohio was not exactly the greatest place for an out, homosexual teenager anyways. Especially if you were one of the very few who were actually�out.

New York, however, was different. He was surrounded by different people, a different environment, a different world. It was a totally new experience. The people here understood fashion. They understood theatre. They just, they understood Kurt, and he loved every single moment of it.

Kurt found himself smiling a lot more. He found himself singing a lot more. He got lost in the beauty, the fashion, the music. And most of all, he found himself feeling happier. His life in Ohio became a fuzzy memory in the back of his mind, and soon, even his constant thoughts of Blaine began to fade away.

New York was a new chapter in his life. And Kurt was going to soak up every ounce of it.

Seven years later…

It seemed clich�, something straight out of a crappy romantic comedy. It didn't seem surreal, but it happened. And it hit Blaine like a ton of cinder-blocks.

It would be hard to�not�notice him, always dressed in some flashy, fashionable outfit. It was particularly hard to not notice him as he tried to hail down a taxi. The way he had a hand propped on his hip, and the other waving up in the air—it was much, much different than the regular grey-suited businessmen Blaine usually saw in the streets of New York. No, that wasn't a typical New Yorker. That was Kurt�freaking�Hummel.

However the moment ended as quickly as it begun. Kurt grabbed the attention of the next coming driver, climbed into the bright yellow car, and in an instant he was gone, disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the city.

Blaine didn't know what was going through his mind at that moment, but next thing he knew he was running out into the street flagging down the next taxi that came in his direction—barely even waiting for it to slow down, before clasping his hand over the door handle and climbing in.

"Follow that taxi! Please!" Blaine ordered breathlessly to the shocked driver behind the wheel. "Hurry!"

Blaine watched as the taxi drove deeper and deeper into the heart of New York City, until finally stopping in front of a large building. Kurt got out of his cab, and swiftly walked into it, cell phone in hand, talking casually with someone of the other end.

Blaine took a breath as he stepped out of his own cab, and stood face to face with the huge skyscraper before him. What was he thinking? He hasn't seen Kurt in years, and they didn't exactly leave off on friendly terms. Sure Blaine sent Kurt a few emails, and left a couple dozen voice messages on his phone, but Kurt hadn't responded to any of them. It was obvious Kurt didn't want to see him then, how is now any different?

Blaine shook the doubts out of his head. He was already here. There was no turning back now. He thought about what he would say.�How've you been? It's been a while...I've missed you?

Blaine nudged his way through the busy lobby of the building, trying his best to avoid the many people on their phones, or business men and their bulky briefcases. He scanned the lobby, until he spotted Kurt—still on his phone, waiting for an elevator.

Blaine walked toward him hesitantly, eyes locked on the familiar figure in the light purple dress shirt.

Kurt tapped his foot impatiently. If the elevators got any slower, he might have to consider taking the stairs from now on.

"Look, I don't care what he says, I'm publishing that article! It's not my fault his spring line sucked. My retired mechanic of a father could design a better line than that crap in animal print…"Kurt said with annoyance into his phone. "No, Mark, I don't care. Tell them to sue me then, I'm not taking it out! People wait all winter for this! I'm not changing it because it freaking hurt his 'feelings' or whatever."

Kurt rolled his eyes in annoyance as the other end of the line continued to argue with him. He turned on his heel to look out into the lobby, his eyes wandering about as he waited for the ridiculously long time it took for the elevator to arrive.

"No—no, Mark, listen to me I've about had it with his people, just tell them if they have a problem they can just come down to New York and tell me to my—holy shit. Is that—oh my god."

A confused muffling came out from the other end, but Kurt didn't care. Instead, he stared in utter shock at the familiar hazel eyes looking back at him from across the lobby.

"You know what, I'm going to have to call you back." Kurt said abruptly, ignoring the muffled protests, and snapping his phone shut.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered under his breath, eyeing the fast approaching brunette.

Blaine was here? Why was he here in New York? How did he even find him? The last time Kurt had even�seen�Blaine was what, nearly 7 years ago? And even then, things didn't exactly end well. What business did he have here? Did he work in this building? Of course he didn't, Kurt would have known by now.

"Kurt!" Blaine said breathlessly, as he pushed past the crowd surrounding the elevator.

Kurt's eyes went wide, and he opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh, wow. I can't believe it's actually you." Blaine exclaimed, grinning wildly.

Kurt swallowed, still refusing to believe his high school sweetheart—ex high school sweetheart, was�actually�standing right in front of him.

"What are you—why are you…?" Kurt began, furrowing his eyebrows. Kurt's heart thudded. Everything came back to him in a flash. His first kiss, his first date, the coffee shop conversations, and even the late night phone calls, everything flooded back into Kurt's mind in an instant, and he shuddered.

And suddenly the elevator doors opened, and people started filing in, pushing past Blaine and Kurt, who seemed to just stand frozen, just staring at each other, neither knowing what exactly to say.

Blaine scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I um, I saw you earlier and—and I kind of just followed you. It's stupid, I know, but I just—couldn't believe it was you!"

Kurt shook his head, releasing his from his state of shock. "Elevator."

Blaine raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Eleva—"

Kurt sighed and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the now extremely packed elevator. "Get on the elevator, or it'll be another 20 minutes before the next one gets here."

Blaine nodded, and squeezed himself in between a rather large woman, and a frumpy looking man in a grey suit.

"Someone be a doll and push the 10th floor button please." Kurt said, glaring at the woman behind him whose oversized purse was ramming into his side.

The tenth floor opened into a large office space. The title�Vain Magazine�waswritten in large black letters on the back wall of the front room. The walls were made entirely of glass, looking out onto the busy streets of New York City. People sat casually behind their desks on the side of the room, chatting on the phone, some editing photos, while others were rifling through fashion catalogs. There was a long curved desk in the center of the room with a cute blonde behind it, reviewing some papers, and talking quickly into her headset.

Blaine may not have been into fashion—at all, but he was familiar with the trendy "Vain" fashion magazine. Though the closest he's ever been to reading one was at the checkout aisle of the supermarket, he knew it was well known for both its critiques and reviews of current fashion, and depictions of what was currently in style. Was—was it Kurt's?

Kurt waved to the blonde haired girl, who nodded and smiled, before leading Blaine into a separate corridor, leading to another wing of the floor.

Blaine followed Kurt to his secluded office in the back, starting to feel his own nerves starting to catch up with him.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked hesitantly, once Kurt had shut his office door and walked over to lean against his desk.

Blaine watched the door as it clicked shut. It was just him and Kurt now. And goddamned it, Kurt looked absolutely stunning, even if he was staring at Blaine impatiently, his eyes narrowed at him.

"Why are you here?" Kurt asked, his voice soft, but threatening.

"Um, I saw you in the city earlier. I didn't know you were here, in New York I mean. I—I almost couldn't believe it. It was…It was you." Blaine stuttered nervously.

Kurt raised his eyebrows, and put his hands on his hips. "And…"

"Kurt, come on. Don't act like you don't remember. It hasn't been that long since...It hasn't been that long since—"

"Since you broke up with me back in high school? No Blaine, I remember that crystal clear, which makes me confused on why you're here." Kurt interjected.

"Kurt…You—you just disappeared. What the hell did you expect me to do?" Blaine was surprised by the underlying anger beneath his words.

Kurt could feel the heat rising to his chest, hardly believing what he was being accused of.

"My fault? Blaine you have�got�to be kidding me. Do you have any idea how broken I was? A person can only take so much pain, and the way you just—just ended it, when I was there thinking that we could actually�be�something, not just some stupid fling that ends after high school." Kurt closed his eyes for a moment. "You know what, never mind. I can't believe I'm doing this right now. I think you should just leave."

Blaine didn't budge. "We weren't a fling Kurt—it was�love."

"That's bullshit. If you really loved me why did you end it?" Kurt replied, his face flushed with growing anger, before dropping down into his hands. "No, this is ridiculous, Blaine, please—"

"Kurt, you didn't give me a chance to explain�why.�You left without a trace. Your parents, your friends, your�brother, not one of them told me where the hell you went! You wouldn't respond to my calls, or my e-mails. Nothing. What did you except me to do? I can't chase you if you don't�let�me."

Now Kurt just couldn't let that one go. "Chase me? Blaine,�you�broke up with�me!"

"And that was one of the biggest mistakes of my life." Blaine said, striding up to Kurt.

"Seven years, Blaine. It's been seven years. Please don't tell me you're still—"

"I am. Always have been."

"What?" Kurt couldn't even understand what was going on right now. All this confusion, mixed with his now rapidly growing irritation wasn't helping.

"And…besides…I'm here now." Blaine's eyes were blazing, his face inches away from Kurt's.

Kurt was trembling from the mix of emotions currently flooding his body. "Here now?" He repeated, "WHY THE FUCK�ARE�YOU EVEN—" Kurt all but screamed.

Before he could even finish, Blaine lurched forward and without warning, cupped Kurt's face in his hands, and kissed him full on the lips—and for a moment nothing else mattered.

Blaine pushed Kurt forward, moving Kurt against his desk, pressing their bodies closer and closer together. Kurt was frozen for a moment, completely in shock by Blaine's sudden, bold move, clawing at his chest in an attempt to break free, before his own lips were moving against Blaine's, hands reaching out and tangling themselves in his curly locks. The kiss was hot, desperate and hungry, with teeth against teeth, their lips battling for dominance.

"What—what are you doing?" Kurt whispered, shivering as he felt Blaine's thumb stroke across his cheek.

"Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't want to." Blaine replied hoarsely as he sucked on the small patch of skin beneath Kurt's ear.

Kurt couldn't think, his brain was practically melting out of his ear at this point. "I don't—I can't—"

Blaine's hands began to wander lower, running against Kurt's smooth midriff, fumbling with the buttons of Kurt's shirt.

Blaine let out a low growl, sending shivers down Kurt's spine.

"No. We have to—to stop," Kurt stammered, as Blaine moved to his jaw, sucking little bruises onto Kurt's pale skin.

It took all the self-control Kurt had to place his hands on Blaine's chest, and push him away. They were both breathing heavily. Blaine's lips were red and swollen from kissing, and his eyes were dark, staring up at Kurt.

"I—I can't do this" Kurt whispered, sliding down against his desk, refusing to look Blaine in the eyes.

Blaine sunk to the floor, leaning against the desk next to Kurt, still panting.

Kurt looked down at the floor, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm engaged." He held up his left hand, flashing a gold band around his ring finger.

Blaine let out a heavy sigh, and reached for a chain around his neck, exposing his own band hanging at the end of it. "Funny. Me too."

�