When Blaine woke up the next morning he felt wrong. Like something was missing – and then he remembered Kurt coming to him in the middle of the night; crying and telling him about his break-up with Sam and then they fell asleep together.

But Kurt wasn't in his bed. He could have sworn that Kurt had fallen asleep in his arms, but the bathroom door was open so he wasn't there either. He sat up in confusion and saw Kurt's clothes folded neatly on the chair, so he got up and headed for the living room.

The sight that met him really wasn't anything he could have ever expected. Kurt was sitting on the couch, wearing Blaine's pajama pants and Blaine's t-shirt. He still had bed hair and he was sitting with his legs curls under him and a mug of tea in his hand.

In the big armchair at the end of the coffee table Tina was sitting wrapped in Mike's arms and legs like they so often did during movies or casual hanging out in the living room. To Blaine it seemed like he had just walked in on them in the middle of a chatty conversation.

"Hey, sleepy head. I didn't think you were ever going to wake up," Kurt said softly.

Blaine let a confused glance around the gathering and was met by smile from Tina and Mike. He took a few steps over and Kurt spread his legs, gesturing for Blaine to sit down, so he did.

"Kurt told us what happened last night. It's terrible. He really shouldn't have reacted like that -" Tina said, but she was quickly cut off by Mike.

"But now you two can be together. Like, really be together. That's awesome," he said and rested his chin on Tina's shoulder.

It was strange to sit there enveloped by Kurt with Tina and Mike casually next to them. To know that they were now officially a couple was mindblowing and scary in one time. They didn't have to hide anymore.

They spent the morning chatting. Kurt asked interested into Tina and Mike's lives; about their jobs and school, their relationship and plans for their future. Blaine listened and watched, letting himself bathe in the relief of how things had turned out for them, regardless of the unfortunate way it had to go.

Around noon Kurt had to go leave. He needed to get home and change before going back to the theater for their matinee show, even though Blaine didn't want to let him leave.

"I'm thinking – I don't have a show Wednesday, so how about we go to my place for once? I can ask Rachel and Finn to be there... if it's not too much," Kurt suggested while he changed out of Blaine's clothes and into his own fancy party clothes from the night before.

The question caught Blaine off guard. He hadn't even considered meeting Kurt's friends and family yet. He knew Kurt hadn't had a chance to explain them what had happened between him and Sam – and the thought of meeting his protective brother who was best friends with the fiancé he had cheated on was, mildly put, intimidating.

"I uhm – we could do that," Blaine said, mentally checking his calendar. He figured he would have to ask Tina to take his shift at the pub then, but he was sure it wouldn't be a problem.

"Great. I'm afraid I'm gonna be busy until then, but I'll send you the address later. I'm gonna miss you," Kurt sighed as he closed his jacket and stood straight to face Blaine.

"Me too. But I'll live. Now I can tell people you're my boyfriend," Blaine smiled and kissed his nose, chuckling as Kurt went cross-eyed on purpose.

"Yeah. Gonna be a fun task to explain that to my family and cancel the wedding invitations and everything. But – don't be nervous. They just want me to be happy... and you make me happy," Kurt said.

"I have to go now. I love you."

"I love you too. Go out and be amazing," Blaine cooed and pulled him in for one last kiss before letting him go.

xXx

To be on the train towards his boyfriend's apartment for the first time was a lot more nerving than Blaine had expected it to be when Kurt asked him Sunday. Nonetheless, here he was – on the train, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a feeling of his nerves having decided to tap dance for the entire day.

When he got off the train he wasn't sure he had gone right. The buildings were tall and clean and pretty. Some had doormen, like where Sebastian lived. These places just seemed a bit too clean for even being New York. At least the parts of New York he spent time in, except for when he played in restaurants he couldn't afford to visit on his off-time.

But when he reached the building of the address and went inside he found a silver platter with an index of the people living there, and surely it said 'Kurt Hummel & Rachel Berry' so he had to be at the right place.

He took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to the right floor before he walked down the hall in his search for the apartment he was looking for. He knocked the door carefully, but then figured to ring the bell would be a better choice.

The door was abruptly opened by a short girl with long dark hair and big brown eyes. Rachel – the one he had heard so much about. Her face cracked in a grin when she saw him and for a second he feared that she would attack-hug him. Fortunately she didn't, but stuck to bouncing on her toes instead.

"Hi! Blaine! Kurt has told me sooo much about you. Come in. He's in the kitchen. I've just been dying to meet you," she blabbered out and Blaine nearly couldn't catch up with her words from the speed they rambled from her mouth.

He hung his jacket on the rack she told him to and followed her through the apartment. It was a big place in warm colors with fancy art and designer furniture. Blaine felt it like had stepped into a movie.

"Hey. Finally!" Kurt smiled and dropped whatever he had been working on to run around the kitchen counter and throw his arms around Blaine's neck. He kissed him deeply and clenched him hard before backing away.

"Oh sweetie, you didn't have to do that. They're gorgeous," Kurt smiled when he accepted the bouquet of pink flower Blaine had brought him. He walked around to find a vase for them and put them on the counter, looking at them proudly with his cheeks slightly resembling their color.

He turned around and smiled at Blaine before he gestured for Blaine to sit down on a barstool by the counter. Kurt and Rachel were both all over the kitchen, apparently caught up in cooking. Kurt asked Blaine how his week had been and told about how his own was. Blaine always found it interesting when Kurt talked about his work at the theater and now that they were in the middle of the run of a show the tales only seemed to grow in fascination.

When Kurt and Rachel slowly calmed down the girl disappeared into her room to prepare for the arrival of her boyfriend, so Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand to lead him to the living room.

"So, do you want a tour? It's really not that big of a deal, but -" Kurt started to say, but stop mid-sentence when a yellow lab came running with wagging tail and tongue hanging from his mouth, staring up at Kurt with an eager expression.

"Hey Simba. Didn't Rachel want to play with you anymore?" Kurt cooed and got on his knees to hug the big pup with hands petting around the thick fur.

The dog nuzzled his nose into Kurt's neck with an excited slurp and a little groan as Kurt scratched his ear. He kissed his snout and rested his temple against the pup as he looked up at Blaine who had been looking awestruck on Kurt sharing the affection with his pet.

"I hope it's not a problem that I got him from Sam. I just... really love this baby so much," Kurt said with big, doe-eyes and pouting lower lip.

Blaine rolled his eyes and dropped to his knees as well. He brushed his hand down the back of the animal and leaned in to press his lips against Kurt's.

"Kurt, I didn't even think about that. I could never ask you to get rid of your dog. He's adorable," he sighed and was glad to be rewarded with a big grin from his boyfriend.

"You're perfect. Now come on and let me show you around," Kurt beamed and got to his feet.

The rest of the apartment was just as fancy as what he had already seen. They had a clear taste for brands and designers that Blaine only knew by name and longing looks when he walked past a store or saw something in a magazine.

Pictures of Kurt and Rachel together or with other people decorated walls and shelves. Blaine recognized Kurt's dad. Large collections of books, music and silver screen DVDs were accompanied by fashion magazines and cook books, and a signed Wicked poster were hanging on one of the walls.

"So – are you ready to see where we're gonna create magic?" Kurt asked teasingly as he stopped in front of the last door of the long hall, and of course Blaine couldn't help laughing, so Kurt opened the door to his bedroom.

Kurt's room was much bigger than Blaine's own – and much more occupied by finesse and caring for details. He had a big bed in the middle of the room, a cute nightstand on each side and a chest by the end. There was a dresser on the opposite wall with a flatscreen TV on the wall over it and a huge pair of closet doors. All furniture were in the same dark, warm wood and the bed was covered in a cherry bedspread with decorating pillows in a bottle green color.

"Wow. We should be at your place more often. It's so comfy," Blaine grinned and turned around to take in the rest of the details.

There were more pictures. Kurt growing up, with cats and dogs and friends, in different costumes clearly from musicals and plays. There was a stack of playbills on the shelf in one of the nightstands and over the bed a large black-and-white photo of Audrey Hepburn was filling the wall.

"Yeah. I wish I could have taken you here sooner. It feels so right to have you here, you know -" Kurt sighed and sat on the bed, watching Blaine take in the impressions.

What Blaine saw when he glanced around the room he couldn't have prepared himself for. Between the series of framed photographs one struck him straight in the gut. Pictures of Kurt laughing or sleeping and in his graduation robes were neatly rowed with a well-known picture in the middle of it all.

Admittedly, he had completely forgot about the photo, but that was honestly one of the things that made his insides bubble even more. It was a picture from they were kids in Silverlake. It was a few months before Kurt's dad first came to the orphanage and the boys had been outside to paint a project for Blaine's art class, but ended up painting each other's faces instead. Miss Pillsbury had caught them in a moment after Kurt straddling Blaine to paint orange down his neck causing Blaine to pull him down with laughter so they were lying on a blanket with arms around each other, orange and purple paint smeared all over their faces and clothes and sun beaming down on them.

"That day was really fun. I remember how we still found paint the next day even though we were in the shower for more than an hour to scrub it off," Kurt smiled and rested his chin on Blaine's shoulder as he snuck his arms around him from behind.

"I had no idea that picture still existed," Blaine said breathlessly and turned around to smooth himself into Kurt's embrace.

"Of course. Blaine, I've had this picture standing out since I moved away from you. I've got a bunch of them all in albums in the living room. You were my best friend, my first love – and you will be my last love. My only love. How could I not keep the memories?" Kurt said and leaned in to kiss him when Simba came running into the room and nudged them.

"Aww, buddy. Of course you're the number one man in my life," Kurt laughed and let a hand over the dog's head as let his head fall to Blaine's shoulder.

"Right here, just like this – I'm happy. This is what I've always wanted," he whispered and squeezed the arm he still had wrapped around Blaine's waist.

"Me too. I've never really had a dream of what my life would be, but right here is all I want. Right now with you," Blaine agreed and kissed Kurt's hair.

They let themselves enjoy the moment for a little while before Rachel called to tell that Finn had arrived and they were ready for dinner.

Meeting his new brother-in-law wasn't as scary as Blaine had been afraid of. The guy was mostly just a big boy. In the beginning he was a bit apprehensive towards Blaine. He asked about his life, his job and his education. He asked into Blaine's time in the orphanage and his relationship with Tina and Mike. To Kurt's dismay he also asked into how much Blaine had known about Kurt's relationship to Sam, and how it was that he could take so easily on adultery.

"Finn, would you mind? That subject is completely dead. Blaine broke up with his boyfriend and I ended things with Sam. That's enough for us, and that should be enough for you as well," Kurt scolded and closed his hand around Blaine's on the table.

Rachel was gaping between them with wide eyes and an obvious fear of any awkwardness taking over.

"I'm just asking. If he could cheat on his boyfriend with you, who says he can't cheat on you with someone else? Hadn't he been with that guy for 3 years?"

"Actually, it was two years. And Sebastian and I weren't having a healthy relationship. I chose to be with Kurt because it was the only right decision for me. One of the only right things that has happened in my life," Blaine commented, possibly a little sharper than he should have, but he needed to set straight from the get go that he wasn't planning on letting Kurt's brother take him down – but most importantly; that he would never do anything to hurt Kurt. Ever.

"Good. Good. I'm just checking. I didn't mean to be rude or anything. I just wanna make sure that you don't just run from Sam, who was making you happy by the way, directly into the arms of someone who could potentially break you down," Finn said and pushed his empty glass away.

"Honey, I don't think there's any reason to be nervous. Kurt has known Blaine for a long time. Forever. And Kurt is old enough to take care of himself," Rachel said with a warning look at her boyfriend.

The rest of the dinner went on without problems. They discussed Kurt's play and the musical Rachel was hoping for a part in. Finn told about the big game that was coming up and what his coach had said about his chances for getting seen by a scout from a big team, and Kurt proudly told about the talk Blaine had with the guy from the record company.

By the end of the night Blaine heard Finn apologize to Kurt. He said that he was sorry about his behavior during dinner and that he just wanted to make sure Kurt wasn't getting himself into something he couldn't handle and eventually would crush him.

"Finn, it's fine, really. I know that Blaine and I only just found back to each other again, but I know Blaine is the only guy for me. And I know that I am the only guy for Blaine. He loves me, and I love him. I wanna be with him – all those things I wanted with Sam. I only thought I wanted them with Sam. Really I just wanted them; being loved, getting married, maybe have kids some day... It wasn't Sam, it was just the idea of having that life. Now I know that Blaine is the only guy I could ever make that life work with," he heard Kurt tell his brother.

"I believe you. Alright? But if he hurts you I'm gonna kick his ass. But if he makes you happy, and if he can give you the life you dream of -" Finn sighed and Blaine heard Kurt giggle.

He hadn't been eavesdropping, it was just impossible not to hear their conversation when he was sitting in the living room alone as Rachel was in the bathroom.

When they returned to the living room Blaine was petting Simba and a broad grin filled Kurt's face with affection as he walked over to sit next to Blaine on the couch.

"Finn? Are you ready? We agreed that I'm gonna stay at his place tonight... to give you two some privacy to – adjust. To life in the open," Rachel declared as she started pulling on a fuchsia coat with a matching beret.

And that was it. They said goodnight to Finn and Rachel as they left the apartment and was suddenly alone. Kurt apologized that he had to walk Simba before going to bed, so naturally Blaine offered to go with him.

It was a quiet walk down the street and through the park down the block. Neither of them said much and Blaine had no complaints. He enjoyed being with Kurt without having to feel like they should sneak around. He loved watching Kurt with his dog and the way he cared for it. He couldn't stop thinking about how perfect the picture was.

When they came back to Kurt's place they agreed that it was time for bed so they went to Kurt's room to get ready. Blaine hadn't brought an overnight bag, so he decided to just sleep in his underwear and folded his clothes and put it on the chest by the end of the bed.

"I sort of... already bought a toothbrush for you, so you can have one here and don't have to carry yours back and forth. I hope that's okay," Kurt said nervously and handed Blaine a blue toothbrush as he came from the bathroom.

"Kurt, that's really great. I hadn't even considered that. Thank you," Blaine said, overwhelmed by the consideration. This was definitely going to work.

They both finished up and curled up under Kurt's midnight blue sheets. His bed was soft and Blaine was pretty sure the sheets were expensive cotton that he wouldn't even know where to buy. It was only a few minutes from they had entangled themselves in each other before Simba came in to curl up in the foot of the bed.

"I love your place," Blaine mumbled and shuffled a little closer to Kurt.

"I'm glad to hear that. I love having you here. It feels much more like home when you're here," Kurt sighed, kissing over Blaine's neck.

In Kurt's arms the darkness felt protective and comforting, so Blaine closed his eyes and felt himself fall into the moment. He was sad that they couldn't have done this before, but now that they were there it felt right and true.

"I know that you heard what I told Finn," Kurt whispered through the darkness.

Oh god, does he think I was eavesdropping?

"I could see it on your face, in your eyes. I know you so well, Blaine. I know you weren't listening on purpose. It's a small place here. But it's okay. I want you to know how I feel," Kurt assured him and Blaine felt his nerves calm back down.

"So you really mean it? You want those things – with me?" Blaine asked, his ears red and his stomach twirling. He had never considered those things for himself.

"Yes. Blaine, one day I hope we can have those things together. I would be blessed to be able to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life, to proudly tell people that you are my husband – to see a miniature you playing with a miniature me like we did when we were kids. To grow old with you. I know what life is like without you and I don't ever want to go through that again," Kurt told and moved up to rest his head on the pillow so he could see Blaine's face.

"So if you want me – some day," he assured him.

"That's all I want," Blaine responded and kissed him, his fingers running into the dark locks at the nape of Kurt's neck.

"For now Simba can be our baby," Kurt chuckled and snuggled as close to Blaine as he possibly could.

"Yeah. That's gotta be a lot better than being a divorce-child," Blaine agreed.

"Oh no. I'm not seeing Sam again. He hit me and called me terrible things. I don't care about him. It hurt me. A lot. But all I care about is you, and our furry baby, and us having a life together."

"Good. I'm looking forward to that," was all Blaine could think to say. He hadn't meant it like that. He knew that Kurt was one hundred percent done with Sam.

"Let's just sleep, baby."

And after a minute Blaine could hear in Kurt's silent breathing that he was asleep.

xXx

The coming time was easy. They quickly let their lives blend in together and were quick to find a routine of switching between being at Kurt's or at Blaine's apartment to make sure they didn't neglect any parts of their lives.

After Kurt's show finished running he went back into acting courses and kept up his vocal training while going to auditions. Blaine kept singing in restaurants and working at the pub with Tina, and Kurt started to drop by every now and then, that way he easily slipped into Blaine's circle of friends who all seemed to like him, but of course everyone was shocked and sad about his break with Sebastian.

Being able to go out for dinner with Kurt, or go see a movie, or simply hold his hand while they were on the train or walking Simba or in the supermarket was a joy he hadn't known he needed. They had fun going out with Tina and Mike, a few times Kurt convinced Blaine to go dancing with him again and to simply be able to cuddle against each other on the couch while Blaine was reading a book and Kurt was reading a magazine made Blaine feel home and safe – like he actually had a purpose in life.

They agreed that as soon as Kurt's dad was back from his vacation with his wife they should set up a dinner with them so Blaine could be introduced to them. He was nervous about it – a lot. But he was eager to do it so they could take the last step of their relationship becoming public. It felt like if he was able to go through a dinner with Kurt's family, being accepted by his dad, that was all they needed before the rest of their lives could start together.

Kurt's dad wasn't mad about the cancellation of the wedding. What he was angry about was the way Sam had acted. In Kurt's family they had a family dinner one time a month and Kurt had broken the news to them over the first dinner after it had happened. He had come to Blaine's place after and told him everything.

The dinner had went on great like always, but since Kurt had made his brother promise to not say anything about the break it had been awkward and uncomfortable. Kurt had finally dropped the bomb at the end of the dinner and hell had been lose.

He started out by telling them that he and Sam had broken up. Then Finn had joined in by telling what Sam had done to him. Kurt's dad had been furious with Sam, Kurt said that he had never seen his dad be like that. His step-mom had asked into why they had broken up and Kurt had told them about Blaine, about everything, and Kurt's dad had been happy for him – that he had finally found back to Blaine after all these years.

Blaine was relieved to hear that Kurt's family didn't hate him for coming between Kurt and Sam. He hadn't know how big of a fear to him that was until Kurt told him how happy his dad had been to hear that they had found each other again.

As for now Blaine just needed to meet him and hope that he would actually like him – it wasn't exactly because Blaine had a whole lot to offer Kurt compared to Sam.

Now they were at Kurt's apartment where they were cuddling with Simba on the couch, Finn and Rachel on the chaise while they were watching a movie. The week had been slow for both of them and since the weather was starting to drift from summer to fall their energy wasn't to anymore than snuggling.

Resting against his collarbone Kurt had drifted into sleep and as Blaine was close to falling asleep himself his phone vibrated. Kurt hazily squeezed a little tighter around his waist, kissed him on the jaw and opened his eyes to look dozily up at him.

Blaine pulled out his phone and unlocked it. There was one text. From Tina.

"What is it, baby? Can't it wait until tomorrow? I'm so exhausted, and I just wanna keep you here forever," Kurt murmured and yawned before nuzzling his face against Blaine's chest.

"It uhm – it was Tina. She just said I got a letter from Silverlake."