Kurt Hummel: That sounds great.

Blaine Anderson: Yeah, that’s what I told gran.
It’d be kind of nice to all open our letters together.

Kurt Hummel: I suggest the choir room.

Kurt Hummel: God, this is truly happening.
We’re graduating, Blaine.

Blaine Anderson: Together.

Kurt Hummel: Together.

Kurt, Rachel, Finn and Blaine are standing in the choir room. They all have their letters. The Hummel-Hudsons, Bubs and the Berrys are sitting in the plastic chairs, waiting for the results.

“Here goes nothing,” Finn grumbles as he opens his first letter. Ohio State has rejected him. He throws the letter away without a second look. He does get into Lima University and Pace University. Carole immediately stars cheering.

“Finn!” Rachel kisses him, proudly.

“Not for acting, though,” Finn says quickly. This shocks everyone, except Burt and Carole. “I applied for an education major instead.”

“Well, it’s New York,” Rachel sounds a bit annoyed, “That’s what matters. We’ll be together.”

She waves her letter from NYADA and she eagerly rips it open. Her eyes trail for a second before they fill with tears. She lowers her letter in shock. Kurt and Blaine look at each other and that’s when they know that Rachel didn’t get in.

She turns on her heel and runs out screaming. Her dads and Finn follow her.

The others look at each other for ten seconds before Bubs shrugs.

“Not our problem,” she says. Burt and Carole look a bit shocked by how crass Bubs is, but they still don’t know about the catfishing. Luckily, they don’t question it and Bubs gets up to stand next to Blaine. She whispers something in Bisaya and Blaine nods.

He carefully opens his first letter. NYADA. Better to rip off the band-aid. He starts reading and Kurt is so incredibly nervous. Blaine’s hand flies to his mouth and he lets out a loud gasp. Bubs looks over Blaine’s shoulder and she pulls him into a bone-crushing hug.

“You did it!”

Kurt lets out a huge sigh of relief. Blaine did it. He got the scholarship.

Blaine looks up at Kurt and he’s crying from happiness. “You next.”

Burt and Carole are sitting on the edge of their seats, literally. Kurt looks down to the letter in his hands. It all comes down to this. This letter can make or break it. He closes his eyes and opens the letter without care. He wants it to be over with. He can’t handle this anymore.

He suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder. He opens an eye and he sees his dad’s encouraging face. Kurt hands him the letter. He can’t do this.

Burt takes it and Kurt closes his eye again. He waits for the verdict. When his dad picks him up to swing him around, he realises what is happening. He opens his eyes and the room is spinning, but he’s focusing on his dad’s happy face.

“You got the scholarship, kid!”

Burt puts him down. He looks so proud and Kurt knows he’s crying too.

Without thinking, Kurt steps to Blaine and he dips him for a passionate kiss. Bubs cheers in the background. They did it. They both got in. It’s all going to be perfect.

After that, it’s all about getting ready. Kurt, Blaine and Finn find an ad that looks for roommates in New York. They start packing their things. They graduate.

After the ceremony, all the glee club members are in the choir room, celebrating the seniors. Kurt and Blaine are sitting in the corner. Blaine has his head on Kurt’s shoulder.

“Who would’ve thought that a scholarship would lead us here?” he laments.

“We aren’t in New York yet.”

Blaine laughs. “That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about us.”

Kurt lets out a laugh.

“I should’ve catfished you earlier,” he says, “We wasted too much time.”

They’re getting to the point where they can joke about the catfishing. Kurt himself is slowly at the point where the guilt is gone. It’s good to have Blaine lying against him with no worries. Blaine’s still a bit mad about it and Kurt is still a bit guilty, but they can live with that. When people in New York ask them how they met, they will lie and that’s fine. Their beginning wasn’t great at all, but it’s about the future now.

A future without Rachel.

She’s failed miserably. She choked her audition, unsuccessfully tried to stalk Carmen, and got rejected. She didn’t even get in without the scholarship. NYADA flat out refused her.

And now she’s slowly walking towards them. Kurt can feel Blaine tense.

“Hi,” Rachel says. She looks stunning in her graduation cap and gown, but the nervous look on her face ruins it.

“Hello,” Blaine says coldly. Rachel truly brings out a bad side of Blaine. It’s chilling.

“Blaine, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry… about everything. About Eddie. About my prejudices about you.”

Kurt’s surprised. She sounds genuine, which makes it even more confusing. He’d never expected Rachel to apologise. She was so certain that Kurt and Blaine were the ones wronging her. In her eyes, she’s the victim.

“Not that I don’t admire your basic level of common decency, but why now?” Blaine says. Kurt really doesn’t like this icy side of Blaine, but Rachel deserves it, so Kurt sits back and lets Blaine do this. He deserves it.

“My dads know you,” Rachel answers, and Blaine’s face thaws slightly.

“… That’s correct.”

Rachel looks ashamed. “They told me about you. I kept complaining after my audition, somehow putting the blame on you. And that’s when my dads realised how I felt about you and they showed me how wrong I was.”

Blaine nods. Kurt’s left in the dark. He somewhat understood that Blaine knew the Berrys, but how?

“Well, that’s all,” Rachel says awkwardly. Then she walks away.

Kurt looks at Blaine, whose face is unreadable, and he asks him how the Berrys know him.

“PFLAG,” Blaine mutters, “They help moderate it. They… know all about me.”

Kurt doesn’t need to ask more. He can fill in the gaps himself. The Berrys have shown Rachel that Blaine is a human being.

“What do you think?”

Blaine shrugs. “I’m glad she’s apologised. That’s all I have to say.”

And with that, Rachel Berry disappears out of their lives. For now.

***

6 months later

***

Kurt Hummel: God, I hate NY sometimes.
I need to get home asap but the train
is absolutely crowded with tourists.

Blaine Anderson: That’s what we get
for living in a city like this.

Kurt Hummel: Class was hell today
since Cassie July places a target
on me all the time.

Blaine Anderson: You got any ideas for
the Winter Showcase yet?

Blaine Anderson: We could duet.

Kurt Hummel: I’d love that.

***

Another 6 months later

***

Elliot pops the cork of a cheap bottle of wine. They’re all broke students. They can’t afford quality wine. Kurt’s grateful that it’s not boxed wine, because that would be a terrible way to celebrate the end of freshman year.

Dani holds out the flutes and her girlfriend, Clara, turns on the music. Blaine pulls Kurt closer and Finn comes back with the snacks. Rachel flew in, since she’s still dating Finn, and she’s talking to Elliot’s boyfriend Luke about her classes at Lima University, where she started during spring semester.

Blaine and Rachel have made amends. They might never be friends, but they tolerate each other. Rachel’s overbearing guilt helps a lot and Kurt and Blaine revel in it.

Kurt’s guilt is also there, the same way that Blaine’s anger is still there, but they’re no longer the foundations for their relationship. They’re fine and the catfishing thing is in the past.

They made it, that’s what counts. After a year of amazing roommates like Elliot and Dani, lots of classes, a job at a terrible diner, ostentatious pretentious students, and a whole city to explore, they are living their dream life.

Clara hands Blaine a flute. “Cheers!”

Blaine grabs Kurt closer.

“To NYADA- or, I mean, to New York!” Blaine raises his glass and Kurt kisses his cheek. The others also raise their glasses.                                        

Life is good.

Blaine Anderson: Can you buy some
eggs on the way home? Elliot and I are
going to bake a cake for Luke’s bday.

Kurt Hummel: You gotta ask Finn.
I’m being held up at work.

Blaine Anderson: Will do. Can’t wait
for you to get home <3

Kurt Hummel: Yeah same.

Kurt Hummel: I love you,
see you soon.

Blaine Anderson: I love you too.