The last week of Kurt's junior year went by pretty fast. Kurt didn't pay much attention anyway, but he had to admit, the one perk was having Blaine waiting for him after school every day. That beaming face drove Kurt straight to the Lima Bean every day to enjoy their identical drinks. Kurt couldn't even remember what he had been ordering originally. A medium drip was ten times better.

Summer before senior year was blissful enough. A day where Kurt didn't see Blaine, he considered a day wasted. And he didn't waste any of his summer days.

There were some barbeques with New Directions, some swimming in the local park's pool, and scouting for any place that would sell them sno cones.

They'd swing together on an old swing set they found while Kurt jokingly chastised Blaine for thinking a grape slushie was superior to a cherry one. But Blaine would let him win that fight.

No matter how many times they had it.

Two months into their summer, Blaine admitted he had a confession to make.

Dalton had grown to be a bit much. There were a lot of rules and uniforms and sometimes, he couldn't stand it.

Kurt smiled to himself when Blaine said offhandedly that McKinley might be an alright place to shift to for senior year.

A week before school Blaine was in a panic because, yes, he had been wearing a uniform for years. Street clothes weren't his thing.

And Kurt would jump on any opportunity to go shopping, regardless of how interested his partner actually was.

By the first day, Blaine actually looked like he might fit in. Minus the hand he had intertwined with Kurt's.

First day, first slushie. Luckily Blaine got grape.

Kurt laughed as his boyfriend's eyes were screwed shut, complaining about the horrible stinging that even his favorite syrup provided. But Kurt wiped every bit of slushie off of his face, choosing to kiss him on his lips instead of wiping away the syrup with a towel.

And he didn't mind that it wasn't cherry.

McKinley was an odd transition for Blaine. It was different. He'd become comfortable in his safe bubble at Dalton. But anytime he began to get worried or fear another slushie, he just had to reach out his hand and Kurt was there.

He was always there.

Sometimes it would get them more slushies than usual, and the lockers slowly became familiar to the feeling of Kurt and Blaine colliding with them.

But they stayed strong. Because they had each other.

However, not all things went according to plan.

Senior year meant college applications.

Kurt instantly got into UCLA and Pace while Blaine got into Boston and was wait-listed at Berkeley.

Kurt chose to go to Pace and Blaine picked Boston.

They were going to be only a train ride apart.

Kurt was unbelievably giddy, and Blaine was only slightly saddened that he didn't get into his dream school.

Blaine asked Kurt to prom this year.

Kurt didn't wear the kilt this time.

They danced the night away and the evening was entirely magical. Kurt promised himself he'd never forget the feeling of Blaine holding him close, whispering that he loved him and couldn't wait to head off to the northeast with him.

Kurt could hardly wait.

But May changed things for the both of them.

Blaine showed up at Kurt's house one day, standing on the doorstep, both excited and scared. Their future was changing.

Kurt opened the door and greeted Blaine, giving him a hug before he realized that Blaine was holding an envelope.

It'd already been ripped open.

Kurt looked at Blaine confused as Blaine smiled but with a guilty look.

Berkeley had rescinded their wait-list status on Blaine's application. He'd been accepted.

Kurt found the tears rising to his eyes as he begged Blaine, no, no, he couldn't go. They'd be across the country from each other. Kurt could go to UCLA, he'd tell them he changed his mind and that he no longer wanted to go to Pace, Kurt begged Blaine through tears to let him go to California with him.

But Blaine just held Kurt and said no. They'd promised to never let each other come between their dreams.

Blaine's dream was Berkeley and Kurt's was Pace.

And their distance was a nation.

The following months went by faster than either would have liked. They spent every moment together that they could manage. For the first time, they were both skipping school. They'd leave to find any moment they could with each other.

Because in their hearts they knew it was ending. But neither of them wanted it to.

Kurt started later than Blaine, so he flew with him to Berkeley to help him move in.

Kurt couldn't step foot in the dorm without bawling. Blaine hugged him close and promised him it wasn't the end, they'd call, they'd write, they'd see each other on the breaks.

But Kurt didn't stop crying. Kurt couldn't stop crying. There was something telling him that this was supposed to be forever. But it was ending, right there on the steps to Blaine's home for the next 4 years.

Blaine said he loved Kurt and that it couldn't be over, but Kurt pulled away, tears no longer falling.

He told Blaine it was. They'd still be friends, but they'd be a country apart. And Kurt was done pining after men he couldn't have.

Blaine hadn't expected that, and it was his turn to cry in Kurt's arms.

Five years later Kurt was picking up jobs here and there, some off-Broadway and some usher positions on.

Blaine had made it into law school at Harvard.

He thought about calling Kurt, but was surprised when he didn't.

It hurt too much.

Five years was a long time.

Kurt still kept a picture of him and Blaine at prom. He found himself saying I love you to it every night. He didn't know why, but it felt important. It felt like a silent promise he'd made from long ago.

Seven years later Blaine was celebrating his 30th birthday on a rooftop at CAA, finally making his break into the entertainment business, just not in the way he'd imagined.

Kurt had gotten a couple of supporting roles on Broadway and was making his way onto TV.

Kurt was engaged.

Blaine was married.

Trevor was Blaine's first client.

Connor was Kurt's first agent.

Kurt and Blaine would never get to learn of the irony.

Three years later McKinley had their 15 year reunion.

Kurt had a photoshoot in LA. Blaine had a premiere in New York.

Kurt scrolled through his contacts and stopped at the Bs.

Connor asked who he was calling. Kurt said no one and threw his phone aside.

Blaine sat at his computer screen with a blank new message on the screen.

Trevor asked who he was writing. Blaine said no one and closed his laptop.

Five years later Burt Hummel died.

Kurt left his first starring role on TV to fly back to Lima.

Connor was tied up in LA.

Blaine booked a flight the second he heard the news.

Trevor said he was sorry he couldn't go, but you can't walk away from Broadway.

Kurt stood at the grave even after everyone else had left. Even after Carole was gone. He didn't cry, he was numb.

At his mother's funeral, he'd held his father's hand.

But here? He didn't know what to do now his father was gone.

Blaine's flight was delayed.

Kurt flew back to LA.

Blaine arrived a day after the funeral and sat at Burt's grave all day, saying he was sorry.

He didn't know what for.

Blaine flew back to New York.

Kurt never went to get coffee with Connor again.

Blaine started drinking tea.

Ten years later McKinley had another reunion.

Kurt brought his adopted twins.

Blaine sent a letter saying he was sorry he couldn't make it.

He picked up his phone and typed in a familiar number.

He closed his phone when Trevor asked if he was ready to leave.

Twenty years later Blaine was able to make it to a high school reunion.

Rachel talked about how all good actors have to meet a tragic end.

Kurt's picture was on the memorial board.

Seven years later, Trevor laid a white rose on a grave.

Blaine opened his eyes and immediately shut them because of the blinding white light. He felt a hand wrap around his and pull him to his feet.

"Finally. I've been waiting long enough."

Blaine's eyes flew open at the sound of Kurt's voice.

Blaine's vision was immediately clouded by tears of both happiness and shock.

"Kurt?"

An eighteen-year-old Kurt smiled back at him.

"You didn't really think I was going to spend an eternity without you, did you?"

Blaine just laughed as the tears ran down his face.

"But I'm dead!"

Kurt shrugged. "Me too."

"You say it like it's not a big deal."

Kurt couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Trust me, it's not."

Blaine just smiled and squeezed the hand intertwined with his.

"So what now?"

Kurt couldn't help but smile. Blaine just knew so little. What happened after their deaths. Where Kurt had woken up. Blaine couldn't possibly know. He didn't know about Berkeley. That Kurt kept reliving it. His last day with Blaine. That Blaine was his soulmate. Blaine's oblivious. He didn't know that Kurt had been waiting for him. For Blaine. Blaine didn't know. At 16 Kurt had always known he'd end up here. Even on his wedding day. On those steps at Berkeley, Kurt had known it wasn't really goodbye. But Blaine, he didn't know that despite the fact they'd been apart, they were always going to end up here together, holding hands at the gate to a final destination that neither knew where the entrance would take them, but not caring because after all, they were together – They'd been separated at 18, but now they had eternity.

Now they had forever.

Kurt leaned forward and planted a kiss on Blaine's cheek.

"Let's go see."

Blaine turned slowly towards the white door. "This is it isn't it?"

Kurt nodded, dragging Blaine towards the shiny brass handle. Before Kurt turned it, he looked back towards Blaine.

He wanted to say he was sorry. He wanted to say he'd always kept their prom picture. He wanted to tell him he'd never drinken any slushie flavor but grape and that he'd never gotten the taste for a coffee that wasn't medium drip. He wanted to say that he'd never been able to look at another canary without remembering a bedazzled coffin and briefly rehearsed Hey Monday song. He wanted to say that Maroon 5 never sounded the same and that dancing on furniture never seemed so unforced. He wanted to say that a life on Broadway and TV was nothing in comparison to what a life with Blaine would have been like. He wanted to apologize for not ignoring Blaine and going to UCLA despite his protests. He wanted to say sorry for the phone calls he never made and the emails he never sent and for never reaching out. He wanted to say sorry for it all.

But Kurt just took both of Blaine's hands in his as Blaine looked very confused.

"I love you Blaine Anderson."

Blaine's expression quickly changed to a smirk as if he had known all along and he released one of Kurt's hands and reached for the handle, twisting it.

"Damn. I wanted to say that first."