Kurt tucked the holiday party letter and invitation back into his memory box, reaching for the next letter in line. With Winter Break coming in between the two, this letter was more than a month forward in time from the last.

There were so many wonderful memories made between these letters. There had been the Glee Holiday Party. Kurt and Blaine had snuck away for a few hours in the afternoon on Christmas Eve to exchange gifts. They’d spent New Year’s Eve together and shared a kiss at midnight.

Interspersed between all the bigger events was a lot of time spent simply enjoying each other’s company and creating everyday memories together. They’d made several batches of Christmas cookies and gone shopping to spend some of the money they’d gotten from relatives as presents. As much time as they could get away with was spent just being together, cuddling and watching musicals or listening to music. Planning for the future and talking about the present.

Now, sitting in his tiny dorm room, Kurt was holding the first letter Blaine sent after that break had ended and they’d separated for the second semester. He smoothed it out, pulling the computer printout from behind the letter, setting it next to him on the comforter.

Kurt,

You’ve only been back in New York for two and a half weeks, probably three by the time you read this, but I’m rather wishing we could go back in time to Winter Break. I really miss curling up together on your couch watching movies while Finn tries to bug us with random questions.

After far too much time to think about it, I think that’s what I miss the most with you off at college. I miss cuddling. I miss the way everything feels right with the world when your arms are around me. It doesn’t have too even be sexual stuff, though I do miss that, too. It’s just the warmth of you right next to me.

I mean, I still get to talk to you all the time. We text. We call and Skype. We send emails, and I write these silly letters. I do miss talking to you face to face, but we have good substitutes so I miss other things more. Like touching you. Even watching you stand in front of your closet for half an hour trying to decide what to wear. Yes, I’ve timed you. Maybe.

But I get another reprieve from missing those things! I hope I’ll have held it in long enough on the phone that this will get to surprise you. If I’ve already spilled the beans, I apologize for my inability to control myself and the fact you’re getting this info twice.

Check out Exhibit I (Can you believe we’re already at I?). It’s a copy of my round trip e-ticket for a flight to New York next month.

My audition for NYU is scheduled on February 5th. That’s a Tuesday. I’m auditioning in the morning then doing a campus tour in the afternoon. On the 7th, I have an interview and tour scheduled with Columbia, although I think going Ivy League is such a long shot for me. Friday I’m taking the train out north to interview and tour at Sarah Lawrence. I’d rather be a little bit more central to Manhattan than that, but I really like what I’ve heard about the college. The wider I spread my net, the better chance I have to get in /somewhere/, right? Even if I’m out in the suburbs, I’d still be so much closer to you and the culture of the city than I am in Ohio.

Yes, I’ll admit on paper at least that I’m absolutely terrified that I’ll get denied by all the schools I applied to in New York. I know I look good on paper, other than the whole three high schools thing, but so do a lot of other people. I need to nail my interviews and audition so somebody will at least want me.

Back on topic, if you look at the ticket you’ll see that I’m flying out in the evening on Monday and not flying home again until Saturday evening. My parents are, of course, too busy to come with me, or so they say. This time, I don’t really mind. I’m looking forward to doing this by myself, even if I’ll admit that I wish they cared about helping me find a college I’ll be happy at rather than just caring about the name. That was never going to happen, so I’ll focus on the fact that I get to plan out the whole trip the way I want it, or we want it, to go.

I’m also rather looking forward to the fact that other than my scheduled college things, I’ll have a good chunk of free time in New York City. My dad booked me a hotel room that I won’t have a parent there to share. I’ve got all of Wednesday free to sight see, or curl up under the blanket and cry if I mess up my audition. My fingers are crossed already that I won’t have Rachel’s luck.

Right now, the only other thing I’ve pretty much got scheduled besides college visits is lunch or supper with Mike on Tuesday. We’ve planned for a while that whenever I come to audition at NYU, the two of us will meet up on campus. I’ll finalize details with him as soon as I’ve actually talked to you about this, instead of just writing about it in a long, rambling letter.

Besides that, I’ll have lots of free time, and a hotel room all to myself, if you get my drift. Really, I’m just hoping to spend lots of time with you when you’re not in class, though you are invited for a sleepover, or several nights worth if you have the time. In all honesty, I know you’re going to be busy. I’m fine with watching you rehearse or curling up beside you with a book while you work on homework. Remember that first bit of the letter about what I miss?

I can’t wait to visit the city and finally see in person colleges that I’ve already applied to. I’m glad my father was supportive of me missing three days of school (and thank goodness that Friday is a Staff Development Day, so that’s one less day of missed assignments). I’m also glad that the cheapest flight back on Saturday happened to be the evening one.

Can you tell that I’m a little bit excited for this? Call me when you get this letter so we can plan.

I love you. I miss you. I’m looking forward so much to seeing you in a couple short weeks.

Blaine

Kurt remembered that visit quite fondly. It had been a lot of fun showing Blaine all the little hole in the wall places he’d found actually living in the city, like his favorite coffee shop here.

And yes, there had been several sleepovers in Blaine’s hotel room, every night that Kurt didn’t have to be up the next morning for an eight o’clock class, actually. It was astounding to have the freedom to fall asleep in each other’s arms and not have to worry about a parent catching them. Both of them had been trying to store up hugs and cuddles for the months ahead before Spring Break.

It had indeed been a wonderful interlude, even if it was far too brief and Kurt had paid for it by spending the entire day Sunday catching up on all the work he’d put aside to spend time with Blaine. It was completely worth it.