The drive was short.

Kurt's heart was beating.

His mind was racing.

He didn't know what to think anymore, and that in itself was one of the scariest things he'd ever experienced. Kurt pulled onto the dirt road and stepped out of the car, but he didn't move. He stared into the forest, watched the dark shadows of the trees move and dance in the wind.

He inhaled.

He exhaled.

The trees kept on dancing.

Kurt took one last deep breath and moved onto the dark path, relying on his memory to guide him through the familiar path.

~~~~~~

The path hit the clearing and Kurt gasped, its beauty taking him by surprise again. He hadn't been here in a while, and definitely not at night. The full moon hung low in the sky, barely above the greedy hands of the sycamore tree that were trying to grab it. The stars twinkled brightly and fat fireflies flew slowly around the tree. The amount of natural light that lit the clearing was astounding.

Kurt took a deep breath and stepped out of the dark. The grass bent under his foot and sprung back up again when he moved for another step. The grass still grew, the tree still lived, the stars still twinkled, the bugs still flew. Everything here was indestructible, so why wasn't he? Why did people break? Why did their time leave? Why was nothing permanent? Why wasn't happiness an everlasting emotion?

He reached out and placed a flat palm to the trunk of the tree. He could feel the life flowing under his fingertips. Every breath the tree takes, every exhale, the very heartbeat and its strength. Kurt looked up at the branches thick and long, sturdy but light, still growing, always growing. Even this tree isn't happy; not until the moon is in its grasp. It's what it's been growing for, it's why it will never stop growing. It's why people never stop growing. Happiness is always just out of reach. If they had it in their hands they'd stop, they'd become static. They'd die.

Kurt gave a wry and tired smile.

There are things worse than death.

He pressed his forehead to the tree trunk for a moment, breathing in the scent of wood and earth and life before stepping back. He got a good grip on the branch closest to him and hauled himself up. It was time to find Blaine.

~~~~~~~

The climb didn't take very long. Kurt knew Blaine's favourite spot and could get there in his sleep. And apparently, so could Blaine. Kurt smiled softly watching the shorter boy sleep. His head dipped into his chest and his face was relaxed, though his brow was slightly creased. Kurt bit his lip, watching Blaine rest for a couple of moments before leaning forward and kissing the brunette's temple lightly.

No response.

Kurt tried again, but he couldn't put much pressure into the kiss for fear of falling. Kurt looked around quickly and grabbed the branch a few feet above him. Using it for leverage, he used it to balance himself as he stepped onto Blaine's branch and saddled it facing the sleeping boy.
Kurt smiled scooting closer to Blaine. He could feel the heat radiating off of him. Blaine was always so warm; it was good to know something's never changed.

"Blaine." Kurt said softly. The boy in question snuggled into his own chest drawing his arms more tightly around him. Kurt frowned scrutinizing the sleeping boys face. He was having a nightmare, he had to be.

Kurt reached out a soft hand and gently relaxed the crease between Blaine's eyebrows. Blaine leaned into the touch and Kurt cupped his face gently. Blaine sighed and like lightning his eyes snapped open. Fear and surprise flickered across Blaine's face before confusion set in. He looked around taking in his surroundings before looking back at Kurt.

The confusion softened a bit when he noticed Kurt's expression. He hadn't looked at him that tenderly since before he left for Italy. It made his heart ache.

They sat like that for a while, both trying to figure out what to say. Blaine figured 'what are you doing here touching me while I sleep' would be a good one but it seemed a bit inappropriate and oddly enough, he didn't want to be rude.

"So," Kurt said before Blaine could inquire about their situation.

"Hello," Blaine opted for instead.

Kurt smiled which made Blaine smile. "I umm…I talked to Cooper," Kurt said, and suddenly all the iced steel returned to the pale boy.

Blaine cocked his head disbelief striking him silent. "You…what?"

"He showed up at my house out of the blue telling me he's 'here to set things right.'" Kurt said using quotations on his Cooper impersonation.

"I…what?"

Kurt sighed biting his lip again. "The asshole told me everything."

That shot Blaine back into awareness. He sat up straighter eyes unwavering. "What's everything?"

"Him leaving, Jane trying to get him back by playing with you, making you br—making you break," Kurt's voice broke and he paused looking down before looking back up eyes ablaze. "He told me about you breaking up with me because she was going to accuse us of murder. He told us about you protecting us because you are such a fucking idiot!"

"Not exactly the thank you I was expecting…" Blaine tried to joke.

"Thank you? Thank you?"

Blaine raised his hands in a don't hurt me motion, "it was a joke. You weren't ever supposed to find out—"

"Well I did." Kurt seethed. "I have."

Kurt stopped speaking and Blaine looked at him. "So…"

"That's just it Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed throwing his hands in the air. "So what? What now? What the fuck do we do now?"

"I—"

"I'm still pissed at you," Kurt cut him off pointing his finger two centimetres away from his nose. "You and your stupid smile and your stupid face," he started jabbing Blaine's chest painfully with each stupid. "And your stupid hair and your stupid family."

"Okay ow," Blaine said grabbing Kurt's wrist to stop his torture. He rubbed his chest hoping that that wouldn't bruise. "Look we need to stop and we need to assess this situation." Kurt pulled his fingers out of Blaine's gentle grip. "You're really angry right now. You need time to process this information, let's have this conversation in a couple days' time—"

"No." Kurt growled grabbing Blaine's wrist in an iron grip encase he tried to leave. "No don't you dare push this until later, we're dealing with this, and we're dealing with this now. We can't just—" Kurt stopped talking and put his head in his hands. He shook his head softly and a quiet manic laugh erupted from him. He looked up at Blaine slowly his eyes brimming with tears.

"How?"

"H…how what?" Blaine asked. His throat was tight and his eyes were burning. His arm itched with the conflicting need to touch Kurt and to pinch himself to see if any of this was real. It really didn't make any sense, but at the same time it did.

Cooper was home.

That's really all there was too it.

"How could you make that choice?" Kurt asked, and he sounded so broken. He looked at Blaine through watery eyes, though none of them fell. They just sat perched on his eyes like tiny dreams hoping to not be broken.

"I…I knew you couldn't." Blaine replied working to get the stutter out of his voice. "It's a tough choice, a stupid choice and I would never make you choose."

"But why didn't you just tell me?"

"How could I!" Blaine exclaimed looking at Kurt with surprise that he still didn't understand. "How was I supposed to walk up to you and make you choose between me and your father?"

"We would have found some way around it," Kurt argued.

"Nobody finds a way around Jane," Blaine deadpanned. "She's a spider and we're all trapped in her web."

"It was my choice to make," Kurt replied, his voice shaking with the anger, hurt, pain and regret he felt.

"Well I took it from you," Blaine said. "I made the right choice—"

"So you're saying I would have made the wrong one?"

"They're both wrong choices, Kurt!" Blaine barked trying to get through to the porcelain boy. "There's no right choice for you to make, not really."

"So why did you make it?" Kurt asked his voice quiet. "Why did the impossible choice have to be yours?"

"Because…" Blaine broke off running a hand through his messy hair.

"Because what, Blaine?" Kurt challenged. "God knows I've been dying to know!"

"Because I couldn't bear to stand there and watch you let me go!" Blaine yelled, his loudness making the following silence thick and oppressing. "You…you would have chosen Burt and I just couldn't stand to watch that happen. To have you voluntarily break up with me. To have you say goodbye."

"So you did it first." Kurt's voice was clear, and surprised. He was looking past Blaine his eyes out of focus.

"But I didn't mean it," Blaine continued.

"And you think I would have!" Kurt snapped back to reality cocking his head at Blaine. "I still love you, Blaine!" Kurt yelled his hand balling into a fist. "Being forced to break up with you wouldn't change that. Fuck, it still doesn't change that! Because no matter what stupid, hurtful, fucked up shit you said to me that day, what we had was special. It is special…"

"It's gone now," Blaine said swallowing thickly.

Kurt let out a dry laugh. "You are so full of shit!"

"I—"

Kurt leaned forward trapping Blaine against the trunk of the tree. He didn't stop until their faces were inches apart. Kurt's gaze traveled across Blaine's face taking in every single contour of his face. When his eyes finished their travels they stared directly into Blaine's with intensity so fierce it took Blaine's breath away. Kurt didn't say anything. He just stayed there breathing Blaine's air, staring into his eyes…waiting.

Finally Blaine leaned forward pressing his forehead against Kurt's. He exhaled heavily closing his eyes.

"We can't do this," he said shaking his head a tiny bit.

"Yes we can." Kurt replied with confidence. "We can do whatever the fuck we like."

"Your dad—"

"Will have me, Cooper, and you willing to testify on his part if your mother does go through with this."

"She will—"

"It's been a long time."

"A year isn't that long."

"She did it for Cooper not for you," Kurt said moving back a bit. "It was a test to get Cooper to come back, right? Well he didn't, so I'm sure she doesn't care anymore."

"But he's here now," Blaine said.

"He didn't say yes back then, I doubt he'd agree now."

Blaine didn't reply and Kurt took his face in his hands moving in close again.

"Look," he said licking his lips before continuing. "I didn't come here to talk about your annoying brother." Blaine raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "I'm here about us, okay? Because you told me you loved me, that you never stopped loving me, and I need to know right now, are you ready to honour that. Because Blaine, I love you. I love you with a passion that would eat me alive if I were a lesser being. I love you with everything I have and everything I ever will be. You destroyed me last year. I still don't think you realize the extent of the damage you did, but here I am, right back here where we should be; me, you, and the sycamore tree. I…I haven't forgiven you yet, not one hundred percent, but I understand now and that's more than I can say for the old me. I want this to work; I want to be able to love you without any regret again. I need you in my life Blaine, so please just tell me the truth because –"

There were lips on Kurt's. They were warm and sure and kissing him with so much power and purity Kurt melted. And then his back bone grew back and he started kissing Blaine back with a fervor that matched a drowning man gasping for air. He pushed Blaine back into the Tree trunk with a smile. The scent of Blaine surrounded him, drowning out everything but the feeling of Blaine under his fingertips and the sound of his heartbeat reverberating through his ears.

Blaine pushed him away softly, breathing heavily against Kurt's neck. A smile spread across the shorter boy's face and Kurt could feel it along his skin. Blaine left the nook and pulled Kurt into another kiss. This one was tender and deep, sweet and full of promises both their hearts wished they would keep this time. Blaine moved back breaking their lips apart, his eyes still closed.

"Kurt," he said his voice raw from their strenuous activity. "You want the truth? Well you got it. Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," Blaine opened his eyes, and his hazel eyes looked like they were melting from the warmth they were exuding. "I love you. Ti amo, tu sei il mio amore, and I am so sorry for everything I have ever done to hurt you in my attempts to save you."

Kurt gave a sad smile.

"I know our situation is kind of fucked up, but I wouldn't have it be fucked up with anyone else, and God Kurt, I missed you so badly. You were…you are my best friend and my boyfriend and you became a part of me and—"

"Ssh," Kurt said cutting him off. "I love you too, now kiss me. I miss the taste of your lips." Blaine smiled and complied pressing his lips back where they belonged. With Kurt.

Klaine was back.