"I met someone." 

Dr. Lange stares blankly at him for a moment. 

"I actually wanted to talk to you about your physical therapy, but let's go with this. Do you mean you met someone? Like... a new friend?"

Blaine shakes his head. "I think he's more than that. Or at least I would like him to be. We've had coffee a few times this week. I'm thinking about inviting him over to my place this weekend. He makes me feel so alive, so human. So normal." 

"That's wonderful Blaine, he sounds like exactly what you need." Dr. Lange says stoically, tapping the pen against his notepad. "How did you two meet?"

"We met at the Starbucks near my apartment, that's where we meet up all the time now. Kurt says his work is not far away so it's easy for him to pop by. He tells me all about his job a lot, he really loves it. It's nice to be able to just listen to someone."

"That's funny, you don't seem to enjoy listening to me." Dr. Lange chuckles. Even in a break of seriousness, he doesn't sound all that amused. Blaine rolls his eyes. "I'm glad you are finally moving out of your comfort zone to this degree. Socializing with people is a critical step in your integration back into society. Sooner or later you be may be able to start looking for employment again."

"Do you think it's too soon to invite him over to my place?" Blaine asks , completely disregarding what Dr. Lange said.

A pause.

"You should move at whatever pace you're comfortable with."

Blaine nods, his mind already moved on and anxious to leave and see Kurt.

------

This time Kurt is there before him. He almost forgets to order something as he strides towards Kurt, until he notices Kurt doesn't have anything either. Blaine orders a drink for Kurt as well before he joins him at their usual table.

"You know my coffee order?" Kurt says with a smile. He looks so flattered and Blaine knows he's made a step in the right direction. 

"Of course I do." He replies, a hint of cockiness in his voice. Kurt accepts the drink and they fall into conversation easily. Kurt tells him about his roommate Rachel. Rachel, he learns, is Finn's fiance. They had planned to get married before Finn went off to fight in the war. She moved in with Kurt so she wouldn't feel so alone, plus she helps with the rent.

"She's a handful though."

"I'd like to meet her someday."

"I'm sure you will, she always seems to be around."

Blaine smiles and his thoughts drift. He wonders what Kurt's boss must be like, his co-workers, his family back in Lima. Kurt's life seems so much more interesting than his.

Blaine grew up in New York with his older brother, Cooper, who took him in after their parents died. His dad fought in the war and when he was killed, his mother died of a broken heart three months later. Blaine wonders morbidly if he'll ever know that kind of love. Distantly he realizes that's probably why he couldn't let his brother go, not when his brother had found his true love. At least Blaine didn't have anything to lose.

"Blaine? Where did you go?" Kurt says, the concern thick in his voice. Kurt reaches for Blaine's hand across the table and runs his fingers over Blaine's knuckles.

Blaine can't feel anything.

"Sorry, I'm here." He says stoically. "That doesn't usually happen to me." He hates the look of worry on Kurt's face, because he knows he's the one that put it there.

"Maybe you should go home, have a rest. You look tired." 

"Will you see me this weekend?" Kurt regards him fondly.

"I'd love to."

------

Kurt comes over to Blaine's place that weekend. 

The place required some cleaning because it's been just Blaine for a long time. Blaine is not that interested in material possessions, it's more of just the mess of take-out food and laundry that never seems to get done. Once everything is clean it's fairly empty. There are some photos; some of him and Cooper, his parents, them all together. Living on veteran pension in New York of all places hasn't exactly been kind to him, especially when Cooper decided to spend all of their parents money on fixing Blaine. 

It's not that Blaine cares, it's just that he knows he really wasn't worth all that money. Especially when Cooper and his wife could have used it to buy a nice house for their daughter. Their daughter, Olivia, loves Blaine to death. She thinks he's the greatest uncle in the entire world. Blaine doesn't really understand why. It's probably because Cooper tells her all of these over-exaggerated hero stories of how Blaine saved the world.

The truth is, all Blaine did was get himself blown up.

When Kurt knocks on the door, Blaine's heart lurches in his chest. He's never had a guy over to his place before, he's never really had the chance to date anyone. Are Kurt and him dating now? 

Blaine swings the door open and Kurt's there in the hallway, smile as big as ever. Blaine shuffles him inside and takes his jacket and scarf politely. 

Blaine orders pizza because he still hasn't really learned how to cook. He hasn't really had to. Kurt doesn't seems to mind though, which he counts as a blessing. Apparently Kurt can cook really well. Blaine secretly looks forward to a life where Kurt would make dinner for him; for both of them.

Silently he's aware how much his brain is acting like a love struck teenager, but he can't help it. He doesn't really want to. Sometimes he wishes they did meet as teens, Blaine was probably a lot more fun to be around back then. Blaine would take him on dates; take him to prom. Blaine thinks distantly that Kurt would look wonderful with a crown on his head.

They eat their pizza and watch horrible reality television shows. Tonight it's a marathon of that one show that follows grooms around during the wedding process. 

Blaine wonders if it's a sign. 

Kurt nitpicks at the grooms on the TV like he knows a much better way to do anything and everything. Blaine is sure that he does. 

------

Blaine lets his eyes drift to Kurt instead of the television after the fourth or fifth episode, content to listen to Kurt banter on while pressed against his side. Blaine was able to stealthily get his arm around Kurt's shoulder after the second episode. He cheered internally when Kurt let him. 

Kurt keeps looking at him throughout the night but he's surprised to feel it's not in a way that makes him nervous, like it would with most anyone else. After whatever episode they're on now ends Kurt turns towards him, so so close to him, and asks softly:

"Will you let me kiss you?" Almost like a secret. 

"I would like that more than anything."

And just like that, Blaine can hear the ocean in his ears. He doesn't know why, but he thinks of blazers and birds. He also thinks of candles. Kurt brings his palm up to cup Blaine's jaw and bring him closer and Blaine goes willingly. 

Every second they spend kissing, Blaine remains baffled. He doesn't understand how Kurt doesn't care that he's a monster; more machinery than man. In fact they barely talk about it and when they do, Kurt takes every opportunity to compliment him like he's worth something. 

Blaine wants so much. He'd crawl into Kurt's lap and stay there forever if he knew it was socially acceptable. Instead he pulls Kurt's lower lip into his mouth and worships it as best he can.

When they break the kiss, Blaine feels like he can barely breathe. Briefly he thinks maybe his lungs have malfunctioned but then again, maybe this is just what being in love feels like.

"I've been looking for you forever." He says. It slips out of his mouth before he can even comprehend what he's said. 

Kurt's eyes light up like the night sky.