January 1
@ 1:45 pm
Kurt: OMG. Did I do a keg stand last night?

1:46 pm
Blaine: Yes you did.
Blaine: why are you texting me?

1:48 pm
Kurt: Because I forgot you were here.
Kurt: How did we get here?

1:51 pm
Blaine: Finn woke us up at like 6am and was sober enough to drive
Blaine: So he dragged our asses home.
Blaine: And you’ve been sleeping like a baby ever since.

1:53 pm
Kurt: Where are you?

1:56 pm
Blaine: In the basement playing Mariokart with Finn
Blaine: He’s terrible at this game.
Blaine: whooops. He was reading over my shoulder.

1:58 pm
Kurt: Awk-ward.
Kurt: I’ll be down in a minute.

-----------

January 4
@ 1:17 am
Blaine: I miss sleeping with you.

1:18 am
Kurt: You were welcome to stay another night.
Kurt: I think you could have stayed here for the rest of break.
Kurt: I think my dad misses you more than I do.

1:21 am
Blaine: LOL. Tell Burt I miss him too.
Blaine: I miss his pancakes and his wisdom.
Blaine: But I couldn’t stay longer and you know it.
Blaine: For starters I ran out of clothes.
Blaine: But you need a couple days to hang out with your family before you leave.
Blaine: I don’t need to be there for the tearful goodbyes
Blaine: I don’t even want to be there for *my* tearful goodbye.

1:23 am
Kurt: Aw. Poophead.
Kurt: crying in the corner font.

-----------

January 5
@ 2:33 pm
Blaine: I dunno, do you think I should?

2:48 pm
Kurt: Do I think you should... what?

2:50 pm
Blaine: Damn. That was meant for Matt.

2:51 pm
Kurt: What are you guys talking about?

2:52 pm
Blaine: NONE OF YO BEEESWAX!

2:54 pm
Kurt: well then.
Kurt: I think you should... TELL ME NOW.

2:57 pm
Blaine: Bitch please. A man’s gotta have his secrets.

2:58 pm
Kurt: I love when you talk like that.

3:00 pm
Blaine: I know :)
Blaine: That’s why I do it.

-----------

January 6th
@ 7:52 pm
Kurt: So. What’s Blaine planning?

8:08 pm
Matt: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Matt: who are you?
Matt: who is this “Blaine”?

8:10 pm
Kurt: I hate both of you.

-----------

9:15 pm
Kurt: Matt is a very good minion.

9:17 pm
Blaine: Don’t I know it.
Blaine: He told me you were pumping him for information.
Blaine: I’m not actually planning anything.

9:20 pm
Kurt: I don’t believe you.

9:21 pm
Blaine: Although, even if I wasn’t planning anything, now I’m going to have to plan something
Blaine: Because you have all of these expectations
Blaine: And I’m not an asshole.
Blaine: Guess I better start planning...

-----------

January 7
@ 12:14 am
Kurt: What are you planning Blaine?

12:16 am
Blaine: Who says I’m planning anything?

12:18 am
Kurt: You see, Blaine, the fact that you won’t tell me what that text was about makes me feel like you’re hiding something.

12:21 am
Blaine: Interesting. I had no idea that your deductive reasoning skills were so acute.

12:22 am
Kurt: Stop it with your fancy talk. You know that does things to me. You’re trying to distract me with your intellect.

12:24 am
Blaine: You know what’s hot Kurt? 5 syllable words.
Blaine: epicurean
Blaine: multifarious
Blaine: ameliorate
Blaine: peregrination
Blaine: Yeah, that shit’s sexy.

12:27 am
Kurt: HOT. Very hot.
Kurt: Good thing I’m going to see you in approximately 36 hours or else I wouldn’t be able to contain myself.

12:29 am
Blaine: What time are you guys picking me up on Friday?

12:31 am
Kurt: Around noon, so probably closer to 3 because Rachel’s involved.
Kurt: I’m still not sure if driving to NY with Puck and Rachel is the best or worst decision we’ve ever had.

12:34 am
Blaine: I dunno. Could be convivial.

12:38 am
Kurt: that’s only 4 syllables.
Kurt: Less hot.
Kurt: WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING????

12:41 am
Blaine: Blaine no en casa.

~~~~~

Kurt and Blaine are at Kurt’s apartment on a snowy afternoon. It seemed like a good time for catching up on everything that’s on the DVR. They have six days until Kurt leaves for Paris and they’re both just trying to enjoy the time together. They’re curled towards each other on the couch, Kurt examining Blaine’s cuticles and tsking over the state of them.

“I-I-I’m thinking about growing a bb-bah-bah-beard while you’re away,” Blaine muses, as he turns his head to face Kurt.

Kurt raises a curious eyebrow as he leans over to grab a nail file from the coffee table.

“Since you’re nah-not a fan, I figure this ssss-semester is a good opportunity for mmm-me to explore my ruh-ruh-rugged mountain man side,” Blaine asserts.

Kurt looks at Blaine with an expression of fond exasperation.

“What? It’s a good idea. I-I-I-I’m going to call it the ‘Glorious Bah-beard of my Bah-bah-arren Solitude.’ And I-I-I will grow it in your honor,” he says deferentially.

Kurt smiles at how serious Blaine is being and gives the hand he’s currently filing a little squeeze, but doesn’t look up.

“I’ve never actually tried growing a bb-bb-bah-beard be-be-be-fore. I think I’ll like it. It’s a good wwww-winter look. I, I, I was researching vitamins that will make your hair grow quicker. Apparently if I eat a diet ruh-rich in Vitamin E, I’ll have healthy, luscious hair. And I wah-wah-want a healthy, luscious bah-beard,” Blaine continues, not taking his eyes off of Kurt.

Now Kurt shoots him a look of pure “Are you really still talking about your shitty beard?” and shakes his head. He nudges Blaine to give him his other hand and Kurt starts pushing back the cuticles.

“And I’ll grow mm-mm-my hair ww-ww-while you’re away too,” Blaine sums up.

Kurt narrows his eyes at Blaine, as if squinting might help make him understand Blaine’s bizarre mind.

“I-I-I mean with mm-my stylist abroad I’ll have to let it go a bb-bit. I’d hate to try to find a nah-new one while you’re gone, ss-ss-seeing as how you’re pretty much irreplaceable and no one would www-www-wash my hair as good as you dah-do.”

“Now you’re being a kiss ass,” Kurt remarks.

Blaine’s quiet for a minute after that, but his eyes twinkle when he turns back towards Kurt.

“I beh-bet it’s times like these that you mm-mm-miss the good old dah-days when I-I-I-I dah-didn’t talk so much, huh?” Blaine asks, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Kurt leans over to kiss him, when he pulls back he says, “Continue talking about your stupid beard for as long as you like. Your voice is my favorite.”

“First of all,” Blaine holds up a finger, “I’m growing this Glorious Bah-beard of my Bah-barren Solitude, GBOMBS for short, in your honor, ss-ss-ss-so you dah-damn well beh-beh-bet-better speak of it with rrrrr-respect. Second of all, it’s not stuh-stupid. In fact, may-may-maybe you’re stupid.” Blaine finishes with a pout.

“Fine, it’s not stupid. I shall worship your virility from afar but when I get back I’m shaving it off so I don’t ever have to kiss you through all that vitamin enriched facial hair.”

“I accept that.”

“Of course you do, it’s a good offer.”

“You know, you’re an, an, an awfully good fella,” Blaine says examining his hands now that’s Kurt’s done cleaning up his nails. “Even if you are a dah-dumbass.”

Kurt leans his head on Blaine’s shoulder and takes his hand. “I hope you don’t change too much while I’m away.”

“What do you mm-mean?” Blaine asks, honestly unsure.

“I feel like you’ve changed so much recently, that I might come back and you won’t need me anymore. That maybe you won’t even like me anymore.”

Blaine hums thoughtfully. “I-I-I-I dah-don’t think I’ve changed. Not rr-rr-rr-really. I-I-I-I-I think... I’m beh-better. Buh-buh-but I’m still extremely shy mah-most of the time. I ss-still hate to talk to people who dah-don’t know mmmm-me.”

“No, that’s not exactly what I mean. You're so different from the guy I met in the piano room. So much more... vibrant, more you. It's like you're in technicolor now. What if I'm not...bright enough for you when I get back?”

Blaine looks at Kurt confusedly. “I’m still mm-me though, sssss-silly old Bah-blaine. I can just dah-do awesome things like say mm-my own nah-name approximately 17% of the time. As long as I-I-I dah-don’t think too much about it and there’s no pressure in the ss-ss-situation and no one’s wwwww-waiting for me to talk.”

“That’s a lot of qualifications.”

“Exactly. I-I-I have yet to successfully say mmm-my own nah-name ww-ww-when placing a coffee order. When I-I-I-I tried to introduce myself to Tina last ww-week I had my worst bb-bb-bb-blah-blah-block in a long time.” Blaine shrugs a little, as if to shake off that train of thought. “And even if I-I-I dah-do change, I don’t think I’ll stop nnnn-nah-needing you, or liking you or loving you,” Blaine gives Kurt’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

Kurt sighs, not sure what to say to that. This is something that’s been troubling him lately. In a matter of four months, Blaine is almost unrecognizable compared to how he used to act. Blaine will probably always have his moments of shyness and quietness, moments when Kurt can tell he’s holding back, but those moments are so much less frequent than they were even a month ago. In five months, Blaine could change so much that it makes Kurt feel nervous, unsure.

On New Year’s Eve, Kurt had sat back a few times, observing Blaine and watching him interact in a room where he didn’t know a lot of people and was astonished. Blaine was funny and, not quite talkative per say, but … personable. Friendly. If Kurt were to mention it to him, Blaine would brush it off, saying it was liquid courage, but Kurt knows it’s because Blaine is changing.

And change is good, Kurt doesn’t begrudge Blaine his growth. Kurt just wishes he could be there while Blaine grows. So he can keep up. He hopes he can keep up.

“You know it could go the, the, the other way,” Blaine says, pulling Kurt out of his thoughts. “You could come bb-back and find that you’ve outgrown mm-me. Outgrown this. You could mm-mm-meet some buh-buh-buh-beautiful Parisian gentleman and dd-decide to rrrr-run away with him.”

Kurt laughs. “I don’t see that happening.”

“It’s 132 days,” Blaine remarks. “We can dah-do it. We’ll bbb-bbb-be fine. We’ll mmm-miss each other, buh-buh-but wwww-we’ll get through it.”

“I’m going to miss you so much that I can’t stop thinking about all the ways things could go to shit while we’re apart,” Kurt answers.

Blaine cups Kurt’s face, and looks at him with a serious expression. “Would it may-may-make you feel beh-better if I-I-I let you paint my nails?” he asks.

“Yes!” Kurt exclaims quickly. “Rachel recently bought this delightful raspberry color that I think you’ll really love.”

It’s Blaine’s turn to give Kurt a look of fond exasperation. “I’m allowed to take it off be-before ww-wwww-we go anywhere rr-rr-ight?”

“Yes, fine. It’s the process of painting them that I enjoy. You have such wide nail beds.” Kurt returns from Rachel’s room a moment later with the bottle of polish and the boys sit quietly watching tv, lost in their own thoughts.

Kurt never fails to make Blaine feel adored. Even watching him put garishly red polish on his finger nails makes Blaine love Kurt just a little bit more. Kurt delicately brushes it on and then blows cool air on each one, sending little shivers up Blaine’s spine.

As Kurt finishes, he tells Blaine “Now don’t touch anything for a little while.”

He gives Blaine a devious smile and straddles his lap. Kurt takes Blaine’s face in his hands as he kisses him, then he winds his arms around Blaine’s neck and deepens the kiss. Blaine obediently holds his hands in the air, not wanting a reprimand for messing up the paint that Kurt worked so diligently on. Their kisses are full of smiles and when Kurt pulls away for a breath, Blaine dips his head to brush his lips softly against Kurt’s neck and then nips at his exposed collarbone.

Kurt sits back and whips his shirts off over his head.

“Oh, this very unfair,” Blaine whispers, as he starts frantically blowing on his nails to dry them. “I don’t think I like this game anymore.”

“Come on, let’s go play in my room for a little while,” Kurt murmurs as he draws Blaine off the couch.

~~~~~

“What are you guys doing tonight?” Puck asks, when they emerge from Kurt’s bedroom about an hour later. Puck and Rachel are in the kitchen, cooking something that smells amazing to Blaine.

“Well,” Blaine begins, shooting a pointed look at Kurt, “Kurt de-de-decided it’s a good nah-night to buh-buh-bum me with out with talk about outgrowing our relationship wwww-while he’s away. So we’ll probably end the evening wwwww-with a good cry while we hold each other.”

“Fuck that, you’re not allowed to talk like that Kurt,” Puck says.

“Yes!” Rachel chirps. “No sad talk. Group hug!” And then drags all three boys into a hug.

Matt and Kerry come over for dinner and bring with them a gigantic tin of popcorn that Matt’s mom shipped to him as an “I miss you already” present.

“I kind of want to swim in this popcorn tub,” Rachel declares as she takes another handful.

Kerry nods happily with a mouthful of caramel corn.

Kurt’s sitting on a stool and Blaine’s arms are wrapped around his waist, his chin hooked over Kurt’s shoulder, while Kurt feeds him cheddar popcorn.

“I think we should start a cover band,” Puck says, seemingly out of nowhere.

“YES!” Matt exclaims. “I’ve always wanted to start an Alanis Morissette cover band with a bunch of dudes and call it Cross-Eyed Bear.”

“You know that’s not what the words are,” Kerry chimes in.

“I know, that’s what makes it funny,” Matt informs her.

“Ironic, even,” Kurt agrees, with a smirk.

“Guys,” Kerry begins. “I have a serious issue I’d like to bring before the group.” They all look at her. “Are we not going to discuss the fact that Blaine’s fingernails are currently painted Bahama Mama red?”

“I think they’re pretty,” Kurt announces.

Blaine unwraps himself from Kurt’s waist and closes the gap between him and Kerry, where he playfully punches her arm and gives her a reprimanding look.

“Go ahead,” she quips to Blaine. “Go run away and pretend to be a ghost again.”

“No, I-I-I think I-I-I’m ok this time,” Blaine mumbles shyly.

“Oh my God, Blaine!” Kerry yelps excitedly. “This is a huge step in our friendship! We’re going to be best friends now, aren’t we?”

“Hey, wait a second,” Matt punches Kerry’s other should playfully. “He’s my best friend. Get your own.”

“Guys, guys,” Blaine laughs, a blush creeping up his neck. “There’s p-puh-puh-lenty of mmmm-me to go around. I-I-I-I’m about to, to, to have a lot of free time.”

“Aw, fella,” Kurt says as he grabs for Blaine’s waist and pulls him close enough to lay his cheek on Blaine’s back. “Don’t talk like that, you make me sad.”

“Oh, bb-bb-be quiet. You made mm-me ssssss-sad this afternoon,” Blaine responds. “We nah-need to stop making each other sss-sss-sad.”

“Ok. I resolve to stop being sad,” Kurt affirms with a definitive head bob.

“Excellent. Moving on. I-I-I-I know the chords to mah-mah-most of Alanis’s So-Called Chaos album already,” Blaine states.

“Fuck dude, why?” Puck asks.

“Be-be-be-cause the lyrics of Not All Me spoke dddd-deeply to mmm-my thirteen year old self,” Blaine responds seriously.

The conversation swirls around from there, everyone teasing and chatting and generally being silly.

There’s a lull and Kurt offers “So did you guys hear that Blaine’s going to grow a beard while I’m away?”

“That is fucking awesome,” Puck replies.

“I should grow a beard. Shit! We should all grow beards!” Matt blurts out. “And our cover band could be called ‘Cross-Eyed Beards.’”

“NO!” Puck and Blaine yell in unison.

The subject is dropped quickly.

~~~~~

“What you want to do about saying goodbye?” Kurt asks Blaine while they’re eating dinner four days before Kurt’s departure.

“I-I-I-I didn’t know there www-were options,” Blaine responds.

“I’ve considered various scenarios. We could say goodbye at the airport, we could say goodbye here, we could say goodbye on the street as you help me put my luggage in a taxi.”

“I-I-I figured I’d go www-with you to the airport. At least to help you get all your ss-stuh-stuff there.”

“You don’t really have to. That’s why they have all those dudes and luggage carts hanging around outside. It’s not like you could get through security and keep me company while I wait or anything.”

“True.” Blaine bites his lip. “So ww-what you want to dah-do?”

Now it’s Kurt’s turn to bite his lip. “I want to come up with a way to say goodbye to you that would limit unwanted public weeping and sobbing and wailing.”

“So, www-www-we could ss-say goodbye from here?”

“Yeah, I think that works.”

“I probably ww-wah-won’t be able to like, talk rr-really, anyway.”

“That’s ok, it seems like I’m getting pretty good at reading your mind lately.”

Blaine side-eyes Kurt.

“Like right now you were just thinking ‘There’s no way he knows what I’m thinking.’”

“Well, that ww-wah-was an easy one. What am I-I-I thinking nah-now?”

Kurt looks over at Blaine, who has on the world’s finest poker face.

“You’re thinking about how hot I am.”

“No, I’m not,” Blaine argues.

“Well, you should be.”

Blaine laughs. “We can dah-do this. 132 days.You’ll be, be, be home in time for mm-my bbb-birthday.”

Kurt nods. “I wouldn’t miss it. 132 days. I guess that means you’re not coming to visit for spring break.”

“We’ve bb-bah-been over this,” Blaine says. “You wah-want to go on that Italy trip and it’s only for pppp-people in your program and it would be, be, be dah-dumb for you to ssss-kip it.”

Kurt takes Blaine’s hand across the kitchen island and kisses his palm. “I really do love you, you know.”

“I love you, too. And I dah-don’t want you to mm-mmm-mah-miss out on something you obviously ww-want to do just to hang out with me.” Blaine grins and offers shyly, “Maybe... you and I-I-I-I can go to Paris together, ssss-someday.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

~~~~~

January 16th
@ 5:38 pm
Blaine: Meet me at open mic night tonight? Please?

5:40 pm
Kurt: What do you have planned Blaine?????

5:42 pm
Blaine: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Blaine: Will you come?

5:45 pm
Kurt: Of course. :)

~~~~~

Rachel and Kerry saved a seat for Kurt at their little table. Matt and Blaine had started tuning up when he arrived and now they’re about to start their set. Matt does the quick introductions as usual, but unlike the old days Blaine actually keeps his head up and smiles at the crowd.

They head into their standard set, playing three songs that Kurt has heard at least a dozen times, but somehow never get old because Matt and Blaine are always switching lyrics and changing chords. As they finish a song, Matt glances over to Blaine who blushes, but takes a deep breath as he steps up to the microphone. Matt hops off the stage and takes the seat next to Kerry. Kurt shoots him a glance and Matt shrugs. Kurt looks back up at Blaine, alone on the stage, much like he was that night back in September.

“So, um, you www-www-were rr-rr-rr-right,” Blaine announces looking at Kurt, his voice is firm, but he’s blinking rapidly and Kurt can see the slight shake in his hands. “I’ve bb-bb-buh-been planning sss-sss-something.” He looks at the assembled crowd and says “These ssssss-songs are for for for for Kurt. Um, there’s a theme.”

Blaine starts in a on a surprisingly familiar tune, though not one often heard on acoustic guitar. Blaine sings out the chorus:

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

He moves onto a Blue October song, Calling You.

I will keep calling you to see
if you’re sleeping, are you dreaming
if you’re dreaming, are you dreaming of me?
I can’t believe you actually picked me

And then a song that’s so damn kitschy only Blaine could ever get away with playing it. And only Kurt could ever get away with tearing up a bit as his painfully shy and phone phobic boyfriend sings “Call Me Maybe” in front of a crowd.

Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that

So call me, maybe?

Blaine strums the last chord and puts his guitar down. He grins at Kurt bashfully as he walks over to the table where everyone’s sitting. Kurt swipes the tears out of his eyes and hopes no one notices. Blaine shoves his hand in his pocket and Kurt stands up.

Blaine produces an international calling card and hands it to Kurt.

“There was definitely a theme there, Blaine,” Kurt agrees with a smile.

Blaine smiles back, but doesn’t quite hold Kurt’s gaze. “So, um. We should talk on the, on the, on the phone, www-while you’re away. May-may-may-be not every dah-day or anything, like a few times a mmmm-mmm-month, at least. And I-I-I’m … wah-working on it.”

“I know you are,” Kurt whispers as he hugs Blaine tightly.

~~~~~

The day of their inevitable goodbye arrives. The boys are both quiet, the air in the room thick with emotion. They’ve spent most of the last 24 hours packing up Kurt’s room, making space for Tina’s stuff. She’ll be arriving a couple hours after Kurt leaves and the room is finally ready.

Kurt has a cab scheduled to pick him at noon. He said goodbye to Matt and Kerry the night before, but Puck and Rachel are around the apartment that morning.

About five minutes to twelve, Blaine and Kurt go into Kurt’s room. They hug for a minute, Blaine sliding his hands into Kurt’s back pockets the way he does when he wants to make Kurt laugh. Today it makes Kurt sigh into his ear.

There really aren’t any important words for them to say. Over the course of their relationship they’ve both learned what needs to be spoken and what doesn’t.

They hold each other there in Kurt’s empty room. And then Blaine groans. “It’s time.”

Kurt holds up a finger and Blaine thinks he means one more minute. But then he holds up 3 fingers and then 2 fingers. 132 days. Blaine does the same gesture and they kiss, a bit tearfully, but neither one embarrassed.

“I love you,” Blaine breathes as they break apart.

“And I love you,” Kurt hums into Blaine’s ear.

They go out to the living room where Puck and Rachel are waiting. Everyone grabs a bag and they make their way down the stairs.

“Good lord, stop acting like you’re all in mourning,” Kurt jokes as they exit the building.

“We’re just going to miss you,” Rachel whimpers with tears in her eyes.

The cab is waiting. So Puck and Blaine toss the bags into the trunk.

Kurt hugs Puck and then Rachel and then Blaine one more time.

“132 days, that’s not so long,” Kurt whispers.

Blaine gives him the old triple blink, head shake, lip twitch. They kiss one more time, before Kurt gets in the cab.

Then it’s Puck, Rachel and Blaine watching tail lights head down the street.

“Are you coming back upstairs for a while, Blaine?” Rachel asks.

“Oh, uh, I-I-I guess. I hadn’t re-re-really thought about what I-I-I ww-would do... after he left.” Blaine glances longingly down the street.

“Well, seeing as how he sent me out for a rotisserie chicken several hours ago and it now resides in our fridge, I think Kurt assumed you’d come hang out for a bit.” Rachel says as threads her arm through Blaine’s, tugging him back into the building.

They go up the stairs in silence and sit down at the kitchen island. Rachel brings out the container and places it in front Blaine.

“It ssss-seems kind of unfair that I-I-I have you guys and Kurt has to be-be-be all alone,” Blaine sniffles.

“I know,” Rachel soothes as she rubs Blaine’s back. “Here have some chicken.”

Puck puts a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “We could get drunk and go get in fight?”

Blaine is almost sad enough to consider this an option.

~~~~~

January 17th
@ 1:23 pm
Blaine: Thanks for the chicken.
Blaine: Be sure to check your back pocket for something I put in there earlier.

1:25 pm
Kurt: Anytime. And I already found the note, but I’m saving it for the plane.
Kurt: Be sure to check my dresser, I left something for you there.

1:27 pm
Blaine: I’m going to save your note for when I’m alone, weeping on my bed.
Blaine: Sniffling in your kitchen font.

1:29 pm
Kurt: Blubbering at the airport font.

1:31 pm
Blaine: Here’s something to make you happy
Blaine: onomatopoetically.
Blaine: It’s nine syllables.

1:34 pm
Kurt: Thank you poophead.
Kurt: I feel better already.
Kurt: I have to turn off my phone soon.
Kurt: Love you. Miss you already.

1:38 pm
Blaine: Love you too, miss you more.
Blaine: because it’s a competition.

~~~~~

Blaine gets back to his room and Matt and Kerry are waiting there with a red velvet cupcake and a container of milk.

“Kurt told us that you would need a cupcake, some milk and a hug,” Kerry says as she embraces Blaine. Blaine takes a moment to look at Kerry as though he’s never seen her before. She’s tiny with red hair and freckles and pretty much the perfect height for hugging.

“You are a, a, a, very good hugger, Kerry. I-I-I-I’m enjoying the beh-beh-benefits of, of, of this friendship already,” Blaine concedes.

“I knew you would. I have very good references,” Kerry grins.

“Aw, this is so cute,” Matt croons as he wraps his arms around both of them.

When they break apart from the hug, Blaine does feel a little bit better.

“So, classes start tomorrow,” Matt points out sourly. “We’re going to buy books. Wanna come?”

“Nah. I-I-I have to rr-rr-re-re-read my letter and eat mm-my cupcake and cry,” Blaine responds nonchalantly.

“We’ll come back and hug you when you’re done,” Kerry promises.

They walk out the door. Blaine takes a bite of his cupcake and sighs. This is a sucky day, a supremely sucky day. But he has all of these... people, these friends that he could have never fathomed having. And he has a boyfriend who he won’t see for 132 days, but he cares enough to leave a trail of chicken and cupcakes and what Blaine assumes is a heartfelt letter in his wake.

Blaine is happy. He’s just so... fucking happy, even if he’s sad right now. He smiles even through his tears, all by himself.

And he opens Kurt’s letter.

~~~~~

Blaine-

I thought about writing you a romantic and wonderful and perfect letter, something for you to read while I’m away and that would remind you how loved you are. When I realized that it would never be even half as good as the letter you wrote me all those many months ago, I decided to try something different. (Did you know that letter writing is a competitive sport now? No, you didn’t know? Good thing I’m writing this letter to inform you.)

Instead of a perfect and beautiful love letter, I’ve made an alphabetical list of all the things that you are since I won’t be around to remind you everyday and I don’t want you to forget. I ended up having to use multiple words for almost every letter, quite frankly because I’m verbose and also because I love you so much I can’t shut up about you. Ever.

I may have used your best friend the thesaurus for a few of them. But I’m assuming you won’t mind. Feel free to be impressed. Should you need to look any of these words of up (even though you pretty much already know all of the words in the English language) be sure to assume that I mean the nicest, most positive definition. And not whatever weird secondary definition you make up in your head.

You are:
Adored (amazing, affable, amusing, admirable)
Blaine-ish (This is not cheating. You are the Blaine-iest Blaine who has ever Blained. You’re also bashful, brave, beautiful)
Clever (cute, cheerful, compassionate, competitive)
Delightful (dedicated, dazzling)
Endearing (exceptional, eloquent, engaging, effervescent)
Fascinating (fantastic, fundamental, friendly)
Gorgeous (gentle, gifted)
Happy (honest, humble, handsome)
Incredible (intelligent, inspired)
Jocular (jovial, jaunty)
Kurt’s (kindhearted, kissable)
Levelheaded (loved)
Mine (miraculous, meritorious)
Needed (necessary, noble)
Outstanding (orgasmic, observant)
Poophead (perceptive, pithy, patient, perfect, personable, pulchritudinous)
Quirky (quintessential, quixotic)
Ravishing (resilient, riveting, romantic)
Sublime (squiriferous, sexy, superb, succulent)
Talented (transcendent)
Unforgettable (unique, undeniably bad at choosing a suitable haircut)
Veritable (vital)
Winsome (wanted, wonderful, witty, wry, wise, whimsical)
Xanthan gum (cause it’s made out of fermented sugars. Cause you’re sweet. This one is a stretch. Sue me.)
You (100% of the time)
Zee most wonderful fella on earth. (see what I did there? Kind of French-ish.)

The last three are a stretch, but it’s late and I wanted you to laugh.

I look forward to your inevitable email detailing exactly why I’m wrong about several of these words and then I’ll respond with why I’m right.

I miss you.

I love you.

I’ll see you in 132 days.

Always- Kurt

~~~~~

132 days later

Kurt walks through JFK airport in a bit of a daze. He knows he needs to get himself to baggage claim, but he feels like his flight took forever. He would willingly put his carry-on bag on the ground to use it as a pillow and take a nap right here. Then he actually looks at the floor and decides better of that idea.

He's calculating the amount of time from where he is right this second, to his bed. His bed. He knows Tina found a new apartment already, so it's his bed again. He thinks he should be there in about 2 hours from now, (counting however long it takes to get his bags, hail a cab, sit in traffic...) but he really doesn't want to get his hopes up.

All that is erased from his mind, when the crowd parts and he sees a man.

A smiling man, with twinkling eyes, a scruffy (though somewhat sexy) beard, too long hair and a hand lettered sign that reads "Poophead missed you."

Nothing else really matters.