Blaine is a little bit lonely his first few days of college. He’d gotten used to summer, which was bursting at the seams with people.

College is also bursting at the seams with people, but Blaine has momentarily forgotten how to act around strangers. People ask him where he’s from and why he decided on Stanford and if he has any siblings. And he answers as best as he can, “Lima, Ohio. In the end, it was just where I wanted to go. A little sister.” But he doesn’t know how to reveal deeper pieces of himself.

“Fear of rejection Blaine” is taking over “Good natured, friendly Blaine.”

He resolves to take baby steps. Smile at people more, greet whoever sits next to him in class, wave when he sees a face he recognizes from his dorm.

He can do this. He can do all this without Kurt. He’s still Blaine, maybe even a better Blaine than he ever was before. He’s healing; he thinks his heart and his mind are finally catching up with a body that healed years ago.

He finds himself loosening up, gelling his hair less, saving bow ties for special occasions. He whistles in the shower and falls in love with Palo Alto.

Kurt is still wonderful Kurt and Blaine misses him so much sometimes, but Blaine is living his own dreams for now.