Cleaning, he finds, turns out to be more calming than he expected. It's easy to get lost in the steady rhythm of cleaning the bathtub or unpacking boxes, so he turns up the radio and sings along with the music as he cleans. He loses track of time and jumps out of his skin when the doorbell rings, grimacing at he realizes that he's going to have to answer the door in sweatpants and a tank top.

He tugs at the hem of his shirt to straighten it and opens the door. "Kurt," Blaine breathes, smiling as he sees the tall boy standing on the doorstep.

"Hey," Kurt answers. "You weren't answering your phone, and I just wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. My phone is upstairs." Blaine gestures awkwardly toward the stairs. "I've been cleaning all day. Would you like to come in? I'm a mess, but…"

He opens the door, and Kurt ducks his head as he steps inside. "Thank you. I'm sorry to drop in like this—"

"No, I was hoping you'd come by today, but I thought you were busy. Just give me a minute to get cleaned up a little." He gestures toward the couch. "Make yourself at home. We haven't really had a chance to move things around from when my grandpa lived here, but we're working on it," Blaine admits.

"It's fine. It's a very comfortable house." There's a small smile on Kurt's face as he looks around.

"I think so. It's been in my family for generations. I pretty much grew up here. I stayed with my grandpa a lot growing up. It's strange to be here without him."

"I'd imagine," Kurt agrees before adding, "I can imagine what that feels like for you." There's a soft seriousness to the words that, once again, Blaine's sure he doesn't understand.

He leaves Kurt in the living room and heads upstairs to get dressed, pulling on the first things his hands touch and making his way back to where Kurt is waiting, seated on the couch and looking around the room. He lets himself watch for just a second before making his presence known.

There's a far away look in Kurt's eyes as he scans the room before lowering his gaze to his lap and sighing.

Before Blaine can stop himself, he hears himself ask, "What's the matter, Kurt?"

Kurt's head swivels to where Blaine is standing, clearly surprised at being caught. "Oh, nothing's the matter. I was just…thinking."

Blaine crosses the room to sit down next to Kurt and takes his hand. "About what?"

"Time, actually," Kurt admits, his voice slow and even, thoughtful. "It's just amazing how things change. Like this house, think about all the things this house has seen—You said it's been in your family for generations. How many family and friends have been through here? Christmases and birthdays. Children growing up and moving out to have families of their own. And this house has grown and changed with them."

Blaine takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I guess I've never thought of that. That's really—Wow."

Kurt laughs softly and shakes his head. "I didn't mean to get deep on you. I just think about things like that sometimes," he admits, sounding a bit self-conscious.

"No. I love listening to you. You are the single most interesting person I've ever met."

Kurt shrugs delicately and gives a small half smile. "Well, I don't know about that," he admonishes before adding, "But thank you. I just get carried away with my thoughts sometimes."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Blaine turns toward Kurt whose expression brightens at Blaine's enthusiasm. "I had a dream about you last night."

"Do tell," Kurt encourages, smiling widely and looking very much intrigued.

"It was so weird. From what I remember, I was sitting on the porch, except it was how the house used to look in old pictures, and you came up to tell me that you were joining the army. And my grandpa was there part of the time." Blaine's face scrunches up. "He said he was going to join with you. You guys were friends or something."

A strange expression crosses Kurt's face, and his eyes widen briefly before he shakes his head and smiles. It looks a little forced. "That is weird," he says, not quite able to achieve the light tone he was clearly aiming for. "Was there anything else?"

"Not that I remember," Blaine admits, his face screwing up in thought. "I remember kids playing, and you saying something about the flowers and your brother."

Shock flickers across Kurt's face. "My brother?"

"Yeah, I told you, it was weird. His name was Flint or something—"

"Finn."

Now it's Blaine's turn to be surprised. "Excuse me?"

"My brother's name is Finn," Kurt explains, looking almost stunned as he appraises Blaine's face. His voice is airy and Blaine recognizes when his face shifts to its familiar "deep-in-thought" expression. "Blaine, how did you know that?"

"I—I don't know," Blaine admits, feeling lost before his face screws up and he continues with, "I mean, I didn't know. It was just a dream."

Kurt nods and eyes Blaine speculatively, studying his face again. "Yeah. Just a weird dream, I guess. That's very interesting, though."

They lapse into thoughtful silence. Blaine's mind is reeling from the dream, feeling no closer to understanding it. There's quiet contemplation on Kurt's face, but there's wariness in his eyes when he glances at Blaine when he thinks Blaine isn't looking.

Blaine starts a little at the sound of Kurt's voice. "So, you said you were cleaning before I got here?"

"Yeah. My mom left me a list of chores. I'm never going to get it finished," Blaine says, pulling his thoughts back in and turning to Kurt, finding a now peaceful expression where there was once tension.

"Would you like some help?" Kurt asks with a shrug and a polite smile.

"Oh, I couldn't make you help me clean my house, Kurt," Blaine laughs. "I was about to call it a day and order something for dinner. You're welcome to stay for that so I don't have to eat alone like a crazy shut in." Kurt flashes a smile and Blaine adds, "I could put in a movie for us, too, if you wanted." His voice is hopeful, and the words are met by Kurt squeezing his hand softly.

"I would love that."

They settle for watching The Sound of Music while they wait for the pizza to be delivered. Kurt wraps his arm around Blaine's shoulders and holds him close, humming the melody to Edelweiss along with the movie in a way that makes something warm and bright wash over Blaine. His eyes flutter closed and he lets himself get lost in the soft, beautiful sound of Kurt's voice.

It's getting late by the time they finish eating, and Kurt picks up the box from the coffee table and takes it to the kitchen, dropping a parting kiss to the top of Blaine's curls on his way out of the room. Confusion hits Blaine all at once, and he finds himself leaning over the arm of the couch to watch Kurt walk directly to the kitchen as though he's traveled the path a hundred times. Blaine is sure that Kurt has never been outside of the living room.

He can't help but experiment with the newest strange coincidence. "Hey, Kurt," Blaine calls, waiting for an acknowledgment before finishing. "Could you bring me in a glass of water, please?"

He watches silently as Kurt moves to the sink and opens the cupboard to the left. Blaine had always found it counter-intuitive that the glasses be on the left side of the sink when everyone in the family was right handed, but he hadn't had a chance to move the dishes around the kitchen yet. Kurt hadn't even blinked before moving directly to the correct cabinet and grabbing a glass before striding gracefully back into the living room and holding out the glass with a kind smile.

"Thank you," Blaine says. His voice sounds a little confused even to him, but Kurt doesn't get a chance to mention it before Blaine's phone chimes from the end table. He picks it up, but he doesn't need to check the message to know what it says. It's the same thing it always says.

"Blaine, something came up and daddy and I are going to be staying the night. We'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. –Mom"

Blaine sighs as he lowers the phone.

"What's the matter, Blaine?" Kurt's voice is concerned and Blaine feels cool fingers brush over the back of his hand. He tilts the phone so that Kurt can read the message. "Do they do that often?"

Blaine breathes out a deep sigh. "Much more often than I'd like," he admits. "Sometimes it feels more like I'm living alone. I guess I'm used to it, but I hate being alone."

There's a sadness that touches Kurt's eyes and he laces his fingers with Blaine's. "Well, you're not alone anymore. You've got me now," he says, his voice earnest. He pulls Blaine into a hug, and Blaine feels himself relax into Kurt's arms, feeling comforted and secure.

"Thank you, Kurt," he whispers. "You have no idea what that means to me." There's silence for a few moments as he just lets himself be held. "Kurt, will you—I mean, you don't have to, but—will you stay with me tonight?"

Kurt pulls back and his eyes are a little wary, thoughtful and deep before he nods. "Of course."

When Blaine makes it back into his bedroom after a shower, Kurt is already sitting on his bed wearing a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a white undershirt that's a little too tight in the shoulders. His face stretches into a bright smile when he sees Blaine come in. "No one should look that cute in pajamas," Kurt notes playfully, holding out his arms for Blaine to slide into.

Blaine pads across the room and climbs into bed beside Kurt, letting the other boy pull the blankets up around them both and shift them both until they're lying down, Blaine's head resting by Kurt's collarbone. He feels Kurt bury his nose into the wet mess of curls on the top of his head and take a breath. "Mmm, you smell amazing," he breathes contentedly.

"It's my mom's shampoo," Blaine says, a little self-conscious. "It smells like vanilla."

Kurt sighs again, a relaxed sound. "I like it."

"Thank you for staying, Kurt." Blaine's voice is soft and earnest.

"I think I'd have a harder time trying to stay away," Kurt says with a soft laugh. "Knowing you're all alone in a big house like this."

"I don't like being alone," Blaine admits, his voice small. He's not sure what it is, but he tends to accidentally bare more than he plans to with Kurt. His mind works over the idea that he's already so attached to a person he's only known for two days, but it's quickly shot down. There's something about Kurt that's not the norm, like it's okay to break out of what's sensible and just be with Kurt. It's refreshing and Blaine finds himself getting lost in it.

Kurt presses a kiss to the top of his head. "You're not alone anymore, sweetheart. I'm here."

And Blaine believes it. He believes it more than he's ever believed anything. He throws his arm over Kurt's chest and hugs tight, unwilling and unable to let go. Long, cool fingers come to card through his hair and he breathes out softly. "Goodnight, Kurt."

There's another kiss to the top of his head. "Goodnight, Blaine."

When Blaine wakes up, he's disoriented. The curtains are pulled tight and there's almost no light in his room. He feels strong arms wrapped tightly around him and he relaxes into the touch, the memory of the night before coming rushing back all at once.

Kurt's voice is soft and amused when he speaks, pressing a kiss to Blaine's forehead. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Mmm…Morning," Blaine mumbles sleepily, nuzzling closer into Kurt's side. "Why's it so dark?"

"I've got a bit of a headache," Kurt explains with a grimace. "I'm sorry. It's just happens sometimes. The sun hurts my eyes."

Blaine rubs his eyes and sits up a little. "Yeah, I think you mentioned that before." The words come out strained as Blaine stretches, much to Kurt's apparent amusement. "What?" Blaine asks self-consciously.

"You," Kurt laughs. "You're completely adorable in the morning." Blaine blushes and casts his gaze to the hem of the blanket, pulling at a stray thread shyly. He looks up when he hears Kurt ask, "Did you sleep okay?"

"I had another dream," Blaine admits, and he feels Kurt stiffen just a little beside him.

"Oh?" Kurt's voice is tense.

"It was just like the one before, except this time, you weren't there. It was just my grandpa, and he looked really sad," Blaine says softly, biting his lip. "God, I wish I knew what any of this meant. It's so weird."

Kurt kisses his temple. "I wouldn't think too hard about it, Blaine. They're just dreams."

"You're right," Blaine answers, his voice sounding distracted. "I just can't shake the feeling that they mean something, y'know?"

"Blaine," Kurt's voice is earnest and just shy of pleading now. "Promise me you won't let your imagination get carried away with this."

Something about Kurt's insistence has Blaine promising quickly. He sees the tension bleed from Kurt's posture as he leans forward and kisses Blaine softly on the lips. "I've got to get going. Did you still want to go out and get dinner tonight?"

Blaine smiles widely and nods. "I was thinking you could come over here again. I mean, I doubt my parents are going to be home by then, and we've got leftover pizza…"

Kurt beams and kisses Blaine playfully on the lips. "Blaine Anderson, I will gladly eat leftover pizza with you," he says, his voice bright and amused.

He walks Kurt to the door and kisses him goodbye, their lips sliding together easily in a feather light brush that makes Blaine's knees go weak. And then Kurt is gone.

Kurt comes over every single day that week and stays until well after sundown. With both of Blaine's parents working, it's nice to have Kurt around for company. Sometimes they watch movies, but mostly they just talk about anything and everything that comes to mind.

More nights than not, Kurt also stays over. Blaine's parents love him. He offers fashion ideas to his mother and holds his own in conversations with Blaine's father. Apparently, Kurt is "more than welcome to stay as often as he wants". (Something that made Blaine's heart swell and a small smile touch Kurt's face.)

Kurt unfailingly kisses Blaine before bed each night and holds him close until he falls asleep.

Despite doing his best not to focus on them, the dreams have gotten worse lately. They're no longer the bright summer days of sitting on the porch. They've taken on a darker tone.

It's always the same now.

There's gunfire somewhere in the distance, but it's otherwise silent. Oppressively so. The sun's just going down and the bite in the air is becoming more pronounced as the darkness sets in. Through the twilight, it's easy to make out two familiar faces, the stars of all of Blaine's dreams so far—his grandfather and Kurt.

They're in a small town, clearly recently bombed to rubble, walking together down a cobblestone path between a row of small houses, securing the area. A shrill cry breaks the silence. "Mein Liebling! Bitte helfen Sie mein Baby!"

It's a woman's cry and the words are filled with such sheer terror that Kurt straightens up before taking off toward the source of the sound at a clip, George Anderson following right on his heels. They reach the ruins of the house from which the sound came and Kurt skids to a halt at the door, looking more than a little confused. George looks as though he's just about to ask before he shouts, grabbing at Kurt's shoulder. It's a trap.

Inside the house, there's a woman standing in between two men, but there's no baby in sight, all three are sneering. Kurt and George don't even have a chance to run before all hell breaks loose, gunfire erupting from all sides. George is standing frozen in the doorway when Kurt shakes himself from his shock and shoves at his friend, "Come on!"

George staggers back a step before following Kurt. Kurt's eyes are alert and vigilant as he locks onto where the rest of their squad is retreating down the cobblestone path. Bullets are whizzing past and Kurt keeps shoving for George to move faster.

There's a shout of "No!" and George doesn't even have time to turn around before Kurt is throwing himself forward, knocking the other boy to the ground in his urgency. Kurt fires once and George sees a previously unseen man slump over the nearby fence, dead.

George quickly picks himself up and goes to extend a hand to Kurt. "Kurt, come on! We've got to get out of here!"

Kurt coughs wetly and George's eyes widen as he takes in the sight of Kurt curled on the ground. He drops to his knees, but Kurt is pushing at him weakly. "No. Leave me," Kurt gasps, coughing again. "Get yourself out. Go!"

"Kurt, I'm not—"

"George! Go!" Kurt tries to shout. "Please, go!"

He can't carry Kurt. There's no chance. They'd both be dead if he tried. "Try and get yourself behind that fence. I'll come back with a medic," George rushes, seeing for the first time the way blood is seeping through the front of Kurt's uniform.

"Just go," Kurt pleads weakly.

George reaches down and squeezes his friend's hand. "You're gonna be okay."

Kurt forces a weak, pathetic grimace of a smile. "Just go, please."

"I'll come back, Kurt, I swear. Please, just hold on." It's clear to see the pain on George's face to leave Kurt lying on the road, but he nods once and picks himself up before bolting down the road after his squad.

Blaine wakes up with a start, feeling tears start streaming down his cheeks.

"Blaine, honey, what's the matter?" Kurt asks, rubbing his eyes. Sleep wears off quickly and when Kurt speaks again, his voice is alarmed. "Are you okay?"

Blaine hears himself babbling but can't seem to find the ability to stop. "Kurt, you were—you were shot, and—"

"Shh," Kurt urges, wrapping his arms around Blaine and pulling him closer. "I'm okay, honey. I'm fine."

"But you were bleeding so much," Blaine chokes out. His voice is sleepy and thick with emotion.

Kurt tightens his arms and kisses the top of Blaine's head. "I'm fine now, sweetheart. Just go back to sleep. Everything's fine."

He's groggy and sleep is pressing in on him from all sides. It's not even remotely near dawn yet, and his surge of half-asleep emotion has left him exhausted and barely able to keep his eyes open, but he mumbles out a thick, "Did he come back?"

Everything is taking on a distant dreamlike tone as he drifts back toward unconsciousness, but he's sure he hears Kurt whisper, "Yes, honey. He came back."

Hours later, in the light of day, he'll remember almost nothing of his nightmare.

A week later finds Blaine cuddled closely into Kurt's side as they're stretched out across Blaine's bed watching a movie, and as Blaine sees the flickering glow from the television bathe Kurt in a bluish light that makes him look almost otherworldly, he finally gets the nerve to push. They've had chaste kisses as Kurt's leaving and more lingering kisses when they're alone like this, but nothing more. Blaine takes a deep breath and turns slightly in Kurt's arms to nuzzle at his neck, kissing at the smooth, pale skin of his throat and eliciting a quiet moan from Kurt.

It escalates quickly. Soon, the movie is forgotten and Blaine is pinned to the bed as Kurt sucks at his throat, pausing to pepper kisses and soothe over the marks that are no doubt forming because of the assault on his neck. Kurt breathes in deep and the breath is shaky on the exhale as he murmurs, "God, you smell so good, Blaine. So warm." He kisses over Blaine's throat again and Blaine's fingers come to knot in Kurt's hair, because nothing has ever felt quite as amazing as Kurt's lips on his skin.

Kurt's hand comes to rest on the other side of Blaine's neck as he continues to drop kisses to the skin. Blaine is sure Kurt can feel the rapid flutter of his pulse thrumming beneath his lips. His tongue slides over the pulsing vein as though trying to taste before he presses his lips against it and sucks roughly in a way that has Blaine's hips stuttering off the mattress.

Too soon, Kurt is pulling away, his eyes squeezed shut as he sits up. "We—We need to stop now," he says plainly, his voice low and rough. Blaine feels something swoop low in his stomach at the tone and whines in disagreement to the words. Kurt just breathes out a laugh and strokes Blaine's cheek with his fingers before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips. Blaine chases Kurt's mouth as he pulls away eliciting another laugh.

"Just a little longer?" Blaine asks, his voice whisper quiet and rough, sitting up and leaning against Kurt's side, dropping hopeful kisses to pale column of Kurt's neck.

"No, honey." Kurt's voice is soft and warm but ringing with finality as he shifts away. He wraps Blaine in his arms to soften the sting of rejection. "I don't want to get carried away and have one of us do something we'll regret."

Blaine knows Kurt is right, but no part of his brain wants to listen to reason right now with Kurt so close. "Who says I'll regret it?"

There's warm pleading in Kurt's eyes and he leans forward to brush a soft kiss to Blaine's lips. "Blaine, honey, please. I really care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. I'm not sure you know what you're trying to talk your way into right now." Kurt laughs softly and Blaine feels cool lips press against the top of his hair. "There's plenty of time, sweetheart. All the time in the world."

"Okay," Blaine sighs contentedly, relaxing into Kurt's arms. He's pretty sure he loves the idea of having all the time in the world with Kurt. "Can we still cuddle?" Blaine asks. He pulls out his best puppy dog eyes and is rewarded by a wide smile and a kiss.

"Of course, sweetheart," Kurt answers as he pulls Blaine closer and eases them both down until they're stretched out together. He shifts to the side and rests his head on Blaine's chest, his flat palm resting over Blaine's heart. He hums out a contented sound. "I'm so happy right now, Blaine."

Blaine pulls Kurt closer and buries his nose into the boy's soft chestnut hair, breathing in the smell of shampoo and the almost floral scent that is so uniquely Kurt that it makes something warm and happy bloom in his chest. "Can you stay the night?"

"Not tonight, honey," Kurt says regretfully. "I'll be back tomorrow, though."

"I can't hang out tomorrow. I have to go on a campus tour with my dad."

Kurt tilts his head up to meet Blaine's eyes. "Campus tour? Which campus?"

"Ohio State. I got accepted into the accounting program." Blaine's voice sounds flat even to himself, so he tries again, aiming to make himself sound excited. "My dad is taking me. He graduated from there, so he wants me to go too."

He can tell by Kurt's voice that he's not fooled. "But that's not what you want, is it?"

"It is," Blaine tries to argue. His argument is weak, and he knows it. "I'm good at math. I'll be a good accountant. It's sensible."

Kurt laughs quietly. "No offense, sweetie, but you don't strike me as someone who would settle for the sensible option." He breaths another laugh and kisses Blaine's neck softly. "And I don't see you as an accountant."

"It will make my dad happy," Blaine says with a shrug, still trying to keep his voice light and engaged instead of sounding as resigned as he feels.

"But what would make you happy?"

The question staggers Blaine. It's not a something he's been asked before. For his tenth birthday, his father bought him a toy adding machine. There's never really been a question about his future. Blaine just lays in silence, unable to think of a reply.

"That's what I thought," Kurt says with a knowing nod. "Life is too short to live to make other people happy, Blaine. Trust me." He nudges Blaine's ankle with his toes and his voice sounds brighter when he speaks again. "So, why don't you tell me what you want to do."

It takes a bit of thought, but Blaine finally answers. "Music. I just—I love music, but my father says it's a waste of time."

"Nothing you love doing is a waste of time," Kurt says sagely. "Doing something that you hate every day for the rest of your life is. Like I said, life is too short. It's over so quickly, so you shouldn't waste the precious little time you have doing something you hate."

Blaine breathes out a sigh. Kurt's right, but the idea of disappointing his father is something that he isn't sure he could handle. "I just want to make my dad proud, but I don't want to be miserable."

"I'm sure that what your dad wants is for you to be happy, no matter what you're doing," Kurt offers, watching his thumb as it slides in an idle pattern across the front of Blaine's shirt. "Would accounting make you happy, Blaine?"

There's no question. "No."

Kurt tilts his head and looks at Blaine with a sad smile. "Then I think you have your answer, sweetheart."

A small smile touches Blaine's face and he lifts his head off the pillow a bit to meet Kurt's eyes. "How did you get so smart?" Blaine leans down to press a soft kiss to Kurt's lips, feeling them turn up into a smile against his own.

They lapse into thoughtful silence, Blaine's hand carding absently through Kurt's hair. Occasionally, Kurt hums contently and leans into the touch, but mostly he's just silent, his head resting on Blaine's chest close to his heart.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice is quiet and thoughtful, and Blaine hums his acknowledgment before Kurt continues, focusing on his hand where it rests on Blaine's chest. "When you think of your future, what do you see?"

"Oh, um," Blaine answers lamely, his forehead wrinkling in thought. "I'm not sure. I know that I'm supposed to be thinking about it, but…I don't know…nothing seems right for me. I just—I think I eventually I'd like to get out of Ohio."

There's more silence and Blaine swears he can feel how hard Kurt's thinking. "That's what I did. I wanted to see the world, but…it didn't quite work out the way I'd hoped."

"You've still got plenty of time, Kurt. I'd hardly write it off as a failure. You're only eighteen," Blaine assures. "God, I'd love to see the world. I want to go to Paris."

"I want all those things for you, Blaine," Kurt says, shifting them until he's the one holding Blaine against his side. "You're meant for more than this." There's something about Kurt's voice that sounds regretful.

Blaine scrunches up his face in thought. "I just realized that you never told me where you live."

"New York," Kurt answers. "The most amazing city in the world."

"Wow," Blaine breathes. "From Ohio to New York. That must have been quite a culture shock."

Kurt laughs freely, dropping a kiss to the top of Blaine's head and sighing. "Sweetie, I don't think you have any idea."

Something occurs to Blaine belatedly, and it makes warmth spread pleasantly through his chest. "So, you're giving up the glamour of New York City to spend time with me in Lima?"

"It's not even a contest." He tightens his arms and leans down to kiss Blaine's lips, stroking his fingers over his cheek.

Blaine smiles widely and nuzzles into the crook of Kurt's neck, sighing contentedly. "So, where did you live when you were here? Is that where you're staying? With your family?"

Kurt is quiet for a moment and Blaine looks up just in time to see a contemplating look in wary blue eyes. "No, I'm not staying with my family. I've been staying in the hotel by the airport—"

"The airport? Kurt that's like two hours away? Wasn't there any place closer?" Blaine asks, shocked. The closest airport is in Columbus, and that's a hell of a drive to come see Blaine every day.

The wariness is back and Kurt shifts slightly. "It's best if I stay a little out of town," Kurt says, and Blaine's sure he doesn't understand the reasoning. "I'm from Lima. I grew up around here, and a lot of people knew me. And…I'm not sure how they'd react to seeing me back in town."

It's cryptic in the way that many of Kurt's answers have been. Blaine bites his lip and tries to cipher the possible meaning behind it. He finally gives up before offering, "I can see how someone like you would be hard to forget."

"Someone like me?" Kurt asks, puzzled.

Blaine smiles and stretches up to press a kiss to Kurt's jaw. "Yeah. Gorgeous, funny, and smart. I can see why you'd an impression. You've done a number on me."

Kurt laughs and tilts his head down to kiss Blaine on the lips with a playful smack. "You are amazing, Blaine. Did you know that?"

The words make Blaine light up inside. At some point, he's going to have to tell Kurt to ease up with the constant praise, because he's sure it's all going to start going to his head soon, but for now, he'll allow it. He just shrugs and smiles, feeling warm and cared for in Kurt's arms. Kurt kisses him again before sighing and sitting up.

"I've got to get going," he says regretfully. Blaine sits up and hooks his chin over Kurt's shoulder. He turns to face Blaine, taking his hand and rubbing soft circles on the backs of his knuckles. "Since we're not going to be able to see each other tomorrow, how about I take you out on Friday? I know a few places in Columbus. We can go shopping, have dinner, and go see a movie."

God, that sounds amazing, but, "Kurt, that all sounds really expensive. Columbus isn't cheap…"

"You deserve to have a little fun, Blaine." Kurt shrugs. "Besides, I like taking you places. It makes me happy to see you happy." A smile lifts the corner of Kurt's mouth, and Blaine forgets that he's supposed to be arguing. All he wants to do is lean forward and kiss Kurt's smile.

Oh yeah. Right. Kurt's already spending enough money staying in Ohio just to be with him. "You don't have to take me shopping or buy me anything." He smiles and darts a playful kiss to Kurt's lips. "I'm happy just to be with you."

Kurt nods. "Good." There's a playfully smug smile on Kurt's face as he nods again and presses a smacking kiss to Blaine's cheek. "Then you can be happy to be with me in Columbus."

Blaine shakes his head in disbelief as he smiles widely. "You are unbelievable, Kurt Hummel," he says incredulously before asking, "And there's absolutely nothing I can do to talk you out of spending an unnecessary amount of money on me when I don't need or want anything other than to just spend time with you?"

"Not a damn thing." Kurt's smile is breathtaking and there's light in his eyes that only seems to be present when he's looking at Blaine. He reaches up and strokes Blaine's cheek, his eyes far away and soft. "You are so beautiful, Blaine. I want you to have everything you've ever wanted. I want to give you the world."

The words are barely a breath, but they hit Blaine like a wrecking ball. Kurt's voice is sure in a way Blaine has never heard before. Not just from Kurt, but from anyone, and Blaine has fallen and fallen hard for him. He's sure he never even had a chance. Kurt swept into his life like a storm and now he knows that all he can do is hold on.

Tears are beading in his eyes and all he can manage is a breathless, "Kurt," unable to form anything more articulate, but it doesn't matter because Kurt's arms are wrapping around him and pulling him tightly against his chest. He's clinging to Blaine as though he's afraid that he's going to disappear.

Kurt is pulling back and his eyes are full of earnest pleading. "Blaine, so much has happened in my life. I'm not sure I could even begin to explain it to you, and there have been so few things that have been certain. Everything has changed and I've just been wandering around like a lost soul, searching for something but coming up with nothing, because I had no idea what I was looking for."

Blaine swallows thickly. "W-What were you looking for?"

"You," Kurt answers in a whisper. His voice is thick with emotion and he lifts a hand to cup Blaine's cheek as Blaine stares at him, enraptured. "I was looking for you, Blaine, and I didn't even know it until I saw you. And there's so much I have to tell you, and there's so much that I don't even understand, and I know it's been such a short time, but Blaine, I'm in love with you."

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine chokes out, wrapping his arms around Kurt's neck and kissing him, insistent and urgent. "I love you, too."

He feels Kurt relax in his arms and he breathes out a soft, relieved laugh against Blaine's lips as he kisses him deeper until Blaine's head starts to spin with it. The emotion is amazing and intoxicating, so he lets himself get wrapped up in it, tightening his arms around Kurt's neck and deepening the kiss until Kurt breaks away. He rests his forehead against Blaine's and whispers. "I really need to go, Blaine."

"'Kay," Blaine breathes out in a daze that only serves to make Kurt laugh and kiss the tip of his nose.

"Call me when you get back from visiting the college?"

Blaine nods. "Of course." He swallows and shakes his head to clear away the haze. "Text me to let me know you made it back to your hotel alright, okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Kurt says with a smile, leaning forward to kiss Blaine again. "Goodnight." His smile widens and there's warmth in his eyes as he whispers, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Blaine answers, beaming. He loves the way the words sound as he says them, how it feels to speak them, loves the way the statement seems to make Kurt light up and bounce on the balls of his feet before rocking forward and kissing Blaine again happily.

It's after Kurt is gone that Blaine finds himself staring up toward the ceiling with a smile still affixed to his face. He's in love, and it's amazing.