IV.

Epilogue/ If only to hold you

Kurt more crawls than walks to the apartment door, and opens it. Leaves it slightly ajar. Slumps against the wall again, staring, blinking away tears, fanning himself with his hands to dry, to cool his cheeks, but failing. Choking. His heart beat at his throat is in time with the quick footsteps flying up the stairs.

Then a pair of shoes appear inside his swimming vision.

Blaine sinks down immediately with a soft sound from the back of his throat, and wraps himself around Kurt in a trembling embrace. Breathing out.

Then he coaxes Kurt up, walks him to the bed, laying them down. Kicking shoes off, dragging his knees up onto the mattress, his legs over Kurt as if trying to cover as much of him with his body as he can.

And Kurt feels Blaine seep into his space and senses. Smells him, coffee breath, along the slight stubble of a day spent travelling.

Sees hazel eyes wide with being unsure, overwhelmed, wondering how to handle Kurt like this, yet still doing it.

Then there's kisses, soft pressure, covering Kurt's entire face with lips Blaine doesn't stop for the longest time, their cheeks and foreheads connecting, holding against each other like their bodies.

Reassurance, reacquaintance. Reclaim.

It's giving Kurt something to feel, is physical comfort, is sensuality.

Whispering 'Sorry, I took so long', 'I'm here' and 'I got you'.

The relentless friction against Kurt's face makes it hot, skin feeling tight and swollen wet, not so much from tears anymore, but kisses, soft press of open mouth, cooling it.

It tingles, prickles, makes Kurt's head feel light, even if his chest still aches with his body heavy on the covers, heavy and anchored in Blaine's embrace.

So much after far too long of too less, of nothing.

So gentle, tender are Blaine's fingers on his nape, not expecting to make it better right away, just being there to stick it out, bearing it. Letting Kurt cry.

"I want you in my arms, forever." Said lightly, honestly. Then staring, sinking in, meaning it. Blaine's eyes betray so much more, enhance the promise, the demand.

Inside my heart. My thoughts, my body. My future.

"I want you to return into them, always. We will get through this."

Another whisper in this kiss that doesn't seem to stop.

And slowly Kurt feels like he wants again. Might.

Does.

This. Blaine. Them.

He stares into Blaine's eyes, into his reflection. That reflection of himself in deep brown eyes that he has seen there all those times before.

And he feels like he remembers. Like he's starting to recognize.

Kurt nods.