But seeing Kurt while he was asleep or had just woken up was something wonderful that Blaine was so lucky he never had to give up. Kurt looked peaceful, his hair fluffed out over the pillow, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheek, his eyes owlish and oh so blue when he did wake up and the morning kiss they would always share.

Blaine propped himself up on his elbow to watch Kurt sleep. They had been tangled up during the night and now Kurt was lying on his front with one arm thrown out on the other side of the bed but his face turned towards Blaine. A lock of hair was lying over his eyes but was curled in such a way that it framed his lashes.

“Why are you watching me?” Kurt mumbled. He sounded barely awake, having been roused from sleep by the small shifting Blaine had done in order to be more comfortable while watching his soul mate sleep.

“Because you’re beautiful.” Blaine leant over and pressed a kiss to Kurt’s exposed cheek.

Kurt moved his head towards Blaine’s lips, pulled like a paper clip to a magnet, and pressed their lips together. It was far more than their kisses in the early morning. Those were chaste, close lipped and like the staccato notes of a music piece. With this one, Kurt licked at Blaine’s lips until they opened and kissed him deeply once they did.

While Blaine slid lower down the bed until he was lying on the pillow, Kurt lifted his torso and placed one hand behind Blaine’s head, weaving his fingers into tangled curls and tugging. A moan was wrenched from Blaine and it only made Kurt press harder with his kiss, delicious pressure sending sparks of arousal down both of their spines towards their cocks.

“Good morning to you too,” Blaine’s voice was hoarse as they broke the kiss for breath but his smile was lazy and teasing. Kurt gave a breathy laugh before lowering his head until his lips hovered just a hair’s width away from Blaine’s. There was a moment’s pause, tension rising out of the lethargy of the early morning until it peaked and Blaine surged up to press their lips together again.

The kiss delved into more very quickly, mouths open and moving against each other, tongues deep in each other’s mouths as they danced together. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt’s torso and shifted until Kurt was lying on top of him, legs to one side but hips still mostly aligned. His morning erection had started to fade during the short time before Kurt had woken but it had returned at full force and the friction of Kurt’s hips rubbing against his cock made Blaine moan again and shift his own hips.

Kurt replied with a groan of his own as Blaine’s hips rose, creating a perfect thrust with the side of his hips against his cock confined in his pyjama bottoms. Blaine ran his hands over the soft silk top Kurt was wearing, sliding them lower and lower until he reached bare skin. He slid both hands underneath Kurt’s top, feeling his body heat sizzle against his fingertips.

Kurt let go of his lips and neck for as long as it took to strip off the top. He laid it over the headboard on the far side of the bed but paid it no attention when it slipped off and fell to the floor. Blaine had also seized the opportunity to remove a layer and they returned to their fiery kissing like starving men finding food, both moaning at the feel of their bare chests coming together.

Kurt had one hand curled around the back of Blaine’s neck and one hand in between their bodies resting on his chest. Both thumbs were moving and from the two points that were being stroked oh so lightly, Blaine was shivering with delightful arousal and shifting his hips that tiny amount, making Kurt shift his hips in return to build the friction and the tension.

“Oh G-d, take these off.” Blaine said after particularly forceful thrust had his throwing his head back, making Kurt tug at his hair forcefully. One of his hands had slipped under Kurt’s pants, massaging one of his cheeks and he traced a finger down from the top of his crack until it hovered over Kurt hole.

Kurt’s only reply was a moan and then they were both scrambling to get their pyjama bottoms off their legs and their hands back on each other. In the scurried movements, Blaine sat up and flipped them over when Kurt had pulled the pants from where they had caught on his foot. Blaine settled in between Kurt’s open legs and braced himself on his hands, their combined laughter turned into a groan when the movements aligned their cocks and rubbed them together. Blaine grinned seductively down at the man between his arms and reached down to take hold of Kurt’s cock, squeezing and tugging in the way he knew Kurt loved. After a moment, Kurt threw his head against the pillows and dug into Blaine’s shoulders with his nails, scraping one hand down his back until he was grasping Blaine’s bum.

They moved against each other, too hot skin sliding together, Kurt’s hips thrusting up to slide his cock through Blaine’s hand and Blaine returning each thrust with one of his own. Kurt’s quiet moans were loud in Blaine’s ear and every so often, he’d lick from over the shell of Blaine’s ear which sent shivers down his spine.

Without thinking, Blaine reached out for the lube tucked away in a drawer. He took his face away from where he’d been alternating between pressing his lips to Kurt’s neck and giving him tiny kitten licks to look and Kurt seized the opportunity to attach his lips to Blaine’s neck instead.

“Blaine, hurry up with the lube.” He ordered, his voice lust filled. Blaine’s eyes slid shut and he couldn’t help a perfectly angled thrust down against Kurt’s cock still held in his fist. He could listen to Kurt’s voice low and husky like that for hours, getting off so many times of his soul mate’s voice alone.

He picked up a condom from the permanently open packet of condoms when he brought the lube out of the drawer, that he left open as usual. They’d fucked bareback before over the year they’d been together but the mess was far too much to deal with this early in the morning. Neither had properly woken yet, following their cocks’ advice to fuck as soon as they woke.

Blaine slid down the bed, never stopped his hand’s slow movements on Kurt’s cock. Long than his own but thinner, Blaine loved holding Kurt in his hand and the heavy weight in his mouth. Though he’d never admit it out loud, Kurt loved it when Blaine would slowly jerk him off, teasing other sensual points like his neck or inner thighs until Kurt was panting and begging for release.

Blaine took his hand off Kurt’s cock for as long as he needed to squeeze lube over his hands, rubbing them together and then quickly returning to what he’d been doing, squeezing the base of Kurt’s cock ever so slightly before tugging once more, the movements so much more fluid that both of them moaned at the feel. With his other hand, he ran a finger around Kurt’s balls, down his perineum to press against his quivering hole.

He lay his tongue flat over one of Kurt’s hard nipples and felt Kurt’s chest rise as he drew in a deep breath. Blaine gently pressed one lubed finger slowly inside Kurt, moving it in tiny circles and twisting his other hand just below the head of Kurt’s rock had cock.

“G-d Blaine, you need to go faster than that.” Kurt’s voice croaked as he spoke and he scraped his nails down Blaine’s back again. The sharp pain sent a shiver straight to Blaine’s cock, hard nails against his too hot skin making him pant. “I’m not going to last that long at this rate.”

The only reply Blaine gave was a fierce kiss to Kurt’s open lips that left them both panting and a hard tug at Kurt’s cock before squeezing at the base again. “You’d better.” He whispered against Kurt’s lips.

But he did move faster, moving his finger in and out of Kurt until he saw in Kurt’s face that he was comfortable and then inserting a second finger. The slide of his hand against Kurt’s cock was made even smoother from the precome leaking out and Blaine’s thumb rubbing over the slit to collect as much as he could. He pressed his lips to Kurt’s burning skin and twisted his fingers inside Kurt, flipped them over quickly at the same time that he twisted his hand underneath the head again.

“Oh g-d, Blaine!” Kurt cried out, grabbing Blaine’s shoulder again, his grip strong. Blaine repeated both movements and Kurt’s echoed his cry. “G-d, Blaine, please. Faster, please.”

Every word Kurt spoke went straight to Blaine’s cock and he rocked his hips, undulating against the soft covers to gain some sort of friction. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer, tension had been high from so soon after Kurt had kissed him to passionately when he’d woken and every noise and movement of Kurt’s long, lithe body only added to the growing tightness in his abdomen. He added a third finger, moving all three together and opening them gently to stretch Kurt out further. Blaine added his little finger because he could but Kurt grasped his shoulder again.

“Now,” He moaned, “nownownow.”

Blaine sat up and Kurt spread his legs further, completely surrounding Blaine’s body as he settled himself there. He slowly slid his fingers out of Kurt, letting Kurt’s cock go to an almost annoyed groan from Kurt. He tore open the condom with slippery hands but Kurt’s long fingers took it out of his hands and he sat up to roll it over Blaine’s hard and aching length. Kurt looked up at Blaine from beneath his lashes, a lustful smile on his face as he blindly found the tube of lube and poured enough to coat Blaine’s cock.

Wiping his hands against the top of the covers, Blaine hooked one finger underneath Kurt’s chin and tipped his face up until they could press their lips together in a passionate but sensual kiss. Kurt lay back and wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck, pulling Blaine down with him. Blaine dutifully followed Kurt’s example and felt out for Kurt’s legs blindly, lips sliding over each other in perfect rhythm.

He slid one hand under Kurt’s knee and brought a long, thin leg up and over his shoulder. With his other hand, he held his cock at the base of the condom and lined it up with Kurt’s stretched and waiting hole. In one smooth movement he pushed in, spearing Kurt on his cock entirely. They both moaned into each other’s mouths, Kurt moving his hips against Blaine’s to get Blaine as deep as he could go.

G-d, Kurt was so tight, so hot, that Blaine had to stop moving for a moment to settle himself. He could lose his mind every time he was inside Kurt, so perfect, so tight around his cock. His hips were still but Kurt was undulating sensually against him, bucking his hips in tiny movements and gasping against Blaine’s mouth. They weren’t kissing anymore, just had their lips touching and open as if air was a hard thing to get.

Blaine opened his eyes and grasped at Kurt’s leg tighter, thrusting out and then into Kurt’s body in a strong movement that had Kurt moaning his name loudly, driving Blaine crazy with the low register of his lust-filled voice. He thrust his hips harder, driving into Kurt without pause and moved a hand down Kurt’s damp chest to pinch his nipples.

Kurt cried out again, whimpering when Blaine sped up the movement of his hips, Kurt’s cock leaking precome and sliding smoothly against their stomachs. Kurt’s eyes opened and Blaine’s breath caught in his throat. His soul mate’s blue eyes were filled with lust and love, pupils wide and eyelids fluttering to veil his eyes so seductively. G-d, he was beautiful. There was nothing Blaine didn’t want to do with Kurt; he’d kissed every part of him, touched every part of him and he’d do it all over again every day.

As Blaine fucked Kurt harder and faster, the moans and whimpers he was making grew in noise and sent sparks of arousal down Blaine’s spine, tightening the tension in his abdomen and making him move his hips even faster. Kurt was slowly tightening around him and had grabbed Blaine’s hand, pulling it off the bed and directed it to his cock still pressed between their stomachs. Taking the hint, Blaine took hold of Kurt’s neglected cock and tugged hard, timing it so each movement of his hand was alternating with a thrust of his hips.

“Oh g-d Blaine, so close, so close,” he said in between moans and Blaine sped up his movements, tightening his hand ever so slightly and pressing his thumb against the prominent vein on the underside of Kurt’s cock.

Kurt gasped out Blaine’s name then came, spurting over Blaine’s hand and their stomachs and panting against Blaine’s mouth. The feel of Kurt tightening around his cock, the look of his beautiful face and Blaine was gone, coming with a ragged moan and pushing into Kurt’s body with one last thrust.

Senses in overdrive, Kurt wrapped around him perfectly, Blaine all but collapsed onto Kurt. He let Kurt’s leg drop and it slowly slid down to flop onto the bed. Their lips were still touching and Kurt, who recovered from his afterglow first, pressed sensual kisses first Blaine’s top lip, then Blaine’s bottom lip until they were moving in perfect rhythm again. Kurt released his grip on Blaine’s shoulder to cup his soul mate’s face instead, sliding his fingers into Blaine’s sweat-tangled curls to hold their lips together. Even while they kissed, Blaine reached down to hold the base of the condom and slowly, carefully, slid out of Kurt. The movement made Kurt’s hips jump from sensitivity and they broke their kiss to laugh, panting into each other’s mouths.

“That’s the best kind of wake up.” Kurt muttered against Blaine’s lips. They were both breathing heavily and could have easily slotted against each other and fallen back asleep, comfortable in their soul mate’s arms.

They didn’t fall back to sleep and Blaine carefully pushed himself off Kurt’s body, moving to rest on his knees as he took off the condom and tied it, leaning over to throw into a nearby bin. He turned back to Kurt and his breath caught in his throat. Kurt was lying casually on the bed, eyes hooded, legs and arms spread, hair messed from the sex, lips red and swollen and oh so kissable. He was so beautiful, so perfect.

“You are so beautiful.” Blaine whispered with a smile. Kurt immediately blushed and laughed bashfully. He shook his head and Blaine, who had anticipated the disagreement, repeated what he said emphatically. “You are. Just because your hair isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you aren’t beautiful.”

Kurt laughed again and pushed his body up on his elbows. “You do know the right things to say.” Blaine gave a self-satisfied smile and Kurt couldn’t resist pushing himself up fully to wrap one arm around Blaine’s neck and find his lips again.

“Come on, we have to shower. And then I’m not leaving the bed a mess like this.” Kurt said when they broke their kiss. He manoeuvred off the bed, struggling to get his legs together without hitting Blaine, who laughed appreciatively but followed his soul mate into the bathroom to shower together.

--

For the few runway shows Blaine had been to since he’d met Kurt, he’d always been front of the house. Sitting in the seats while he waited for the models to strut down the runway and show off their garments. Mingling with the other fashion elite while he talked politely to people so that he didn’t show Kurt up.

But now, he was stood backstage and he was watching the pandemonium take place. Models were being shoved into clothes and having their hair styled every time they turned around. Assistances would be running from one side of the backstage area to the other, carrying thread and needles just in case and bringing bottles of water to gasping models as they were pushed and pulled into place. Kurt was everywhere. He was shouting at this model to straighten his tie and that assistant to fit the sweater more carefully on the model they were working with.

Blaine was standing in the corner, his hands in his pockets and his eyes wide as he took the scene. He had no real reason to be back here. This was Kurt’s work, Kurt’s runway showcasing his long awaited b.a. line. Kurt’s family was here as well as Cooper and Blaine could be out with them, front of house and away from all this madness.

But the only other time he saw Kurt completely in his element was when he was sewing a new outfit for some event that they had to attend. Seeing him now, ordering people to look their best and striding through the horde of people to get the exact bow tie he wanted for one specific model, was seeing Kurt at his best.

Blaine walked closer to the entrance to the runway. Kurt hadn’t done anything fancy with this: he’d said that a busy runway would deter from the clothes and he wasn’t inviting hundreds of people to judge him on the state of the runway and ignore his designs. It was white and lit from above, with big white temporary walls separating the seats from the public. On the back wall where the models would enter from, the word ‘b.a.’ was written in silver ink in Blaine’s own handwriting.

Sticking his head round one of the walls, he saw that the room beyond the backstage area was full of people milling around, drinks in their hands and smiles on their faces. Delight filled him. He always wanted his soul mate to do well so seeing the room packed with people was really heartening.

Over the past year, they had gotten a lot of flak for the way their relationship had been revealed to the media. Many had complained that they had tried to keep it a secret but every time Kurt had said that it was nobody’s business but theirs. There had also been so much speculation about Kurt’s third line ever since he’d announced its name nearly eight months ago.

And Kurt had pushed until it had been finished and ready to be showcased on today’s exact date. March 15th, exactly a year since he and Blaine connected in the office of Kurt’s store.

“What do you think?” Kurt asked, taking a moment out from his manic schedule to peer around the wall between the runway and the backstage area with Blaine. He quickly took in the crowd then pulled his head back behind the separation.

“I think it’s amazing, Kurt.” Blaine said. He took Kurt’s hands in his own, ignoring an untied bow tie draped between the fingers of his left hand. “This whole thing is amazing.”

Kurt tugged at their hands which forced Blaine to stumble closer until they were just shy of nose to nose. Taking advantage of the proximity, Kurt pressed his lips against Blaine’s. Both of their eyes slid shut and amidst the hustle and bustle of the backstage of the fashion show, they kissed for a few long moments.

“Kurt!” Tina sounded panicked and when they broke apart, both looked to see her dragging a model towards Kurt, a tear in his patterned shirt. The colour drained from Kurt’s face and he strode over confidently to examine the damage.

Blaine stood back and watched Kurt work his magic. He literally grabbed the arm of a young intern who had been spiking up one model’s hair from where it had fallen a little flat and pushed her towards the racks where other shirts were held. She ran off and returned with a different patterned shirt. Kurt stripped the model and forced him into the second shirt, pulling the perfect tie from a box placed just by the runway entrance for this exact emergency. The whole outfit was changed in less than a minute and when Kurt finally pronounced him fixed, a few people who had been watching clapped. Blaine included.

“You’re magical you know that.” Blaine laced his fingers through Kurt’s once more when his soul mate finally stopped moving for a moment. He was still staring at the model whose outfit had been instantly changed, like something was wrong with it.

“I think the shoes are still wrong.” He murmured. Kurt looked Blaine up and down, seeking inspiration and then a eureka moment hit. He let go of Blaine’s hand and rushed off then turned right around to peck another kiss on Blaine’s lips.

“If I don’t see you until after the show,” he said, speaking very quickly, “then I hope you enjoy it.”

“Good luck.” Blaine couldn’t resist another kiss and with that, Kurt sped away, stopping only to pick up dark blue boat shoes on the way to intercept that model.

On his way out of the backstage area, Blaine wished Jeff luck as well. It was strange seeing him decked up in couture clothes, especially as they looked like a far more expensive version of what Blaine would wear and nothing like Jeff wore on days that he wasn’t modelling. Jeff looked nothing like the man he knew now, which his hair half way to the sky and colourful bow tie positioned dead centre on his neck.

“Have fun out there.” He said with a wave, not moving his head too much because the hair stylist was spraying a third can of hairspray over his hair. Jeff sent Blaine a happy smile that made him look more like himself and gave Blaine a message to give Nick.

Blaine tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants while he slowly made his way out of the bustling backstage area towards the loud but comparatively serene front of house. He was hit by the noise of chatter and laughter when he rounded the wall partition but this was nothing like backstage. People were talking, laughing at stories, catching up, commenting on clothes and generally enjoying the evening. Soft music was playing in the background and Blaine smiled when he recognised the song.

Kurt had insisted on one thing from Blaine for this fashion show. That he sing his favourite songs and they play the tracks as the music for the evening. Blaine had jumped at the chance to actually record some music, even if it was just covering songs for his soul mate’s fashion show. They’d spent many a winter night picking the perfect selection and Blaine had insisted they sing together for one of the songs. That had been a Christmas song so Kurt had vetoed it playing over the show but their duet was on a CD that never seemed to leave the sound system in Kurt’s apartment.

“Blaine, why haven’t you told me before that you’ve been recording?” Cooper appeared out of nowhere to sling an arm around Blaine’s neck and dangle a glass of bucks fizz by the side of his face.

“It’s not really recording, just covering songs and just for this.” Blaine took the glass out of his brother’s hand even though it hadn’t been meant for him.

“It’s still impressive.” Cooper said emphatically, waving his other hand. “It could give you a start. Someone could hear, ask the right questions… You never know.”

Blaine fixed Cooper with a look that clearly said he thought his brother was reaching. Blaine had been enjoyed to be in a recording studio but he doubted it would lead to anything. He was happy singing for Kurt and for something Kurt wanted him to sing for. And yet, the fact that his brother had recognised that the music was him singing gave Blaine a very happy and proud feeling inside. His voice was good enough to be recognisable.

“Where’s Heather?” He asked, changing the topic instead of labouring the point.

Cooper pointed towards the runway and grappled for his repossessed drink. The two brothers struggled momentarily until a waiter walked close by with a new tray of champagne and Cooper snatched a fresh glass before the waiter left.

They made their way towards the runway, winding through important guests and other fashion personalities who looked curiously at these two brothers who were strangely out of place at this fashion show.

“How’s the show going?” Blaine asked as they walked, taking a sip from his stolen drink as he did so.

Cooper had indeed landed one of his roles that he’d boasted to Blaine last year was a certainty. It hadn’t been as regular as Cooper had made it out to be, but it was still a role on a TV show. Blaine and Kurt had curled up together in each other’s arms with plate of cookies to watch the first episode Cooper had stared in. It wasn’t something either would choose to watch under any other circumstance that Blaine’s brother had a small role in it.

“Um, ok.” Cooper said, glancing to the side in an uncomfortable way. “They told me they are writing me out in the next season. I get to have a really dramatic death sequence though-” He said quickly when Blaine turned to him, shock written all over his face, “-so I can use that to try and get a new role quickly. It’s going to be an epic episode, my death.”

What can you say to that? Blaine could only hug his brother with the one arm he’d slung around Cooper’s back and watch him as Cooper’s face dropped out of his perpetually happy expression to show his disappointment.

But then he snapped back and said: “I still get next season, and I can now drop in that my little brother’s soul mate is famous so other directors had better hire me. Hey,” it was almost like a light bulb had turned on over Cooper’s head and Blaine steeled himself for whatever was coming, “Kurt doesn’t need someone to do a commercial about his stores does he? I know that Nick’s soul mate is the face of his new line but I won’t mind being the face of his older lines or his store.”

Blaine couldn’t help but laugh and hugged his brother again, this time out of affection rather than for comfort. They had reached the seating area by this point and had to separate to walk behind each other in the narrow aisle. Kurt sat set aside most of the front row for the ‘very very important people’ as he’d said when organising the seating plan for the evening.

Sugar and Jennifer were already seated in the section for family and friends, having bugged Blaine and Kurt, when they’d been introduced, for tickets to tonight’s event for weeks now. Kurt’s family were also there, of course, with an extra chair hurriedly squeezed in when Finn announced at Christmas that he’d found his Laura. Kurt’s immediately reaction, after the joy for his brother, was to whisper to Blaine that he dreaded giving the news to Rachel. She had reacted predictably badly, upset that Finn had found his soul mate before she had and that their perpetual on-again-off-again romance was now over for good. She was sitting with Mike and a few of Kurt’s other old friends staring at Finn and Laura with a small sad smile on her face.

Heather was standing with Burt and Carole, talking amicably about life in LA with a budding actor. She’d worn a dress from Kurt’s online collection, confessing proudly that she felt she just had to wear something of the great designer to his fashion show. Only when she’d walked into the event and seen the other people who’d been invited, and what they were wearing, she’d balked and had hidden herself with the other family members, worried that she looked far too casual for the evening.

Although, like Blaine had told his brother’s soul mate, the clothes on the runway were of the smart-casual variety so you couldn’t really look too casual at a runway show like this.

Burt clapped his arm around Blaine’s shoulders when he and Cooper finally joined them, smiling down at his son’s soul mate, his son-in-law in all but name. The arm heavy on his shoulders, that smile Burt gave just for Blaine; it was all so fatherly and so natural. Over the year since he and Kurt had connected, even less time than that since Blaine first met Kurt’s father, he had really been accepted as part of the Hummel-Hudson family without question. Christmas time had been the biggest indication of familial status: where Kurt and Blaine had turned up late because of a delayed flight and a stop in Westerville first but Carole and Burt hadn’t started the meal because they knew the boys were coming. Then Burt had joked loudly that the greetings were taking too long and Finn, who’d stopped by and chose that night to give the announcement about his soul mate, would likely eat the whole meal for them.

It had been comfortable and so unlike the more formal ‘dinner at seven or you miss it’ attitude that was so often adopted in the Anderson home.

Blaine’s parents had been invited to the evening and were sat in their seats already, looking mildly uncomfortable as Rachel used them to babble at while she avoided watching Finn and Laura. Cooper had kissed Heather briefly on the cheek, not wanting to interrupt her conversation, and then went to rescue his mum and dad.

“Kurt told me he had you singing, bud, and you sound really good.” Burt said to Blaine as conversations continued around them. It was just as good as getting a compliment from his father. Better perhaps, because this was a man Blaine still tried to impress with every second he was in Burt’s company.

“Thanks.” Blaine mumbled, tugging at the hem of his one of a kind, hand stitched by Kurt cardigan. They looked over the runway and to the backstage area where both Burt and Blaine knew Kurt was still running around making sure every last thing was perfect.

“He’s worked so hard at this for months now.” Blaine commented. The song had changed to one of Blaine’s favourites and one that Kurt had rolled his eyes exaggeratedly at. It had also sparked the on-going discussion on whether Katy Perry or Lady Gaga was the better artist. “I’m so proud of what he’s done.”

“So am I.” Burt was nodding his head even as he looked at the blank white walls separating him from his son. “Every time he does something like this, he tops it by the next time.”

Before Blaine could reply, the lights dimmed and a voice spoke over Blaine’s rendition of Last Friday Night, asking if everybody could take their seats as the show was about to begin. Those in the friends and family section looked excitedly at each other before settling down, Rachel shooting another upset look to where Finn was sat. When Kurt had told Blaine the Rachel-Finn saga, he hadn’t truly appreciated the drama. Not until he’d seen them together for the first time at Kurt’s birthday last year. Now he shook his head in fond amusement and sat in his seat next to Burt.

Nick slid into the seat on Blaine’s other side with a glass of sparkling wine in his hand. He nudged Blaine with his elbow and leant over to speak quietly in his ear. “I like the songs. You sound horrendously like Katy Perry.”

“Thanks, I think.” Nick’s backhanded compliment addressed, Blaine remembered Jeff’s request. “Oh and Jeff gave me a message for you.” Blaine then leant forward and pressed a quick peck to Nick’s cheek. The sheer outrage on his friend’s face made Blaine, and those around them who had seen, laugh.

“Nothing like Jeff.” Blaine heard Nick mutter as he settled more comfortably in his seat and turned to face the runway.

The lights dimmed and the runway was lit up from lights on the ceiling. The smile that found its way on Blaine’s face was large, joyous and infectious. The last notes of Last Friday Night were played and then a pregnant pause in the music, during which time everyone in the audience waited on bated breath.

Kurt’s friend Mercedes, beautiful, outgoing and still aspiring singer, stepped out onto the runway to thunderous applause. Her soul mate Sam, sitting with Rachel and Mike, blew her a kiss which made everyone who saw smile. Blaine had heard her sing, saw her in the background of the music videos and agreed with Kurt’s belief that it was beyond time that she have her light shine brightly. And Kurt’s hadn’t thought twice when asking his friend to be hostess for the evening.

“Welcome everyone.” She said into the microphone set up on a tiny podium to the right side of the runway. Blaine knew that there were notes, written and rewritten on what she should say about each piece that evening, left on the podium. The audience fell silent, curious about what was coming next.

“I’ve known Kurt for a long time and it’s an honour to be here introducing his newest collection to you.” Mercedes said, a genuine smile on her face. “So without further ado; I present b.a. by Kurt Hummel.”

Blaine looked up at where he knew a speaker was position and counted down from 3 in his head. When he hit zero, the opening notes of Teenage Dream filled the room and the applause started up again. Blaine’s breath hitched as he saw Jeff step out onto the runway, one hand in the pocket of his long pants, woollen cardigan folded perfectly around the bowtie Blaine had watched Kurt make.

He felt Nick’s hand squeeze Blaine’s wrist as Jeff strutted confidently down the runway and paused at the end for pictures, the lights of the cameras illuminating every angle of the clothes Jeff was modelling. Mercedes’ voice was audible over the applause, the cameras and the music but Blaine tuned out her words, having sat on the couch next to her and Kurt as they planned exactly what she would say.

Blaine watched with an awestruck expression on his face, his wide grin never dropping for a second of the runway show. Nick’s grip on his wrist tightened when Jeff came out for a second and third time, his final outfit so similar to the very suit Blaine had worn when he and Kurt had attended the Marie Claire event and confirmed that they were each other’s soul mates.

So much had changed over the year. A year ago, they were both still wondering and looking, still reading the gossip column as Kurt was preliminarily linked to anyone and shouted to at store openings that his soul mate was a woman. Blaine hadn’t gotten used to having photographs taken when he stood in a coffee shop but he and Nick couldn’t avoid the press very often. He still had no real idea what he was planning for the rest of his life so Blaine was going to carry on studying: to the outrage of Finn, who thought that studying even to postpone finding a job was ludicrous. Blaine only knew one thing for certain: that he’d be with the perfect man standing just behind the wall next to the entrance to the runway.

After Jeff had finished his final walk with his third outfit, he led the procession of models to the cheers of the crowd. Over the next few weeks, Blaine would collect any article or webpage about this fashion show and make a scrap book to keep a record of all the glowing reviews of Kurt’s third line. But for now, he was still smiling to a point that his face was beginning to ache as he watched the procession and the professional photographers took as many photos as they could for the final pieces.

Then the applause turned into an ovation as Kurt stepped out onto the runway. His knee high, laced boots were eye catching and his footsteps were heard on the runway even over the cheering. He hugged Jeff, who stood next to the entrance, the rest of the models lined up down one side of the runway, and then hugged Mercedes before taking the microphone from her podium.

He walked down the runway until he stood half way along it, close to where Blaine was standing, staring up at him with rapture and love shining all over his face. Kurt raised the microphone to his lips, a bashful smile on his face when he saw the applause took a moment to die down before he could speak and be heard.

“G-d, thank you so much for coming out tonight and seeing my new collection.” His voice shook with emotion from the overwhelming support he’d been given that evening. He paused while the audience clapped his thank you. “And thanks to my good friend Mercedes for hosting the evening. But mostly, I wanted to say that this whole collection was inspired by and dedicated to my soul mate Blaine. I started designing this before I even met him, so I guess what they say is true: soul mates are truly each other’s perfect match.”

Kurt blew a small kiss to where Blaine was stood, cameras flashing wildly and capturing every moment to print later for fans to sigh in delight and romance over. Blaine winked and blew a kiss of his own. He never felt more perfect than he did with Kurt. Even standing apart with a runway stage in between them, he felt at home. They both did.

They’d handle whatever the future threw at them. They were each other’s perfect match: not even fate could argue with that.

In tarot, an upright ace of cups represents passion. It signifies creativity, compassion, overwhelming emotion. And most importantly love. When someone draws the ace of cups for what is happening in their present, it shows they’ve found the one. If anyone had looked in the future of Kurt and Blaine on the day they met a year ago, they would have pulled out the ace of cups and smiled. Most soul mates would have the ace of cups somewhere in their future. Kurt and Blaine were no exception: passion, creativity, emotion, opportunity for total fulfilment. The ace of cups would describe their relationship without flaw, without mistake and to perfection.

The ace of cups is the true love card and it has Kurt and Blaine’s names written all over it.