Kurt was in his room putting post it notes on all of his things. Pink meant it was going with him, yellow meant he was still deciding and blue meant it stayed behind. It was just a couple of months before he left for New York and it was all he could really think about. He didnt even pay attention when Finn came home slamming the front door behind him and stomping into the house. Finn was always that loud.

"Kurt!" Finned yelled up the stairs and Kurt rolled his eyes. Why couldnt he just come up here instead of yelling through the house?

"Kurt come downstairs quick!" Kurt was about to snap at him, but Finns voice sounded... off. Sure he was often loud, but right now he sounded tense too. Maybe something was wrong.

Kurt left his room and walked down the stairs to find Finn pacing the kitchen.

"Whats happening?" Kurt asked when he saw Finns face, brows drown with worry. "Whats wrong?"

In answer Finn he held up a bright blue envelope, "This came in the mail.

"Oh god." Kurt said staring at the envelope. "You… you got your Lifemate letter?"

Kurt swallowed deeply, Finn was dating Rachel, at least until she left for New York. They knew their relationship couldnt last, but Kurt had never thought that Finn's letter would come so soon and that would be what broke them up.

"No." Finn said and shook his head handing the letter to Kurt. "It's not mine. Its addressed to you."

Kurt stood still for a moment holding his breath as the words sunk in. Then he slowly reached out for the letter, like it was a timid animal that would be scared away if he moved to fast. He held it in his hands and sat down at the kitchen table.

He just looked at the bright blue of the envelope for a long time, thoughts swirling. He ran his fingertip over the top of the envelope and down the side, feeling the edges of the paper. His fingers smoothed over the front touching the raised bumps of the embossed Lifemate Lottery seal. This was it, this was the letter that would forever change his life and he couldnt make himself open it.

This morning when he woke up his mind was full of New York, NYADA, his packing list and how to broach the idea of a roommate contract with Rachel. Now none of that mattered. He wouldnt be going to New York City, not this year at least.

Unless you are under 18 once you receive your Lifemate letter you have a month to marry and then for the first year you and your Lifemate arent allowed to move. You stay in the area in which you both live. Its a rule set up to encouraging bonding and to limit the big life changes you go through at one time.

It meant Kurt would be in Ohio for at least another year.

It wasnt that he minded getting his letter, unlike many people Kurt had been looking forward to this for a long time. He had more faith in the system than most did. Hed seen it work, twice.

Before Kurt had been born Burt Hummel and Elizabeth Savoy had been paired as Lifemates. His mom and dad started as friends, but then grew to love each other deeply. Not long after their marriage little Kurt came along

Their happily ever after didnt last long enough though, when Kurt was only eight his mom passed away from cancer. Burts name was submitted back into the Lifemate Lottery, but those going in a second time didnt often get chosen.

It worked like this: Your name was put in at the age of seventeen, but was most likely to be drawn between the ages of 19 and 24 because your name would be in the lottery multiple times in that age range. After 30 if your name had never been called it probably never would be because it was only left in once.

People whose name was in the lottery for a second time got a handful of entries, more that the singles over 30, because many of the second timers had kids and the government wanted them to have a chance of a rematch, but far less than the 19 - 24 age range.

When Kurt was 16, his dad beat the odds and was paired again, with a widow named Carol Hudson. Carol and her son Finn, who Kurt knew from school, moved in and they quickly became a family.

Kurt watched as Burt and Carol hit it off as friends right away and wasnt really surprised when he came downstairs one day a few months after theyd been married to find them making-out in the kitchen. Mortified, scarred for life, but not surprised.

So while many around him doubted the system Kurt secretly couldnt wait to be paired, to find the kind of love hes seen others find. There werent many out and proud gay teenagers in Lima, Ohio and for Kurt the Lottery meant that despite the prejudices that still lingered, he had the chance to find someone to love.

The only hang-up about getting his letter now was that he was meant to leave for New York in a couple of months with his best friend Rachel Berry. He had hoped hed be matched a few years after moving, marry some New Yorker and live there together.

The timing was definitely off, and Kurt was disappointed about NAYDA, but mostly he couldnt help the excited butterflies in his stomach at the thought of holding his Lifemates name in his hand.

Finn walked up to him and kicked his boot lightly to get his attention. "Uh… Kurt?"

Kurt broke out of his reverie. "Dont scuff my boot." He said not looking up from the letter.

"Are you going to open it?"

"Of course I am." Kurt said looking a little pale and still not moving.

Finn sat down at the table across from him and they sat in silence for a moment. Kurt didnt open it.

"Worried about what it will say?" Finn asked.

There was always a chance that just the name of the person could shatter all of Kurts dreams. Same sex pairings had been illegal until the 1980s when the government finally started to let peoples names be matched with any gender. When you registered at 17 you could mark your preference, but that didnt mean much.

The only other out person Kurt had known in High School was Santana Lopez. She was matched early at only 17 years old, meaning she got to wait a year to get married. It didnt matter though because despite marking a preference for females she was matched with Mark McDaniels of Dayton, Ohio

It had come as a sharp blow not only to Santana but all of her friends as well. It had shook Kurt to the core because he had always counted on falling in love with his Lifemate. Though he might grow to love a female he was matched with he knew he could never love her the way he wanted.

It was one of the reasons he kept running his fingers over the letter instead of opening it.

"I mean I get why youre worried." Finn said. "It could be a girl, but it might not be.

Kurt nodded. "It might not be."

"It could be some old, creepy guy or something.'

Kurts eyes shot up from the letter to glare at Finn. "Are you trying to make me more nervous?

"What? No! It was a joke. Im trying to lighten the mood."

"It isnt working.”

"I could open it for you." Finn offered.

Kurt held the letter up to the light and sighed. "Im going to wait for dad to get home. Ill open it then.”

Finn nodded and got up from the table and Kurt assumed that he would go upstairs and play video games or something, but instead he grabbed a bowl and poured himself some cereal and sat back at the table with Kurt.

"Dinner is in an hour or so." Kurt said.

Finn nodded and spoke through a mouth full of frosted flakes "hank oodness."

Kurt smiled a little and shook his head, he wouldnt say it out loud but he was glad that Finn was waiting with him, he was so nervous he thought hed vibrate out of his skin if left alone.

Just then Kurt heard his dads truck pull up and a door shut. His dad walked in the house and Kurt listened as he kicked off his shoes at the front door.

"Dad!" Kurt called from the kitchen and Burt made his way in.

"Hey guys." He said. "What you up to-" He stopped mid-sentence and looked at the bright blue envelope in Kurts hands.

"Is that..."

Kurt held it up for his dad to see. "Its my Lifemate letter."

Burt slumped down in the chair next to Kurt looking stunned. "But youre only 19."

Kurt shrugged. "Thats pretty common."

Burt glanced at the letter and back to Kurts face trying to read him; he then rubbed a hand down his face.

"NAYDA." Was all Burt said.

Kurt shrugged again trying to pretend it wasnt a big deal, and then pushed back the tears that threatened his voice. "Its okay. I can delay NYADA."

"Rachel is going to have a meltdown." Finn added.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Shell get over it." He looked back down at the letter and took a deep breath. "I guess I should open it. I was waiting for you.

His dad reached over and put his hand over Kurts. "Well, Im here now."

Kurt still didnt move.

"It isnt like I dont want to know, Its the opposite, I just want this to work so much and… this is it Dad. Ive been waiting since I was six and mom told me about how you two were paired… I just…" Kurt swiped his fingers under his eyes to catch his nervous tears before they fell.

"Do you want me to open it bud?" His dad asked kindly echoing Finns earlier offer.

"No." Kurt shook his head and reached for the letter tearing it open with shaking hands. It would be like ripping off a band-aid, just do it fast. He started to read out loud.

"Kurt Hummel. Congratulations your name has been drawn from the Lifemate Lottery."

Kurt cleared his throat and continued reading.

"Since you are of legal age you have until August 10th, a month from the sending of this letter to wed your attended Lifemate…"

Kurt scanned the letter skipping over all the legal jargon and mandates until he got to the part he wanted.

"Your Lifemate has also received a letter. You have an appointment at 10:00am on July 14th at Lifemate Center #2871 to meet your chosen mate, Cooper Andrew Anderson, Lifemate number AC7H027 born 2/16/1983 currently residing in Westerville, Ohio."

Kurt had to stop as his voice ran out. He blinked down at the letter. Cooper Anderson, Cooper Andrew Anderson was his Lifemate. Kurt closed his eyes leaned his forehead into his hand. "Oh thank god, its a guy.”

He heard his dad grunt and Kurt opened his eyes to look over at him, he didnt seem happy.

"Dad, its a guy. This is good. It means there is a chance we could work out. We could be like you and mom or you and Carol ."

"1983?" His dad said in a gruff voice. "Hes 10 years older than you Kurt.

Kurt glanced back at the letter. Cooper Anderson of Westerville Ohio was ten years older than him. Kurt blushed a little and shook his head; hed always had a little thing for older guys.

"Thats not so bad." Kurt said.

His dad didnt look convinced.

"Twenty-Nine years is a long time to be single." Burt said. "He probably hasnt been just…waiting." His dad said significantly.

Kurt bunched up his eyebrows not understanding and glanced over to Finn who seemed equally confused as he shrugged.

"I mean this guy is probably experienced…" His dad continued. "Sexually."

Kurts face flushed crimson and Finn stood up from the table.

" Im going to go call mom and tell her whats happened." He said and all but ran from the room.

"I think its time we had the talk Kurt." Burt said folding his hands on the tabletop.

"Dad! No!" Kurt said horrified. "I know… how things… work." Kurt could feel his ears burning he was blushing so hard.

His dad wouldnt be derailed though and Kurt had to sit through one of the most embarrassing conversations of his life. He knew it was only because his dad cared though.

"Youll be married, but that doesnt mean you have to do anything you dont want to do." Burt finished. "Don't move faster than you are ready for. Just remember you matter Kurt."

Kurt nodded glad it was over, he felt like melting into the chair with embarrassment but at the same time he knew how much his dad cared about him. He got up from the table and gave his dad a big hug.

Carol brought home take-out and a cake to celebrate and they had a big dinner as a family. They were all a little nervous, but pushed that side. There was nothing that could be done about it now, it was set in stone. So they celebrated and enjoyed being a family together knowing that the day after tomorrow Kurt would meet the man hed spend the rest of his life with.

Later that night Kurt called Rachel and gave her the news, and listened to her cry about how unfair it was that Kurt had to give up his dreams. He didnt mention that having a Lifemate had also always been one of his dreams. Once he got off the phone with Rachel he climbed in to bed. He picked the letter up from where hed placed it on his night stand and ran a finger over his Lifemates name.

"Cooper Andrew Anderson." Kurt said out loud and then closed his eyes trying to picture what a Cooper Andrew Anderson would look like. He couldnt even imagine.

"Cooper." He whispered and then switched of his light and curling up under the covers and keeping his letter in his hand. He was disappointed about NYADA, but he couldnt help but be full of excitement as well. He was going to have a Lifemate, and be someones Lifemate. They would be a team that met whatever the world had to throw at them together. As soon as he met Cooper everything was going to change and Kurt couldnt help finally drifting off to sleep with a little smile on his face.