Things had been a little tense since the inspection to say the least. Blaine had gone back upstairs to find a worried Kurt and pleased Cooper.

"We did good, Blaine," Copper informed him with a hand on his shoulder. "We were just comparing notes since they split the two of us up, and we answered their questions the same way. Though I didnt know how Kurt took his coffee, but Im just no good with that kind of stuff."

"Non-fat mocha," Blaine said and joined Kurt where he was sitting hunched up on the couch.

"They didnt find anything incriminating around the apartment," Kurt said and started to relax as Blaine rubbed a hand up and down his back.

“They came and talked to me.” 

Kurt's head snapped towards Blaine. “They… did?”

Blaine nodded and took a breath. "She asked me flat out if I was in love with you, Kurt."

Kurt blinked at him for a moment and then slumped down further on the couch looking a little ill. "They know," he said, his voice uneven.

"No." Blaine shook his head. "They suspect; we just… we cant give them any proof."

Cooper ran his hands down his face. "Should I move up here for a little while do you think?" He asked looking back and forth between Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt was silent and Blaine answered for both of them. "Probably."

Kurt looked up at Blaine, "Wait, does that mean you are going to live downstairs?"

"Just until this blows over."

"Blaine."

"Kurt. We dont know if theyre keeping an eye on us right now."

"Blaine." Kurt repeated, scooting closer and looking him in the face. "I dont know how much time I have with you… I…” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “You arent leaving our apartment."

Blaines heart sank. "Kurt, if this goes bad it is going to be the worst for you." He slid a hand up Kurts arm to his neck. "I dont want anything to happen to you." His voice shook a little so he took a deep breath to steady himself. "Playing it safe could mean we get more time together because wed throw them off our track." He knew this was the best argument to win Kurt over. "Kurt, please."

Kurts eyes were watery and he leaned forward to place a kiss on Blaines lips before sighing. "Fine. Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, for now."

Blaine nodded and looked up to see that Cooper had left the room at some point to give them some privacy. "Ill just be downstairs. I can still come up for dinner. We can still meet for lunch. I mean, to them, we are friends and brothers-in-law;, if we just broke contact altogether, that would be suspicious in itself."

Kurts jaw tensed a little before he nodded. "Right."

That was that. Blaine moved the rest of his things downstairs and Cooper moved into the upstairs apartment with Kurt. It was far from ideal, but Blaine still spent most evenings with Kurt, even if Cooper was around for more of them than usual. And they still met for lunch, but things felt off.

He didnt even know how long they needed to keep up this charade. Hopefully not too long. Blaine missed waking up next to Kurt, being there when he got home from school, kissing him goodnight in their bed.

Kurt seemed worried and distracted over the next few days and Blaine tried his best not to show his own nerves around Kurt. Blaine had the feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that something was coming. He just needed to be ready for it.

Kurt was a mess. Every day he expected someone from the Lifemate Registry to come and arrest him or Cooper or Blaine or all of them. It was a constant ache in his shoulders and heavy feeling in his stomach. To make it worse, Blaine was living downstairs and though he still saw him every day and Cooper was good about giving them alone time when they were all together upstairs, it just wasnt the same. He needed Blaine now more than ever and Blaine felt so far away.

To distract himself from it all, Kurt was determined to get in touch with Santana, especially after the Lifemate Registry officials asked about her. Rachel hadnt had any contact with her recently, and even though Quinn had texted him about her a little while ago, she was no help either. Finally, Kurt did get in touch with Brittany, Santanas old girlfriend.

"Kurt!" She said over the phone, excited to hear from him. "My dolphin!"

Kurt smiled and shook his head, remembering how Brittany saw the world just a little differently than everyone else. Brittany chatted for a while, talking about everything from her cat to her new position in a dance crew in New York.

"Wait. Youre in New York now Britt?"

"Yes! I am. I like it here, it is so colorful and everyone is so nice and friendly."

Was she really talking about New Yorkers? "Uh yeah…" Kurt said. "Hey, we should get together sometime. What do you think?"

"Oh yes! And bring your beautiful dolphin with you. I saw you together on TV."

"Cooper?"

"Yes. Kurt, he is like a tall ice cream cone."

"Oh… right. He is," Kurt said, deciding that agreeing was easier than questioning her. "Ill bring him, Britt, and his brother if thats okay?"

"Is he a tall ice cream cone too?"

Kurt smiled. "Maybe a short ice cream cone."

"Well thats good too," She said excitedly, and they set a time and place to meet up. Kurt was only a little worried she would forget to show up.

Kurt, Cooper and Blaine ended up meeting Brittany at a tiny little bar that they would have never found if Brittany hadnt told them exactly where it was. She said it was a place where she and a lot of her dancer friends liked to hang out. When they got there, Brittany already had a table for them and was sipping a bright pink drink from a straw.

"Kurt!" She said, jumping up and waving him over. She gave him a big hug and then gave Cooper and Blaine hugs before Kurt even had a chance to introduce them.

They sat down together, and Brittany motioned to a waiter and gave him a big smile, and he came and took everyones orders. "I couldnt remember what time we said so Ive just been here since they opened." Brittany said.

"Oh Britt, you should have called."

Brittany chewed on her straw and shrugged. "It's okay, Lord Tubbington the Second and I needed some time apart. She has been very grumpy recently."

"Um… Whos Lord Tubbington?” Blaine asked, his brows furrowed, and Kurt just sat back and enjoyed other people getting a taste of Brittany.

"Oh, shes my cat. She isnt as grumpy as the original Lord Tubbington, but I think thats because she doesnt smoke."

"I… oh," Blaine said, and looked at Kurt for an explanation. Kurt just smirked and lifted an eyebrow at him.

Cooper smiled widely. "Mmmmm, cats smoking. Its a growing problem in America."

Brittany nodded solemnly. "I know."

They talked about little things for a while, Blaine started warming up to Brittany immediately, but it was Cooper who was the biggest surprise, joking with her and talking to her about odd things that Kurt couldnt keep up with. It was actually a little scary how well they got along.

After a while, Cooper got up to go to the restroom and Blaine offered to go get another round of drinks. Brittany leaned forward, her elbows on the table looking at Kurt seriously. "I thought Cooper was your dolphin," she said quietly.

"He is. I mean, hes my Lifemate."

"Oh," Brittany said and nodded like that cleared things up. "Just because he is your Lifemate doesnt mean he is your dolphin. I think Blaine might be your dolphin, you should think about it."

Kurt was too surprised to reply at first. Were they that obvious or was Brittany just really perceptive?

Blaine got back with their drinks and Brittany sat back again like nothing had happened, and then Cooper joined them as well. Kurt decided this was as good of a time as any to bring up Santana.

"Britt, have you kept up with Santana at all?"

"Oh yes," Brittany said. "We used to talk a lot. All the time. I met her Lifemate, Mark. He is nice, but not special like Santana. It made her sad."

Kurt knew that Santana had been unhappy in her match, but it didnt feel good to hear it. "Im sorry. I wish I would have stayed in touch with Santana better."

"Santana has been sad for a long time and you know when she is sad she gets angry. She didnt let her friends be friends for a while," Brittany said, but then she smiled. "I think she and Mark became friends though. He was always really nice to her and eventually she stopped yelling at him all the time."

"Thats good," Kurt said, his stomach twisting in sympathy; at least she'd had Brittany around.

"You said you used to talk to her?" Blaine asked. Kurt had filled him in on the weird question the Lifemate official had asked about Santana and he was as curious as Kurt was. "But not anymore?"

"Nope, not anymore." Brittany said, she didnt seem upset about it at all.

"Did you two fight?" Cooper asked and she shook her head vehemently.

"Oh no. Thats not it. Its just I cant talk to her now because she is missing."

Everyone at the table was silent for a minute and Brittany took another sip of her drink. "This tastes like a strawberry shortcake. Not the cake," she said. "You know those little strawberry shortcake dolls? It tastes the way they smelled. Its really good."

"Brittany what do you mean Santanas missing?"

"Oh, she ran away."

Kurt felt a little sick. "What? Why?"

"She didnt want the government to tell her what to do anymore. So she left. Shes okay though. They havent found her because they have some guy following me around. If they found her, they wouldnt think shed come here would they?"

Kurt shook his head. "Wait, who is following you?"

"Oh some Lifemate Registry government guy. Dont all look at once, but he is over there in the corner. Drinking the scotch and reading a book. They have a few different guys switch off and on. I call that one Harry, because he is mostly bald."

Kurt slowly glanced over, there was a bald guy reading in a corner booth.

"Are you sure hes following you?"

"Yup. Its okay though. Its funny."

"What if Santana does come here?" Blaine asked. "Is that something shed do?"

Brittany shrugged, completely unconcerned. "I dont know anything about where Santana is or what she might do next." She answered like it was a line shed said before and Kurt wondered if she knew more than she was letting on.

"The Lifemate Registry interviewed us the other day and they asked about Santana."

"See!" She said triumphantly. "They havent found her."

"Brittany, what Santana is doing is really dangerous," Cooper said.

"You only get one life you know," she replied, setting her glass down and folding her hands on the table top. "I think it is more dangerous to live it in a way that makes you unhappy." She glanced at Kurt and then Blaine and smiled. "I need to go," she said, standing. "I have an early rehearsal in the morning and I really need to talk to Lord Tubbington, I hate it when we go to bed mad at each other."

"Right. Okay," Kurt said, standing. "Hey, if you do hear from Santana or need any help… with anything. Let me know?"

Brittany gave him a hug. "Same for you. If you need help. And we should hang out now that we are all in New York."

"Id like that," Kurt said as they walked out of the bar and went their separate ways. Kurt motioned for Cooper and Blaine to wait as Brittany walked down the street to the subway. A few minutes later, "Harry" left the bar too and went in the same direction. He was following her. Oh god, what had Brittany and Santana gotten themselves into?

Kurt bit his lip and looked at Blaine, wishing they didnt have to go back to their building and then split up. He really needed some time with Blaine.

Cooper grabbed Blaines elbow suddenly. "Whoa, steady there, Squirt."

Blaine looked up at him in confusion.

"I think youve had a little too much to drink," Cooper told him.

Kurt looked back and forth between them; Blaine was perfectly sober.

"What? Cooper Im fine."

"You always say that when youre smashed." Cooper looked over to Kurt; what was he doing? "Im sorry, Kurt, but I think my little brother should probably crash with us tonight. Sleep on the couch, hes wasted."

Kurt smiled a little and then nodded. "He never could hold his liquor."

Once they got back to the apartment, Cooper clapped Blaine on the back. "If someone is watching Brittany we were right in thinking someone might be watching us. I thought you two seemed a little strained lately, though, and could use some time together. Ill sleep on the couch." He left the room to get some pillows from the bedroom.

Kurt smiled almost shyly at Blaine. "I do really miss having you here. Its only been a week, but still."

Blaine closed the space between them and looped his arms around Kurts waist. "I miss you too. Even though I see you every day."

"I hate pretending we arent together; at least before we had this apartment, a safe place to be us."

Blaine kissed him lightly on the lips and then pulled away as Cooper came back in carrying a pillow and a blanket from the closet. "Im going to be watching some TV before I turn in. Watching it loudly, you know, if you want to take advantage of that."

"Coop." Blaine groaned.

"Hey! Be grateful, Squirt. The things I do for you," he muttered, and made himself a little nest on the couch.

Kurt grabbed Blaines hand and tugged on it, pulling him to their room. He shut the door and his lips were on Blaines in a moment. He wanted Blaine close right now. With the interview, and the idea of someone tailing them, and the separation theyd had to go through the past week and who knew how much longer, Kurt was feeling a little desperate and needy.

He cupped Blaines face with both of his hands and kissed him soundly.

"Do you think Santana is alright?" Blaine asked as Kurt kissed down his neck. "I- Id hate for her and Brittany to get in trouble."

"Blaine," Kurt said, stopping to look him in the eyes. "I dont know what Santana is up to and I hope shes okay. And Im sorry if it is selfish, but right now I dont want to worry about Santana and Britt, I just…" He shook his head not knowing what to say.

Blaine seemed to understand, though, placing his hands on Kurts hips and kissing him as he backed him up towards the bed. They fell down on it together as they started tugging on each others clothes and pulling things off. Kurts hands couldnt touch enough of Blaines skin at one time as Blaine hovered over him kissing him and hanging on to his shoulders.

Kurt fumbled with Blaines belt and zipper before finally wiggling his pants down and off of him. Blaine smiled as he kissed him. "Eager arent we?"

Kurt ran his hand down Blaines smooth skin and pressed his fingers against the little dips in Blaines lower back and smiled as Blaine groaned. He knew exactly which places to go to to drive Blaine crazy.

"Not fair." Blaine panted out against Kurts skin and Kurt just chuckled.

Kurt shimmied out of his own pants as well, leaving them both naked and tangled together on their bed.

"Ive missed you," Blaine said, as his lips moved from Kurts jaw to his neck and his hips found a steady rhythm against Kurts.

Kurt just moaned, his hand gripping the bed covers as his erection rubbed against Blaines and his skin started to heat up. It didnt take long for their movements to get faster and sloppier. Kurt keeping a hand in the curls at the nape of Blaines neck, his legs hooked around Blaine. Blaine pressing kisses to Kurts lips as Kurt got louder and louder, trying to muffle the sound. The bed creaking and sweat helping the slide between them. They panted each others names as they came down, and Blaine lay on top of him as Kurt lightly ran his lips down Blaines cheek.

It was quick and sloppy, but so very needed and Kurt felt better than he had since the interview. They fell asleep under the covers, as close to each together as they could be, Cooper snoring on the other side of the door.