Blaine had always loved the idea of having a soulmate. When he was very young and his parents first explained the concept his sat quite and listened as a huge grin grew on his face. He was instantly in love with the idea. Except for one thing.

He had to wait until he was 16 to meet his soulmate? That was forever.

He took to the idea that his soulmate could hear him and would talk and play with him even though he wasnt around. His parents would smile and let him do it. It wasnt really any different than having an imaginary friend was it?

Blaine never even thought about the fact that his soulmate would be a boy not a girl. He just assumed everyone knew that. Hed talk to his soulmate and call him different names like "Mark" or "Andrew". His dad once asked why he didnt try a "Mary" or an "Anne".

Blaine just scrunched up his little nose. "But those are girl names." He dad looked at him very seriusly, but didnt respond. 

When he was little the kids are school didnt care that he had an imaginary friend whose name changed almost weekly. No one made a big deal about it being a boy, but maybe that was because he was little or because they didnt understand that he was talking about his soulmate.

Things got harder as he got older, some people would tell him it was wrong to pretend his soulmate was a boy, but he would just shrug it off. He knew better.

Latter in Blaine life he would make a mental list of the 3 times that before he met his soulmate that he knew he was much, much more than just an imaginary friend.

The first time was when Blaine was only 7 years old. He had always been an happy energetic child and one day he just started to feel... sad. He didnt even really understand it and thought he was just getting sick, like the time last year that he had gotten a really, really bad flu.

But it just got worse and worse. His teacher and his parents started to get concerned. He would break down in tears in the middle of class, or wake up late at night sobbing and shaking. He didnt know what was wrong and that scared him.

His parents didnt know what was going on either. Even his older brother Cooper, who Blaine loved more than anyone, couldnt get him to cheer up. I was Cooper who eventually figured it out.

"Do you think its a soulmate thing?" Cooper asked one day.

His parents looked at each other, they hadnt even considered that.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffling a little, he was having a rough morning.

"Maybe your soulmate is really sad and thats why you feel this way."

"But he is so young. Usually you dont have that strong of a connection until your older." His mom said.

"Yeah, but Blaines special." Cooper replied and smiled at this little brother.

"Whats wrong with my soulmate!" Blaine asked, concerned and scared as he started crying all over again.

His parents tried to explain things to him and Cooper would even lay in bed with him each night and tell him stories to help him fall asleep. Eventually the grief started to slowly fade, Blaines natural happiness couldnt stay down for long.

It made a difference in Blaine though, a little more serious a little more in tune with the emotions of those around him.

"I just want to take care of him." He explained to his mom one day. "The way you take care of me. And Cooper helps me sometimes. I think my soulmate needs someone like that."

"Oh B." His mom had sighed "You will, just give it time."

Blaine hated waiting.

The second time Blaine was very aware of his soulmate was years latter. Blaine was 15 and at a new school. A dance was coming up and Blaine wanted to go.

He was out and proud of who he was. Through the years he had learned that not everyone liked that he knew his soulmate was a boy, that some people were even mean and cruel about it. But he didnt let it bother him. He was in love and the world couldnt so a thing about it. 

So when the Sadie Hawkins dance came around he asked a friend to go with him, just for fun. They were both gay and faithfully waiting for their soulmates, but it would be nice to go to a dance and be able to do all the things other kids his age were doing.

Things didt turn out well.

While they were waiting in the parking lot for a ride after the dance a bunch of older students came out and started jeering and laughing at them. They had obviously been drinking somehow and things quickly turned violent.

Blaine was terrified as the guys started to get physical, knocking him to the ground and kicking him in the stomach, kneeling down to punch his face.

Blaine tried to see James desperate to help him, but he couldnt do anything but curl up and try to protect himself from the onslaught of kicks and punches. Pain and fear ricocheting through his body.

Eventually he blacked out.

He had spotty memories between the parking lot and waking up in the hospital, voices shouting, someone crying, a siren maybe. Mostly it was just pain, lights popping behind his eyes. Though one thing stood out, he could swear he heard someone talking to him, almost yelling at him to not leave.

So he stayed. Somehow.

It turned out that Copper had arrived and his attackers ran off. James was mostly okay, some bruises and cuts,  it seemed that Blaine had gotten the brunt of the assault.

Coop called 911, and they got there just in time. Blaine had stopped breathing, he didnt have a pulse. Cooper had been frantic when the EMTs got there, they had to use a defibrillator to get Blaines heart going. It stopped and started before finally continuing with a regular beat.

Cooper said he was pretty much dead for a few moments there, Coop anxiously laughed it off, joking about how Blaine must have stayed away from the "bright light at the end of the tunnel", but Blaine could tell it had really shaken him.

"We almost lost you." His mom said brushing his curly hair away from his forehead as he laid in the hospital bed.

"Someone wouldnt let me go." Blaine said. "Actually..." He looked at his parents and Coopers faces. "I think I heard him, my soulmate, talking to me. I think he saved me."

His parents didnt really think that was possible, but Cooper just smiled. "Remind me to thank him when we meet then."

After the attack Blaine had a hard time falling asleep, he would slip into that space between awake and asleep and almost feel like he could hear someone with the most beautiful voice hed ever heard singing to him, only then would sleep would finally come.

The last time Blaine really, really felt his soulmate before they met was when his timer said that they had just over a year before they found each other.

In the middle of class at Dalton he was suddenly struck with inexplicable fear and quickly went into a panic attack. His friend and fellow Warbler, Wes, helped him out into the hall and stayed with him until he was aware enough to be lead to the nurses office.

"Sadie Hawkins?" Wes asked, mouth tense as his eyes roamed Blaines face checking to make sure he was okay. Blaine still had nightmares about the Sadies Hawkins dance and Wes knew hed struggled with panic attacks since then.

"N-no." Blaine said and shuttered. "Its him."

"Who?" Wes asked a little angrily. "Did someone do something?"

"What? No." Blaine shook his head. "Something is wrong with my soulmate." Blaine breathed deeply and tried not to cry. If he could feel his soulmates emotions then the opposite was probably true and Blaine wanted to send as much calm and love to his soulmate as he could.

Wes frowned in concern. "He is hurt? Or in danger?"

"I think hes scared. And angry, but mostly scared." Blaine groaned and held his head in his hands. "And theres nothing I can do to help him."

"Maybe there is." Wes said and Blaine looked up in surprise. "You told me once you thought you heard you soulmate talking to you after the dance right?"

Blaine nodded, Wes and Cooper were really the only ones who believed that possibility.

"And sometimes when you cant sleep I hear you singing at night, and... well, youre singing with him arent you?"

Blaine blushed at being found out but nodded again.

"Either you have a very vivid imagination or a really strong connection with your soulmate. If it is the latter maybe he can feel you too."

"I was just thinking that." Blaine admitted. "I was trying to get myself calm for his sake."

Wes smiled. "Well, maybe you could do more than that for him."

Just then the nurse came in to declare Blaine alright. She sent Wes back to his classes and gave Blaine the rest of the afternoon off.

Blaine spent it in his room sending warm feeling and thoughts to his soulmate. He held a pillow tightly in his arms and started to speak. He hadnt really spoken outloud to his soulmate since he was little.

"I dont know if you can feel me or hear me." Blaine said. "But this is for you." And he began to sing. "When youre all alone. Far away from home. Theres a gift the angels send when youre alone... At night when Im alone I lie awake and wonder. Which of them belongs to me, which one I wonder?... Isnt that a wonder? When youre alone, youre not alone, not really alone."

Blaine kept singing to his soulmate every night and sometimes during the day when his soulmate seemed really sad or scared. This lasted for over a week until one day Blaine was in study hall and he suddenly broke out in a joyful laugh. The librarian hushed him and his friends looked at him like he was going crazy.

"Blaine." Nick hissed. "Are you okay, what the heck man?"

Blaine sighed as he stopped laughing wiping happy tears from his eyes. "Hes okay." Blaine answered.

Nick just looked confused.

"Never mind. Sorry." Blaine said and pretended to go back to studying. He couldnt focus on anything though, the relief his soulmate was feeling was great and it was mixed with Blaines own relief for his soulmate. Blaine was on cloud nine for weeks.

Blaine knew that what he had with his soulmate was special. They had a connection stronger than most. And they were going to meet so soon.

Almost a year latter Blaine was back at Dalton. He was the lead singer of the Warblers this year and was so proud and honored to be chosen for the position. Today however, the Warblers were causing him no little amount of anxiety.

Wes and David had planned an "impromptu" performance and had informed Blaine of it that morning. "This afternoon. 4:00pm!" They had said excitedly. Of course Blaine was singing lead so he had to be there. The problem with that was 4:00pm this afternoon would be mere minutes after his met his soulmate.

Blaine could hardly breath or think straight how did they expect him to sing?

Still as the time got nearer Blaine headed down with everyone else in the school. All of the boys were excited, rushing pass Blaine and clapping him on the back, knowing he was about to sing.

Blaine was jumpy, his nerves all over the place. He felt warm and scared and excited and oh so happy. And maybe a little sick with it all butterflying in his stomach.

He quickly rushed down the spiral staircase, not even really thinking, just moving with the crowd. He stopped at the bottom and bit his lip as he looked down at his timer. He had seconds left, he looked around trying to find a new face in the sea of boys. Where was he?

Then he felt someone tap his shoulder.

A sweet voice spoke up behind him. "Excuse me can I ask you a question? Im new here."

Blaines eyes fluttered closed as all his nerves dissipated.

It was him.

All Blaine felt was peace and happiness as he turned around and looked up into the blue eyes of the most gorgeous boy hed ever seen. They both stood dumbstruck for a moment.

Blaine found himself talking without even thinking about it. "My name is Blaine." He said, his voice barely above a whisper as he held out his hand.

"Kurt." His soulmate answered with a smile that made Blaine want to melt.

They took each others hands and Blaine had to hold himself back from kissing him then and there as their timers went off.