Nationals being held in Dallas meant one thing. That both Blaine and Rachel would be out of Lima for an entire weekend. A three day weekend to be exact as the plane that took the New Directions to their destination took off at 8:53 AM Friday morning. Since their conversation in the auditorium, Kurt and Blaine managed to find a way to spend more time with each other. Blaine joined Kurt and Rachel during their early mornings of coffee and bagels in the auditorium. Sometimes Rachel would conspicuously be absent, leaving their breakfast waiting for them but not showing up until she was certain that Kurt and Blaine had had enough time by themselves. And they did. It was nice to be able to talk to each other, to share things with each other, to sometimes kiss each other. But despite their fantastic make out session and their occasional light kissing, Kurt was adamant that they were not together. They couldn't be. Forty-five minutes alone in an auditorium twice a week, did not constitute a date. Text messages about homework and that subtly only served the purpose of checking to make sure Kurt was okay at home did not make up a relationship. It was more than he'd imagined was possible, but for Kurt, it still wasn't enough.

Without Blaine or Rachel, or anyone from New Directions Kurt fell, a little too easily, back into the familiar pattern of keeping himself distanced from everyone in school. He spent Friday morning in an empty auditorium bent over some English homework, and he was grateful that the auditorium was empty at lunch as well. (Because, with New Directions gone, who was left to use it?) He couldn't bare sitting in the crowded lunchroom, vulnerable to Karofsky or Azimio. He'd grown accustomed over the last few weeks to have Blaine and Rachel and the rest of New Directions there to shield him. While it never stopped them from throwing snide remarks and hateful words towards him, the chances he would end up on the floor or get slammed into a bank of lockers decreased when he was with the group.

It wasn't until late Friday night, when Kurt was sitting in bed reading through the Parsons catalog that had showed up in the mail earlier in the week along with the instructions on how to register for classes, that his phone lit up indicating that he had a text message. He smiled slightly when he saw that it was Blaine.

Blaine (9:43pm): Can we call you?

Kurt (9:44pm): I wish.

Blaine (9:44pm): Me too. I miss your voice.

Kurt hated when Blaine said things like that. He hated it because of all the reasons most people loved when people said things like that to them. He hated that Blaine was probably bashfully smiling at his phone as he hit send. Rachel was probably teasing him if she caught him. Kurt hated how his body tingled with something he couldn't put words to when Blaine said things like 'I miss you' or 'I can't wait to see you on Monday'. It wasn't that he didn't like the way he felt like the butterflies inside him were fluttering so furiously, he thought they might knock him off his feet. And maybe he'd never told Blaine that he probably shouldn't be saying things like that to him (Ok, maybe he tried once. But he put very little effort into it and Blaine just silenced him with a kiss). But the point was, people who weren't together weren't supposed to say those things to each other.

People who weren't together also don't reply to text messages with 'I miss you too', but Kurt can't help it, it's true, and the Parsons catalog was getting a little overwhelming.

They text for a little while, Rachel cutting in with her own texts on occasion because apparently Blaine won't text her questions for her. Rachel was more concerned about what Kurt and Blaine were texting about. 'He's smiling too much for those to be innocent texts Kurt Hummel.' Kurt would've liked to tell Rachel that she's right, but he really didn't think anything he and Blaine were texting would merit the smile that Rachel was speaking of. He filled Blaine on the rather uneventful day he had at school (maybe Blaine was laughing at Kurt's comments on his French teacher's horrible outfit choice) and told him about some of the interesting things he'd seen in the Parsons catalog.

Before they said goodnight (because Mr. Shuester gave them a ridiculous curfew) Blaine, of course, made sure that Kurt was safe for the night. He couldn't do anything for Kurt while he was in Lima, but now, in Dallas, he felt even more useless. Kurt did his best to assure him that he was going to be just fine. He could hear his uncle snoring in front of the TV in the living room and as long as he stayed in his room until morning he'd be just fine. Like every night, Blaine seemed hesitant to believe Kurt's words, but eventually he sends one final goodnight and Kurt felt alone for the first time in hours.

Kurt met Blaine and Rachel in the choir room Monday morning instead of in the auditorium. It was there that they, meaning mostly Rachel, spoke with such animation about their nationals victory and showed off their new trophy sitting very well lit in the trophy case against the wall. Blaine mostly nods along with Rachel, holding Kurt's hand tightly.

Rachel disappeared abruptly once she finished telling the story, claiming she had some things she needed to run by Mr. Shuester as part of their nationals celebration dinner the following weekend.

"Hey," Blaine said once Rachel was out of the room, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah," Kurt said smiling. He hadn't noticed how much he missed Blaine's constant texts until he spent an entire weekend with little interaction. He couldn't, shouldn't, say it out loud. But he missed Blaine in general and getting to see him now, to have him close, made his heart flutter a little more than he liked, "Of course."

"I know what you're going to say," Blaine said, "but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try."

"Blaine, Kurt said expecting yet another plea from Blaine to tell someone about everything that was going on at home, "what is this about?"

It wasn't until "Prom," escaped Blaine's lips that Kurt let go of the little bit of tension that had been building up inside him.

"Oh," was all Kurt could muster because Blaine's pleas were expected. The mention of prom most definitely was not.

"I just wanted to see if there…was… any sort of…w- way that maybe you could sort of go with me to Prom?"

"Blaine-"

"I know. And I know that you're going to tell me that you can't, and I get that, I'm not upset, really. I just, I just want you to know that there isn't anyone else that I want to go with," Blaine babbled.

Kurt reached out and took hold of Blaine's hand weaving their fingers together. Blaine was so adorable while he was babbling and it broke Kurt's heart to tell him no, "I know. And if I could go—well if I could go a lot would be different. I'm sorry Blaine, I really am."

"Hey," Blaine said giving a squeeze to their joined hands, "We'll always have Valentine's Day right?"

"Yeah," Kurt said softly, "I'm not mad; really. We'll always have Valentine's Day."

Blaine (12:04 am): Come to your window.
Kurt (12:04 am):?
Blaine (12:05 am): Just do it. Please.
Kurt (12: 06 am): How do you even know I'm awake?
Blaine (12:06 am): Because you're answering my texts.

Kurt was sitting in his bed. He had been doing homework all night since there was nothing else he could do to keep his mind away from the fact that everyone else, specifically Blaine, was at prom. Kurt wondered if he would have gone if things were different; wondered if Blaine would still have asked him to be his date. Kurt tried, and failed, not to imagine what it would be like to dance next to Blaine, in front of the entire school. He wondered what it would feel like to have Blaine hold him close during a slow song; not caring about who was looking as Blaine hummed long to the melody in Kurt's ear. It was a beautiful daydream to keep himself from the reality that he was trapped in his bedroom while Blaine went to prom with Rachel.

Prom, and the after party, must have been over if Blaine was texting him. He wasn't sure what to expect when he pulled himself out of bed and padded over to the window of his first story bedroom. Kurt's smiled when he saw what was waiting for him outside the window. Blaine was standing there smiling the smile that made Kurt's heart skip a beat or two each time. He was still wearing most of his rented tux from the dance. He was without his jacket, his bowtie was undone and the ends hung around his neck. His black vest open, his dress shirt was untucked and open on top so that his undershirt was exposed. Kurt leaned against the window sill smiling, taking him in. Bathed in moonlight looking completely not put together, Blaine looked absolutely stunning.

Kurt watched as Blaine wrote something into his phone and a moment later, Kurt looked down at his phone as it vibrated in his hand.

Blaine (12:08 am): Hi.

Kurt smiled and waved through the window at Blaine who smiled back at Kurt before he returned to his attention to his phone. When Kurt's phone vibrated again he looked down.

Blaine (12:09 am): Come outside.
Kurt (12:09am): Are you insane?
Blaine (12:09 am): Maybe. Please?
Blaine (12:10 am): No one will find out. I promise.

Kurt huffed and eyed Blaine again through the window, the other boy doing a fantastic job of showing off his beautiful puppy dog eyes that he knew that Kurt couldn't say no to.

Kurt (12:11 am): Let me get dressed.
Blaine (12:11 am): No. Come out like that.
Kurt (12:11 am): Blaine I'm in flannel pants and a t-shirt.
Blaine (12:11 am): I don't care. Please?

Kurt rolled his eyes and unlocked his window. The chances of Uncle Tim waking up in the next six hours were slim. He lifted the window enough to fit himself through, thankful for the one story house. His feet were bare and the damp grass made him cringe as each foot hit the ground. Once outside he turned to look at Blaine who was standing there, smiling, his hand outstretched.

"Come here," Blaine said his voice just loud enough for Kurt to hear him.

Kurt smiled and walked over to Blaine, taking the other boy's hand when he could reach it; Kurt relished in its warmth. Blaine tugged on their now joined hands and pulled Kurt close, wrapping both of his arms around Kurt's waist. The closeness made something clench inside Kurt's chest. It wasn't a bad feeling, but it was a feeling he only got when he was with Blaine; when Blaine held him close like he was.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt questioned quietly as he moved his hands to wrap around Blaine's neck, running his fingers along the hair at the nape. He wasn't entirely convinced that this wasn't more than a dream; a very good dream. He considered, only briefly, pinching himself. But if this was a dream, he wanted to ride whole thing out before he woke up in his bedroom alone.

"I wanted to dance with my b—with the boy I like," Blaine said as if he hadn't almost called Kurt his boyfriend. As if the answer to Kurt's question should have been obvious.

"Are you drunk?" Kurt questioned ignoring Blaine's slip of the tongue; though he was close enough that he would have smelled alcohol on Blaine's breath.

"Hardly," Blaine said smiling as he pulled Kurt closer.

"But prom is over," Kurt said.

"For them? Maybe," Blaine said, his fingers brushing against the fabric at the hem of Kurt's t-shirt, "But for us? For us it hasn't even begun."

"Please don't tell me you've got music or you're going to start singing, because if we wake my uncle up—"

"Hey, hey," Blaine said removing one arm from around Kurt's waist and softly reaching up to cup Kurt's cheek in his hand swiping the pad of his thumb along the bone just underneath Kurt's eye, "I'd never do anything that would hurt you. This is why I have an alternative."

Kurt eyed Blaine suspiciously as Blaine's hand left Kurt's face and reach into the pocket of his pants. A moment later he was pulling out his iPod and a pair of ear buds.

"Kurt Hummel," Blaine whispered, "May I have this dance?"

"You're amazing," Kurt said.

"Is that a yes?"

Kurt nodded looking into Blaine's eyes," Yes, yes you may, "Kurt said taking the ear bud Blaine was extending to him.

"They played this at the dance," Blaine explained, "And while I was standing there watching everyone dance with their dates, all I wanted to do was dance to this…with you."

Blaine hit play and the music started and the two began to sway along. Kurt didn't say a word, just leaned in closer to Blaine as he listened to the song play. Kurt thought it was a perfect song for them. Even though they weren't together, they couldn't be together, Blaine had opened up something deep inside Kurt that he'd kept locked away for so long. Somehow, Blaine, with his compassion and his understanding and his presence made Kurt see that Lima had more to offer him than bad days and good days, but great moments in between.

Maybe I know somewhere
deep in my soul
that love never lasts.
And we've got to find other ways
to make it alone.
Or keep a straight face.
And I've always lived like this
keeping a comfortable distance.
And up until now I've sworn to myself
that I'm content with loneliness.
Because none of it was ever worth the risk.

"I wish that things were different," Kurt whispered his voice catching a little as the bridge of the song played in their ears.

"I know," Blaine said, "Me too."

"I want to sing to you," Blaine said as the song played on but he wasn't really paying attention to anything but Kurt anymore, "If you'd want me to."

Kurt lifted his head from Blaine's shoulder and looked Blaine in the eye and found exactly what he'd expected, absolute sincerity and the nodded, "I'd like that."

Blaine sang quietly along with the song in Kurt's ear. His voice ghosted over Kurt's skin as they continued to sway in the moonlight. The song ended and moved to something else, but Kurt didn't really pay much attention to it. It's slow enough that they can continue their slight swaying but it didn't mean as much anymore because this wasn't the song that Blaine heard at the prom, the prom he'd attended as Rachel's date and thought only of Kurt during.

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine said his voice just above a whisper.

Kurt froze, their gentle swaying stopped and Kurt pulled away only enough so that he could look Blaine in the eye when he asked, "You do?"

The corners of Blaine's mouth turned upward and there was a sparkle in his hazel eyes, one that Kurt knew was only for him, "Yeah, I do."

Though the words had passed through Kurt's mind, they never escaped his lips. Despite the fact that yes, he did love Blaine. He'd never been more grateful than he was because he had Blaine in his life. But that didn't change the fact that their situation was complicated. They weren't together, not really, even if their hearts were both singing the same song in the most beautiful of melodies. But graduation was coming so fast, and it would only be a matter of time before Kurt left. And while it would destroy him, he still intended on leaving everything in Lima behind him; including Blaine. Kurt wanted nothing more than to say the words; he could feel them on his tongue. But Kurt swallowed them; instead leaning forward and pressing his lips against Blaine's. Because while he understood he wouldn't have Blaine forever, he would certainly cherish the moments that were still left.