Two nights later, Kurt is finally in his dorm room. His new home for the next several months, in all it's cinder-block-walled, institutionally-white-painted glory. His roommate had yet to materialize; even so, he was meticulously careful to keep his boxes and bags to exactly his half of the room.

His father left a few minutes ago, with a bone-crushing hug and a pat on the shoulder. Kurt watched him wiping away tears in the driver's-side mirror. Kurt spun on his heel and badged himself into his new dorm – he'd have to find a more stylish way of transporting that ridiculous ID. He was not – WAS.NOT. – going to put it on a lanyard. Or clip it, in any way, to his clothing.

Back up to his room, blindingly-white. His dad had made a point of telling him not to unpack until after he'd left – give him something to do to fill up the evening. He began to unpack, carefully transferring his clothing to the rickety dresser after lining the drawers, organizing his books up on the shelf. He arranged his picture frames across his desk. The cement walls meant he couldn't hang anything that required nails or even tacks. He'd have to find some way to hang things. That would be his mission for tomorrow.

As long as he could keep himself busy, give himself a mission, he wouldn't sit down and cry. He wouldn't be swamped with loneliness and homesickness.

He shuffled the picture frames in his arms, trying to find the right place for all of them. Pictures of his Dad and Carole, one of Finn and Rachel, one of the whole Glee Club. One just of Kurt and his dad. And one of him and Blaine – Kurt smiling, looking at the camera, Blaine's eyes glowing golden as he smiled at Kurt sitting next to him.

It wasn't at any particular occasion, not prom, not graduation. Just a regular day with Blaine. Rachel had snapped a picture of the two of them sitting next to each other, outside the Lima Bean, cups of coffee perched on the table in front of them. Just a regular day, and yet the look on Blaine's face – full of light and excitement and contentment and joy – how did he deserve anyone – much less Blaine – looking at him like that. Just on an ordinary day. That was Blaine's ordinary day face when they were together.

Kurt flipped through the frames again and realized he only had that one picture of Blaine. He placed the picture on the shelf next to his bed. Blaine would be the first thing he saw in the morning, and the last thing he saw at night.

He unpacked his bedding, frowning at the sagging mattress. 'Extra-long' meant his sheet selection had not been plentiful. Still, it was the highest threadcount he could find – still high enough to be silky to the touch.

As he shook out the pillowcase, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Picking it up, he sat on his bed.

                                            Your eyes are like starlight, now. ~B.

Remembering their Christmas duet, Kurt's eyes welled with tears. He grabbed his phone and dialed Blaine's number.

Two rings, and a gravelly voice mumbled “Hello?”

Kurt's eyes darted to the alarm clock next to his bed. 1:24am. He hadn't even thought of the time. “Baby, it's me. I'm so sorry I woke you. I'll call you tomorrow. Go back to sleep.”

“Kurt! Don't you dare! No, I'm awake, I'm awake! Kurt! Baby! Hello. I miss you. I love you. Oh, I love you.”

“Hey you.” Kurt smiled. “Hi, there, baby! You sound giggly.”

“I'm high on sugar. Tina came over and force-fed me ice cream cake.”

“Force-fed? Really?” Dryly, Kurt raised his eyebrow. Blaine inhaled ice cream cake like he'd never see another one.

“She really twisted my arm. Honest.” Blaine laughed quietly. “Actually, she came over just to be miserable with me.”

“Miserable with you? Are you miserable?” It felt hard to breathe, thinking of Blaine being miserable.

“Baby, you're in another state. You're, like, a million miles away from me. I can't hold you. I can't kiss you. I can't wink at you in the hallways. Of course I'm miserable.”

Kurt inhaled sharply.

“But, it'll be okay, baby. I promise.” Blaine continued, purring into the phone. “We'll be together again, and it'll get easier – right after you left, that really sucked. I'm not going to lie. That was bad. But it'll get better. It's so much better now that I'm talking to you.”

“Blaine, sweetie, you're babbling.”

“I told you! High on sugar. An entire ice cream cake, just me and Tina. Watching sad movies and bawling. For the second day in a row. Tomorrow, though, we're going out. Outside. Not like a date, or anything. Just going out. Outside.”

“Babbling, darling. You're babbling! You're so adorable when you babble.”

“Thank you, baby. God, I miss you. Tell me about your room and the trip and how was staying at your aunt's last night?”

“The trip was hellacious – traffic jams everywhere. We didn't get here until nearly 9 tonight. My aunt's – ugh. We just won't even go there. There's a reason she and my dad don't get along – and this visit did nothing to help that.”

“What does your room look like?”

“Like....a dorm room? Like a big white, sterile box.”

“Let me guess – the walls are brick so you can't hang any posters or prints or frames on them, right?”

“Cinder-block, but yes.”

“You need poster tack, or poster gum – it's like this...chewing gum kind of thing – you don't chew it, but it looks like chewing gum – and you stick it to the back of your posters and they stick to the walls. I used it a lot when I boarded at Dalton. Doesn't work for fabric or frames or anything heavy though."

“All my frames stand up. In fact, I'm looking at one picture in a frame of a very very handsome young man, with a big adorable smile on his face -- ”

“--oh, you're looking at a picture of you?” Blaine teased.

“Ha ha. Very funny, you dork. You know very well that I'm looking at a photo of you, you gorgeous boy you with your curls and your kissable lips and your sexy smile.”

“Kurt?”

“Yes, baby?”

“I don't think I'm ready for phone-sex.”

Kurt spluttered into laughter. “A) Blaine Warbler, not ready for sexual experimentation? With moi? Ha, I say. And B) That's not where I was going, but," he dropped his voice seductively and purred into the receiver," I thank you for the captivating mental images now flooding my brain. And so, I shall bid you good night, kind sir,” 

“No! Noooo!” Blaine laughed deeply and loudly. “Don't go yet.”

Kurt giggled. “It's late, sweetheart. We both need our beauty rest.”

“But, I just...I just want more time hearing you.”

“I know, baby. Me too.”

They both sighed into the phone.

“This is not going to turn into “no, you hang up first” “no, you”, is it?” Kurt asked plaintively.

“Umm. Yah. This is us, remember? Disgustingly in love? Hopelessly romantic? Gooey to the extreme? Enough to make Santana gag? Of course, it's going to turn into that.”

“Oh, good. I love arguments like that. Those are arguments that everyone wins.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, baby.”

Then they were quiet, just listening to each other breathe.