It had been a bit of a topic of discussion, because everyone had a different opinion on the matter, but Kurt and Brittany looked around at apartments for Blaine and Santana. Despite the fact that Kurt knew he wanted Blaine with him any time that was possible, it wasn’t like he’d anticipated that Blaine was going to move into his apartment with him when he came to the city. For one thing, it was tiny and there was definitely not room for someone else’s things beyond maybe a small dresser that could be added beside his own – which Kurt may or may not have already found at a nearby thrift store. He knew generally people just had a drawer for someone, but his were all full of his own things, so a dresser it was. If there was extra space that Blaine didn’t use, then it could be helpful storage for fabric.

For another, it wasn’t as if either of them had doubts that it would work if they did choose to move in together, but they’d only had a limited time to test it out before. Blaine had seemed hesitant to bring it up, to gently shoot down the option, but Kurt’s feelings weren’t hurt at all. It was true, they’d had an amazing week of drowning in each other, but going from months of practically never seeing each other and just being friends to a week of nothing but seeing each other and being together, and then to living together just weeks later, it felt like it would have been too much too fast. Love was a marathon, not a sprint.

Brittany went looking during the day, and she texted Kurt pictures and her thoughts on the places she saw. If there was a place that seemed promising, he went after work and then they conferred to figure out which apartments were actually possibilities. Blaine and Santana had said they weren’t terribly picky, as long as there was room enough for both of them and a kitchen that didn’t look like it was going to burn the building down. The subway made it so location wasn’t necessarily a problem, at least, which gave a wider variety and likelihood that they would be able to find something quickly. The apartments in New York were smaller and more expensive in comparison to what they were used to, but that came with the territory of the city.

After a few days of doing legwork and sending pictures and information to Blaine and Santana, the right apartment was found. It was a fairly nice two bedroom place that was a twenty minute subway ride away from the bar. That also meant that it wasn’t that far from Kurt’s apartment either, and while he’d never been to Brittany’s and didn’t know exactly where it was, she seemed pleased with its proximity to where she lived as well.

According to Blaine, the trip wouldn’t be that bad. Since they got the phone call, they’d started packing and boxing up everything in their apartment, and getting rid of things that they didn’t need because there was no way it would all fit in the apartment in New York. Blaine’s main concern was navigating the moving truck through the streets of New York. Well, that and spending near ten hours in that moving truck with Santana.

“We live and work together,” he’d explained, during a phone call. “But that doesn’t mean it’s going to work being stuck a couple feet from each other in a truck for hours on end. If I don’t make it, remember me fondly.”

“I’d pick you in that fight.”

“Really, Kurt? Really?”

“I’m trying to be supportive.”

“You’re also lying. Plus, I’m pretty sure she has razor blades in her hair. That’s what she tells me, anyway.”

They were moving on a weekend, leaving Friday afternoon and breaking the trip in the middle and spending the night in a hotel along the way so it wasn’t ten straight hours in the truck. That seemed like the way most likely to keep tempers from flaring, and it Kurt couldn’t blame them. When he’d moved to New York, it had been in one straight shot of a drive with his dad and staring at the road for that long was tiring. Blaine and Santana were supposed to get into the city some time during the afternoon, and Blaine had said he would call as soon as they got there.

That was why the knock on the door of Kurt’s apartment on Saturday morning startled him so much – that and the fact that he’d just barely woken up before it happened.

There was a brief scramble to find clothes, because the last time Kurt had answered the door in a robe it had been to find his neighbor from down the hall who had practically leered at him, and he’d vowed never to make that mistake again. Pants were found, as was a t-shirt, and he didn’t even bother trying to make his hair look less slept on because that would have taken too long and he hadn’t looked in the mirror so maybe it wasn’t that bad – he knew it really was – before he undid the locks and pulled the door open.

And there was Blaine, looking slightly tired but completely handsome, clothes hugging him in all the right ways, wearing the bow tie Kurt had made for him out of the purple fabric he’d picked out, and with flowers in hand.

Kurt immediately regretted not trying to do something about his hair, or putting more effort into the clothes he’d pulled on hastily, but none of it mattered because Blaine was standing on his doorstep and honestly, Blaine had seen him more unkempt than he was at that moment. Words failed him, despite the fact that he’d known he was going to see him at some point that day. He hadn’t quite been fully awake when he’d opened the door, and while had was the best surprise, it was still a surprise and that had apparently shocked the ability to speak right out of him.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Blaine said softly, holding the flowers out to him. Kurt took them automatically, barely even glancing down at them before slipping his free hand up to the back of Blaine’s neck, bringing him in closer and kissing him. He reveled in the feeling of Blaine’s lips against his again, the way they parted to nip at his own, and Kurt’s fingers slipped up into the hair at the nape of Blaine’s neck as he started to pull away.

“Good morning to you,” Kurt murmured, brushing another light kiss against his lips before resting their foreheads together. “I thought… this afternoon.”

“Mmm yeah, that didn’t really work for me when I could get here early and see you sooner instead. We only stopped for a few hours instead of the whole night, and then kept driving.”

“You got here unscathed?” Kurt asked, taking a small step back and letting his gaze rake over him, as if looking for battle wounds from the truck ride with Santana but really just appreciating the opportunity to look.

“Completely unscathed,” Blaine replied, and there was a hint of amusement in his voice. When Kurt’s gaze got up to his face, he could see the grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. “So are you going to invite me in or are you just going to make me stand here in the hall while you ogle? Because truly, I’m fine with either, but—”

“Oh hush,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes but unable to keep from grinning as he let his hand slid down from the back of Blaine’s neck, fingers tracing over his bow tie before gripping the front of his shirt and pulling him into the apartment.

“You should wear your hair like that always,” Blaine teased as he locked the door behind them, and Kurt gave him a look before going to find a vase. “What?”

“Not everyone can roll out of bed and look like you do, Blaine.”

“Surely you’re joking.” Blaine leaned in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Kurt carefully unwrap the flowers from their paper and arrange them in the vase. “You’re completely stunning, but in a different way than everyone else gets to see. I like you like this.” He closed the distance between them, reaching up to run his fingers through Kurt’s hair but not smoothing it down. “I like being the only person who gets to see you like this, all unraveled.”

“I like it better when you’re the one who makes me that way,” Kurt said softly, and Blaine smiled, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss against the corner of his mouth.

“I will gladly unravel you any day of the week, Kurt Hummel,” he replied, breaking off to stifle a yawn. “Any day. Any night, any morning, afternoon… any time, really.”

“Just not right now.” Kurt slipped his arms around Blaine’s neck and kissed his forehead. “You look tired, and we haven’t even started moving you in yet. How about… you get a few more hours of sleep and then I’ll make us brunch, and then we’ll be ready to get you into your new apartment?”

“Why Kurt, are you trying to get me into your bed already? I just got here,” Blaine said playfully, nuzzling against the crook of his neck and sighing. “A mid-morning nap sounds amazing.”

Blaine got undressed quickly and minutes later was sprawled out on the bed asleep, breathing deeply with Kurt curled around him, tracing patterns along Blaine’s back with his fingertips. He didn’t plan on staying there long, as he was completely awake and needing to go out to the store to get food for them, but he wanted to stay there at least a little longer. It was a moment the deserved to be enjoyed, after all. After basking in it for a while, brushing light kisses against Blaine’s back and neck as he slept, Kurt untangled himself and set about getting ready as quietly as he could.

There was no rush to wake up Blaine, as far as Kurt was concerned, so he took his time at the store and got himself a small mocha to tide him over until he was back at the apartment to make coffee for them. Brittany had sent him a text that was entirely comprised of exclamation marks, so he had to assume that Santana was with her and they hadn’t started moving anything into the apartment, which made him not feel bad at all about the delay. When he got back to the apartment, Blaine hadn’t moved an inch. He was still sleeping, still sleepily sexy, and Kurt pressed a kiss against his hair before getting started on breakfast.

Arms slipped around his waist as he was mixing up some batter for pancakes, and Blaine’s hands splayed across him – one at his chest and the other at his hip. He was so warm pressed against Kurt’s back, heated from having so many blankets piled on top of him for a couple hours, and Kurt rocked back on his heels into him. Blaine kissed his neck, nosing his way up to just beneath his ear. “Morning.”

“Good morning, again,” Kurt replied, turning his head so he could kiss his cheek before turning his focus back to what he was doing. “Do you like blueberries?”

“I love blueberries,” Blaine murmured, pressing another kiss against his neck before letting go and stepping away to get himself coffee. “Especially in pancakes.”

They ate breakfast in the kitchen, leaned against the counter and with their arms brushing with every movement. It was worlds above how Kurt had expected to spend his Saturday morning, which would have most likely been at a coffee shop trying not to focus on the clock and how much time he had before Blaine would be there. None of that mattered though, because Blaine was there and they were together and as soon as they were done eating they were going to go move Blaine and Santana into their apartment because they were going to be living in New York.

The girls were already at the new apartment by the time they got there, and Kurt was glad to see that more people had gotten roped into helping than just him and Brittany. It would have been fine with just them, but it would have taken much longer. As it was, having a good half the staff from the bar and a couple people from the dance studio, Mike and someone Kurt recognized from Brittany’s party but whose name escaped him completely, was a bigger help than he’d anticipated. For the most part they dissipated once the really heavy lifting was over with, but Kurt had been grateful that he and Blaine weren’t the only ones present to try and haul the beds and couch up the flights of stairs to the apartment. Puck, it turned out, was very handy to have around.

Eventually it was down to just the four of them, and they toted boxes up the stairs one after the other, trying to put them out of the way but in the rooms where they were supposed to go. Everything was labeled well enough, and once it got to a point where there wasn’t much left, Brittany started unpacking the kitchen. That was the most important, she said, because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to eat and then where would they be?

“Also,” she added after a moment, pushing up onto her tiptoes to put something on a high shelf, “I’m hungry.”

Pizza was ordered, and Santana tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal but Blaine pointed out that it was the first time she was ordering food to their new apartment – “in New York, Santana” – and she couldn’t quite contain her smile. That didn’t stop her from smacking Blaine for teasing her about it, and Kurt ducked into Blaine’s bedroom to work on getting his bed set up and to avoid any hostility that might be aimed his way. He didn’t have the years of friendship to keep her from seriously injuring him like Blaine did.

While Blaine and Santana didn’t have to work that night, nor any night until Wednesday so they had a few days to get settled and for the performers they were replacing to get their last nights in, Brittany did. She was very pouty about having to leave while they were still trying to get everything set up in some semblance of order, even though it would take days or weeks to unpack everything to its fullest extent, but Santana assured her through words and kisses that they were going to go to the bar that night and take in the opportunity to just be there for once instead of working.

Kurt went to his apartment to clean up before then went, not wanting to go and spend the night out when he was already covered in sweat and also wearing less than night-out clothes. Plus it gave Blaine and Santana some time to settle into their apartment without anyone else there, the first time they’d been in it alone since they’d received the keys. They’d all planned to meet outside the bar in a little over an hour and a half after Kurt left, so he wasn’t exactly in any hurry to get ready.

Part of him still couldn’t believe it, that Blaine was actually there and was going to stay. That instead of the question of how many weeks or months it would be until they saw each other again, it was going to turn into hours or maybe days, depending on what was going on. The important part was that even if there was the possibility of going for days, there was still the option that they would be able to make something work. A few subway stops here and a couple blocks walked there were nothing compared to state borders and numerous miles.

It might have been a little fancy for the setting, but Kurt never let that bother him, and he dressed impeccably for the evening out. There were high boots involved, as well as slim, almost skin tight jeans, a button down shirt cinched with a corseted vest, and a cuttlefish brooch to finish it off. He did have a soft spot for the lesser loved creatures that had still managed to have jewelry fashioned in their honor. He waited outside the bar, as he was slightly early, until Blaine and Santana showed up.

Seeing them walk down the street made Kurt realize that he’d never seen Santana out of the context of being at work, except at Brittany’s party when he’d been far too distracted by Blaine to pay one bit of attention to her beyond pleasantries. She was actually pretty, he would even go so far as to say downright beautiful, and wearing a dress that looked like it had been painted on because there was no other way she could have gotten into it. He didn’t even bother musing about the possible construction of it because Blaine was right beside her, their arms looped together as they walked up the sidewalk.

Blaine was always gorgeous, that much Kurt knew, but he seemed so self-assured and comfortable in his own skin as he walked up to the bar. He was dressed much like he had been when Kurt first saw him standing on the other side of his doorstep that morning, but he’d actually styled his hair more and had switched out his shirt – the bow tie remained the same. As soon as they got close enough, he held out his arm for Kurt to slip his own through and he grinned up at him. “Shall we?”

“Absolutely,” Kurt said in a breath, and Santana gave him what he thought was an actual, genuine smile as they bypassed the bouncer and headed straight down into the fray.

Santana made a beeline for the bar, and Brittany’s entire face lit up as soon as she saw her. Blaine slipped his hand into Kurt’s and gave it a squeeze, offering him a smile. It was still surreal, knowing that they were there and that Blaine wasn’t just there for work. They were there together and the night was theirs, and they didn’t have to rush or plan their time carefully because no one had a plane to catch. There was hope and happiness written across all of Blaine’s features, and Kurt cupped his jaw in his free hand as he kissed him, trying to put everything he was feeling into that one kiss. It was too loud and too poignant for words to encompass.

They got drinks and staked out a table, even though Santana stayed planted by the bar. It was a busy night, but she didn’t seem to care that she wasn’t going to get much of a chance to talk to her girlfriend. Kurt was glad to have the time with Blaine away from anyone else, even though they were in the midst of so many. Sitting at that table they were by themselves, hands clasped and resting on Kurt’s knee as the music played around them.

A couple sets passed, as well as more than a couple drinks, before one of the performers on stage cleared his throat and looked over the audience, shining a flashlight over them.  “So as many of you know, this weekend is the last one for me and Tom, and I’ve heard that our replacements are out there somewhere. They aren’t strangers, I’m sure if you’re a regular you’ve seen them before, so I expect you to treat them just as well as you’ve treated us. Can we get Blaine and Santana to come up here?”

“Go,” Kurt said, nudging Blaine’s shoulder as he felt Blaine’s hand squeezing his tighter. “It’s what you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it?”

“No, I’ve been waiting for you,” Blaine replied quietly, just loud enough for Kurt to hear, and he pressed a kiss against Kurt’s cheek before slipping out from the table and weaving his way through the tables and chairs to get to the stage. Santana had an easier job of it, almost a straight shot from the bar except for the people in her way, and they were both on stage shortly.

“So what do you say?” Tom asked, fingers gliding over the keys of the piano to provide hold music as Santana leaned up against Blaine, raising an eyebrow at him. “I know you’re not technically working tonight, but how about giving these lovely folks a song or two to let them know what a treat they’re in for here in the future?”

It was impossible to hear Blaine without a microphone, but Kurt could see exactly what was going on just by watching his face. Santana looked vaguely annoyed, but then again that might just have been her face, and Blaine looked amused beyond belief. He leaned over to murmur in her ear and she laughed, and it was a real laugh, Kurt could tell. There was none of the normal Santana he was used to in it, and everything he saw when she looked at Brittany. It was definitely real.

“Alright, alright,” Santana said, scooting onto the bench next to Tom and taking over his microphone. “You boys have been great tonight, and I know everyone’s sad that you’re going off to do your own thing, but I’m glad you’re going. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

“Now now, San, let’s not make enemies on our first night in town,” Blaine cut in, nudging his way onto the other piano bench and glancing out over the crowd. He met Kurt’s eyes for the briefest of moments, and then ducked his head under the pretense of fiddling with some buttons off to the side. Kurt would have considered his apparent bashfulness a tad ridiculous, except he could feel himself blushing.

“What do you say, Blaine? Should we give them a couple songs?”

“Well I think you had a little something that you wanted to put out there into the universe, didn’t you?” Blaine tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. “Tonight seems like a good time.”

“For you,” Santana started singing, soft and low into the microphone, her fingers tracing out soft patterns of chords on the piano, “there’ll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining. And I feel that when I’m with you, it’s alright. I know it’s right…”

Blaine was barely playing, just contributing chords and quiet support, and Kurt wasn’t sure if he’d ever had an emotional connection to any Fleetwood Mac song before but he knew he sure as hell was going to as Santana kept singing. He didn’t have to glance back at the bar to know that Brittany wasn’t working, she was just watching, and there was no way anyone in any position of power there could blame her. Santana sang so beautiful, so heartfelt, that if anything they would just feel jealous that it wasn’t for them – because they all had to know who it was for.  

It was like everyone knew it was a moment, and the bar was eerily quiet compared to a normal Saturday night. There was no way it was silent, far from, but definitely quieter and commanding of everyone to listen to what was happening. It was moving, and Kurt felt like his heart was being tugged, because for the snarky front that Santana had thrown up at him since the first time he’d actually met her, he could see through to the truth and honestly when she was singing. “And I wish you all the love in the world. But most of all, I wish it from myself…”

“Mine isn’t quite as good as that,” Blaine said quietly once she’d finished, to the great applause of the people in the bar. “But it means something to me, not in the literal interpretation of all the lyrics way, but I hope you enjoy it.” He started in, chords banged out on the keys for a few measures before Santana picked up and joined in, a knowing smile on her face. “It’s been a long while since I came around, been a long time but I’m back in town. This time I’m not leaving with you…”

Santana chimed in with him, singing some lines and harmonizing the chorus, and Kurt didn’t mind at all because it felt like some of those lyrics belonged to her with the way she sang. Blaine was smiling, soft and sweet like he couldn’t help it, and Kurt was trying his hardest not to grin but it wasn’t working in the least. It was like when he could see Blaine trying to fight off a laugh, in the way the corners of his mouth would give him away before anything else. Up on that stage, in front of all those people, singing that song, Blaine was happy beyond words and the way the corners of his eyes crinkled gave him away.

“Thank you, New York!” Blaine crowed once they were done, and Kurt hadn’t missed the way he’d looked directly at him when he’d sung “something about just knowing when it’s right,” moments prior. He didn’t need to be serenaded in bars, to have love professed to him in front of dozens if not hundreds of people, but damn if it didn’t feel good every so often. Blaine hopped down from the stage and made his way back to the table, getting high fives all along the way before getting back to Kurt, dipping down and pressing a kiss against his lips. “So…”

“That was very well done, Mr. Anderson,” Kurt said, tilting his head back to look up at him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you worked here…”

“Mmm yes well, if I was working I wouldn’t exactly be able to ask you if you wanted to get out of here,” Blaine replied, eyes twinkling as they lowered down to Kurt’s lips for a moment, then back up to meet his gaze. “I mean, I happen to know that my roommate is going to be indisposed and hanging out at a bar for a few more hours and I have this swanky new apartment that I’m just dying to show off to some gorgeous guy… but I’m a little picky and am only looking for someone who’s an assistant to a designer at Vogue and who has a penchant for making bow ties…”

Kurt reached up, tugging at the front of Blaine’s shirt until he was down close enough to kiss. He wasn’t working, after all, so Kurt was hoping that he wouldn’t get in trouble for it. Judging by the way Blaine kissed back, tongue stroking against his lips, he had to assume they were in the clear. Luckily, he’d finished his drink in the middle of their songs. “I’d say it’s your lucky night, then.”

It was a fairly short subway ride to the apartment, and Blaine was appropriately excited about the fact that he was unlocking the door to his own apartment in New York City when they got there. Kurt thought it was adorable, but then again he knew exactly what that felt like. He knew he’d never forget the feeling he’d had when he’d first been there at his apartment in the city, the one place he’d always dreamed of being. He’d still completely and instantly shot Blaine down at the offer to carry him across the threshold, however.

“Save it for when we’re married,” he said, before he realized the words that were leaving his mouth. A blush rose high in his cheeks, but if Blaine noticed he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he said, “I’m going to hold you to that.”

And as Kurt was pulled into the apartment, being kissed and his hand being squeezed, he knew Blaine would.