Kurt smiled nervously as he pulled his Navigator into one of Dalton's commuter parking spaces. It was the first day of his Senior year at a new school with a bunch of boys he hardly knew, but he was more excited than he could ever remember being about the Tuesday after Labor Day. For the first time there were no expectations of him slushying anyone, or that he should let those around him bully him. He could just be Kurt around these other blazered boys.

Beside him Blaine straightened his red and blue striped tie and adjusted his blazer. His boyfriend had even gone so far as to style his hair neatly, parting in on the side and using mousse to tame some of the unruliness. His contacts were in, too, something Kurt had encouraged Blaine to do a lot over the summer. It wasn't that they'd irritated Blaine's eyes, he just hated putting them in early in the morning. However, after losing several pairs in one of their beds, breaking one of those because it had been crushed under them as they rolled around, and jabbing Kurt in the eye with the corner of his frames during a particularly heavy make out session Blaine had finally given the contacts a chance.

Kurt, and his left eye, couldn't be happier about it, even though he still loved to take Blaine's contacts out in the evenings and slide his glasses back onto his face. Blaine was adorable with them on, in a way he wasn't without them. Right now, at Kurt's side, was a very handsome, neatly put together young man. His cheeks had thinned out some since April, but he seemed calmer, more sure of himself. At least until now. Right now he was Kurt's Blaine, much like the fourteen year old he'd started high school with.

"I– this looks good, right?" Blaine asked, biting his lower lip. "I still wish they had bow ties– "

He was cut off by Kurt leaning across the gear shift and planting a firm, deep kiss on him.

"You look fantastic," Kurt murmured pulling away slightly and placing a feather light kiss under Blaine's left eye. "Better than fantastic really. I can't wait until I get you alone later... "

Blaine blushed darkly at his words and smiled. Their relationship had made a lot of progress over the summer, a lot of progress that Kurt was quite happy about despite the long sex talk that Burt had thrown his way. The phrase "You matter" had been haunting Kurt all summer because of it.

"You look amazing yourself," Blaine complimented sweetly, relaxing thanks to Kurt's praise.

"Thanks."

They turned to stare out of the windshield, at the crowd of boys in blazers and ties just like theirs, shouting and joking and filing off to the buildings where they had their first classes of the day. Everyone was smiling and laughing, nobody was being shoved around or tossed in dumpsters. There wasn't even a dumpster in sight that Kurt could see.

"Are you ready for this?" Blaine asked him, his hand closing over Kurt's and squeezing. Blaine's palm was sweaty against the back of Kurt's hand, but his grip was sure. This was right for them. They both knew it, but it was still a scary step. Even scarier than their plan to move to New York City for college the following year.

But Kurt had changed a lot since the last time they'd started a new school together. This time he was sure of himself, sure that he'd grown to both accept and understand who he was. No odd, power hungry high schoolers were going to lure him in or lord anything over his head again. He doubted such a thing even existed at a place like Dalton. Everyone was on equal footing here. There was no reason to be scared of what these boys thought of him.

"Yeah," Kurt nodded and unlocked his door. "This is going to be the best year of our lives."

"So far," Blaine corrected as he opened his own door, one leg swinging out. He smiled across the car at Kurt. "Someday our life is going to be even more amazing than this."

Kurt grinned back, and hopped out, circling around the front to meet Blaine. They linked hands immediately, arms swaying between their bodies as they headed up towards the first building.

A few voices called their names loudly, and Kurt saw Sebastian, Nick, and a handful of other Warblers waving at them. They raised their joined hands in reply.

"I should go so I'm not late," Blaine told him, nodding his head towards the far side of campus. Blaine's first class was the highest level of Calculus Dalton offered, something Kurt had no interest in taking. The Math building was unfortunately a ten minute walk from where they had to park.

"Okay," Kurt agreed, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'll see you in English?"

"And then lunch," Blaine added, leaning up and pecking him on the lips.

They both paused as they pulled away and for the first time ever nobody in the crowd around them shoved them or sneered at them.

"You'll be fine," Blaine murmured, pressing a kiss under Kurt's earlobe. Across the courtyard the Warblers catcalled loudly at them. They both blushed and averted their eyes from each other.

"I can't wait to kiss you hello at lunch," Blaine told him slyly, eyes bright and pleased.

"And then for the rest of the day," Kurt finished happily. "Then maybe a little more than kissing once we're home..."

"Mhmm," Blaine murmured, smiling as he looped his arms around Kurt's neck and kissed him hard, knowing that here at Dalton it was safe to do so without consequence. "We've got Boxing and Gymnastics after school, unfortunately, so after that... or maybe in the locker room after the others have left?"

"Oh, I like that idea," Kurt giggled, looking excited. "It's a date."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Blaine told him, stepping out of his arms and beginning to walk backwards in the direction of his first class. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kurt replied earnestly as Blaine smiled widely, turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Kurt would be all right on his own. He wasn't scared anymore.