Every year he gets a gift package and stores it in the top of his closet, replacing it each year. It starts after they agreed to just be friends. The first one was filled with letters, notes, things that Kurt thought and felt and things that mattered to him along with a few souvenirs of New York and something he's bought that he buys two of so Blaine can wear it too. Over the years the contents change, sometimes its food, sometimes things he needs, more and more it's song lyrics and clothing. On the sixth year, the year Burt tells Blaine with a heavy heart that Kurt was sick and no, don't come to Lima, he has to promote his new album, that for the first year he gets nothing. Last year's package stays where it is, gathering dust, at first. In it Blaine puts all the things he wants to say to Kurt, everything he won't get to say and everything the years have made too hard to say. Things like I'm sorry, I always believed in you, you blessed my life, I love you, what could I have done? I will never stop believing in us. He sends the box to Rachel, not wanting to hurt Burt any more than he's already hurting and knows where Burt might be tempted, Rachel would never open it.

The new album is dedicated to his Prince Warbler and all of his true fans weep for him.

He promotes the album, his concert tour taking up his time and energy but deep in the night he thinks about pale skin, glittering blue eyes, thick auburn hair, wry, smiling full lips and the lines age deepened and prays to a god neither of them believe in to let him get more, to let those lines keep deepening and the boxes never to end.

In the darkness he dreams.

He's rushing, the blazer pulling tight across his arms as he shoves his keys into his pocket and he hears it. "Can I ask you a question? I'm new here."

He looks up and oh. Blue. "My name is Blaine."

"Kurt."

He's sitting at a table with Kurt, across from an exasperated Mercedes.

"Has anyone read Patti LuPone's new book?"

He couldn't help himself, teasing Kurt by looking confused then grinning back at his infectious best friend. "I'm kidding! Of course I have."

"You scared me so much there."

Singing Baby It's Cold Outside trying not to get too lost in Kurt's eyes or watch those full, pink lips as they sang together.

Smiling at Kurt over a conversation about football and scarves.

Feeling ridiculous over a stupid, misguided serenade that humiliated them all, and a revelation about feelings.

"So it's just like When Harry Met Sally, but I get to play Meg Ryan."

"Deal. Don't they get together in the end?"

An argument over confusion, sublimation and the awkward glances and silences that followed until they both grew up, and he kissed Rachel and realised he really was gay.

Talking to Burt about Kurt not knowing about sex and trying to help Kurt with his sexiness.

He's walking into a room; Kurt's sitting at the table, gluing sequins onto a tiny box. In his eyes Kurt has changed, the rawness and passion flowing from the young, pain filled man opening Blaine's eyes to see the beauty, something he can no longer look away from.

"Why did you pick me to sing that song with?"

"Kurt, there is a moment when you say, 'oh there you are, I've been looking for you forever'. Watching you do Blackbird this week, that was the moment for me, about you. You move me Kurt and this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you."

Walking McKinley's hallways, Kurt showing him around, arguing with Karofsky, Santana helping them out, the look on Kurt's face as his friends told them to hurry.

"Aww, you miss them."

A heartfelt song, one of many on the McKinley High steps and their tears as the song ends, Kurt drawing Blaine in for a hug and whispered words against his neck.

"I'm never saying goodbye to you."

Kurt trying to talk Blaine into going to McKinley, not knowing he'd already had his transferral sorted out.

"I just want my senior year to be magic, and the only way that's going to happen is if I get to spend every minute of every day with you."

Kurt surprising him with flowers after the West Side Story auditions.

"These are to celebrate...you."

"You always zig when I think you're about to zag... and I just love that about you."

The night of their first time.

"You take my breath away. And not just now! Tonight, on that stage. I was so proud to be with you."

"I hope so... I want you to be."

"...I want to go to your house."

Their first Christmas.

"But what are you promising?"

"To always love you. To defend you even if I know you're wrong. To surprise you. To always pick up your call no matter what I'm doing. To bake you cookies at least twice a year and to kiss you whenever and where ever you want. Mostly to make sure that you always remember how perfectly imperfect you are. I know it's not something Elizabeth Taylor would've worn---"

"I love it. I love you. Merry Christmas, it's our first Christmas together."

"The first of many."

Stepping into the line of the slushy that almost blinded him.

"Argh!"

"Blaine!"

Talking about their relationship

"You know how hard long-distance relationships can be — we both saw The Notebook."

"Do you want to know how I picture the end of my life? Just like in The Notebook. I'm sitting in a nursing home talking endlessly about my high school sweetheart, my first love, going on and on about every detail as if they matter. Only in my version, he's there with me telling me to shut up so he can finish watching the American cinematheque salute to J. Lo."

"So, we're gonna be alright?"

"Yes, we're going to be alright. I told you, I'm never saying 'goodbye' to you."

The words that ended everything.

"I was with someone."

The Thanksgiving phone call.

"I can't stand not talking to you even if I'm mad at you, 'cause you're still my best friend."

"You're mine too."

"Kurt, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

That Christmas.

"No matter what, no matter where, even if we're not together, we're always going to be there for each other."

Valentine's Day.

"Tell me we're not back together."
"I mean, it was fun. But..."
"Don't- I'm not going to let you minimize this, Kurt. It's no accident that we were together on Christmas and again, on Valentine's Day. And we're going to be together for many, many more no matter how much you pretend that this doesn't mean anything."

The years after that merge and become a blur in his subconscious mind as he dreams, snippets of tweets, texts and conversations. Kurt's visits, his to Kurt, that day in the choir room when they'd all left and Kurt's gasp.

"I-I can't Blaine."

"Why not? We love each other-"

"We love each other Blaine but that's not good enough. We need to live life. You need to-"

"I need to what, Kurt?"

"Grow up, Blaine. I want to marry the man who will be, should be, not the boy. I marry you now and you stay this way."

"You're calling me immature."

"No Blaine I'm saying you need to grow into yourself. Your issues, your crush on Sam, this pursuit of me. You need to live your own life and gain your own strength."

"I can do that."

"I love you Blaine."

"I love you too Kurt. So..."

"Friends. For now."

"Okay."

Kurt kept the ring and they stayed in each other's lives through the boxes and phone calls.

The phone rings, waking him from his dreams. It's still dark outside, the first of the morning's light cracking the edges with gold. The ringing ends before he can answer but then a knocking replaces it. Blaine gets up and stumbles across the apartment. He opens the door and his mouth drops at the same time his heart soars.

In front of him stand Kurt, a small smile gracing his face and pieces of paper clutched in his hands, his notes, Blaine's mind dully tells him. Burt stands behind Kurt and Blaine's eyes flick to the man, confused.

"He came back from Heaven to tell you something." Burt says and the implication fills Blaine's eyes with tears. He looks back at the man he loves more than anything else and watches as red washes across Kurt's cheeks.

"I never stopped believing in us either." Kurt says and Blaine falls to his knees, unable to stand. Kurt steps in and kneels in front of Blaine, cupping his face as Blaine cries.

Burt closes the door and leaves silently, unnoticed by the young men.

Through his tears Blaine looks at Kurt and sees the boy he met on the stairwell, the boy he sang with, the boy he risked everything for, the boy who was his first, the boy he loved and cherished, the man who lived his dreams, the man he'd broken, the man who'd forgiven him, the man who came back for him. "I love you." He chokes out.

Kurt smiles and sees everything he's ever wanted, all the love and hurt, joy and pain right there, everything in life worth anything. "I love you too." He replies and kisses the black-haired man.

Blaine notices the ring on his finger. Later he'll notice the boxes outside of his door and he and Kurt will bring them in and lay Kurt's life out, mixing with his again. They'll call their friends and organise parties and in one phone call Blaine will thank Burt for the life he created, and the strength a conversation made.

They marry at 26 and 25, have their children at ages 29 and 28, 31 and 30, 34 and 33. They have careers, make history and fall in love over and over again.

They create lives filled with love, laughter and happiness. They die aged 90 and 89.

They never say goodbye.