The bus has been jam packed since their last stop in the middle of Pennsylvania. It’s crowded and noisy, children screaming and teenagers talking too loudly on their cellphones. Blaine’s stuck next to a guy with a long white ponytail who’s been asleep for more than an hour, his head rolling onto Blaine’s shoulder whenever the bus hits a bump. Blaine tries to make himself as small as possible, clinging to the arm rest and staring out the window. He’s played every app on his phone, read every magazine that he brought. He even played a few rounds of Sudoku with a nice old lady in the seat behind him.

He texts Kurt randomly to try and ease his boredom. Finally out of Ohio and in the great state of Pennsylvania! and I just saw an Amish family! The little girl was so cute. and finally It’s been 8.5 hours. I can’t feel my legs.

But soon the countryside of Pennsylvania turns into large buildings and large buildings turn into bridges and skyscrapers. When he’s stuck on a bridge, Manhattan just out of reach, he takes a picture and sends it to Kurt, I’m almost in your city!!!

The last hour is the longest, stuck in traffic and the children around him becoming even more loud and anxious. They’re bouncing down the aisles, whining about being bored and needing to use the bathroom, but Blaine doesn’t even care. Doesn’t care about anything else when his phone beeps and he reads the text from Kurt, You’re so close now, almost here! I’m waiting for you.

When the bus finally comes to a stop, the driver slams on the brakes and Blaine is jerked forward, the man sleeping next to him finally waking up. Blaine grabs his backpack and almost elbows his way through the line of people waiting to get off the bus, but thinks better of it. He waits, almost patiently, until he’s off the bus and his feet are planted on the New York City ground. He grabs his duffel bag from underneath the bus and looks around, trying to figure out where he needs to go. It’s completely overwhelming, but he takes a deep breath and thinks of Kurt.

When he finally makes it to the part of the bus terminal marked ‘arrivals’ he spots Kurt…and Rachel. He frowns, just slightly, when he sees her. Kurt’s arm is wrapped around Rachel’s shoulder and Blaine can see her hand is shoved into the back pocket of Kurt’s jeans. It’s not that he doesn’t like Rachel; in fact, it’s the opposite. He likes her quite a bit. After Kurt, she was Blaine’s closest friend during their time at McKinley and his go-to duet partner. But Blaine rode ten hours on a crowded smelly bus to see his boyfriend, not Rachel. It’s Blaine’s first time in New York and his first time seeing Kurt since he left for school two months ago.

Blaine fights his way through the crowd of people and it’s Rachel who spots him first. A wide smile breaks out across her face and she tugs the sleeve of Kurt’s jacket, bouncing on her toes. Blaine picks up his pace and can see Rachel mouthing, ‘look! There he is!’ Kurt turns his head frantically trying to find Blaine. Rachel has her finger pointed out and he follows it and when their eyes lock, Blaine feels his heart seize up. It’s been so long, too long, since they’ve seen each other in the flesh and not pixelated over a computer screen.

Kurt pulls away from Rachel and sprints towards Blaine. Blaine drops his bag and wraps his arms around Kurt, hugs him so tight that he thinks his bones might be crushed. They’re mumbling into each others skin, clutching at each others backs.

Kurt pulls away first, his forehead resting against Blaine’s. “I missed you so much.”

Blaine’s smiling so hard that his cheeks start to ache. It feels so good to touch Kurt, to hold him and pretend their last two months apart never happened. He’s about to kiss Kurt, doesn’t care that they’re in a crowd of people, when he catches Rachel in his peripheral vision. He squints and it almost looks like she’s recording them on her cellphone.

“Um, Kurt?” Blaine questions, jerking his head in Rachel’s direction.

Rachel smiles and moves closer, cellphone in front of her face. She directs them with her head, shaking it slightly to the side, her light gold necklace swinging. “Could you guys maybe move in a little closer? I want to see real tears.”

“Rachel, put the camera away,” Kurt says affectionately, not stern at all. Rachel looks at him with big eyes and he just laughs.

“I haven’t been getting a sufficient number of views on my YouTube channel. I think a human interest piece would really increase my subscribers.”


The walk from the bus station to the subway isn’t very far, but Kurt holds Blaine’s hand the entire time. Blaine knows he should be paying attention to his surroundings, taking in the architecture and the people, the amazing things he’s only ever read about, but his eyes stay on Kurt the entire time. It amazes him how Kurt navigates the crowded streets, politely pushing past tourists that are walking too slowly, his body twisting and turning to move between them. He tugs Blaine’s hand and Blaine goes willingly.

Kurt leads him down the stairs and into the subway, Rachel following close behind them. It’s warmer than outside, the air heavy and stale underground. Kurt points over at something that reminds Blaine of an ATM and tells him, “you need a MetroCard to use the subway.” Blaine nods and walks over, taking a credit card out of his wallet. He follows the prompts on the screen, but doesn’t make it very far. Does he need a card for the buses too, or just the subway? How many rides is he going to need while he’s visiting? He doesn’t know New York at all, doesn’t know how far away Rachel and Kurt’s apartment is from anything. He’s lost, staring at the screen until the white words morph into blobs. His shoulders drop and he thinks about how Kurt goes to school here, lives here, and how he can’t even manage to figure out fare for the subway.

The screen suddenly changes, a hand covered with fingerless gloves effortlessly pressing the buttons. Kurt smiles over at him and takes the credit card from Blaine’s hands and swipes it, a yellow and black MetroCard popping out moments later. He hands both cards back to Blaine.

“Sorry, this is all second nature to me at this point,” Kurt explains, but Blaine finds it amazing that Kurt is so comfortable, even with such a mundane task as this, has such a grip on his life here. Kurt is happy and growing up and Blaine loves it because he knows Kurt loves it. He thanks Kurt and tucks his credit card back in his wallet.

“Don’t you and Rachel need to buy one?” he asks, but Kurt is already putting his wallet away.

“Nope, ours have unlimited fares. Now come on, we don’t want to miss the train.” Blaine watches closely and mimics Kurt and Rachel as they slide their cards through. He breathes out a sigh of relief when the doors slide open on the first try.

The ride on the subway is crowded, Blaine and Rachel sitting on either side of Kurt. They’re talking excitedly about about all the places they’re going to take Blaine and Blaine should be happy, he knows he should be. But all he notices is the way Rachel has her foot hooked around Kurt’s ankle and how Kurt squeezes high up on Rachel’s thigh every time they agree on an especially fabulous place to bring Blaine.

“We have to take him to our coffee shop!”

“And our favorite spot in Central Park!”

“Oh, and that awesome vintage clothing store we love!”

Blaine can’t help but notice all the we’s and our’s leaving Kurt and Rachel’s mouths and it leaves him with a weird feeling deep down in his stomach. He knows he shouldn’t be jealous, knows that it’s a good thing for Kurt and Rachel to have each other here. But he can’t stop the little waves of jealousy that hit every time Rachel and Kurt finish each others sentences.

//

The apartment is smaller than Blaine imagined, but Kurt assures him that it’s standard size for New York City. The kitchen, dining room and living room are all in one very tiny space, a small kitchen table the only thing separating the two rooms. Blaine notices the bathroom door is off to the side and next to that is a bedroom. He cranes his neck around, searching for the second bedroom, but comes up empty. There’s only one bedroom. With one bed. For the two people living here.

“Just one bedroom?” Blaine asks, his grip tightening on the strap of his bag. This must be a mistake, Kurt must have brought him to the wrong apartment. This is where Kurt will tell him it’s all a joke and bring him to his and Rachel’s real apartment. With two bedrooms and separate beds. He’s suddenly hit with an imagine of Rachel and Kurt snuggled underneath the covers, Rachel’s head on Kurt’s shoulder, as they tell each other about their day.

“My dads generously offered to pay for our apartment until we get on our feet. Since I have no doubts I’ll be tapped as the next up-and-coming Broadway star, this is only temporary. But until then, Kurt’s sleeping on the futon,” Rachel explains as she pokes through the cupboards in the kitchen. “Do you take soy milk with your tea, Blaine?”

Blaine doesn’t answer her, though, relief washing through him. Separate beds, good. Okay.

“Rachel swears we’ll switch every three months, but I’m not so sure that will actually happen,” Kurt laughs as he walks over to where Rachel is bent over and taps her on the butt. She jumps up, mock anger on her face.

“Keep that up and we won’t switch at all,” she says as she shoves Kurt lightly in the shoulder.

Blaine drops his bags in the middle of the kitchen floor and moves over to Kurt without thinking, grabbing his hand possessively and tugging him the short distance into the living room. Kurt quirks an eyebrow and Blaine casually shrugs one shoulder, trying to play his jealousy off as no big deal. Rachel looks at Blaine knowingly and smiles.

“On second thought, I’m going to skip making tea and run down to the market for dinner ingredients. I saw tofurkey on sale this week, is that good for everyone?”

Kurt rolls his eyes, but says yes. Blaine just wants her out, wants some alone time with his boyfriend, and if eating meat substitute is what it takes, Blaine’s okay with that.

“Kurt, it’s your turn to take out the garbage. I’ll be back in a bit,” she says as she crosses the room. She gives Blaine a short tight hug and then goes up on her tip toes to kiss Kurt’s cheek, the backs of her heels slipping out of her ballet flats.

As soon as she slips out the door, Blaine pulls Kurt into him and kisses him. He takes out all of his misguided jealousy, all of his longing for Kurt over the last two months, and puts it into the kiss. It’s desperate and Blaine claws at Kurt’s back. Kurt kisses him back, licking into Blaine’s mouth when Blaine’s jaw drops open with a moan.

“Missed you, missed you so much,” Blaine says as he places kisses over Kurt’s mouth, cheek, neck. He’s been without this for two months and it’s like he’s making up for lost time. Kurt just groans his response, pushing Blaine’s shoulders until the back of his knees hit the couch, Kurt following down on top of him. They’re kissing and it’s all tongue and desperation, neither one caring about finesse. They’re too excited, too caught up in each other to care about making the kiss perfect.

Kurt presses down into Blaine, their bodies meeting at their hands, hips and knees. They’re both already so hard and Blaine whimpers when their cocks rub together. He knows it’s juvenile, but he feels a rush of happiness when he thinks about how Rachel will never have this with Kurt. They may have their school and their coffee shop and their one bedroom apartment but they don’t have this, they never will. Blaine rocks up into Kurt, his whole body vibrating with pleasure. He clings onto Kurt’s back, his finger nails digging in deep and making Kurt thrust down even harder. Blaine throws his head back, a groan getting stuck high in his throat. Kurt takes advantage of Blaine’s stretched out neck and finds the spot that makes him go crazy, right where his neck meets his collarbone. He mixes teeth and tongue, nipping at Blaine’s skin and then licking the red marks that start to form.

Their words have dissolved into groans, heavy breathing the only sound in the apartment. Blaine knows that this isn’t going to take very long. He’s gone too long without this, without Kurt, and he can feel the build up in the pit of his stomach when Kurt reaches for his belt buckle.

“Sorry boys, forgot my day planner and I just got the most brilliant idea. It’s so odd where inspiration strikes, isn’t it?” Rachel says as she opens the door. She only stops to look at the boys on the couch when Blaine lets out a high pitched yelp. She quickly covers here eyes with her hands, but Blaine can see her peaking through her fingers.

“Rachel, do you mind?” Kurt says, not sounding nearly as annoyed as Blaine feels.

Rachel dashes into her room to grab a small pink notebook, “Rachel’s Ideas” written in sparkly cursive across the front. She hurries back to the door, leaving them with, “I’ll take the long way home,” before shutting the door behind her.

Blaine’s face is bright red with embarrassment and Kurt just laughs as he snuggles his face down into Blaine’s neck. He gives his hips an experimental thrust down and Blaine whines, still so close to the edge even after Rachel’s unexpected appearance. Kurt moves his hand back down and quickly undoes Blaine’s belt and zipper.

“So, where were we?”

//

By the time Rachel returns from shopping, hands full of paper bags and shouting out, “is everyone decent?” with her eyes closed, Blaine and Kurt are snuggled up on the couch. There’s something on TV, the news or a game show maybe, but all Blaine can focus on is Kurt’s fingers running through his hair. It feels perfect, like he belongs here, and he snuggles down a little further into Kurt’s lap.

“Ha ha, Rachel. Very funny,” Kurt calls out. He bends down to whisper into Blaine’s ear, “time to get up, I have to help Rachel with dinner.” Blaine reluctantly lifts his head and watches as Kurt stands, watches the way his back and shoulders contort when he stretches his arms over his head.

Kurt and Rachel move around the kitchen without needing to say anything. When Kurt pulls a head of lettuce out of one of the bags, Rachel is already getting him a cutting board. She doesn’t need to ask Kurt to get her the roasting pan from the top shelf in a cupboard that she can’t reach, he’s already pulling it down for her. They move around seamlessly, Kurt filling a pot with water to boil Rachel’s pasta, Rachel chopping up pieces of bell pepper for Kurt’s salad.

Blaine feels completely awkward and left out, sitting on the couch while the two of them prepare dinner. The jealousy that’s been gnawing at the bottom of his stomach starts to bubble up. They look so happy together and it’s not that Blaine’s jealous that Kurt’s happy, he wants to Kurt to be happy. He’s jealous that Kurt’s happy without him, that Kurt is now comfortable around someone else the way he’d only been comfortable around Blaine. He knows it’s childish and immature, which just makes it worse, so he just keeps his mouth shut.

When he hears Rachel tell an inside joke between the two of them and sees Kurt ruffle her hair, it’s like his body is on auto-pilot. He gets up and walks over to the kitchen, slips an arm around Kurt’s waist and tugs him close until they’re sharing the same body space.

“Can I help you guys with anything?” Blaine asks. The kitchen is the perfect size for the two of them, just Rachel and Kurt, and Blaine can tell immediately that he’s in the way.

Kurt smiles and scoots a little closer, dinner temporarily forgotten. “You’re our guest, Blaine. I’m not going to put you to work.”

“But I don’t mind helping,” Blaine insists. He actually doesn’t know much about cooking, his mom always makes his meals, but he just needs to be closer to Kurt, to be a part of Kurt’s new life, even if it’s in such a small way.

“Don’t be silly, go have a seat. We’ll have this in the oven in a minute,” Kurt says as he brushes his lips against Blaine’s cheek. Blaine turns his head quickly, forcing their lips to meet, and really kisses him. He tells himself that it’s only because he’s misses Kurt and not because Rachel is less than a foot away. Kurt makes a surprised noise in the back of his throat, but doesn’t pull away. They continue kissing, Blaine using his teeth to lightly tug on Kurt’s bottom lip, until they hear Rachel let out a high pitched laugh.

“I’ve missed how adorable you two are,” she says, her hands on her cheeks. Blaine pulls away from the kiss, embarrassed and a little guilty, and Kurt just rolls his eyes.


After dinner is done and put away, dishes washed and drying on the rack, after a few board games and the evening news, they talk quietly as Rachel showers and gets ready for bed, laying together face to face and sharing the same pillow. The couch is folded open and made into a bed, the sheets from Kurt’s old bedroom in Lima covering the mattress. Blaine molds his head into the pillow and breathes in deeply, the fabric smelling familiar.

“So what do you have planned for us tomorrow?” Blaine asks, leaving out the ‘maybe just the two of us?’

“Mmmm, not sure. Central Park, maybe. Or Broadway,” Kurt answers, his fingers dancing over the skin low on Blaine’s stomach. Blaine hisses at the unexpected touch, his body breaking out in goosebumps. Kurt continues, “But I could probably be convinced to stay in bed all day.”

Blaine sucks in a breath when Kurt’s hand dips into his pajama pants, cupping Blaine through his underwear. Kurt’s hand is warm and unmoving, just enjoying the feeling of Blaine, and Blaine rocks his hips into the touch. There’s barely any friction and a layer of clothing that dulls everything, but Blaine knows it’s enough, he could come from just this.

“You’re already hard for me,” Kurt whispers, something like amazement in his voice.

The water shuts off in the bathroom and Rachel emerges a moment later, a towel wrapped around her head and a cloud of steam following her.

“Goodnight, boys. See you in the morning,” she sing-songs as she walks into her bedroom and shuts the door.

Kurt’s on top of Blaine as soon as the door clicks shut, pressing him into the couch. He bends down, traces Blaine’s lips with his tongue, and whispers, “can you be quiet for me?”

Blaine nods, knows he has to be quiet, but not being able to form words anyway. Kurt slides his hand inside Blaine’s underwear, skin on skin, and Blaine jerks his hips up on instinct.

“Clothes. Clothes off,” Blaine chokes out. Kurt lets go of his dick and Blaine almost sobs, but then he sees Kurt getting naked, so much gorgeous skin, and his brain kicks into gear. He pulls off his t-shirt and then his pants and underwear, he briefs getting caught around his ankles momentarily.

But then Kurt is back, knees straddling Blaine’s thigh. Blaine grabs on to Kurt’s waist and bucks up, their cocks rubbing together. He lets out a moan when they rock together, he can’t help it. This feels so good, so fucking perfect, and he doesn’t know if Rachel heard him but he does know that he couldn’t care less.

“Shhhh,” Kurt reminds him, whispers it onto Blaine’s lips. Kurt pulls back and licks the palm of his hand and Blaine watches, can’t take his eyes away from Kurt’s tongue and the way it moves. Kurt pulls his hand away from his mouth and Blaine can see the wetness shining on his palm even in the dark. Kurt wraps his hand around both of their dicks, too tight and trapping them together, and thrusts. Blaine’s eyes roll into the back of his head and he has to force himself to not come on the spot. He reaches up and grabs Kurt by the neck, pulls him down until their lips meet and Blaine can spill all of the sounds he wants to make into Kurt’s mouth.

Kurt’s thrusting slowly, taking his time sliding his dick against Blaine’s. It feels amazing, Kurt constantly nudging against the sensitive part on Blaine’s cock, right underneath the head, everything wet and tight and perfect. Blaine knows he’s close but as much as he wants to come, he doesn’t want it to be like this.

“Kurt, please, fuck me please please please,” Blaine begs, as if Kurt needs convincing.

“Where’s the stuff I asked you to bring?” Kurt asks, still thrusting against Blaine a little, like he can’t help it.

“Front pocket of my bag,” Blaine answers. He wraps his hand around his dick, just to feel something there, while Kurt rolls off him to grab the supplies. He drops the condom and lube next to Blaine’s hip before going up to give Blaine one more kiss.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” Kurt whispers, placing a quick kiss on Blaine’s lips. Blaine tries to deepen the kiss, but Kurt is already moving down his body, lips first and fingers following after. He tongue slides down the middle of Blaine’s chest, following each groove and dip, his fingers digging in and counting ribs. Blaine’s squirming, body moving soundlessly, fingers getting caught in Kurt’s hair and the sheets. Kurt opens the bottle with a ‘pop’, the sound out of place in the quiet room. He circles one finger around Blaine’s entrance, just teasing, and Blaine gasps.

“No, start with two. Please,” Blaine begs. Kurt pauses, unsure, but Blaine nods his head, hair flopping. “Please, I want to feel it tomorrow and on that stupid bus and when I’m sitting in class on Monday.” Kurt lets out a growl that’s probably a little too loud, a thin wall the only thing separating them from Rachel. Kurt pushes two fingers inside of Blaine at once and Blaine closes his eyes because yesyesyes. This is exactly what he wants.

Kurt goes slowly at first but picks up speed when he feels Blaine start to relax and loosen around his fingers. Blaine has done this to himself more times than he can count in the last two months, but it always feels better when Kurt does it. He crooks his fingers inside of Blaine, just so, and Blaine has to shove his face into the pillow to drown out his screams.

“Three, I’m ready for three,” Blaine pants, his breath harsh. Kurt complies quickly after adding a little more lube, everything sliding easily now. He doesn’t have his fingers inside Blaine for very long, probably not long enough for Blaine to stop and tell him, “okay, I’m ready. Now, please.”

Kurt opens the condom package with shaking hands and slips it on, adding more lube, before he finally pushes inside of Blaine. The blunt pressure opening him up feels perfect and Blaine has to force himself to not shut his eyes from the pleasure, to keep them open and looking at Kurt. Because as much as Blaine missed the sex, the feeling of being completely filled, he missed Kurt more. The way Kurt looks every time he pushes into Blaine for the first time, head dropping, mouth slightly open, eyes shut, and shoulders shaking. Blaine knows that Kurt is trying to concentrate on not going too fast too soon, giving Blaine enough time to get comfortable. But Blaine doesn’t want Kurt holding back.

“It’s okay, come on, Kurt. Let go,” Blaine urges, moving his hips until his ass presses down farther onto Kurt’s cock. Blaine can see something inside of Kurt break and his speed picks up, thrusting in and out and exactly how Blaine wants it. The pressure and the stretch are morphing into pure pleasure when Kurt stops, pulls his dick out of Blaine until just his head is left inside. Blaine whines and tries to thrust down.

“No, don’t stop. Why did you stop?” Blaine asks, moving his hips to try and coax Kurt back inside. Blaine can see his shoulders heaving, concentration written all over his face.

“You feel so good, you’re going to make me come already,” Kurt breathes out and Blaine can feel his knees shaking.

“No, no. Want you to come, I want it,” Blaine mumbles, wraps his hand around his dick and starts stroking. The groan Kurt lets out is purely animalistic as he slides back inside in one push. He lets go completely, fucking Blaine faster than he was before. The back of the couch is hitting the wall lightly, just enough for Blaine to hear and he loves it, hopes that their fucking will leave a mark on the wall.

Blaine moves his hand faster, trying to keep up with Kurt’s thrusts. But it’s too much, his hand on his cock and Kurt; the way he looks and the way he sounds and the way he’s pushing himself into Blaine’s body. Their breathing is heavy, their gasps and moans loud when they can’t stop themselves. It feels so good, too good to hold on anymore, so Blaine lets go.

Kurt bends down to bite on Blaine’s neck when he whispers, “Kurt, you’re gonna make me—”. Blaine finally lets his eyes fall shut as he comes, the pleasure too much to keep them open. It feels like it lasts forever, a constant stream of pleasure leaving his body. He feels Kurt bite down on his neck a little harder when he comes, his body pushing into Blaine one more time before stilling. They don’t move for a minute, gasping for air and trying to regain their breath. Kurt eventually rolls off of Blaine and Blaine misses his presence immediately, but he’s back soon enough with their pajamas he retrieved from the floor and a wet cloth to wipe Blaine’s stomach.

They get back into their clothes and snuggle under the covers, legs hooked together. Blaine wants to stay awake as long as possible, doesn’t want to miss any time with Kurt sleeping. But his eye lids are drooping shut and he barely hears Kurt say, “hmmm, you’ve got a red mark here,” when he trails a finger over Blaine’s neck.

“Your fault,” Blaine mumbles and definitely doesn’t think about how Rachel will see the mark on his neck in the morning.

\

Blaine wakes up a little chilly, goosebumps along his arms, and burrows down into the blankets a little deeper. He cracks his eyes open, sensitive against the sunlight streaming in from the windows, searching for Kurt but finding the bed empty. He frowns and is ready to throw the covers off when he hears hushed talking over at the kitchen table.

Rachel and Kurt are sitting close together, a shared blanket thrown over their laps. Kurt’s hair is still messy from sleep, eyes a little puffy and crinkles from the pillow lining his face. Kurt takes a sip from Rachel’s coffee mug and makes a face and Blaine hears something about too much sugar. This is obviously a private moment between the two of them and Blaine almost feels like he’s intruding. He closes his eyes again, willing himself to fall back to sleep, but he picks up bits and pieces of their conversations. Chores and rent money, the laundromat, a difficult assignment for a class they share at school. It’s everything personal between the two of them and Blaine pulls the covers up to his ears, trying to drown them out.

It’s only a few minutes later when he hears the legs of the chairs scrape against the tile floor, the sound of a quick kiss, and the front door being shut softly. He wonders where they’re off to now, what task they need to accomplish together today. But then the bed dips and Kurt is right beside him. He snakes his arm underneath Blaine’s pillow and presses himself against Blaine’s back, his free hand pulling at Blaine’s waist possessively.

“Hey, time to wake up,” Kurt whispers against the back of Blaine’s neck, his lips catching on Blaine’s skin. He snuggles back against Kurt even more, feels the hard lines of Kurt’s body matching up perfectly with his. They’re connected completely, fingers knotted and knees bent together.

“Mmmm,” Blaine mumbles and then yawns, pretends that he’s just waking up.

“Roll over and let me kiss you. I’ve missed your morning breath,” Kurt teases and Blaine is rolling over before Kurt can even finish his sentence.

Blaine rolls over onto his other side, meets Kurt’s face on his pillow, their breath mingling together. Blaine’s smile reaches his eyes and Kurt leans forward.

The kiss is slow and sleepy, nothing like the rush of the night before. They take their time, opening their mouths and licking inside slowly. It’s like they’re getting reacquainted with each other after being apart for so long, learning each other again by touch. Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt’s shoulders and brings him in closer, needing to feel Kurt’s body against his. He moans when he feels their cocks rub together, already hardening.

They take their time, still groggy with sleep. They never speed up their grinding, the pace stays slow and intimate. In a city filled with 8 million people (and one roommate), it’s just the two of them.

They never stop kissing. Wrapped up tightly, hips falling apart only a fraction before coming back together. It’s perfect like this, exactly what they need. The rush is gone and Blaine can feel everything, every inch of Kurt.

Blaine’s orgasm is a slow buildup that starts at the tips of his toes and fingers. He doesn’t warn Kurt this time, but he doesn’t need to; Kurt knows. He can tell from the tiny whines leaving Blaine’s mouth, the way his hips begin to stutter. Blaine clings on to Kurt’s back when he comes, hips jerking roughly, and lets himself moan Kurt’s name loudly.

Kurt ruts against Blaine a few more times, a mix of “I love you, I miss you, so perfect” falling from his mouth and into Blaine’s. Blaine holds Kurt through it, strokes his back until Kurt’s hips still.

Blaine breaks the comfortable silence with, “our pants need to come off next time. I don’t have an unlimited supply of underwear here.”

Kurt laughs loud and bright, his hold tightening on Blaine. “Get in the shower and I’ll make coffee. We have a date with New York.”

//

“Where are we going?” Blaine asks again as they step on the subway. It’s mid-morning, the early morning rush already gone, so there’s plenty of room on the train. Blaine still sits right next to Kurt, shoulders touching.

“I told you, it’s a surprise. Our first stop is Queens, though,” Kurt tells him.

“Like, the borough, or…?” Blaine trails off.

“Yes, the borough. I’m not bringing you to a drag bar at 10 in the morning,” Kurt laughs and reaches out for Blaine’s hand, squeezing tight.

Blaine doesn’t know how long the ride into Queens takes. It could be ten minutes or two hours. He’s completely lost in what Kurt’s saying, telling him stories of his first two months in the city: the time he sat next to man on the subway who was wearing no pants, the first time he saw a rat scurrying around on the street, the first time he and Rachel managed to get served at a bar.

Blaine perks up at that story, grips Kurt’s hand a little tighter, tries for nonchalance when he asks, “A bar? How was that?”

“Rachel threw up within the first hour and we were home before midnight,” Kurt laughs, and there it is. Another memory that Kurt has without Blaine.

Before Blaine can really think about it, Kurt’s pulling him up. “We’re here!” he declares, his hand staying locked with Blaine’s.

They walk a few blocks, passed old buildings and closed down factories. Blaine’s having trouble imagining what could be so interesting about this place, but then they turn the corner and Kurt says, “look”.

It’s what looks like an old warehouse, a few broken windows litter the walls. But Blaine immediately sees why Kurt brought him here.

Every inch of the broken down building is covered in graffiti, the bright artwork covering the walls. There’s poetry and New York City landmarks and an alien invasion.

“What is this place?” Blaine asks, awe in his voice.

“It used to be an old warehouse, but now it’s art studios. The graffiti is changing all the time. Isn’t it amazing?” Kurt explains, tugging Blaine’s hand to show him more of the building.

There’s graffiti covering every available inch, all the way up the walls and onto the roof. They walk around, just looking at all the art, shoes splashing the dirty water on the ground. It’s beautiful, urban and exciting, and Blaine thinks of back home and how nothing is like this.

When the tour of the graffiti building is done, they find themselves back in Manhattan. Kurt takes them to a caf� with the richest hot chocolate Blaine’s ever tasted. They order sandwiches and eat them quickly, excited to explore more of the city.

They stop at the Museum of Modern Art and Blaine thinks he could stay here forever. He wants to reach out and touch the Monets, the van Goghs, the statues and sculptures. But he’s here with Kurt, making new memories together, and that’s even better.

When they leave the museum they take the steps down two at a time, hands joined the whole way.

“Where to next?” Blaine asks, shifting closer to Kurt as they walk down the street.

“Central Park,” Kurt answers with a smile.

The walk is quick and soon Kurt is directing them inside the park, his hand pressed into Blaine’s back. It’s early November and the trees are almost bare, but Blaine still finds it beautiful.

Kurt shows him a water fountain, empty now that’s it’s colder out, and Blaine uses kisses to convince Kurt to hop in with him.

“Come on, Kurt! It’s empty,” Blaine says as he steps into the fountain. There’s a statue of an angel in the middle and Blaine wishes he could climb up and touch her feet.

“Blaine! Get out of there,” Kurt yells to him, but Blaine doesn’t listen.

“There’s no one around,” he says as he walks over to Kurt. He kisses Kurt on the lips, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, until Kurt is laughing and letting himself be tugged in.

“This has to be trespassing,” he says, his voice high and anxious. Blaine smiles and pulls Kurt into his arms, locks his hands around Kurt’s waist. He bumps their foreheads together and closes his eyes.

“I think you’re amazing for living here, going to school here, everything. I’m so proud of you,” Blaine says what he’s thinking, what he’s been thinking since the moment he got here.

Kurt just tucks his head into Blaine’s shoulder, his cheeks red. They stand there for a few more moments before breaking apart.

“Come on, there’s one more place I want to show you,” Kurt says as they step out of the fountain.

They walk through the park slowly, just enjoying being together. Blaine sneaks kisses when he can, Kurt rolling his eyes but smiling the whole time. Kurt finally stops them on a stone bridge that goes over part of the lake.

“I love this spot. The water and the trees, but if you look up, you can see the city in the background,” Kurt says, pointing through the trees and at the skyscrapers that are always there.

Blaine pulls his phone out of his pocket, flicks it over to camera mode, and stops the next person walking by.

“Excuse me, sir. Do you mind taking a picture of us?” Blaine asks.

He hands his phone to the old man with Kurt protesting the whole time. Blaine walks back to Kurt, hugs him tight around the waist, and smiles directly into the camera when it flashes.

“Now give him a kiss, yes?” the old man says in a thick Russian accent.

Kurt huffs out a breath, but Blaine is already leaning over and placing his lips on Kurt’s cheek.

“Okay, now cheese!” the old man says happily and Blaine can feel it on his lips when Kurt breaks out in a smile.


They make their way over to a row of benches, sitting down and pressed close together with the falling temperature. The sun is starting to set and Blaine can feel the press of the cold metal through his jeans, so he just snuggles in closer to Kurt for warmth. They people-watch, heads close together, making up stories for the men and women walking by. The man currently in front of them is on his cellphone, gesturing his hands and arguing loudly.

“He obviously caught his girlfriend cheating on him,” Kurt whispers to Blaine so the man doesn’t overhear them.

“Who was she cheating on him with? His brother? Best friend?” Blaine plays along.

“The cat sitter,” Kurt answers and Blaine laughs.

“How did you come up with that?”

Kurt proceeds to tell Blaine the story, making it up as he goes. “He’s away on business a lot and doesn’t make time for her. He can’t commit to a style, look at those loose pants and tailored shirt, let alone to marriage. He got her a cat to keep her happy, but it just made her even more angry. So she fell into the arms of the cat sitter.” Kurt goes on, providing details about how the affair started, when his phone rings.

“Hi, sweetie,” Kurt answers fondly and Blaine can feel his mood start to shift. Kurt mouths ‘it’s Rachel’ and Blaine barely stops himself from rolling his eyes.

“So how was yoga this morning? Finally work up the nerve to ask for the cute instructor’s number?” Kurt asks. Blaine can hear Rachel’s excited chattering and his fingers itch to grab the phone away from Kurt and hang it up.

“No, we haven’t eaten since lunch. We’re actually not too far from there. Meet you in half an hour?” Kurt says as he stands, Blaine following suit. He ends the call with a quick ‘love ya!’ and Blaine does his best to ignore it.

“Dinner?” He asks, clearing his throat.

“At our favorite Indian place. We’re actually meeting with some friends from school. They’re dying to meet you,” Kurt says excitedly and Blaine feels his stomach drop.

“Oh yeah?” Blaine says, eyes on the ground as they walk, his toes kicking pebbles out of the way.

\

When they enter the restaurant Kurt doesn’t even need to ask the hostess where the group is, Rachel is already darting across the room and throwing her arms around Kurt in a tight hug. Kurt laughs and picks her up, the tips of her toes scraping the ground. She kisses him full on the lips, more than a quick friendly peck, and Blaine’s eyes widen. He balls his hands into fists and takes a deep breath, counts to backwards from ten.

“I missed you!” Rachel tells him, talking loudly over the noise of the restaurant, and this time Blaine does roll his eyes.

“We’ve only been gone for eight hours,” Blaine says as he removes his jacket, not even trying to hide the irritation in his voice.

“It felt like so much longer, I don’t know how I survived without you,” Rachel says dramatically. She walks them over to their table where Blaine sees a group of five people he doesn’t recognize, all around the same age as Kurt.

There are two empty chairs next to each other and a third at the far end of the table. Blaine quickly sits down in one of the open chairs and pulls out the one next to him for Kurt. He smiles smugly when Rachel sits down at the opposite end of the table and he realizes that if he leans just right, he can block Rachel from Kurt’s view altogether.

“Excuse me,” Kurt shouts to get the attention of the group. “This is Blaine, my boyfriend.” Kurt rattles off the names of his friends, but Blaine is too nervous to remember any of them. He feels so young, so out of place. They all look so hip, so effortlessly cool, and Blaine tugs at the bottom of his sweater vest.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Blaine responds with a smile and a small wave. Everyone gives him a polite head nod before turning back to their conversations.


Dinner isn’t nearly as bad as Blaine expects. Rachel is engrossed in a conversation with some of their friends and barely says two words to Kurt through out dinner. Instead, Kurt focuses on Blaine. Kurt has him try all sorts of food, none of which Blaine can pronounce, and it’s all delicious. It burns his taste buds and makes sweat bead from his forehead, but it’s perfect. All of Kurt’s friends are genuinely nice and no one makes him feel young and stupid, like he doesn’t belong in their group. They ask him about Ohio, beg him for details about Kurt’s life at Dalton.

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Kurt says when Blaine starts to tell the entire table about Kurt making a bedazzled coffin for his dead bird. “I think we’re actually going to head out before dessert starts. It’s Blaine’s last night in town.” The entire table whistles and Kurt shushes them. “I didn’t mean like that, perverts!”

Blaine’s almost sad to leave. Kurt’s friends are incredibly interesting, the table full of laughter, and there was something on the menu with rice pudding and rose water. But Kurt’s hand is low on his back, fingertips just inching into the waist of Blaine’s jeans, and Blaine doesn’t think twice when he stands from the table.

“It was so nice to meet everyone,” Blaine says to the table as he slips on his coat, everyone waving their goodbyes as he and Kurt exit.

They walk out to the street, the cold air making Blaine tug his coat closer to his body. Kurt steps up to the curb and sticks his arm out, a cab pulling up a few seconds later.

“We’re not taking the subway?” Blaine asks as he opens the door for Kurt. Kurt slides along the seat and tells the driver his address, Blaine following him inside.

Kurt leans in, cold lips and warm breath against Blaine’s ear, and whispers, “I’m not sure how long we have before Rachel gets home and I don’t want to waste time on the subway.” He pauses. “And I need you to fuck me.”


Blaine’s fingers itch to touch Kurt during the entire cab ride back to the apartment. He shoves his hands underneath his thighs and the tips of his toes bounce in anticipation. The way Kurt is looking at him, eyes raking him up and down, makes his skin feel tight. Blaine bites on his lip to keep from reaching over and kissing Kurt, not caring they’re in the back seat of a taxi.

The ride is short and when they get inside Kurt’s apartment building they share the elevator with an older lady, standing at opposites ends because Blaine doesn’t trust himself near Kurt. The elevator ride seems longer than the one in the cab and Blaine can’t help the sigh of relief he lets out when the elevator dings and the door opens on Kurt’s floor. They rush out, laughing when they bump into each other, and the old lady huffs out a breath as the doors close.

Kurt fishes the keys out of his pocket, his hands shaking slightly as he finds the key for the apartment. Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt from behind and grinds his erection into Kurt’s ass, slow and teasing. Kurt turns his head to the side and Blaine can see him biting his lip, trying to keep quiet. Blaine grinds harder, arms wrapped around his waist, and Kurt pushes back on instinct.

“You have to stop or I’ll never get the door open,” Kurt tells him, voice trembling. Blaine stops grinding, but keeps his dick pressed into Kurt, his chest against Kurt’s back. Kurt finally gets the door open and they tumble inside, quickly kicking their shoes off in the doorway. Kurt barely has a chance to lock the door before Blaine’s on him again, hands and lips everywhere.

“Jacket off,” Blaine growls, teeth nibbling on Kurt’s neck. Kurt pulls back just far enough to undo the buttons on his jacket, Blaine unzipping his at the same time. They let them fall to the floor and Blaine’s back on Kurt, pushing him back until they fall together on the folded out couch.

“I need to be inside you,” Blaine says in between kisses. He can’t get enough of Kurt, the way he looks, the way he tastes. After tonight Blaine will be on a bus back to Lima and he doesn’t want to waste a minute. He sits up, legs straddling Kurt’s thighs. “Arms up,” Blaine instructs and doesn’t waste any time yanking the soft gray turtleneck over Kurt’s head. He tosses it, not caring where it lands, before ripping off his own shirt and bending down. He counts Kurt’s ribs with his tongue, tries to memorize the taste of Kurt’s skin.

Blaine molds himself to Kurt, presses every inch of their bodies together that he can. He licks Kurt’s stomach, the stretch of skin between his belly button and the top of his jeans, and Kurt trembles underneath his touch.

“You’re shaking,” Blaine whispers against Kurt’s skin. Kurt’s making these small whines, his hips twitching up involuntarily, and the sound goes straight to Blaine’s dick.

“I can’t help it. Everything you do feels so good,” Kurt says and slides his fingers into Blaine’s hair, the gel loose after a long day.

Blaine quickly pops open the button on Kurt’s jeans, pulls the tight denim off of Kurt’s hips and down his legs. He can see how hard Kurt is through his underwear, his cock thick and straining against the fabric. Blaine goes back to straddling Kurt’s thighs, his own dick painfully hard inside his pants, and he reaches out to feel Kurt. His grip on Kurt’s dick is tight, but he doesn’t move his hand, just holds Kurt and feels how large Kurt is in his hand.

“Please, Blaine,” Kurt begs, bucks his hips up in an effort to get Blaine to move.

Blaine does move. He scoots further down Kurt’s legs so he can pull off Kurt’s briefs and then stands up, sliding off his own pants and underwear. Once he’s naked he grabs the lube and condoms from his bag and goes back to Kurt.

“Open your legs for me,” Blaine asks, fingers nudging the inside of Kurt’s thighs, and settles in between them when they fall open. “Feet up,” Blaine asks again and Kurt bends his knees up and plants his feet on the bed. Blaine spreads Kurt open and moans when Kurt lets his knees fall further apart without being told. He doesn’t waste anything time coating his fingers with lube. He runs one finger up and down Kurt’s ass, circling around his hole but never pushing in.

”Blaine, come on. Rachel will be home soon,” Kurt whines and Blaine pushes in two fingers at once.

“Enough. About. Rachel,” Blaine growls, thrusting his fingers inside Kurt after each word. Kurt cries out and Blaine almost stops, worries that it’s too much, but Kurt grinds his ass down on to Blaine’s fingers.

“You’re mine,” Blaine says, his breath hot against Kurt’s hip. “Mine, not Rachel’s.” He works a third finger inside Kurt, sliding and stretching. It’s been building all weekend, this burning jealousy in the pit of his stomach. “I’m the only one who gets to do this to you,” Blaine reminds him, voice low. He moves his fingers faster, rubbing inside where he knows Kurt wants it.

“Say it.” Blaine’s telling, not asking. He reaches for the condom, rips it open and rolls it down on his dick. He takes his fingers out of Kurt’s ass, making Kurt whine, and covers his cock with lube. “Say it or I won’t fuck you.”

“Blaine, please,” but it’s not what Blaine wants to hear. He rubs the head of his dick against Kurt’s hole, just a tease.

“I told you to say it,” Blaine repeats. He bends down, his body covering Kurt’s, and growls into Kurt’s ear, “say you’re mine.”

“Yes, yours. I’m yours, no one else’s,” Kurt pants and Blaine pushes inside of him.

Kurt groans loudly and Blaine can feel it deep in his chest. It feels like he’s had the wind knocked out of him, Kurt is so tight and warm and Blaine can’t seem to catch his breath.

“Mine, mine,” Blaine repeats over and over. Kurt’s writhing underneath him as Blaine moves faster, his fingers digging into Blaine’s back. The pressure of Kurt’s hands on him makes Blaine thrust in harder, skin slapping together and the couch bumping into the wall.

“You feel so good, Kurt. So tight for me,” Blaine gasps, pushing into Kurt harder. Kurt is making high-pitched “oh oh oh”s, moving underneath Blaine, and it makes Blaine fuck Kurt harder. Kurt reaches down for his cock and starts stroking, fast and rough, and Blaine can tell he’s close. Two months apart and Blaine can still remember in detail how Kurt looks when he’s about to come; eyes squeezed shut, lips parted, hand working fast over his dick.

“Yeah, Kurt,” Blaine encourages him. “I want to see you come. Want to see you come and hear you say my name.”

“Blaine,” Kurt moans loudly. Blaine bends down and snakes his arms underneath Kurt’s neck.

“Yeah, just like that. You’re going to make me come, Kurt. I’m gonna—” Blaine grips his arms tighter around the back of Kurt’s neck and thrusts in, buries himself deep inside Kurt, and comes harder than he can ever remember. He stills his hips, ready to pull out, when Kurt wraps his legs around Blaine’s back to keep him in place.

“No no no, stay inside me when I come,” Kurt begs desperately, his hand moving even faster. Blaine’s on the verge of being over-sensitive, but he stays inside of Kurt, rocking his hips gently.

“Blaine, I’m going to—” Kurt starts, but Blaine cuts him off with a kiss, swallows all of the sounds from Kurt’s mouth. He can feel Kurt’s hips jerk and then his come hitting their stomachs.

“Is it okay if I…?” Blaine asks and Kurt nods. Blaine pulls out slowly, careful not to hurt Kurt, and climbs off of him to throw out the condom and get something to clean them up with. He sees one of Rachel’s pink face cloths hanging on a hook in the bathroom and Blaine smiles the entire time he wipes Kurt and himself clean.

When he gets back to bed, Kurt is already in his pajamas and snuggled down in the blankets. Blaine gets into his boxers and t-shirt and slides in next to Kurt. He presses himself into Kurt’s back until their bodies are lined up completely and throws an arm over Kurt’s waist.

“Why do we have to waste time sleeping?” Blaine pouts and Kurt shuffles his body back against Blaine even more.

“Don’t worry, I set the alarm for six. We’ll have plenty of time before you have to go back to the bus station,” Kurt says. Blaine nods, nose buried in the back of Kurt’s neck, and closes his eyes.

\

Blaine sleeps straight through the night, only waking up when he hears the muffled sound of the alarm going off underneath Kurt’s pillows. He groans and pushes his face down into his pillow, not ready to be awake and certainly not ready to leave Kurt’s bed. He throws an arm around Kurt’s waist and wiggles closer against his back, not ready to let go. Beside him Kurt fumbles around under his pillow until he finds his phone and shuts the alarm off.

The bedroom door creaks open and Rachel tiptoes out and over to the kitchen. She reaches up into a cupboard and comes back down with a bag of coffee.

“How was last night? I didn’t even hear you come in,” Kurt asks, voice still scratchy with sleep.

“Dessert was delicious. And I may have gone out with my yoga instructor for drinks afterwards,” she tails off, her eyes sparkling.

“Details. Right now,” Kurt demands as he throws the blanket off of them. He kicks his leg out and moves to drop his foot to the ground, but Blaine tightens his grip.

“Isn’t it a little early for you to be awake, Rachel?” Blaine asks, fingers tightening around Kurt and not letting go. Kurt turns his neck to look at Blaine and arches an eyebrow.

“I only woke up to start coffee. I need precisely eight and a half hours of sleep every night and I’m currently at seven and a quarter.” She fills up the coffee pot with water and waits for it to start dripping before smiling at the boys are heading back into her room.

“So what was that all about?” Kurt asks, rolling over completely so he and Blaine are facing each other.

“What do you mean?” Blaine says innocently, trying to keep his voice light.

“Your death grip on me the second I tried to get out of bed and talk to Rachel.” Kurt has his arms folded across his chest and a small frown on his face.

“I was just cold,” Blaine answers lamely. He tries to bury his face deeper in the pillow, but Kurt takes his chin and moves it up.

“You don’t have to be jealous of Rachel,” Kurt says, his voice soft.

Blaine scoffs, rolling his eyes at Kurt. “I’m not jealous of Rachel. That’s ridiculous.”

“You’re right. It is ridiculous.” He pokes Blaine in the side playfully. “Now tell me, why are you jealous of Rachel?”

Blaine knows there’s no point in disagreeing, Kurt has always been able to see right through him. “You two are so comfortable here, you spend all your time together,” Blaine says softly. “And she kissed you,” he adds, as if that explains everything.

“Blaine, you know that doesn’t mean anything,” Kurt reasons, uncrossing his arms and lightly stroking Blaine’s hip with his finger tips.

“I know,” he sighs and rolls over so he’s flat on his back and staring at the ceiling. “You’re having an amazing time with her, but it should be me here with you.”

“It will be,” Kurt whispers. “Next year. I promise. We’ll spend so much time together you’ll end up getting sick of me,” Kurt says even though they both know that’s not possible.

“I guess I’m just jealous of what you guys have here,” Blaine admits. Kurt shifts so they’re closer, his head resting on Blaine’s chest.

“I can’t wait until you’re here with me,” Kurt says, lips brushing against Blaine’s neck. “And I’ll tell Rachel to lighten up on the PDA.”

Blaine lets out a laugh, the tension draining from his body. “Thank you.” He cranes his neck down and places his lips against Kurt’s and mouths, “I want to be the only one who kisses you.”

“You’re still the only one who counted,” Kurt reminds him with a smile. Blaine wants to kiss him, slow and deep and real. Take Kurt into his arms and rub against each other, clinging together while they fall apart. But Rachel’s in the next room and there’s coffee brewing and a small cafe down the street that Kurt promised him made the city’s best scones. So he settles for a quick kiss, parting his lips just a little before pulling away.

“Coffe and then breakfast?” Kurt asks as he sits up, back stretching and working out the kinks in his neck. “Just the two of us?”

“Just the two of us,” Blaine replies. He slips out of bed, feet shuffling on the floor, and fills two mugs with coffee, a splash of skim milk and no sugar in Kurt’s.

They sit at the tiny kitchen table in the middle of the room, chairs pressed closer together than they need to be. Kurt scratches at a crossword puzzle, eyebrows drawn together at a particularly difficult word, and Blaine lets his toes wonder up and down Kurt’s ankle. They drink their coffee slowly, savoring their last morning together, but soon their cups are empty.

“What time does your bus leave?” Kurt asks as they get dressed. Blaine lets his eyes linger on Kurt’s body as he slips out of his pajamas, pale skin everywhere. He misses putting his foot into the leg of his jeans when Kurt bends over in only his briefs, feet stumbling until he catches his balance.

“Um, ten o’clock,” Blaine answers and keeps his eyes away from Kurt this time, pulling up his jeans and then concentrating on buttoning up his shirt. Ten o’clock is soon, too soon, and Blaine tries not to think about it.

Kurt walks over to the door to put on his shoes, grabbing his coat and wallet and opening the door for Blaine. He grabs his backpack and throws his bag over his shoulder.

“So we have three more hours,” Kurt says as they slip out the door and walk hand in hand, fingers laced together. “That’s all the time in the world.”

\

The walk to the cafe is short, just a few blocks down and over from Kurt’s apartment. The weather is cold, the wind biting at the tips of Blaine’s ears, and he holds the door open for Kurt as they quickly shuffle inside. He keeps his jacket on, still cold from the walk, as they make their way up to counter to order. Blaine looks around as they stand in line. The coffee shop is cute. Homemade art decorates the walls and there’s a fire place in the corner. The black chalk board behind the counter lists all of their specials in bright colors and funny hand writing.

“Can I get a nonfat mocha and, Blaine? Medium drip?” Kurt asks as he orders for them.

“No thank you, just a large decaf. I’d like to try and sleep on the bus ride,” he says. He tries not to think about it though, pretends that this is just another normal Sunday morning for them, no ten hour bus ride back to Lima in his future. He hears Kurt order two scones, blueberry and cranberry, and they step off to the side to wait for their order.

“This place is nice,” Blaine remarks as they grab their breakfast and head over to a table placed right next to a large window, sunlight drifting in.

“It’s my favorite coffee spot in the city,” Kurt says as he takes a sip.

They talk quietly about the future. All the places Kurt wants to show Blaine, the places they didn’t have time to visit on this trip. The top of the Empire State Building, Times Square, ice skating at Rockefeller Center. When Blaine actually lives here with Kurt, when he can call New York home and can stay for more than 72 hours. It warms Blaine from the inside to think about, makes his heart beat a little funny in his chest. It’s not awkward or difficult to talk about, Blaine moving here and going to school here. He assumes it must be hard for some couples to talk about the future, make plans together when one person wants something different from the other. But this is easy for them. There’s no second guessing, no wondering if it will be the right move. This is where Blaine belongs.

Their coffees are empty and the scones are only crumbs on the table, but neither of them move to leave. They have to, Blaine’s bus leaves in an hour and they have to fight the morning rush on the crowded subways. But Blaine feels stuck to his seat. He can’t make himself leave, to be apart from Kurt again.

Kurt’s phone vibrates on the table and he swipes his thumb over the screen. Blaine sees him smile and asks, “something good?” Kurt turns the phone to him so Blaine can read the text message.

From: Rachel
8:53am
IS IT OKAY IF I COME WITH YOU TO SAY GOODBYE TO BLAINE???

Blaine laughs, a little too loud for the quiet coffee shop, and answers, “of course it’s okay.”

Kurt quickly types out a response and waits only a few seconds for Rachel to write back. “She says she’s not ready yet, but she’ll meet us at the bus terminal before you leave.”

They finally tear themselves away from their seats and leave the coffee shop, walking to the nearest subway and down the steps inside. It’s crowded, men in suits and women clutching briefcases surrounding them, but Blaine doesn’t mind. He gets to be pressed up against Kurt once they’re inside the train, all the seats taken, one hand grabbing a railing over his head and the other holding on to his bag.

The train stays full the entire way to the bus terminal. Kurt tugs on Blaine’s sleeve and says, “we’re here,” when the train comes to a stop. Blaine’s feet don’t seem to want to work, stuck to the floor and unmoving. But Kurt quickly exists and calls out, “hurry up before the doors close,” and Blaine walks out.

There are people everywhere once they get inside, making their way over to the section marked ‘departures’. They find Blaine’s bus, but still have a few minutes before he needs to get on. They stand a few inches apart, quiet and unsure of what to say. Finally Blaine drops his bag and pulls Kurt in for a tight hug, his chin tucked onto Kurt’s shoulder.

“I don’t want you to go,” Kurt confesses, whispers right into Blaine’s ear.

Blaine needs to be strong for both of them. “You’re coming back for Christmas next month, right?” Kurt nods. “And then it’ll be summer vacation. And then before you know it, school will be starting.” Blaine rubs small circles into Kurt’s back. He leans back just enough to look Kurt in the eye when he feels a tiny but surprisingly small force knock into his side.

“Oh Blaine, I miss you already,” Rachel says loudly, clinging to Blaine’s side.

Blaine lets go of Kurt to put his arms around Rachel in a proper hug. “I’ll miss you, too, Rachel,” Blaine says and surprises himself when he finds that he actually means it. Her eyes shine with unshed tears and it’s just so Rachel that Blaine pulls her in closer.

“I don’t even mind that you and Kurt will get the bedroom when you move here. If I’m not staring in an amazing show by then.” Blaine quirks an eyebrow at Kurt as if to ask, ‘did you tell her about our plans?’ Kurt just shakes his head. Rachel continues, “realistically it’ll probably be off Broadway, but anything can happen.”

She wraps one arm around Kurt and one arm around Blaine and tugs them together until they’re making a small circle, heads bent and foreheads touching. It gives Blaine flashbacks to glee club, the countless number of times Mr. Schue pulled them into the same group hug.

The horn on Blaine’s bus blares and it makes all three of them jump. Blaine watches as the driver tosses his bag carelessly into the space underneath the bus. They hug one last time, arms wrapped around each other and both repeating ‘I love you, I love you’ over and over. Blaine finally pulls away, but holds on to Kurt’s hand until the very last second when he has to walk up the steps and onto the bus.

He sits down in a window seat and waves until the bus pulls away, Rachel and Kurt blurring in with the crowd. He sits back in his seat and sighs, New York City fading into the distance.

He hasn’t been on the bus for more than an hour when his phone beeps with a new text message.

From: Kurt
11:06am
I miss you already.

Blaine smiles as he types out his response, I miss you, too. He quickly adds, And please remember, no kissing Rachel.