If you had told Blaine a year ago that this was how he would end 2011, he would have laughed at you. At a party thrown by a cheerleader from Kurt’s old school that is now their school? Never going to happen. Yet here he stood in Santana’s living room with the rest of New Directions, Cheerios, many football players, and a few Warblers he was asked to invite. The Blaine that started 2011 would have assumed whoever told him this had some of the punch after Jeff spiked it (because yes, Wesley Montgomery would run THAT kind of New Year’s party).

He thought back to December 31, 2010. The party Wes threw that night was typical of him: board games, sing-alongs to whatever standard music was playing, and sparkling cider at midnight. Many of the guys had brought their girlfriends from Crawford along so they could have the proper beginning to the year. Just after the ball dropped and everyone was mid-makeout, Blaine’s phone went off. He saw a text from Kurt, who was dragged by Finn to see his friends. “Happy New Year, Blaine! :D” Blaine was certain Kurt was thinking the same thing he was while watching everyone; that one year they would have someone they could finally share a New Year’s kiss with. Little did they expect that would be one year later, and that kiss would be from each other.

The Lopezes had gone to a party thrown by one of Santana’s dad’s colleagues, so she spent the entire week planning the best bash imaginable. Everyone was sure she only did it so she would have a safe place to kiss Brittany when midnight hit, even though she claimed it was for others. “Hummel, Warbler, you better be here or I will bring all of Lima Heights out on a search party,” she said. The liquor cabinet was stocked, but Puck provided extras in case things began running low. Blaine didn’t care, he wasn’t about to begin drinking. With his last two experiences with alcohol resulting in a spin the bottle nightmare and nearly sexually assaulting his boyfriend, he figured it was best to hold back.

Blaine looked around the house, glad to see all the different groups getting along. David had taken to Becky Jackson and watched Harry Potter with her in the entertainment room. Sam was talking about the newest Call of Duty game with Nick, though every so often he would glance over to the corner where Mercedes was cuddled up with Shane. Thad’s girlfriend Michelle was excited to meet Rory, wanting to hear stories about Ireland since her grandfather emigrated to the United States from there. Even Azimio had made an appearance for about ten minutes before feeling out of place without his best friend around. Luckily, Sebastian was spending the holidays in Switzerland, so there wasn’t going to be a problem with him getting into it with Kurt.

Kurt. Just as Blaine began thinking about him, Rachel’s chosen playlist, titled Idolized, started a song that made him think back on the year with him. Kurt had been by Blaine through everything. He supported the Jeremiah/Gap debacle despite his unrequited feelings for Blaine. He was there when Rachel attempted to make Blaine her newest conquest. When Kurt, just a month into their relationship, realized how sorry Karofsky was and transferred back to McKinley, he made Blaine a playlist of all the songs that had meant something throughout their relationship (Blaine added to and listened to it all the time, with Teenage Dream and Blackbird dominating the playcounts). Over the summer when Blaine fought with his father over college choices (Mr. Anderson wanted Harvard or Princeton and was aghast when NYU and Columbia were brought up), Kurt asked his parents if Blaine could spend a few days there to cool down. The days leading up to West Side Story’s opening night, up before the ill-fated trip to Scandals, were full of encouraging notes and single roses (Kurt and Finn had planned on large bouquets for the stars on opening night, but since the fight didn’t end until after the show, he didn’t purchase his until closing night). Before Blaine knew it, he was standing behind the couch where Kurt and Sugar were discussing a new designer she had found.

“Excuse me, Miss Motta, but may I steal my boyfriend away for a dance?” he asked, kissing her hand before taking Kurt’s.

“Of course!” Sugar replied. “I need to freshen up anyway.”

As she got up and headed to the bathroom, Blaine asked, “Okay, who is she trying for a kiss from?”

“Artie,” Kurt said. “She’s infatuated.”

Blaine laughed. “Remember the last time I asked you to dance with me?”

“Mmhmm. What a night that was.”

They began swaying with the music, Blaine burying his face into Kurt’s neck. One advantage to being the shorter one of the two, he always said. He peppered kisses in the dip of Kurt’s collarbone, glad for the loose sweater Kurt chose for the evening. As the chorus began, Blaine started softly singing along with Kelly. “I’m thankful for the blessings and the lessons that I’ve learned with you by my side, and I’m thankful, so thankful, for the love that you keep bringing in my life”

“Thank you for this year, Kurt,” he said after the song ended, not letting go. “You’re the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Kurt shook his head. “No no no no, thank you. I never thought falling in love would be so easy, but you made it that way. I don’t know how we’re going to top this year.”

“It is kind of impossible, isn’t it?”

“I will say, though, that next New Year’s will be unbelievable. You, me, and a glittering ball high above Times Square.”

Blaine lifted his head. “What? You won’t be coming home?” He hoped he didn’t look as worried as he felt.

Kurt nodded. “Of course I’ll be home for the holidays, but I’m going to bring you back with me for a few days. Give you a taste of what our lives will be like when I’m a huge actor and you’re the best teacher in all of Manhattan.”

Blaine felt his heart swell. They always talked about the future, but not with as much certainty as Kurt was showing right then. “As long as the other million people around, namely one Rachel Berry, know the brightest star will be right next to me the entire evening,” he said.

They remained in their embrace until they heard Finn announce there was only a minute left to go. The energy in the room began buzzing as couples found each other and singles looked for someone they wouldn’t mind locking lips with. As the seconds wound down, Blaine looked around. Finn and Rachel by the television. Mike and Tina on the couch with Jeff and his girlfriend. Nick had somehow managed to win Quinn’s favor for the moment and took her over to where a lot of the Dalton guys, including David and Becky, were milling around. Sugar sitting in Artie’s lap, near Puck and two cheerleaders. Santana and Brittany near the stairs, looking at each other as if the party was only the two of them. Blaine’s past and present were all in this room, the people he could consider as friends. But as the countdown reached zero, he locked in on the one person who meant the future to him. Grinning, their lips met for what was bound to be the first of dozens of New Year’s kisses. And this was the thing Blaine was most thankful for, that Kurt would always be there.