"I love you..."

"Blaine, don't -." He whispered, closing his eyes as if that would stop these words. He’d waited so long to hear those three words them, he had longed for them since his first Christmas at Dalton. He pulled away from Blaine - instantly missing the warm arms around his waist.

"I should have told you before now." He chuckled sadly. "I left it too late."

"Blaine-"

"Do you think we could have worked? If you'd known?"

"I always knew," Kurt smiled softly, "I was just waiting for you to figure it out."

"I - you knew? You knew all along?" Blaine turned to him in surprise

"Yeah."

"How - how long?" He stuttered, confused.

"Remember when we got the Warblers to sing in that restaurant in Lima on Valentine's Day?"

"...Kind of?"

"We sang Silly Love Songs, and you looked right at me for the 'I love you' part. I'd told you I liked you and you didn’t make it awkward. And you sang that line to me. I knew you'd figure it out yourself. In time."

"That was...what? Fifteen years ago?"

"- and four months," Kurt nodded.

"God - and- and I came to you with all my relationship problems." Blaine groaned.

"Conquest tales, crushes. Yeah."

"Even - oh, oh no!" he banged his head against the cool railing beneath his hands.

"Alex!" they both said.

“I told you about everything. Every date, every problem, every –“

“Kiss.” Kurt grinned ruefully.

“I thought it was just a crush, I truly thought you were over me. I’m so sorry-“

“You’d not that easy to get over. Trust me, I’ve tried.” He said with a sad chuckle.

“But … Emmett? You were together for – “

“We broke up for a reason.” Kurt said forcefully, “Let’s just leave it at that.”


“…Should have said something sooner.” Blaine murmured sadly, “I should have taken the chance and- God, we could have“

“Remember that night you come round? We had a coffee date planned in the evening – I had a show to prepare for, you’d taken a day off to …. I dunno, study? I –anyway, we’d tried to meet up before and life got in the way every time. You tried to cancel, saying you understood that I was busy. I wouldn’t let you.

“You yelled at me down the phone.” Blaine smiled, “I remember that much….”

“You came round when I was getting ready,” He continued, rocking on the balls of his feet, as he held on tightly to the cool barrier before him. He needed something to keep him grounded. “You came round and …I knew something wasn’t right. You … and you hugged me so, so tightly.”

“Kurt…”

He couldn’t look at him. He needed to say this and he knew he’d chicken out if he was looking at Blaine. He stared out at the distant lights of the buildings instead.

“We never did get that coffee,” he laughed sniffing a little, “instead, we had a movie night, just like we used to in Dalton – remember? Saturday nights? And, we…we ate so much junk that night. Ice cream, popcorn, my secret stash of emergency chocolate –“He was rambling now but he just. Couldn’t. Stop.

“And I – you wanted to break up with Alex, you weren’t ready for a relationship – not the kind he wanted, but you said you couldn’t do that to him, he was sweet and he’d just taken you out to see …to see some show and,” his voice broke, but he kept talking, “and I held you while you cried, and I –“

“And you said that I’d know when it was right and that if he was right for me he’d respect me and what I wanted,” Blaine whispered,

Kurt nodded, trembling slightly “you – I looked at you and – God, it felt like you were finally seeing me, Blaine. You were looking right at me, and you smiled and I- I’ve never felt that safe,” he wiped his cheeks quickly, giggling. “it sounds so corny but, but having you sit there so close to me, smiling as though ten minutes ago you hadn’t been crying in my shoulder, and your eyes – they literally shone, and your eyelashes were wet and clumped together, it felt like coming home – and I – I,”

“You what Kurt?” Blaine asked leaning forward to try and catch his eye.

“I wanted to kiss you, ok?” Kurt blurted out, finally looking up. He looked directly at his old friend “I wanted to kiss you, more than I’ve ever wanted anything, but –“

“But…?”

“I was afraid, Blaine! It would have changed everything between us and you- you’d just told me everything about Alex and –it wouldn’t have been right.” He shrugged.

He closed his eyes, before opening them and looking out at the water.

This was their place. All those years ago, when they were both finally in the city, they set out to find a place they could claim as their own.

“Somewhere only we know,” Blaine had laughed, grabbing Kurt’s hand and dragging him through the crowded streets. They had walked all day. Down back streets, through parks, but nowhere was… right. And then, just as they were about to head home for the day they found it.

The Bridge.

It was far enough from the hustle and bustle to be peaceful, but not far enough away to be totally removed. It was lucky they found it in the evening, when the shimmering water reflected the lights.
They hadn’t needed to say it. They both knew.

No matter what, this would be their place. Always.

Blaine moved closer. Resting one hand on Kurt’s waist, he gently turned him to face him.

“What about now?” Blaine murmured softly, eyes flicking down, before meeting Kurt’s eyes again. His breath tickled Kurt’s cheek, as he stepped in closer still, raising one hand to cup his jaw.

“I think it’s right now.” Kurt breathed, leaning in to the touch.

Blaine hummed in agreement, “I think we’ve both waited long enough.”

“Yes,” Kurt smiled. He pressed closer, closer until their lips were touching.

“Worth the wait? “ Blaine whispered, pulling back a little.

“You will always be worth the wait.” Kurt rubbed his nose against Blaine’s.

Blaine grinned, as he held Kurt closer still, swaying them to the rhythm of the lapping waves against the bridge. Kurt nuzzled into the warmth of the shorter man’s neck.

“Blaine?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” He felt warm lips brush his temple, his cheek, his nose, his mouth.

He sighed, content. Finally, they were home.