A/N: hi hello I wrote this three days before Christmas in 2012 so it's set somewhere around whatever episode was airing during that time (hiatus? I don't even know) which is why the timeline is nowhere near the canon one. I really need to work on uploading my stuff right after I write them.

title from So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold (it's truly a beautiful song go listen to it)

"I want to meet your mom."

Kurt looks up from his Vogue magazine, licks his finger and turns the page as he frowns at Blaine. "Blaine, my mom's—"

"I know," Blaine says, spinning the computer chair around and crossing his legs up on the seat. He shrugs. "I just thought that she should, you know, at least know who her son's dating and all. And I need to promise her something."

"What do you need to promise her?" Kurt asks, still confused. Blaine smiles.

"That's between me and her."

It's dusk when Kurt's navigator pulls up to the curb next to the gate of the cemetery. Blaine smiles at him, takes his hand and rubs his thumb over the bumps of his knuckles.

"You stay here, okay?" he says. Kurt shakes his head.

"I want to come in. I won't stand with you, I'll just be there."

Blaine sighs but nods and opens the door, stepping out and tucking the seatbelt back inside. He reaches over onto the back seat and retrieves the rose he'd slyly cut from his own mother's garden before closing the door. Kurt walks around to the other side of the car and takes his hand, tugging him towards the gates.

"I still don't know why you want to do this," Kurt mumbles. Blaine just smiles and squeezes his hand.

The gates are big and heavy, like the iron ones from all the movies. It's not your typical cliché cemetery, though—it's amazingly well kept, weed-free, and the maintenance man even makes sure the few gravestones get fresh flowers every week.

"Okay, you wait here," Blaine says, lets go of Kurt's hand and kisses him on the cheek. "It's the white marble one, right?"

Kurt nods but Blaine didn't see it—he's already making his way towards the glowing stone, rose clutched tightly in his hand. He kneels down by the small arch and touches his hand to the cool surface, traces his finger over the letters that read ELIZABETH HUMMEL. BELOVED MOTHER, WIFE AND FRIEND. YOU WILL BE MISSED. 1973—2001.

"Hi there," he says softly. "My name's Blaine. I-I'm not sure if you know, but I'm Kurt's boyfriend."

Kurt watches from a while away, straining to hear the things that Blaine's saying. It's not like he's purposely keeping his voice down, so Kurt doesn't feel too guilty about listening in. He watches in slight awe as Blaine gets comfortable by the stone, shakes his head as he begins to have a conversation with it.

"Your son is amazing," Blaine says, resisting the urge to look back and tell it right to Kurt. "He saved my life, you know."

Kurt smiles.

"I think you'd be very proud of him. I know I am. Did you know he got into NYADA? He's going to be famous one day. I'm sure he'll reserve a seat for you right next to me on his Broadway debut."

Kurt has to bite back tears. He's never told anyone, but that thought crosses his mind every day.

"I got this rose for you," Blaine says suddenly, like he's only just remembered. He lays the flower down on the small, clean dirt bed in front of the stone. "It's from my mom's garden. It was the prettiest one there, and it reminded me of you. I like the photo that Burt has on the mantelpiece—you know the one in black and white? It's my favourite. Sometimes when Kurt invites me over for Friday night dinners we put it at an empty chair and it-it sort of feels like you're there with us."

Kurt chokes up. That had originally been Blaine's idea and it had become somewhat of a tradition in the house.

"Thank you for making such a beautiful boy, Elizabeth," Blaine says, leaning in closer to the stone so Kurt can't hear him anymore. "I know that he's precious and fragile and I promise to love him and care for him and never, ever hurt him."

Blaine glances back at Kurt and then speaks again, quieter than ever. "We'll definitely reserve a spot for you at our wedding."

He puts his hand to his mouth and then touches the marble that's grown cold in the early December air. He sits still and silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and making his way back over to Kurt.

"Done," he smiles. Kurt just pulls him close and kisses him, buries his hands inside the warmth of his jacket.

"Kurt, please," Blaine mumbles against his boyfriend's mouth. "Not in front of your mom."

Kurt laughs out loud and throws his arm around Blaine, and they walk back to the car, just as the first few flakes of snow for the season start to fall and settle on their coats for a second before melting into the fabric. Kurt puts the heat on in the car and they wait for a second to warm up. Blaine smiles out the window through the closed gates at the gravestone and mouths, "I promise."

Kurt pretends not to notice.