"Blaine."
Kurt stared at the boy before him, who had changed so much since last summer. And it wasn't just his sharp Dalton uniform or the fact that he had somehow managed to tame his hair – it was more than that. Blaine was self-assured, confident, a leader. He was everything he hadn't been when Kurt had known him and it was hard to believe he had changed this much in so short a space of time. It made Kurt feel oddly defensive, as if he was hurt that Blaine had managed this transformation without him and after everything that had happened. On top of this, Blaine was looking at him now with something of pity in his expression. Straightening up a little, Kurt sniffed and rubbed self-consciously at his puffy eyes.
"What do you want?"
Again the words came out almost unbidden, without him having to think about them. It took a moment for Blaine to respond, and when he did he sounded hesitant and vulnerable.
"I – want to apologise."
"It's a bit late for that." Kurt replied coldly, only softening a little when he saw the taken aback expression on Blaine's face. He had to remind himself of everything Blaine had done to him, how much he had hurt him, to keep himself strong. He couldn't just act like everything was ok, because it wasn't.
"I know," Blaine agreed, his large eyes round in an expression of supplication. "Kurt, I don't blame you for being angry. What happened was – awful. I was awful."
Kurt wasn't going to accept or deny this; instead he stayed silent but for a small sniff. Blaine obviously took this as a good sign, as he carried on with his apology.
"What I did to you was terrible; I knew it then but I know it even more now. I was afraid, but things are different now – better."
For the first time, a small smile lit up Blaine's face, and Kurt's lips twitched in spite of himself. He could feel the familiar twinge in his chest, as though it were the height of summer once more...

Kurt and Blaine ambled along the sidewalk, walking closely together. It was gloriously sunny, as only summer could be, and they'd just finished their performing arts program for the day. The summer was turning out to be far better than Kurt could have imagined, almost entirely thanks to the gorgeous boy who was walking beside him, although he hadn't told Blaine himself that, or anybody else besides the journal he kept hidden in his desk. The two of them had been practicing their performance for the showcase night, when the parents of all the kids involved in the program turned up to make sure their children had actually had an enriching two months with a very expensive price tag. They had only had a few days to come up with the concept, choreograph and have it all perfect before the big showcase tomorrow night, and performance was something both boys took very seriously. To this end, Blaine had invited Kurt back to his place after they finished up at the community hall, something that had been happening more and more frequently in the last couple of weeks. Blaine insisted that it was because his parents, who were both out of the house more often than they were in it, liked for him to have some company besides the staff, but really they both knew it was more than that.

The time they spent together from 9 to 3 was never enough, and they'd been hanging out most afternoons and the occasional weekend too. They shared a bond that had been present almost from the first day of the program, an unspeakable connection that bound them close together in only a few short weeks. Kurt was falling in love with Blaine, and although he was yet to act on these feelings, something told him they might not be completely unrequited. Sexuality was a topic that hadn't come up between them, but it was obvious that Blaine was boy-inclined. Kurt had suspected this from the beginning, and confirmed these suspicions when a light brush of his hand against Blaine's arm had sent a flowering blush across his smooth cheeks.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Blaine's soft voice cut through his thoughts, and Kurt smiled as the other boy nudged up gently against his shoulder. It had taken him a while, but Blaine had lost his initial timidity, allowing them to settle into the comfortable ease of close friends.
"Oh, you know..." Kurt trailed off, his smile fading a little but not leaving his face. Blaine waited, an amused look on his face, but apparently Kurt wasn't going to elaborate.
"No, I really don't," he teased, but when he spoke again the playful tone was gone, his voice quieter. "Tell me."

Surprised, Kurt turned his face towards Blaine. They had reached the large gates that fronted the Anderson property, and come to a stop. Blaine suddenly seemed to be very close, and Kurt was uncharacteristically speechless.
"Ah...I... I was thinking about you."
He felt the heat of a flush just like the one he remembered spreading over Blaine's cheeks, but his gaze remained steadily on the beautiful eyes that were only inches from his now. It was like some odd role reversal – Kurt was stuttering and his heart was hammering in his chest, but Blaine seemed completely sure of himself as he leant in towards Kurt. His hand found Kurt's soft jawline, and his eyes fluttered shut so that his long eyelashes brushed his cheek as their lips met. Kurt melted completely under Blaine's touch, at the feeling of that gorgeous, warm mouth pressed over his. He could feel his legs turn to jelly but somehow he managed to stay standing, standing here kissing Blaine, actually
kissing him... Until a car door slammed loudly beside them and they jumped apart. A middle-aged man dressed in a sharp suit that Kurt identified immediately as a Newman approached them, and Kurt realised with a jolt that he knew that hair, that jaw and nose – this must be Blaine's father. He was smiling stiffly, as though he didn't do it very often, and he held out a hand as he came to a stop opposite them.

"You must be Kurt."
Shocked, Kurt nodded numbly.
"I'm Bart Anderson."
"N-nice to meet you, sir." He tried to smile as Bart crushed his hand in a violent handshake. Blaine's father turned to his son, hitting his arm with what looked to Kurt to be quite a bit of force.
"You could learn some manners from this young man, Blaine."
Kurt couldn't quite fathom this – Blaine was the most well-mannered teenage boy he'd ever met. You wouldn't have guessed it at the moment, though, because he was rooted to the spot with a stunned expression and was as white as the roses which lined the front of the fence. His father didn't seem to notice, though, and apparently this was all he had to say to either of them, as he returned to his car and drove on up the steep driveway towards the house. When it became apparent that Blaine wasn't about to move, much less say something, Kurt ventured an attempt at speech.
"Your dad seems... nice."
He knew it sounded as insincere as it was, but really, what else could he say? At least it had done the trick – Blaine started to show signs of life again, blinking and shuffling on his feet. Kurt wondered that Blaine could be more startled than he was, when Blaine was the one who had planted a big fat kiss on him the first place.
"Yeah, I – I'd better get inside. I'll see you tomorrow though."
Apparently their practice was cancelled. Their goodbye was far more subdued than usual, and as Kurt set off down the sidewalk alone he was a little miffed. Thoughts of what had passed between them soon turned his mood around, however, and when he lay in bed that night he could still feel his lips tingling.

Sorry to leave it here, but the flashback part ended up being longer than I intended! I can't help myself when it comes to Klaine ;) I'd love to hear how you're liking the story so far, or if you have any suggestions or questions :)