*I don't own Glee but I would do unspeakable things to Ryan Murphy for the chance to.

A/N- I don't live in NYC, and I never have, so please excuse any mistakes that I make when it comes to interaction with the city! If you want a visual for the Hummel-Anderson house, watch the Cosby show. When you read "Papa" make sure you hold the SECOND "a" and not the first so it's more Italian sounding. Also, we're going to go ahead and pretend that Kurt and Blaine live in a magical world where nothing in society, technology, or culture seriously progresses for the 24 years between their senior year and this fic. K? K.

Part Four

"So, what are you doing this Friday?" Jess asked, as he turned the page of his History book. It was four o'clock on a Tuesday and he was perched in his usual spot against the headboard on Bernie's bed. The latter sat at her desk, not looking up from where she was sketching furiously.

"Um, nothing that I know of. Dan's grounded so we can't really go anywhere. Why, what's up?" She tried to make herself appear calm, while inside her stomach was preparing for its Olympic medal in gymnastics. Jess shrugged.

"I was, uh, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to dinner with me and Becs." He tried to make it sound as natural as possible, like it was a totally normal proposal to ask your best friend out to dinner with your girlfriend. Bernie still didn't look up from her drawing as she tried to hide her disappointment and the flush in her cheeks that accompanied it. She attempted to shake off the awkwardness before he could hear it in her response.

"Oh. Geez, I really don't want to be a third wheel, Jess. I'm gonna bet the last thing Rebecca wants on her date is an extra date."

"Come on, it'll be fun," Jess said, almost begging.

"No, I don't think so. She won't want me there," Bernie murmured, shaking her head to herself.

"Actually," Jess growled, "you have no idea what she would want! You know why? Because in the three months that Becs and I have been dating, you haven't even been in the same room as her. You don't know her at all!" His face was red and he had completely abandoned his history book.

"Why is it such a big deal?" Bernie whispered.

"Because, Bern! You're my best friend! She's my girlfriend! Outside my immediate family, you're the two most important people in my life. I want you to be able to be friends! And I want you to…" He broke off and looked back down at his lap. "I want your opinion on her. I need to know that you approve." Bernie's gaze finally left her sketches and she looked up at him, sadly. He was her best friend, and this was important to him. She stood up and went to sit beside him on the bed, resting her head gently on his shoulder.

"Of course I'll go to dinner, Jess. What are friends for?" She smiled as he leaned his head to the side to rest on hers.

Outside in the hall, Kurt sighed to himself from where he had been eavesdropping. His poor, darling girl.

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Kurt let what felt like the millionth sigh of frustration as he sat at his desk on that Wednesday afternoon. GQ had recently hired an assistant fashion director to help Kurt out with non-cover photo shoots and he was now holding the results of the most recent in his hands, groaning. The outfits were awful; clashing, out of season, ill-fitting, and simply horrendous. Even in the large stack of photos on his desk, Kurt couldn't find a single one he felt comfortable putting in the magazine. Just as he was about to pick up the phone and fire the first five people to answer his call, he heard a soft tap on his office door and looked up.

"Blaine!" Kurt gasped, tension leaking out of him just at the sight of his husband.

"Is this a bad time? You look like you're about to go on some sort of Bloody Mary-esque killing rampage." Blaine smiled as he walked into Kurt's office and leaned over the desk to give him a hello kiss.

"Ugh, well several people were about to lose their jobs but as far as I was concerned, they didn't have heads for me to cut off anyway." He leaned back and straightened Blaine's tie for him. "To what do I own this pleasant surprise?"

"I gave a test today that didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would, so I finished early. Figured I'd take you out for a late lunch, since I'm assuming you've been too busy with whatever this is to eat." He motioned at the mountains of photos strewn over the desk. Kurt smiled and let out a deep breath. He had the perfect husband.

"That," he said, leaning in a kissing Blaine again, "sounds exactly like what I need. Let me just get packed up so we can go home afterwards. I really don't think I can deal with this rationally today." As Kurt packed up his computer and several different notebooks, Blaine shuffled through the stacks of photographs.

"Hmm, wow." He murmured as his brow furrowed.

"What?" Kurt asked, still packing up.

"Nothing. I just- I really don't understand high fashion these days," Blaine said, still examining the pictures with a confused look on his face, like he was trying to find Waldo somewhere within them.

"What are you talking abo- OH!" Kurt said, laughing as he realized what Blaine was doing. "Oh, honey. These are not high fashion. These," he said, picking one up and ripping it in half, "are someone's resignation notice." Blaine laughed.

"Oh, thank god. I was a tiny bit worried I was going to start seeing people wearing things like that up and down the street." Blaine chuckled as he grabbed Kurt's hand and they walked side by side to the elevator and out of the building.

"I'm worried about Bernie," Kurt said as they sat in one of their favorite cafes, sipping steaming cups of coffee and waiting for their food to arrive.

"Because of the whole 'Jess' thing?" Blaine asked, blowing softly at his mug. Kurt nodded. "Me too. But she's a smart girl; she knows what she's doing."

"He asked her to come to dinner with his girlfriend. She agreed."

"What? Why would she do that? That can only lead to more hurt." Blaine shook his head slightly and took another sip of his coffee as Kurt starred at him.

"Just trust me when I say, honey, that unrequited love- especially for your best friend- can be a real bitch." Kurt winked at him, and Blaine's face instantly softened. He reached his hand across the table to grab Kurt's, and squeezed it gently.

"Have I mentioned lately how sorry I am for putting you through that?"

"Well," sighed Kurt, "seeing as it was almost twenty five years ago, and we've been married for quite a few of those years, I'd say you were forgiven a while ago." Blaine kissed his knuckles. They pulled apart as their food arrived and dove into in ravenously. When they finally slowed down, Blaine spoke.

"So I was thinking," he said, wiping his mouth on his napkin.

"Mmm?" Kurt hummed in response, mouth still full.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we should go somewhere for Chirstmas." Kurt swallowed and reached for his wine glass.

"Oh? Where to? Back to Italy? France? The kids have never seen Paris during the holidays," Kurt said as he raised the glass to his lips.

"No. No, actually, I was thinking maybe we should go to Lima."

A/N – Just a little transition chapter to get me back in the swing of this story after being away from it for so long! Hope you don't mind focus on OCs for awhile because I like writing them. Review please!