Author's Notes: Hopefully Blaine has redeemed himself in your eyes (at least Kurt forgives him!). I greatly appreciate all the reviews! They really do make me super happy :)

February progressed into March and March into April before they knew it. Kurt was busy with his final semester, and Blaine was busy with work, but they always made time for each other. Sometimes they went out and other times they stayed in and watched movies or cuddled in front of the television not really paying attention to what was on.

On days when Blaine would work long hours, Kurt would come over with takeout or would prepare dinner knowing that Blaine would be exhausted when he got home. And Blaine would thank him profusely, showering him with kisses until Kurt broke out into fits of giggles begging him to stop. After one of these dinners, Kurt had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to an extravagant bouquet of roses and a very delicious piece of caramel chocolate cheesecake. That night was his turn to smother Blaine with somewhat sticky, delicious kisses until they both collapsed onto the bed, a tangle of limbs, catching their breath as they lay there gazing breathlessly and tiredly into each others' eyes.

Things didn't always run smoothly, though. Sometimes Kurt would become withdrawn from stress due to classes or some disagreement he had with Rachel to the point where Blaine would work himself up trying to figure out how to comfort him. He figured out that it was best to leave him alone during these times, and he would eventually come around.

Blaine had his moments, too, when someone would rub him the wrong way at work, and he would walk around the apartment scowling and muttering to himself, completely inconsolable. But then Kurt would leave silly, often crass, sticky notes around in conspicuous places and would keep his distance until Blaine could no longer remain angry and would seek out Kurt telling him how ridiculous he was but that he wouldn't have it any other way. One of these notes, which was strategically placed on a jar of pickles in the refrigerator, actually caused Blaine to spit out a mouthful of water and double over in laughter until it hurt. Kurt would never forget what came after.

The closer they became, the less Blaine noticed or thought about the age difference or felt that anything at all was odd about the relationship. He became more comfortable with himself and felt like he was truly living again.

One day, Blaine was sitting at his desk at work when he pulled out a notepad and began scribbling lyrics down. He soon made a habit out of this. Every time he had any down time, he went right back to writing, until, eventually, he moved over to the piano and began adding music to the words.

After he began to become immersed in the music again, he called up the owner of the restaurant and asked if he could return to play there on Saturday nights. His request was granted with an exceptional amount of enthusiasm, and he started small, playing one or two songs, usually covers, and eventually tried out an original song. He was finally following his dream again and doing what he loved, but he wasn't ready to tell Kurt yet. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity.

-s-

April was drawing to a close, and Kurt was scrambling to prepare for finals week, his last exams before graduation. But as he sat in his apartment, his notes scattered about his desk and bed, he entered into total panic mode. This was it. This was the end. What if he fails everything? What if he doesn't graduate? What happens when he does graduate? What would he do with himself? What would his life be? He paced the room as all of these questions whirled around in his head driving him temporarily insane. He couldn't do this right now. He grabbed his phone, opened his recent calls, and blindly pressed the first on the list.

Blaine's phone rang and, seeing Kurt's name on the caller ID, he quickly answered it.

"Oh thank god. Blaine, I'm freaking out right now. I have all these exams to study for and final projects to complete, and I'm just so stressed out. I don't know what to do or where to start," Kurt spoke frantically.

"Whoa there! Slow down a minute. It's going to be okay -"

"But I just feel so incredibly lost, Blaine," Kurt said, cutting Blaine off.

"Come over," Blaine said simply.

"What? Oh."

"I'll help you through everything. It's going to be alright. You'll do just fine, and, after it's all said and done, you'll look back and laugh at yourself. Trust me," Blaine said.

"But - okay. I'll gather my books and notes and catch the next train," Kurt said, giving in.

"I'll be waiting for you. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either," Kurt said quietly before ending the call.

-s-

When Blaine heard a knock on his door, he rushed to open it only to reveal a very distraught, splotchy-faced, messy-haired Kurt who looked like he hadn't properly slept in days and had obviously been crying way more often than was good for him. Blaine felt so bad for him as he stood there in that state, but he understood because he had been there before too. He remembered a time when he thought college was the end of the world and that earning good grades was the only way he would ever survive. But he soon learned that college is just college and there was so much more to life, things you never learn in school, things that you can never be prepared for.

"Ooh," Blaine practically cooed, unable to hold back a smile. "Look at you. Just come in and sit down. You need to relax."

Kurt shuffled in and dropped his bag onto the floor by the couch with a heavy thud before plopping down onto the couch. He covered his face with his hands and let himself fall dramatically sideways into the cushions.

"Don't look at me. I look horrible," he whined. "I have bags under my eyes and I've been running on coffee alone."

"First of all, you're being a bit of a drama queen, and second of all, you look as handsome as ever," Blaine said.

"Stop lying to me, you ass," Kurt scoffed.

"Hey! I'm not lying. Alright, so you've obviously seen better days, but I don't care how you look."

Kurt looked up at Blaine still frowning.

"Thank you," Kurt said, sitting up again.

"Scoot over," Blaine said, sitting down next to Kurt on the couch. "Just relax for a bit, and then I'll help you study. We'll get through this together," he said as he reached over and began massaging Kurt's shoulders.

"Mmm," Kurt moaned, closing his eyes. "That feels so good."

"Lay down," Blaine said easing Kurt onto his belly. He straddled Kurt's legs and began working out the knots in his upper back as he gradually moved down to his lower back. As Blaine continued to massage Kurt's neck, shoulders, back, and arms, Kurt's reactions became quieter and quieter until they were no more. His breathing was steady as he lay there asleep. Blaine knew that he needed a nap before he could properly function, so he let him sleep for an hour or so.

As Kurt lay unconscious, Blaine flipped open his school bag and began going through his assignments and notes so that he could get a feel for what Kurt had to do. He placed everything on the kitchen counter and organized the work accordingly. He sat reading for a bit, taking mental notes and jotting down some things, before he decided that it was time for Kurt to wake up. He placed a kettle on to boil water for tea; Kurt didn't need more coffee considering the state he was in.

The teapot began to whistle, and Blaine quickly turned off the stove. As the teabag steeped, he walked over to where Kurt was laying and gently shook him.

"Wake up, Kurt," he said softly.

Kurt began to lazily open his eyes, and Blaine walked away and returned with a cup of tea. He sat up slowly and took the mug from Blaine. As the steam rose off the surface of the hot liquid, Kurt watched it swirl upward and dissipate into the air for a moment before blowing on the beverage in attempt to cool it. He took a small sip before setting it down on the coffee table before him.

"I didn't know I fell asleep," Kurt said through a yawn.

"You really needed it," Blaine responded before heading back over to the counter.

"But I need to study."

"And you will. As soon as you wake up a bit more, come on over here and have a seat."

Kurt turned around to peer over the back of the couch and saw that Blaine had all of his notes laid out already.

"Oh my god. You're a lifesaver. Are you sure you really want to do this? I can't promise that I won't have another meltdown."

"But at least if you do I'll be here to help you through it," Blaine said. "And, yes, I'm sure. I know you can do this, but sometimes we all need a little help."

Kurt drank some more of the tea before getting up to sit with Blaine. They spent the remainder of the night working through Kurt's notes, pulling out key ideas, and finishing up the one project he had due. Kurt was feeling much more confident now, and was zipping through much of the work while Blaine was there to help whenever he needed the extra boost.

-s-

Kurt stayed at Blaine's throughout finals week, and Blaine helped him study every night. When it came time to take the first exam, Kurt was well-rested and prepared. Kurt stepped off the shuttle and was headed through campus towards his first final exam when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Courage

He smiled at the text and held his phone to his heart before continuing on.

And, again, before the next final, his phone buzzed.

I believe in you

He continued to receive text messages like this every day he had a final, and, when they were all completed, Kurt felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. He was finished. After four years of college, he was finally graduating.

-s-

It was the second week of May, and Kurt sat there in his apartment with Rachel. Tomorrow was his graduation ceremony, and his dad and step-mother were flying in to see him walk. He was overwhelmed. He and Rachel spent the afternoon planning out their outfits together for the following day and spent hours sharing memories and going on and on about how they couldn't believe it was actually over.

Someone important was missing from this celebration process, and he knew he wouldn't have made it through the semester, especially the final week, if it wasn't for Blaine. He grabbed his phone and called him.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine answered cheerfully.

"Hey! I should have told you sooner, but tomorrow's my graduation."

"Trust me, I already knew that," Blaine said laughing.

"Oh. Well, anyway, I would love it if you came."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Blaine said.