Faith / Forgotten (402/3/4)


Kurt switched off the airplane mode on his phone as the plane circled the tarmac, slowing down as they reached the gates. The world outside his window looked like any other airport, but he knew the lights of Broadway were just waiting for him now. Just a few more steps and he could officially call himself a New Yorker. Smiling hugely and working hard to control his breathing, Kurt sent a text to his boyfriend.

I can't believe I'm here
I can't believe I'm doing this -Kurt

I know babe, you'll be fine. Amazing.
Really Kurt, you got this.
Have you talked to Rachel yet? -Blaine

No I want to surprise her -Kurt

of course, I miss you already -Blaine

And I you. There was an empty seat next to me on the flight, clearly meant for you.
I still can't believe we've never ridden on a plane together - Kurt

Clearly. And We will, it's on our list -Blaine

I love you -Kurt

I love you too, Kurt. So much
Now go take The Big Apple by the balls
And call me later -Blaine

Will do cutie - Kurt

He sent the message and stood up to retrieve his bag from the overhead bin, turning to follow the crowd off the plane. As he stepped into the throngs of people at JFK, Kurt pulled from his pocket the map to the apartment he'd found in Bushwick where he could drop off his bags.

The nervous excitement grew inside him as he walked, this was it, he was here. He could finally call New York his home, or at least he could once his bed arrived. Not knowing how long it would take to get to the apartment and then to find Rachel, he stopped for fresh coffee before leaving the airport and expertly hailing his very first cab.


Back at McKinley, Blaine was spending the afternoon trying to teach Tina and Sam a simple, straightforward step sequence that they hadn't been able to handle in their last rehearsal. With the school year finally in full swing, Blaine found that he had too many free hours to fill now that Kurt was away. So he joined every club he cared a lick about, intent on filling every second of the day, while his nights were spent tethered on a line to the voice of the man he loved.

September passed in a whirlwind, with a shared excitement for all the new possibilities they were faced with, together. Blaine spent his days living out his acting dreams, filling the shoes of wizards, zombie killers, and superheros. Most nights he fell asleep while editing college applications, his body exhausted, his mind strained, but as October approached one thing became clear to him.

About a week after Kurt arrived in New York City he received an opportunity for an internship that suited him spectacularly. It was more than either of them had ever dared dream, but it came with a few drawbacks. Mainly that Kurt was no longer available to take calls, or answer texts, or apparently talk to his boyfriend at all.

The first time it happened was late on the day that the Halloween decorations appeared in the school corridors at McKinley. It was past midnight when Blaine closed his laptop, resigned to the fact that he'd really been stood up. He supposed it was just a video chat, he knew Kurt loved him and surely he would have a good reason for missing their scheduled date. Maybe he was stuck at work and his phone had died, maybe Rachel was having a panic attack in central park and Blaine would receive a frantic call in the morning asking for bail money.

Or maybe a subway had crashed, maybe Kurt had been mugged or attacked, maybe he was hurt. Maybe he was fine and with someone else and gone and maybe…

Blaine's nights were suddenly spent alone, trying to answer these questions, hoping for a reply but coming up disappointed.

9pm, I'll be there - Kurt

I can't wait
I love you - Blaine

On a Monday morning in October in Ohio, Blaine left his house thinking that it was everything one would expect it to be, cold, windy and miserable. Certainly he was miserable. The last 4 texts he'd received from Kurt all said the same thing: 9pm, I'll be there - and yet, he'd spent the last four nights at home, alone, staring at an empty screen. Hoping, for hours. Waiting - for nothing.

It had been homecoming weekend, he could have gone out with friends. He could have made plans. He could have been doing anything in the world except waiting around at home like a loser whose boyfriend didn't want to talk to him.

It hadn't escaped his notice that his I love you texts were no longer met with a response of any kind, his sweet words were ignored. It bothered him more than he thought it should, but there were only a handful a reasons why Kurt wouldn't respond and really, they were all ridiculous. Blaine knew Kurt had read the messages, so ?..why?...What was he doing all day that he couldn't spare a moment to reply? How was he spending these nights while ignoring the man he loved?

Blaine's drive to school that day was nothing short of hostile and even though he knew he needed coffee, he sped passed the Lima Bean in a fit of rage. The first real, spoken, 'i love you' they had ever shared had been in that shop and now Kurt, his boyfriend, had gone four whole days without speaking to him. Not a call, not a word.


Life in New York City never stopped, but Kurt was determined to adapt and thrive in his new home. So many dreams lay within his reach now that he really lived here and he knew he couldn't waste a single moment. After a weekend of settling into the apartment space with Rachel, he hit the streets in search of life's next step.

Most of his first days in the city were spent preparing for internship interviews, college admission performances and stage auditions. It was overwhelming in the best way and Kurt felt confident that his big break was just waiting around the next corner. With the constant voice of Blaine in his ear or smiling encouragingly through a laptop screen, the only thing that would have made Kurt happier was if his boyfriend were there too. But Blaine had another year of high school to finish and as he had said, Kurt was ready. This was his time and he had to meet it head on.

As it turned out, Blaine was right as always and Kurt got the very first internship he applied for. The one he wanted more than any other. Vogue had always been Kurt's go-to magazine and the prospect of working with the famous Isabelle Wright was equally exciting and intimidating.

At first it was easy to keep Blaine close, to keep him involved and to offer support, but as the days turned into weeks their conversations became strained. Even Blaine's texts seemed annoyed and these sullen dark moods were so at war with Kurt's intense elation with life that he felt distanced from the man he loved. Furthermore, Kurt quickly found himself working very late most days and having no energy left when he made it home. As he slumped, exhausted into bed he knew Blaine would understand him missing a few Skype dates in pursuit of his dreams.

The thing was, Kurt truly believed in his heart that they were solid. They loved each other, and he knew, despite their hopeful promises, this separation was always going to be hard. He thought they just needed time to get back in sync. Once things settled down, he would be able to take the time to talk to his boyfriend again. And really, he thought there was nothing to worry about anyway. Blaine had always been the one for him.


Blaine hadn't really thought he'd win senior class president, especially against second year senior Brittany, whom everyone loved. But more so he hadn't expected Kurt to completely forget, to ignore his texts, send his calls straight to voicemail. As he watched everyone celebrate around him, the loneliness he'd been fighting seemed to seep into his heart. He had no idea where Kurt was tonight, or what he was doing. Despite the promises they'd made to each other, Kurt clearly didn't care that Blaine had been elected.

It was coming to the point where Blaine wondered if Kurt really cared about him at all.


The first weekend in New York after all the leaves had changed, Kurt found himself floating through picturesque flea markets in the city of his dreams. He was still searching for pieces that would make a one room loft space into a functional home for himself and Rachel. When he saw a star the size of a marquee he reached for his phone and pressed the button to call Blaine. He knew he'd forgotten something important this week in the wake of late meetings with Vogue colleagues, but he couldn't remember what it was.

In truth Kurt was finding it hard to keep track of even the most trivial things, like his keys to the loft or the cord for his phone. He had never had so much to think about, so many meetings and events to plan. Not to mention all the schmoozing that was required of him at this crucial time. He was a new face, young and untested. But like Blaine had said, he was here to take life and New York City by the balls and nothing was going to stand in his way.

Blaine didn't answer his phone but Kurt thought nothing of it, perhaps he was in rehearsals. Mr. Schue would be running the New Directions ragged as he tried to asses new members and plan dance routines. Surely Blaine was just busy and hadn't noticed the call, it was nothing to worry about. They were solid, Kurt knew that and as Blaine's voicemail clicked on Kurt hung up, because he had spotted the perfect end table to go with his new couch and chairs.


For his first days in office, Blaine sat in policy meetings with a random group of kids from school that he'd never spoken to before. They were all snooty and uptight about their opinions, spewing rhetoric about issues like they knew what they were talking about. At first it seemed overwhelming, especially given the fact that he'd never been in student government before, both himself and Sam were clearly out of their depth.

However, it didn't take long for the friends to grow bored at these meetings, as it became clear that the group was all talk. They didn't even attempt to plan to get things done, they all just wanted to argue about serious politics as though their conclusions were not only well-informed but logical enough to make a real difference. Never mind the fact that this high school government club had no control over the real issues of a society they were only just starting to become a part of. It all seemed very silly to Blaine, and served as a reminder of just how young and foolish he felt stuck in Lima.

As October passed Blaine found it more difficult to fill his time without Kurt. Several of the clubs he joined had already dissolved, leaving Blaine to spend more and more time by himself, trying to avoid the loneliness. It was during one of those downtime's, sitting alone in the choir room with nowhere to go and nothing to do, that Blaine made the biggest mistake of his life.