Later that night, they were standing at the airport. Kurt had his plane ticket in his hand and his other hand was holding tightly onto Blaine's. The younger skater wished more than anything that he could just drop everything and follow Kurt back to the United States. Staying behind alone would be very scary, but Blaine felt awful that Kurt would have to go through all that without Blaine to support him... He could tell the older man was terrified of losing his beloved dog.

"Anything you don't understand, you can ask Coach Sylvester, okay? Don't be intimidated by her," Kurt spoke, his eyes looking worriedly at Blaine. It seemed like a miracle, but Sue had actually agreed to be Blaine's coach for one day. "I think this time, she genuinely wants to help."

Blaine softened at the man's words, even with all the hurt he was feeling because of Hepburn, Kurt was still concerned about Blaine. "Baby..." He didn't use a term of endearment often, but this time he couldn't help it. "I'll be fine. I promise you, don't even think about the competition right now, you have Hep to worry about."

Kurt shook his head, "If I think about her too much, I- I'll-..." He didn't need to finish the sentence. Blaine could already see the tears building up.

Blaine squeezed the man's hand and stepped closer. He felt a lump in his throat. Part of him wanted to say that everything would be fine, that Hepburn would live and recover well. He wanted to say that he could do this alone, that he was confident that he would get a great score and advance to the Final.

But he couldn't lie to Kurt.

They announced the last call to Kurt's flight. Blaine felt the older man's arm tighten around him before he let go.

"You've been so amazing, Blaine..." Kurt's hand slid down from Blaine's shoulder to his hand. "You can do this. You won't be alone, I'll be thinking about you the entire time."

"Me too." Blaine whispered, tears finally falling as he realized he would miss Kurt's embrace. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And then they let go.

The next morning:

Blaine had woken up alone in Kurt's apartment. The place felt colder than usual without his presence. Blaine had made himself breakfast, gave himself a pep talk, and stopped himself from calling Kurt. Kurt needed some time to rest from the trip and to give all his attention to Hepburn - who had survived but was still in the hospital. She would need a couple of days there to recover from the surgery.

As Blaine heads to practice he prepares himself for the nightmare he's about to endure. Kurt had said that Sue seemed to be genuinely wanting to help, but Blaine knew better. If she had the opportunity to sabotage him, she would. He'd have to keep an eye on her the whole time while also focusing on doing his best on the ice.

He was so close to never making it to the Final.

In the end, the morning practice didn't go very well. Blaine had barely exchanged a few words with his substitute coach and everyone noticed it, including Blaise.

Blaine had no clue what the teenager was thinking about all of this. It was quite obvious he hadn't approved of Sue's decision because of the look on his face. But Blaise seemed deeply concerned for Kurt. Blaise hadn't said a word to them the entire time, though.

After practice was over, Blaine left the ice with a heavy heart. He was alone and wanting so badly to be home with Kurt and Hepburn giving them all the support they needed. The entire situation meant so much to him. He had to make himself relax and show to the world - and to himself - that he was capable of doing it on his own. Even with so much going on, even with all that pressure. If he lost now, then everyone would know for certain that Blaine Anderson was nothing without Kurt Hummel's help.

As he moved to the locker room, he noticed his hand was shaking. Blaine took a deep breath and wished he could just make his anxiety disappear.

"Blaise, your grandfather is here."

He heard Coach Sylvester calling, that's when he noticed that the teenager had been standing close to him and was looking at him with intrigued eyes.

Blaise quickly averted his gaze to somewhere else, put on a hood, and left the locker room.

Blaise stepped outside, spotting his grandfather's old, green car immediately. The teenager visibly relaxed, he didn't have to look so tough anymore, he was safe there with his Grandfather.

"Pépé, I..." Blaise started with a small smile. "I wasn't expecting you here. Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't come yesterday," The old man said in a sweet voice before he approached his Grandson with a brown paper bag. "But I brought something to make it up to you."

Blaise glanced down at the bag. "You didn't have to. I understand. You weren't feeling well." Still, he took the bag. He couldn't resist his Grandfather's baked goods.

"Well, I think you deserve a treat." The man chuckled softly, opening the door so they could sit in the car instead of standing outside in the cold.

Once they were seated, Blaine opened the bag and smiled as he reached for the croissant. He didn't waste any time and took a bite. He frowned as a taste he was not expecting filled his mouth. "Wait, this is...?"

Louis laughed. "Is that it? Does it taste good like the cronuts you had in America?"

Blaise was looking at him with wide eyes and a big smile. He loved that man so much. "Pépé... This is perfect."

Anyone watching that scene would not recognize Blaise. He was nothing like The French Punk everyone was so used to.

"I'm glad. It's for good luck." Louis smiled softly. "I made two. You can share one with one of your friends."

"I have no friends here," Blaise said firmly as he took another bite and looked straight ahead.

"Then maybe someone who needs it..."

"Look, I know what you're implying." Blaise huffed and turned to his Grandfather. "And I'm not sharing this with Anderson, okay? He's my competition, and I'm not going to be nice to someone I want to beat."

Louis watched his Grandson for a moment and shook his head. "You are a very good skater, Blaise. Very talented. But you have much still to learn..."

Blaise was offended. "What? You think that pig can teach me something I don't know? I'm a better skater than he will ever be, that's a fact!"

"About life." Louis interrupted him. "About winning and losing things. I know how important the competition is for you, my Grandson, but as you get older you'll realize that you should not push your friends away. Friends like Kurt."

"But, Pépé, he humiliated m-"

"I know, I know, I heard that a million times, Blaise! But you have to grow out of that. When you lose, it feels awful, but the best you can do is to look at it as an experience that made you learn more. Losing that face-off lit a fire on you that made you want to be better and better. Maybe you would not have come this far if you hadn't lost that day. And you know it wasn't personal."

Blaise looked down. "He was supposed to help me. Stick by my side."

"He never refused to help you, Blaise." Louis frowned. "Kurt never ended his friendship with you. You were the one to push him away."

Blaise remained quiet. It was a lot to take in and on the inside, he was battling with all those conflicting feelings about this whole situation. His Grandfather went on:

"It hurts when we lose. You are probably going to lose more times in your career, and it's going to hurt a lot. But I guarantee that having people who care about you around you is going to help it heal a lot faster." Louis told him softly. "And besides, even when you do win... Who will be there to celebrate with you? Other than me, of course." He offered the boy a smile.

Blaise sighed and reached for the other croissant, taking a bite of it. Louis wasn't sure if that meant that Blaise was going to keep being stubborn, but the fact that he was listening to him was good enough for now.

"Group Two is finally about to start in the Men's Singles Free Skate. Each skater comes into this event with his own hopes and fears. This event will determine who advances to the Grand Prix Final. Group Two's first competitor, currently in sixth place, is the Czech Republic's Jeff Sterling, age 18."

Blaine watched from the television while he warmed up. As much as he tried, he couldn't focus on other people's performances as much as he needed. His mind was somewhere else and there was no one there to keep him grounded. To say he missed Kurt there was an understatement.

Blaine and alone and he knew that. Kurt had texted him several times and even called, but right there and then there was no one with him. Kurt had said that Coach Sylvester would be there for him... That wasn't really true. Of course she had her full attention on Blaise. Blaine didn't even blame her. The teenager was her real student after all.

At the same time that he longed for support, Blaine decided that this was an opportunity for him to grow. To show himself that he could do this without Kurt too, he was strong enough.

"Listen, before I go in, I just... I've struggled with this for a while now, and I need to talk to you, okay?"

Blaine turned his head discreetly. Those twins were arguing again.

"You know you can tell me anything, Mason." Madison blinked innocently, waiting for him to speak.

"Just... Watch me. But from here. Don't go outside to cheer me on anymore. I need my space, Madison!"

The girl gasped, looking as if she had been slapped across the face. "But we... We're twins. We've been together since the womb! I want to support you."

"We have to learn not to depend on each other so much. I'm going to win, with or without your support." He said finally and turned around to leave. His coach was waiting.

Mason's free skating program broke his personal record. He skated to Queen's "I Want To Break Free" which made his message to his sister very clear. That prompted her to apologize to him. She never meant to suffocate him so much.

Jane was also present that day, and everyone could tell they had been flirting for a while now. The only reason why Mason hadn't asked her out was because of the jealousy of his sister. With that out of the way, maybe they'd get the opportunity to go on at least one date.

Not only had it been his best performance, but he had now become a real threat to Blaine, who watched nervously as Mason's score came on the screen.

His total score was 282.89. Currently in first place. He had beaten Jeff, and the skater from Thailand named Wes. Blaine had to watch them already packing their belongings and admitting defeat. They would not make it to the Grand Prix Final.

Blaise wasn't fazed by Mason. Some random guy he didn't even remember the name didn't scare him. He was focused on his real competition.

The teenager walked into the arena wearing his hoodie still. He turned to his Coach and ballet teacher as he kept looking down.

"I'm changing the jump composition," Blaise announced.

Sue frowned. Her instinct telling her that it wasn't wise to let Blaise change something so important at the last minute. "What do you propose?"

Blaise swallowed hard, but he was determined. "I'll reduce the number of jumps from the first half from four to two."

"What?" Sue almost yelled. "So you'll have six in the second half?"

"That's right."

Sue widened her eyes. "Do you have a death wish?"

His response was to take off his jacket and guards so he could step on the ice. He knew that was the only way he could beat Blaine and Jesse St. James. Nothing could stop him from getting that gold medal. Blaise needed to beat them both.

"Here on his home turf, we have Blaise Lambiel, age 15. He was in third place in the short program yesterday." The announcer said.

Blaise could hear the French audience cheering for him. He absorbed that for a moment with his eyes closed as he got into position. They were calling his name. They loved him.

He would get his first gold medal of the season here. In his hometown. That's all he needed.

The music began. The sound of the piano was fast and strict. Not only it was a difficult piece to play, but also a difficult piece to skate to.

"He is skating to 'Allegro Appassionato in B Minor'. The program was choreographed by Carmen Tibideaux, former principal of the Bolshoi Ballet."

Blaise moved so fast on the ice that the people in the audience could barely keep up with him. The blades hit the ice with force as his costume reflected the fire that this performance needed in order to be done properly.

It was black, with red and pink patterns and feathers sewn into it to look like flames. He even had flames in his skates.

"For Blaise Lambiel's senior debut, they've chosen a piece that is well-known for its difficulty and heart-pounding intensity."

"He's been allowed to attempt quads since his debut as a senior. And he's the first of two in this program."

Blaise took off in the ice, his slim body spinning quickly into the air before a perfect landing.

"Wow! Just like in his short program, he landed that with confidence!"

Blaise opened his eyes, his expression showed nothing but focus on the performance and beauty. Carmen and Sue watched him close to the barrier. They weren't proud yet, it was too soon to tell...

Blaise lifted his left leg up high and leaned in, close to the ice.

"Now, he has planned a triple axel from a spiral..."

Blaine was watching from the audience. He could hear the comments from the other figure skaters. No one could take their eyes away from Blaise, he didn't even seem like himself.

"That was really high. Doesn't he seem too psyched up?" One of the girls commented.

Meanwhile, a smile began to form on Carmen Tibideaux's face. "That's right, Blaise..." She whispered to herself. "Dance with beauty."

Blaise could still remember the ache in his body from all the training she had put him through. Both coaches were harsh on him, too harsh. But he would endure anything in order to win. They could have his whole body and soul.

He remembered Carmen's words. Beauty is a crushing force of righteousness. Strength means nothing without beauty.

Blaise was twirling and gracefully showing his step sequence to the judges. Blaine swallowed hard as he watched, approaching the barrier. That step sequence was out of this world and Blaise didn't even have time for a breath. Yet... How was he so calm?

Blaise's mind was concentrated on every advice he had gotten from the coaches during his training. He wished Kurt was there to see him in person...

But at least his Grandfather was there watching. He would make him proud.

He was starting to feel too tired. The realization of how tough this program was hit him, and he hoped his ambition of doing six jumps in the second half would pay off.

Blaise went for it.

"A triple Lutz!"

He had gotten his strength as he remembered that Blaine had three quadruple jumps prepared, and Jesse had four. He couldn't afford to miss any jumps.

"A triple flip."

He could not make any mistakes.

"A quadruple toe loop! Perfect!"

Blaise went on to do the step sequence, he grabbed his blade and lifted his leg high above his head. The teenager could feel his anger beginning to return when he remembered Jesse. That Canadian was the first jerk he had even met that came from that country. Canadians were usually so nice. But not only that... He hadn't been prepared for Jesse before in the first Cup of the Grand Prix Series.

All eyes were on him that day in Canada after the free skate. He was absolutely sure he would win his first gold as a senior. Before he knew it, he had been pushed to second place because of Jesse. That man was a shithead that kept mocking him all night.

His anger, this time, made him even more ambitious. He jumped again and let out a scream of rage that he was sure no one heard.

"Quadruple Salchow followed by a triple toe loop!"

"Great height!" The other commenter for the Sports Channel added. "It was a beautiful jump. God, he's showing tremendous spirit in his program's second half!"

"Oh, wait, here he comes again."

Blaine Anderson gasped, watching in awe as Blaise continued the performance with a combination jump.

"A triple loop, double toe loop!"

Blaine's jaw had dropped, as the song only got faster and the young boy on the ice kept going. "I-is this really Blaise?"

Blaine gained speed and lifted his arm for impulse. The last combination jump was coming. He lifted his leg and...

"A triple axel..." He barely touched the floor and jumped again. "Single-loop and followed by a triple Salchow!"

"He landed all his jumps!"

Blaise could see from where he was that Carmen Tibideaux was emotional, she seemed to be wiping her tears away. Good. He had done it!

"At the Internationaux de France of the Grand Prix Series, his senior debut, he has brushed off the pressure and responded to his local fans, delivering a sublime free skate program!"

The final pose came. Blaise was spinning fast before he stopped, looking with both hands. The audience barely waited until the song finished before they were giving him a standing ovation.

Blaine was standing still, his eyes on the small boy on the ice that had fallen to his knees. Blaine could see him gasping and coughing. That performance had been beyond his limits. Even Blaise looked shocked at what he had just done.

Blaise had had time to recover. He drank lots of later as he went go the kiss and cry go get his score.

Blaine watched curiously. The teenage boy sat on the chair next to Carmen, she had his arms crossed and he seemed to be closing himself off. All that mattered was the score. It was so different from the way Blaine interacted with his coaches. Even before Kurt, who obviously loved touching him and holding his hands during the announcements, Blaine had always like it when people stayed close to him and supported him.

"And the score for France's Blaise Lambiel's free program is... 199.87! A personal best!"

'Good', Blaine thought as he gave his jacket to his substitute coach Sue. 'Blaise deserves it.'

"His total score is 297.96, which puts him currently in first place!"

That was it. Blaise Lambiel had made it to the Grand Prix Final in his senior debut and nothing in his whole life had made him feel greater than that moment. He had made it.

The young boy turned to the audience, waving happily at his Grandfather before he turned to search for Blaine. He wanted to see the man's reaction.

But Blaine was already on the ice.

As he looked down at the skates he took in a breath. Blaine looked peaceful to anyone watching, but the man was actually feeling like his heart was going to come out of his chest at any moment. He could not even focus on his feet, it all seemed too far away.

How Blaine wished Kurt was there to keep him grounded...

Blaine heard the familiar melody of Warbler On Ice, and his body began to move accordingly, responding to it. Slowly, he lifted his arms up, like he was longing for something and he truly was.

"Blaine Anderson from the United States was in second place after the short program. He is skating to 'Warbler On Ice', a song composed by himself for his free skating program."

Blaine opened his arm as he twirled and moved across the rink. He looked at the audience for a moment. He didn't want them to think everything Kurt has taught him has been a waste. The only way to prove that was by winning.

If he failed here, everything was going to be over.

Blaine jumped, his blades were shining against the light as he perfectly spun four times in a quadruple toe loop. However, as soon as his blades hit the ice he jumped again, and his mind was screaming at him because that was too fast.

"His second jump turned into a single."

The French teenager approached the barrier, watching closely. He couldn't simply walk away from Blaine.

"What is that piglet doing?" He muttered to himself with a frown.

Blaise also saw Sue's reaction. The woman was not happy. It was strange, he realized, both of them had a lot to win if Blaine lost, and yet here they were, frustrated and angry because he missed one jump.

And Blaine keeps going, willing himself to calm down. Remembering that Kurt would be watching from home and he wanted to make the man he loved proud.

Kurt would tell him how to recover from this. He remembered his soft voice as the older man skated over to him and offered his hand for Blaine to take during a particular practice, telling him:

'You're overthinking it... When you think too much, you fall.'

Blaine smiled, without even noticing, at the memory of Kurt showing up at his house that first day. He had brought his dog and enough clothes to last for months, Kurt's mind was made up about being Blaine's coach. That's how inspired he was. And then he was telling Blaine that he would win gold.

Until Kurt came into his life, he would never openly admit that he wanted to win gold. His memories of so many failures kept him from ever feeling that kind of confidence. However... He never skated with the thought in his mind that he would lose anyway.

Deep down, way deep, Blaine wanted to win gold. Truthfully, he wanted to win gold at last year's Grand Prix Final, too. Even with Kurt Hummel as a competitor. He aimed for that, but until Kurt came into his life he never said it out loud.

Kurt dug that up and showed to him that it was possible.

Blaine went for the jump again, that same loop, but this time it had enough rotations.

'Blaine, you're not weak. Nobody who knows you would ever think that.'

He remembered Kurt's words from that day in that picnic. Everything began to change right after that day. Blaine asked Kurt go just be himself and that's what he did. Blaine's love from him then began to grow into something different.

Blaine knew what love is and he was stronger for it.

'I was able to come this far because Kurt believed in me...' Blaine thought, 'And if I end here without making it to the Grand Prix Final...'

The jump he was planning to do was ruined by his landing. He positioned his feet in the wrong way and two-footed that landing.

'No...' He breathed. 'Don't think right now.'

From the barrier, Blaise couldn't keep quiet anymore. He wanted to just jump on the ice and scream into Blaine's face.

"You idiot!" Blaise huffed, and in desperation, he put both hands around his mouth so he could yell out. "Come on, Blaine, hang in t-..."

"Wow..." Blaise heard coming from right next to him and that made him freeze. "Blaise, look at you all supportive now that you've clinched your spot in the Final, eh?" It was Jesse St. James. "Cheer for me too, will you?"

Blaise felt ashamed and Jesse noticed the blush on the young boy's cheek. He laughed, glancing from Blaine then to the boy. "Don't worry. I won't tell him that you almost were nice."

Jesse winked and went on to keep stretching.

On the ice, Blaine slid with soft moves. He knew he had another jump coming up soon, and he closed his eyes to mentally prepared himself. The triple axel was a jump that came easily to him, he didn't want to mess that up.

He thought of Kurt, knowing that his love was surely watching him from a live stream. Blaine wanted to have to power to reach out and see Kurt at that moment, his blue eyes following his movements...

He jumped, then when he landed and opened his eyes, Blaine could see Kurt. Every memory of every time Kurt stood by the barrier, holding a breath as he watched Blaine dancing across the ice rink.

Whether Kurt was there with him or not, he could still feel that strength. Kurt had promised Blaine wouldn't be alone. And Blaine could feel it. Kurt's love was never going to leave him and it made him stronger than he had ever felt in his life.

"A triple flip." The jump came easily and Blaine heard the crowd cheer for him.

'I'm the only person who can skate this program the way I can. This is mine... And Kurt's.' That thought kept him going and his skates felt lighter.

He needed to win. Blaine wanted this more than anything.

He launched himself into the air again, the triple axel came easily and when he landed on the ice, Blaine didn't think twice before he jumped again, making a single loop... And to everyone's surprise, he ended that combination with a triple Salchow.

Behind the barrier, Blaise noticed the reaction of his coach. The woman usually kept everything hidden to herself, but her small gasp had made it obvious... She was impressed.

And Blaise didn't know how he felt about that.

Blaine was mesmerizing to see on the ice in that moment. Everyone could see how ruthless he was, so different from the man they had seen the previous year.

On the ice, Blaine's blades were sparkling as he went on to do another combination jump perfectly. The audience was in love with that free skating program.

But Blaine loved the program that Kurt and he had made together, the more than anyone else in the whole world.

"I'm not finished yet..." Blaine whispered to himself as the song began to reach climax. 'I'll be done when I get the gold medal with Kurt.'

"You can feel Blaine Anderson's love, a love he can only express on the ice, in this step sequence." The narrator said to everyone watching on the television.

Just then, Blaine went for another jump, the first Triple Salchow went well, but the speed wasn't enough for the second jump he tried, which caused him to put his hands on the ice to keep him from falling.

The audience audibly reacted to that, but the figure skaters and coaches present could not even look away or make any noises.

"He had a good flow until the end..." Blaise said quietly, just to himself. And in his mind he realized that he wondered how it could have been with Kurt there with Blaine, it would have been amazing... and then he realized that he really wants to see that.

The final notes of the song began to play, while Blaine did a spin on the ice with a wonderful speed. He began to stand up and finished the performance with the same final pose he always did. One hand in his heart, while the other seemed to be pointed at no one in particular, but Blaine could see Kurt there. Kurt who was always there at the barrier for him.

As soon as the song finished, Blaine collapsed on the ice, gasping. That had been the toughest program he had ever done. He was fighting tooth and nail to make sure he would take a spot in the Grand Prix Final with the power of his love.

It was all very awkward. Blaine was sitting next to Sue Sylvester, drinking from his apple juice box. Sue had her arms crossed over her chest, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but at that kiss and cry.

They were in silence waiting for the score. Blaine didn't think she was going to say anything, but then he heard her voice speaking to him.

"Look..." Sue cleared her throat. "I guess I'm doing Porcelain a favor, so I'm going to tell you what I think about this mess of a program..."

Blaine raised his eyebrow but kept quiet.

"You were disgraceful. I thought I was watching a five-year-old skating for the first time! You failed to take advantage of the program that Porcelain made for you. I mean, why didn't you practice for the obvious possibility that you would flub a jump? It always happens with you, so... I guess you're just like your coach, he never did either, and..."

While Sue went on, Blaine stared at her without any emotion. All he was thinking about was that she was just like Kurt. It explained so much. Kurt had been used to this for so long... A huge lecture at the kiss and cry, never any sort of comfort. Kurt was like that when he started.

"We have the scores for Blaine Anderson." It was announced.

Both Blaine and Sue turned to the monitor, watching intently.

"His free skating score is...172.87, and total score 282.84!"

Blaine let out a choked breath.

"That means he's now in third place and may yet advance to the Grand Prix Final, but it is not certain. We won't know until the end."

Sue let out a grunt and shrugged. "Hm. That's a higher score than I expected."

Blaine knew that the next one to perform was Jesse. His chances of advancing were still uncertain. And he had no one there with him.

He did the first thing he thought of doing: pulled Sue into a hug.

"Thank you," Blaine whispered, feeling the woman tensing up in his arms.

Blaine just needed a little bit of comfort. These could be his very last moments in that competition, so he wanted it to be better than last time.

He would not spend those last moments crying in a bathroom stall, no. Blaine would spend it thanking Sue because no matter what she had said and done in the past, she still had been nice to him. The coach had done him a favor, and Blaine would always be grateful for that.

"Okay, kid... You can let go now." Sue spoke in a shy voice.

Blaine did what she asked, pulling back but still feeling the need for a warmer embrace. The truth was, he needed Kurt.

Jesse was about to enter the ice and Blaine watched.

"Finally! I was tired of waiting..." He heard Jesse exclaim.

Jesse, the self-proclaimed ice king, the figure skater that had the highest technical difficulty among all the skaters competing that night... If Jesse succeeds in all four quads he had planned, he will take gold.

And Blaine would not make it to the podium.

Blaine nervously pushed his dark curls back with his hand, he was sweating and his heart was starting to pound in his chest as he realized that Jesse - last year's bronze medal winner - was going to succeed in that program without a doubt.

Blaine kept his eyes on the man in the shining green costume on the ice as the song started to play. Jesse was determined to take down Kurt. Which now meant, to take down Blaine.

Jesse was considered to be a potential new ice prince, a title that belonged to Kurt, now that Kurt was absent. But Blaine had heard his interviews... Jesse thought they were all wrong. He was not going to be a prince, but a king.

"Come on, Curls, we have to do the interview." Sue sighed, leading Blaine away from the barrier of the ice rink.

Blaine swallowed hard as he stepped away. Jesse was nailing every jump. He glanced at Sue and thought that maybe she would be getting what she wants really soon. Kurt might be going back to France for good.

"It's incredible. You've made no mistakes and landed all your jumps tonight. Are you confident that you're going to win the gold medal at the Grand Prix Final as well?" The woman asked, she was a cute reporter who seemed thrilled to be talking to Jesse St. James.

Jesse, the winner of the gold medal of the Internationaux de France, replied. "Oh, definitely." He laughed. "I don't feel like I have a real competition."

"Oh?" The woman tilted her head.

Blaine watched the man with a raised eyebrow. He had almost finished his own interviews, but before he could wrap it up and go home, Jesse's words had grabbed his attention.

"Yeah, when I was planning this free program I was thinking that this would be the routine that would stop Kurt Hummel from getting the gold medal again. I am confident that I could beat him this year, but..." Jesse shrugged. "I had no idea he'd get on a break. To be honest? I bet he ran because he was afraid of losing to me."

Blaine snorted. Very loudly, which made everyone turn to look at him, including Jesse. Blaine stood his ground, not bothered by Jesse's look of disdain. "Deluded." He commented, quietly, but it was loud enough to be heard by people around them.

Jesse just smirked. "Hi, Anderson. Hope your boyfriend's dog's okay. Have you called him and told him that you got fourth place tonight?"

Blaine clenched his jaw. He didn't need to bother replying to him. His skating would speak for itself.

Yes, he had placed in fourth place. It hurt because he truly hoped to get a medal to take home to Kurt. Blaine hadn't proved himself as much as he hoped he would. However, not all was lost. He was tied with Mason McCarthy in the total score, considering the overall points. But... Since he won a silver medal in the Cup Of China, Blaine would advance.

"See you at the Grand Prix Final, Jesse," Blaine responded finally and turned away. This competition had ended and he needed to focus on the next one.

The curly-haired man opened the door to the empty apartment. The smell of Kurt present in that place offered him a bit of comfort. Baine never felt so lonely and so exhausted. Sue had barely talked to him after he was done with the interviews. The only figure skater that offered him some nice words had been Jeff, but they had been short.

But now, Blaine was actually alone. He wanted to call Kurt and tell him everything, hear his voice and talk to him until they both fell asleep on their phones, like teenagers.

He went to take a bath first. Blaine felt like he desperately needed it. When he was done, he put on one of Kurt's hoodies and sat on the living room couch, reaching for his phone so he could call Kurt.

Six figure skaters had advanced to the Grand Prix Final. Sebastian Smythe, from Switzerland; Mike Chang, his best friend; one guy from Russia that he had yet to meet, named Otav Ivanov; Jesse St. James, the only Canadian he had ever met that wasn't nice; Blaise Lambiel, the French Punk; and finally Blaine Anderson.

Blaine had made it, the thing he had worked so hard for with Kurt. Now, all he needed is to win that one gold medal. Blaine felt like he was really close to the peak of his figure skating career... But he had yet to win a gold medal that season. The Grand Prix Final would be his last chance.

His phone stared back at him while Blaine tried to think of what he would say to his boyfriend and coach. He knew Kurt was taking care of Hepburn, not leaving her side for one minute, so Blaine didn't want to waste his time too much.

What would he even say? He had so much to say. Blaine missed Kurt so much, he felt so alone and he had no one to cheer him on or celebrate his spot in the Final. He missed Kurt's hug and voice, and...

They were so close to the end now. Blaine was scared to call Kurt. The realization hit him like a bullet through the heart. Their time together was ending and soon they would have to discuss what would happen. Kurt had promised a gold medal, and if Blaine gets it, his work here is done, unless Kurt decides to make Blaine win another one.

Blaine loved Kurt with every fiber of his being. Whatever Kurt chose to do, Blaine would support him. But he couldn't deny that he wished this dynamic they had could last forever.

He let out a breath and shook his head. It wouldn't be fair to Kurt, he decided. So then, he pressed the call button. His mind was made up.

No, Kurt was an ice skating legend. He was made for the spotlight and to share his talents with the world for years, still. He couldn't retire to become a coach, at least, not yet.

"Hello, je suis Kurt Hummel," Came a sweet voice from the phone, "I must be away from my phone right now, so leave a message after the beep!"

Blaine took in a deep breath. It was now or never, he needed to say everything he thought he needed before he got too nervous. "Hi... It's me, Blaine. I-I missed you very much... Kurt, I miss you a lot. I know it's only been a day, but today has been really-..." He cut himself off, his throat was tightening. "I'm sorry that I didn't make the podium. I'm sorry that I'm even leaving this long message to you right now when I should be celebrating, right? But I am all alone, so I can't really celebrate and I just need to get this off my chest. I-..." He paused, swallowing hard. "Kurt, I love you. And I am aiming for the gold medal at the Grand Prix Final. It'll be my last chance... But even if I don't win gold, I think you should-... Kurt, I don't think you should be my coach anymore. I don't want you to-..."

A loud knock on the door interrupted him. He didn't know what to do at first. Ignoring it seemed like the best option, but the knock was incessant.

"Shit, hold on!" Blaine panicked for a moment. What was he even doing? He tried to delete the message but ended up just ending the call.

Blaine reached the door, fumbling to put his phone back in his pocket before he answered it. When he opened a crack he was shocked to find Blaise Lambiel standing on the other side of the door. His blond hair was covering one of his eyes, and Blaine could see the other looking down. Avoiding Blaine's eyes for the moment.

''Blaise?"

The teenager almost turned away to leave, but just groaned and looked up. He looked like he was struggling to think of what to say, so Blaine decided to say something.

"Listen... Kurt's not here. He's still in America, but you can-..."

"I know he isn't here, stupid." Blaise interrupted rudely, but then Blaine saw it in his eyes that he regretted the attitude. "Fuck, I should just go."

Blaine opened the door even more and stepped out to block Blaise. He couldn't let the teenager leave like that. "No, stay. It's okay. You don't even have to explain why you're here, but don't just leave like that."

The boy shook his head slightly, cursing in French to himself before he looked up at Blaine again. "Fine. I'm not here for him. I mean, actually, I am too. I want to know how he is, and-... and how Hepburn is. But also to talk to you."

Talk to him? Blaine was very surprised and it showed. He never expected Blaise to actually want to interact with him unless he was forced to do it.

Blaine asked Blaise to come inside and let him get comfortable. The boy sat on the couch and looked around the place while Blaine went to get him a glass of water. They had both moved on to the Finals, so perhaps that was why Blaise had decided to reach out to him. Blaise silently took off his backpack, putting it on top of his lap and opening its zipper. He paused and sighed.

"What was that earlier?" He asked.

"What?" Blaine furrowed his eyebrows.

"What was with that free skate? You can make an excuse that you couldn't do your best because Kurt wasn't there, but I was in top condition and earned a new personal best and still lost do Jesse again! You have no right to feel more down than me."

Blaine almost smiled. "You came all the way here to tell me I shouldn't feel so sad?"

Blaise paused for a moment. Like he wasn't expecting that. He was surprised that... yes, he had done that. "You can have this." Blaise sighed and suddenly took out a brown paper bag out of his backpack, practically throwing it at Blaine. "Eat."

"What is this?" Blaine inspected the bag.

"Eat already!"

"Okay, okay..." Blaine let out a small laugh and opened the bag. There was a cronut. It still felt warm. Blaine slowly began to smile. "Where did-.."

"My grandpa made them himself!" Blaise announced with a proud smile.

Blaine was happy to see him like that, Blaise had never looked so young and relaxed around him. He knew how much the boy's grandfather meant to him. Maybe spending some time with him had changed his perspective on things.

"It's great, isn't it?" The teenager went on with a chuckle as he took out his own bag with a cronut.

"They're wonderful." Blaine grinned too. "I... thought you hated them."

"Awe you cwazy?" Blaise frowned, talking as he chewed. "Didn't you see me eating tons of cronuts at your house?"

"Well... yes, but..." Blaine shrugged. "Every time you mention them you made a face of disgust."

Blaise smirked a little and laughed. "That's because they remind me of you."

"Oh."

"But I don't hate cronuts." Blaise went on, looking down at his own food before he added. "Or you."

Blaine was caught by surprise, staring at the boy with a small smile on his lips. All he needed that night was a friend, but he never thought he'd find one in Blaise.

"Stop creeping me out!" Came Blaise's voice, dragging Blaine out of his thoughts. "That doesn't mean I won't crush you with my skate blades, pig! You're still competition, this is merely a truce."

But the effect Blaise's anger had on him before was lost. The boy looked like a kitten trying to sound scary. Blaine kept his smile to himself, though, and just nodded taking another bite.

There was a lot Blaine wanted to say to the boy. He wanted to tell him that he loved Kurt more than anything, but he knew Kurt was important to him too and he would never take Kurt away from him. Blaise might not have realized that yet, but this wasn't just about figure skating. Blaise didn't want to lose his friend. He didn't want Kurt to move away, to push him out of his life. Kurt had grown close to him because of his talent, but now that someone else had caught Kurt's attention, Blaise was scared that Kurt wouldn't have any other reason to keep him close. He was so wrong...

But he didn't need to say any of that. He was learning that Blaise was not good with words - saying or hearing them - so the right thing to do was to show him.

"So what do you say we order pizza? We don't tell our coaches." Blaine suggested with a smile, and Blaise smiled back.

Lima, Ohio. Three days later:

The familiar smell of the bus station made Blaine smile. He was back home, finally. Seeing a poster of his on the wall made him think back to the time when he had arrived there without knowing if he would ever leave again. If he would ever skate again. Less than a year later and... there he was. He had made it to the Grand Prix Final. He had good chances of winning a gold medal with his coach, who was Kurt Hummel. A coach who was also his boyfriend. He had so much to say to Kurt, he didn't even know where to begin...

And then he saw Kurt there. He was sitting outside on a bench. Kurt only turned to see Blaine when Hepburn barked next to him.

Blaine's heart felt so warm when he saw them that he could almost cry right there and then.

He ran, right to Kurt's open arms. Blaine was being held by his lover again. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.

"Blaine..."

Blaine held him tighter. It was good to hear his voice so close to him again.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Blaine confessed in a breath.

"I know..." Kurt nodded. "And I am so proud of you."

They kept holding each other, not caring about anyone or anything else. Hepburn stood by their side, wagging her tail.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you can do as your coach from now on..." Kurt said softly, blinking his eyes open

"Me too..." Blaine said and before Kurt could say anything else he pulled back, putting both hands on his shoulders and staring right at him. "Please... Be my coach until I retire."

Kurt was silent for a while, but then he smiled, reached for Blaine's hand, and held it. "Be your coach..." He grinned, almost to himself. He kissed Blaine's hand so tenderly that Blaine barely felt his soft lips on his skin. "This is almost like a marriage proposal."

Blaine blushed. He liked the sound of that. He smiled back and hugged his boyfriend again.

"I wish you'd never retire," Kurt whispered softly.

Those words brought tears to Blaine's eyes.

At home together again. It was night. Blaine had already talked to his family and friends. He had given them gifts from his trip to China and France. Now, he and Kurt were alone again. His boyfriend held his hand all the way upstairs and to Blaine's room. He stopped by the door and leaned against the doorframe.

"So... Should I go to my room?" Kurt asked.

Blaine almost laughed. After all this time, Kurt still hadn't slept in his room. It was funny, but then Blaine realized how amazing Kurt was being. He would never push his limits. He would never demand anything from Blaine. Not even something as silly as sharing his bed, which they had done before countless times. But he was respecting Blaine's boundaries.

Blaine stepped closer to Kurt, cupping his cheeks and kissing him as he pulled Kurt in and closed the door. "Stay." He whispered.

He laid down, Kurt fell on the bed next to him, not even trying to hide his smile. They stayed like that for a moment. Blaine wished his fourteen-year-old self could enter the room in that moment and see this scene. His younger self loved Kurt, that was true, but it was nothing like this. Kurt was a person he had mostly made up in his head, but now he had met the real one. It was more than he could ever have imagined.

As if Kurt could read his mind, he asked. "How many times have you ever daydreamed about me in this room?" He chuckled softly.

Blaine blushed a little, but also laughed. "More than I could ever count." He pointed at his computer desk. "I used to spend hours right there watching your videos. And in this very room, I tried copying the step sequences."

"Why not at the ice rink?" Kurt tilted his head up to look at him.

Blaine laughed again. "Because it was late at night and it was closed."

Kurt shook his head in disbelief and chuckled. "Did you ever do anything else? Like, go to the movies, go on dates..."

Blaine grinned and grabbed Kurt's arm, pulling the tall man on top of him. "No," he replied, looking up at him. "But I have plenty of time for dating right now."

Kurt leaned down and pressed a kiss to Blaine's lips. The man sighed softly, closing his eyes as the kiss deepened. It was the first time they were kissing in that bed, in that room, but it still felt like home. Like this was always meant to happen.

Blaine felt the kiss get more heated. As always, Kurt is trying his best not to push too far. He is never the one to deepen the kiss, never the one to put his hands under the clothes... But this time, each time Blaine gives him permission to touch somewhere, to kiss somewhere, he melts into it.

They've done this before. They had gotten each other off before, but they never actually went all the way. Kurt is always careful and always ready to stop when he thinks it might go too far. This time though, Blaine can feel him trembling. He can feel his desire and is surprised to see that he looks the same. He never needed Kurt as much as he needed this time.

And this time, he never asks Kurt to stop.

Hi, everyone! I'm really sorry again for taking so long to update.

Tell me what you think of this chapter, please :) What do you expect to see next? What do you think of what Blaise did? I know this chapter didn't have much Kurt and I missed him, but he is back! And I promise that we'll have an all-Kurt Hummel chapter very soon ;)

Thanks for reading and see you next chapter!