Day 8: Still Falling for You

Kurt tapped out a text message, hitting "send" just as Blaine slipped into the seat across from him and passed him a cup of coffee. Kurt smiled at the familiar Lima Bean logo. It had been a long time since they were last at the Bean, and the memories were plentiful.

"One grande nonfat mocha," Blaine announced, "and one Cupid cookie to share," he added, setting the cookie down between them with a flourish.

"Oh, I can't believe they still sell these!" Kurt exclaimed, snapping off Cupid's head and taking a bite.

"It wouldn't be Valentine's Day at the Lima Bean without them," Blaine agreed, chuckling at his husband's rather vicious treatment of the pastry. "They also had a new version of the kissing puppy dogs over there. If you want, I could go get them for you," he smirked.

Kurt wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ugh, no. Those things are still creepy!"

Blaine laughed aloud, taking a sip of his medium drip and looking around the café. His eyes lit up, and he leaned across the table conspiratorially. "Kurt, check it out," he whispered, motioning with his eyes towards two boys sitting at a table a few rows over.

Kurt casually glanced around the café, allowing his eyes to rest for a moment on the objects of Blaine's interest. Two teenaged boys occupied the table, their chairs next to one another. One wore a private school blazer, while the other was very fashionably attired. Most people probably wouldn't notice that they were sitting a little closer than absolutely necessary, or that the prep-school boy kept "accidentally" brushing his tablemate's leg with his foot, causing the other boy to flush warmly.

Not wanting to get caught staring, Kurt turned back to Blaine, kicking him lightly under the table to get him to stop gawking, as well. "Don't stare," he chided quietly. "You'll freak them out."

"Sorry," Blaine muttered sheepishly, breaking off a piece of the cookie for himself. "Do you think they even realize they're falling in love yet?"

"Probably," Kurt mused, sneaking another peek at the young pair. "They think they're pretty sly, though, and hiding it from the world." Kurt's mind was cast back to the early days of his relationship with Blaine – how new and exciting everything was, all the discoveries and experiences still ahead of them. He let out a sigh, focusing his attention on his coffee. "Do you ever miss it? The beginning, I mean. You know, first falling in love and all that?" he asked wistfully.

Blaine tilted his head to one side, pondering the question. "No, actually," he replied after a moment.

"Really? Don't get me wrong, I'm blissfully happy with what we have," he assured, "but isn't there a part of you that misses all the firsts, when everything was new and different and…"

"Uncertain and confusing?" Blaine finished. "The nervousness, the hidden anxiety, the constant fear that you were going to figure out you could do so much better than me? No thanks, I'm good."

Kurt began to apologize, but Blaine stopped him short. "Kurt, it's fine. I didn't mean that falling in love with you wasn't an amazing time for me. I am so, so glad that I got to experience all of those things with you. You must know that," he said emphatically. Kurt nodded in agreement. "But like you, I'm incredibly happy with where we are right now, today. I'd never want to go back there," he jerked his head in the direction of the teenagers, "because it would mean that I would have to give up being here," he finished, taking both of Kurt's hands in his own across the table.

Kurt felt his heart flutter, just the way it had the day he and Blaine met. "Maybe here and there aren't so far apart, because all these years later, I'm still falling for you."

Blaine lifted their joined hands to his lips, kissing the back of each of Kurt's reverently. A chime from Kurt's phone reminded them that they had someplace to be, so they gathered their belongings and rose to leave. Kurt took one final look over his shoulder at the two boys and found them watching him and Blaine, seemingly a bit awestruck. Kurt thought about what it would have meant to him to see an openly gay couple when he was their age. He smiled, hoping to convey a message of courage. He felt Blaine's hand slip into his, and he gripped it tightly as they walked out.

He decided that Blaine was right, after all. While he would always cherish his memories of the beginning of their love story, their present was more amazing than he ever could have dreamed then. Perhaps, he thought with a thrill of excitement, the future would be even better yet.

A/N: Inspired by the prompt "Still Falling for You" by Ellie Goulding.