Happy Saturday, peeps.

Hope you had a wonderful week.

As usual, thank you for all the lovely comments and the support, which mean the world to me. I'm so happy you're enjoying this story so far. I can't wait to share the rest :)

Big hugs and love to Christine for being the most awesome beta. I'm very lucky to have her :)

Cuddles for Sofi for cheering me on as I wrote this, for keeping track of all my WIPs, and encouraging the future stories.

Enjoy!


On December 30th, Kurt had his last shift at the diner.

It felt surreal to think that this was the last time he would wear this uniform, the last time he would set foot into this place, the last time he would have to smile and repeat the specials to a particularly rude costumer, the last time he would have to stand at the counter and wish away the hours until he could leave, the last time he would have to deal with Gunther glaring at him whenever he did something he didn't like.

"I've never wanted to be you so much in my life before," Santana said as she stood next to him refilling salt shakers. "What has my life become? I actually envy you, Hummel."

Kurt chuckled. "What are you talking about? You're part of a reality show that might make you the country's next music star."

"Do you see me singing right now?" She deadpanned, screwing the lid on the salt shaker a little too forcefully. "Or am I still in this hellhole?"

Kurt tried to rub her back comfortingly, and she hissed at him like an angry cat. "It's only a matter of time, and you know that. Don't you start taping the show more regularly in January?"

"Yes," Santana said, an edge of nerves that she failed to hide on her voice. "Unless I get eliminated."

"Please," Kurt said with a laugh. "Like anyone would eliminate you. You're the obvious winner."

There was a little smile on Santana's face then, subtle, like she didn't want to admit it pleased her that Kurt said so.

"Are you going to come home at some point, by the way?" Santana asked. "You've been at Blaine's since you came back from Ohio. If you don't come back soon, I'll move into your room."

"Don't you dare," Kurt muttered. "And yeah, of course I'll come back. We're just taking advantage of the free time we both have before he needs to go back to work and I start at Vogue, and then the new semester at NYADA…"

"Yeah, I bet you are," she said lasciviously. "Is he still setting you on fire?"

"I never should have told you that," Kurt sighed gravely. "But, if you must know… yes, yes he is. But it's something else now, not just the sex. I feel like we truly connect, you know?"

Santana made a gagging sound. "The only connection I want right now is the one I get when I'm scissoring, when I spread my legs and I press my…"

"No, no!" Kurt said, sticking his fingers in his ears. "God, no. Don't say another word."

Santana chuckled, like this was endlessly entertaining to her.

She could be the worst, but at least she was making time fly, and his last shift ever was slowly, fortunately coming to an end.

When there was only an hour left before he was supposed to clock out for the last time, the door opened and Kurt, who was standing behind the counter drying glasses, looked up to find Blaine coming in, wrapped in a lovely dark brown coat and the scarf Kurt had knitted for him.

"Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, going around the counter so he could meet him. He instantly grabbed at the ends of his scarf and pulled him into a hug, as if he hadn't seen him seven hours ago, when he left his house to get to his shift, as if they hadn't slept tangled for the past few nights, as if they hadn't been cooped up together, filling the hours with kisses and keeping each other warm in the best, most delicious way they knew how… "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd surprise you," Blaine said, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Plus, I was feeling nostalgic."

Kurt arched an eyebrow as he regarded him. "You wanted to see me in my uniform, didn't you?" He teased.

Blaine laughed bashfully. "Maybe. But mostly… I don't know. This is where we met. I thought it would be nice to stay with you for the last hour of your shift and then we can walk home together? Like we did that morning? Call me a sentimental old man, but that really does mean something to me."

Kurt's face softened. His heart beat steadily. He felt… right. "Well, I don't know if you knew this, but I adore sentimental old men," he said, grabbing Blaine's hand and squeezing it. "And guess what? The table you sat at that night is empty. Can I get you some coffee?"

"I'd love some coffee," Blaine smiled. "Thanks, darling."

Kurt beamed at him before turning around and heading towards the coffee pot. Santana was sitting on top of the counter, showing off her long legs, because according to her it helped her get bigger tips. Kurt wasn't one to judge. Her legs were particularly magnificent, after all.

"What the hell did you do to him to have him so besotted? He looks like an eager little puppy," she commented, as she waved back at Blaine, who had sat at his table after shrugging off his coat. "You must be amazing at sucking cock."

Kurt almost dropped the coffee pot. He turned to glare at her. "Santana."

"What?" She said innocently. "I'm honestly curious."

He decided ignoring her was the easiest thing to do. It worked about half of the time, which was the best he could hope for with her, really.

He couldn't hang out with Blaine as much as he had that first night, but it was nice turning towards his table every now and then and see him there, drinking his coffee and lost in his phone – Kurt didn't know if he was doing something work-related, reading the news or just scrolling endlessly through Instagram, but his concentration face was adorable. He suspected that most of his shifts at Spotlight wouldn't have been as bad as they actually had if Blaine had been there for them, to smile at him when their eyes met across the diner, or to catch his hand as he was walking by only to press a quick kiss to his knuckles, or just to sit there and make everything look brighter, nicer, happier.

Kurt suspected he was falling, falling, falling, and there would be no getting up from this.

He didn't mind – he embraced it.

With Blaine there, time seemed to fly by. Before he knew it, he was walking into the backroom to settle things with Gunther for the very last time. And then that was it. He wasn't a waiter anymore.

He grabbed his coat and his bag before he rejoined Blaine by his table, and the smile on his face was so wide, it was nearly painful.

"All done?" Blaine asked when he saw him.

"All done," Kurt confirmed, biting back a shriek.

"I'm very happy for you, Kurt," Blaine said, as he stood up and reached for his coat.

"Thanks, honey," Kurt said as he wrapped his scarf around himself, and only realized the endearment had slipped out when Blaine paused halfway through buttoning his coat. He looked at him – Blaine looked like he had somehow just won the lottery and couldn't quite believe it. Kurt smiled at him and offered him his arm. "Shall we?"

They threaded their arms together and, after waving at Santana, who was busy with a table in her section, they stepped out of the diner and into the cold December evening.

Kurt let out a long, relieved breath. It was scary to give up a job, even when there was something else already lined up to replace it – the uncertainty, the fear… they were unavoidable.

And yet, as he and Blaine walked home, feet scrunching slightly on the new layer of snow that had fallen in the past couple of hours, he knew it had been the right thing to do.

He felt the excitement bubbling under his skin already, eager for his new beginning.

And he was so, so happy that he got to bring Blaine along for the ride.


New Year's Eve was usually spent at lavish parties that Blaine had gotten bored of years ago but that he went to because Cooper insisted. Sometimes he managed to drag Tina and Mike to them, too, but since they'd had kids, they preferred staying home with them or had to go back at a decent time to relieve the babysitter. This only meant Blaine made inane chatter with random people he knew he would never see again while his brother tried to flirt with every single model and gorgeous actress in the room.

Cooper always went home with someone to ring in the new year.

Blaine always went home alone.

This year, though, it was different.

He and Kurt decided to stay in – Blaine had insisted on Kurt joining his friends, since he knew Santana and Rachel were planning to attend a couple of parties, but Kurt had waved the idea away.

"Why would I go to parties with people I barely know, where all they'll do is drink and probably throw up, when I can just stay here and have a wonderful evening with you instead?" Kurt asked, like he honestly didn't understand. "I mean, I can't think of a better way to start a new year than with you..."

And Blaine had kissed him until they were both breathless, because how could he not?

They didn't plan anything special, they didn't dress up. They spent most of the evening on the couch watching holiday-themed movies before Kurt slipped into the kitchen to cook some dinner. Blaine had offered to order something, but Kurt said he felt like cooking, so Blaine sat at the island and watched him.

"What are you making?" He asked, just to make conversation.

"Well, you have all the ingredients for some stuffed chicken breasts," Kurt said as he stood at the sink washing spinach. "It was one of my mom's favorite recipes. She taught me how to make it when I was seven, though I'm afraid I may have changed a few things over the years. You can't trust a seven year old to remember every single detail."

Blaine's heart thumped hard against his ribcage. "Kurt, if it makes you sad, you don't have to…"

"I want to," Kurt said, smiling at him over his shoulder. "It doesn't make me sad. It feels like I'm introducing her to you, you know? Like by sharing with you something we did together, I'm also sharing her memory. It's nice."

"Come here," Blaine murmured, unable to stop himself. Kurt, still smiling, dried his hands and came closer until Blaine could wrap his arms around his waist and hold him there, tight and safe. Kurt leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. "I'm honored that you want to share her with me."

Kurt rested their foreheads together, his hand coming up to cup the back of Blaine's neck, stroking there as if trying to massage away some tension. "I think she would have liked you a lot."

"Really?" Blaine said, looking into Kurt's bright blue eyes.

"Yeah," Kurt whispered. "You're kind of like every single Prince Charming in every story she ever read to me. And whenever I told her I wanted to find one, she said that there would be a prince waiting for me, somewhere. I just had to find him."

Three small yet powerful words tried to claw their way up Blaine's throat. He wanted to say them. He parted his lips to say them. But they got stuck along the way, so all he could do was tighten his hold around Kurt.

Part of him believed Kurt would say it back, but another part of him…

Why was he always second guessing everything? Why couldn't he just believe that something as wonderful as what he had with Kurt could be lasting and perfect and meaningful and real?

Why was he always waiting for everything he wanted to be ripped right out of his hands?

He cleared his throat, feeling like a coward, and said: "I would love to hear more about her, if you want to tell me."

As Kurt cooked, he told Blaine everything he could remember about his mother: her perfume, her long, wavy hair, her melodic voice and even more melodic laugh, how she had loved playing with him, losing herself in the little worlds he created with his toys. How they had baked and cooked together and how she had always let him go through her closet because she knew how he loved her pretty clothes.

"Most details have sort of faded," Kurt said, as he slipped the chicken breasts into the oven. "But I guess it's normal. I've lived longer without her than with her."

Blaine nodded slowly – he knew what Kurt meant.

Kurt hesitated for a moment, before he said: "You never mention your family. I mean, Cooper is a very big part of your life and I can tell you don't particularly enjoy talking about him. So… I don't know if it's okay for me to ask about your parents."

"You can always ask," Blaine reassured him softly. "There's not much to tell, honestly. Cooper really is a big part of my life, so when he isn't around I feel like I need to distance myself from it a bit, just be myself... and my parents…" He stopped, stood up and walked around the kitchen island to the wine fridge under the counter. He inspected the bottles for a moment. "Would you like some white wine with dinner?"

"Why, Mr. Anderson, you know it's illegal for me to drink, right?" Kurt teased with a little playful grin. Blaine rolled his eyes at him. "Sure, I'd love a glass." He waited, and since Blaine was still busy trying to choose a wine, he added: "We don't have to talk about this. I'm sorry I…"

"No, no," Blaine said at once. "It's fine. I want you to know. It's just… not my favorite topic." He grabbed a bottle and set it on the counter before reaching into the cabinet for a couple of glasses. "My dad's… out of the picture. I think I mentioned that he wasn't an ideal father most of the time. He was very business-oriented and since both of his kids technically worked for him, he seemed to forget that we were his sons first and foremost. He was also really old-fashioned, so he wasn't okay with me being gay and it was just… I don't know, too hard to keep him in our lives. Cooper sort of took my side, and we cut all ties with him. That was a long time ago now."

Kurt had gotten busy with some vegetables to go with the chicken, but his full attention was still on Blaine. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard."

Blaine shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal, like it hadn't screwed up most of his teenage years and early adulthood. "It's fine. Like I said, it was a long time ago." He poured two glasses of wine and placed one within Kurt's reach. "And my mom died when I was five. Car accident. I don't actually remember much about her."

Kurt put his knife down and turned to look at him. "That's terrible, Blaine. You were so young."

"So were you, Kurt," Blaine said with a sad smile. "That's life, I guess."

"Still, it sounds like you were…" Kurt took a deep breath, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to say this. "It kind of sounds like you were very lonely."

Blaine shrugged again, unsure of how to respond to that. It was true, after all. He decided to try to get the mood to become a little lighter. "Well. I'm not anymore, right?" He murmured teasingly, as he circled Kurt's waist with his arms.

Kurt smiled and threw his own arms over Blaine's shoulders. "Right."

They stayed like that for a moment, food forgotten, until Blaine said: "You know? Sometimes I dream of her. I don't… I don't remember her face very well, but I remember her smile. And I see it in my dreams." He shook his head briefly. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I haven't told anyone. It doesn't matter."

Kurt caressed his cheek tenderly. "It does matter, honey, and I'm happy you told me." He looked right into Blaine's eyes for a few seconds, before he asked: "What was her name?"

"Aurora," Blaine replied. He hadn't said or heard that name in a very, very long time. "It means dawn."

"It's beautiful," Kurt whispered. He ran his thumb over Blaine's eyebrow and let it trail down his cheek, towards the side of his neck. "I bet Cooper misses her, too. Maybe he has more memories of her that he could share with you."

"Oh, she wasn't his mom," Blaine said. "His mom passed away while giving birth. My mom was my father's second wife. She was actually Cooper's nanny. That's how they met."

Kurt's face showed deep sadness. "That's… that's all so heartbreaking. You guys went through so much at such an early age."

Again, Blaine tried to lighten up the mood. "Well, you've met my brother. You see it hasn't really affected him at all. If anything, it just gave him the need to be the center of attention all the damn time."

Kurt chuckled softly before he turned back to his veggies. "You two don't really talk about that kind of stuff, huh?"

"Not really," Blaine said, leaning against the counter next to Kurt. "It's difficult to talk to him about personal stuff. He deflects. I don't know if he doesn't care or if it's just too hard for him to even think about those things."

Kurt bit his lip as he put Brussel sprouts on a baking sheet. "My dad didn't talk about my mom when I was young, either. It was too painful for him. Once he finally managed to push past the grief, he realized it was a good thing. For both of us, really. I missed her but I couldn't talk about her because it made my dad sad." He added some carrots and then slipped the baking sheet into the oven along with the chicken. "So even if you feel like you can't talk about her with Cooper, know that I'm here and I understand, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine said, catching his hand and pulling him into another kiss, just because he could.

Dinner was delicious, and they ate it sitting close together at the kitchen table. The heaviness of their conversation was pushed aside for now, and they chatted about more trivial things. After doing the dishes, they moved to the living room and Blaine put some music on while the TV was silent in the background, showing the usual crowds at Times Square.

The song playing ended, giving way to Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight. Blaine smiled a little to himself before he stood up and extended his hand to Kurt.

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

Kurt smiled back, visibly pleased, and accepted his hand. They wrapped their arms around each other and began to sway around the living room. Blaine reveled in the warmth of Kurt's body against his, the weight of his head on his shoulder, the gentle puffs of his breath against the skin of Blaine's neck. Kurt's fingers slipped into Blaine's hair for a moment, and those three little words were there again, so close, so easy to access now, and yet…

Not yet, he told himself. What he was waiting for, he didn't know.

Instead he turned his face slightly, his lips almost glued to Kurt's ear, and sang the last line of the song under his breath: "Oh my darling, you're wonderful tonight."

Kurt shivered in his arms. He pulled away only enough to press their lips together, his kiss soft yet searing at the same time. "Let's go to bed."

And who was Blaine to say no that?

The distant sound of fireworks signaled midnight while Blaine laid on his back, his legs wrapped around Kurt's waist, as Kurt fucked torturously slow into him, kissing the curve of his shoulder and up his neck towards his mouth.

"Happy new year," Kurt whispered as he thrust a little deeper.

Blaine whined low in his throat and grabbed a handful of Kurt's hair, keeping him into the kiss, growing a little desperate as he tilted his hips up, eager for more. "Happy new year, baby."

So far, it had the potential to be the best year in Blaine's life.


When Kurt exited the elevator on Monday morning, it felt like it was a whole different office. But it was the same one he had walked out of right before Christmas break – it was him who had changed, somehow. Because he didn't return as an overworked, undecided intern, but an official Vogue employee.

Isabelle was waiting for him right outside her own office, going through a file filled with pictures and frowning at them as if they were giving her a headache. But she lit up as soon as she saw him.

"Well, there's my fabulous personal assistant!" She exclaimed happily. "Are you ready for this?"

Kurt had to bite back the urge to squeal. "So ready. What should I do first?"

She grinned at him, approving of his enthusiasm. "First you move to your new desk – right there," she said, pointing at a new, bigger cubicle right outside her office. "Then go down to human resources to sign some paperwork, and on your way back, pick up some coffee for both of us and I'd love it if we could chat for a bit. We have a lot to do."

"Sure," Kurt said with a smile.

She went into her office and Kurt sat at his new desk, taking a deep breath. He felt like he had earned this, finally. He felt like he had fought with tooth and nail to get to where he was right now.

As he waited for the computer to start, he stood up and walked to his old, tiny desk in the corner, where he had left a few personal items. He carried them back to his cubicle and put everything in place. He needed something to light up the place – maybe a picture or...

"Good morning, Kurt," Danny, the mail guy, said as he stopped at his desk. "These just arrived for you."

He handed him a big bouquet of red and yellow roses. He didn't even need to read the card attached to them to know who they were from.

"Thanks, Danny," he said with a smile as he accepted them, placing them on the corner of his desk. The bouquet instantly brightened his cubicle.

Danny waved and left as Kurt fished the card hidden in the flowers. Blaine's curvy and familiar handwriting sent warmth all through him as he opened the tiny envelope to read the card inside.

My darling,

Happy first day as an official Vogue employee. I know you're going to be amazing. Show them what Kurt Hummel is made of.

Call me when you get home. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Yours,

B x

Kurt stared at the card for a few seconds, almost forgetting about the rest of the staff buzzing around him, already busy with their morning tasks. Yours, the card said. Yours.

He tucked that word close to his heart and decided to do exactly what Blaine told him to – it was time to show everyone what Kurt Hummel was made of, for sure.


January became a blur. The last few days of December that Kurt and Blaine had spent together seemed like a faraway fantasy – one they missed and wished they could bring back.

The Brightest Star was in the last week of taping before it started airing. Once the recorded shows caught up to date, they would start the live shows, and they were hard work. They had to record all the extra content and rehearsal sessions in time for every live show, which meant there were a lot of late nights. And to top it all off, Cooper had been incredibly moody lately and no matter how hard Blaine tried to get him to talk, he would mumble something about needing some sleep, and then change the subject entirely. Blaine scheduled an appointment with Cooper's doctor – even if his brother refused to accept it, he was nearly fifty. Blaine wanted to make sure he was alright, no matter how much Cooper protested.

Despite having quit the diner, Kurt was still swamped. Isabelle had been cool to give him time to attend his classes at NYADA, but it didn't mean Vogue was any less demanding. Sometimes he was up until three in the morning finishing up reports or doing homework, and only got a few hours of sleep before his alarm went off and he had to do it all over again. The coffee machine that Blaine had gotten him for Christmas was a godsend – he wasn't sure he would have survived the first few weeks of the semester without the motivation a good cup of coffee offered.

"I know we keep saying this, but we both should really consider quitting everything and just do what we did between Christmas and New Year's," Kurt grumbled into the phone one evening. It had been a week since he had seen Blaine, and he couldn't believe how much he missed him. It felt like there was a hollow spot in his chest.

"I told you a million times, baby," Blaine muttered as he yawned. "You let me know when you're ready to do that, and I'll do the same. But I think you might love Vogue a little too much to actually quit now that you finally have a job there."

Kurt groaned. "You're right. But as soon as we both have a weekend off, can we please just stay at your place and be naked and eat and dance in our underwear and make out on your couch?"

Blaine chuckled lowly on the other end, and it sent goosebumps all over Kurt's body. "I'd love that. I'm sorry I can't offer the naked, dancing, making out part right away, but I think I may have time to do lunch tomorrow, if you think Isabelle might be able to spare you?"

"I actually have class tomorrow morning and I'm not supposed to go to the office until after lunch, so that works perfectly," Kurt said as he slipped into bed. "And I'd much rather get to see you for a bit than munch on sad withered salad at my desk."

"I'll try to pick you up at NYADA, then," Blaine said as he yawned again. "Sorry."

"You sound exhausted. Go to bed and text me tomorrow when you know for sure if you can meet me for lunch, okay?" Kurt muttered, getting comfortable under his blankets and wishing the empty spot beside him wasn't empty. "I'm really looking forward to seeing you."

"Me too, darling," Blaine whispered. "Sleep well."

Knowing he would get to see Blaine was the only thing that helped Kurt through an endless lecture the next morning. He felt like he was in a constant state of numbness, his head half occupied by the things he needed to take care of as soon as he got to the office, half by Blaine. They hadn't had sex in a little over a week and Kurt's body was already hating him for it.

What the hell did Blaine did to him?

Once upon a time, Kurt had thought that the sexiest, most wonderful thing was the touch of the fingertips, because he had always been a romantic at heart.

The touch of the fingertips my ass, he thought bitterly, as he thought back to the way Blaine had sucked him off after their last date, down on his knees, barely into his house, Kurt's back against the front door, because he had been desperate for it since they had left the restaurant.

He focused on the guy sitting in front of him to will himself not to get hard. He always smelled so strongly of garlic that Kurt didn't know if he was scared of vampires or just addicted to it in a way that made Kurt want to sign him up to a twelve step program.

Once the class ended, he shoved all his things into his bag and was out the door before the rest of his classmates. He made his way through the hallways until he got to the entrance and burst through the doors. Blaine was leaning against a tree on the sidewalk, phone in one hand, big paper bag in the other, and he was, once again, wearing the scarf Kurt had knitted for him.

Blaine looked up from his phone and his frown turned into a smile, making little lines appear on his face. Kurt felt so happy to see him that he didn't really think – he just launched himself at him, and Blaine barely had time to wrap his arms around him and keep them both from toppling down onto the concrete.

"Well, hello," Blaine said, surprised.

"Hi," Kurt said as he leaned in to kiss him, and Blaine laughed into it, tightening his grip around him. "I missed you."

Blaine's face softened. "I missed you, too."

Kurt really wanted to keep clinging to him like a little monkey, but people were starting to look at them curiously, so he just pressed a kiss to Blaine's temple – to the spot where the grey hairs were a bit more abundant and visible through the dark locks – and pulled away. "Shall we?"

Blaine slipped his phone into his pocket and grabbed Kurt's hand. "Yes. I'm afraid I have a little less time than I hoped for, so I picked up a couple of sandwiches on my way and I thought we could sit in the park in the sunlight and eat there?"

Kurt tried not to be disappointed. At least he got to see Blaine today. "Of course. That sounds nice." They began to walk in the direction the nearest park. "How was your morning?"

Blaine groaned. "Cooper's been impossible. Like a spoiled child. I honestly think I should put him in time out."

Kurt rubbed the inside of Blaine's wrist with his thumb, soothingly. "I'm sorry. Have you talked to him?"

"I tried. He just won't say what's wrong or why he's behaving the way he is," Blaine explained. He shook his head for a moment, before he turned to look at Kurt instead. "What about your morning?"

"I think NYADA is making me hate musical theatre," Kurt said with an eye roll.

"Is that possible?" Blaine chuckled. "I think you're just tired and still trying to figure out how to balance school and Vogue."

"Stop being rational," Kurt huffed out an indignant breath.

"Oh, so if I get tickets to The Phantom of the Opera, then you won't go because you hate musical theatre?" Blaine asked teasingly.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Wait. Are you serious?"

"Well, I was looking at my schedule and it looks like I might have next Saturday off, so I was thinking maybe we could go, then have some dinner, and if you're not too busy with schoolwork or work, maybe you can stay over?"

Blaine had barely finished talking before Kurt was pulling him into another kiss. "Yes, yes, yes. I love that plan. Let's do it."

Blaine grinned. "Done. I'll get the tickets after lunch."

They sat at a bench in the park, close together to keep warm, and ate their sandwiches, talking about their days. Kurt reached up and wiped some mustard from the corner of Blaine's mouth and Blaine caught his hand and kissed his knuckles in silent gratitude.

Every time they were together it felt… right. It felt like being home.

It was time to admit this, at least to himself: Kurt Hummel loved Blaine Anderson. He was so in love with Blaine that he ached in places he didn't even know he could feel. He was so in love with Blaine that his days fell grey until he got to see him, until he got to hold him, until he got to hear his voice, and then everything seemed to burst into splashes of color.

He was so in love with Blaine that he didn't want anything less than forever with him.


Blaine closed the door and let himself lean against it, his head thumping back hard on it as he let out a heavy sigh. He felt exhausted as if he had just ran a marathon.

"Is she gone?"

Blaine opened his eyes and saw Cooper peeking out of the kitchen, hair still wet from the shower, wearing nothing but dark grey boxer briefs. Blaine glared at him.

"Yes, she's gone," he said sharply. "But she started crying as I helped her into the cab. What the hell do you do to these women?"

Cooper grinned in a way he probably considered charming but made Blaine want to murder him. "Nothing. I'm just irresistible like that."

"Did you tell her you'd take her to Paris in the spring?" Blaine asked as he made his way towards the kitchen. He needed caffeine if he was going to get through a day that started like this. "Because she kept talking about that and I didn't know what to say."

"Maybe. I say all kinds of things in the throes of passion," Cooper shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, and like saying throes of passion was a normal thing to say in a conversation with his brother. It was like Cooper thought his life was some sort of Victorian pink novel.

"Well, maybe stop doing that? Because it makes them believe you're actually looking for something serious. Which, honestly, wouldn't be such a bad idea," Blaine said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "You might want to start thinking about settling down, Coop. I know you dig that whole hot-famous-bachelor thing, but a nice, steady relationship might be good for you."

Cooper slipped into one of the kitchen island's stools and rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that because you're all smitten with that pretty young thing of yours."

Blaine groaned. He could feel a headache coming. "Please don't call him that. His name is Kurt."

"What? Are you saying he's not pretty and he's not young?" Cooper muttered, because he was insufferable.

"He's gorgeous and he's younger, yes, but he's not a thing," Blaine replied, massaging his temples. "Just… look, I don't think I can keep kicking out your lady friends anymore. Maybe it's time for you to take care of your own dirty business."

"You're no fun," Cooper said with yet another eye roll. He let Blaine go back to his coffee, before he said: "So, how are things with you and Kurt? Aren't you bored yet? What do you even talk about?" He smirked lasciviously. "Or do you just not talk at all?"

Blaine reached for his laptop and turned it on. As he waited for it to come to life, he grabbed a couple of bagels from the pantry and smeared cream cheese on them. He put them on a plate and slid them onto the kitchen island, within Cooper's reach. "Of course we talk. And I'm not bored at all. He's… he's really wonderful, Coop. If anything, I'm just grateful he hasn't gotten bored hanging out with an old man like me yet."

"Please do not call yourself an old man. I'm the older brother and I don't want to feel ancient," Cooper said as he munched on his bagel. "Why would he get bored? You're handsome and rich."

His headache was going to be a migraine soon. "No. You are rich. I'm comfortable. And that's not… he doesn't care about that."

"How do you know? I mean, you almost married Derek and he was…"

"Cooper," Blaine cut him off. "For once in your life, please stop talking."

Cooper raised his hands in front of himself, defensively. "I'm just looking out for you, making sure this guy is right for you. I mean, he seemed very sweet that time we had dinner with him, but… I don't know, you've been different. He's pulling your focus."

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not performing my duties as expected?" Blaine deadpanned.

If Cooper rolled his eyes again, Blaine was going to dig them out of his skull with a fucking spoon. "Fine, be like that. Be blind. Refuse to hear what I have to say. If he ends up being another little gold-digger looking for connections and fame…"

Blaine realized he couldn't hear the end of that sentence, so he interrupted him: "Just go get dressed, please? We have to be at the studio in less than an hour."

Cooper shoved the rest of the bagel in his mouth, which effectively kept him silent. Blaine was grateful for it.

While he waited for Cooper and drank his coffee, Blaine set out to pay Cooper's bills – just another thing that was too boring and trivial for his brother to bother to do himself. However, as soon as he tried to pay the phone bill, the payment was rejected.

Blaine frowned and tried again. When it failed to go through once more, he tried with the electric bill.

The payment was rejected again.

Blaine opened a different tab on the web browser to check the saving's account he used to pay for all of Cooper's daily needs. He had full control of it, since Cooper didn't usually buy his own groceries or pay the cleaning lady, and he had a separate account for all his personal expenses. So Blaine had a pretty good idea of the amount he was supposed to find there.

And yet it was empty.

Blaine told himself not to panic. There had to be a perfectly rational explanation. He checked the movements in the account: there were several transactions he hadn't made, all going from thirty thousand to fifty thousand dollars. Maybe fraud? Maybe a hacker? What the hell was going on?

"Coop?" He called, raising his voice so he would hear him from his room. "Have you been using the saving's account I use to pay your bills and groceries and stuff?"

Cooper came into the room as he finished buttoning up a dark blue shirt that matched his eyes perfectly. "Uhm, why?"

"It's empty," Blaine said, and he hoped he didn't sound as hysterical as he felt. "There were hundreds of thousands of dollars in it. Look at these withdrawals! I didn't make them." He started pacing around the kitchen. "You're going to have to go to the studio on your own. I'll head down to the bank and see if I can find out what the hell is going on…"

Cooper was leaning on the kitchen island, studying the screen with a serious face. But then he looked up at Blaine and painted a huge smile on his lips. "Oh, no need! I spent the money."

Blaine blinked dumbly at him for a moment. "What? When the hell did you spend all this money?"

"Oh, uhm, Christmas gifts? Dates?" Cooper shrugged, like it was perfectly normal to make over half a million dollars disappear in just a matter of weeks. "Sorry, I must have gotten confused and used this account instead of my personal one."

Blaine sat down. "What?"

"Don't worry about it. It's fine. Sometimes when I go to a bar I like to buy everyone a round of champagne…"

"Cooper," Blaine cut him off, because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "There was a shit-ton of money in this account. How the hell…? It's just not possible to spend that much on a few dates and presents."

Cooper chuckled, but the way he looked away from Blaine made him think there was something else going on.

"Hey," Blaine muttered, willing himself to calm down. His brother had been acting oddly for weeks now. He had been moody and difficult – more than usual. "Is everything okay? What are you not telling me?"

Cooper's smile got a little strained. "What are you talking about? I'm fine. It was an honest mistake."

"Cooper…" Blaine insisted, frowning. "You can tell me anything."

"And if there was something to tell, I'd tell you, duh," Cooper laughed. "Don't be silly, Blaine. It was a mistake, that's all."

"Why don't I believe you?" Blaine asked, trying to search his brother's face for clues.

"I don't know, but I'm telling the truth," Cooper grinned at him, a tactic he used to dazzle journalists who asked questions he didn't want to answer. It was usually very effective, but Blaine knew all his tricks. "Just transfer some money from one of the other accounts to this one and it'll be fine."

Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but the doorbell rang. He sighed. "That must be Hugh, to drive us to the studio. Okay, fine. This conversation isn't over, though, okay? And for god's sake, Cooper. Be more careful with how you spend money, alright? It's not like it won't run out if you aren't smart."

Cooper rolled his eyes again but Blaine was too distracted to be bothered by it this time. "I promise I'll be more boring from now on. Oh, and speaking of not being boring…" Cooper said as he picked up his coat. "You have to start planning my birthday party. I have a tentative guest list almost ready."

"Are you inviting any male guests this time? Last year was just ridiculous, Coop. You only invited women…" Blaine commented, as he shut the laptop and slipped it in his bag. But his mind was still elsewhere.

"Why would you care? I only ever invited guys in the hopes that you would eventually hook up and loosen up a bit, but…"

"You're weirdly obsessed with my sex life, and it does not concern you…"

"… you have Clint now, so…"

"Kurt."

"… I don't really need any guys, and it's been proven that sex doesn't loosen you up. Are you sure you two are doing it right? You're just as uptight as ever…"

"Fuck, Cooper, just go to work, okay?" Blaine said, exasperated, and bit back the urge to push him out the front door.

He wanted to believe his brother when he said nothing was wrong. But there was a nagging little voice in the back of his head that told him Cooper needed him now more than ever, and Blaine didn't really know why.

How did you start a conversation with a person who liked to put up a mask even with the only family he had left?


As soon as his back touched the mattress, all the stress he had been feeling lately seemed to melt right out of him. Or maybe it had less to do with the mattress and more with the fact that Kurt was straddling him and kissing down his neck as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"You're really tense," Kurt murmured as he finally got the shirt open and slipped his hands into it, touching Blaine's chest and sides almost reverently. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The past few weeks have been insane, that's all," Blaine replied, letting his eyes fall close and tilting his head back to give Kurt better access. "Between work and planning Cooper's birthday, I think I'm ready for a vacation."

"Santana told me the studio was a mess," Kurt said, mouthing at Blaine's collarbone. "Something about being behind with some performances?"

"Yes. We've had some technical issues and now we're running against the clock," Blaine sighed tiredly. "She's handled it like a pro, though."

"She's always cool in the face of adversity," Kurt said with a little chuckle. He paused what he was doing and sat down on Blaine's lap, looking down at him. His thumb brushed teasingly over Blaine's nipple. "Have you talked to Cooper? Is he still acting weird?"

"Yeah. I mean, he just talks about his birthday lately. I don't know if it's because he's actually excited about it or because he wants to distract me, though." Blaine groaned when Kurt's nail caught on his nipple. "Which reminds me… would you like to come?"

Kurt thrust his hips, already half hard. "I would love to come."

God, he drove Blaine crazy. "You do know I'm talking about Cooper's birthday party, right?"

Kurt smiled and leaned down, bracketing Blaine's head between his arms as he moved in for a kiss. "Are you sure he wouldn't mind?"

"No, he won't. You can bring Rachel and Santana, if you want. There will be a lot of people you don't know there. You don't have to if you don't want to, though."

Kurt kissed up Blaine's jaw, lips brushing over the growing stubble up to his temples. "If you want me there, I'll be there."

"I want you everywhere," Blaine whispered.

He could feel Kurt's smile against his skin. "I have the feeling we're not talking about Cooper's party anymore."

"Not really, no," Blaine said, and let his hand cup the back of Kurt's head, fingers threading into the soft strands of chestnut hair, to bring him into a burning kiss.

Layer after layer, their clothes began to fall into a messy pile on the floor next to the bed, kisses going from deep to just desperate and wet, their tongues touching and sending shocks of electricity that went straight down to their cocks.

Kurt's lips were cherry red when he pulled away, and Blaine was panting, so far gone already and they had barely gotten naked. He let one of his hands trail down Kurt's back and settle on his ass, just because he was allowed to touch him like this.

"Let me help you relieve some of that tension," Kurt said, eyes blown dark with lust.

Blaine leaned in and licked at Kurt's lips until he parted them and he could thrust his tongue into his mouth. He groaned when Kurt sucked on it almost greedily, and when he ended the kiss, rather reluctantly, he said, in a husky voice: "Do whatever you want to me."

What was it about Kurt that made him wild and desperate? What was it about the touch of his hands that drove him mad? What was it about his mouth that, as soon as it began making its way down his chest, kissing and nibbling and licking, seemed to erase every bad memory and every concern Blaine had ever had?

Sex with Kurt wasn't just sex – it was so much more than that, and yet he couldn't describe it. He just knew he never wanted to live without feeling like this ever again.

As soon as Kurt's head was levelled with his crotch, he didn't hesitate – he just opened his mouth and swallowed Blaine, all warmth and moist too soon, almost making him spasm off the bed at the sudden rush of pleasure.

"Fuck," he moaned brokenly. Kurt looked up at him, blue eyes too dark, cheeks hollowed as he sucked. "You're so good at that."

Kurt bobbed his head twice before he pulled off, kissing along his shaft, hands kneading at the sensitive insides of his thighs. "You really don't have to say that. I know it's probably still pretty sloppy…"

"I'm not just saying that. You're unfairly good at sucking me," Blaine said, feeling a little feverish. He saw how the praise made a blush of arousal rise on Kurt's cheeks, pupils growing even wider. He reached down and took hold of himself with one hand while he pressed the other to Kurt's cheek, gently thumbing his mouth open. "Here. Show me how good you are, baby."

Kurt sunk down again, until his nose was nested in the dark hair around the base of Blaine's cock. He moaned around him, like he was enjoying this endlessly, making Blaine twitch in his mouth.

For a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were Blaine's shaky breaths and groans and the wet sounds of Kurt's mouth going up and down on him, interspersed with tiny little hums of pleasure that sent vibrations all through Blaine's cock, getting him closer and closer to the edge.

Just when it was getting too good to handle, Kurt pulled away, taking a deep breath, his face a mess of snot and saliva.

"I want to…" He said, and his voice was so hoarse from having Blaine almost to the back of his throat. "I want to try something. Tell me if you don't like it, okay?"

Blaine was about to ask him what it was when Kurt pulled on his legs to spread them wider and then leaned in. "Oh shit, oh shit, fuck."

Kurt looked up for a moment, an eyebrow arched. "Is that supposed to mean that you like the idea?"

"I feel amazing about this idea," Blaine practically whined, a noise that only got louder when Kurt dipped his head, opened his mouth and licked him.

It felt as if every nerve ending was suddenly on fire. Blaine's back arched out of its own volition, as if trying to get closer to the wonderful thing that was Kurt's mouth, who had begun to give little kitten licks, before he hardened his tongue to a point and slowly started to fuck Blaine with it.

It was alright, Blaine decided, if he died in this bed. It would be such a sweet way to go.

In almost thirty eight years, Blaine had experienced a lot of things. He'd been with enough guys to have done everything twice. And yet… Kurt made him feel like it was the first time he did any of these things. It felt like it was the first time someone touched him. Maybe his body just reacted differently to him. Maybe Kurt was magical. Maybe Blaine was falling so hard for him that everything he had done before he met Kurt was wiped from his memory like it didn't matter.

Because it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered to him now was making sure Kurt was in his life for as long as possible.

He leaned up on his elbows, because half of the pleasure was in watching Kurt do this to him. He was sprawled, long, lean and pale, on the bed, his face buried between Blaine's legs, one arm thrown over Blaine's stomach, the other hand keeping Blaine spread and accessible for his mouth. It had to be one of the most erotic sights in Blaine's entire life.

He finally pulled away to breathe, trailing kisses on the inside of his thigh that seemed too sweet right now, and glanced up at him. "Was that okay?" He asked.

Unable to stop himself, Blaine grabbed him under the arms and pulled him up, kissing him deep and dirty, licking into his mouth where it tasted like the both of them. And then he murmured against his lips, far gone: "Fuck me so hard I'll feel it next week."

It was Kurt who whined now, sneaking a hand down his body to give himself a quick jerk, as if trying to alleviate the tension. "Okay," was all he could say, and kissed him again before he pulled away to crawl towards the nightstand.

Blaine heard him rummaged in the first drawer and then pause. "What's wrong?"

Kurt looked at him over his shoulder. If looks could set someone on fire, Blaine would have been burning by now. "How often…" he cleared his throat. "How often do you use this?"

Blaine frowned, not understanding, until he saw the purple vibrator in Kurt's hand. "Oh. Well. I… haven't actually needed it for a while."

Kurt licked his lips as he regarded the toy. "Have you ever used it thinking of me?"

The fire had reached Blaine's lungs. "A couple of times."

Kurt ran his finger along the purple shaft, as if he was testing how it felt. When he looked up at Blaine again, he made the fire reach Blaine's groin. "Would you show me what you do when you're alone?"

Blaine felt suffocated with arousal. He couldn't look away from the way Kurt was touching the dildo. "Really? You want that?"

Kurt bit his lower lip. There was a light of desperation in his eyes. "That would be so hot, Blaine."

Blaine sat up and wrapped his arm around Kurt, bringing him into an open mouthed kiss that Kurt whined into. "Get the lube," he said.

Kurt hurried to do what he was told before he sat between Blaine's spread legs, a front row seat to the best show he would ever see. He allowed his hands to settle on Blaine's calfs as Blaine poured some lube onto his fingers. He stretched himself quickly, spurred on by Kurt's ardent gaze on his every move. He was so focused on the way Kurt reacted that he didn't pay any attention to the way he felt until he crooked three fingers inside himself and the pleasure sent a groan past his lips.

There was nothing shy about the way Kurt was following his every move. His cock twitched, untouched, when Blaine made that sound, and he shifted a little closer, hands still stroking his legs. "Are you usually this quick prepping yourself?"

"Sometimes," Blaine muttered, searching for that same spot again. "But sometimes I like going slow, savor everything. It's just that I rarely have time for it..."

"What did you think about?" Kurt asked then, and if he kept licking his lips like that, Blaine was going to come just at the sight of it. "Those times you did this thinking of me."

"Just you," Blaine said, breath going a little quicker as he spread his fingers. "Kissing me, touching me, fucking me. Touching me everywhere. Putting your mouth all over me, like you did just now. And then letting me return the favor..."

His fingers came free with a wet noise as he reached for the vibrator and coated it in lube generously.

"You want to do that to me?" Kurt asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Blaine admitted. He got a bit more comfortable and lifted his legs, resting his calves on Kurt's shoulders. "I love your body. I love everything we do together. I love the sounds you make..." It was Blaine who let out a sound now, halfway between a moan and a groan, as he began to push the vibrator inside. "After that first time we were together, before I found you again... I did this and thought of you. I didn't want to. It felt wrong because I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with it, but I couldn't help it. You were so beautiful that morning, and it felt like the time we got together was nowhere near enough... and I thought about you coming back," he stopped as the dildo got buried all the way inside him. Only a second or two later, he pulled it off almost entirely and began fucking himself with it.

Kurt was silent, speechless, as he watched. Blaine lost himself to it for a moment, remembering the fantasy, the way he had pretended it was Kurt's cock inside of him instead of the toy, wondering if he would fill him up just like this or even better, if he would feel the stretch deep within him...

It seemed that Kurt couldn't sit still any longer. He reached out and touched Blaine's hand, the one that was pounding the vibrator into himself. "Can I...?"

Blaine let go at once, letting him take control. "Of course."

Kurt was tentative at first, like he didn't want to hurt Blaine, like he wasn't sure how much he would be able to take, only growing more confident when he realized how much Blaine was enjoying it.

And then he found the switch at the base and flicked it.

The vibrations seemed to melt Blaine's flesh until he dissolved in loud moans that he couldn't quite hold back. Kurt's eyes widened, lustful, as he watched him, and allowed himself to become a bit more enthusiastic about fucking Blaine with the toy.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine whined. His cock leaked precome on his stomach. "It's so much. I don't know if I'm going to last..."

"It looks so big," Kurt said, bewildered, eyes fixed on the way the vibrator kept disappearing into Blaine's body. "How do you take it so well?"

Blaine bit his lip, and the fire had consumed him all by now. He looked right into Kurt's eyes and said, an edge of cheekiness in his voice: "I take you, don't I?"

With a groan, Kurt leaned in and, as he kept fucking Blaine steadily, the vibrations getting more and more intense, he sucked his cock back into his mouth, bobbing his head once before he pulled off to lick at the slit and the precome gathered there.

If Blaine had thought he was ready to die before, it had been nothing compared to this. He couldn't even recognize his own body, he was overcome with pleasure.

"I'm not gonna last much longer, baby," he said, bucking up a little, not sure if he was trying to get Kurt to swallow him whole or to fuck him deeper. Both options sounded amazing.

When Kurt looked back up again, he was wild, unrecognizable. Blaine had never seen him like this. With one swift motion, he sat up, sliding Blaine's legs back up his shoulders and getting the vibrator so deep that Blaine's vision went white for a moment. When he was able to focus his eyes again, Kurt had rolled a condom on his cock and coated himself with lube. He pulled the vibrator out and replaced it with his own cock instantly, and he began to fuck him so desperately, so fast, so hard that that the entire bedframe began to shake.

Unable to hold them up anymore, Blaine let his legs fall on the bed, and Kurt grabbed them, spreading them as wide as they would go, rising a little on his own knees to thust into Blaine with even more vigor.

Blaine, who had been on the edge for a while now, arched his back and came so violently the pearly strings of his come reached his face, the lamp on the bedside table and the wall. His orgasm lasted so long he was afraid his heart would give up for a moment.

Kurt fucked into him a few more times before he followed, stilling and spilling into the condom, Blaine still pulsing with the aftershocks all around him. Finally, he collapsed on top of Blaine, their skin sticky with come and sweat, as they panted and willed their bodies not to perish with exertion.

It took a long time for them to come down, and Kurt's dead weight on top of him was making it hard to breathe, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't want him to move. He tried to wrap his arms around Kurt to keep him – to keep him from pulling out and leaving him empty and aching – but his arms didn't work. He only managed to turn his head and press a lazy kiss to Kurt's clammy forehead.

"That was..." Kurt croaked, with a voice that didn't sound like his. "Intense." He groaned and leaned up on an elbow so he could look down at Blaine, a small frown on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm definitely going to be feeling this next week," Blaine muttered.

The frown deepened. Kurt reached to brush Blaine's hair off his forehead tenderly. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, not at all," Blaine smiled up at him and finally got his arms to work, so he wrapped them around Kurt, keeping him in place. "I don't know what got into you, but I love it."

Kurt bit his lip sheepishly. "I'm not sure either. You turn me into a horny mess," he chuckled. He tilted his head to rest it on Blaine's chest and noticed the vibrator was still on, forgotten next to them on the sheets. He reached for it to turn it off. "This was fun. I've never had toys... well, I did have toys, just not like this. I had a lot of Power Rangers when I was a kid..."

Blaine laughed, which he hadn't thought he had the strength for, but it turned out he did. "Yeah, not exactly the same." Once again, he allowed himself to set his hand on Kurt's ass, and squeezed softly. He loved Kurt's ass. "Maybe next time... we could try it on you."

Kurt glanced at him. "You'd like that?"

"Yeah," Blaine said a little breathlessly. "And if you enjoy it... maybe you'll let me buy you a toy of your own?"

Kurt smirked. "You horny old man," he teased, making Blaine laugh again. "That sounds fun, though. I'm in."

Blaine pulled him into a kiss, making Kurt shift inside him. His own cock tried valiantly to get hard again, but he didn't think he had it in him to go for round two. Every single muscle hurt and he could feel the sleepiness setting in.

"We're disgusting," Kurt murmured. "We should shower. I can't sleep covered in sweat and come."

Blaine wanted to protest but he knew Kurt was right. He usually was. About everything.

He tried to think back to what his life had been only a handful of months ago, before he decided to walk into a random diner in the middle of the night and met the wonderful man who was currently lying in his arms and kissing the curve of his shoulder like he thought Blaine was something precious and worthy of his attention. And it felt like whatever had come before Kurt had been sucked into a black, endless void – had his life been worth living before him? It was as if Blaine had stumbled numbly through his days, one after the other all looking exactly the same, and then suddenly the sun had come out, the skies had become clear, and he had realized he had been living in the shadows.

Or maybe he hadn't been living at all until Kurt woke him up from a deep, deep slumber.

And if this was what being awake was like – well, then he never wanted to go to sleep ever again.


Uhm, can we open up a window? It's a little hot in here ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed. They certainly did :D

ANNOUNCEMENT: This fic will now update twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

So... I will see you guys on Wednesday.

Thanks for reading!

L.-