AN: You know that scene in The Lion King where Simba, Timon and Pumbaa walk over a log and Simba grows into a young adult? This chapter is my log chapter. A lot happens and keeping track of the dates posted before each section will help a lot. I'm super excited about posting this chapter because it is a bridge (a log bridge!) to the rest of the story where the things pick up speed. I hope you enjoy it.
Please drop me a comment or review if you do!

And thanks to my superstar beta TheatreVicki who helped me add some things to this chapter that really brought it together. She is lovely.

Enjoy!


"The only thing that gets me through the winter is knowing that summer is going to be there." – Jack McBrayer

June 2007 – Lima, Ohio

As soon as the last bell on the last day of school rang, excited butterflies stirred in Kurt's stomach. He'd never been one who rushed out of school at the end of the year, but today he was grabbing his backpack and bounding out of West Lima Middle School as fast as his feet would carry him.

Burt was in the parking lot waiting for him. "Hey there bud!" he called, "Slow down, you look like someone set your tail on fire."

"School's out!" Kurt breathed in excitement, his face plastered in a smile. "Summer is here."

"Summer is great," Burt chuckled.

"Really great." Kurt beamed, hitching his backpack on his shoulders. There were a lot of reasons for Kurt to be excited about summer. It meant more time at the antique shop, more time to just hang out with friends, more sunshine and relaxation – but none of these were the reason Kurt was so excited. The most important thing about summer was the possibility of Blaine.

It had been nearly ten months since Kurt had talked to Blaine – since Blaine had left his aunt's house promising to be back again next year – and all Kurt had heard from his mirror was whispering and the occasional tap. And Kurt knew it would be too good to be true that Blaine would show up the first day of summer, but still, after ten months of waiting, he couldn't help but hope.

That night Kurt stayed up late, mirror near at hand, not wanting to miss his friend calling him through the glass. Blaine didn't call. So Kurt fell asleep with his mirror nearby just like he had for the last ten months… and the way he did the next night…

and the next…

and the next…


July 2007 – Lima, Ohio

The smell of incense wafted over Kurt as he walked into Indigo Pyramid. Shelia looked up from the counter with a smile, "Kurt! Good to see you."

Kurt smiled back and sent her a little wave.

"The book you ordered is in."

"Great!" Kurt beamed, "I was hoping it would be."

Sheila ducked into the back room and came out with a small purple book in her hands, "Here you go, 'A Historical Index of Magical Objects.' I'm still so happy I found this for you, it was hard to get my hands on."

"Thank you for going to the trouble," Kurt said, holding the book, his finger tracing over the worn edges, "It means a lot."

She tilted her head and gave him an appraising look, "You aren't like other kids your age are you?"

"What makes you say that?" Kurt asked, looking up at her and thinking she wasn't really like other people either.

Shelia lifted an eyebrow, "Well, you order a book from a mystic shop for one thing and you spend a lot of time here."

Kurt laughed, "I just find this stuff interesting."

Sheila nodded, "I would never discourage a young mind open to new ideas, Kurt, but you should still do normal stuff kids your age do. Your aura seems… anxious. You know what you need? A boyfriend, don't you think?"

"A boyfriend?" Kurt cleared his throat, "Why would you assume I'd want a boyfriend?" Kurt nervously toyed with the book in his hand. He knew he gave off a certain vibe – the way he talked, the way he dressed, his attitude – but he wasn't actually out of the closet. He wanted to be, but it was a terrifying prospect. He didn't know anyone gay his age, and Lima wasn't really what you'd call progressive. To have Sheila so blatantly assume he was gay was an odd feeling; he wasn't ashamed of who he was, but he was scared of how people would react.

"Oh…" Sheila's eyes grew round, "Or a girlfriend, or…whatever."

Kurt nodded, okay Shelia knew. He'd add this to the things both he and Shelia knew about but didn't really discuss, like magic. "Yeah, I guess having… someone… would be nice. But, I'm only fourteen; my dad says I still have plenty of time for that."

"And he is right, don't listen to me." Shelia said with a soft smile.

Kurt smiled back and turned to the door. He couldn't help but think of Blaine – if he were to have a boyfriend; Blaine would make such a good one. "Thanks again for finding the book!" Kurt called as he waved and left the store.

Kurt bit his lip and continued thinking about Blaine and his mirror, maybe tonight would be the night.


August 2007 – Lima, Ohio

Kurt snapped his book shut and groaned. The AC in the house was on the fritz and even with a fan pointed directly on him, it was still swelteringly hot. He glanced down at 'A Historical Index of Magical Objects'-he'd been reading it off and on for weeks-but right now, not even magic could distract him.

He'd gotten the book so that he could talk to Blaine about it, but school started again in fourteen days; summer was almost over and he hadn't heard from Blaine. He scooted over and opened the drawer to his nightstand, pulling out the antique mirror. It was still as magical as ever, he often heard it whispering or tapping, but the sound he wanted to hear was not there yet – he hadn't heard Blaine's voice in a full year.

He laid the mirror on his bed next to his book and then slid under the covers, leaving only a thin sheet over him. He flipped off the light and tried to make himself sleep. Eventually, he'd started drifting off and didn't notice the sound of a breeze coming from his mirror, or the crashing waves, he didn't even notice the faint sound of seagulls, until…

"Kurt? Hello?" An eager and familiar voice rang out.

Kurt's eyes snapped open and a smile spread on his face.

Blaine.

He sat up, turning the light back on and grabbing the mirror. "Blaine! Oh my gosh, it's you. Is it really you?"

Blaine's golden laughter fell through the glass and Kurt kicked his feet in excitement.

"Your one and only mirror friend."

"You took long enough! Summer is almost over."

"I know, I'm so sorry. I went on vacation with my parents this year, and the mirror Aunt Helen let me take home last summer didn't work outside of her house."

"I didn't think it would." Kurt lay down again, hugging the covers over him and smiling up at his ceiling. Blaine came back; he came back just like he promised he would. "I'm glad you got to travel with your parents this summer," Kurt said in a quiet voice, knowing how much Blaine had missed them the summer before.

"Me too."

"But god, I'm glad you're back at your aunt's house," Kurt turned to look at the mirror as Blaine's laughter rang through it again.

"Me too." Blaine echoed sweetly.


July 2008 – Bluespruce, Maine

Blaine greeted Aunt Helen with a tight hug and a peck to the cheek before being swept away by his mother who wanted her own chance to greet her sister. He and his parents had come in from California and were spending a week in Bluespruce to visit Helen, and then his parents were leaving, while Blaine had convinced them to let him stay an additional week. It still wasn't as long as his first summer, but it was longer than last summer, and Blaine was happy to be back at Callaway Place. He left his parents to catch up and rushed up to his room to deposit his bag.

Blaine stayed in the same room each summer; in fact, his aunt called it "Blaine's room," and as he went to put his luggage away, his heart instinctively started beating a little faster. He so closely associated this room to his friendship with Kurt.

They had experimented, Blaine going from mirror to mirror, seeing if he could talk to Kurt in them. He could. Like they had predicted, it seemed there was something special about this house and the mirrors in it. Even with that knowledge, it was the large ornate mirror above the fireplace in his bedroom that always made Blaine think of Kurt's sweet, happy voice.

He looked up and smiled at the mirror, sighing happily, "I'll talk to you tonight."

He turned and left the room, hurrying down the hallway; he didn't hear the mirror's loud crack of noise or the low laugh that wooshed into the room on a breeze from down the hall and up the stairs.

That evening, Blaine said goodnight to his parents and aunt. It had been a long evening counting down the minutes until he could slip quietly away to his room.

He knew Aunt Helen loved having her sister here, so he was glad for her sake that his parents were visiting, but he was really looking forward to the week of having his aunt to himself. She was one of his favorite people ever, and he knew from experience that when his parents were around, Helen was more reserved. It wouldn't be until after they left that Helen would pull out the latest book on witchcraft she was reading and show Blaine all the new things she'd learned since his last visit.

Right now, though, he was focused on a different aspect to his Bluespruce visits. As much as Blaine loved his aunt and would come to visit her regardless, he had to admit that Callaway Place had another very strong draw. The chance to finally talk to Kurt again.

Blaine carefully closed the door to his room, quickly got ready for bed and then faced the fireplace mirror, excitement leaping in his chest.

"Kurt?" He waited, heart in his throat. "Kurt are you-"

"Blaine!" An excited voice came from the mirror, making it quiver.

A wide grin spread over Blaine's face, just hearing his name from Kurt's lips made his chest feel warm and bubbly.

"I was trying to prepare myself for not hearing from you until next month!"

"I'm here earlier this year." Blaine explained happily while crawling into bed. "And I get to stay two weeks."

"Two weeks." Kurt's voice held a smile in it, "Twice as long as we had last year."

"Still not long enough."

"No," Kurt's voice grew quieter, "Never long enough." He cleared his throat. "Still though, it is going to be a great two weeks!"

They fell into easy conversation like they did every summer. Talking about anything from magic to their everyday lives.

"My friend Mercedes bought a magic jewelry box from the shop, and since she's had it, she has started finding all the lost jewelry she's misplaced over the years. She hasn't put the timing together, but I noticed."

"Cooper came home with a girlfriend over Christmas, I've never seen him so happy."

They spent the next two weeks talking every day, and at the end of Blaine's vacation, they didn't say goodbye, they never did. They just promised to talk to each other again next summer. A promise Blaine knew he would always keep.


July 2009 – Lima, Ohio

"No, Blaine, you don't understand. When someone starts talking about sports my mind just powers down. I literally couldn't care less about it."

Blaine's cheerful laugh came through Kurt's mirror; it was warm and rich, deeper than it used to be and made Kurt's stomach flip over.

"But, Kurt, doesn't your dad like football?"

"He does, and I've tried for his sake, I have… mostly tried, but grown men running around and colliding into each other while hundreds of people watch and cheer? I just… I don't get it."

Blaine laughed again and Kurt's cheeks hurt from smiling so hard, "Okay when you put it like that, it does sound absurd. I still enjoy it though, and it's nice to have something to do with my dad that he considers manly."

Kurt's smile slipped, "Your dad has trouble with you… being gay, doesn't he?" Kurt was nervous to ask, he still hadn't told his own father and the thought of telling Burt was terrifying to him.

"No, I don't know… he and I are building a car together this summer because he wants me to be more like him and Cooper. I don't think he cares that I'm gay, not really, he just can't seem to wrap his head around it."

"Mmmm." Kurt worried his lip and tried to picture his own father's reaction.

What would a football-loving, flannel-wearing, former mechanic like his dad do? He certainly wouldn't understand either. "You're the only person I'm out to, did you know that?" Kurt said, his voice just above a whisper as he looked at the mirror lying on the bed next to him.

"I wondered," Blaine answered gently, "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me with that."

Kurt could feel the blush cover his cheeks, "I do trust you Blaine."

"Even though we've never actually met?"

"I still know you pretty well."

"You know me better than most."

Kurt smiled and sighed, "Okay, tell me what it is about football that you like, maybe I could try watching it with my dad again."


August 2010 – Bluespruce, Maine

Blaine glanced at his arm, tracing a finger up it along the bone, like he had done dozens of times before. It was probably all in his head, but he thought he could make out just the tiniest of dips where it had fractured. Eight long weeks of a cast and then weeks after that getting it back in shape.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. No, he wouldn't think about the long weeks of recovery or the horrifying night it all happened.

He was back at Aunt Helen's, the place he loved most in the world and he was waiting to talk to his best friend who he only had a chance to speak with for a few weeks a year; he'd focus on that.

"Blaine!"

Blaine's heart leapt as a grin pulled on his lips. Kurt always greeted him the same way, every summer, by shouting his name with excitement and joy, it made Blaine's heart soar.

"Hi Kurt." Blaine said and hoped that his voice conveyed how happy he felt.

"Oh my god. I have so much to tell you. A lot has happened and it's August. I was scared you weren't going to visit your aunt this summer, and then what would I do? That would have been torture."

Blaine chuckled and leaned back on the headrest, hearing Kurt's voice was like a balm. It made these past few months seem lighter, "You're in a good mood."

"Of course I am, I'm finally getting to talk to my best friend again."

"Who? Mercedes?"

"Ha. Ha." Kurt deadpanned, "You do know I mean you?"

"Yes. You're my best friend too." Blaine sighed, feeling lighter and lighter. "Okay, tell me everything."

"Guess what? I came out to my dad!"

"Kurt! You did? That's wonderful. How did it go?"

"He knew. He already knew, Blaine. And he doesn't care. He's been amazing about it. I'm pretty much out now, I told Mercedes before I even told dad… she may have been developing a little crush on me that I needed to nip in the bud, and now the whole Glee Club knows and… god it feels so good."

"Wait, Glee Club?"

"Oh I joined Glee Club! It was just a bunch of us losers at first, but we have more people and are actually pretty good now."

Blaine wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, he hadn't felt this good in months. In a manner of seconds, Kurt had lifted his sprits better than his parents, teachers, friends or even his therapist had. "Kurt you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice."

"Well… I think I feel the same way about hearing your voice, so I might have an idea."

"I miss you so much. We've never even met face-to-face, but we go a whole year without talking and just pick up like we never stopped, I just… when we don't get to talk, I miss you." Blaine cleared his throat, his last words coming out a little shaky.

"I feel the same way Blaine," Kurt's voice was soft and sweet and shy. Blaine just smiled at the mirror across from him. "Are you okay Blaine? You sound upset."

Blaine laughed, trying to brush the comment off, "At least I'm not crying my heart out like I was at twelve years old when we first met."

"Ahh," Kurt hummed, "I remember well… but you have that same sound in your voice. Like you aren't crying but you could. And yeah, you're sixteen now, but… I'm still here if you need a figurative shoulder to cry on."

Blaine glanced down at the old quilt that covered his bed, and then unconsciously ran a finger down his arm again, "I had a little trouble in school this past year."

"Trouble?"

Blaine closed his eyes again, a headache coming on.

"Blaine?" Soft and plaintive – Kurt wasn't pressing – he sounded like he just wanted to be there for Blaine.

"There was a Sadie's Hawkins dance for Valentine's and I thought…" Blaine started, "I thought, why shouldn't I get to go with someone? I asked a friend, the only other out gay guy at my school and… we went and had a good time but…"

He could hear Kurt's breathing change, his breaths coming faster, and maybe telling Kurt who was so recently out of the closet himself was a bad idea.

"Blaine, what happened?"

Blaine let out a long breath, "We were in the parking lot, waiting for a ride, and these guys came up and…" Visions of that night came back to him, the shock he'd felt when the taunting turned physical, the pain of being curled up on the ground while someone kicked him. Glancing over to Phillip to make sure he was alright, but not being able to do anything to help. The terror of someone stomping on his arm and hearing the crack of the bone breaking.

"Blaine? Are you there?"

"They beat the crap out of us," Blaine finished hurriedly, no reason to go into detail.

"Oh god." Kurt's words were a breath of air pushed from his lungs.

"I'm okay now. And my friend is too, though I don't see him anymore. His family moved. And I… I transferred to a private school anyway."

"Blaine, I can't… I don't understand how anyone could want to hurt you."

"Now, you sound like you're about to cry." Blaine said, his chest hurting at the thought.

"I am crying," he heard Kurt sniff, "But I cry at everything, don't mind me. I'm supposed to be your shoulder to cry on right now."

Blaine shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. "It's okay now. I promise. I'm healed up and I transferred to a private school that has a zero tolerance bulling policy. And…" Blaine searched his mind, trying to think of something to infuse cheer back into Kurt's voice, "Oh! I'm in show choir too. It's an acapella group at my new school."

"You're changing the subject."

"Yes."

"I've contained myself now, if you do want to talk about it."

Blaine smiled and let out a small rueful laugh, but didn't respond.

"I hate that I wasn't there for you when this happened." Kurt's voice was heavy with emotion and it made Blaine's hands twitch with wanting to reach out to touch Kurt.

"I'm glad you weren't there," Blaine answered quickly.

"Why?"

"Because if you'd been around I… I would have asked you to that dance and you would have been there when those guys… and… I'm just… I'm glad that didn't happen to you."

"You're making me cry again," Kurt said as he attempted a laugh.

Blaine sighed and straightened his posture, trying to shake off the gloomy mood, he didn't want to waste his time with Kurt being sad, "Okay then, let's talk about something good like you coming out to your dad, or about show choir. Our meetings are actually called to order by a gavel which the council bangs if we're unruly, though we never actually are, all of these guys are so well mannered it's a little crazy."

"I bet you fit in perfectly with those dapper prep school boys."

"I have been known to be dapper on occasion."

Kurt laughed and Blaine started feeling better again.

"By the way," Kurt said later that night as they were still talking, but falling asleep, "If you ever asked me to a dance, I'd say yes."

Blaine was leaving Maine in a couple of days, the weeks were speeding by too fast, and he'd come to a decision. He'd talked it over with Kurt the evening before and Kurt was more than happy to go along with it.

He was helping clear off the table after dinner when he decided to broach the subject with his aunt. "Aunt Helen, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Hm? Yes dear, about what?"

"About the mirrors here."

She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? What about them?"

"I want to show you."

Helen tilted her head, "Show me?"

Blaine smiled, hoping this would go over as well as he'd planned, "Show you some magic you've never seen before." He grabbed her hand and led her up to his room, he was taller than her now, not by much, but he'd caught up to her over the years. He still felt like a little kid around her though, a little kid coming to his aunt's house in the summer to play on the beach and be awed by the magic his aunt lived with all the time. He was eager to be able to share this with her.

He pulled out the chair from the desk in his room so she could sit, then he nervously took a breath, "Don't freak out, okay?"

"I never freak out," his aunt said, primly adjusting her glasses on her nose and then folding her hands in her lap.

Blaine smiled and nodded, "Okay here we go." He turned to the mirror and called out Kurt's name.

It took a moment but then Kurt was there, answering back in a cheerful voice. "Hi Blaine!"

Blaine glanced quickly at his aunt whose expression hadn't shifted. "Aunt Helen, this is my mirror friend Kurt. Kurt, this is my Aunt Helen."

"Don't say 'mirror friend," Kurt laughed, "We'll sound crazy."

Blaine worried his lip, his aunt hadn't moved, had hardly blinked. Her face was a little pale.

"Aunt Helen? Are you okay?"

"Is it a ghost?" She asked breathily.

"No."

"A fairy?"

"What? No, he's just a person. A real live person. We talk to each other through the glass… we have been for years."

Aunt Helen slowly stood from her chair and walked over to the fireplace, tucking a stay graying hair behind her ear.

"Hello Aunt Helen," Kurt said a little nervously, "Nice to meet you."

Helen's eyes grew wide and she lifted her fingers to her mouth, sucking in a small gasp of air before turning to Blaine with tears in her eyes, "It's magic? Real magic?"

"Yes."

She laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek, "I'd started to give up hope! But it is real. Magic is real."

"It is." Blaine said, beaming.

She turned back to the mirror clearing her throat and smoothing down her dress, "Kurt?"

"Hello."

"Hello Kurt, it is so very nice to meet you as well!"

Blaine hopped on one foot as he pulled on his shoes in a hurry. He was excited, today Helen had promised to take him whale watching and they hadn't done that since he was young. He couldn't wait. He rushed down the stairs to the kitchen finding Mille laying out toast and jam.

Blaine quickly slathered a piece of bread with homemade blackberry jam and took a big bite.

"Do you want me to make you an omelet?" Millie asked, watching him with a smile.

"No 'hank you." Blaine said swallowing. "I don't think we have time. Helen and I are going down to the shore today and she wanted an early start."

Millie's smile faded, "I'm not sure Ms. Helen is feeling up to it. I brought her breakfast as usual but she turned me away.

"Really?" Blaine asked in concern, looking out towards the hallway, "I should go check on her."

Blaine walked to the back corner of the house where Helen's room was and knocked on the door.

"No thank you Millie!" Helen called out.

"Aunt Helen, it's Blaine."

The was a pause and then some shuffling from behind the door before Helen yanked it open, standing in front of him in her clothes from the day before, her hair a frizzy mess and a huge smile on her face. She pushed her glasses up her nose. "I have to show you something," she said, grabbing Blaine's hand and pulling him inside.

Once inside his aunt's room, Blaine's mouth fell open in shock. Helen was a tidy person, a little absent minded, sometimes forgetting where she left the latest book she was reading, but for the most part, good about everything having a place.

This was not the bedroom of a tidy older woman.

The bed was unmade and covered with books, many of them lying open. Both Aunt Helen's vanity and desk were equally covered in books and papers and little jars of ingredients. Helen turned around in a circle for a moment as if lost in thought, "Where did I… Oh!" She reached for a big brown book in her armchair and then turned back to Blaine. He noticed a smudge of ink on her cheek. "Sit, sit!" She said, sitting herself; Blaine had to move a pile of books from her other armchair before he could join her.

"Look at this!" She leaned forward and held the book out, "It is a clarifying spell. I think we could try it on the mirrors in an effort to find out where Kurt lives!"

Blaine looked down at the book, scanning the page. Aunt Helen often tried spells, but never with any concrete results. "I mean we could try, but –" Blaine stopped as he saw the ingredients list, "This calls for human blood."

"Well, yes, but just a little. I'd use my own, it isn't like I'm going to go around stabbing people for a spell." She laughed a little frantically and pushed her glasses up her nose again.

"Right." Blaine was now officially concerned, Helen wasn't acting like herself at all, and why did she have a book that called for blood in the first place? "That's not happening."

"What? It would just be a little blood."

"Aunt Helen, if we do that spell – and it's a big if – we can use a little of my blood, not yours." Blaine hated that he felt a little excitement over the idea, not the drawing human blood part, but the finding Kurt part. Still right now is top concern was how erratically his aunt was acting. "I don't mean to be… unsupportive, especially since you're trying to help Kurt and me, but… you've never really had any luck with spells."

"Oh that! I've been talking to Kurt, and he says some people have a natural ability with magic. Like there are some spells he would need ingredients for and sometimes all he has to do is recite a charm. I may never be able to do a charm, but I could keep working on my spells!"

Blaine nodded slowly and looked around the chaotic room, there was a strange scent in the air, sulfur maybe? "What if we ate first and then we could talk about this more."

"Oh, I already told Millie I don't need dinner this evening."

"Dinner? I… Aunt Helen it is 6:00 in the morning. We had dinner last night together. Don't you remember?"

Helen blinked at him for a moment, her eyes looking owlish from behind her glasses, "I don't…" She laughed again, "I tried a spell that kind of blew up in my face – literally. I guess I lost some time."

"Okay!" Blaine stood up quickly. "You are leaving this room for a little while. We are whale watching today remember?"

"But Blaine…"

"No," Blaine held Helen's hand and pulled her up from her chair. "You need a break, let's go."

Blaine led her out of the messy, stuffy bedroom and shut the door behind them. He really hoped this wasn't going to become a problem.


July 2011 – Lima, Ohio

"Hey little bro, you should hang with us tonight. A bunch of us are going to Breadsticks." Finn was standing in the kitchen opening cupboards looking for food.

Kurt watched him with a sigh and a shake of his head, "A bunch of who?"

"Glee Club people."

"And by that do you mean Puck, Mike and Sam?

"Yeah."

"I think I'll pass."

"You know the guys would hang out with you if you let them."

"And I like those guys, but I have plans."

Finn pulled out a bag of Cheetos and stuffed a handful in his mouth, "Plans to 'tay in your 'oom all by yourself?" He mumbled while chewing.

"I am very busy Finn."

"With what?" He wiped his hand on his pants, "You need a life! You have friends now, you should enjoy them."

"I have friends now?" Kurt folded his arms across his chest and arched a brow, watching his step-brother squirm.

"That's not what I… you know what I meant, we both have friends, glee friends."

Kurt sighed and shook his head, Finn meant well. He walked up and grabbed the bag from Finn, snagging a few Cheetos for himself, "Thanks for inviting me, but I have some tea, a face mask and the latest issue of Vogue waiting for me."

"Okay, but if you change your mind…"

"Thanks Finn."

Kurt could hardly wait for Finn to leave. With a step-mom and brother, finding time to sneak away was harder than ever. Even his dad kept telling him that he wished Kurt would go out more. And Kurt would, but he'd been busy the past few evenings helping at the antique shop or practicing for Glee Club and he was worried he was missing time with Blaine.

He went downstairs with his cup of herbal tea, sitting at his vanity and sipping it while smoothing on an avocado face-mask, hoping tonight would be the night that—

"Hi Kurt!"

Kurt's face broke out in a wide grin, even through the drying face mask. He wiped his hands and cleared his throat, he had been longing to talk to Blaine for months, "Hi Blaine."

"I am in town three whole weeks this time!" Blaine announced excitedly.

Kurt couldn't help the way his heart beat faster at that thought as he walked from his vanity to his bed, sitting next to the mirror, "I'm so glad."

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked immediately. "You sound a little off."

Kurt stared at his hand mirror in surprise, did his voice give away so much? Maybe it was the fact that they'd only ever been able to hear each other, Blaine always seemed to sense when something was wrong.

"My dad had a heart attack," Kurt said, the words he'd wanted to share with Blaine for months tumbling off his tongue ungracefully.

"No. Oh god, Kurt. When? He is okay? What happened?" Blaine's voice was tense and scared and something about it was actually soothing, to know Blaine cared that much.

"Um, serval months ago now. Last October. He was in a coma for a week."

"God."

"He's better now. He has to watch what he eats, meaning I have to watch what he eats, but he made a full recovery."

"Kurt. I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, thank god he's okay."

"Yeah."

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

"It was horrible," Kurt confessed with a humorless laugh, "The worst thing since I lost my mom… I thought I was going to lose him too…" Kurt had to stop talking as his voice choked up.

"I wish that I could be with you in person, I just want to hug you right now."

Kurt sniffed and smiled and felt a little better, "I talked to my mirror all that week hoping you'd be there – knowing you wouldn't be."

"Oh Kurt, I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize, it helped, in a weird way, knowing you were out there and you would care."

"I do care. So much Kurt."

"I know, I... I had some trouble with bullying this year too— it's taken care of now," Kurt added quickly before Blaine could worry. "And it was nothing like what happened to you, but I honestly don't know what I would have done if I didn't know you were out there somewhere and that you'd gone through so much and made it through."

"Kurt." Blaine's voice was just a whisper and he wondered if it meant as much to Blaine as it did to him to hear his name said with such reverence.

"You gave me courage," Kurt shook his shoulders to loosen the tension in his muscles, "It isn't all bad news. My dad also got remarried."

"Oh my god! Who is this person, do you like her?"

"Her name is Carol, I adore her. She has a son, who I guess is my brother now. His name is Finn."

"Finn from Glee Club?"

"Yes."

"Finn who you had a crush on?"

"I never told you that!"

"I could tell by the way you talked about him. And now… he's your brother?" Kurt could hear the suppressed laughter in Blaine's voice.

"Do not mock my pain Blaine. It is very undapper of you."

"I'm sorry." He didn't sound sorry, "It's just… how awkward is that?"

"So awkward, or at first it was; we've worked through it. I don't think of him like that at all anymore."

"That's probably for the best."

Kurt smiled, "It is."

"And your dad really is okay?"

"Yes," Kurt answered, unable to keep a small smile off his lips while talking to Blaine.

"Do you… do you want to talk about the bullying Kurt? I wish I had been there."

"I always wish you were here."

Blaine didn't respond immediately and Kurt's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, maybe he'd admitted too much. It was one thing as kids to admit such a desire, but now that Kurt was eighteen, it felt like a heavier confession.

He heard Blaine take a deep breath before speaking, "You know last summer when you talked about Finn… I was a little jealous."

"You were not."

"I really was Kurt."

"Oh." And Kurt's face was on fire, but he also couldn't stop smiling. "Oh. I uh... oh."

"It's silly of me, I know. We only talk a few weeks a year, and even with Aunt Helen's help, we haven't been able to figure out a way to find each other in the real world."

"I don't think it's silly." Kurt said quickly. He had hoped last summer that the clarifying spell Aunt Helen found would help them, but she never got it to work, and another frustration of the mirrors is that they wouldn't let her read the instructions to Kurt so he could try from his end. Still, even without knowing how to reach Blaine outside of the mirrors, his friendship meant the world to Kurt.

"I just… we shouldn't hold out for something we may never have..."

Kurt nodded, the tension coming back to his shoulders, "Right, right. Sure." Kurt cleared his throat and tried to ignore the way his heart twisted in his chest. It seemed like Blaine might feel the same way he did, at least a little bit, but the damn magic of the mirror was keeping them apart. "How's Aunt Helen? I haven't talk to her since last summer," Kurt said, trying to reign in his emotions.

"Oh, she's… she couldn't get the mirrors to communicate with you when I wasn't here."

"Oh." That was odd.

"And she..." Blaine's voice was hesitant, "Maybe we could talk about her later? Right now, I want you to tell me everything. About the wedding that I know you had to have helped plan, and your dad and the bullying."

Kurt bit his lip, so grateful to have someone to talk to about all this, he hadn't ever told anyone everything that had happened at school, but with Blaine he felt he could, "So um, there was this football player named Dave…"

Three weeks to talk to Blaine… a mountain of time and yet still never enough.


July 2012 – Lima, Ohio

"I can't believe this time next year you're going to be a college student." Blaine said as he sat cross -legged on his bed at Aunt Helen's and folded some laundry.

"Um… yeah… about that."

"Kurt?" Blaine glanced up at the unease in Kurt's voice.

"I won't be going to college this fall."

"What?" Blaine dropped the blouse he was hanging, "Why?"

"I didn't get in."

Blaine was quiet for a moment trying to make sense of that, "You said you were applying to a performing arts school."

"I did."

"How did they not let you in? Are they idiots? I've heard you sing Kurt!" Blaine thought back to a couple summers ago when he'd convinced Kurt to sing him one of his songs from Glee Club. He'd been astounded by Kurt's voice and it could only be better now.

"That's really nice of you-"

"I'm not being nice, I'm being serious." Blaine honestly couldn't believe Kurt hadn't gotten into his dream school, Blaine had taken it for granted that Kurt would be planning for college in the fall.

"It just… it didn't happen." The pain of his rejection was clear in Kurt's voice and Blaine wanted to kick himself for making assumptions.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe it and I am so sorry."

"It's okay. I can apply again next year, and meanwhile, I'm just going to stay here, I have my job, it will be fine." Kurt's voice sounded strong, but Blaine knew him well enough by now to know that it was a façade.

"You're a barista." At some coffee shop whose name must give a hint as to where Kurt lived or something because when he first told Blaine about his new job the name of the shop had been vibrated out.

"There is nothing wrong with being a barista," Kurt's voice was brisk and defensive and Blaine really was just stepping in it tonight.

"No, nothing wrong with it at all!" Blaine sighed, how could he put this? "But if you are going to serve coffee, don't you want to do it somewhere more progressive? You've been talking about getting out of your hometown since we met."

Kurt didn't reply.

"Is your friend Rachel leaving?"

"Yeah, she got in."

Damn, how good did that girl have to be if this school wanted her but not Kurt?

"Couldn't you go with her?" Blaine suggested, heart aching for his friend, "Didn't you say once that to help with college Rachel's dads offered to pay for her apartment?"

"I forgot I'd mentioned that to you…" Kurt's voice trailed off like he was thinking, "…I couldn't just leech off of her though."

Blaine smiled, Kurt deserved much more than the little town he'd grown up in. Blaine remembered what a struggle it had been for him to come out, he practically had no support at school with bullying and even his beloved Glee club hasn't always really understood him. Now was his chance to get out, to move on to bigger and better things. Blaine wanted all the best things in the world for him. "You could get a job, help with the bills and you'd be out Kurt, out of that town that has been dragging you down for years."

"I tell you too much," Kurt said, teasing.

"I just want the best for you."

"It isn't a bad idea… I'll think about it."

"Good," Blaine said, satisfied. Kurt may not have gotten into the school he wanted, but that didn't mean he had to delay his future, he hoped Kurt really would consider it. "And then next summer you can tell me all about your adventures in… wherever it is you're going."

They'd found the magic wouldn't let them share names of places they were thinking of moving to, or the schools they wanted to attend. Blaine knew Kurt was planning on going to school out-of-state and wanted to study performing arts, which was exactly what Blaine wanted to study as well. He hoped that somehow that meant that fate would bring them to the same place; maybe Kurt was going to California, but with the magic not letting them share, there was no way to tell.

"You can tell me all about the people you'll meet," Blaine continued, "and as much about the places you'll see that the magic allows and… and about the people you'll date."

"Ha! Yeah, I'm sure I'll be dating nonstop."

"You sound sarcastic."

"No one has wanted to date me yet Blaine." Kurt replied dryly and Blaine held back all he wanted to say.

"You live in a small conservative town Kurt, there can't be many options. Things will change once you get out on your own."

"I don't even know how to date."

"You'll figure it out, I didn't know what I was doing at first either but it got easier."

"You…" Kurt cleared his throat, "You're seeing someone?"

"No. Oh! Um... no. I was kind of dating a guy at school, but not anymore." Blaine squirmed on the bed, thinking about his one failed attempt at dating. Surely things would get better once he was in college.

"Oh."

"It was never serious." Blaine said, picking imaginary lint off the clothes he was folding; maybe he shouldn't have brought up his ex. He didn't mean to rub it in Kurt's face, that he'd been dating when Kurt hadn't.

"Why didn't you mention this?"

"I just did?" Blaine said, hoping Kurt would take that as an answer. He didn't mention it because somehow he knew it would feel weird to talk to Kurt about it. Because yes, he'd dated someone, but they hadn't been Kurt, and it hadn't felt right.

"That must have been… nice. It's hard to see all my friends dating and not have someone to, I don't know… walk down the hall hand-in-hand with.

"You'll get your chance," Blaine said, his heart beating heavily in his chest.

"Yeah…" Kurt sighed, "Meanwhile…" Kurt cleared his throat and his voice shifted to something more cheerful, "I wanted to talk to you about your aunt."

Blaine didn't really want to change to that subject, but it was obvious that Kurt didn't want to talk about dating anymore. Blaine purposefully hadn't mentioned his aunt all week. Kurt had talked to her some more last summer and they seemed to enjoy those conversations but Blaine had started to regret telling his aunt about Kurt and the magic of the mirrors.

Aunt Helen had changed some in the last couple of years. Blaine noticed it the most the summer after she met Kurt and she couldn't get the mirrors to communicate with him when Blaine wasn't there. She'd become obsessed with finding out what was going on. Andrew told him she would lock herself in her room for days, barely eating the food Millie brought her.

It was like when she first learned about the magic mirrors but all the time. Blaine was particularly worried about her when he wasn't around to make her go out and do things. She was becoming even more of a hermit, and the spells she kept trying were causing her health to deteriorate. Right now, she had a cough she just couldn't shake and refused to see a doctor, saying it was the perfect chance to try a healing spell.

He'd called in a doctor to come see her that afternoon anyway.

Helen had always, or at least as long as Blaine had known her, let her life revolve around the study of magic, but now… now she was fanatical, it was all she seemed to care about.

"She's… she's Aunt Helen." Blaine said to answer Kurt.

"What does that mean?"

Blaine puffed out a long breath of air, lifting the curls that trailed his forehead; he always let his hair get too long in the summer. "Her health has taken a turn for the worse. My parents almost didn't let me come this year thinking it would be a strain on her, but I convinced them I could help and company would be good for her."

"Blaine, I'm sorry." He heard Kurt sigh worriedly and it made him ache, knowing Kurt so well and caring about him so much, but never being near him – it was getting harder and harder.

"It's the magic." Blaine said resolutely, "It's making her sick."

"I don't think it works that way… I mean she hasn't messed with the mirror on the third floor has she?"

Blaine sighed in frustration; he knew Kurt wouldn't understand, "Not that I know of, but I don't think it matters. I don't think magic is good for her. I've been thinking about it a lot and I know you say there is light and dark magic, but sometimes I feel even the light magic has some dark in it. I… I don't think I really like magic all that much." Blaine was surprised at his own words, they were things he'd been thinking but nothing he'd planned on actually sharing with Kurt.

"Blaine." He could hear Kurt trying to understand, to not get worked up about this. He knew Kurt loved magic. "I'm sorry about your aunt, I want to help, but… what about us? What about the mirrors? It's only because of magic that we even know each other."

"Yeah. But magic hasn't been a good thing in Helen's life. I think the magic in this house is taking a toll on her." Blaine fell backwards on his bed with a heavy sigh, forgetting the laundry for now.

"Sometimes when someone becomes obsessed with something, it isn't the something that is the problem, it's the obsession." Kurt answered slowly and Blaine knew it shouldn't, but Kurt's calmness was just making him more frustrated.

Blaine scoffed, "Of course you'd say that; for you, magic is accessible and charming – it is all enchanted typewriters and singing clocks, and magic mirrors. But to Aunt Helen? It is something she has wanted all her life, and even though she is surrounded by magic, it eludes her. It's like, it's like it is taunting her."

"The magic is taunting her?"

"You're the one that always talks about magic as if it were intelligent."

"Okay, yeah I do that, but..."

"And yes it is magic that brought us together, but it is also what is keeping us apart!" Blaine was on a roll, "It just seems, even what you call light magic, it just seems… duplicitous."

"Maybe that's because we don't understand it." Kurt did sound upset now, "I don't understand it, my mom never had a chance to teach me all she planned on teaching me. And you only know what I know. I think… maybe we only have part of the story here."

"And maybe messing with magic when we don't understand it is a bad idea."

"So what, Blaine?" Kurt asked and he actually started sounding angry, "We should just stop talking? I get rid of my mirror and never speak to you again?"

Blaine was quiet for a moment, his frustration fizzling out at the idea of never talking to Kurt again. He'd do anything for his aunt… but losing Kurt? No, he didn't want to think about it.

"Blaine?" Kurt called when Blaine didn't answer, he didn't sound angry anymore, only anxious, like maybe he was afraid Blaine was actually going to agree they shouldn't talk any longer.

"No, Kurt. I don't want to lose you… I don't know what I'm saying," Blaine rubbed his eyes and tried to think, he didn't know what to do. "I'm just worried about Aunt Helen."

"I'm sorry." Kurt exhaled, "I really don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight either."

"I have this book…" Kurt said tentatively, "It's a big, old leather-bound monstrosity that must have belonged to my mother. I found it years ago, the year we met in fact. It made me a little uneasy, but it helped with my mirror – it's possible that a spell I used helped us talk to each other in the first place." Kurt took a deep breath and Blaine wondered how long he'd been holding that information back. Years apparently.

"Why haven't you told me this before?"

"Honesty? The book gave me the creeps and I didn't like thinking about it."

"Like the mirror upstairs." The hairs on the back on Blaine's neck stood on end.

"No." Kurt answered quickly, "I mean not exactly, I don't think the book itself is magic, but parts of it do deal with some pretty dark stuff, but maybe there is something in there that could help your aunt? I brought it out again recently and have been looking through it-"

"God Kurt, no. Leave it alone." Blaine sat back up, his heart beating faster, worry for Kurt pulsing through him. He didn't think the answer to the problem was a book that Kurt sounded afraid of. "Stay away from that book like you told me to stay away from the mirror years ago. I listened to you about that, and I still haven't even told Aunt Helen about it. Please listen to me on this."

"But this is different."

"How?"

"Because the mirror is dark magic and the book just teaches about magic."

"Dark magic." Blaine countered.

"Yes... and light magic. I only practice the light magic."

Blaine covered his face with his hands and groaned. "Kurt. That is a fine line to walk," he dropped his hands quickly, looking at the mirror across from him as all of Kurt's words sunk in, "What do you mean practice?"

"I, um… do little spells? Nothing major. There is one for health and happiness and maybe if I mastered it I could use it to help your aunt!"

Blaine's heart thudded in his chest even as a smile spread on his lips. "Kurt… you… you're so." Blaine laughed anxiously and ran his fingers through his hair, he didn't like the thought of Kurt delving deeper into magic, and yet he was offering to try and help Aunt Helen… "Kurt, you're wonderful."

There was a moment of silence before he heard Kurt laugh shyly, "I was afraid you were mad at me."

"Not mad, worried. It just sounds dangerous. I don't want you to try any magic for my aunt's sake." Blaine insisted, "I'll deal with this."

"How?"

"I… don't know yet."

"But if your aunt was willing, maybe… we could at least try that spell-"

"No." Blaine shifted uncomfortably on his bed. Kurt meant well. And Blaine did want to help his aunt, but he didn't think more magic was the answer. Aunt Helen needed less magic in her life.

"Blaine, I promise you a lot of magic is good. Will you just think about it?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll think about it," Blaine lied. He trusted Kurt, but he couldn't trust magic, not completely not when he'd seen what he knew had to be something evil up on the third floor all those years ago. Not with his aunt's failing health.

"Okay good, I'm actually really relieved! This could be great."

Blaine shook his head and went back to the pile of laundry he was doing for his sick aunt, "Yeah. I guess it could be."


August 2013 - New York City, New York

Kurt heaved his suitcase up to his bed, and plopped it down heavily, making his pillows bounce. He felt like he'd found a new workout routine; lugging his suitcase through the airport. The trip to Lima hadn't been so bad, but he hadn't realized how much he'd packed until his return fight when one of his suitcase's wheels snapped off. After getting it through the airport and to a taxi, he still had to drag it up four flights of stairs to his apartment, because of course the elevator was on the fritz, again.

He flopped down on the bed next to his suitcase, he'd unpack in a minute, right now he just needed to catch his breath. At least Rachel wasn't here, he loved that girl and had missed her while in Lima, but he was too tired now to properly handle her.

He lay with his eyes closed for a moment wanting to just go to sleep, but instead, he made himself sit up and he reached to the floor by his bed where he'd dropped his carryon bag. He unzipped the top and pulled out a bundle of cloth, setting it on his lap as he slowly unwound it to reveal his shining silver hand mirror.

Kurt smiled and gently tapped the glass, an answering tap rang out. Still, there were no crashing waves or seagull calls that usually announced Blaine's likely arrival.

Kurt bit his lip and looked down at his reflection; hair that had been perfect this morning was drooping from his long day of travel and flattened a little on the side from where he'd fallen asleep on the airplane. His cheeks were rosy from fatigue, and his blue eyes furrowed over with worry. It was nearly the end of August, Kurt was back in New York because the fall semester was starting soon, and yet he still hadn't heard from Blaine.

Blaine had visited his aunt late in the summer before, so he could still show up, but Kurt couldn't help feeling nervous. He glanced up at the clock on his nightstand, 8:00pm, if Blaine was at his aunt's, he could be by his mirror by this time.

"Blaine?" Kurt called and then waited for a response. When none came, he tried again, "Hey Blaine, are you there?"

Nothing.

Kurt laid the mirror down and then got up to start unpacking and distract himself from his nerves. He was starting to worry maybe Blaine wouldn't show up this summer. Kurt tried not to let himself think like that. Blaine had never let him down before.

He sorted out the clothes from his suitcase, ones he could wash here and those that needed to go to the drycleaners. Then he took a warm shower to help the knots in his neck from his flight, all the while hoping that when he got back to his room, it would be to hear Blaine's voice coming from his mirror. He missed him. He always missed Blaine and he had so much to talk to him about since moving to New York.

He'd been worried at first that his hand mirror wouldn't work here, Blaine's mirrors hadn't worked outside of his aunt's house, but it still tapped and whispered sometimes and Blaine hadn't spoken through it even back in Lima. Kurt was left to assume Blaine just wasn't at his aunt's house yet.

When he got back to his room, pajama-clad and drying his hair with a towel, the mirror was still silent. Kurt huffed out a worried sigh and crawled into bed.

"Please Blaine." He said, looking at the mirror he'd placed on the nightstand beside him. He'd thought a lot about Blaine this past year. Blaine had been right about moving to New York, it had been the best decision Kurt could have made for himself. He was so much happier and freer here. Blaine had also been right about the dating pool, Kurt finally found out how fun it could be to date and not worry too much about what others thought about two men together.

Still, there had been nothing serious, no one that made his heart beat out of time the way Blaine always had. New York had made Kurt realize what he'd always known deep down. He was in love with Blaine. A person he could only talk to through the magic glass of an antique mirror. Love, it seemed, could be painful like that.

From the drawer in his nightstand, Kurt grabbed the old, black book he'd been studying the last year and a half, again trying to distract himself, but soon placed it on his vanity with a yawn, too tired to really read right then.

He flipped off his light and curled up under his covers, his mirror still within reach, allowing the sounds of magical items he collected all around him to lull him to sleep, but without hearing the one thing he wanted to hear most – Blaine's warm and comforting voice.