AN: Okay, this took forever. I'm good at UST. It's is really comfortable for me. So I struggled a lot with this chapter, for a bit over half of it. But then, yet again, it came together.

Seriously, if it weren't for you guys, I don't know if I would've finished this.

I have a good story. So I went to see Deathly Hallows for the third time the other day. I went with my brothers and my friend Tasha and my girlfriend and my housemate.

The movie theatre we went to is right by the mall where my girlfriend works, so after the movie we went over there. We ate crappy mall food. We dropped her off at work. And then we wandered around the mall for a while. There's a Rosetta Stone kiosk in this mall. My brother and I often stand in front of it and drool, because we are that nerdy.

We discovered that the giant screen they have to demonstrate their language learning software also has INTERNET ACCESS.

We went to Tumblr. Then remembered we can't check it because there are BICO spoilers all over the place. So I went to , of course.

And that is when I saw that I had, at the time, exactly 200 reviews.

It is possible that I screamed a little.

So, basically, thanks. In gratitude, I give you a chapter. And hopefully tomorrow, I'll give you another chapter. I keep thinking this thing is going to end and then it doesn't. Huh.

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They came upon a slightly ridiculous plan. It was eight. If they went to their coffee shop, they would have an hour and a half until they had to leave to get back to Blaine's house in time. Kurt would be driving an hour to get coffee, an hour to drop Blaine off, and two hours to get home, but he insisted they go.

The hour drive went by so quickly, it was like it hadn't actually happened. Everyday topics took on a different feeling now. A charge, a current. Blaine's heart seemed to have swelled almost to the point of bursting. He kept looking over at Kurt, and smiling like a crazy person. He saw those lips, and he could almost feel them on his. He couldn't wait for the moment -the moment that had to come soon, it just had to- when they would finally kiss.

And there was no mistaking the look on Kurt's face. He was excited. He was happier than Blaine had ever seen him. I made him look like that. He told himself, and a wave of warmth rushed over him. He feels that way because of me. It was too good to be true.

When they pulled up to the coffee shop, Kurt gave him a stern look.

"Don't you dare." He said.

"I'm just unbuckling my seat belt." Blaine said, holding both hands above his head like someone about to be arrested.

"I've got my eye on you," Kurt replied, and he got out of the car quite seriously. By the time he'd gotten around to Blaine's door, and opened it with a flourish, the expression on his face had softened. "Here." He said quietly, and he took both of Blaine's hands, leading him out of the car and into the middle of the road.

There was nobody around them. The snow was still drifting to the ground, the air felt thick and heavy, and as they stood, hands clasped together, faces inches apart, Blaine could see clouds of breath issuing from their mouths. They mingled together until you couldn't distinguish one boy's breath from the other's.

Kurt looked angelic in the glow from the streetlamps, his eyes bright and full of something Blaine couldn't quite figure out.

"I want this to be perfect," Kurt said, his voice higher in the way it got when he was nervous. "And I'm beginning to realize that no matter where we were, or what was going on, it would be. Because it's you."

Blaine knew what he was talking about. This was the kiss they were about to share. This was something he'd fantasized about for what felt like eons.

And then this was happening. Kurt leaned in close, and then closer. Their noses bumped and then slid past each other without pause. Every inch of Blaine was warm and alive and his eyes slid closed of their own accord.

Their lips touched. It was simple. They touched. Kurt's lips were so soft, soft and warm and right. Blaine's chest felt like it was being filled with a giant bubble of happiness that was expanding by the second. They were awkward for a second, and he remembered, as if from far away, that this was how first kisses were supposed to be. New, and strange, and full of so much promise.

He stepped forward, moving his body closer to Kurt's. Their hands, which had been clasped together as if for dear life, found better purpose. He moved his upwards- grasping Kurt's elbows, then arms, then shoulders, until he cradled his head in his hands- his thumbs at his jaw, the rest of his fingers digging into the ridiculously soft hair at the nape of his neck. He kissed back, trying to be gentle, trying to let Kurt set the pace- and then Kurt's tongue peeked out, flicking quickly at his upper lip before disappearing. The bubble in Blaine's chest grew again. He growled from somewhere deep in his throat, and before he realized it, he bit Kurt's lower lip. Kurt gasped. Reluctantly, Blaine pulled away.

"Too much?" Blaine asked, his voice lower and gravelly, his breath slightly ragged. Kurt shook his head.

"More." He replied, and sent a thrill down Blaine's spine. He didn't need telling twice. He kissed Kurt, and his hands rested on the boy's bare hips, and he kissed and nipped and reveled in every reaction he got.

Kurt slowly gained confidence, kissing back with more fervor. Blaine resisted the urge to pin the boy to the ground, but it was growing with every second. This was bliss, right here.

And then one of Kurt's hands was grasping Blaine's face, pulling him into a deeper kiss, the other reaching around Blaine's waist and pulling his entire body against him. Blaine moaned a little without meaning to, his tongue slipping into Kurt's mouth like it belonged there.

They stumbled a little, and nearly fell over, and Blaine laughed at the extremely unbalanced look on Kurt's face. Refusing to let go of his hips, he smoothly pushed him backwards, giving him a hungry look before pressing him against the side of his car. Kurt squeaked. There was no room between their bodies, and as Blaine let one hand wander down to slip inside Kurt's back pocket, and his other rub patterns over his jutting hipbone, Kurt groaned and closed his eyes, his head falling back to hit the window of the car, his pelvis jerking slightly.

Blaine couldn't resist. He leaned in and kissed Kurt's taught neck, his tongue flicking against him quickly. Kurt sighed, and grabbed at Blaine's clothing, trying to pull him closer. There wasn't really any way to be closer, and oh god, Blaine could feel Kurt's erection pressed against his thigh, and he could feel his own pressed against Kurt, and if they weren't standing in front of a coffee shop, pressed against a car, Blaine would be ripping off Kurt's clothes right now-

He pulled away. Kurt made a sad sound, and looked at him, confused.

"Kurt..." He said, and he wasn't sure he'd actually made any noise, he didn't have the air in his lungs to do so. "Kurt, we should take things slower."

Kurt did not look like he was a fan of this idea.

"I- that was our first kiss, and it was perfect, but it also made me want to do things to you- things you've definitely never done. And things one shouldn't jump into right away." Blaine ached to ignore his own words, to just forget it and press his mouth back against Kurt's. His lips felt odd, now that they weren't being used. Like something was missing. Kurt was missing.

But Kurt nodded numbly, which reminded Blaine of what he'd said earlier that night- "I want to be the boy you deserve." The boy Kurt deserved was a boy who didn't push. He knew that it could get tricky- Kurt had been traumatized, really, by Karofsky. Blaine was terrified that he'd get too rough, something would remind him of that forced kiss in the locker rooms at McKinley, and he'd set off some horrible reaction. That Kurt would feel unsafe around him. It was easier to stop for the amazing boy standing in front of him than it was for any other reason. So they were out in public, and freezing, and only on their first date. So what? But Kurt- he was what really mattered.

So he placed a single, chaste kiss on his lips, and stepped back, suddenly painfully aware of how hard he was, and painfully aware of how aware Kurt must be of this.

"I- I don't think I can go be in public right now." Kurt said, laughing breathlessly. Blaine blushed.

"Yeah, me neither," He admitted. He turned to lean against the car, his shoulder blades feeling the cold of the glass through his jacket, his right arm feeling the heat of Kurt's arm through both of their jackets. He sighed, and closed his eyes. He breathed slowly and deliberately, letting cold air wash over him, his heartbeat eventually slowing to a normal rhythm. When he opened his eyes, Kurt was staring at him. The blush that had just faded away bloomed into existence once again. "What?" He asked.

"You just- your eyelashes are- I-" Kurt stuttered, his face bright red. Blaine just looked at him, waiting patiently. "-I kissed you." He finally said, looking stunned.

"That you did." Blaine confirmed.

"I just- kissed you. And it was..." He trailed off, sounding unsure.

"It was amazing." Blaine finished. Kurt grinned.

"I hate calling things perfect," Kurt said. "Nothing is ever perfect. It's- cheesy and naive. And I know I don't have the best history of kissing to compare it to, and I hate calling things perfect, but- It was perfect."

"For you too?" Blaine asked. Nothing in the entire world could wipe the crazy happy smile off his face.

"Of course."

And then Blaine reached out, and took Kurt's hand in his. It was so cold that it made him realize just how cold he was.

"We've got to get inside before our fingers fall off." He said, and dragged Kurt into the coffee shop.

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They'd spent a whole lot of time in that coffee shop. The uneven hardwood floor, the delicious coffee, the comfortable seats, the roaring fireplace- it was all so familiar.

But being there, and being whatever it was that they were now, it made it feel like entirely new territory. Blaine looked around and felt like he was taking it all in for the first time. He'd always loved this place. But there was something about having it a part of this perfect night that made him feel an affection, an appreciation for the place. Even the few people in the shop- it was late, and snowing, and most people were snuggled up at home- looked kinder than they ever had before.

They walked up to the counter, and ordered the same drinks they always ordered. Blaine fought Kurt off valiantly, insisting that they could both be gentlemen, and paid for their drinks. The barista behind the counter was the same one who had been working the first time they'd ever gone there, and she gave them a knowing smile. He smiled back as he took both coffees from her, following Kurt towards the fireplace. The loveseat they always sat at was, thankfully, empty, and they sat down angled towards each other. As always.

But there were a few little differences. Differences that made Blaine want to swoon.

For one, this time, their limbs overlapped. Usually their knees would press together slightly, and Blaine would overanalyze every shift, every movement. Tonight, ignoring the slightly offended fashionista look on Kurt's face, he slipped out of his boots and folded his feet beneath him to sit cross-legged, his back leaning against the plush arm of the loveseat. Kurt sat down facing him, and gracefully placed his legs across the loveseat, and christ, his legs are long, Blaine marveled as the boy's ankles rested on his leg, his high-heel boot-clad feet dangling over the edge.

Their hands seemed to be in constant motion, always connected somehow. The feeling of Kurt's hand in his was a surprise every time, so right and so exciting. Blaine's hand would rest on Kurt's leg, tapping out the rhythms to music in his head, and then he'd start to talk about something, and he'd start gesturing wildly, and the he'd calm down a little, and Kurt would start to talk, and he'd settle again. And then Kurt would lean forward slightly and creep his hand under Blaine's, and whatever was going on would be completely overshadowed by that one moment.

And then there were the looks. Blaine was pretty sure he didn't look at anything except Kurt's eyes the entire time they sat there. And Kurt never looked away. Blaine was never going to get over the look the younger boy was giving him. It was mirroring everything he was feeling- the happiness and the bliss and the complete belief that everything, in this moment, was as it was meant to be. And still, under it all, the utter disbelief that this night was even happening. The feeling that if either one of them decided to be cheesy enough to actually pinch themselves, it would wake them up.

But more than anything physical was the way he felt. It was like the very last muscle in his body had relaxed, finally let go. He'd spent hours at a time on this cushion, hours knowing this was the only place he wanted to be, hours knowing it was torture, hours not caring. He'd let a side of himself show that he still shied away from, let a part of himself just be without stressing out about what anyone thought. But he'd never before felt this kind of belonging- the kind of belonging where he knew each and every bit of him was included.

"You do know that not a soul at Dalton is going to be surprised at this, right?" Blaine commented. Kurt laughed that full, happy laugh that didn't show up that often. The one where his eyes shut and his nose crinkled and he threw his head back and his hair got slightly tossed out of place.

"I expect a bunch of 'finally!'s from them, actually," Kurt said. "I can't even explain how much time Wes and David have spent trying to convince me that you feel the same way. 'He's head-over-heels about you, Kurt. Have you seen the way he looks at you, Kurt? Just push against a wall and make out with him, Kurt!'" He imitated, rolling his eyes.

"Such classy friends we have," Blaine joked. "Not that I would've objected had you pushed me against a wall, of course," He added. Kurt blushed furiously. "We really should've listened to them. We would've been together before you'd even transferred."

"Oh no. What did they tell you?" Kurt asked, looking stricken. "What did they say I said?"

"Well, they never quoted you or anything, but they did tell me that you wanted me to, um, whisk you away to Massachusetts and do nasty, nasty things to you and then grow old together."

The look on Kurt's face was priceless.

"Those were two entirely different conversations!" He exclaimed, indignant. "That makes me sound insane! Bipolar!"

"So wait- you actually said you wanted me to whisk you away to Massachusetts?" Blaine asked, the idea actually sounding quite appealing. "And- you actually said you wanted me to 'do nasty, nasty things to you'?" This, too, sounded pretty damn appealing. But a lot less like something Kurt would say.

"I- not in those words, no," Kurt said, a playful look in his eyes. "I think it was more like 'It's getting to the point where I wouldn't mind he just wanted sex. I'd let him use me.'"

Blaine had always thought that people's jaws never actually dropped, that it was just some saying that was overused and unrealistic. But his mouth was hanging open, and dirty images were running through his head, and he sort of felt like someone had hit him over the head with a frying pan.

"I- I-" He stuttered, failing epicly to find any words in his brain. It was like it had been wiped blank. He closed his eyes for a second. Okay. Focus. He told himself. Plenty of time for those thoughts later. When you're alone. When Kurt doesn't look so goddamn amused with himself.

"I don't just want sex," He finally managed to say. "I mean- it's not like I don't want sex- I'm a teenaged boy, and you're- well- you're you, and I've definitely- I mean- I just- Oh, forget it." Kurt was laughing hysterically at this. Smooth.

"Oh. My. God," Kurt gasped, each word slipping out between giggles. "That was just- beautiful."

"Oh, shut up." Blaine said, looking around. Kurt was leaning against the only throw pillows in the vicinity, so he couldn't hit him with them. Which was probably a good thing, as that wasn't exactly the kind of behavior that endeared one to an establishment like this. But it might've made him shut up a bit. Or it would've just made him laugh more. Yes, that was likely. There was no way to win. He sighed.

"I didn't realize you were talking to David and Wes about me," He said, hoping the change of subject would go by without comment. Kurt gave him a knowing smile, but didn't say anything. "If I did, I might've taken them more seriously. I wanted to let you lead the way, I wanted you to be in charge of stuff for once. But I was close to caving and just asking you out despite all of that- and maybe I would've been able to speed this up, maybe I would've gotten to kiss you sooner.

"So I didn't know that what they were saying to me was anything other than typical friendly encouragement. But you- they're my best friends. You had to know that they knew what they were talking about. Why didn't you ask me out earlier?" He asked. He wasn't upset that things had worked out the way they had. But he wondered. Kurt thought for a second before answering.

"I just- I didn't know you very well. I didn't know them very well. But I had noticed pretty early on that they're ridiculous. And they tend to exaggerate. It's like a perpetual contest, they're always trying to be a bit more absurd than the other. And you weren't really showing signs that you had feelings for me, or maybe I was just too used to misreading things that I convinced myself I was crazy whenever I thought you felt like I did. And it's not like you were the reason that I transferred, but you had a lot to do with it-"

"I did?" Blaine interrupted. His voice came out much squeaker than he would've liked.

"Duh," Kurt replied. "You were the one who first mentioned it as a possibility, even though you suggested I try and stick it out. You were the person who shared everything about what it was like. You were the one who I knew would be there for me if I did go- the one person I'd know, the one person who would definitely be my friend, the one person who would like me. Even if I'd gone and everyone had hated me, at least you were there, you know?."

Blaine nodded. He'd always wanted Kurt to know that he was that person, and knowing that Kurt knew- it meant a lot.

"I didn't want to ruin what we had. I was so grateful for just what we had, wanting more, risking it- it seemed selfish. And I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to see you more. And-" Kurt broke off their eye contact, looking down at his cup of coffee bashfully. "-I had this huge crush on you. I knew I couldn't transfer just because I liked a boy who might like me back, but I was hardly resisting the urge to leave before Karofsky came back," He looked back up at Blaine, his face a bit more somber. Somehow, the conversation had morphed into something else entirely.

"Sometimes I wonder if I just let that be my excuse. If it wasn't that big a deal, and I let it get bigger in my head and somehow got my dad to think it was worse than it was, just so that I could leave McKinley. Just so that I could get into your pants."

Blaine laughed, but the look on Kurt's face was entirely serious, his eyes searching Blaine's for something.

"Oh, Kurt, no," Blaine said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight. "You listen to me, okay? Because I'm right. Karofsky has a lot of issues. He's repressed. He looked at you and not only did he see a boy he was having very confusing thoughts about, but he was seeing a boy who had things he wanted for himself. Identity. Confidence. Freedom. Courage. And growing up in the middle of Ohio, with the kind of proper "Morals" most kids in the middle of Ohio grow up with, he started hating himself. For wanting you. For wanting what you had.

"But he's repressed. He doesn't hate himself, he projects all his self-hate onto you. And that's serious. And that's dangerous. Things were escalating, and they were escalating quickly. He sexually assaulted you, he threatened your life- The people most likely to commit hate crimes against queer people are normally queer themselves in some way. Maybe I was some sort of motivation for you transferring, but if anything, you're downplaying it. He could've done some horrible things. He did do horrible things. And your dad was completely right to take you out of there. You were right to leave.

"I really think that. I'm not just saying that because I want you in my pants."

This time, Kurt laughed, albeit shakily. A tear fell down his cheek, but there was a look of relief on his face. Blaine knew that it was good, if not imperative, to look back on past events, rehash them, reevaluate. It brought closure. Release. But it was painful, and hard to do by yourself. He reached over and wiped away the tear, his hand lingering on Kurt's smooth skin, savoring the feeling. He'd wanted to do that the very day they'd met, wanted to help the boy through his pain in some way, however small that way happened to be.

Kurt looked at him, and took his hand, and placed it over his racing heart. Blaine could feel it running a mile a minute under the soft cotton shirt, and he began to suspect that they way he was helping was far from smile.

So he looked at Kurt, and took his hand, and placed it over his very own racing heart. He was wearing a thick sweater, and he wondered briefly whether Kurt could feel it. But their eyes met, and he knew with conviction that he could. And he started to realize just how much Kurt was doing for him.