Hey readers!

A huge thank you to all of you who have been reading, alerting and reviewing this story – it's crazy to think that people are reading and hopefully enjoying it!

Also, I'd just like to say, that even though I said I would be returning to my normal updating schedule, it might take longer. Classes are back, and kicking butt. I hardly have time to breath in between all my homework, let alone write! But I'm working on it. To my loyal followers and readers, be patient! The chapters will come up at some point!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor do I own anything you may recognize.

The next few months brought no major changes to their friendship. They were able to fully reinstate their old friendship, completely trusting the other in any and all possible matters. Christmas came and went with no major happenings. Blaine once went to Lima with Kurt, spending the Christmas and New Year with the Hudmels. It was a great couple of weeks, just being away from the stress their work schedules brought to their daily lives, and being in each other's company, enjoying time to themselves and with their family. It almost felt like going home to Lima for the holidays all those years ago. Even though they were still just friends, there was nowhere else Blaine rather be, unless it was at Kurt's side.

Blaine was with Kurt when he called the others, always a comforting presence by his side, reassuring him that everything would be okay in the end. Nick and Jeff were a bit hurt that Kurt hadn't told them, but they, like Wes and David, were one hundred percent supportive of Kurt and once they learned the full reason they understood the reasons behind Kurt's secretiveness.

Telling Isabelle was the hardest. The woman was like a mother for Kurt, she had stood by him for everything ever since they had first met, and he cherished the relationship they had like it was his most precious treasure. She had been there for him when he and Blaine broke up, and she knew him almost better than he knew himself. Thinking of it, Kurt thought that the only people that knew him to the same extent were Blaine and his dad. Isabelle had been extremely hurt and upset Kurt hadn't told her, especially since she had comforted him and helped him back to his feet when he was miserable after breaking up with Blaine. Kurt was feeling incredibly guilty after he spoke with Isabelle, more so after the woman had needed some time to process all the information.

After a couple of weeks, though, Isabelle called and the two talked it all out, and after a lot of explanations and words on both side, they were back to how they were. Isabelle still felt a bit hurt by all the secrecy, but she understood, and after Kurt explaining everything made more sense to her too.

"Oh, so Kurt, that's why you never accepted any offers and never went on dates! I always wondered why you would decline and reject all those hot models that flirted with you and clearly had the hots for you!"

Kurt blushed furiously at his friend's and former boss' words. "Well, yes. I was in a happy, loving, and committed relationship at the time, with a gorgeous man too. Why would I even look anywhere else?"

The two spent hours talking after that, Isabelle asking question after question, wanting to know everything about the mysterious guy that had owned, and still owned a part, of Kurt's heart. And Kurt happily relayed it all, joyously recounting the main moments of their relationship, going into details whenever Isabelle desired to know more. He didn't hold anything back, nor did he spare any words when talking about Sebastian's quirks. For the first time since he had first opened up about his engagement and Sebastian's death to Blaine, Kurt didn't feel like burying himself in bed and crying his eyes out. Of course, there were those few moments where he had to pause and recollect himself, before continuing, but he didn't feel like holding anything in. Those memories he was recalling would always hold huge significance to him, and sharing them with someone else, just talking about them to someone, brought immense feeling of tranquility and a feeling of contentment to his heart that he had never imagined to feel when talking about it.

After the two friends went back to their normal friendship, Isabelle having awed, teased, and sympathized at the correct moments throughout Kurt story-telling, Isabelle adopted a more serious tone.

"Can I ask you a question, Kurt?"

Kurt arched an eyebrow curiously at her. "Of course. You know you can. I promise to hold anything back anymore."

She chuckled before talking. "About Blaine…"

Kurt, sensing she wouldn't complete her sentence coaxed her. "What about him?"

"What are your feelings towards him now? I know he was the love of your life back then, and I know you just went through an extremely bad moment, but you two seem to get along so well now again. And he seemed so supportive of you that time you Skyped to tell me everything."

The chestnut haired man sighed. "I honestly don't know what to make of my feelings at the moment, Isabelle. I love Blaine; I honestly don't think I've ever stopped. He was a huge part of my life, you just don't forget about someone so important to you in the blink of an eye. But I'm still in love with Bas, it's too soon to even think about moving on. And I'm not sure if I'm still in love with Blaine. He makes me ridiculously happy, and he has mentioned something about waiting until I'm ready, but I don't know if I will ever be ready, you know?"

"Kurt? Can I ask you something?" At Kurt's nod, she continued. "I've never seen two people so in love with one another as you two when you were together. You were always in perfect sync with one another, and just the thought of Blaine would make your eyes shine brighter. I can't say if it was that way with Sebastian, but, honey, there's no rule that you can't fall in love with more than one person in a lifetime, nor is there any rule saying that you can't fall in love with same person twice."

Kurt just nodded. "I love Bas, I'll love him forever. He is one of the most amazing person I've ever met. I love everything about him."

"I'm sure Blaine understands that. I'm not saying it has to be today or tomorrow, but honey you have to move on sometime. Sebastian would want you to be happy again. Do you think you and Blaine will ever get back together?"

The glasz eyed man took a deep breath and exhaled. "I care a lot for Blaine. He's always been by my side when he could, ever since we've met back in Junior Year of High-School. I love him, I want him to be happy. I know he wants to get back together, and a part of me – the part that still love him unconditionally – wants to too, of course. But there's that part of me, that's still completely in love with Sebastian that keeps holding me back. I'm just waiting for the right time, now. I want to be sure of my feelings before I commit into something that I may not be ready for. I don't want to hurt Blaine, not more than I already have."

Kurt could see Isabelle nod sympathetically through the computer screen. "I understand Kurt. Just remember, you deserve to be happy too."

The weeks following Kurt's and Isabelle's talk, Kurt spent every spare time with Blaine, whenever schedule permitted. The two were back to how they were before everything fell to pieces, with the exception that they were still nothing more than friends. After their talk in the park, Blaine made no other move. He talked, he joked, he occasionally flirted, but made no concrete moved to woo Kurt or attempt to take their friendship to the next level. The feelings were there, in every look and touch Blaine conveyed his true feelings, but he left the ball entirely on Kurt's court.

Kurt was slowly getting used to the idea of dating someone else. As the weeks went on, he realized that the ache and hole that had settled in his heart when Sebastian passed away was slowly fading. Even with the anniversary of Sebastian's death being right around the corner, he wasn't as affected, preferring to remember all the great memories he was able to build and share with his late fiancé instead of wallowing in the sadness brought by said man's death. Of course he would always miss him. He still felt that pang of hurt and grief when he thought of it, but he was healing. The scars would always be there, but he soon realized that was all that was left. Scars. The hole was now filled with something else, specifically feelings of the romantic kind, towards his ex-boyfriend and current best-friend. All the love and fondness he used to hold towards Blaine when they were together, that never completely disappeared, were back in full force. They were different from those that were there years ago, but with a hint of welcome familiarity.

Coming to this realization made Kurt giddy with excitement. At first he had a huge breakdown where he felt completely guilty at having feelings for someone other than Sebastian, especially considering it was so close to the anniversary of his death. But after thinking it over for some days he came to the conclusion that all Sebastian ever wanted when they were together was for him to be happy, and that wouldn't have changed now that he was no longer there. Sebastian would still want Kurt happy, and he was beyond happy with Blaine. Once he came to this conclusion, Kurt started making plans as to how he would let Blaine know of said feelings. Blaine would have to understand that a part of him would always belong, care for, and love his late fiancé, but Kurt felt like he was ready to finally move on. And what a nice feeling it was – he already felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

From: Blaine

Hey, Kurt! How are you doing? – B

Kurt woke up to the above text the day that marked Sebastian's anniversary. Warmth flooded his chest at the sight of Blaine being so considerate, at the same time tears prickled at his eyes as he remembered what day it was. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he composed himself and sent an answering text to Blaine.

To: Blaine

Hi. I'm doing ok, I guess. As well as once can hold up in this circumstances. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. – K'

Sighing he got up to get coffee ready while he thought of plans for the day. He had taken a day off from work this day, predicting an overly emotional day (and week for that matter). After going through hi options, he decided to bring out the photo albums and reminisce about the years spent at Dalton, then in New York, and finally those spent in Paris. Not wanting to spend it alone, he decided to invite his friends over. After sending out a mass text he soon heard back from them, his phone vibrating and lighting up continuously indicating a flurry of texts being sent to him.

Blaine promised to be over as soon as possible, and he was bringing Wes and Melissa with him. They both were able to get out of work, while David stayed to keep an eye on the studio, promising to head over to Kurt's that night. Santana and Brittany were also heading over, both of them concerned to their friend's well-being. Kurt smiled at all the concerned texts he also received, wanting to know if he was alright. His heart clenched when he saw that Nick and Jeff, Isabelle and his Dad had also sent some words voicing their concern and support. He was really blessed at having an amazing network of supporting and loving friends and family.

Not soon after the guys arrived and they were all pleasantly surprised to see Kurt smiling sitting at a table that seemed full of photo albums and some other stuff that clearly meant something, and was that a Warbler mini statue?

"Kurt? What is going on here?" Blaine asked after immediately heading over to pull his friend into a hug.

Kurt shrugged and turned to greet the others. "Hey everyone. Glad you guys could make it. Today should be a hard day to me. It is a hard day to me, but honestly, I thought it would be a lot worse. As you know, today marks the one year anniversary of Sebastian's death. Of course it hurts to remember, he was a huge part of my life. But I don't feel as sad as I thought I'd be. And I owe a lot that to you. Thank you all for being so supportive of everything, considering how much I concealed from you and for how long. I couldn't have done this without you." Kurt paused, letting his gaze lend in each of his friends, lingering a bit on Blaine. "You are truly the best friends anyone could ask for."

Everyone had tears on their eyes by the time Kurt finished speaking, each of them getting up and hugging Kurt in turned. All of them professed similar feelings that they all did what a friend was supposed to do, and that they in no way blamed Kurt for having concealed the truth. After everyone was seated again Kurt continued.

"I don't want to spend today wallowing in misery. So I asked you guys to come over so we could take a trip down memory lane together. I brought out my photo albums, since Dalton, and thought that maybe we could go over those, and remember the old times? I have some from my time on Paris too. If you want, we can go over those and I'll tell you detailed descriptions of my time there. You know I'm a photo maniac, so most of my European adventures should be saved in several shots." Kurt looked around the circle that had somewhat formed around the table and saw the murmurs and affirmative gestures, Wes already grabbing an album close to him entitled 'Early Dalton Days.'

"Hummel, did you print copies of the photos you took on your phone? There must be thousands of photos here!" Santana asked unbelievingly as she looked wide eyed at the dozens of albums spread on top of the table.

Kurt looks sheepish. "Well, yes. I like having them in print and being able to just grab one out and flip over whenever I'm feeling particularly nostalgic."

She nodded and after some deliberation the group just decided that each would grab one album at a time and they would take a turn sharing their memories on the photo, or depending on the album, Kurt would share details of his traveling adventures through Europe, or he and Blaine would open up more about their relationship – as many of the albums were solely KurtandBlaine albums, depicting some domestic moments and other memories from when they were together.

Wes started with the album he had grabbed. Blaine, Kurt, and himself enjoyed going through it, going down memory lane to Kurt's first months at Dalton. It was then that they met and their friendship was solidified. Santana, Brittany, and Melissa listened closely as the guys talked and reminisced about the old days, Santana occasionally butting in and including her own version of the stories. When they came to the first couple picture of Kurt and Blaine the two men in questioned almost re-enacted word for word the scene in which they got together. The other kept quiet, although Santana didn't lose a chance of teasing them, in proper Santana Lopez fashion.

"After all these years you guys are still sickeningly sweet, you two make me want to barf rainbows. And seriously you two, I think we all heard the story of how you first got together at least a few dozen times, maybe with the exception of Melissa, she probably heard it only a couple of dozen times."

The others sniggered and Kurt hid his blushing face in Blaine's shoulder, while the latter buried his equally red face in Kurt's hair.

"And seriously you two, if you hadn't told us, we wouldn't know it was your first couple picture. You seem to pose couple-y in all your pictures together."

That earned more sniggers from the table and Santana flashed them all a proud smile as she went to grab another album, randomly. After grabbing the first one her hand fell upon, she looked at the title and saw that it was labeled "First Vacation Together – Kurt&Seb." She glanced at Kurt, and saw that he had lifted his face, but was still resting his head against Blaine's shoulder. He looked at her questioningly and when he saw her motion towards the album, he glanced at it and tensed, extending his hand for it. Blaine felt him tense and looked down at the album now in Kurt's hand and saw, with barely concealed hurt in his eyes, how Kurt reverently stroked the albums cover.

"Kurt?" It was Wes who had spoken, after a couple of minutes of silence. Kurt looked up from the cover and smiled at them.

"This is the album of the first vacation Seb and I took together. We couldn't exactly travel in Europe or US, as we were bound to be discovered. We went to Brazil. Spent one week in Rio de Janeiro, San Paulo, and a few other touristic places there. It was so fun."

The others nodded and turned towards Blaine who had an unreadable expression in place and was gazing at nothing in particular. Kurt didn't seem to have noticed his friend's discomfort.

"Do you guys want to go through it? I can re-tell some major points and places of our vacation." Kurt offered looking at the assembled group. As he turned towards Blaine, the curly-haired man quickly composed himself and nodded with a slight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Sure. Tell us all about it."

And so Kurt did. It had been about two years into their relationship. No one knew about it, and luckily it hadn't been divulged by the tabloids. They had traveled with the Smythe's private jet so as to not attract much attention, and in Brazil they had blended in perfectly. They did all their touristy stuff, climbing the Corcorvado, taking the trolley all the way up the Pão de Açucar. In San Paulo they went ate the Central Market's famous Mortadela Sandwich, walked around Ibirapuera Park. It had been an amazing trip, where they had spent some quality and much needed time alone and away from their hectic schedules, and that was properly documented and immortalized by several photos.

Kurt finished telling about the vacation with a faraway, and slightly sad, gaze, no doubt remembering the journey. The girls were smiling when Kurt finished retelling everything. Wes was smiling gently and understandingly at him, knowing that it probably hadn't been easy for him to open up about it.

"It was the only real vacation we took. Of course we travelled sometimes for some weekend getaway at some secluded beach or at the Smythe's vineyard in the French countryside. Some away time was needed occasionally. But real vacation, lasting more than one week, that was the only one." The designer said as he placed the album carefully back on the table.

Blaine excused himself to the bathroom shortly after that and hastily left the table. Kurt sighed and glanced at Blaine's retreating back.

"I've hurt him, haven't I? Tell me the truth."

Santana and Wes glanced at each other before the Latina reached across and took Kurt's hand in hers.

"Hummel, no one probably likes hearing their ex, someone they shared a long chunk of their lives with, talking about good times – and times that clearly means a lot – with someone else. That's a given. He's not mad at you sweetie, but it probably affected him hearing you talking about Sebastian in such a fond way. He knows what happened and he understands what Sebastian means to you, but you have to understand this is hard for him too."

"I know Tana, I know. I know I'm hurting him every day that passes in which I continue making no move to actually get together. He acts as if he's totally okay with it, and he may be, but I know that deep down he wishes I were there already." The two eyed him and he explained. "That article that was in that magazine, FGT, about Blaine and mine's possible reconciliation, remember? That day we were talking while we walked around. Blaine admitted that he still had feelings for me and he said he would wait as long as I needed. I know that despite he saying that he is okay with just being friends, that he will wait forever if it comes to that, I know he hopes I was there already."

This time Wes reached over and patted his shoulder. "No one is rushing you Kurt. Blaine understands what you're going through. Yes, maybe he wishes that you were ready already. But you're not. No one is blaming you for that. We understand what you are going through too, and we don't blame you. It's okay for you to talk about Sebastian, especially today."

Kurt nodded and leaned into Wes's side a little, sniffling slightly. "It still hurts, you know? Sometimes, even though one year has passed, some nights I still wish he were here."

The Asian man simply held Kurt in his arms, whispering words of reassurance into his ear while Santana and Melissa quietly left the room and went to check on Blaine. They found the musician sitting against the bathroom door, on the outside, his face buried in his arms and from what they could hear, sobs escaping his body.

"Blainers?" Melissa approached and gently stroked his back. "You alright?"

Santana approached and crouched in front of him trying to coax his head out of his arms. "Anderson, lift your face. We can't help otherwise."

Slowly Blaine lifted his head revealing tear-stained cheeks and red eyes still filled with tears. "I know I shouldn't be this upset, it's a hard day for him, but hearing him talking. I just couldn't. Brought back too many memories."

The girls were now busy trying to clean his face up and Santana lifted a questioning eyebrow at him.

"We used to talk about taking a vacation together, you know? A real one, not just weekend getaways. We wanted to explore more of the world, not just US or the fashion capitals of the world. Brazil was in our list of possible destinations." Taking a deep breath he composed himself a little and went to wash his face to look somewhat presentable. "Sorry girls. How is he holding up? Gosh, I'm a terrible friend."

Melissa quickly enveloped him in a hug. "You're not a terrible friend. Who has been there for him every step of the way? You. You are the one he is relying on to keep him sane and who is the one comforting him through everything he's been through? You. You are one of the most reliable human being ever, and your best friend is out there and probably upset right now. Even if he doesn't say it, he needs you, Blainers."

Blaine nodded and turned to Santana who had gone to take a look at the situation and was now returning. "Britt and Wes are comforting him. He seemed to be pretty shaken up. Today must not be easy for him."

The three then returned to the dining room table, where the trio was and everyone quickly went back to their own places, leaving the two friends to talk, while trying to give them space.

"Are you alright? Sorry for leaving you just now." Blaine turned to Kurt first.

"I'm okay. It's hard, but I'll be okay. Want to look through one of our albums next?" Kurt asked with a smile, wiping off one last tear that attempted to escape.

"You still have them with you?"

Kurt nodded. "They were all back in Lima. I had them brought here after I moved here. I needed the comfort my photographs brought me. They are all here, everything."

Blaine nodded and pulled him into a hug. "Okay. Let's look at one of our albums next then. I'm here for you, Kurt. I'll always be here."

"I know."

The two disentangled themselves and Kurt reached over to grab one album that included photos from when they had first moved to New York. The rest of the day, with a pause for a quick lunch break, was spent looking through the remaining albums. Kurt brought out other albums of him and Sebastian, but Blaine remained calmed throughout it all. The two shared countless memories, which they both remembered down to the tinniest detail, regarding several pictures of them together, and the time went by quickly. After David arrived after he closed down the studio, the group of friends settled down to play a few games and just generally toss around jokes and funny stories. What started off as a bad day, turned out to be a great one. And even with the looming of what date it was, Kurt went to bed that night with a smile.

Bad things might have happened, wonderful people might have been taken from him much too soon, but he was finally ready to move on.

I want to thank everyone for reading this story. And yay! Kurt is ready to move on! Please alert this story and leave a review below. Any kind of feedback makes me happy!

Xoxo - Julia