Your wings already exist. All you have to do is fly. - Anon

August

Kurt wakes up to the smell of coffee brewing in the nearby kitchen. While Blaine is an early riser, he much prefers to sleep in. He stretches his arms over his head, then rolls to the side and hugs Blaine's pillow. Last night's sex was amazing, with Blaine worshiping every part of his body. It was sinfully slow and luxurious, and made him feel so loved.

Kurt mentally goes over his plans for this evening's surprise for Blaine. He hopes that tonight goes exactly how he wants it to go. He's taking a chance, but Blaine is totally worth it. Kurt has thought of the grand romantic gestures that Blaine loves to do, but Kurt feels a little uncomfortable doing them himself. Blaine has always enjoyed the little things and moments in their relationship. Hopefully, this will be an extra one to put in the bank of memories to cherish.

"It's an overcast day – there's a 60% chance of rain," Blaine says as he enters the bedroom with two mugs of coffee. He gives Kurt a kiss before climbing back into bed. "How about we explore the little towns nearby. I think everyone will be going to outlet mall and arcades in Lake George on day like this."

"That's fine by me. I've planned a special dinner for tonight, so we have to be back by midafternoon so I can get it ready," Kurt replies.

They head to nearby Chestertown and browse in the small shops before going to the Main Street Ice-cream Parlor for a light lunch of soup and half a sandwich. They giggle at the food on display as they pay for the meal, and Blaine can't resist buying Adirondack Moose Poo (chocolate covered raisins). They stop at the Crossroads Country Store on the way back, and buy soft ice-cream cones at the next-door kiosk.

"Why don't you head down to the lake, Blaine. Maybe take the boat out? Or do something that will get you out of here for a couple of hours."

"I didn't think you'd want to get rid of me so quickly," Blaine pouts.

"I've got plans for tonight and I need to get ready. When you come back, take a shower downstairs."

"I think I'll go for a long run and then a swim in the lake. I'll see you later," Blaine says as he heads to the bedroom to get changed.

Once Blaine has left the log cabin, Kurt pulls out from the freezer the lobster bisque and peach pie that Amy made for him last week. He peels the potatoes and cuts them into fine slices before placing them in the casserole dish. Kurt whips up a salad with ingredients they have bought from the local farmer's market. Kurt consults his tablet and makes the marinade and sauce for the main course. When all is under control in the kitchen, he pulls out two bags from the spare bedroom's closet and sets things up.

When Kurt is satisfied with the result, he rummages around in the bedroom's chest of drawers and pulls out smart casual clothes for Blaine to wear. He places these in the downstairs shower room and makes sure Blaine has everything he needs for when he gets back.

Kurt heads back upstairs and takes a long, hot shower. He gets dressed in his preselected outfit - shorts, button-up casual shirt and scarf. He spends even more time than usual on his hair. When he heads to the main room, Kurt can hear Blaine's footsteps down below. Once Kurt hears the shower on, he turns on the heat in the oven and heads toward the main area to wait for Blaine.


Blaine slowly climbs up the stairs, wondering what's in store for the evening. The only light in the room are an endless number of candles, covering most surfaces. However, what captures Blaine's attention are the tabletop picture frames now on display. Blaine walks around the room slowly, examining each frame. Most display photos of Kurt and himself – at the Brooklyn Flea Market, at the Tony Awards Ceremony, at the Vogue staff party, chatting at the Hamilton photo shoot, at the baseball game with Burt, and in the hammock on Governors Island. Blaine giggles when he sees the selfie Kurt took when they were in the bubble bath in LA. Blaine's eyes tear up thinking of all the good times they have had together. He can't wait to for more memories and photos.

Blaine sees two additional frames that contain something that aren't photos, so he moves over and picks the first one up. It contains their bucket list, handwritten in beautiful calligraphy. The last frame contains a water color picture of two butterflies.

"Did you paint this, Kurt?"

"Yeah, I did. I'll tell you about it later. The first course is ready."

Blaine moves to the table and notices it has candles as well. Always the gentleman, Blaine pulls out Kurt's chair for him to sit down. Blaine loves the lobster bisque, and he can tell that this was made by Amy, but he's not going to let on to Kurt that he knows. Jazz music is softly playing in the background, and they chat about what they'll do during their last couple of days in the Adirondack mountains.

"It's going to take a little time for the next course, Blaine. Have a seat on the couch and relax."

Kurt takes a platter that contains two New York strip steaks that have been soaked in his special marinade and heads off to the balcony. After a couple of minutes, Blaine can hear Kurt cursing, so he goes outside to see what's happening. There is Kurt, bent over the BBQ, trying to figure out how the gas cylinder turns on.

When Kurt looks up, his cheeks are tinged pink. "You and my dad make this look so easy. I can't figure out how to turn on the gas grill."

Blaine chuckles and swiftly moves toward the grill. He turns the tap on the top of the gas cylinder, opens the grill hood, and then presses the igniter button. Soon flames can be seen underneath the cooking grate, and Blaine closes the hood whilst it's heating up.

"Why don't I cook the steaks, while you get everything else ready?" Blaine offers.

"I wanted to do everything by myself, to make it a special night for you."

"We're a team. It's always a special night when we work together."

"That cheesy line just earned you the title of chief BBQ griller. I'll head back into the kitchen."

Blaine hums to himself as he cooks the steaks, stringing musical notes into a new tune. He feels so inspired to compose new music when he's with Kurt like this. When the steaks are ready, he cuts them into strips and returns to inside, and places the platter onto the table.

"Mmm. Gratin potatoes. They're my favorite," Blaine exclaims, licking his lips.

They eat the steaks with the béarnaise sauce Kurt prepared earlier, and the conversation is light and easy. When they've finished, Kurt takes their plates to the kitchen. Blaine quickly follows and helps him stack the dishwasher and tidy things up.

"I'm stuffed. I thought we could wait a while for dessert," Kurt suggests.

"Good idea. I couldn't eat another thing right now. Why don't we head to the balcony and watch the last of the sunset?" Blaine replies.

"I'll meet you there in a minute."

Blaine refills their glasses and sits out on the deck, enjoying the cool gentle breeze that is coming off the lake.

"I have a present for you," Kurt says when he walks onto the balcony. Kurt moves a chair so that he is sitting directly in front of Blaine.

Blaine lights up when he hears those magic words, and Kurt deposits a small box wrapped in paper decorated with hand-painted butterflies in his lap. He carefully unwraps the present, being careful not to rip the paper. Inside, there's a box that is the perfect size to hold a ring. Blaine's heart starts to race - could it be? When he opens the box, he sees a small blob of molten silver with a gem stone half sticking out.

"This is my promise ring to you. I came up with a beautiful design, I found the perfect piece of amber that matches the color of your eyes, I spent hours creating the setting, and then when I was soldering the amber onto a ring band, I used too much heat, and the whole thing melted into the blob that you see."

"It's the thought that counts, Kurt," Blaine reassures.

"I'm glad you said that, Blaine. At the time, I was beside myself when the promise ring became a huge disaster. When I was in the subway on the way to Tiffany's to buy a proper ring, I had this blob in my hand and was rolling it around in my palm and it became deliciously warm. When I got out of the subway, I went to the nearby park to think. The more than I thought about it, the more I realized that this ring symbolizes my promise to you.

The blob is smooth in most places, like our relationship is most of the time. But it's a little sharp where the amber peeks out. There will always be bumpy times in the future, and I promise you that I will make the time to really listen to you and work things out.

The blob heats up if you give it attention. I promise to love you and do both big and little things to keep you feeling warm inside.

If we're going to make it in the long haul, we'll need to be brave enough to take chances and experience new things. This blob is a reminder that things don't always work out, but I promise you that I will always be there to catch you if you fall.

I promise to do silly simple things with you and keep our bucket list fresh and interesting. You're my best friend, and I love spending time with you.

Lastly, I promise that I love you and that I'm committed to the same long-term vision as you – marriage, family, and doing what matters to us. We'll go at the pace that feels right for both of us, but we'll get there in the end."

Blaine cups Kurt's face in his hands and leans in to give him a kiss. Blaine pours every ounce of his love into the kiss. Blaine didn't believe it was possible, but now he loves Kurt even more.

"I'm going to lose it right now – that was so beautiful. I need one of your hugs."

Kurt stands up and holds out his arms. Blaine quickly rushes into them. With Kurt's warm body against his, Kurt's strong arms wrapped around him, Blaine feels like he can do anything.

Eventually, Blaine pulls away from Kurt and they head back inside. Blaine looks at Kurt's watercolor painting of the two butterflies in the frame.

"I love this painting, Kurt. I'm going to keep it on the night table on my side of our bed. God, I love thinking that it's our bed in our place."

"Go have a seat and I'll make some coffee. There's a story about the painting."

Kurt heads to the kitchen and brews the coffee while slicing two pieces of peach pie. There's still one part of his plan that he needs to execute. He returns to the main room and sits down on the couch, barely touching his slice of peach pie.

"When I was in Lima in May, on the first warm day, I headed out to the backyard in the afternoon to sketch fashion designs, and I spotted two butterflies. I couldn't stop watching them. They would flutter close together and then fly away from each other, but never too far apart. Sometimes one would soar high, and at other times, one would dip a little low, but they would always come back to each other. Sometimes they would land on a flower and stay still for a minute, then they would flutter their wings and fly again. It seemed like a dance that they knew so well."

Blaine places his empty dessert plate on the nearby table.

"I get what you're trying to tell me. That I should take the risk with my songwriting. That I should focus on what makes me happy. I want to be like you and really go for it – go for my dreams. But what if I'm not good enough? What if it doesn't work out? Music is a tough business to get into."

"I know you, and this is a side of you I don't get to see very often… You're scared. But, sweetie, I believe in you. You have a musical gift, and it wouldn't be right to let you hide that away."

"But what if I fail?" Blaine asks in a small voice.

"Then you'll pick yourself up and try again. I can't predict what will happen in the future, but remember my promise to you earlier. I can't stop you from failing, but I can promise to make it safe if you do."

"I love how you get me, Kurt. I love how you're there to support me."

"You don't know how much you've changed my life since the first day I met you, Blaine. You've given me courage to try new things. I'm so glad that I found someone who I know will always be 100% behind me, whether I soar or drop to the ground. Blaine… Now it's your turn to fly."


After they spend time waking up in the most delicious way, they put on their swimming trunks and gather up beach supplies. They cross the small street at the front and fifty yards ahead is the lake. The private lakefront has a picnic table and a small dock with a motorboat.

"Let's take a spin on the boat," Blaine suggests as he rushes over the deck.

"Are you thinking fishing or waterskiing?" Kurt asks, handing over the motor key.

"Neither. I want to feel the rush of air on my face one last time before we leave tomorrow."

They climb into the boat and Blaine starts up the engine. They circle the lake a few times and take in its natural beauty.

"This is the life," Blaine sighs when they stop in the center of the lake, spotting the families swimming along the shore and a few fishing boats at the lake's western end. "I've always wanted to learn how to sail, but I never got around to it."

"It's not too late, Blaine. I'm putting it on our bucket list. Maybe on our next vacation, we can go someplace where we can take sailing lessons together."

"You'd do it with me?" Blaine asks.

"Sure, why not? I've never thought of sailing before, but I can totally get behind an activity that shows off your naked chest."

"It's all about the naked chest, isn't it? Maybe I'll wear a Speedo while I'm at it," Blaine jokes.

"Don't say things like that unless you mean them, mister," Kurt growls as his eyes darken. "It's more about the smile, you know. You have this special smile when you're really happy,"

"I don't want to go back to New York City tomorrow," Blaine says wistfully. "It's a concrete jungle full of busy self-important people, noisy streets and dirt. I've really enjoyed the nature and being close to the water this week."

"If you pursue music, there's nothing to say that we have to live in New York City."

"We'll have to be in New York City for at least four more years until you graduate FIT."

"FIT does have a two-year program in jewelry design. I've looked into it and with my high school AP credits, the courses in Paris, and working at Bellerose Boutique… If I take a full load during the summer, I could graduate with an associate degree by December next year."

"Kurt, you told me that when you were growing up in Lima, your dream was always to live in New York City. I can't take that away from you. Besides, what would Tiffany's do without Kurt Hummel as their lead designer?" Blaine says as he nudges Kurt.

"Dreams change, or at least they evolve. The reason I wanted to move to New York City was to live in a place that was accepting of me. But there's lots of places in this world that are accepting of gay couples. And for the record, I don't want to be Tiffany's lead designer. That would be a job with long hours, stress, and high-profile events. Just think of it, Blaine. We would have PAs coordinating our schedules to fit in a date night every once in a while. Our children would be taken care of by a nanny and Bentley would drive them to and from an exclusive private school each day. When they'd get home, they would be greeted by Amy, and a tutor would arrive to help them with their homework. There wouldn't even be time for regular Friday night dinners! On vacations, we would go to openings of new Monarch Houses, all smartly dressed for photo opportunities." Kurt wrinkles his nose. "Maybe it's just me, but I don't like that vision of the future."

"Neither do I," Blaine agrees.

"So maybe we should talk about how we envision our lives in ten years' time."

"You're right, Kurt. I can see that if we stay in New York City, our lives could get out of control and we wouldn't focus on the things that are important to us. With so many changes in our dreams, can we call it a 'work in progress' and figure out where it would be best for us to live and raise a family the way we want to?"

"I like the 'work in progress' idea, Blaine. We don't have to figure out everything in a week. I think we both have a lot of things to think about and discuss for our future."


Blaine is awake at 6 a.m. and quietly climbs out of bed to use the bathroom. He closes the bedroom door to let Kurt sleep in before their drive back to New York City. He heads to the kitchen and brews a pot of coffee, and slices a slither of leftover peach pie. Hopefully, Kurt won't notice. Once Blaine has poured himself a mug of coffee, he heads to the balcony to watch the sunrise over the lake.

This vacation has been more than Blaine could ever dream of. He's had so much fun with Kurt at Schroon Lake, whether it's been boating, swimming or exploring the area. And the sex has been freaking fantastic as well. However, the times Blaine liked best was when they spoke honestly with each other…about their future.

Blaine knows that Kurt is right – something big has to change in his life. Kurt's version of the future without making any changes in their lifestyle is quite frankly frightening. Blaine already resents the events he attends with Isabelle – they cut into his personal time, which he would rather spend with Kurt. And while he enjoys being Vogue's editor-in-chief, it's starting to get samey. He needs a new challenge and new dreams.

He's been offered the unique opportunity to write songs for Marley Rose's debut album with SONY Records. He recently received the first royalty check for 'Butterfly Wings' and the sales are still steady. He's got money saved up in case something happens, and maybe he should use it to take a chance.

Blaine mulls over the interview he gave for Vogue's June issue. He was very clear about what mattered to him – music, staying healthy, helping others, challenges, and dreams. But the most important item was love – love for a man and love for his family.

Even though Kurt is ten years younger than him, Blaine feels that Kurt is the wiser one in their relationship. Kurt was brave enough this week to lay everything on the table. The commitment to live together and share a long-term future. To accept new challenges in pursuing jewelry design. To be willing to leave New York City if that's what it takes to make their version of family life come true.

When Blaine feels a gentle hand on his shoulder, he looks up and sees an adorable Kurt with messy sleep hair. This is the man that he wants to spend his life with. This is the man he wants to have a future with. Blaine puts down his coffee mug and says,

"I'm ready to fly."


Two months later

"I feel great, Dad. It feels right," Blaine says into his phone.

"Are you sure you and Kurt don't want to come to Ohio this weekend? Get away from New York City?"

"No, we'll be okay. Kurt and I are still planning to come to Ohio for Thanksgiving. Has Burt accepted your invitation yet?"

"Burt and I have got it all planned. Burt is picking you two up from the Dayton airport. Cooper arrives half an hour later and then everyone's coming here. Burt will stay for Thanksgiving and we'll all go to Lima the next day, after Kurt has done his Black Friday shopping, of course. On Saturday, we'll head to the Monarch House in Lima for the opening."

Blaine looks up and sees Unique with her make-up bag. "I gotta go, Dad. I'll call you over the weekend."

When the phone call ends, someone unexpected enters the room.

"Blaine, I'm really proud of what you're about to do. Good luck," Unique says.

Blaine is in a small room outside the ballroom at the Carlyle Hotel, waiting to for someone to tell him that everything's ready.

"I didn't expect to see you today, Unique."

"Did you think I would send you out there without Unique's special brand of magic?" she retorts.

"Well… Can you help me with my hair? Kurt is pretty good at it but I'm sure you can make it look even better."

Unique fusses over his hair, muttering about how she'll have to spend time with Kurt to perfect his efforts with enhancing Blaine's curls. She takes out make-up powder and starts brushing it on Blaine's face… sniffling.

"Don't you dare cry, Unique. If I see one tear, I'm going to lose it."

"Unique doesn't get over-emotional about her fantastic boss and close friend. The powder must have landed in my eyes."

Blaine pulls up his arm and gives her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

Blaine goes through his speech in his head, making sure he remembers all the points he wants to cover. Blaine looks up and smiles when he sees Kurt walk into the room. Kurt is wearing the exact same suit that he wore for the Tony Award Ceremony – the black Dsquared2 jacquard camouflage blazer that Blaine loves so much.

"Nervous?" Kurt asks.

"Not at all. I feel surprisingly calm. I know this is right for me – right for us."

"I'm going to head into the ballroom then. I'll meet you after the press conference." Kurt pulls Blaine into a searing passionate kiss before leaving the room.

After a few minutes, Blaine hears the call that everything's ready. He takes a deep breath and looks into the mirror. Blaine is wearing the exact same Armani suit that he wore when he met Kurt eighteen months ago. I'm ready too.

Blaine walks onto the small stage set up and finds his place on the podium. There are board members sitting on both sides, as well as Anna Wintour and Isabelle Wright. It takes a few minutes for Blaine's eyes to adjust to the bright lights and the flashing cameras. When he feels ready, Blaine starts to speak.

"Thank you for coming today. Earlier this week, I tendered my resignation as Vogue's editor-in-chief to the Board of Directors. I've enjoyed working at Vogue, and the challenges and opportunities it has given me. However, I have new goals, new dreams, and new opportunities I wish to pursue. These are not related to the fashion industry, but are more personal in nature. My resignation will be effective at the end of this month, but I'll be working at Vogue on a part-time basis for the next twelve months. This will give me sufficient time to hand over the Vogue reigns to Isabelle Wright."

As Blaine continues on about Isabelle's achievements, press kits available and the like, he glances around to seek out Kurt in the audience and finds him in the last row.

They've spent the last two months talking about their plans. The penthouse has been put up for sale and they'll rent a more modest apartment until Kurt graduates FIT. In the meantime, Blaine will work part-time at Vogue in order to keep some income flowing in. They'll regularly reassess their plans as Kurt decides what to do in jewelry design and Marley Rose's debut album is released.

At the end of his speech, Blaine's eyes lock with Kurt's – they are full of love, warmth, hope, and promises. When Kurt jumps up to be the first to applaud him, Blaine notices the butterfly brooch attached to his lapel.

Blaine thinks that he's like a butterfly - growing and changing and finding his true colors in life.


Author notes

Although there's still the epilogue to go, I want to take a moment to thank Lilyvandersteen from the bottom of my heart for being my beta.

Without her, this story would simply not be.

Some authors just need a beta to correct typos and grammar, but I needed SO much more. It's really hard to draft a 200k+ word story before posting the first chapter, particularly for a novice writer like me. She contributed fantastic ideas as I was plotting the story. She read the draft chapters as I was writing, giving me her feedback with flaws in the story's logic and characters' behaviors, and cheering me on when it was going well. She helped me figure out the best way to solve problems when the plot didn't work as I expected. She then reread every single chapter after I polished them up and corrected my grammatical flaws. She did a second beta review for certain chapters that I fine-tuned based upon your feedback.

You cannot begin to imagine the amount of time she has spent on this story. On top of all this, she has a full-time job, young children and writes her own Klaine fic. Her time management skills are impressive.

Most importantly, she was my personal cheerleader when I thought I couldn't do it. Writing a multi-chapter creative story was a personal goal for me, and I could never have done it without her help. Along the way, I made a friend who I admire so very much. I don't think that I've ever had a friend who has supported me quite like she has. She's simply amazing. I thank you Lilyvanadersteen 3 3 3.

Next up: the Epilogue.