Kurt paces arrivals, feeling sick with nerves as he waits for Blaine to appear. His heart lurches several times when he sees people who look similar, but it jumps for joy when he finally sees Blaine. He stops several feet away and they make eye contact, letting their feet carry them toward one another until suddenly, they're both running; Kurt jumping into his husband's arms and wrapping his legs tight around his waist.

"Blaine," he breathes and then they're kissing. Slowly at first, as if unable to believe that at long last they are together again, but then some animalistic instinct takes ahold of both and they're kissing hard, brains clouded with passion, lust and love as Kurt whimpers loudly at the feel of Blaine's tongue in his mouth.

"Stop, stop...no," Blaine gasps, pulling back and setting Kurt on his feet. "I mean...no...it's not that I'm not liking that but it's just that...right here...and it's too soon and I... Oh shut up, Blaine," he says, huffing out a nervous laugh. "Start again. Hello, Kurt."

"Hello Blaine," he replies politely, picking up his bag. "Come on, I borrowed Joe's car."

He slings Blaine's bags into the trunk of the sleek black Mercedes and walks to the passenger side where his husband admires the car. "Nice."

"Nicer," Kurt says, sliding his arms around his waist. "I'm no fool, I know we have a lot to work through, and things between us have been strained to say the least while we've been apart, but I have missed you so much."

"Same," Blaine says, and falls forward to rest his head on Kurt's shoulder, letting himself be held. "All of that. I've missed you terribly. I was ready to talk with you over a week ago but I wanted to wait until we were face to face."

"Let's get home...well...to the pool house, anyway. It's slightly better for discussion than LAX parking lot."

Blaine is greeted warmly by all concerned, though he can't help but feel a little put out that everyone has been in LA for three days already without him. "It's not important now," his mom says as she guides him out into the yard. "You're here, that's all that matters. Now maybe you and Kurt can sort out this little crisis."

"There's no crisis," he says with forced brightness.

"Oh there is, darling," she smiles. "Even your dad managed to notice. I can see you're happy to be back together again, but you and Kurt wear your hearts on your sleeves. Go talk to him."

"Is it wrong that I don't want to talk?" a fearful Kurt asks when Blaine enters the pool house.

"No," he says honestly. "I'd like to tackle you onto that bed and pound you into the mattress...but it wouldn't solve anything, would it?"

"It would solve something," Kurt mutters, but he settles into the armchair instead, and Blaine sits on the end of the bed. "So tell me... How was New York?"

"I didn't go."

"What?"

"Riccardo sent me here instead. We were only doing two nights this time and he said he could manage without me. I was glad. I don't think I could have done it without you."

"Oh."

"How was your tour?"

"It was...different," he finally settles on. "Nice, in a way, to have company from Seb and Rachel, and of course LA was fine because I've just been staying here. The show was better this time. Honestly? I think I would have maybe enjoyed it had it not been for us."

"Yeah...it was nice to spend time with Wes..."

"Talking about me."

"I didn't say that," Blaine says with an exasperated sigh. "And for your information I haven't told anyone anything."

"Why? I didn't think you could use the bathroom without texting Wes to inform him."

"Will you stop?" Blaine snaps. "I don't want to talk to Wes about all this, I want to talk to you. This isn't a problem for Wes to deal with, or our parents, or Rachel, Joe... This is us. Our marriage and our crisis. If we can't resolve this man to man- together as husbands- then we don't deserve to be married at all."

"So how do we resolve it?" Kurt asks, arms folded defiantly.

"Compromise."

"I don't compromise. Ever."

"Then damn well learn," Blaine snaps.

"I don't think I can handle this," Kurt says, shaking his head. "This is gonna escalate, I can feel it."

"Did I push you into this too young, is that it?"

"What? No!" Kurt cries. "I proposed to you, remember?"

"Then if you think you're mature enough to be married, why can't you be mature enough to compromise? Huh? That's what marriage is about, Kurt. It's not giving in, it's not being weak, it's wanting to make that one special person happy, while still being true to yourself."

"How?"

"Well...I've made a start by telling Riccardo I won't do the summer tours."

"Why? I thought you enjoyed them?"

"I do," he shrugs, "except for New York. But you like to tour each summer too, and then we end up on opposite sides of the country, both moaning about missing each other. So I'll come with you. For all or part of it, it's up to you. But we can have time together instead of over a month apart."

"So...by return you expect me to accompany you on every tour?" he says as Blaine winces at his choice of words.

"Not expect, no," he says evenly. "I'd like it, of course. And I do think it's probably a good way for us to do the travelling we've always wanted to do...but if you don't want to, I'm not going to force you."

"No. You're not."

"I'm scaling back my commitments too," he carries on, ignoring Kurt's biting remark. "I'm dropping the commercial writing to focus solely on the orchestra. We don't need the money, and it will give me more time at home with you."

"You don't like my career choice, do you?"

Blaine pauses, taken aback by the directness of his question and he weighs his answer carefully. "I don't have any problem at all with you acting," he says carefully. "I love watching you on stage and I am incredibly proud of you. It's...it's everything else that accompanies it that I have the problem with- namely the audition process and what it does to you when you don't get cast."

"Can I ask why you're doing this?"

"I think that you're right," Blaine shrugs. "In many ways it's become all about me. I never set out for that to happen, things just kind of fell that way and I didn't realize before it was almost too late. But I'm hoping that by doing this we will have more time to focus on each other, maybe take vacations together...I don't know..."

"I like the sound of that," Kurt says with a tiny smile. "A lot." He stands and walks over to Blaine, looking down to where he sits looking up with shining amber eyes. "Blaine?" He trails one finger delicately along his jaw.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. And I just want you to know...that I am willing to compromise too...I just need to work a few things out in my head first, okay?"

"Um...can I ask...is that...will it take long?"

"I hope not," he says with a faltering smile. "Will you wait for me?"

"Always."

And he does. The whole time they're in LA, Blaine never pushes, never asks Kurt to discuss anything and never speaks his mind. They cling to one another all night long, though they never move beyond those all important kisses they both seem to need to survive. Their day times are busy as they always are on a family visit, and they tend to shy away from one another and immerse themselves in spending time with others, simply because when faced with having to interact in public, they just don't seem to know how.

After three days they fly home in near silence, both dreading the return and knowing that something must be broached at some point. "This is ridiculous," Kurt eventually says as they step from the airport into blazing Chicago sunshine. "Things are better but not better."

"I don't really know what to say," Blaine shrugs as he waits for a cab. "Except we always knew it would be like this really. We knew there wasn't going to be much chance for in depth discussion when we've got my dad showing off his walking skills, Maddie and Taylor bickering and mom running around calling everyone darling."

"I guess. Tonight then," Kurt says decisively as the cab takes them home. "We can talk properly tonight."

"Yes."

It's only once they're through their front door that it hits Blaine. "Oh shit! It's the eighteenth today, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I've just remembered...we can't talk tonight. I have a reception thing...to formally announce me as the company pianist."

"Are you shitting me?"

"No! Riccardo told me about it before I left but I've been so worked up and immersed in us I forgot all about it until now. I'm sorry, Kurt."

"Can't you cancel?"

"No," he shakes his head firmly. "It's the first time they've ever taken on a full time concert pianist...and I'm the orchestra leader too...the press will be there, all the members...dignitaries...I have to go."

"Fine," Kurt flares. "Just don't expect me to be by your side." Storming to the bedroom, he slams the door loudly, leaving Blaine to trail dejectedly to the piano to brush up a few pieces for the evening ahead. He moves tentatively into the bedroom, from which Kurt has not emerged, and pauses by the side of the bed, looking down at him and wondering if this time, this is it.

"Please come with me Kurt."

"No."

No more is said, and Blaine showers and dresses, feeling tears pricking at his eyes as he fastens his own bow tie. Moving to the bed once more, he crouches down at the side, coming into Kurt's eyeline making him immediately look away. "Please," he whispers. "I need you."

"No."

"People know I'm married, they'll be expecting me to show with my other half."

"Take Santana, I'm sure she'll enjoy it."

"I don't want to take Santana, I want to take you."

"And why do I want to spend my whole evening at a party to honor you and your talent?" Kurt snaps, starting to yell as he sits up and runs his hands through his hair. "Huh? It's all I ever hear, Blaine! I don't need a party full of it too. Aaagh! I just cannot handle it anymore!" Tearing at his hair in frustration he storms into the living room where an angered Blaine follows him. "You know, you think that by telling me you're not doing summer tours anymore, that makes it all okay, but it doesn't! You think you can offer to come on tour with me and it'll all be fine, but what if I don't want to tour in a shitty musical, Blaine? What if I hate every goddamn fucking second of it, but I'm too scared to admit that even to myself? What then? And to get home today and find you're suddenly unwilling to talk about our marriage because you're going to a fucking party!"

"Is this just about the party though?" Blaine yells back loudly. "Is it?"

"I don't know, Blaine. Why don't you tell me what you think it's about?" Kurt snarks, "Seeing as we're clearly going around in this circle again."

"I think it's jealousy," he says boldly. "I think it's because you somehow thought you had to spend another summer touring, but you know what? You didn't have to if you hated it that much. We could have gone with the symphony together, then we could have flown to Italy, we could have gone back to Hawaii..."

"And that makes it all okay? Huh? No, Blaine. You don't get it, do you? You go on tour and stay in top class hotels, you and your little band are revered all over the world while I sleep in crappy motels with dirty beds, sharing dressing rooms with a gay midget named Carl who has personal hygiene issues."

"But you chose this, Kurt! You decided this is what you want."

"Because I'm not gonna be that man, Blaine!" he screams, now completely out of control. "I'm not gonna be the house husband, or in a few years the stay at home dad, stuck in the suburbs with the kid and the dog, waiting for you to bring home your paycheck. I won't be reliant on you."

"So break away from acting!" Blaine yells frustratedly, hands balling into fists of rage. "Turn to costume design, I keep telling you that! God knows you're talented enough. You don't need applause from half hearted audiences to feel good about yourself, Kurt. You just need to be loved." His voice turns desperate and sad, noticing his husband as if for the first time, standing alone in the middle of the living room, silently sobbing and looking so young, so lost and so terribly afraid. "And I love you, Kurt," he says quietly. "I love you."

"It's easy for you though Blaine," Kurt sobs with a shake of his head. "You make good money, you do a job you love, people adore you and I...I just struggle along quietly in your shadow, scared to jump into the real world for fear of yet more failure."

Blaine reaches out, hand trembling as he touches Kurt's forearm lightly and sighs. "Kurt. I can't make directors pick you, I can't create roles for you, and most of all, I can't give you courage. I can only love you and support you. I made a promise, a vow to do just that and I always, always will. But I won't make myself miserable to make you feel good, I won't fail so you can be happy. I'm doing something I always wanted to do, yes. But I am thirty seven years old, Kurt. You know, more than anyone how long and how hard I have worked to get here. You can turn this around if you really want to. You just need to believe in yourself."

"Do you?" Kurt asks, lifting his face to him as tears stream down his cheeks.

"If I didn't believe in you then I'd never have fallen in love with you," Blaine answers, bending to kiss his hand gently, and then he is gone.

"Because then he said to me, Louisa, dear, I wasn't talking about Carnegie hall!" The lady talking with Blaine and Ken laughs loudly at her own joke, eyes flicking to Blaine who manages a weak smile. Clearly offended at not being the center of his attention, she turns her conversation to others in their group and ignores him as Ken hands him a drink.

"Blaine?"

"Please don't," he whispers. "I'll break down."

"I hate seeing you like this," Ken says quietly. "What's going on? Is it something to do with you and Kurt?"

"Yes," he confirms. "He's... We're not..."

"Blaine!" Riccardo booms. "Meet Hans. Hans is the director of Michigan opera. He like you. He need you to play for a production." he squeezes Blaine's arm quickly and smiles reassuringly, leaving the two of them to talk. "Ah," he whispers to Ken. "I was hoping he would come back happier, but no. No Kurt either."

"They can't be over," a horrified Ken whispers back. "Can they?"

"I hope not," Riccardo says. "I really hope not."

When the phone rings Kurt ignores it, staying curled up on the living room rug where he's been since Blaine left. The caller then tries his cell, over and over again until he gropes his way from the darkened room to the hall where he picks it up from the table.

"Martha?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"It's really late."

"I know. Listen kid, I've just had a call. Paul Dubinsky watched Seven Brides last week in LA."

"Paul Dubinsky the director?"

"No, the guy who works the checkout in Wal-Mart. What do you think? Anyway...he was very impressed by you."

"Really?" Kurt laughs disbelievingly. "Wow."

"Yeah. He's casting for Rent," she says as Kurt's breath catches in his throat. "A six week run here, in Chicago. He wants you for Roger."

"He...what?" Kurt whispers, clutching the phone tight. "I don't even have to audition?"

"Nope. You're his first choice, kid. This is it. This is your big break."

"That's a really kind offer, thank you," Blaine says politely to Hans. "But I'm..." His jaw drops as Kurt approaches, dressed to perfection in a tux, hair impeccably styled and nervously biting on his lip. "Excuse me," Blaine whispers, not really caring if Hans hears or not. All eyes are on him as he walks a few steps closer to his husband, heart beating unreasonably fast. "What are you doing here?" He says quietly.

"Fighting for you." Kurt's answer comes loud and clear as Blaine's breath catches in his throat, and he takes another step toward him. "I've decided to quit acting."

"You..." Blaine starts, but he's unable to finish his sentence, staring at Kurt instead who seems emboldened by his own words.

"It's not for me. You were right. I have neither the patience or skin thick enough to deal with it, it's destroying me...destroying us...and our marriage is what I hold dear. You are more precious to me than anything or anyone else. Nothing will ever compare to the feeling of being held by you, to the thrill of calling you my husband or to the knowledge that you and I love each other endlessly.
You captured my heart when I was just fifteen years old, Blaine. I was shy, insecure, and broken. You patiently took care of me, waited for me, nurtured me and loved me, never asking or expecting anything in return. Sometimes, when people look at us I think they just see a couple with a startling age difference. But we're so much more than that. And people have no idea, none at all, of how much you've both given up for me and given to me. I don't know why, given how I treat you at times, but I know that I'm so grateful that you have. I'm done with feeling sorry for myself, I'm done with playing the victim because I have more than anyone else could ever wish for. I have you.
I have you, I love you and I am never, ever going to lose you without putting up a damn good fight to keep you. Acting means nothing to me if it comes at the expense of our relationship.
I know you would never ask or expect me to choose, but I want to do this, and I do so willingly.
I'm just so incredibly sorry that it's taken me this long to realize, and I can only beg for your forgiveness once again. I've been horrible to you, Blaine. Really, truly awful and I won't hide from that or try to make any excuses. You have every right to walk away from me without a single ounce of blame- but know this; I don't know what I'm going to do now, or where to go from here but I promise you that if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I will be by your side for every concert, reception and tour that there is. I will love, support and praise you because you make me so incredibly proud. You deserve all of your success and more, Blaine, and you deserve a husband free of bitterness and contempt, who will love you unconditionally... And I'd just really like the chance to be that person."

"Everything," Blaine says quietly, closing the gap between them. "I forgive you for everything."

Taking Kurt's face in his hands, he kisses his lips slowly, teasingly, before giving in to his thirst and paying no heed to nearly the entire room looking on, kisses his husband fervently. Over and over again their mouths move together as they melt into one another, Kurt's hands coming up to grip at the back of Blaine's jacket and pull him close, closer still.

"I think they made up," Riccardo whispers to Ken, who nods.

"To be fair, that was a pretty impressive speech. I'd forgive him a multitude of sins if he spoke to me like that."

"I don't think he loves you the same."

"No," Ken laughs and takes a drink from a passing tray. "I think there's only one for each of them."

They try their best to get the hubbub of conversation going again, leaving Kurt and Blaine to kiss with no signs of ever wanting to stop. Hans raises an eyebrow but says nothing, and if any of the other assembled guests have a problem with their impropriety, they are far too polite to say.

"I think I send Blaine home for sex," Riccardo tells Hans with a devilish grin. "Blaine!" he booms across the room. "I send you home for sexy time with your boy husband."

"Not the best choice of words," Ken mutters from by his side, "but I think you got the message across."

They finally break their kiss, lips red and swollen and eyes sparkling with happiness. "Home?" Blaine asks, his voice low and sultry.

"Home."

They make out continually for the cab ride home and stumble into the elevator with their lips still attached. They only pull apart once they're inside the apartment, where Kurt loosens his bow tie and opens the neck of his shirt.

"Kurt...are you sure?" Blaine asks, leaning against the wall of the hallway and watching him.

"About wanting you?"

"No...giving up acting. I mean...it was your dream..."

Kurt sighs, taking Blaine's hand and leading him into the living room, flipping on a lamp and guiding him to the couch. "Sexy time with your boy husband can wait a moment," he says with a smile. "I know you're only going to worry, so let me explain."

Blaine listens patiently as Kurt relays his entire phone call with his agent, explaining how he had decided immediately that this wasn't right for him. "But Rent!" Blaine says in awe. "It's only all you've ever wanted..."

"It's not though," Kurt says firmly. "I realized as Martha was speaking that this still wouldn't fulfill me. And I tried to think back to when I was happiest and I knew...it was when I allowed you to fulfill me. When we were planning the wedding, on our honeymoon, dancing the Viennese waltz in Austria...even way back when I cut class and we came here for the first time. And I could see how it would go," Kurt tells him as he looks into his eyes earnestly. "I'd immediately start pinning everything on that production. And the cycle would start over again. The stress. The paranoia. The worry about what I would do, where I would go once the run had finished, never feeling good enough, never up to par. Yet with you I feel none of those things. My heart hasn't been truly focused on you, and when it is, everything is perfect.
When we went to New York for Finn and Rachel's wedding, she was sitting there telling us all about how she had new dreams now and all I could think was "I wish I could do that." But I can," he says firmly. "I can build new dreams, if you'll help me. I need you, Blaine. Not in a clinging to you, living in your shadow or letting you dominate type way, but I need your help, your guidance and advice and above all, I need you to love me.
And I listened to Joe telling me how he'd moved back in with Cooper and Claire, and he told me that eventually he had realized that no amount of fame or success could replace the true happiness of finding where you belong... What can I say? He's right. I belong with you."

"In all our years together, I don't think I've ever heard you talk like this," Blaine says quietly, tenderly brushing the hair from his forehead as he studies him. "In a way I feel like I should try and talk you out of this, but actually, I can see your mind is made up, and totally selfishly, I can see this would be best for us. And I mean what I say, Kurt. I forgive you. Everything you said was what I needed to hear. We had reached a critical point, I fear, and you came out fighting for us. I will help you, as much as you need, to find your place in the world, because that's what husbands do- you've helped me with so much. But right now I think we owe ourselves time and no one else. I too was offered a job tonight, playing piano for the Michigan opera company's performance of Madam Butterfly. I was just about to turn it down when you appeared. I'll call him tomorrow and politely decline."

"You don't have to."

"I do. My husband needs me, and I'm happy to give myself to him."

"I'll never hurt you like that again," Kurt says softly, taking Blaine's hand in his own. "I promise."

"I know you won't."

"Because you won't let me?"

"No, because I trust you to keep your word. I love you and you love me. We've made mistakes, we've had a rough few months but we both want to keep this alive and tonight you've proven to me just how much you want our marriage to work.
Now I think our next step is to get online and book a vacation somewhere...anywhere...but soon."

It is the early hours before they get to bed, satisfied at having found the perfect vacation in Barbados leaving in two days. A quick check with Riccardo- "I no mind, Blaine! Now go, have lots of sexy time and bring me back a gift!"- and their tickets are booked.

They are tired, overwhelmed with everything and filled with a sense of peace and calm that neither has felt in many months and they know that all will be well. "Sleepy," Kurt murmurs, curling up on his side and rubbing his nose against Blaine's in a sweet Eskimo kiss.

"Mmmm, same. Kiss me though, before sleep."

Their kissing quickly turns into more; a deep, profound need to reconnect on a physical level as well as mentally and emotionally making them take time to pour over one another's bodies with delectable kisses and delicate touches. "I think I might cry," Kurt says as he stills between his husbands legs, buried in his heat.

"Am I that bad?"

"Ha!" Kurt laughs, leaning down to capture his lips in a light kiss. "The opposite. You're totally perfect." He blinks and a small tear escapes, which Blaine leans up to kiss away and Kurt takes the opportunity to reposition, pulling Blaine into his lap instead and rocking inside him slowly. "Closer to you," he explains, kissing at his shoulder.

They take their time, with gentle, tender and unhurried movements- soft caresses and sweet kisses which elicit long drawn out sighs of happiness until they both tip over the edge quietly clinging to one another, kissing lazily as they come down from the high and breathless euphoria of finally being together again.

They bicker fondly about how to sleep that night- with Kurt wanting to play little spoon but Blaine wanting to claim his usual spot. He wins out in the end, playing the age card and insisting he needs sympathy because he's so old, which makes Kurt laugh and happily accept his head onto his chest. Blaine is already halfway to dreamland when Kurt speaks softly.

"Are you still awake?"

"No."

"Good. Perfect opportunity for me to tell you how much I love you, my very dear, very old man."

"Cheeky," Blaine mutters. "Are you asleep?"

"Totally."

"Then I suppose now would be a good time to tell you that I may be old but I can still kick your ass. Oh, and I love you too, my gorgeous boy."