In the months that follow, a lot of things change, but Kurt and Blaine's strong and loving relationship continues. Kurt has to work long hours in the rush up to Christmas, but his reward is over a week off work, which he spends back in Ohio with Burt and Blaine.

The New Year sees Blaine turning nineteen, and of course, the anniversary of his dad's passing. He can't fly back to Ohio this time though, but Kurt cooks him dinner that evening, and they spend a long time talking about all the memories he has.

Angie Lane is true to her word and comes to New York the day of Blaine's birthday, which is conveniently a Saturday. Burt flies in too, and along with Santana they all go out for dinner that night.

It is a happy occasion, and Blaine is thankful, but it's the Sunday that he spends just with Kurt and his dad that he likes the best, and of course the night time when he is in Kurt's arms.

Their plan of three nights a week together sometimes holds, and sometimes it doesn't. Blaine learns to be more relaxed about it; especially since Brandon has a new girlfriend, who he likes to invite to sleep over whenever Blaine isn't there.

He likes studying at Kurt's apartment too. Whether Santana and Kurt are home doesn't bother him. He likes the warm and welcoming feel of the place, and being able to spread out at the large table. Quite often he would settle down opposite Santana, who was now studying business management and PR at community college, and many hours would pass in a happy silence, before Kurt would come home from work and they would all have dinner together.

Kurt is happy too. His job is hard work, with long hours and tight deadlines, but it's totally worth all the effort. In many ways, the amount of time he was spending in the office was a good thing, because it gave Blaine the time he needed to study, and meant that the time they had together could be spent on dates, or just relaxing and watching TV.

New York Fashion week in February proves to be their biggest obstacle, but Blaine and Santana realize just from the build up the week before, that total avoidance of Kurt will be the smartest move. Any time Kurt does spend in the apartment that week, Santana spends out of it, and then, on the Sunday morning when it's all over, and Kurt has managed to sleep for ten hours, he wakes up to find Blaine has arrived to cook him breakfast, and he settles down again.

As winter gives way to spring, Kurt finds himself thinking about him and Blaine more and more. He can't deny how eager he is for their future together to start. Their relationship has been going strong for fifteen months by the time April arrives, and on a rare day working from home, when Blaine is in class and Santana is reading on the couch, he makes his move.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure." Santana puts her book down and sits up, surprised when Kurt sits next to her, rather than on the other couch like he usually does.

"It's about Blaine."

"You want him to move in, don't you?"

Kurt ducks his head with a shy smile. "Yeah."

"That's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna move out."

"Oh, Tana, no," Kurt says quickly. "That wasn't what I was asking at all."

"I know," she says with a shrug. "But I feel like I should."

"No! I feel terrible."

"Really Kurt, it's fine," Santana tells him. "There are three girls at college looking for a roommate for their brownstone."

"But..."

"I'll still be here," she says with a smile. "Momma needs to take care of her baby."

"I love how he repeatedly asks you not to call him that, and yet you carry on regardless."

"Pah," she scoffs. "He loves it. He practically purrs when I pet him."

"Blaine's not a cat, he's a puppy," Kurt snaps, but he quickly changes the subject before Santana can quiz him about it. "I'm not kicking you out, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do, but really, you and Blaine...you're there. You're in that place. It's right that you live together and it's right that you live together alone."

"You think we're there?" Kurt asks, seizing on her words. "You think we're ready?"

"Yes, why, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but I'm worried Blaine won't."

"Oh he will, trust me," Santana laughs, kissing his cheek. "Now I'm gonna head to class, and I'll talk to Carla while I'm there about moving in. Ask him, Kurt, he won't say no."

Kurt achieves very little work all day. Instead, he spends the day planning a little speech in his head, and looking at soft furnishing ideas on Pinterest. He knows Blaine will want to change a few things if he moves in, and that's totally fine, as long as they're changes to Kurt's specifications.

He also spends a long time rearranging his closet, before realizing it's quite an impossible task, and that he should just tell Blaine he has to buy another one for all of his clothes. After that he takes a shower, replies to a few emails, and waits for the intercom to buzz.

Blaine knows something is up the second he walks in the room and Kurt doesn't kiss him, just sits at the kitchen table looking pale.

"What's up?" he asks, sitting down next to him. "Are you sick?"

"We're okay, aren't we? Me and you?"

"Yeah," Blaine says slowly. "Why? What's happened?"

"Are you happy?"

"You know I am, but right now I'm kinda worried about you. You look a little...well, like you're about to faint."

"I love you, Blaine."

"Good. I love you too."

"And I want to be with you forever."

"I know that," Blaine grins, taking ahold of his hand.

"Do you...do you want that too?"

"Oh come on," Blaine laughs. "You know I do! Kurt, why are you doubting all of a sudden? Isn't my word enough for you?"

"No. I mean, yes, yes it is, but I'm not doubting. I um..." He takes a deep breath, feeling inexplicably close to tears, and also more nervous than he has ever known. "I wondered if you'd like to move in. Or get a place together, if you wanted. Somewhere else. Or stay here, it doesn't matter which. Just us, though. You...and me. Us. Living together."

"Yes."

"Just us. Wait. What?" Kurt's eyes go wide, and he clutches Blaine's hands tightly. "What did you just say?"

"Yes," Blaine replies, grinning brightly. "I'd love to move in here. I love this apartment and I love you."

"You...wow. Okay. Just...wow." Kurt surprises himself with a sudden burst of tears, tears which are entirely happy but completely unexpected, and he happily lets Blaine pull him into his arms, holding him tight.

"This is like...the best thing ever," he tells Kurt happily. "We can...wait a minute, just us? No Santana?"

"She uh...she thinks we should live alone. I love her, and I'll begrudgingly admit that she's been an excellent roommate but...well, I'm selfish. I want you all to myself. I didn't ask her to leave," Kurt adds quickly. "She offered."

"Well, I mean, I would've said yes either way, but...yeah," and this time Blaine's grin is even bigger. "Just us. Amazing."

"I was thinking you could move in after vacation?" Kurt asks him.

"Well...the only plan I really had was to go back to Ohio for a couple of weeks to work with dad, then we're road tripping, right?"

"Yes."

"And I have exams first, so it kinda makes sense for me to stay in my dorm for the final few weeks of the semester, even though that kills me to say," Blaine laughs. "So we're in agreement. I'll move in just before the new semester starts."

"Oh my god, Blaine," Kurt says, all wide eyed wonderment as it suddenly hits him. "We're really doing this. We're really gonna live together. We're gonna be domesticated."

"We're going to pay bills, and choose cable companies," Blaine says, completely elated.

"We're going to clean the apartment, and do laundry together."

"Oh my god!" Blaine cries, grabbing Kurt's hands excitedly. "We're gonna go grocery shopping together!"

"We're gonna be naked all the time and have tons of sex!"

Blaine laughs, standing easily with Kurt in his arms and he kisses him hard. "Starting right now."

Their summer moves quickly. Blaine finishes his first year of college, passing with ninety eight percent, which Kurt is thrilled by and he is mortified about, promising himself he will do better next year. An argument ensues, lasting well into the early hours of the morning, and it is only resolved when Santana climbs into their bed, and refuses to move until they both stop being dumb.

Blaine flies home in the middle of June, and though he misses Kurt immeasurably, he loves going to work each day with Burt, and knowing that he is saving money for when he moves in with Kurt.

For Kurt, work is relatively quiet, meaning that he is able to take a week to work from Ohio, which he does, and then two weeks off entirely, during which time they all hit the road in Bessie once more. They drive to Maine, stopping in various places along the way, before they hit Portland for four days.

It is here that Angie surprises Blaine, having been asked by Burt to join them. Blaine hasn't seen her since his birthday in January, and their phone or email contact has been sparse. As always, it takes a while for them to get back on an even keel, but when they do it works well, and Blaine seems to be happy in her company.

Angie doesn't tell anyone she lied in order to come, that she had told Spencer she had a training course to attend for work, because she knew he wouldn't let her leave otherwise. She knows that even someone as gruff and masculine as Burt, would scoff at the very notion of ever telling a woman what she was or wasn't allowed to do, and she also knows that if she mentions it, they'll be on her case to leave him once more, so she doesn't mention her life in Baltimore at all. She simply spends time with her son and his family, enjoys their company, and then cries for the entire flight home as she laments all her losses once more.

Kurt, Blaine and Burt drive Bessie back to New York, where Burt hands over a small fortune to keep her in a private parking lot for a few days while Blaine officially moves in, and Burt is on hand to help.

There is no doubt or hesitancy on either part, but when Blaine walks into the bedroom to find Kurt has moved a whole shelf of books, and is now carefully unpacking his model airplanes and setting them in place, Blaine knows he is home.

"This is our place," he says quietly, in awe of how it sounds. "This is where we live."

"Blaine and Kurt's place," Kurt grins, turning to take him in his arms. "I have a kind of welcome gift for you actually, if you'd like it?"

"Dad's only fixing the tap in the kitchen," Blaine says worriedly. "It's not..."

"No, a gift," Kurt laughs. "Believe me though, that type of gift is coming your way later."

"Oh." Blaine laughs, embarrassed. "Well in that case, yes, I'd like my gift, but I didn't get you anything."

"You moved in," Kurt points out. "So here. Have a key," he says, dropping one into his palm. It is on a fancy leather key ring holding a solid silver letter B, which Blaine smiles at.

"You should get a K," he says, smoothing his thumb over it. "So we match."

"Uh...well..."

Blaine looks up, letting his hand slide around Kurt's waist. "You did already, didn't you?"

"I did, yeah."

They laugh, and Blaine draws Kurt close, kissing behind his ear. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

"No that's not it, that's not the gift," Kurt says, suddenly remembering. He breaks away and reaches under the bed, handing Blaine a small gift bag. "Here."

It is another model airplane kit, which makes Blaine smile when he realizes Kurt must've gone into a store and bought this, and what an ordeal that would have been for him.

"You're damn right it was," Kurt says, and Blaine realizes he's spoken aloud. "The guy was all like 'what ones does he have?' And I'm all like 'I don't know. Airplanes. War type ones.' But he was meaning which type of kit do you use, so I snuck a photo when you were still in your dorm and had gone to the bathroom. I don't know...is it right? Do you have that one?"

"I don't, no," Blaine says softly, still staring at the box. "It's a Boeing Flying Fortress. I wanted one. It was on my list but then dad..." he trails off, blinks back his tears, and looks up with a smile. "Is this for us to make together?"

"If you promise to wear your glasses," Kurt says with a wink, but Blaine doesn't catch on.

"Oh, I need my glasses, yeah, because the components are so tiny. But you'll make it with me?"

"Well, I didn't buy it for you to make while I watch TV," Kurt sighs. "Of course it's for us to make together. I thought it would be fun. But if you ever, ever, tell anyone I spend my evenings making model airplanes, I'll..."

"You're living with a geek now, Kurt," Blaine teases happily, backing him toward the bed. "Any credibility you had left has been totally and utterly destroyed." He lies Kurt down on the bed, falling on top of him and grinding down lightly, scraping his teeth down his neck.

"I think," Kurt gasps out weakly, "I think I might be totally okay with that."

They have two weeks before Blaine starts his new semester at NYU. Two weeks during which they barely emerge from the apartment unless absolutely necessary. Kurt does have to go into the office a few times, but he knows that Blaine is at home waiting for him, and this proves to be wholly distracting, so he usually takes off as soon as he can, running back home just to be able to work there instead, while Blaine sits next to him at the table, reading books on some kind of engineering practices that Kurt doesn't even try and understand.

Tina and Mike are their first house guests, coming to stay for a weekend, which Blaine is excited for and Kurt rather reluctant.

"It will be fun. They like you."

"Mike likes me. She doesn't."

"She has a name, and Tina likes you perfectly well, she just found it hard when you were being a bit of an ass."

"A bit of an ass?" Kurt finishes drying the dishes, and hangs the dishtowel on the rail, as Blaine stacks the plates neatly back in the cupboard. "Blaine, I was horrible. I think that's my problem. She still thinks I'm like that, and I don't want anyone to think I'm like that."

"So prove her wrong. I'm telling you, Tina is a good person, she'll soon come to realize that we're happy together."

And she does. They arrive Friday night, and by the time they've shared pizza and a few beers, Tina can clearly see what Mike always tells her, that Blaine and Kurt are meant to be. It's the little things, like the way Kurt lets his fingers brush along Blaine's shoulders when he walks past him sitting on the couch. The way Blaine starts talking enthusiastically about his college work when Mike asks, then obviously worries he's being too nerdy and looks to Kurt, who gives a small wink of encouragement. When Mike also asks Blaine about his mom, Tina notices how Kurt shifts just a little bit closer, and loosely holds his hand, just letting him know he's there.

Tina's biggest fear, that Kurt maybe didn't treat Blaine well, is proven to be entirely unfounded, and she warms to him totally, even more so when he suggests a game of scrabble.

"Cock," he says proudly, laying his tiles down while Blaine chokes on his beer.

"You can't put that!"

"I can. It's a word."

"I know it's a word but….oh, nevermind," Blaine sighs, holding his head in his hands, while Mike laughs and pats his shoulder. "Tina, your turn."

Tina slowly and carefully sets her tiles across the bottom of Kurt's word, looking up with a smug smile. "Sucker."

"I knew I liked you!" Kurt cries happily. "Cock sucker!"

"Seriously?" Mike asks Tina, who shrugs and looks pleased with herself. "You're a guest in another person's house and you turn a game of scrabble into this?"

"Why not? It's a word."

"I give up," Mike moans, and Blaine nods sympathetically. "I really do."

They set out early the next day, ready to explore Manhattan, and it is then that Tina realizes that however sweet and loving Kurt might be toward Blaine, there is still a fiery side to him that you really don't want to uncover.

"Wouldn't it be funny if we bumped into Jackson?" Tina asks brightly, as they walk toward the subway station, and Kurt freezes in his tracks.

"What?"

"Jackson," she says again. "It would be really funny if we were wandering around Manhattan and suddenly there he was."

"Why the hell would you say that?" Kurt snaps, feeling the need to tighten the grip he has around Blaine's waist as they walk.

"No reason, just that now that he's here too, it's a possibility, I guess."

"He's what?"

Kurt's voice is so dark and low, that for a moment, Tina thinks someone else has spoken, but then she realizes it's him, and takes a step backward in alarm. "Uh..." she starts, then gives Mike a worried glance.

"He's studying at Tisch," Mike says quietly. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew."

"No, I did not know," Kurt all but growls, then turns his attentions to Blaine. "Did you?"

"No! No, I really didn't," he says quickly. "I mean, I knew he had applied but..."

"What?!" Kurt's shriek is so loud, that Blaine, and everyone else around them, becomes aware that he's just said something very wrong, and he steps forward, holding his hands out to try and placate him.

"Hey, hey, hear me out."

"This better be good, Blaine," Kurt storms, while Mike drags Tina away to look at a window display. "Damn good."

"I didn't say anything because it's irrelevant." Blaine says quietly and calmly. "What difference does it make if he's here? What can you do about it? We can't move away, I can't quit college and you can't quit your job. You can't tell Jackson he's not allowed to study here either," he adds, before Kurt can say anything.

"He's come here for you," Kurt pouts. "I know he has."

Blaine steps closer still, reaching out and laying his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt, listen to me. I haven't seen or spoken to Jackson since I graduated. I highly doubt he's decided to come to New York to try and win me over, more like he's come to Tisch because it's such a good performing arts college. Anyway, it makes no difference, does it? I'm yours. I live with you, we're solid and strong, and neither of us are going anywhere."

Kurt stares down at the sidewalk, giving a small shrug. He thinks it all over for a moment, and when he does look up, it is to see Blaine giving him a soft, loving smile. "Fine," Kurt sighs. "But if you ever see him..."

"I'll have a polite conversation with him and then say goodbye," Blaine finishes. "I'm not going to ignore him or be rude just to satisfy your jealousy," he says with a pointed look. "You either trust me or you don't."

"I do."

"Well then."

"Okay," Kurt says, as they catch up to Tina and Mike. "Let's go."

"Ahem."

Kurt turns to look at Blaine, who stares him down, until he rolls his eyes and throws his hands in the air. "Okay fine. Tina, Mike, I'm sorry for snapping at you, and Blaine, I'm sorry for being a jealous grumpy ass."

"Thank you," Blaine says, taking his hand and raising it to his lips. "Apology accepted."

Later that afternoon, as they walk through Central Park, Tina finds herself alone with Blaine while Mike and Kurt walk ahead. She links her arm through his and gives a smile which he returns, and for a moment they are silent, until Mike calls for them to sit while they go and get ice cream.

"So Kurt is...feisty," Tina offers, as they sit on a bench, and Blaine gives a small laugh as he watches them walk away.

"He sure is."

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble earlier."

"Oh, you didn't," Blaine reassures. "It's all good now."

"But he got really annoyed."

"Ha! Kurt's always annoyed about something," Blaine laughs. "The line in the bank, the weather, the fact that he can't understand algebra..."

"Why does he need to understand algebra?"

"He doesn't, but not understanding it still annoys him intently."

"Oh." Tina frowns, but Blaine doesn't look upset at all, on the contrary, he is currently giving a lovesick smile to Kurt, who is in the line for the ice cream truck. He blows a kiss when Kurt notices him, then laughs loudly when he flips him off in return.

"You're okay with this?" Tina asks in confusion. "His temper?"

"Yeah, of course. It's never directed at me, or not very often, anyway. But it's been pointed out to me a few times, that his spark is what I fell in love with, and that's totally true. In many ways, Kurt is like a different person to the one I first met, but that spark and sass, and that temper that flares so quickly and unreasonably...yeah, I wouldn't ever want him to lose that, because it's what makes him Kurt. The difference is that Kurt used to allow it to control him, and it was damaging him and his relationships with others. Now he knows it's part of him, and he knows how to control it...well, a bit better than he did, anyhow."

"I was impressed that he apologized," Tina admits. "And that you stood your ground."

"Santana taught me that," Blaine tells her, watching as Kurt and Mike come toward them. "He needs people to stand up to him, otherwise he'll walk all over them."

"Have this one," Kurt says, handing a cone to Blaine. "It's melting and I don't want ice cream running down my hands."

"No!" Blaine cries with a laugh. "You were eating this one on the way back, I was watching you!"

"Yeah, and I heard what you just said," Kurt grins, trading cones and handing Blaine the nicest one. "I just wanted to see if you'd follow through on it, that's all."

"I hate you," Blaine says matter-of factly, and he kicks Kurt's leg for good measure.

"I know you do, now shut up and eat your ice cream."

"Aw," Tina sighs happily, looking on. "You two are gonna get married and have babies!"

"Not yet we're not," Blaine laughs.

"Once the novelty of having our own place has worn off we will," Kurt smiles, sitting on the bench and linking his arm through Blaine's. "We're not willing to share with small people just yet."

"No, but you will one day and oh!" She sighs again, "You'll be so cute as daddies."

"Thank you Tina," Mike says dryly. "It's supposed to be me you want to be a father."

"I do!" she laughs. "But I love seeing Kurt and Blaine together and happy. It's adorable."

Later that night, when Tina and Mike have returned to Boston, and Kurt and Blaine are lying in bed, Kurt pulls Blaine into his arms and kisses into his hair. "I love you so much, you know that?"

"I have some idea," Blaine smiles. "Given that you tell me so often...not that I'm complaining."

"So Tina was a bit taken aback by my outburst over Jackson, huh?"

"Not taken aback, I think she was just surprised to see you still have a completely unreasonable temper when you want to."

"I apologized."

"You did. She was surprised by that, too."

"And you?"

"Don't start."

"With what?" Kurt cries, though he knows full well.

"With your whole worrying you're not good enough thing," Blaine says, shifting around so he's holding Kurt. "Listen to me, tiger. You, and only you, are the man for me. I don't want anyone else, and I won't be going anywhere for the rest of my days. Don't change who you are. If I come home one day and ask you how your day has been, and you say 'great, no complaints,' then I'll know you've changed and I'll turn right around and walk back out. I fell in love with quick witted, sassy, funny, sharp and feisty Kurt. I fell in love with Kurt who tells me he hates me as a term of endearment, who will never admit to being wrong, and so calls me a bastard instead."

"Don't curse."

"And I fell in love with the Kurt who tells me off for cursing," Blaine laughs. He kisses Kurt's lips, pausing a moment to just hold him tight, before he looks him in the eye. "I mean it, Kurt, don't ever change, because you're perfect."

"You're so sweet," Kurt sighs happily. "You're right, I totally hate you."

"I know," Blaine laughs, before he kisses him again and turns out the light.