Well, here it is: season 4! It's been a wild ride for Kurt and Blaine this season, hasn't it? It's been an emotional roller coaster, but, overall, I think I approve of their arc. It has definitely been a shakeup! As always, this story is how I see things as they stand now, at the end of the season... the way the Glee writers set things up in the finale (to extend season 4 into season 5) complicates things for this story a bit in terms of a lack of resolution (and therefore a lack of insight into what Kurt, especially, is thinking), but I've done my best to imagine how Kurt and Blaine are feeling throughout the season and I hope it all seems in character for the two of them. If I'm proven wrong when season 5 begins, so be it! I'm just hoping this is enjoyable in the meantime. Many, many thanks to Mr. Criss and Mr. Colfer for their phenomenal acting; it's easy to get lost in Kurt's or Blaine's thoughts when they are brought to life so wonderfully.

Thank you all so much for all your kind messages throughout the season expressing your anticipation for the season 4 episodes! I hope it will live up to your expectations! This one's especially long, so I'll shut up now and let you get to it... :)

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters, dialogue, or songs from the show. It's all just for fun!)

BLAINE

On the first day of his senior year of high school, Blaine felt a mix of emotions. Standing with Tina, Brittany, and Artie in front of the cabinet that housed their Nationals trophy from the year before, Blaine felt good about the possibilities for the school year. There were so many exciting things coming up for all of them. Working to get New Directions back to Nationals. The school musical. College applications. Senior prom. Graduation.

But there was one thing that was gnawing at the back of Blaine's mind, holding the enthusiasm down a notch. Kurt was gone. But not the kind of "gone" that Blaine had anticipated.

"Face it, Rachel Berry was the group's undisputed star," Jacob Ben Israel announced from behind Blaine and the others, snapping Blaine out of his thoughts. "So, really, the only question is... which one of you is the new Rachel?"

The group turned to face Jacob and his camera. "I am," Blaine said, in unison with Brittany and Tina.

They all fell silent as they looked at each other, and Blaine realized that he was in for more competition than he had anticipated. Fitting into the hierarchy of New Directions had been difficult for him, but, by the end of the previous year, Blaine had finally found his place. And now, as a senior, he was ready to regain some of the authority he had lost when he left Dalton.

Jacob grabbed the cameraman's arm to turn the camera toward himself so he could narrate. "Take note, viewers. New Directions is in a state of chaos!"

"We are n–" Blaine tried to argue, but Jacob stepped forward and shoved the microphone in Blaine's face.

"Blaine Anderson," he said, "how does it feel to have a bright future while your boyfriend has given up on his dreams?"

Blaine tried to snatch the microphone out of Jacob's hand, not sure what he planned to do with it once he had it, but Jacob jumped away and ran out the door. The boy holding the camera stood for a moment with the camera still pointed at Blaine, but Blaine took a threatening step in his direction and he, too, fled the room.

"Do you–?" Artie began.

"Kurt has not given up on his dreams!" Blaine snapped, waving a dismissive arm at his friends. He didn't miss the look Artie and Tina exchanged as he stormed out of the room.

He ran straight into Sam as he turned the corner into the hallway.

"Woah!" Sam laughed. "Where're you going, man? Glee rehearsal is starting in, like, no time."

"I –" Blaine couldn't think of a legitimate excuse to continue his mini-tantrum, so he sighed in defeat. "Yeah, sorry."

"How's Kurt?" Sam asked as Blaine spun back around to lead them into the choir room. "It's kinda weird not seeing him... I mean, I love living with my family again and all, but Kurt makes great breakfast on the weekends."

Blaine had to laugh. "Yeah, he does," he agreed. "Kurt's doing fine. He's re-applying to NYADA soon and, in the meantime, he's working to make some money and he's going to take some classes at the community college."

"Cool," Sam approved.

It made Blaine feel better to have someone supporting Kurt's plan, so the day seemed bright again by the time he sank into his chair to wait for Mr. Schu.

KURT

"...and glee rehearsal was canceled on the first day?" Kurt frowned into the phone. "Why?"

"I don't know," Blaine said. "Joe passed Mr. Schu in the hall on the way to rehearsal and Mr. Schu told him that it was canceled."

"Well," Kurt grinned, "as you know, I just got home from work...?"

"Yes," Blaine agreed. "Your house, then?"

"Yeah, let's do my house today," Kurt suggested. "I'll make you dinner. 'Happy first day of school' style!"

"That sounds amazing," Blaine said. "See you soon!"

Kurt ended the call and went upstairs to change out of his work clothes. As he was buttoning his clean shirt in front of the mirror, trying to decide if he liked it or not, he heard Blaine ring the doorbell downstairs.

"COME IN!" he shouted, knowing that Blaine couldn't hear him. He grabbed his phone off his bed and sent Blaine a text message telling him to let himself in, and he heard Blaine open the front door and come running up the stairs.

"Hey," Blaine said casually as he strolled into Kurt's bedroom. He dumped his bad on the floor and walked over to wrap his arms around Kurt from behind. He hooked his chin over Kurt's shoulder and met his eyes in the mirror.

"How was school?" Kurt asked.

"My brain hurts from trying to re-engage," Blaine teased.

"Mmm," Kurt hummed in understanding.

Blaine released Kurt and wandered over to Kurt's wall of shelves. "Have you heard from Finn lately?" he asked as his eyes fell on a photo of Kurt and Finn together at their high school graduation.

"Nope," Kurt admitted as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "He calls Carole sometimes, you know, to check in, but neither she nor my dad are particularly forthcoming with details. He texts me sometimes asking how I am or asking for advice about random things, but not lately. Last I heard he had injured himself – not life threatening, remember when I told you about this? – and had to leave the army. I think he's still in Georgia, though. Working somewhere."

"Yeah," Blaine acknowledged.

"Rachel keeps asking about him," Kurt continued. "I guess she hasn't heard from him in months. Which, although I love them both dearly, I think is probably for the best."

"How is Rachel?" Blaine asked.

"She's still calling multiple times a day," Kurt explained. "I think she's probably a little lonely. Getting adjusted. But she seems to love it. New York."

"I bet," Blaine walked over to sit down beside Kurt on the bed, and Kurt hated the sadness in Blaine's eyes that was trying so hard to hide. Kurt knew that Blaine was worried about him, but what could he do? The situation wasn't ideal, but it had to work for now. He was grateful that Blaine didn't push him to talk about it much. For now, Blaine's happy sigh when Kurt leaned over to kiss him was enough to keep Kurt's thoughts from lingering too long on the city and the life that was still out of his reach.

KURT

The next morning, Kurt got up early. He wanted to stop by McKinley on his way to work to meet Coach Sylvester's new daughter. And to surprise Blaine.

It was strange to park in a space designated for visitors at his old school, but not as strange as walking down the hallways and feeling both at home and out of place. Fortunately, as he was walking through the entrance to the school, Rachel called and spared him a silent walk with his thoughts.

"Hey!" Kurt answered. "How's New York this morning?"

"I met a guy last night," Rachel squeaked.

"What?" Kurt gasped. "Rachel!"

"I mean... not like that, but he lives in my building," Rachel explained. "His name is Brody. He's a junior."

"A junior," Kurt approved. "So, if it wasn't like that, what was it like?"

"I was in the bathroom preparing for my nighttime skincare regimen and he was there," Rachel said excitedly. "Getting out of the shower."

"And you decided to leave the 'he was naked' part out until now because...?" Kurt asked.

"He wasn't– he... well, he had a towel," Rachel stammered. "But it gets better... when he was leaving, he turned around in the doorway and told me that I was wondering – I was not, by the way – if he was straight. And he is," Rachel giggled and Kurt grinned. He missed this. He missed Rachel.

"So, he was wearing a towel that was barely covering his twinkle tube... and he's straight?" Kurt confirmed. "Hot. Do you like him?"

"No! You know I'll always love Finn," Rachel said immediately. Kurt was about to tell her that she had protested too quickly, but Rachel barely took a breath before changing the subject.

"Oh, and I love you," Rachel said. "I miss you like crazy."

"Oh," Kurt teased, "is that why you're calling me every three hours?"

"Well I just want to make sure that you're okay," Rachel replied. "I'm great. I love it here. My dance teacher worships me..."

She trailed off for a moment, and Kurt wasn't sure what to think. He guessed that, even though NYADA seemed to be going well, she was probably a little homesick. So he put up with her constant calls and lived vicariously through the stories she told him of the city.

"But how are you?" Rachel recovered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm keeping busy," Kurt dodged.

"Where are you right now?" Rachel asked brightly.

"I just passed Mrs. Hagburn's old classroom," Kurt admitted. "Figured I'd stop by McKinley and meet their newest addition."

"Ohhh!" Rachel whined happily. "I bet she's so cute. Is Blaine there?"

"He doesn't know I'm here," Kurt said, "but I'm going to surprise him after I see Coach Sue. Do you have class today?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "I'm walking to campus now."

"Well," Kurt said as he spotted the door to Sue's office down the hallway, "I hope you run into not-actually-naked junior boy today."

Rachel made a noise that suggested that she hoped so too.

"I'm here," Kurt said as he walked up to Coach Sylvester's closed door. "So... talk to you later?"

"Sure!" Rachel said brightly. "Have a great day, Kurt. Say hi to everyone for me!"

"I will," Kurt agreed. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Rachel replied. "Bye!"

"Bye."

Kurt stowed his phone in his pocket and took a deep breath before knocking gently on Coach Sylvester's office door.

"Come in, if you must!" Sue called from inside.

Kurt opened the door and was pleased when he was greeted with a mostly friendly smile from the cheerleading coach. But his eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny bundle in Sue's arms.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite gay former student," Sue greeted, turning slightly so Kurt could see the baby in her arms as he approached.

"She's so cute," Kurt whispered, feeling the need to keep his voice down even though the little girl was awake.

"Porcelain, this is my daughter, Robin," Sue introduced the baby. "I loved the name ever since I was a little girl. It recalls hope and springtime and my favorite dead BeeGee."

Kurt couldn't resist making silly faces at little Robin as Sue kept talking. "Oh, she's the love of my life," Sue continued, "and I'm so, so devoted to her."

Sue put her daughter into her stroller, and Kurt was opening his mouth to offer his congratulations when Sue interrupted.

"Kitty!" she barked in the direction of the door, "get in here!"

"Yes, Coach Sylvester?" a cheerleader who Kurt had never seen before entered the room almost immediately.

"I need you to change Robin's diaper and then sing her a lullaby," Sue instructed. "Preferably something not yet butchered by the glee club. Good luck finding one."

Kurt rolled his eyes, knowing that she had added that comment only because he was in the room.

"Porcelain," Sue turned her attention back to Kurt, "this is Kitty. Kitty is my new head bitch. She's like a young Quinn Fabray, except she's not pregnant, manic-depressive, or in and out of a wheelchair."

"Shouldn't you be in college or something?" Kitty asked without preamble. "I thought gay people were all successful over-achievers."

"I am a successful, over-ach–" Kurt argued.

"Oh, don't pay attention to what Kitty thinks," Sue interrupted as the cheerleader wheeled Robin out of the room, "even if it's exactly what the rest of the world thinks."

She moved around to sit down at her desk. "I'm actually very proud of you, Twinkle Tush," Sue told him. "You're a real trailblazer. You know, it used to be that just straight ex-football players would lurk the halls of high schools after graduation? But you've proven that gay ex-show choir champs can also be depressive, sad sacks desperately clinging to the past."

"I'm not a sad sack, okay?" Kurt countered. "My classes at Allen County Community College start next week–"

"I'm sorry," Sue interrupted, "I tuned out the moment you opened your mouth. Keep livin' the dream, Porcelain."

Kurt felt a rush of shame and sadness and jealousy that he was stuck in his miserable little hometown while his best friend was thriving in New York City. He turned and left the room before Sue could think of anything else to say to him.

Fortunately, he found Blaine in the hallway right outside the door, walking and chatting with Sam and Sugar. Kurt snuck up behind them and tapped Blaine on the back.

"Wha –? Kurt!" Blaine's surprise morphed quickly into delight, and he wrapped his arms around Kurt in a tight hug. Sugar wrapped her arms around both of them to join the hug.

"What're you doing here?" Blaine smiled as they released each other. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, if you must know, I came to see baby Robin," Kurt teased.

"And me," Sugar added.

"I'm glad you're here," Blaine said happily.

"Hey," Sam said, clasping Kurt on the arm. "I have to admit... I miss your cooking."

Kurt laughed. "After living with just my dad for so long, how I actually enjoyed living with you and Finn will forever be a mystery. But I miss you, too. I'm glad your family was able to come back to Ohio, though."

"Me too," Sam agreed.

The bell rang and Blaine offered an apologetic shrug. "Class," he whined.

"I've got work, anyway," Kurt reminded him. "Talk to you tonight?"

"Absolutely," Blaine agreed.

Kurt really wanted to reach out and pull Blaine by his tie into a goodbye kiss, but he resisted. Instead, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and squeezed it as a silent goodbye.

BLAINE

The second day of school passed much more quickly than the first, and Blaine was pleased with how the day had gone by the time he settled into his chair in the choir room for glee rehearsal. His classes were going to be easy enough, which meant he would definitely be able to focus a great deal of his time on being captain of New Directions and on applying to colleges.

"Glee!" Mr. Schu exclaimed as he entered the room a short time later. He had no explanation for his absence the day before, but Blaine didn't care. It had been nice to have the entire afternoon to spend with Kurt.

"We are coming off of a national championship," Mr. Schu reminded them, "but it's time to look forward. And, thanks to glee now being the coolest club in the school, this shouldn't be a problem."

Blaine grinned and glanced around at his classmates. When he had transferred to McKinley, he had never imagined that New Directions could ever be as popular as the Warblers were at Dalton, but maybe he had been wrong. He had already been high-fived three times in the past day and a half by complete strangers in the hallway.

"Yes," Mr. Schu continued, "we've lost some big voices. But we still have some huge ones in here. And I promise to do everything I can to replace the ones that we lost."

Blaine's chest constricted slightly as he thought about Kurt, but he tried to ignore the feeling. He and Kurt had survived attending separate schools before. They would survive this.

"And, on that note," Mr. Schu said, "I'd like to introduce you to our newest member... the MVP of last year's Nationals: Wade 'Unique' Adams!"

As Unique entered the room, Blaine felt an unexpected surge of defensiveness.

"I wanted to be somewhere where different was celebrated," Unique explained as she stood beside Mr. Schu at the front of the room.

"We are so excited to have you!" Mr. Schu gushed.

When the applause from the students was weak at best, Mr. Schu turned a critical eye on the group. "Guys," he chided, "where's the love?"

Blaine, waging an internal war between wanting to be kind and wanting to be in charge, decided that honesty was probably the best idea. "I think Wade is great," he tried to save them from what was rapidly becoming an awkward situation, "but the competition to be the new Rachel is already so intense. The last thing that we need is... one more contender."

"The 'new Rachel'?" Mr. Schu repeated, confused.

"Every glee club needs a star performer," Tina explained. "Rachel was that and, now that she's gone, many of us want the job."

"Okay," Mr. Schu scolded, "we don't win with stars. We win as a team. One that supports new members. I don't want to hear any more of this 'new Rachel' stuff, okay?"

None of the students agreed, but Mr. Schu took the silence as acceptance.

"Have a seat, Wade," Mr. Schu suggested, and Blaine reluctantly lifted his arm from the empty chair beside him so the new student could sit down.

"Make no mistake," Unique said quietly to Blaine as soon as she was settled into the chair and Mr. Schu was distracted at the front of the room, "Unique will be the new Rachel."

Competitiveness flared inside Blaine.

"We decide this on our own, then," he replied coolly. "Thunderdome style."

He turned to look at the others. "Five o'clock," he told them, "in the auditorium."

"Okay!" Mr. Schu clapped his hands, turning his attention back to the room. "Let's talk themes! Who has ideas?"

Blaine turned his attention back to their teacher, but he struggled to focus as Mr. Schu carried on about possible song ideas and costume changes and other things that had clearly been floating around in his head all summer. Thankfully, once they had agreed on a few possible themes and songs to start learning, Mr. Schu decided to end the rehearsal early. Blaine, Tina, Unique, and Brittany got up together to walk to the auditorium, but they were interrupted by Artie before they made it out of the choir room.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"The auditorium," Blaine told him.

"Why?" Artie asked.

"Shhh!" Tina scolded. "Just come."

With Artie in tow, the group walked silently to the auditorium.

"So," Tina said as they arrived, "here are the rules. We perform the song for Artie. He makes his choice. We go to Mr. Schu as a group and we tell him who the new lead soloist is."

That seemed acceptable to Blaine, so he remained silent.

"Hopefully it'll be me," Tina added, "because that's what Rachel wanted."

"Though I am uncomfortable doing this behind Mr. Schu's back," Artie said, "I am a director. Therefore, I never pass up an opportunity to judge people."

"What song are we singing?" Unique asked.

"What Rachel would sing if she were here," Tina offered. "The song of the summer: Call Me Maybe. Do you need time to prepare?"

"I can sing any song, any time," Wade replied immediately. "Just press play and get back."

They sang and danced the song together, each trying to out-perform the other, and, by the time they finished, Blaine felt confident that he had done enough to secure the title. As the song ended, Blaine fell to one knee and threw his arms out, hoping to channel a little bit of the real Rachel.

"So, Artie," he asked, "who's the new Rachel?"

Artie closed his notebook and remained silent for a moment, studying the group on the stage.

"I'll get back to you," he said authoritatively.

"What?" Tina whined.

"This is not a decision to be made lightly!" Artie argued.

"Whatever," Unique said. "We all know who's gonna win, anyway."

"Thank you, Artie," Blaine ignored the others as he stood up. "See you guys tomorrow."

BLAINE

The next morning, Blaine ran into Brittany in the parking lot of the Lima Bean before school. Whenever Kurt had an early shift, Blaine tried to come by in the morning for his coffee so he could see Kurt for a few minutes. And, because it was so close to school, other students from McKinley were usually there.

As soon as they walked in the door, Blaine saw Kurt. He was hunched over the counter writing something on a small piece of paper. Blaine and Brittany moved toward an empty table, and Blaine managed to catch Kurt's attention. A huge smile stretched across Kurt's face as their eyes met.

Blaine waved, knowing that Kurt knew both of their orders, before sitting down. Brittany sat down across from him and an awkward silence fell between them.

"So," Blaine asked the first question that came to his mind, "how's Santana?"

"She's good!" Brittany said. "She's just really busy with cheerleading practice. And it's hard making out over Skype. You can't really scissor a webcam."

Blaine didn't know what to say to that, so he was grateful when Kurt suddenly appeared beside them and changed the subject.

"Here's an extra hot soy latte for him and a no-whipped chocolate for her!" Kurt said cheerfully, placing drinks in front of each of them.

Blaine glanced down at the soy latte in front of him. Since Kurt had started working at the Lima Bean, Blaine had decided to start ordering something different every time he came in so Kurt could show off the different drinks he was learning to make. Blaine wasn't sure if he was going to like this particular drink, so he decided not to take a sip of it right away.

"Merci!" Brittany said as Kurt grabbed a chair to sit with them.

"I can't wait for Friday," Kurt gushed as he sat down.

"Why?" Blaine asked.

"Glee club auditions!" Kurt answered brightly.

"That sounds like fun," Brittany said unenthusiastically, and Blaine tried not to look as sad as he felt inside. Kurt didn't want to be in Lima helping New Directions find new members. He wanted to be in New York. Moving on with his life. Blaine felt like he was being smothered by Kurt's forced enthusiasm.

"It'll be nice," Blaine said, playing with the lid on his cup and mentally chastising himself for the apathy in his voice.

"Is it depressing that I'm more excited about it than either of you?" Kurt asked nervously.

"No! No, not at all!" Blaine said immediately.

"Yeah," Brittany said simultaneously, "a little bit."

"No, no" Blaine reiterated his lie. "No, it's –"

"Excuse me!" A female voice from behind Blaine saved him from having to make up some reason why it was okay for Kurt to still be in Lima. "Garçon?"

Kurt glanced over at the new voice before jumping up and hurrying over to where the girl was sitting. Blaine twisted around in his seat and realized that he knew her. She was a cheerleader named Kitty; she and some of her popular friends had been sitting with Blaine and the other members of glee club at lunch since the first day of school. Blaine couldn't hear what she said to Kurt, but Kurt turned to look back at Blaine and Blaine had to look away. He heard Kurt's manager scolding him for something, and Blaine felt a sudden urge to leave.

"Let's head out," he said to Brittany. "Looks like Kurt's going to be busy for a while, anyway."

"Okay!" Brittany said brightly.

As they reached the door, Blaine turned and met Kurt's eyes across the room. He wasn't sure what to make of Kurt's expression, so he made a motion with his hand that suggested a phone and mouthed to Kurt that he'd call him before pushing the door open and stepping out into the sunlight.

"Is Kurt coming to your house later?" Brittany asked before she unlocked the door to her car.

"Uh, maybe," Blaine answered, unsure. They hadn't planned to meet up that evening, but maybe he would suggest it when he talked to Kurt later. "Why?"

"He needs a hug," Brittany answered simply.

Blaine sighed. He didn't want to talk about it. "Yeah," he agreed. "See you at school."

Brittany waved and twirled around to climb into her car. During the short drive to school, Blaine tried to distract himself from thinking about Kurt by turning on the radio, but every song reminded him of the other boy. Everything reminded him of Kurt.

He had prepared himself for Kurt's departure. Had steeled himself for the loneliness. Had made physical lists, now hidden away in a box under his bed, of ways to keep their relationship strong despite the distance.

But he had not prepared himself for this. For a situation where Kurt was physically present but emotionally checked out.

The summer had started off nicely. Kurt had been devastated by NYADA's rejection, but his confidence had quickly taken over and he had applied to every musical theater program in New York that would take summer applications. He had even applied to a few traditional universities, hoping that transferring to NYADA might be easier than applying straight from high school.

That couple of weeks had been some of the best of Blaine's entire life. Kurt was so fired up about not giving up and making it to New York no matter what that he had been so full of energy. And he had wanted Blaine by his side every second because "soon we won't be able to be together all the time". They had gone to Columbus to see the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show with their friends. They had gone swimming and to the movies and on long walks in areas remote enough that they felt totally comfortable swinging their intertwined hands between them. They had done things together in the privacy of Blaine's bedroom while his parents were at work that still made Blaine feel butterflies in his stomach when he thought about them.

It was the weekend after the Fourth of July that things had started to unravel.

On the holiday, Kurt and Blaine had gone out with their group of friends from New Directions to watch fireworks. And on the way back to Blaine car, Rachel accidentally said it. The word "we".

"Hey Kurt, when we get to New York, we definitely need to –"

The whole thing had been ten times worse than it should have been because she caught herself mid-sentence and stammered into silence. And suddenly everyone in the group was looking at Kurt.

Kurt had laughed and told everyone that he had been "rejected, not banned!" from NYADA and that they didn't need to walk on egg shells around him. But Blaine had seen the shame in his eyes.

A few days later, when Blaine arrived at Kurt's house to pick him up so they could go to the mall, Kurt had finally had the emotional meltdown that had been building up inside of him since graduation. Kurt had mostly been a hysterical mess of words like "useless" and "loser" and "stupid", and it had taken Blaine a full thirty minutes to calm him down enough to get a few coherent sentences out of him.

Kurt had been horribly embarrassed when he finally calmed down, and the only reason he said anything other than "I'm so sorry" for the rest of the day – spent cuddling on Kurt's bed instead of at the mall – was because Blaine had insisted that he wasn't leaving until he was sure that Kurt was okay.

So, while Blaine held him and rubbed his hand along Kurt's side, Kurt had told him his new plan.

The rejection letters from most the applications that he had sent out early in the summer had come back, trickling in and piling up on Kurt's desk like a physical representation of his failure. He had been accepted to one program in New York, but as an early admission for the spring semester rather than a late admission for the fall semester. All the rest weren't accepting any more students or didn't want to offer Kurt a slot in their programs. And Kurt couldn't take it anymore. Holding on to the hope that he might get to go to New York was too much. He was going to stay in Lima. Attend community college, find a job, and re-apply to NYADA for the spring semester.

Blaine had tried to talk him out of it. It felt like Kurt had given up on himself; it was easier for Kurt to deal with the mundane existence he was living in Ohio than to hold on to his big dreams and watch them get crushed over and over again all summer. But Kurt had snapped at him that he didn't understand, and Blaine had realized that it wasn't his decision to make. Pushing Kurt toward New York while he was so upset was only going to push Kurt away from Blaine.

In the end, Blaine had agreed to drop the subject only after Kurt promised that he would re-apply to NYADA as soon as possible.

They hadn't spoken about it again since that day.

Blaine felt emotionally numb by the time he got to school. He threw his coffee away without even tasting it. He had never anticipated that Kurt's unhappiness would affect him so profoundly. But, over the past two months, Kurt's self-deprecating jokes and forced enthusiasm about things had been piling up on Blaine's shoulders like he was hoarding them. Blaine was trying so hard to make Kurt remember how amazing and talented and special he was that it was all he could think about when he was with Kurt. No, you're not a failure. No, it's not sad. No, you're not going to amount to nothing. I love you. You're amazing.

Fortunately, the one thing that had not changed was Kurt's affection for Blaine. So, despite the thing hanging over their heads whenever they were together, their relationship was solid. One of the ways that Blaine rationalized Kurt's decision to stay was that everything was so good between them. They had anticipated being apart – seeing each other on laptop screens and hearing each other through cell phones – but, instead, they could still see each other almost every day. They could sing together in the car and eat junk food together while they watched reality television and hold each other and touch each other.

So, Blaine tried to believe, maybe it was okay that Kurt had decided to stay in Lima for one more semester.

KURT

As Kurt watched Blaine and Brittany leave, he huffed out a frustrated breath and hurried to fill the biscotti container.

He knew that hanging around Lima and making stupid jokes at his own expense didn't sit well with Blaine, but Kurt didn't know what else to do. He had to joke about it. At least this way he was in control of making fun of himself so others wouldn't do it for him.

The morning rush ebbed away, and soon Kurt was left with little to do but absentmindedly pretend to clean things and try not to think too hard.

What if he went to New York, just because? He could find a job and live with Rachel in an unbearably small apartment and it would be just like they imagined. Except that Kurt would be doing... what? He could apply to work at a Broadway theater as a janitor or the person who runs the coat closet. He could get a job as a waiter or a cashier and just be in New York.

In reality, somewhere deep inside, Kurt was incubating the inkling of a secondary dream that could be his backup if NYADA didn't work out. Fashion. Maybe he could get an internship somewhere. Could you get an internship if you weren't a student?

Kurt shook his head. No. It was better to wait for NYADA's decision and deal with the consequences then. That was the logical thing to do. Plus, he would spare himself the humiliation of going to New York and being forced to come crawling back in shame when he couldn't afford anything.

But what if he didn't get into NYADA on his second try? Sure, he had been a finalist once, but did that really matter now? What if he had to spend his entire life in Ohio? Could he be content getting a basic degree at a basic university and settling into a severely basic life?

BLAINE

"You've had enough time," Tina grilled Artie at lunch, "so who is it?"

"You can't rush the casting process," Artie scolded. "My genius needs its dream time."

Blaine was about to ask if Artie had any finalists in mind when they were interrupted by a student Blaine had never seen before.

"You guys are the glee club, right?" the girl stumbled a little over her words as she stopped beside their table. "Hi!"

She was clearly very nervous, so Blaine nodded encouragingly.

"I'm gonna try out," the girl said. "I'm a sophomore. My name is Marley."

"Great," Tina said indifferently, "well, lots of competition, so good luck to you."

Marley's eyes flickered to Blaine's, and he offered a little smile. Marley's smile in return was huge, and she turned and quickly walked away. Blaine watched her go, but was quickly distracted by Unique's arrival.

"Unique offers her greetings and salutations," she said as he sat down beside Blaine.

"Wade, you can't wear that makeup and stuff in here," Sam scolded. "You have to know how this stuff works. It's like Game of Thrones."

"Yeah," Artie agreed. "The truce between us and the truly popular kids is weak. Winter is coming. It's not going to take much for us to get smacked down to the bottom again."

Blaine was conflicted. He never wanted someone to feel like they couldn't be whoever they were, but he also knew the benefits of fitting in. "Maybe you should just save Unique for performances," Blaine offered, "and– and be Wade the rest of the time."

Unique looked disappointed, and Blaine felt a stab of guilt. "Alright," Unique said, "I'll go take off my face."

As she stood up to leave, Blaine glanced at the rest of the group, hoping that someone would say something. Would say that it was okay. That Unique was always welcome. But nobody said a word.

Kitty and a few football players interrupted any conversation they might have had about the subject, and suddenly the table was full of insults being hurled at an overweight lunch lady across the room. Insecurity flooded into Blaine's veins as he listened to them saying horrible things about the woman. But he knew that if he spoke up, he would quickly become the target of their cruelty.

It had happened to him multiple times at his school before Dalton. Before he had come out, Blaine had been marginally popular. Friendly with most of his fellow students but without many close friends. After learning what "gay" meant and absorbing the way his friends reacted to the idea one day on the playground in second grade, Blaine had been firmly in the closet. And being in the closet made it difficult to really let people in. More than once, it had meant that he had to laugh at "jokes" about being gay to avoid being scrutinized.

It was a mindset that was difficult to shed, even a few years and a great deal of confidence and maturity later.

"Right, Artie?"

Blaine was dragged back to the present as one of the football players at the table looked to Artie for a joke about the lunch lady. There was a long moment of silence as everyone at the table looked to Artie. Blaine knew that his friend didn't want to make a joke at the woman's expense, but Blaine could see some of the same insecurity in Artie's eyes as Blaine felt.

"When she sits around the house, she really sits around the house," Artie blurted out.

The football players and cheerleaders laughed approvingly, and Blaine felt ashamed. He laughed, more out of nervousness than anything, but the guilt stayed with him. Being popular was starting to feel much more like a prison than a privilege.

KURT

As if the universe wanted to punish him for his attitude, Kurt ended up having to work a few extra hours that afternoon to accommodate a sick co-worker. By the time he got home, he was impressed with himself when he remembered to call Blaine instead of collapsing into bed and sleeping for twelve hours.

"Hey, you!" Blaine answered.

"Hi," Kurt said. "Just got home."

"How was work?" Blaine asked.

"Average," Kurt said unenthusiastically. "I don't want to talk about it. How was your day?"

"Average," Blaine teased.

"Shut up," Kurt mumbled.

Kurt forgot about how exhausted he was as they continued to talk – about Blaine's classes and crazy customers at the Lima Bean and New Directions and, finally, about all the things they would do and see together if they ever won the lottery – and, by the time they said goodnight, Kurt felt much better.

Even if he ended up living an ordinary life, devoid of fame and fortune, Blaine would be by his side. And that would make his life worth living.

KURT

Work on Friday morning flew by because Kurt had something to look forward to. Glee club auditions in the auditorium.

"Hey," Blaine whispered as Kurt hurried down the row of seats to sit beside him.

"I can't believe we actually have to have auditions to choose the best people this year," Kurt whispered back. "Usually, we're begging anyone who can kinda sing and walk in a straight line to join."

Blaine hummed his agreement and slid the camera they had brought along to record the auditions closer to Kurt. "You run this," he suggested.

"Okay!" Mr. Schu interrupted from his seat behind them, "Let's get started!"

Kurt leaned forward and started the camera before settling into his seat. "Remember, guys," Kurt said to the group, "we're looking for superstars!"

Much to Kurt's dismay, the first few auditions were anything but star-worthy. "Are there words to this song?" Blaine asked as one girl danced around the stage. Kurt didn't know what to say. This was not the kind of audition process he had imagined. After a stream of average-to-horrible auditions, Kurt was rapidly approaching the end of his patience.

"I feel like Simon on American Idol," he whispered to Blaine as the next contender walked onto the stage, "but without the money in my bank account to ease the pain."

Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Hello, sir," Mr. Schu greeted the next person in line. "What's your name?"

"Jake," the student replied.

"You got a last name, Jake?" Mr. Schu asked as he wrote the boy's first name in his notebook.

"Uh, just Jake," the boy replied.

"Okay, um, well, show us what you've got, 'just Jake'," Mr. Schu allowed.

Much to Kurt's relief, Jake was amazing. Kurt barely heard some of the students behind him commenting on Jake's attractiveness because he couldn't take his attention off of the boy on the stage. His voice was fabulous. He was cute. Kurt was grateful that someone was going to make it into New Directions today.

Mr. Schu cut Jake off after the first verse of the song, clearly having heard enough to know that Jake would be perfect for New Directions, and Jake looked confused.

"I don't get to finish?" Jake asked.

"We've got a lot of people to see," Mr. Schu explained.

"But I've been practicing," Jake argued.

"We've seen enough," Mr. Schu said decisively. "Thank you."

Jake turned around, grabbed one of the violinists' stands, and threw it on the ground. The music fluttered all over the stage as Jake turned to leave.

"That's rude and unacceptable!" Kurt scolded.

"I'll handle this," Mr. Schu said, silencing Kurt and the other students with a wave of his hand. He stood up. "Jake," he called, "c'mon, man, why don't you pick up the music stand?"

Kurt knew immediately that Jake wasn't going to oblige. The boy on the stage gave a mock bow and looked Mr. Schu in the eye for a moment before turning and walking away. Kurt rolled his eyes. All that talent and he threw it away because of a bad attitude. They didn't have time for this.

"Next!" he called out.

A slender young woman with brown hair walked onto the stage, and Blaine nudged Kurt's side.

"She's nervous. Be nice," he whispered.

Kurt raised an eyebrow, but he nodded.

"Hello, I'm Marley Rose," the girl introduced herself, "and I'll be singing New York State of Mind, written by Billy Joel."

It almost sounded like a question, and Kurt grinned. She was definitely nervous.

"Popularized by one Miss Barbara Streisand," Unique added.

That made Kurt think of Rachel, and he wondered how she was doing in New York. She hadn't called all day.

Marley sang the song – Mr. Schu allowed her to sing the whole thing, and Kurt wondered if he was trying to avoid another meltdown – and she was fabulous. Kurt's hope in finding new students was quickly restored.

"Thank you!" Mr. Schu said as the group in the audience applauded at the end of the song. "Thank you! Wow," he turned to Kurt and the students of New Directions, "now that's what I call star quality! What do you guys think?"

"Ten," Sugar said.

"She's good," Blaine said quietly. "She's good."

Kurt turned and gave Blaine a suspicious look, but Blaine ignored him.

They reached the end of the audition list without another standout. "How is it that, in this entire school, all we can find is one new member?" Kurt whined as he and Blaine walked to their cars.

"We'll figure it out," Blaine reassured him, squeezing their joined hands.

"We should go to Dalton and bribe some of the Warblers to transfer," Kurt mused.

Blaine laughed. "What we need is another Cheerio or two. They're always great dancers."

"Good luck with that," Kurt teased.

"It's going to work out, you'll see," Blaine reassured him. "And then I'm going to say 'I told you so'."

"You are a ridiculous optimist," Kurt smiled, pulling Blaine to a stop in front of his car so he could press a quick kiss to his lips.

"I know," Blaine agreed. "Happy weekend! See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," Kurt agreed. "My last weekend of freedom before college!" he fanned himself dramatically, which elicited a smirk from Blaine.

"Well, if that means I'm dating a hot college guy, I'm cool with it," he winked.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he turned to walk away.

BLAINE

On Monday after school, Blaine walked into glee club to find Kurt crouched by a bunch of papers that were arranged in neat lines on the floor.

"Um, what's this?" Blaine asked.

"I'm organizing all the sheet music," Kurt explained as he stood up. He turned his attention briefly to Artie, who had just rolled into the room. "Artie, go around it, not over it!"

While Tina tried to bribe Artie into making her the new Rachel, Blaine studied Kurt's lines of sheet music. "You okay?" he asked.

"So, I get a little OCD sometimes," Kurt shrugged. "It's nice to be organized."

Blaine wondered if maybe Kurt's first day of community college hadn't gone well. "How was class today?" he asked.

Kurt shook his head, and Blaine knew that they needed to talk about it later. Alone.

"MVP in the house!" Unique announced as she walked into the room. When Blaine turned to look, he was surprised to see that she was wearing a dress and a wig and heels. She looked like Unique, not Wade.

"Bro," Joe said, "I thought we agreed you'd only wear that stuff on stage."

"What's wrong with you guys?" Kurt scolded. "This club is about diversity and acceptance! Or at least it used to be."

Blaine felt a fresh surge of guilt. They should have accepted Unique from the start.

"And another thing," Kurt added. "Since when did everyone become so obsessed with who's the biggest star?"

"Since day one!" Tina retorted. "You and Rachel fought over solos for three years."

Blaine moved away from Kurt, who fell silent after Tina's rebuke, so he, Tina, Unique, and Brittany could gather around Artie.

"No more stalling, Artie," Tina said. "Who's the new Rachel?"

"Yeah, who is it?" Sugar said from her seat on top of the piano.

"Tell us," Brittany urged him.

Artie looked at all of them for a moment before speaking. "After meticulous deliberation and an online poll," Artie said as he wheeled through their group before turning to face them, "the new Rachel is... Blaine."

Blaine didn't hear what the others were saying as a wave of relief and satisfaction washed over him. He was it. Senior year was going to be amazing.

"Guys!" Mr. Schu announced as he walked into the room with Marley close behind, "this young lady gave, hands down, one of the best auditions I have ever seen. Let's give it up for our newest member: Marley Rose!"

The group cheered and applauded, and now that the question about who would lead the group had been settled, Blaine felt so much better about having new members. "Marley," Blaine said, deciding that now was a good time to start being the leader, "on behalf of all of the New Directions, welcome!"

"Thank you," Marley beamed at him. "I'm really excited to be here!"

"I really like your sweater," Sugar commented. "Where'd you get it?"

"Oh!" Marley said, glancing down and tugging on her sweater. "Thanks! Um, J. Crew."

She didn't sound sure, but Blaine didn't think it was normal for most people to remember exactly where they bought every item of clothing in their closet.

"Really?" Sugar pressed.

Marley nodded, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

"It's beautiful," Kurt said, breaking the tension. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Marley said, offering Kurt a relieved smile.

"Alright," Mr. Schu said, "well, does anyone have anything they need to say before we get started?"

"We've elected Blaine to be our captain this year," Artie said, and everyone turned to look at Blaine.

"Yeah?" Mr. Schu said. "Alright. I think we all know you're up to the challenge, Blaine! Good."

It was a relaxed rehearsal. Blaine helped Kurt finish organizing the sheet music while the rest of the group brought Marley up to speed on how glee club worked, and then they all spent the last fifteen minutes of the rehearsal teaching Marley some standard dance moves. By the end, everyone was laughing and having a great time, even Kurt.

"Thanks for coming today, guys," Mr. Schu dismissed them at the end of the hour. "See you tomorrow!"

"Satisfied?" Blaine teased Kurt as he filed the final pile of sheet music away.

"Thank you for humoring my OCD," Kurt grinned and pecked a quick kiss to Blaine's lips before walking over to pick up his bag. Blaine grabbed his bag, too, and they walked hand-in-hand down the hallway toward the parking lot.

"So, class today?" Blaine asked again, hoping that he'd get a real answer now that they weren't in a group.

"I dunno," Kurt said. "It's pretty much exactly what I expected. I think my math class might be decent, but the others just seem like a waste of time. Although," he added, "I guess if I end up transferring to a school that's not NYADA, maybe I'll need the credits."

"You're going to get into NYADA, Kurt," Blaine nudged him with his elbow. "And, hey, a semester's worth of A's might look really great on your application."

Kurt shrugged.

As Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand as a goodbye and they walked to their separate cars, Blaine made a decision. Kurt had to get out of Ohio. With every passing day, Kurt was losing his confidence and his sense of self. By the time his NYADA application for the spring semester was due, would Kurt even feel up to the challenge? He needed to go now, before his fears got the best of him and he was forced to live a life of regret.

So, instead of getting into his car, Blaine leaned back against the driver's door and pretended to do something on his phone until Kurt's car disappeared down the street. Then, he ran back into the building. There weren't many students still around, but Blaine was relieved when he saw a Cheerio he knew from his history class.

"Hey," he said, walking up to her at her locker, "can I ask a favor?"

The girl nodded. "Let me guess," she asked, "you want to sing a song in the courtyard and you want backup."

Blaine blinked a few times, surprised, and the Cheerio laughed. "I was there last year when you did the song and dance and then the piano burst into flames," she reminded him.

"Oh," Blaine remembered. "Well, uh, yes. I need to sing a song to someone, and I want it to be fun..."

BLAINE

The next day at lunch, Kurt brought coffee from the Lima Bean to McKinley and he and Blaine sat down together at one of the tables in the courtyard. Blaine was glad that it was a beautiful day; it hadn't been difficult to get Kurt to agree to sit outside. Kurt's classes were all on Monday/Wednesday/Friday so he could work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but his boss had given him the week off to adjust to his new classes. It meant that they could have lunch together every day of the week.

"... and Rachel wanted me to tell you that she's flattered that all of you fought to be the 'new Rachel'," Kurt said as they drank their coffee. "And she's happy for you."

"Aww," Blaine smiled. "Well, nobody can replace Rachel Berry – or Kurt Hummel, for that matter – but I'm glad she approves."

"Just... don't get too power hungry," Kurt teased, but there was a spark of seriousness in his eyes, too.

Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I think you should be the lead soloist," Kurt said. "But can I give you some advice?"

Blaine nodded.

"Even when Rachel was her most controlling," Kurt explained gently, "she still made sure everyone felt included."

"Okay," Blaine acknowledged, both because he agreed and because the anticipation of what he was about to do was rapidly requiring all of his focus. "You have a point."

Kurt smiled at him and took a drink of his coffee, and Blaine knew it was now or never. It was time to push Kurt away from the comfort of Lima and McKinley and Blaine. To send him to his future in New York.

"Can I give you some advice?" Blaine asked, careful to keep his voice light and positive.

Kurt gave him silent permission as he put his cup down, and Blaine tried to calm his racing heart. He had to say this the right way.

"You can't... be here anymore, Kurt," Blaine said.

"I get it," Kurt said immediately, staring at the coffee cup in his hands. "I know. I'm pathetic."

"No," Blaine stressed. "No, you're not pathetic! It's just that you're... you're stuck."

Kurt looked up from the table, and Blaine hoped that all the love he was feeling was showing on his face. He was so scared that Kurt was going to get defensive and push back. But Kurt didn't look upset. If anything, he looked a little sad.

"You don't belong here anymore," Blaine said softly. "You belong in New York."

"And I'm re-applying for NYADA," Kurt reminded him. "But I can't just go to New York!"

"You don't need NYADA," Blaine disagreed. "And, believe me, I don't want you to go... but I just can't stand to see you stay here. It's killing you. And that's killing me."

He was surprised to see that Kurt's expression was still mostly neutral. Maybe Kurt had been thinking about this more than he let on.

"What about us?" Kurt asked.

"In a year, I'll be there too," Blaine reassured him. "But right now is your time."

Kurt didn't look opposed to the idea, but he didn't look convinced either.

"You're ready," Blaine added.

The corners of Kurt's mouth twitched upward, and Blaine knew Kurt was almost there. Almost ready to make the decision to get out of the small town and chase his dreams in the big city. Blaine turned to look at the cheerleaders at the table beside them, giving the silent signal to begin the song, and they began the beat with the plastic cups in their hands.

Kurt turned to look at them, and Blaine could tell that he hadn't yet made the connection that Blaine was responsible for this new commotion. But, as the band – hidden on the staircase – began to play, Blaine saw the realization in Kurt's eyes. And the gratitude. And the embarrassment.

KURT

Kurt had known that this conversation was coming. Blaine had tried to hide the way that Kurt's situation was affecting him, but Kurt had seen it. How Blaine had been less enthusiastic lately. Kurt's lack of contentment had been affecting everyone around him, and Kurt knew that he had to leave. But he was so scared.

As Blaine teased him by pointing back over his shoulder toward where the band was hidden on the stairs, Kurt wondered how he was going to get through rough moments in New York without Blaine's presence to steady him.

Kurt buried his face in one hand, happily embarrassed, as Blaine began to sing. Despite all his anxiety, Kurt couldn't hold back a smile as he watched Blaine across the table. Blaine was proud of himself for this.

So this is what you meant when you said that you were spent

And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit right to the top

Don't look back

Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain check

As Blaine stood up, Kurt thought about the two other times Blaine had performed in this courtyard. Like this, both of those performances had been a complete surprise to Kurt. A surprise goodbye from Blaine and the Warblers when Kurt had decided to transfer back to McKinley and an enthusiastic, and very public, audition for New Directions the following year.

And now this. A song to let Kurt know that it was time to go.

I don't ever want to let you down

I don't ever want to leave this town

'Cause, after all, this city never sleeps at night

As Blaine walked away toward the large concrete staircase, Kurt twisted around on his bench and pulled his knees up to his chest to watch Blaine jump rope as he sang.

It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was

Oh, don't you understand?

I'm never changing who I am

Blaine rushed over to the side of the courtyard and danced in sync with a few other students, and Kurt wondered how he had convinced so many people to help. It wasn't really such a surprise, though. Kurt couldn't imagine anyone saying no to Blaine.

This road never looked so lonely

This house doesn't burn down slowly

To ashes

To ashes

Blaine returned to the cement staircase, and Kurt stood up so he could see better as Blaine and a circle of students kept the beat going with more red plastic cups. They had practiced this. Kurt felt a surge of gratitude and a little guilt for holding off for so long that Blaine felt the need to do something like this.

It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was

Now don't you understand?

I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?

I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was

Don't you understand?

I'm never changing who I am

As Blaine approached him again and the song wound down, Kurt was grateful that Blaine had chosen a song that was upbeat. It made it easier not to burst into tears in the middle of such a public place. Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck and took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of Blaine, the feel of Blaine's arms squeezing around his waist. He felt safe in Blaine's arms.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Kurt said.

Blaine's arms briefly squeezed him tighter before Blaine released him. "Me too," Blaine admitted as he stepped back and looked like he was trying to memorize what Kurt looked like.

"The year's going to fly by," Kurt said, trying to convince them both. "A year from right now we'll be skipping through Central Park together."

Blaine smiled his approval, and Kurt had to pull him into another hug. "Thank you," Kurt whispered.

"I love you," Blaine said, his voice muffled because it was buried against Kurt's shoulder.

It was like a switch had suddenly been flipped in Kurt's mind. He was going to New York. Soon. This week, maybe, if he could pack fast enough. He needed to call Rachel. Or maybe he should wait until he actually had a ticket. Where was he going to live? How was he going to afford food? Or anything? How was he supposed to know where he was safe? What if he couldn't remember how to read the Subway maps?

"Oh my god," Kurt gasped, pulling out of the hug. "This is insane."

"The good kind of insane," Blaine amended calmly. "Kurt, you can do this."

"I don't know," Kurt said. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears.

"I do," Blaine reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Can we go pack?" Kurt asked breathlessly.

"Right now?" Blaine laughed. "Kurt, it's the middle of a school day."

"Yeah," Kurt realized. "Okay. I need to... I need to quit my job. Oh god. And– my dad. My dad! Blaine..."

"I talked to him," Blaine admitted sheepishly.

"What?" Kurt gasped.

"I just wanted to see how he felt about me... nudging you toward New York," Blaine explained. "He's cool with it. He said he figured you'd decide to go soon, regardless."

"I don't want to leave," Kurt argued, clutching Blaine's hand like a lifeline.

"But you want to go," Blaine reminded him. He tugged at Kurt's hand to lead him back to their table, but he sat down beside Kurt instead of across from him.

"Look at me," Blaine said.

Kurt turned to make eye contact. He felt both sick with nerves and lightheaded with excitement.

"Go tell your boss at the Lima Bean," Blaine instructed. "And then go talk to your dad. I'll be over as soon as school ends, okay?"

"I love you so much," Kurt gushed through a sudden onslaught of emotion.

Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt's cheek. "I love you, too. Now go," he nudged Kurt with his shoulder and released his hand. "I'll see you after school.

Kurt obeyed, stopping by the Lima Bean on the way home to quit his job before driving to the tire shop where his father was spending a rare day making sure everything was running smoothly while he was in Washington DC.

"Dad!" Kurt ran into the shop, unable to contain his excitement. "Dad?"

"Hey, kiddo!" Burt said, appearing out of the main office. "Talk to Blaine today?"

"I'm going to New York!" Kurt sobbed, surprised by his sudden burst of emotion. Burt wrapped him in a hug and Kurt's chest ached as he realized how much he was going to miss his father.

"But, Dad," Kurt realized as he stepped back from the hug, "how am I–?"

"You're going to sell your car," Burt answered one of Kurt's questions. "I already have a guy who'll buy it for what I think is a reasonable price... sorry! I didn't tell him he could have it yet, but I knew– don't look at me like that! Anyway, that'll give you enough money to start out. And you're a smart kid, Kurt. With a lot of people who love you and who want to help you do your thing. You're going to be just fine."

"Can I say goodbye to my car?" Kurt squeaked.

Burt laughed, and they cleaned out Kurt's car together. By the time Burt dropped him off at home, Kurt was exhausted, but he knew there was still so much to do. He needed to pack. And buy a plane ticket. And figure out how he was getting from the airport in New York to... where? He glanced at the clock. Blaine wouldn't be over for at least two more hours.

Kurt passed the time by labeling everything. To go. To stay. To sell. To put in storage. It felt great to re-use the Post It notes he had used to do the same thing before his NYADA rejection. By the time Blaine arrived, a bouquet of bright flowers in one arm and a huge smile on his face, Kurt was pleased with his progress. Everything just needed to be boxed up.

"Hi," Blaine grinned, offering the flowers.

"Why, thank you," Kurt offered a quick curtsy as he took the flowers.

"You're the bravest person I know," Blaine said. "Don't ever forget it."

They turned up the radio and sang and danced around the room as they packed Kurt's things. Kurt was grateful for the light mood. He knew there was going to be a moment when they had to look at each other, touch each other, hold each other for the last time before everything changed, and he was dreading it.

Since Kurt had decided to leave most of his things – somehow, most of the things in his room at home didn't feel right for his new life in the city – Kurt and Blaine were almost finished packing his "things to take with me" boxes by the time Carole arrived home with dinner. Burt got home shortly after his wife, carrying the money from selling Kurt's car, and they all sat down together to eat.

To Kurt's delight, Burt suggested that Blaine stay the night. So, after a phone call to Blaine's parents to make sure it was okay with them, Kurt dragged Blaine back upstairs so they could finish packing and buy Kurt a plane ticket.

"Oh god," Kurt said as they stared at the summary screen with all of his flight details on it. "This is real."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed. Kurt turned to look at him, but he couldn't read Blaine's face. "You're going to New York the day after tomorrow."

BLAINE

The next day at school dragged on forever for Blaine. Knowing that Kurt was at home finishing packing and explaining to his dad what to do with everything made schoolwork seem completely unimportant. It wasn't until Brittany sat down beside him at lunch that Blaine found a momentary distraction.

"I hereby revoke my vocal abilities from the glee club," she announced as she sat down.

"What?" Artie asked.

"Don't be so dramatic," Tina rolled her eyes.

"The competition was rigged from the start and I refuse to be part of such corruption," Brittany explained.

"Britney, I'm sorry, but I won fair and square," Blaine chided. "You can't just decide not to sing anymore. We all need your voice."

"I had a song in my heart, Blaine Warbler," Brittany said seriously, "and you killed it. Now I have a dead song in my heart, and pretty soon the corpse of my dead heart song is going to start to smell."

Blaine was surprised when she called him "Blaine Warbler", but he didn't know what to say. He knew that he would've been severely disappointed if he had lost the leadership position to any of the others. He hoped that Brittany, and the others who were still upset, would cool down over time.

"Okay, guys," Kitty said, ignoring their conversation, "since we can't do a popularity homecoming float with all white people, I say I think we should do one with all white chrysanthemums."

Blaine had no idea what she was talking about.

"That's a good idea," Brittany agreed.

"We need a float?" one of the football players asked. "Why don't we just ride her?" He motioned toward the overweight lunch lady.

"Look at her boobs," Sugar added. "It's like two grocery bags full of soup."

Blaine cringed, but his sense of self-preservation grabbed the words that he wanted to say and shoved them back down his throat.

To his surprise, Marley spoke up. "That's really mean!" she scolded.

"Excuse me?" Kitty challenged.

"You don't know her," Marley elaborated. "You don't know what her life is like!"

"So?" Kitty replied. "Why do you care?"

"Because she's my mom."

Blaine's stomach lurched with guilt at Marley's unexpected confession. He should never have let this happen.

"I thought you guys were different," Marley grabbed her lunch tray and hurried away. A heavy, awkward silence fell over the table as she disappeared.

"Well," Kitty said, "that's unfortunate. But, anyway, back to homecoming..."

Blaine didn't hear much of what was said for the rest of the lunch period. He was so embarrassed and hurt for Marley, and when he coupled those emotions with everything he was feeling about Kurt, he felt incredibly overwhelmed. Glee rehearsal was awkward – Mr. Schu was upset that Marley had decided to drop out of New Directions, but he didn't know the reason why – and Blaine had never been so glad to drive away from school that afternoon.

Except that he was driving to Kurt's house to say goodbye.

KURT

Kurt knew it had been against his father's better judgment, but Burt had decided that he and Carole would go out to an early dinner the night before Kurt left for New York. Burt made some excuse about not having much food in the fridge and that Kurt needed to finish packing, but they all knew that it was all really an excuse to give Kurt and Blaine a few hours alone.

Alone in the house, Kurt felt like he was waiting for Blaine on their first date; he was nervous and excited and wanted everything to be absolutely perfect. He had set the kitchen table for the two of them with candles and a bouquet of roses and had made Blaine's favorite pasta. He spent an hour deciding what to wear and getting dressed and fixing his hair.

When he finally opened the door to find Blaine standing on the front porch, it was clear that Blaine was feeling as nervous and emotional as Kurt. He was wearing one of Kurt's favorite outfits and had a cheesecake from Breadstix in his arms.

"Hi," Kurt said shyly.

"Hi," Blaine echoed. "I got..." he held out the cheesecake.

"Thanks," Kurt smiled. "Come on."

Blaine stepped into the house, and Kurt balanced the cheesecake in one hand so he could grab Blaine's hand with the other. He led him into the kitchen, where he had set up their food, and Blaine's delighted laugh washed over Kurt like a shower of happiness.

"Kurt," Blaine said. "You're moving tomorrow. You didn't need to spent time–"

"Which means," Kurt interrupted, "that I won't be able to have dinner with you for who knows how long. So I wanted it to be nice."

"You're the best," Blaine said softly, and Kurt tried to ignore the way his voice was thick with emotion.

Their spirits improved during dinner. They talked about the silly drama of New Directions and all the things Kurt was going to do in New York when he arrived. As they tried to figure out the best, most outrageous way to surprise Rachel, they laughed so hard that Kurt choked on his water and ended up sitting on the floor beside his chair as his laughter morphed into tears.

Blaine, who had jumped out of his seat and rushed over when Kurt had slipped out of his chair, sat down beside him and brushed the back of his hand against Kurt's cheek.

"I don't want to go!" Kurt sobbed.

Blaine tried to wrap his arms around Kurt's shoulders, but Kurt resisted. He wanted to be able to see Blaine's face. He grabbed both of Blaine's hands, instead.

"I'm serious," Kurt said fiercely, watching tears trail down Blaine's face. "I'll just wait for NYADA. I'll know by Christmas and that means I can stay here until then and that's good for everyone, really, I think it'll save tons of money and Rachel's really loving New York so she's fine there she doesn't need me around yet so this is all just really stupid, anyway, and –"

Blaine shook his head, and it was as powerful a message as if he had verbally interrupted. Kurt studied the agony and love in Blaine's eyes before he lost it completely and let himself tip over into Blaine's embrace. They sobbed together on the floor for what felt like hours, until Kurt felt like he had cried out every drop of water in his body. Then, they just stayed there on the floor together as Kurt tried to deal with the idea that he was about to abandon Blaine in this small town that both of them had always wanted to escape.

And he slowly realized that his entire body hurt from staying crumpled on the floor for so long.

"Ouch," he whined as he relaxed and gently pulled out of Blaine's arms.

Blaine remained silent as he stood up and offered a hand to Kurt to pull him to his feet, but, as soon as Kurt was steady enough to stand up on his own, Blaine pulled him forward into a desperate kiss.

"I'm," Blaine gasped between kisses, "gonna miss you so– so much. But!" Blaine pulled away, and Kurt could tell that his body and his mind were at war, "I want you to go, though. I want you– it's everything. You ever dreamed of."

"Not everything," Kurt reassured him, committing the way Blaine was looking at him to memory. "I'm here now, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine breathed.

Kurt kissed him a few more times standing in the kitchen before intertwining their fingers to drag Blaine up the stairs to say a wordless goodbye.

KURT

Blaine spent the night again – accidentally, this time. After he showered, Blaine was so exhausted that he fell asleep against Kurt's chest while they cuddled in Kurt's bed – but he had to leave early in the morning for school.

They had gotten to say everything they wanted to say the night before. I love you. I'm going to miss you. I'm here for you. It's going to be okay. We can do this. I love you. So, when the time came for Blaine to climb into his car and drive away, they didn't say anything. Instead, Kurt hugged Blaine close with all his strength and breathed in the familiar, comforting scent of Blaine's hair gel. Blaine buried his face in the crook of Kurt's neck and they held on to each other until they couldn't put it off anymore.

They released each other just long enough for Kurt to tug Blaine forward by the front of his shirt into a sweet, gentle kiss. When he pulled away, Blaine's eyes were full of tears, but there was certainty in his expression, too. Blaine nodded and Kurt stared at him, unable to walk away.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's chin and tipped his face down for one final kiss before he turned and got into his car.

Kurt waved until Blaine's car disappeared from view.

KURT

A few hours later, Kurt felt like he was living in a dream as he and his father drove to the airport. They didn't talk much, and Kurt knew it was because they were both worried about bursting into tears.

"Alright," Burt said as they pulled up to curb at the airport, "as soon as you find a place to live, I'll ship you the rest of your stuff. And you've got enough cash from selling your car to get you through at least two weeks at a motel. And the emergency credit card, which is only for what?"

"Emergencies," Kurt acknowledged, barely listening. He was having major second thoughts. "Dad, this is silly. I don't have to be in New York to re-apply for NYADA. So, I can find a job that pays the same amount as the Lima Bean but pay ten times more in rent?"

"Yeah," Burt encouraged as he unbuckled his seat belt, "because it's an adventure!"

Sitting by the curb of the airport with his plane to New York looming on the other side of the building, Kurt thought that he might settle for never having an adventure ever again in his entire life if he could just stay home.

"Look," Burt continued, "all great artists need a little struggle in their lives. Didn't you tell me that Julia Roberts sold shoes in New York before she made it? Good enough for Pretty Woman, good enough for Kurt Hummel."

Kurt turned to look at the airport. He had never been on an airplane by himself before. How was he going to arrive in a city like New York and manage to find himself somewhere to live? This was a terrible idea.

"You scared?" his father's voice asked.

"Terrified," Kurt admitted.

"New York is gonna be a breeze compared to Lima," Burt said. Kurt snapped his head around to look at his father. A breeze? More like a tornado of uncertainty and fear.

"Think about all the crap you've been putting up with the last couple years," his father elaborated. "You know the difference between this place and New York?"

"Decent bagels?" Kurt teased, trying to keep the mood reasonably light so he wouldn't dissolve into hysterical tears.

"New York is filled with people like you," Burt said. "People who aren't afraid to be different. You're gonna feel at home there."

That had always been Kurt's mental image of moving to New York. Fleeing the small-town mindset of Ohio to the big city where people were always themselves. Where he could be himself and be embraced for it.

Blaine's face flashed through his mind – ever since they had first met, Kurt's mental image of New York always included Blaine – but Kurt pushed it away. This was not the time to start thinking about the fact that he was leaving Blaine behind.

What if New York wasn't everything he had always dreamed it would be?

"If you're not scared, it just means you're not sticking out your neck far enough," Burt added.

"You truly are the world's greatest dad," Kurt gushed before he could think too hard and stop himself.

"I know," his father teased, "it's written on the coffee mug you got me for Father's Day. Now get out of here," Burt pushed Kurt with his voice. "You're gonna miss your flight."

This was it.

Kurt unbuckled his seat belt and his father leaned across the car to wrap him in a tight hug. As Burt patted him twice on the back, Kurt realized that he had no idea when he would see him again. He had never gone more than a week or two without seeing his father. That one year Burt convinced him to attend a weeklong summer camp. When he had driven to St. Louis with his aunt and uncle and cousins for a week. When New Directions had gone to New York for Nationals. A surge of homesickness rushed through Kurt, and he almost decided to call the whole thing off and rush home to climb into his bed and stay safe and warm forever. But he knew he had to go. He would hate himself later if he stayed.

"I'm gonna miss you, Dad," he said as he pulled out of the hug. He was proud of himself for being able to speak so clearly when so many emotions were thundering around in his mind.

"You can always come back," Burt reassured him.

Kurt climbed out of the car, retrieved his suitcase, and walked back to the open passenger door window.

"I love you," he said, hearing his voice trembling this time.

"I love you too, Kurt," Burt said vehemently.

Kurt turned and walked away, planning not to look back. But, as he reached the doorway to the airport, he had to. He glanced back and was pleased to see that Burt hadn't immediately driven away. His father waved, and Kurt waved back before turning and walking into the airport.

The lady at the check-in desk was very nice – she asked Kurt why he was going to New York and seemed genuinely happy for him when he told her he was going to find a job and apply to performing arts school – and he made it through security at a moderate pace, so he ended up sitting at his gate with a few minutes to spare until boarding began.

He held his phone out in front of his face and tried to look both excited and nervous as he took a photo of himself to send to Blaine.

The response came back quickly: a photo of Blaine smiling his happiest, most hopeful smile. Kurt rolled his eyes affectionately and typed a response.

Boarding soon. Not convinced that this is a good idea.

It is! Blaine replied. It's okay to be scared.

I wish you were coming with me, Kurt sent back.

Me too! Blaine answered. But Rachel's there, so you won't be alone. And I'm just a text or phone call away.

Kurt blinked a few times to keep the tears at bay. I'll text you when I land, okay? he told Blaine.

Okay, Blaine said. I love you!

I love you, Kurt responded as an announcement signaled the start of the boarding process. Thanks for everything.

BLAINE

With Kurt on the plane to New York, Blaine was thankful for the distraction of his final class of the day and for the plan that he and the rest of New Directions had to get Marley to reconsider leaving. Blaine could see Sam talking to the young woman as he and the other members of New Directions walked down the hallway toward Marley's locker, and he hoped that Sam's understanding would improve their chances of pulling Marley back into the group.

"We came to apologize," Artie explained as they approached the young woman.

"I think being popular felt a little too good," Tina admitted. "We forgot ourselves."

"Well, I didn't," Brittany chimed in. "I was always popular. But I do forget to wear underwear sometimes, though."

"The best part about glee club is that everyone gets to be a star," Blaine explained. "Which is why we were all hoping that you could come to rehearsal with us this afternoon and maybe sing lead vocal on one of the songs we're working on."

"And if words don't convince you," Unique added, "let the majesty and mystery of Unique's fabulousness be enough!"

Marley smiled and Blaine was hopeful that she would accept their offer.

"I mean it," Unique continued, walking over to stand beside Marley. "Glee club's a special place. I mean, where else could I dress like this and be welcomed with open arms?"

"Okay," Marley said, "one last thing... I don't think I'm comfortable sitting with a cheerleader and those guys at lunch."

"That won't be a problem," Kitty interrupted, approaching with the football players who were usually by her side. "We could handle Gimpy and The Tarantula Head and Richie Poor because you guys were national champs like us, but our invitation was not extended to Pre-Op Precious: Based on the Novel 'Barf' by Sapphire and Mike and Molly's daughter as part of our crew."

"Well," Blaine said, tired of playing the popularity game, "then I guess we're not in your crew anymore."

"You know," Kitty replied smoothly, "I was kinda hoping you'd say that."

On cue, the two boys standing behind Kitty stepped forward and threw slushies on Marley and Unique. "And with that," one of the boys announced, "order is restored!"

"Well, looks like you guys have been officially welcomed to the glee club," Artie deadpanned as Kitty and her friends walked away.

"Unique's eyes. They are on fire!" Unique cried.

"Let's get you cleaned up and go to rehearsal," Blaine suggested, stepping forward to place a gentle hand on Unique's back. He decided to wait until another day to explain to either of them what kind of damage a slushie had once done to him.

"I've got it," Tina offered, making her way to Marley's side. "Come with me."

As the girls departed to find a bathroom where they could wash the slushie off, Blaine led the others to the locker rooms so they could change for the rehearsal.

"Hey," Joe asked as they walked the short distance from the locker room to the auditorium, "how's Kurt?"

"I don't think he's landed yet," Blaine explained. He had just checked his phone and there wasn't a text from Kurt, who had promised to text Blaine the moment he landed in New York.

"It was really good of you to encourage him to go," Joe said kindly. "I hope it's everything he dreamed of. I'm praying for him."

Blaine reached up and rubbed his throat, suddenly feeling nervous. It was hitting him in waves that Kurt was gone. Gone to his new life in the big city that was sure to be abundantly more interesting than Blaine's life in Lima, Ohio.

Joe put a hand on Blaine's shoulder briefly as they walked into the auditorium, and it helped Blaine snap out of his moment of doubt. "Thanks," he said, offering Joe a smile before he turned his attention to Mr. Schu.

"Alright, guys," Mr. Schu clapped his hands. "Ready to go? Where's Marley?"

"She's recovering from her first slushie to the face," Artie explained. "She'll be here shortly."

Mr. Schu frowned but didn't comment. Instead, they began to run through the choreography, with Mr. Schu taking Marley's place until Blaine finally noticed their newest member arriving. He ran over to grab her and pull her onto the stage, and the rest of the rehearsal went incredibly well. Marley picked up the choreography and the vocals quickly, and by the end everyone was sweaty and pleased as they walked back to the locker rooms to get their stuff and go home.

There was still no message from Kurt, so Blaine checked his flight information to make sure he remembered the flight time correctly. It should have landed. Was everything okay?

Hope your flight was uneventful... Blaine texted Kurt as he walked down the hallway toward the exit to the parking lot. He knew Kurt would turn his phone on as soon as they landed. I miss you!

As Blaine put his phone away, Marley appeared out of the girl's bathroom beside him.

"Hey," Blaine said, causing Marley to jump in surprise as she whirled around to face him.

"Sorry," Blaine added, but her face lit up at the sight of him.

"Oh, no! It's– no, I was, I mean– you scared me!" Marley motioned with one arm to ask if Blaine was on his way out of the building, and Blaine nodded.

"Um, I need to apologize," Blaine said as he fell into step beside Marley. She furrowed her brow, but didn't say anything, so Blaine continued. "I should've spoken up when they were making fun of your mom."

Marley nodded. "It's okay," she said. "I know why you didn't."

Blaine raised his eyebrows at her, surprised, and Marley elaborated. "I was scared, too," she added, "of what the others would say."

Blaine looked down at the ground at his feet as he walked, unhappy that he had allowed himself to be frightened into silence.

"At my old school I didn't have any friends," Marley blurted suddenly as Blaine pushed the door open and held it for her as they walked out. As soon as the words left her mouth, Blaine could see that she thought she had overstepped.

He smiled. "That's surprising," he offered, hoping to make her feel better.

She returned the smile. "Thanks. It's just... we don't have much money. And my mom..." she shrugged.

"I know something about people getting down on you for things out of your control," Blaine said, hoping to reassure her and convince her that he was truly sorry. "Don't worry, okay? We've got your back."

"It's because you're gay, isn't it?" Marley asked.

Blaine huffed out a short, nervous laugh and felt warmth rushing to his face.

"I mean– wait, is it a– I don't–" Marley stammered, her face flushed, too. "I... I saw you kiss that other boy after glee rehearsal on my first day, so I just assumed..."

"No, no," Blaine reassured her. "It's– I'm out and dating Kurt. It's okay."

Marley breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh," she said, "good."

As they approached his car, Blaine glanced ahead and saw Marley's mom waiting in a car across the mostly-empty parking lot. He had a sudden idea and reached out to touch Marley's arm so she would stop walking.

"Hey," Blaine said, "want to grab an early dinner? My treat."

"Oh," Marley shook her head and looked away. "Um, thank you, but you don't have to do that."

"I know," Blaine agreed, stepping closer to her so she would look at him. "But my boyfriend just left for New York and you're new here and I think we could both use a friend...?"

Marley studied his face for a moment before nodding. "Okay," she agreed. "Let me go ask my mom. Be right back!"

"Great," Blaine waved as she ran to her mom's car, but he was quickly distracted when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He yanked the phone out and was immensely relieved to see a text from Kurt.

I'm in. New York. Oh my god.

Before Blaine could type a response, another message came through.

I miss you already! When you come to visit for the first time I'm totally going to come to the airport to get you just so we can have a romantic moment where you drop your bag and run into my arms in front of everyone.

Blaine leaned his back against his car and typed a response. I'm counting down the days already! Are you still on the plane?

Yes, Kurt replied. We're at our gate but I'm near the back of the plane so I'm just waiting to get off. Thank god I only have a carry-on bag.

Blaine looked up as Marley ran back across the parking lot toward him.

I'm so proud of you for doing this, Kurt, he texted. I love you.

Love you too! Kurt sent back. Looks like I'm getting off soon, so I'll text you later?

"Hey," Marley greeted as she approached. "Is that...?"

"Kurt," Blaine confirmed. "He just got to New York."

Perfect, Blaine told Kurt. Be safe. Have fun! Say hi to Rachel and take lots of photos!

Kurt sent back an emoticon of a toothy smile and Blaine put the phone away before he decided to call off his plans with Marley so he could go home and sit on his bed and stare at his phone until Kurt texted again.

"So," he asked Marley as they climbed into his car, "have you been to Breadstix yet?"

KURT

Kurt was so excited and nervous as he walked through the airport that he suddenly realized he had to figure out where Rachel was so he could surprise her. It took him the entire taxi ride to the Manhattan hotel he had pre-booked for a few days to figure out how he was going to get her to tell him where she was without giving away the fact that he was in New York.

Hey, how's New York today? he texted Rachel after he finished exploring his hotel room. It was basic, but clean. It felt safe.

It took Rachel a few minutes to respond, and Kurt spent the time staring out the window at the city below. It was overwhelming and exhilarating to be in such a busy place. He lived here. He lived in New York. In a hotel, for now.

It's great! Rachel texted him back.

Where are you? Kurt asked. Got any big city plans for the rest of the day?

I finished my classes for the day so I'm just wandering around Central Park, Rachel told him. People watching and enjoying the green space.

Kurt grabbed his shoulder bag and ran out the door and down the hallway to the elevator. Central Park.

He continued his text message conversation with Rachel as he navigated the Subway to the part of Central Park where Rachel was wandering around. He was proud of himself when he decided to ask her for a photograph of where she was and she sent him back a self-portrait with a fountain in the background. An inspection of a map of Central Park told Kurt where he needed to go, and he hurried that direction, trying not to get distracted by all the things around him that he wanted to stop and look at. He needed to find Rachel.

His phone vibrated in his hand as he walked, and he was surprised to see that Rachel was calling instead of sending him another text.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi!" Rachel said, trying and failing to sound upbeat. "I wanted to hear your voice. Where are you?"

"In the car," Kurt lied. "I, uh, Dad got me a new hands-free Bluetooth earpiece."

"I miss driving," Rachel said, her voice quivering.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked. "You sound sad."

"I lied," Rachel cried into the phone. "I'm not okay. I miss you and I miss everything."

Kurt was only partially surprised to hear her confession. She had never really said anything negative about living in New York, and that always meant that she was hiding something. But it hurt to hear her crying about it now after keeping it bottled up for so long. Kurt quickened his pace as the fountain from Rachel's photograph came into view in front of him.

"My dance teacher is a monster," Rachel admitted, "and I– I can't even go into my dorm room because my roommate is sleeping with the entire school!"

"Maybe you should move out and find a new roommate," Kurt suggested, smiling broadly as he saw Rachel's yellow hat on the other side of the large fountain. Her back was to him. Perfect.

Rachel let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah," she replied skeptically.

Kurt had planned to drag things out. To tease Rachel along until she started to suspect something. But she was upset and Kurt knew she needed to see him right now.

"Turn around," Kurt suggested.

Rachel spun around and, as their eyes met and her face crumbled with emotion, Kurt knew he had made the right decision in coming to New York. He wasn't going to be here alone. He was with Rachel. Like they planned.

They ran around the fountain toward each other, and Kurt wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist and lifted her off the ground as she flew into his arms. When he put her down, both of them babbling incoherently, Kurt felt more optimistic about his future than he had since the moment before he had opened his letter from NYADA.

He was going to make it. In New York. With or without NYADA.

"Wait, wait!" he gasped, pulling out of Rachel's arms. "I want to... here..."

He pulled out his phone and wrapped an arm around Rachel so they could press their cheeks together for a self-portrait. He laughed when he reviewed the photo – they both looked a little crazy with happiness.

He sent the photo to Blaine. Found her! :) Miss you like crazy. Thank you. For everything. I love you.

P.S. get good grades this year because I'm already done waiting for you to join us!

P.P.S. Rachel says hi!

Kurt's in New York! Hallelujah! I really like this episode for Kurt and Blaine. Starting things off on a hopeful note before the real emotional roller coaster begins.

The plan is to post a new chapter every WEEKDAY. Monday-Friday, probably sometime in the evening (East Coast US time). If, for some reason, I ever miss a day, don't worry! I promise, I haven't forgotten. Also, they're not all going to be as long as this one... the episodes where Kurt and Blaine are in the same physical space will, generally, be the longest because there's canon interaction to expand on. :)

And finally, a reminder: I'm the same username on Tumblr if you'd like to say hello! Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Love.

Up next (on Monday!)... 4x02: Britney 2.0.