AN: So this is it! GIGANTIC THANK YOU to my wonderful beta Christine. Without her, this would all be a hot mess.

Kurt had an hour until he had to leave to go pick up Kadie from school, and he was determined to spend a lot of it sleeping. Because he was exhausted, both mentally and emotionally. It had been hard to watch Daniel pack up some of his things and leave—for good this time. It was liberating. There was nothing left between them romantically, they needed to stop hurting each other, to let each other go completely. But in the absence of Daniel—and working so hard to make everything work, to find a little bit of happiness—Kurt really felt the gaping hole in his chest. With nothing standing in his way, Kurt could see the epic mess he'd made of his life.

And the worst part was that he just let it all happen. He shouldn't have Blaine walk away so easily, he should have told him how he felt instead of being scared. Because if he had just said what he'd wanted to, maybe Blaine would still be here—or at least in Lima where he could find him and grovel for forgiveness. They saw hindsight is 20/20, and Kurt had never seen things clearer. He'd let go of someone who loved him—who he loved back—for the idea he once had. And now he had nothing and there wasn't much he could do about it.

Kurt crawled underneath the covers and pulled them over his head. He closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the house and willed the voices inside his head to stay quiet long enough for him to fall asleep before the alarm on his phone woke him and he'd have to get go get his daughter. Maybe he could convince her to cuddle in bed with him tonight—he imagined it wouldn't be too hard.

"Are you awake?"

Kurt was quiet for a moment, "Yes," he said not coming out from beneath the covers.

"Good," Santana said, "So listen to me. I'm going to allow you approximately sixteen hours left to mope around here and then you must get your shit together."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You don't really have a choice because that is when I will be dropping your ass off at the airport and you will be boarding a flight headed to LaGuardia."

Kurt pushed the covers away from his face and looked bewildered at his best friend, "What?"

"I'm tired of this, Kurt," Santana said, "You're depressing to even look at. You're sad and blaming yourself but the only way to make this better is for you to get your butt on a plane and go and tell Blaine that you're an idiot and that you're sorry and that you love him and miss him and all that other gross stuff."

"And what if he doesn't want to see me?" Kurt said, his voice laced with both hope and paralyzing fear.

"He'll see you."

"How do you know?"

"I talked to him yesterday and he sounds as pathetic as you do. Just get on the plane and get the boy back."

"I can't just up and leave, Santana."

"Would you stop making excuses? Yes you can. Puckerman and I will run Hummel's and I worked it out with Papa Hummel and that asshole of an ex of yours to make sure that all of Kadie's needs are taken care of for the next few days. And here," Santana said holding up her hand that held a plane ticket, "Before you try to find another way out of this, I already booked the flight, you've already checked in and if you give me five minutes, I will have your bag packed. Face it, Kurt; you're finally going to New York City."

His name was Kyle. Kyle was six-foot-two, green eyes, nearly black hair, and a smile that made both men and women swoon. He was also twenty-five, a special education teacher, and dropping Blaine off after their second date. He's nice, has no kids, and no exes that left him out of the blue—he's kind of perfect. Except that the only thing they seem to have in common is the school that they work at. They'd been set up by the aide in the class that he was subbing for, and their first date was okay, so when Kyle asked Blaine out again, he only hesitated for a second. Because really, what was the harm? He'd been back in New York for a month. He had a nice apartment, the people at the school were nice and accepting of him on his first day, and if he wanted to give this guy a try, that was his prerogative.

But his heart wasn't really in it. It could be Kyle or Thomas or Roger or Jake and it wouldn't make a difference. He was working on getting through the ache that was left by the piece of his heart that was hundreds of miles away, but at the end of the night he got in his bed—alone—closed his eyes and imagined what it was like to have someone beside him. And then he would try to focus on the future.

He'd gotten nothing but positive praise from the principal at East Adams Elementary. And he'd gotten the impression from his last meeting that there was a chance that there would be a position for him at the school in the fall. The waiting was making Blaine crazy, but it gave him something to look forward to—something to hope for. He'd talked to Marley earlier. She was having a great time at the school she'd been assigned to for the rest of the year, but was looking forward to getting out of there in a month and going back to Lima Elementary in the fall. She told him they were remodeling the whole thing; that was going to be bigger and could hold more kids. Blaine smiled; he was glad that someone was going to have Marley as their teacher next year. They couldn't have chosen anyone better.

Blaine smiled as Kyle leaned in and kissed Blaine softly on the cheek.

"I'll see you on Monday," he said as he left Blaine at the door.

Blaine went inside his apartment, took of his coat, and threw himself onto his couch. He'd had two rules: don't date parents and don't date other teachers. And breaking both of them seemed to turn his life into nothing more than a pile of rubble. At some point he'd have to tell Kyle it wasn't going to work, that they shouldn't see each other outside of work anymore, and that it was definitely Blaine and not him. And that was bound to lead to a few awkward hallway encounters.

Desperate to try to find something to salvage his evening, Blaine reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Maybe there was a movie that could take his mind away from everything until he fell asleep—likely curled up on the couch until he woke up in the middle of the night freezing before heading to his bedroom. He may have already done that once or twice. He'd finally settled on Nights in Rodanthe. He'd leave his night in the hands of Nicholas Sparks. It was sure to be a wonderful story followed by a tragically beautiful ending—just like everything in his life. Blaine let himself relax, let himself sink into the couch cushions, and the movie immerse his mind. And then there was a knock on his door.

Blaine thought for a moment about ignoring the knocking—but it could be the girl from next door—and he couldn't let his own misery keep him from helping if he could. She was a college student and had been over every other day since Blaine moved in. With a heavy sigh, Blaine pressed pause on the DVR and threw himself off the couch and padded toward the door. Where he'd expected a short brunette who loved to chat his ear off, he instead found the loveliest man he'd ever seen in his entire life. Tall and lean, with perfectly styled hair and blue eyes the color of an ocean he'd gladly drown in.

"Kurt," Blaine said amazed.

"Hey."

Blaine wondered for a moment if he had fallen asleep, if this wasn't anything more than a good dream to chase away a bad day. But usually when Blaine dreamt of Kurt showing at his door, he immediately swept into his arms, kissing him breathless. Now he was standing awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I-what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Kurt said trying to keep his voice steady—like he was moments away from either fleeing or breaking down at Blaine's door. He really hoped he could get through this without doing either.

Blaine watched him for a moment, "Uh, come in," he said moving aside so Kurt could pass. Kurt took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.

"This is a nice place," Kurt said.

Blaine closed the door behind them, "Thanks. I haven't had much time to decorate but I added a little flair during spring break."

Kurt nodded, and then a silence fell over the apartment. Kurt's eyes scanned the room, his eyes glancing at everything inside the apartment except for Blaine. He'd been imagining what would happen when he was finally face to face with Blaine again—had rehearsed every movement and every word in his head during the entire plane ride over. But now he seemed unable to breathe let alone speak.

"Kurt—"Blaine said hoping to prompt something from the other man in the room. The silence was killing him and obviously Kurt hadn't come all the way from Lima to standing awkwardly in his living room. But why was he there?

"Can I," Kurt started, "It may be a little jumbled, but can I just talk for a few minutes? I came all the way here because I have something to say to you. And if you don't want to hear it, I understand. I'd completely understand if you hate me and never want to see me again. But if you'll let me, I'd like to tell you."

Blaine looked at Kurt in the eye for the first time in weeks. He felt the ache in his chest flare up, but with Kurt in front of him—like the fulfillment of a wish he'd never been able to make out loud—he wasn't sure if it was from the pain or the longing to be close to the man in front of him. To feel him in his arms, to kiss his lips, to hear him whisper in his ear as they made love.

Kurt looked at Blaine, his blue eyes desperate before he muttered, "I should go," and headed back towards the door.

Blaine had taken too long to answer. He'd spent too much time digging through his own thoughts and feelings, and Kurt had taken it as rejection. Rejection he thought he deserved.

"No wait," Blaine said just as Kurt reached the door, "Tell me."

Blaine saw the relief wash over Kurt's face. Maybe Kurt deserved the rejection, but there was something inside Blaine that couldn't let Kurt walk out that door. He had to listen to what Kurt had to say if for no other reason but to finally stitch up the wound in his heart that had been bleeding for weeks.

"I'm an idiot,' Kurt said simply, "I'm the biggest idiot that there ever was. And do you know why? Because I let you walk out of my house that day and when you told me you were leaving Lima I let you walk out of my life. I've never made a bigger mistake.

"I was blinded by some dream that I've known for a while wasn't coming true. And despite what my heart was telling me, my head was telling me to hold on to that dream. But you have to know that I let that dream go, and I have a new one. And I know I might be too late because and you're with that guy—"

"What guy?" Blaine interrupted, his face scrunched into a bewildered expression.

"I've been here for a while," Kurt told him, "God, this is embarrassing, but when I heard you coming—and noticed you weren't alone—I kind of hid around the corner. I watched him say goodnight to you. I watched him kiss you."

Those last five words left a sour taste in Kurt's mouth. He couldn't be angry with Blaine; he didn't owe anything to Kurt, but seeing Blaine with someone else had nearly driven him straight back to the airport. It had been twenty minutes and a phone call to Santana, who promised physical torture if he came back to Lima without at least talking to Blaine, before he'd gathered up enough courage to face the rejection that was likely to come and knock on Blaine's door.

"His name is Kyle," Blaine said. There was no use in lying, "We work together. We've gone out a couple of times."

Kurt wrapped his arms around himself and nodded.

"Kurt, what you said is great and all," Blaine said, "But what does it mean?"

"I ended things with Daniel," Kurt said, "I mean—it never really happened again. It just didn't work."

"Why?"

Kurt took a deep breath—like he was about to tell the word his deepest secret, like he was sixteen and about to tell his dad he was gay, "Because I love you, Blaine. And I can't keep pretending that I don't. And I'm so incredibly sorry that it took me so long to see the mistake I made and that I hurt you when I made it."

"And Daniel?"

"He and Kadie are spending the weekend getting his stuff onto a moving truck and moving it across town. I guess he's been doing freelance work in Virginia for the last year, but he's committed to sticking around for Kadie, so he's going to keep doing it in his own apartment in Lima."

"What do you want here, Kurt?"

"You," Kurt said, "Us. I want us."

"I told you," Blaine said, "I can't be your second choice."

"You're not," Kurt said desperately, "I swear you're not. With or without Daniel in Lima, in the country, on the planet, I'm still going to want you. Only you."

Blaine let out a breath as his heart constricted in his chest. He'd been waiting to hear that from Kurt for so long. But he just wasn't sure it mattered anymore.

"I can't just go back to Lima."

Kurt took a cautious step forward, still leaving some distance between himself and Blaine, "I have it on good authority that there is a position waiting for you at Lima Elementary when it reopens in the fall," Kurt told him.

"Emma gave that job to Marley."

"They're adding another Kindergarten classroom and Emma wants you. She said you and Marley were the best and if she had her choice, she'd choose both of you."

"Really?" Blaine asked as a wave of longing washed over him. Lima Elementary had been the best school he'd ever taught at.

Kurt nodded.

"That's great, Kurt. But what about us? I don't know if we can get back what we had Kurt. Too much has happened."

"But how we feel hasn't changed, has it? My dad said something to me the day you left. He said sometimes things don't have to go back to the way they were to be fixed. That sometimes different is better. We're not going to go back to the way we were Blaine because I'm not denying how I feel anymore, Blaine. Things will be different, things will be better."

"I don't. Hate you, I mean," Blaine said, "Quite the opposite actually. But can I, can I think about it? All of it, moving back to Lima and—and us."

"Yeah," Kurt said trying to keep the hope that was beginning to rise inside him at bay. He'd give Blaine all the time in the world, "I'll, uh, just go check into my hotel. I'm in town until Sunday night, but Blaine, I'll wait as long as you need. I meant what I said and I will do whatever I have to do to prove to you that I want to be with you."

Blaine nodded and Kurt adjusted the weight of his bag of his shoulder and turned toward the door.

"Kurt, wait," Blaine said. He may have had a lot to think about, but he still wasn't ready to let Kurt walk out his door. Even if the ball was in his court, he was afraid he'd never come back, "You don't have to go. We can just hang out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Blaine said looking Kurt directly in the eye, "I've missed you."

The heaviness in Kurt's chest lifted just a little, especially when Blaine walked into his kitchen and pulled a bottle of whiskey and two glasses out of the cabinet. In the morning, Blaine could ask him to leave, to never see him again. But Kurt also knew that if this was his last chance to be close to Blaine—and to show him how he felt—then he would have to take it, no matter what the morning brought them.

Kurt felt the couch shift beside him, but it was the sound of a phone ringing—Blaine's phone—that had pulled him out of a restful sleep. Kurt kept his eyes closed as Blaine got up off the couch and walked quietly down the hallway towards the bedroom. Kurt took the time alone to stretch and open his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the morning sun that was peeking through the curtains of the sliding door that led to the balcony and a beautiful view of New York City at night. He wondered what it looked like bathed in morning sunlight and promised himself that he'd take a look before he left.

The night before with Blaine had been…wonderful. It reminded Kurt of the night they met. Then it had just been them and an empty bar, talking for hours like they were old friends. It had been before daughters and ex-fiancés, and Kurt knew that no matter what he'd remember that night for the rest of his life. They'd somehow managed to recreate that night—months later, miles away from that treasured bar—just them inside Blaine's apart, a bottle of whiskey, and music playing softly in the background. And they just talked. Kurt caught Blaine up on all the happenings in Lima and Blaine told Kurt about the boy in his class who had to be sent home because he managed to pour an entire bottle of glue in his hair. They didn't kiss, but they danced when Strangers in the Night came through the speakers. After that they returned to the couch, fingers entwined. Being that close to Blaine made Kurt feel lighter than he had in weeks. He'd do everything in his power—and he'd try for those that weren't—to get Blaine back into his life. Because Kurt had never been more certain than he was in Blaine's New York City apartment that with Blaine was where Kurt belonged. And he'd spend the rest of his life proving it to Blaine if he had to.

"You're up," Blaine said walking back into the living room still in the clothes the clothes he'd worn the night before, wrinkled. Kurt wasn't sure if he was allowed to smile at how absolutely adorable he looked, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay," Kurt said, his voice still gritty with sleep, "Is everything okay?"

"That was the school," Blaine said holding up his phone, "The one I'm subbing at."

"Oh."

Blaine took a deep breath, "They offered me a job teaching full time starting in August."

"Oh," Kurt repeated, this time his voice was saturated in disappointment and sadness, suddenly Blaine didn't have any reason to return to Lima.

"But I turned them down," Blaine said with a smile.

"I thought you had to think about it."

"I did," Blaine said reaching out and taking Kurt's hand, "After you fell asleep. And the second they offered me the job, it didn't feel right. I'd been working so hard to get this for weeks and I finally got it, I didn't want it anymore. And I knew why."

"Why?" Kurt asked, his eyes moving from Blaine to their joined hands.

"Because there is a school in Lima that needs me," Blaine said giving Kurt's hand a gentle squeeze, "And a man who loves me—and who I love so desperately. And I won't be able to go home until the end of May, but if you can wait for me, I'll be there as soon as I can."

A smile broke out on Kurt's face and he nodded. He'd wait forever for Blaine. It had taken Blaine less than twelve hours to know that he wanted to be with Kurt and he kicked himself one more time for taking so long to comprehend what had been in his heart all that time. And then he couldn't help himself. He tugged on their joined hands, pulling Blaine to him, not hesitating for a moment to put his lips on Blaine's, to kiss him like it was the last thing he would do. He'd die a happy man. Feeling Blaine respond to him, an arm wrapped firmly around his waist, brought a different kind of tightness to Kurt's chest, the one brought on by the one thing that was consuming his entire being, love.

"I'll have to find somewhere else to live," Blaine said breaking away from the kiss, "My old room has been turned into a nursery."

"We'll figure it out," Kurt said before he placed his lips hungrily against Blaine's.

And they would. Partially because Kurt had a very vacant side of the bed that he was more than willing to give to Blaine, and partially because they were together and that made Kurt believe that anything was possible.

26 years later…

"If I could have everyone's attention, please," Kadie shouted to the full room of family and friends who had gathered inside of Hummel's. They had closed it for the day because today was a very, very special day. Kadie, no longer a child but a woman in her early thirties, took the stage next to Santana and her younger sister Sarah.

"For the longest time," Kadie said, "I thought that I was the reason that my dad and Blaine fell in love—that I was the thing that brought them together. When I was five, I really wanted my Kindergarten teacher to come over and hang out with me and my dad and I was so happy that they both were okay with that. That day I fell asleep watching a movie with them, but at some point I woke up and I heard them talking, just talking about their day, and when Blaine was around all the time, and then they told me they were boyfriends, I thought it all was because of me."

There was a quiet roar of laughter, especially from Kurt and Blaine who were seated at the bar across the room. The same place they'd met almost thirty years before. Today was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and everyone had gathered to celebrate with them. It had been a surprise planned by their daughters and Santana.

"But when I was old enough," Kadie continued, "I asked my dad about the story of him and Blaine. I asked about the night they met—in this very bar, about their journey to love and I learned I couldn't have been farther from the truth. I was kind of upset I wasn't a bigger part of their story. Their story is one that the romance writers of the world—like myself—would write about in splendid detail—but they were idiots."

"You have no idea," Santana said resulting in laughter.

"Despite everything, they found their way to each other and over the last twenty-five years allowed me and my sister, Sarah, to grow up learning about real love not in books, but in our home. So this day, and every day, is dedicated to my dads. Who deserve every bit of love and happiness they've had over the last twenty five years, and every bit of that is to come.

"To my dads," Kadie said raising her glass, the rest of the room following.

From where she stood Kadie watched her father and Blaine—who she'd finally started calling that about the time he got back to Lima from New York—smile sweetly at each other, then share a tender kiss that made her heart feel full, like after Thanksgiving. Her fathers—she was lucky enough to have three, but mostly Kurt and Blaine—were her inspiration for every novel she wrote. Learning about their love story as a teenager had opened up something inside of her that she hadn't been expecting and now she spent all of her time trying to give a little piece of that to the world.

"It was like having wine after whiskey," she'd once wrote in the book completely inspired by Kurt and Blaine's story, "When its right, nothing compares to the strong burn that love leaves on your tongue."

AN: So that is all she wrote. Thank you to everyone who read this, reviewed this, favorited this, and put up with my crazy updating schedule for the last 8 months. I hope you loved this story as much as I did! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!

Thank you once again to Christine for being fantastic! and to Laura for being my cheerleader!