2017.

Blaine: 22, Kurt: 23.

I pulled my cardigan tighter around me, reaching for one of the two coffees sitting on the bench beside me. I could feel the warmth travel through me as I took a sip, and silently cursed whichever God was in charge of the weather; it was the first day of Summer, but it did not feel like it. Although that could also be due to the fact that it was 9:30 at night. I gripped my cup tightly, allowing the heat to warm my fingertips, as I continuously glanced at my watch; I really don't know why I did because the majority of the time only one or two minutes had passed.

At exactly 9:41 my head shot up as I heard the sound of an engine. I stood up and stretched my legs as I did so, my half drunk coffee in my left hand and the still full one in my right, as I saw the bus round the corner. There were one or two cars parked around the bus stop, presumably waiting to pick someone up, but I was the only one who was waiting outside. I had to wait for five people to get off the bus, but then he was bounding off the steps and over to me, duffle bag forgotten on the ground as he grabbed my face with both hands and pressed his lips against mine.

I felt him smile against my lips a moment before he pulled back and exhaled quietly, "Hi."

"I brought you coffee," I said, holding up the cup for him and being greeted with an even bigger smile – and gosh was it great to see it in non-pixelated form.

"I love you a lot," he said, taking a cautious sip, cradling the cup in his hands.

"I'm glad to hear that hasn't changed," I said happily, wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist as he picked up his bag again.

"Thank you again for picking me up. I really would've been fine getting a cab," Kurt said as we approached my car.

"And spend another unnecessary 15 minutes not being with you?" I said with a raised eyebrow, to which Kurt chuckled. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he smiled at me over the roof of the car before we got in. "I am very excited to see your house."

I blushed a little then, the thought of Kurt seeing my childhood house, and my bedroom that hadn't been redecorated since I was 18, in person rather than in photos somewhat embarrassing.

It was only a short drive back to my mum's house; we were staying there for the night before driving down to the lake in the morning. I turned off the ignition and had jumped out of my seat to get Kurt's bag before he'd even taken his seatbelt off. I smiled brightly as I felt Kurt's fingers tangle with mine as we walked up the front steps.

"Mum? We're back!" I called as I shut the front door behind me, turning the lock and switching the porch light off.

"Kurt!" Mum practically squealed as she appeared from around the corner and pulled Kurt out of my grasp and into a hug. "Oh it's so good to see you, let me look at you!" She pulled back then, holding Kurt's face in her hands as she looked him up and down.

I was slightly annoyed about having to let Kurt go – it had been five and a half months since I last saw him when I visited him in New York for New Years Eve – but Kurt was like another son to Mum and she hadn't seen him in four years, so I supposed it was alright if she stole him for a few minutes.

"Did you want a hot cocoa?" she asked, not even allowing Kurt long enough to answer before she continued, "Come with me to the kitchen."

Okay, perhaps I slightly underestimated a few minutes. Kurt shot me an apologetic smile as he got dragged into the kitchen, but there was something about him that just screamed pure joy, so I really couldn't find it in me to actually be annoyed. I followed them into the kitchen and sat down on the stool next to the one Kurt was sitting on.

"Did you want one, sweetie?" Mum asked me, holding up a mug questionably.

"No thanks."

Mum smiled and went about making two hot cocoa's, talking as she did so. "So, Kurt, tell me. What have you been up to?"

"I just finished my first year at NYU, which I'm sure Blaine told you, and I'm really really loving it..."

I didn't mean to block their voices out after that, but as I sat there with my chin resting on my hand watching how excited Kurt looked as he spoke and how happy my mum looked, I couldn't help but think how the hell has so much changed since this time last year? I didn't have Kurt – and despite what I told everyone, I honestly didn't think I ever would again. I couldn't be in the same room as Mum without feeling suffocated by the pity that seemed to radiate off her whenever I was around. I was kind of passing through life but not really living it – I mean, I loved college and hanging out with my friends, but it was a rare occurrence that a day went by when I didn't think about Kurt and where we could be right now if we hadn't screwed things up so badly. But sitting here in my mum's kitchen right now, there was not one aspect of my life I wasn't completely happy with.

I tuned back into the conversation when Mum was telling Kurt about the part time work she'd picked up at the local bakery. They weren't talking about it for long though as Mum stopped talking mid sentence when Kurt tried to cover up a yawn.

"Oh, Kurt, you're exhausted. I'll stop talking now and you get to bed."

Kurt tried to protest, saying he really wasn't that tired, but gave himself away when he yawned halfway through saying so.

"Okay, okay. Thank you so much for the cocoa," Kurt said, ever polite as always.

"It was no problem at all. I'm just glad to see you again." Mum kissed both of us on the forehead – making us both laugh as memories of her doing exactly that so many times when we were younger came flooding back. Kurt picked up his bag from the entrance hall and then followed me upstairs and into my room.

"So this is your room."

"You'll have to forgive the fact that 18 year old me was not as good an interior designer as I am now," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

"It's perfect," Kurt smiled, stopping when he saw the pin board above my desk. "How long have you had this?"

"Uh, always?"

"Really?" Kurt said shocked, spinning around to look at me. "Why didn't you ever include it in your photos?"

Now that I think about it, I never had sent Kurt a photo of it; every inch of it was covered with photos of the two of us, from when were were six years old to ones I'd taken last Summer.

"I guess I was kind of afraid that you would find it creepy." And that wasn't a lie; as a kid that really was a legitimate worry, although as I grew older I guess I just got so used to not mentioning it that I just never did.

"I could never think you were creepy," Kurt crooned, draping his arms around my shoulders and kissing me softly. When we pulled apart, Kurt said, "I have a box under my bed that has every single letter that you ever wrote me in it, so we're equally creepy."

"Okay, we can be creeps together then," I laughed, kissing Kurt again quickly and then going into the bathroom.

I watched Kurt from my adjoining bathroom while I brushed my teeth; the way the muscles in his back moved as he changed into a cotton shirt; the slow, tired smile when he got under the covers, pulling them up so they were nearly choking him, and snuggled into the pillow. I spat out my toothpaste and gulped down a glass of water before switching the light off. I got into bed quietly so as not to disturb Kurt, shuffling over and draping my arm over him.

"I really really missed you," I whispered close to his ear.

Kurt was so far gone already that from his mumbling I only just managed to make out a me too and what I think was a love you.

"I love you too," I said, and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

…

"Drive safely!" Mum called after us as we pulled out of the driveway.

"I've missed your mum," Kurt said a little while later. "I mean, obviously no one could ever replace my mum, but after she died your mum was really all I had."

"You have no idea how happy that would make her if she knew," I said completely honestly. "Although it's probably a good thing you didn't mention it last night because she already looked like she was going to start sobbing at any moment and that would probably have pushed her over the edge."

"You know," Kurt said with a chuckle. "I think she might possibly like me more than she likes you."

"I don't doubt that for a second." I took a deep breath before asking what I've been wanting to ask for the last year but hadn't found the courage to do so, "I – uh – I was wondering, how's your dad going?"

I could sense that Kurt had gone stiff beside me, and when he replied, his voice sounded tight. "He's pretty good actually. He was pretty bad at first, but he's been getting better and better."

"I'm so glad to hear that," I said, reaching across and squeezing his hand.

"It was actually him that insisted I take up my offer with NYU. We've had to hire a nurse to come out a few days a week to help him with medication. I was worried about leaving him, but he seems to be coping fine, and I come home on the holidays. He's actually become quite friendly with one of our new neighbours – her name's Carole and she brings over casseroles and pasta bakes sometimes. If I'm not mistaken, I think they might have the hots for each other," Kurt said with a laugh.

"Burt: the ladies man."

"But yeah, he's doing really well. He's actually been bugging me about getting you to come and visit, so we should probably organise that otherwise he'll think I've been lying about us being back together."

I couldn't keep my laugh in then, happily joining in with Kurt. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Just after noon, I noticed that Kurt had dozed off, his cheek resting against the window. Kurt never naps during the day, so I figured he must have still been pretty tired from yesterday so I let him sleep. It wasn't until about an hour later when I pulled over to pick up some sandwiches for lunch that he woke up.

"Mmm did I fall asleep?" Kurt said through a yawn, stretching in his seat.

I nodded. "You must have been pretty tired. Stay here, I'm just gonna buy us something for lunch," I said, leaning across the centre console to kiss his forehead before grabbing my wallet.

We sat in our seats with the ignition off while we ate, deciding that was probably safer than eating while driving if I wanted to avoid wearing my food.

"Are you sure you're okay with me still working at the florist?" I asked, the question that had been plaguing me for weeks; ever since I first mentioned it to him.

Kurt finished his mouthful and then shot me a are you seriously asking me this question again look and said, "Yes, I'm sure! You already cut down to three days a week which I also said you didn't need to do."

"I just feel bad that I'm going to be leaving you alone for half the Summer."

"I'll manage," Kurt smiled, though there was something off about him, and there was a part of me that couldn't help but worry he was thinking about those two Summers when we didn't see each other at all.

I allowed myself a fleeting glance at the new house that had replaced Kurt's when we finally pulled into the driveway later that afternoon – as I'm sure Kurt did as well – but for the first time since I'd first seen it, it didn't cause me heartache.

"What are you smiling at?" Kurt nudged my shoulder as we carried our bags up to the house.

"I'm just really happy that you're here," I sighed happily.

"Well let's go and check out what food you've left in the cupboards and see if there is something we can pull together for dinner, because I dunno about you but I really cannot be bothered driving into town," Kurt said, and I had to agree; despite the fact that we really hadn't done anything other than sit all day, I really wanted to just collapse on the couch and not move until morning. "Okay, we have a packet of pasta, a can of baked beans, four packets of mac and cheese, two packets of mi goreng, a jar of pasta sauce and a packet of pancake mix."

"Pasta?"

"Pasta it is."

…

"Okay, time for bed. If I don't get up now I don't think I ever will," I yawned, untangling myself from Kurt and rolling off the couch in the least graceful manner possible. I wandered down to my room, grabbing two pillows and a thick blanket, returning to the lounge room to find that Kurt was still laying in exactly the same spot. "Hey mister, time to get up!"

"Ughh fine," Kurt grumbled, holding a hand up over the arm of the couch as a plea of please help me.

I readjusted the pillows in my arms and padded over to the couch, threading my fingers through Kurt's and tugging him up. Kurt snuggled into my side, taking one of the pillows from me as we made our way outside.

"Gimme the pillow and I'll throw it up once you're up there."

"This ladder has never seemed so tall in my entire life," Kurt said as he hoisted himself up the ladder.

It was ridiculous how long it took for us, along with our bedding, to get into the treehouse; between our tiredness and our apparent inability to throw. We both breathed a sigh of relief as we got comfortable in our makeshift bed, our faces close as we lay facing each other.

"I've missed this. Sleeping next to you," Kurt whispered, threading his fingers through my hair. "I wish we could do this always."

"In that case, I have a proposition for you!" Kurt's eyes widened in curiosity. "How would you feel about me moving to New York after I finish college next year?"

I held my breath as I waited for a reply, which did not come as soon as I would have liked, Kurt laying there silently with his brows furrowed.

"Did you just ask if I wanted us to move in together?" he said finally, a smile toying at the corner of his lips.

"If that's something you want, then yes I did. If not, then no, I was merely thinking that New York is a really nice city and I wouldn't mind a change in scenery..."

"Ha ha ha," Kurt said sarcastically, before kissing me until I was breathless. "I would love nothing more than to move in with you."

"Good," I said with a sigh of relief. "Are you sure though? Because what happens if you meet a really attractive guy in the next year, like supermodel attractive? Cause I dunno whether I can compete with that."

"Shut up," Kurt laughed, punching me in the arm playfully. "Okay, if it makes you feel any better: I, Kurt Hummel, promise with all my heart that you will always be my best and most favourite friend."

And with that he held out his pinky finger and I felt tears prick up in my eyes. He remembered.

"I, Blaine Anderson, promise with all my heart that you will always be my best and most favourite friend."

…

THE END.

Okay. Wow. A massive thank you to every single one of you that have read this. It was such a joy to write and I loved sharing it with you all. And one final time, please review and let me know what you thought :)

Until next time...

Em xoxo