oh, it's what you do to me

Kurt sighed, burying his face in his hands. He glanced at the corner of his computer screen and took note of the time. Past two o'clock. He let out another breath, folding his arms onto his desk and nestling his nose into the crook of his elbow. Just a minute-long break and he would get back to his work.

The sudden sound of Katy Perry startled him, causing him to jump. He lifted his head and put his fingers to his temples, wondering why on earth he had ever thought 'Teenage Dream' was a good choice of a ringtone for his boyfriend.

Oh.

He scrambled to answer his phone before it went to voicemail, nearly dropping it in the process. His heart was pounding and fluttering and it kind of felt like it stopped, too, because his boyfriend wasn't just texting him, but actually calling.

"Hey," he said, his voice sounding breathless, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

There was a strange clattering noise, followed by a pause on the other end of the line. "Hey," Blaine responded.

Kurt frowned slightly, his heart sinking. "Did you... not mean to call, or—?"

"No!" Blaine said quickly. "I did. I definitely did. I... I didn't think you were going to answer. What are you doing up so late?"

Kurt groaned a little in response, pushing himself up from his desk. "Paper for my Techniques I class," he sighed. He paused. "What are you doing up?"

"Mmm," Blaine hummed into the phone, and Kurt could practically hear him smiling. "I have a surprise for you and I was too excited to wait until tomorrow."

"But you didn't think I would answer."

"Well, I was going to leave a voicemail, silly," he chuckled in response, and Kurt grinned despite himself. "But this changes everything. Just give me a second, it's late and when you answered you made me drop my guitar."

Kurt furrowed his brow. "Blaine," he said slowly, "you don't play the guitar."

"Right you are," he responded. "Until now. Well, I guess it's just this one song... And that would be why it's taken me so long to perfect this surprise. Now, no more questions. Just listen."

Kurt sat down at the foot of his bed and waited quietly for a few moments as he heard Blaine moving and rustling and fumbling in his room back in Ohio. He heard a loud clunk and assumed that he had put his cellphone on his desk before putting it on speaker. Then, he heard Blaine start to play.

"Hey there, Delilah, what's it like in New York City? I'm a thousand miles away but, girl, tonight you look so pretty," Blaine sang, and Kurt squeezed his eyes shut, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and still managing to grin uncontrollably. "Yes, you do. Time Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true.

"Hey there, Delilah, don't you worry about the distance, I'm right there if you get lonely. Give this song another listen, close your eyes; listen to my voice, it's my disguise. I'm by your side."

He took a deep breath and started on the chorus, and Kurt leaned back against his pillows, enjoying the sound of Blaine's voice. He'd missed it so desperately over the past six weeks, except for a few very short phone calls. But this, this was so much better than any of them had been.

"A thousand miles seems pretty far, but they've got planes and trains and cars," he sang. "I'd walk to you if I had no other way. Our friends would all make fun of us, and we'll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way. Delilah, I can promise you that by the time that we get through, the world will never ever be the same, and you're to blame.

"Hey there, Delilah, you be good and don't you miss me. One more year and I'll be done with school and you'll be making history, like you do," Blaine sang, and Kurt chuckled slightly at the altered lyrics, certain that he could hear Blaine smiling through his singing. "You'll know it's all because of you. We can do whatever we want to. Hey there, Delilah, here's to you, this one's for you. Oh, it's what you do to me..."

Kurt simply lay on his bed, grinning for several minutes until he heard Blaine pick up the phone again, putting it to his ear.

"So?" he asked breathlessly.

"How long did that take you?" Kurt asked curiously, rolling over to his side and pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Since the day you left," Blaine told him. "The longest part was figuring out how to sing and play at the same time."

Kurt chuckled. "It was perfect," he said.

"Nothing less for you," Blaine told him, and Kurt laughed lightly in response again. "I miss you so much, Kurt."

"I miss you, too," he breathed out, feeling a pang of guilt. "Can we just forget about everything else we have to do and have a Skype date soon?"

"Tomorrow at seven?" Blaine offered.

"Please," said Kurt.

There was silence for a few moments.

"Do you have to finish your paper, now?" Blaine asked tentatively, and Kurt didn't miss the small hint of sadness in his voice.

"I think it can wait until tomorrow," he said. "But I think we both need to head to bed."

"Probably a good idea," Blaine sighed in response. "I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow—"

"Wait," Kurt said.

"Yeah?" Blaine asked immediately.

"Stay on the line?" Kurt asked in a small voice. "Just until we fall asleep. I just... I..."

"I know," Blaine responded softly. "Me, too."

Kurt smiled, closing his eyes again. "I love you," he breathed out.

"I love you," Blaine replied, and Kurt could hear the younger boy crawling beneath his covers, his bedsprings creaking beneath him. "Good night, Kurt."

Kurt switched his phone to his other side, placing in right between his ear and his pillow, his boyfriend's breathing just barely audible in the silence of his room. "Good night, Blaine."