~Chapter Thirty-Five~

Dimetri's Ending

The charcoal met the paper in long, meaningful strides. It formed a chiseled jaw that led down to a tantalizing neck. Dimetri's tongue darted out the corner of his mouth as he continued to sketch. He already drew numerous sketches of Kurt but he just couldn't stop himself. The more time that passed since their weekend together, the more adamant his muse became.

His tiny room was littered with abandoned sketches. The muse was indeed back, but it also had the attention span of a gnat. He needed to have finished work. He needed to prepare a portfolio. He needed a lot of things apparently.

"Dimetri!" His aunt knocked on the bedroom door. Startled, Dimetri looked up from his sketch pad.

"Yeah?"

"There's someone here to see you." Frowning, his eyes fell on his clock, it was around 3 p.m. He rolled off the bed and stretched. As he ambled to the door, he brushed his dusty fingers against his jeans. He opened the door to reveal his Aunt who grinned at him. His stomach made a little flip flop. "What?"

"He's in the living room." She informed him before disappearing into her own room. The house fell eerily silent. The only noises came from the heater that kicked on and chugged to life and the creaking of the floor boards as he walked. Dimetri quickly padded down the stairs and into the foyer and his breath caught in his throat. Kurt stood waiting for him, dressed in a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a button up white silk shirt.

"Hi!" Kurt greeted him, with a bright smile.

"Hi yourself." Dimetri hopped off the last step and joined him. "What are you doing here?" Embracing him tightly, Kurt breathed into his neck.

"I wanted to see you." He closed his eyes and almost lost himself in the embrace. But when ample time passed he forced himself to pull away.

"Well I'm honored." He licked his lips. "But I could have come and met you somewhere. You didn't have to drive so far out of your way." Kurt sighed.

"Yes I did." He answered, "I need to tell you something."

"Oh." Dimetri swallowed his grimace and made a poor showing of a smile. "Couldn't do this over the phone I guess?" His insides decided to quiver in anticipation and it made him feel sick. Taking Kurt's hand, he led them into the living room. His Aunt painted the room a deep maroon, and the couch and easy chair were a neutral shade of brown. There were some bookshelves, mostly full. Dimetri liked to just sit in the room and collect his thoughts, it calmed him.

Truthfully, he had hoped to have a few more days of blissful ignorance before Kurt told him his decision. But the universe decided to not work in his favor. Nor had it worked in his favor for the past week. His parents cut him off, indefinitely. Not that it came as a surprise. But it still hurt.

He found a job busing tables at a nearby restaurant, but the hours were few and the money dismal. His classes sucked. Well the school work was easy enough, but his fellow students left much to be desired, but then again, it was night school.

He talked to Kurt a few times via text messages. He knew that the brunette was happy about transferring back to his old school. It made Dimetri's chest hurt though, because he knew what would happen if that bully came back to school and there was no way for him to protect him.

Once seated, Kurt reached into his bag and pulled out a little box.

"I got this for you." He said breathlessly. Dimetri blinked.

"You got me something?" He cautiously took the offered box. "I um… don't know what to say." He was so used to just buying himself anything he needed, he wasn't used to receiving presents.

"Open it." Kurt urged, shifting so he was seated facing Dimetri on the couch. With the reassuring smile from Kurt, Dimetri gathered it was probably safe to open. He took the top off and moved the tissue paper to the side. A silver lock, the one from Tiffany's, the one Kurt was looking at. Dimetri blinked eyes wide at the tiny trinket. He touched it delicately with a finger. The thin silver chain from the store was replaced with a sturdier, more masculine looking one.

Kurt pulled something else out of his pocket and showed it to Dimetri. It was the key he'd given him only now it was immaculate and sparkling. Kurt laid the key next to the lock, smiling affectionately.

"I don't understand." Dimetri admitted, hoarsely. His eyes stayed glued to the key. It must have taken hours to clean that darn key and make it like new again. And it looked brand new, not even the tiny scratches remained visible. It sparkled in the light, like a diamond. Kurt covered both his hands with his own.

"I hold the key, right? So that means you have the lock." Dimetri swallowed again.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" he whispered, afraid to actually say the words too loudly. It felt as those the invisible force weighing down on his shoulders suddenly lifted and he might float away. Kurt grasped his chin and forced him to meet his gaze.

"Yes. That's exactly what it means." He whispered, eyes watery. Exhaling, Dimetri let the box fall into his lap so he could wrap Kurt up in his arms.

"Really? Really?" Kurt laughed and hugged him back.

"Yes really. Don't sound so surprised."

"I'm just…" Dimetri pulled back. "I just assumed."

"Well you assumed wrong." Kurt retorted, not angry, more exasperated than anything else.

"Blaine's my first love, he will always be special to me. But I want to be with you. I am madly in love with you. And nothing Blaine does or says is going to change that." For once in his life, Dimetri was completely speechless. All he managed was an "Oh." Which sounded so incredibly lame he wished he could kick himself, surely he should have some smart remark to that, or some equally cheesy line. But he had nothing.

"You've dealt with so much, I just want to make you smile." He linked their fingers together and brought them to his lips. "You never questioned your feelings. You always knew exactly how you felt, I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure myself out." Dimetri finally choked out a laugh.

"I'm just… wow."

"The king of romantic lines has nothing for me?" Kurt mocked. "I think I am insulted." Dimetri silenced him with a kiss.

"You are incredible, you know that?" he breathed, taking in Kurt's clean and musky scent. He didn't realize how much he missed it until he had Kurt back in his arms where he belonged. Kurt kissed him back, practically melding to his body.

"Likewise." He sighed happily into the embrace.

"Are you sure about this?" Dimetri hated to sound so insecure. But if Kurt's resolve wavered in the slightest, he felt he needed to know now, before he let himself get too caught up in this fantasy.

"Crystal." Kurt replied, adamantly. "I talked to Blaine last night, he is hurt but he understands."

"I don't really care about that." He admitted, "I'm more worried about you."

"I couldn't be happier." Kurt answered, taking Dimetri's face in his hands. "Now will you stop being so damn concerned and kiss me?"

"Gladly."

"See you Monday!" Kurt chirped, pecking Mercedes on the cheek as he hurried by her locker. The McKinley halls started filling with impatient students, ready for the weekend.

"Tell Dream Boat I said hello!" She hollered after him. Making a gleeful sound, Kurt shoved his way through the school entrance and practically skipped out to the parking lot. His heart started beating about a mile a minute as he searched the lot for a familiar car. The rumble of the Porsche pulled up to the curb and Kurt flung open the door and dove inside.

"Hey!" Dimetri greeted as Kurt flung his arms around him in an awkward hug. He smelled absolutely amazing. That Ralph Lauren Blue cologne Kurt picked out for him was the best forty bucks he ever spent.

"Hi." He breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled back and gazed lovingly at his boyfriend. "The week is way too long." He admitted with a blush. Five days was a long time to not see your boyfriend. Dimetri lived with his Aunt a good two hours away.

"Tell me about it." The blond grinned. He pulled out of the school and headed towards the Hummel-Hudson home. "I still can't believe your Dad agreed to let me stay at your house for the weekend."

"It was that or I was going to Columbus." Kurt answered with an impish smirk. "Sides, Carol likes feeding you." Dimetri snapped his fingers.

"I knew it had to do with Carol."

"So! What's the big news?" Kurt couldn't stand the waiting any longer. Dimetri called him early in the week and told him he had some exciting news to share, but that he wanted to wait until he could tell Kurt in person. Thus making the rest of the week long and excruciating. His boyfriend had applied to a number of Art Schools for the next year. He would be finishing his GED in May, and wanted to jump right in. Kurt even helped him fill out all the applications. Dimetri grabbed and envelope from his jacket pocket after he shifted gears. He wordlessly handed it to Kurt, keeping his eyes glued on the road.

'New York Academy of Art' is what he read off the envelope. Shooting a questioning glance at the blond he quickly opened it. His heart beat fast and his fingers actually trembled as he read.

"You got in?" He squeaked. "Oh my god! You got in?" Dimetri beamed.

"Yeah, sent me some information on scholarships I might qualify for. But I have a trust fund I can use now that I'm 18."

"A trust fund?" Kurt blinked. "I thought you parents cut you off?"

"Oh they did. But my grandfather is in charge of the account and he said the money was mine if I wanted it. Well if I wanted it for school." Kurt squealed again.

"This is amazing!" It was everything they hoped for, the perfect art school.

"One problem." Dimetri's voice fell. "It's in NYC, baby."

"It's an amazing opportunity. You shouldn't pass it up just because your boyfriend still has a year to go." He swallowed the lump developing in his throat. "I mean it's not that far away is it?" Dimetri sighed, his shoulders falling.

"It's far enough. I'd only be able to see you come holidays. I'm going crazy enough now, only having the weekends."

"We can do it though." Kurt whispered, "Unless you don't-
"I don't want to break up." Dimetri interrupted. "That is not even on the drawing board." His

jaw clenched and his fingers tightened on the wheel turning his knuckles white. Kurt bit his lip, turning the acceptance letter over in his hand.

"Well then…what do you want to do? Wait and see if you get accepted at a school here? This is the best art school, you know that." The car fell into an uncomfortable silence. Kurt's heart hurt. He didn't think it was possible, but it ached. It ached because he knew that the right thing to do would be to shove Dimetri toward New York. But the selfish part of him wanted him to stay. What was Kurt supposed to do for the next year?

"I actually had an idea." Dimetri broke the quiet.

"Okay." He answered softly. "What is it?"

"What if I waited? What if I took a couple classes at the community college, get my feet wet? You want to apply to schools in the city right? We could go together." Kurt opened his mouth but the shut it. Truthfully, he did want to go to school in New York. He fell in love with the city from their visit. And being in the city with Dimetri, well that just made the idea sound more and more favorable.

"Would you want to do that though? I mean why waste the time."

"It's a very competitive school." The blond explained. "If I mess up at all I'm booted. I want to make sure I can handle it before I dive right in. There are a number of prerequisites I can take care of here." He sighed. "And my Aunt if fine letting me use her guest room as long as I want. I think she is getting kind of fond of me." Hopefulness crept higher and higher.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? I don't want you to stay here on my account. We can work something out." The smile Dimetri gave him made him sink into a puddle of goo on the seat.

"I am completely sure." Kurt's returning smile took over his entire face. He didn't think it was possible to feel more in love, but it was. The most amazing part of it, was that he never once second guessed his decision. Sure he would be able to see Blaine more. It was true that Dimetri didn't have an ounce of musical talent in his body, but that didn't stop him from showing up at all the Glee Club events. Helping out with fundraisers or making the trip just because Kurt needed to see him.

In turn, Kurt spent hours studying with Dimetri for tests. Kurt would go to his work and sit at a table and wait for him to go on break so they could spend a few minutes together. And they took turns driving to see each other on the weekends. It was as perfect as it could be. Taking a hand off the wheel, Dimetri reached for Kurt's.

"We'll do it, and we'll do it together." Beaming, Kurt clasped their hands.

"So this brings me to my next topic conversation. How do you feel about prom?" Dimetri raised an eyebrow, but the smile he answered with said it all.

~The End~