1. The first time Blaine sees Kurt after the break up is hard.

Kurt and Blaine had broken up over Thanksgiving. They were both just tired of the long distance. Both of them were jealous over stupid things. Every conversation they had ended in screaming. It was a mutual decision to break up, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. It hurt Blaine so much he felt like he couldn't breathe sometimes.

He'd been doing better though. Artie and Rory had started forcing him to go out. Granted, the only place they went was Artie's house to play Call of Duty, but it was better than the first couple of weeks when the sting was fresh and the tears were constant.

Tina was the one to force him to The Lima Bean. Blaine is pretty sure she is the only one who understood that he was avoiding it because of Kurt. (Blaine is also pretty sure that she made Artie and Rory make an effort to be friendlier with him. He has noticed that her quietness makes her very observant.) He'd gotten used to the Lima Bean though. It was starting to become his and Tina's place. He didn't even think of Kurt when he walked in with Tina tonight.

Then he sees him. He looks fantastic. His hair is perfectly coiffed and he's wearing a McQueen scarf and jeans that are painted on. He looks like he stepped out of a magazine.

"Blaine?" Tina asks. Blaine is frozen in front of the door. He doesn't respond. She follows his eyes and sees them. She squeezes Blaine's shoulder. "You can do this."

Blaine shakes his head. "I-I really can't yet." He bolts out of the coffee shop and Tina follows him.

He runs to his car and gets inside. Tina slides into the passenger seat. He starts the car, but doesn't move it. "Blaine?" Tina asks.

Blaine doesn't respond. He drops his head onto the steering wheel and starts crying. Tina rubs his back soothingly. "It's okay."

"I miss him," Blaine said between sobs.

It had been easy until just then. He had gotten used to Kurt not being around. He had gotten used to not talking to Kurt because they fought all the time towards the end. Then Kurt was right there in front of him, and Blaine wanted to kiss him. He wanted to hug him and tell him he missed him, and he had the sudden realization that he couldn't do any of that. Kurt wasn't his boyfriend. Kurt wasn't even his friend. That realization made Blaine cry even harder.

Eventually Tina makes Blaine let her drive him home, and they have a sleepover and have a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon together.

2. Kurt never expected to see Blaine in New York. He knew that Blaine's plan involved New York before they had even met. He knew that he got into Columbia from Tina. Yet Kurt just figured that they would never cross paths. New York was like its own country. You could easily avoid a person.

Kurt is surprised, to say the least, when he sees Blaine sitting on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in November. Blaine is wearing a red bowtie and his favorite blue shirt. He looks anxious. Kurt can tell Blaine is nervous by the way he is bouncing his leg. Kurt wants to tell him that it's okay if he hasn't made many friends yet. It's okay if he isn't sure if he is happy here. It takes a while to adjust to college and the city. Kurt wishes they were friends so he could tell him all of this.

Sure, they say that they're friends. They awkwardly greeted each other at New Directions parties in Lima. They don't talk, though.

He just looks so nervous. He keeps checking his phone. Kurt realizes that Blaine is waiting for him. Had Blaine been in touch with Rachel? Did he know that Kurt went to the Met every Tuesday? Kurt goes to Parsons for fashion design, and while he loves it, it is stressful. He'd never produced so many sketches band drawings so quickly before. This is his break to stop worrying about his work and just admire other artists.

Blaine wants to see me, Kurt thinks. Would he pretend to run into Kurt? Or would he be expecting Kurt? Kurt wonders if he just wants to be friends or if he wants to get back together. Does Kurt even want to get back together with him? Kurt has dated quite a bit in New York, but no one ever really compared to Blaine.

I'm so stupid for letting him go, Kurt thinks. He walks down the stairs with determination. He'll grab him and kiss him, that's what he'll do! It will be dramatic and perfect.

It isn't perfect though. Kurt lands on the last step and is only 15 feet away from Blaine. He's behind him, of course, for the element of surprise. He is about to call Blaine's name when Blaine takes a step away, kissing another man on the cheek. The man is tall and muscular with short, dark hair. He puts his toned arm around Blaine's shoulders and Kurt feels like they've broken up all over again. They turn and walk up the steps without noticing Kurt.

Blaine was dating other people. Not even meeting people at parties and fucking, but going on legitimate dates with handsome men at the Met. Kurt starts going to the Museum of Modern Art on Tuesdays.

3. Blaine does not like college parties. This surprises everyone, even Blaine himself. He doesn't like the atmosphere. The apartments are dirty and everyone there seems to want to have sex immediately after meeting. Some say it's a good way to have fun; Blaine says it's a good way to get an STD.

His friend Cynthia dragged him out tonight. He learned that he apparently wasn't 'exclusive' with Dylan, the guy he'd been calling his boyfriend for the last month and a half. Cynthia thinks Blaine should have a one night stand to get over Dylan. Blaine has gotten to the point where he is tired of feeling hurt and would rather get over it, so he is trying out Cynthia's advice.

It doesn't start out horribly. It's taking up an entire hallway of a dorm, so it isn't nearly as cramped as most apartments are. Blaine is talking to a guy standing over a keg in a room at the end of the hall, a music industry major from NYU, and Blaine actually likes him. He seems nice, but then he grabs Blaine's ass before asking him to dance. Blaine's a romantic. He likes the woo-ing process: nerves on the first date, getting to know each other. He is starting to wonder if college is the place for a romantic.

He finds Cynthia in the hallway. "Oh my god, Blainers, I've been looking for you everywhere!" She is yelling much louder than she needs to and that's how Blaine knows she is already wasted while he is only on his second beer. "There is this guy in 3B down there that is totally perfect for you. He's like your soul mate. He has a freaking poster of Marion Cotilliard's Vogue cover on his wall! It's like your soul mates!"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Blaine chuckled and she pulled him along.

They get to 3B and there are a few people in there listening to a guy play guitar and sing (Blaine he is the roommate or the boy with the Vogue poster), but Cynthia says the guy isn't here. One of the other people in there says that the boy went next door. "I will bring him back here. You stay," Cynthia ordered.

Blaine enjoys the music that the roommate is playing but his eyes begin to wander. Blaine is pleased to see that there is indeed a Marion Cotilliard Vogue poster on his wall. This guy has a very clean style. His bed cover is red with ton of white (brave choice in a dorm) throw pillows neatly arranged. Blaine can see all of his shoes lined up under his bed. This guy clearly likes fashion. All of the accents on his desk are white. Blaine can tell the guy is an art student from all the sketches and charcoal pencils on the desk. His bulletin board has a Parson's sticker on it. There are a couple of Broadway tickets affixed as well as a sketch marked with an A-. He sees a picture frame that's fallen down in the mess of sketches. He picks it up and for some reason he isn't that surprised when he sees a picture of Kurt and Burt Hummel.

Cynthia comes back. "Come on," she grabs his wrist.

"Cyn, I can't—" He is being pulled into the hallway anyway.

"Yes, you can. You're going to distract him from that other guy he is talking to and fight for him like the manliest of the bowtie wearing clan and you shall victorious win his heart!" By the time she finishes this drunken rant, they are in the doorway of the next room and she quickly stops.

Kurt is up against a wall with some blonde guy groping him. He is tall and overly muscular, in Blaine's opinion. Blaine wants to throw up.

"Meh, oh well. Guess you wouldn't be his type," Cynthia says.

Blaine and Cynthia back out of the room quickly and Blaine practically runs away.

"Blaine!" Cynthia yells as she follows him down the stairwell.

"Cyn, I'm sorry, I'll explain later, but I just can't right now. I can't."

Cynthia nods. "Want me to go back with you?"

"No, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

Blaine walks into the bitter cold of the December air and wonders if he is being immature. It's been over a year since they'd broken up. He knows that Kurt dates. Well, that is the problem, Blaine realizes. He thought that Kurt dates. He thought that Kurt would have been the one person to really agree that drunken hookups with strangers are not in the least bit appealing. That's why Kurt wanted to break up. He wanted to do that.

Blaine hails a taxi and thinks that college really isn't a place for romantics.

4. There was a drunken phone call on New Year's during Kurt's senior year.

Usually Mercedes had an annual party for everyone from their time in New Directions. The first after their break up was awkward and painful. Kurt and Blaine avoided each other the whole night. At midnight, when everyone else kissed, they silently raised their glasses to each other from opposite sides of Mercedes' living room.

The second year was easier. Everyone else had broken up, so no one was kissing except Santana and Brittany. There were hugs all around and Kurt and Blaine even managed to talk to each other.

The third year was, well, they were both drunk, and neither of them really remembers anything, but Kurt woke up in Blaine's arms. He left before Blaine woke up and ignored the disapproving look Mercedes shot him as he walked out.

The fourth year is the first time they spend New Year's apart in five years. Kurt is staying with his boyfriend in New York. Boyfriend. The word feels strange on his tongue when he introduces his friends to Alex.

Alex is gorgeous. He is just a little bit shorter than Kurt, with dark eyes and dark hair. He is muscular but not obnoxiously so. He shares Kurt's interest in fashion. He is caring and kind. He is funny and enjoys Kurt's dry humor. He is great...and Kurt doesn't know why he can't force himself to love Alex.

Alex actually gets them and all of their friends a hotel suite right near Times Square (Alex is a trust fund kid with more money than he knows what to do with). The suite is bigger than Kurt's apartment, maybe even bigger than the house he grew up in. This is one of those times where Alex means well, but his money makes Kurt really uncomfortable. They get drunk anyway with a bunch of their friends from school and Alex doesn't even make it to midnight.

Kurt feels wrong. He feels like he shouldn't be here, and for a while he blames the feeling on the ostentatious hotel suite. It takes him until the ball drops to realize that he should be with Blaine. They always spend New Year's together, ever since they met.

Kurt sneaks away from his friends on the balcony. He locks himself in the upstairs bathroom and pulls out his cell phone. He goes to the contact listed 'STOP IT. YOU'RE STRONGER THAN THIS.' and hits call. It rings twice before it's picked up. Blaine doesn't say anything.

"Blaine? Blaine? You're there…Blaine, we're supposed to be together tonight. It's New Years. We do New Year's no matter what. Even when we're apart. Alex told me that our anniversary is coming up and for a moment I thought he was wrong. It should be in March. Then I remembered that March is you. Then he started talking about guitars and I started wondering if you ever got that Gibson acoustic you were saving up for. Alex can't sing. You sing like a fucking angel. He tried to play a Katy Perry song on guitar and I almost threw up. You've really ruined all enjoyment of her, you know. I won't let him wear bowties when we go out, either. I just, I can't…Is it this hard for you, Blaine? Because I didn't think this would be this hard…not for soooo long. We agreed that we were better without each other. We wanted to kill each other towards the end. But…I miss you. I miss you so much it fucking hurts and I don't know why I'm in New York with Alex when I would rather be in an overcrowded living room in Lima, trying to hear people talk over the sound of Rachel doing karaoke…with you. I just wish I were with you."

"Blaine!" Kurt hears in the background, "You've got to come back inside, babe. Who are you talking to?"

Kurt hears Blaine sigh and then the click of the call disconnecting.

5. Blaine's first week of classes after winter break of his junior year is hellatious to say the least. Not only are all of his classes intimidatingly hard, but he already has a mountain of work. Oh, and he turned down his boyfriend's marriage proposal.

He shouldn't have even been with him. He'd found a guy who was interested in him for more than just sex, and so he ignored all of his bad traits. He overlooked that Ian was controlling sometimes. He overlooked the way Ian criticized Blaine's every move. It was easy to overlook when Ian often made overwhelmingly sweet gestures. He would send Blaine flowers for no reason. Show up with tickets to a Broadway show without notice.

His surprise visit home, though, wasn't a pleasant one. He showed up on the day of New Year's Eve. He showed in in Lima, Ohio. Ian's family was in Maine. He'd flown out at the last minute because he couldn't bear the thought of not kissing Blaine at midnight. That would've been acceptable if Blaine hadn't told him that his family wasn't exactly thrilled about his sexuality.

Ian just showed up on his doorstep expecting to stay there. Cooper was nice enough to cover for Blaine. Cooper told their parents that he was the one who invited Ian to surprise Blaine. Blaine still had to deal with his father's glares every time he and Ian entered a room.

Blaine took him to Mercedes' annual New Year's Eve party, and Ian acted like a sane human being who didn't just fly across the country for a guy he'd been dating for four months even though he knew he would be unwelcome. He started talking to Blaine about cutting off his parents at the party. Ian wanted them to move in together and earn their own living. Blaine told Ian how insane the idea was.

At midnight, Ian kissed Blaine and said, "Marry me!"

No one heard, though, over the excitement of the noise makers and another champagne bottle being popped.

Blaine felt his cell phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket and the name Kurt Hummel was on the screen. "I'll be right back," Blaine said. He picked up as soon as he was outside, and he realized everything that's wrong about Ian.

He broke up with Ian at the party.

Blaine is now prepared for the next time he sees Kurt. He wouldn't avoid talking to him like before. When he sees him in a bar one night, he knows what he is going to do. He will walk up to him and thank him for making him realize why he shouldn't be with Ian. He will tell him that it hurts for him too. He will tell him that they should get to know each other again. He will-

Another man, who Blaine presumes to be Alex, walks up and puts his arm around Kurt and kisses him. Blaine doesn't say anything to Kurt. He tells his friends that he isn't feeling well and goes back to his dorm room.

1. "Kurt, I swear this guy is good," Anna says.

"I'm just saying that he can't leave a huge impression if you don't even remember his name and he's playing a coffee shop at 5 in the afternoon," Kurt says.

They're on their way to a coffee shop for some guy with a guitar. Kurt is only here because he likes coffee, and Rachel is getting ready for a big audition tomorrow. He does not like being in the apartment when Rachel is in audition-mode. Also, he doesn't really get much since he broke up with Alex.

Anna drags him into the crowded coffee shop. "Woah, Bieber-fever," Kurts says to Anna as he notices all the teenage girls.

"C'mon," Anna grabs his hand and they push their way through the crowd so they can at least see him. Kurt can only hear his acoustic guitar right now.

They're as far up as they can get and they still can't really see, but then the lyrics start: "You think I'm pretty without any makeup on."

Kurt freezes. Anna whispers, "I told you he's amazing. Wait until you see his face. He has gorgeous curls."

Kurt doesn't respond. He just stands there. He listens to his entire set. Some people start to clear out as time goes on and Kurt finally manages to see Blaine. He doesn't have the gel in his hair. He's wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and he has exchanged his bowtie for a black, narrow necktie that is tucked into his grey waistcoat. His jeans are wonderfully fitted, and Kurt can't help but smile when he sees no sign of socks.

Anna actually goes up to the coffee counter by herself to order because Kurt wants to watch Blaine. He's waiting for him, really.

Blaine's set is almost over and most of the crowd has cleared out. Anna says something about teenage girls needing to get home in time for dinner that Kurt doesn't really hear because there are only about 15 people left in the coffee shop. If Blaine just looks up and directly ahead—and he does.

Kurt's eyes meet Blaine's and it's enough to make Blaine mess up the song he was starting. "Well-I-You know what, guys?" Blaine realizes neither of them are running away this time. "I think I'd rather end the night with a little Jason Mraz. So I'm gonna leave you with this one. As always, thanks for listening and tip your barista."

Blaine looks at his guitar for most of the song.

"When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up"

Blaine finally looks up to meet Kurt's eyes again when he hits the bridge.

"I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am"

That's what Kurt starts to feel tears roll down his face. Blaine finishes the song to a lot of applause that he doesn't acknowledge. He sets his guitar on his stand and walks to Kurt. Kurt stands up.

"So," Blaine starts talking very quickly, "I know that was probably like way out of line and you're dating that guy but I really, really—" He can't finish because Kurt's mouth is on top of his.

There is going to be a long conversation after the kiss. They'll have to deal with a lot of the things that have happened over the last four years. Blaine will buy Kurt a coffee and they'll hash out everything like rational adults because they know that they have to. Right now though, Kurt and Blaine are kissing, and they both have the strangest sensation, as if they're both finally coming home.

A/N: Reviews are always appreciated!