From the moment that Kurt first met Blaine Anderson on the staircase at Dalton Academy, he knew that he was perfect.

The stranger had so openly accepted him in a single heartbeat, where to others he was invisible. He’d ran with him, hand in hand, down a hallway, and barely taken his gaze off of him during The Warbler’s performance of Teenage Dream, his golden-brown eyes locked with Kurt’s.

Perfect.

It was not often that Kurt felt accepted. A day barely passed where he wouldn’t be bullied or harassed just for being who he was, for his very existence. But Blaine wasn’t like the others. Underneath all of that hair gel, underneath the pristine Dalton blazer, dapper appearance and confident smile, was a layer of comfort, of protection. A layer of ‘courage’, so to speak. Something that Kurt could wrap himself up in, allow himself to get lost in. Blaine was there to help Kurt, was willing to. And every time Blaine saw Kurt, his eyes softened and his face lit up in a way that nobody else’s did.

Perfect.

They were not a couple, though they went out together like one. They went to dinner, to the movies. They went shopping together - “Blaine, I’m telling you. Bow-ties are so you. Just try one on!” … “Oh my god, Kurt. I think you’re right. This one, it does… it kinda suits me, right? Holy crap, there are tons of them in here! Help me choose!” - went to the Lima Bean (of course), went to cute little corner cafes - “They do strawberry soda? Are you kidding me? Kurt, the do strawberry soda! This is my favorite!” … “Strawberry soda, Blaine? Really?” … “Hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” - they went to one another’s houses, the list went on. Kurt liked spending time with Blaine. He liked how Blaine made him feel human again, like his opinions mattered, like his dry sense of humor was worth laughing at. Blaine made Kurt feel special, and he liked that.

Blaine was perfect.

*

“I’d like to show you a place,” Kurt said to Blaine one day. The sun was beating down on Ohio, and with their homework complete and the weekend to themselves, Kurt had forced Blaine up out of bed bright and early for the day.

“Do I get to know where?”

“Do you trust me?”

Blaine laughed. “Somehow I feel like we’re about to reenact Titanic here.”

“Oh, shut up. Do you trust me?”

Blaine nodded, and in his best, most pouty Kate Winslet impression, he replied, “I trust you!”

Kurt giggled, grabbing Blaine’s hand and pulling him toward the car he’d parked up outside of Blaine’s house.

“Don’t let go, Jack!” Blaine yelled dramatically as Kurt loosened his grip on Blaine’s fingers to head toward the driver’s side.

“Seriously Blaine?”

Kurt chuckled as the two of them got into the car, their ridiculous banter and impressions ongoing. Blaine was so perfect, it was achingly adorable.

Kurt drove the two of them to the river, a few miles out of town, and revealed a picnic to a surprised Blaine.

“Oh my god, Kurt. It’s - it’s perfect here.”

Almost as perfect as you.

“It’s my favorite place,” Kurt said.

Blaine’s golden eyes were lit up in wonder at their beautiful surroundings. The river sparkled with sunlight, clear blue water lapping gently at the bank. And it was peaceful; cars far off out of hearing range and people evading the place completely, perhaps forgetting that it even existed.

“Oh wow. Are those roses?”

Blaine headed toward the bush of wild roses, just along the riverbank.

“They’re gorgeous aren’t they?” Kurt said as he began setting up the picnic on a patch of luscious green grass beside the roses.

Blaine sat on the blanket Kurt had laid down, closing his eyes, face toward the bright blue sky and arms, slightly muscular, outstretched behind him. He was utterly perfect, and Kurt wanted to keep him like that forever. Untainted, unspoiled. Everybody in Kurt’s life who had ever shown him the tiniest hint of kindness had changed before long; Finn hadn’t been so bad, until he’d called Kurt the ‘F’ word, everybody in Glee club had accepted him but then they’d just stopped caring what happened to him. Kurt didn’t want Blaine to do that. He didn’t want him to change. Kurt wanted Blaine forever perfect.

“I wanted to say thank you,” Kurt said.

Blaine opened his eyes and peered at Kurt. “What on Earth for?”

“For being there when I needed you. For accepting me when nobody else would. Thank you for being perfect.”

“Aww, Kurt,” Blaine smiled as he rolled onto his stomach and leant up on his elbows. “You’re kind perfect too, you know? I don’t serenade just anybody with Katy Perry songs.”

“That,” Kurt said with a laugh, “is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard!”

The two talked and laughed until the sun hung directly above them and their tummy’s began to groan with hunger.

“Here,” Kurt said, sitting up and pulling the picnic basket closer toward them and pulling out a few sandwiches and snacks. “And not forgetting your weird strawberry soda fetish-” Kurt pulled out a bottle of the pink liquid and handed it to Blaine.

“Oh my god. You actually remembered that? Holy crap, Kurt. You’re…”

Kurt smiled as Blaine sat up and opened the bottle.

“Want any?” Blaine offered.

“No, no. That’s all for you, Blaine.”

Blaine smiled, a look on his face so singularly beautiful that Kurt almost stopped breathing. Blaine drank from his bottle, smiling all the while, until his eyelids began to droop a little and Blaine yawned.

“I feel kinda sleepy Kurt. Wow, I’m… I’m sorry…”

Kurt smiled sympathetically and helped to guide Blaine as he began to sink to the floor. “I must have woken you up too early this morning, huh?”

“I’m just… you’ve done all this for me and I can… I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“Do you trust me, Blaine?” Kurt said as he took Blaine’s hand in his own.

Blaine laughed and he closed his eyes as he said, “I trust you…”

Kurt leant into Blaine’s slowly stilling body and pressed a small kiss to his soft lips. And eventually Blaine’s hand became heavy in Kurt’s, and his eyes closed a final time and his chest heaved its final breath.

Kurt stroked the boy’s hair for a little while before eventually plucking a rose from a nearby bush and placing it across Blaine’s chest.

Blaine had been perfect, had helped Kurt when he’d needed him most. He’d given him strength, courage and friendship and had been so achingly beautiful that it had been impossible for Kurt not to fall in love with him. Now, he would never change. Blaine Anderson would always be perfect.