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Hand holding isn’t always a romantic gesture. You hold hands with a friend when you don’t want to get separated in a crowd, or during a scary scene in a movie. Because it’s comforting to have someone nearby to hold onto when you feel inadequate or vulnerable. And you trust that person enough to take care of you.

For couples, holding hands symbolizes their union. In most cases, it’s a very casual display of affection. Something that’s not even thought about twice. It’s tame. It’s simple. Yet it still symbolizes so much more - even if the couple isn’t consciously thinking about it.

That’s what I really love about Kurt and Blaine’s hand holding throughout the course of their relationship. There are so many shots, in fact, that you can’t fit them all in one photoset. Some of them aren’t as significant as others, but they’re still there.

Hand holding isn’t just a superficial display of affection for them. There’s always a purpose for it, and it’s something we’re meant to notice. Especially after Kurt’s line in Sexy: “The touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets.”

As we know, Kurt didn’t necessarily mean anything beyond hand holding was too hot and heavy for him. But it really put what he values into focus. 

After their initial meeting, Kurt and Blaine didn’t hold hands until they officially became a couple. And yet, the meaning was never lost. It was never written off as casual simply because they were boyfriends and that’s what was expected of them.

There are three separate occasions in Prom Queen when hand holding is significant. The first being when Kurt asks Blaine to attend the dance. He can barely contain his excitement. And when he thinks Blaine is going to deny him, he quickly pulls his hands back. The other times involve Blaine literally reaching out to Kurt. The first, showing his support. The second, reminding him he doesn’t have to go through anything alone anymore. And that’s just one episode.

Because hand holding isn’t just a symbol of their romantic love. It’s a symbol of everything they’ve had to go through alone, and a symbol of coming together to carry that weight for each other.

There’s a really strong bond there - something that goes beyond the bond of two boyfriends. And it’s something that would probably remain even after the nastiest of breakups or fights. They are, in every sense of the word, soul mates. Even if you don’t believe in such a thing, there has to be someone in your life that you couldn’t stand to live without. Whether you love them in a romantic sense or not. Kurt and Blaine found that in each other long before their first kiss. And if you believe in fate, it was waiting for them before they even touched hands.