It's been about a month since the first time they kissed, and the wound on Blaine's side has healed a long time ago, but sometimes he still feels like he's living in some unbelievable painkiller induced alternate universe where Kurt Hummel is actually in love with him. It feels unreal, after so many months or even years of first wondering why he felt so connected to Kurt and then trying to figure out what to do with his growing feelings. After so many months of trying to imagine what Kurt's lips might taste like, of hoping that he could hug him more often and initiate something more than just those casual pats on the back he does to everyone on his team.

But now he knows that Kurt's lips taste like something wonderful and a little different each time – sometimes like coffee, sometimes like early morning sunlight, or sometimes just like Kurt, soft and smiling and enticing. He knows what Kurt's body feels like when it's pressed against his own, knows what the skin underneath Kurt's layers feels like and even what it tastes like, knows that there are tiny freckles spread over Kurt's shoulders and that there's a small scar on his thigh from a con gone wrong, knows that he lets out a little gasp every time Blaine's lips move down his throat and kiss the long column of his neck.

It's not necessarily always about sex, either, though what little they've done so far has been amazing. Work is busy as always, and often when they end up spending the night together (usually at Blaine's apartment because he doesn't want to leave Perry alone for too long) they just curl around each other on the bed that doesn't feel so big anymore and trade lazy kisses until they fall asleep. It's more about exploration – Blaine has spent years and years trying to make sense of Kurt's mind, and now he has the honor of doing the same to Kurt's body.

Yet no matter how many nights they spend together or how many times they've kissed, it all still sometimes feels so unreal. But then Blaine catches Kurt staring at him over the files of their current case, a barely noticeable smile lighting up his face in a way that makes Blaine automatically smile back at him, and the moment is so private, so significant, that he knows that this is real. That somehow they figured it out.

They have managed to act normal around the office, or as normal as they've ever been. Blaine knows it's not exactly normal for agents and CIs to be that friendly with each other, even if the Bureau encourages them to make the effort. Most agents don't take their lunch breaks with their CI, or sit with them at the office until all the other agents have left, talking about things that don't necessarily concern the case they're working on right now.

He and Kurt had a conversation about it late one night when they were lying on Blaine's bed, Perry snoring on the floor next to them, and they figured that it would be less suspicious if they just acted the way they always did around each other before this happened, and so far it seems to be working. Blaine can still squeeze Kurt's shoulders, pat his back and smile at him; he just needs to tone his feelings down a bit when there are other agents around.

They both have undercover experience, so it really isn't that hard, even if sometimes Blaine's heart still aches with the need to just lean over the conference room table and kiss Kurt's lovely smiling lips, pull him close and run his fingers over Kurt's lean torso.

His heart is actually kind of doing that right now.

The whole team's sitting in the conference room, discussing the bank robbery they're working on, when Blaine suddenly realizes that he has been staring at the soft smile on Kurt's face for at least a few seconds too long, and it's really a wonder that no one from his team has said anything by now.

Right. Team. Conference room. They're working.

Blaine looks away, focusing on the file in his hands, but he still notices the way Tina's eyes flick curiously from him to Kurt and back, her eyebrows furrowing.

"So," Blaine says over the general chatter of the room, all the other agents quieting down almost immediately. He straightens his back and deliberately keeps his eyes away from Kurt, concentrating back on the issue at hand. "We know how much money was stolen and we know that the robbers had somehow gotten their hands on the key code to the vault, but we still don't know how they got in and out of the building itself in broad daylight with hundreds of people inside the bank. Any thoughts?"

"The back entrance seems like the most obvious choice," Sam comments, gesturing towards the blueprint of the bank projected onto the pull-down screen behind Blaine.

Blaine shakes his head, flipping through the case file. "Mm, too obvious. There was a guard near it, and he didn't see anything. The surveillance cameras also show nothing."

"If I may?" Kurt starts, raising his hand. Blaine nods at him to continue. "They could have used the roof – there's a clear route from the roof to the backroom where the vaults are, but it's not very secure." He points at the blueprint. "If I were them, I would've used the cellar instead – there's a maintenance room down there, as these blueprints show, and considerably fewer cameras. The maintenance elevator is probably quite easy to hack, even without a keycard, and the robbers could've just blended in with the cleaners when they got to the ground floor." He crosses his arms over his chest, sniffing indignantly. "Besides, it's not exactly a surprise that they got hold of the key code. You should probably tell the bank manager that codes like that are supposed to be changed at least daily, not weekly."

Blaine bites back a smile. One of the younger probies is looking at Kurt like she can't believe he's real, and Sam seems to be hiding his own grin behind his hand.

"I will let the bank manager know that," Blaine promises. He puts down the file he's been holding before he addresses the whole team again. "Alright, let's go with Kurt's suggestion and check out the basement for any evidence. Check the roof as well, just in case," he adds as the agents start collecting their papers and rising from their seats. He turns his head to look at the blueprint over his shoulder and frowns. "This seems like a professional job. We should probably check if there are any similar cases..."

"I can do that," Kurt's voice says next to him, and Blaine swivels back to see him leaning against the table right behind him, staying out of the way as the other agents get out of the room. "I have a few ideas about old cases that fit the M.O.," he adds, "so I could go down to the records floor and see if I can find some of those case files."

Blaine smiles, resisting the urge to reach out and rest his hand over Kurt's on the conference room table. "Sure. Let me know if you need any help."

"Will do," Kurt promises and winks at him.

A pleasant warmth swoops through Blaine's stomach. Kurt pushes himself off the table, and when he walks past Blaine their arms brush, the backs of their hands sliding over each other in a way that is clearly deliberate, and Blaine's skin tingles, as if there are sparks running up his arm. He will probably never get tired of touching Kurt, whether it's a small, partly hidden casual touch like this one, or something bigger and more meaningful.

Kurt walks out of the room and jogs down the stairs to the lower level, glancing at Blaine one last time over his shoulder before he pushes his hands in his pockets and disappears towards the elevators. Blaine shakes his head to clear his thoughts and looks around the conference room. There are a few chairs that aren't pushed all the way under the table, and he goes around the room straightening them out before he collects his papers and makes his way to his own office.

He calls the bank manager and signs a few clearances, and is currently emptying his inbox when his phone beeps in his pocket, the sudden noise startling him from the ever-interesting world of FBI bulletins.

From Kurt:
I think I might need some help.

From Blaine:
Can't find the files?

From Kurt:
Something like that. Can you just come down here for a moment?

From Blaine:
Alright, give me a minute.

Blaine turns off his computer and gets out of his office as quickly as he can. There are agents working in the records department at this time of the day, and he has no idea why Kurt won't just ask them for help, but he makes his way to the basement anyway, smiling at the agent sitting behind the front desk.

"Your CI went that way some time ago," the agent says before Blaine even has the chance to ask, gesturing at the left-hand side of the room and not even looking up from his laptop.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Blaine gives another smile and steps into the vast labyrinth of bookshelves and old case files. They have electronic records of all the old cases as well, but Blaine has always preferred the good old paper files. They seem more concrete, more meaningful and official, with authentic signatures and old coffee stains, and after that one time when there was a power outage that shut down all the computers in the white collar office he has never underestimated the power of printed copies.

Because of all that Blaine knows his way around the records department quite well, and he heads automatically towards that corner of the large room that has case files on old bank robberies. He walks between the familiar shelves, peeking around them to catch a sight of Kurt and letting his fingers run over the backs of the folders every now and then. It always smells a bit musty in this floor, but he doesn't mind.

He finds Kurt almost in the farthest corner of the room, leaning against a bookshelf and flipping through a case file with the expression of a person who has nothing better to do.

"There you are," Blaine sing-songs and steps closer to him. Kurt looks up, his mouth immediately turning into a smile. "If you needed help finding the right files, you could've just asked Bill," Blaine continues, nodding his head towards the front desk, several bookcases blocking the view of it from where they're standing. "He knows this place a lot better than I do."

Kurt's smile turns a little mischievous, and he slowly pushes the file he was reading back into the shelf. "Actually, I found a few similar cases already. And the files for them are right here." He taps his finger against a small pile of flies that has been placed in an empty nook in the shelf next to him.

Blaine frowns in confusion. "Then why did you..."

"Did you know," Kurt interrupts in a conversational voice, taking a step closer, his eyes suddenly focused on Blaine's face, "that this exact spot isn't covered by any of the FBI surveillance cameras? Meaning that no one can see what happens right... here."

He wraps his fingers slowly around Blaine's tie and pulls him closer, a spark in his eyes, and Blaine's mouth turns dry as his mind finally catches up.

"Oh," he breathes out. He rests his hands on Kurt's waist, pulling him against himself until their chests are touching and there's almost no space between their faces. "Is that so?" he drawls.

Kurt hums in agreement and then turns them around a little so that he can pin Blaine against the nearest bookshelf. A few of the folders dig into Blaine's back, but he doesn't mind, not when Kurt's hands are warm at the small of his back, inching their way underneath his suit jacket.

"I missed you last night," Kurt whispers and bends his head so that he can trail his nose over Blaine's jawline, practically nuzzling his skin.

Blaine tilts his head back, letting out a small gasp when Kurt crowds him closer to the bookshelf and pushes his knee between Blaine's legs. "I– I missed you too," he manages to choke out. "But I promised Captain Kowalski that I'd help him with that late night stake-out and –"

"I know, Blaine. I know." Kurt sounds amused, and he lifts his head for a moment, his fingers still teasing the waistband of Blaine's pants. "I just... It was just weird, going a whole day without getting the chance to kiss you."

There's a hint of shyness in his smile, and the fact that Kurt missed him, missed kissing him, makes Blaine's heart beat a little bit faster. "It was weird," he repeats, resting his forehead against Kurt's. "I would've much rather spent the night with you instead of being cooped up in a stuffy van with five members of New York's finest."

Kurt laughs and leans in to capture Blaine's lips. The kiss is so slow and sensual that Blaine's toes curl in his shoes, and he can't help but lick into Kurt's mouth, hearing the way Kurt's breath hitches at the contact. Kurt's fingers tighten their hold on Blaine's back, digging almost painfully into his skin through his clothes, and Blaine's own hands move up to Kurt's broad shoulders, grabbing his jacket and pulling him closer.

Kurt pulls back a little, his lips still brushing Blaine's. "Please don't wrinkle my clothes. I still have to wear them for the rest of the day."

"You're the one who was abusing my vintage tie just a moment ago," Blaine teases back and kisses the corner of Kurt's mouth.

"M-hm." Kurt smiles, and there's something familiar about the curve of his smile, something that Blaine has seen in a different context before, and when he realizes what it is he can't help but bark out a sudden laugh. Kurt leans back and tilts his head in confusion. "What? What's so funny?"

"You just smiled your charmer smile at me," Blaine laughs, petting Kurt's back. "You know, the one you use when you're trying to charm one of your marks to do something you want them to do?"

Kurt freezes for a moment and then tries to pull away from Blaine's touch, his eyes shocked. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to use my con mannerisms on you –"

"Hey no, wait, where are you going?" Blaine exclaims, sobering and pulling him in again. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I don't want you to think that I'm... conning you right now, or trying to charm you like one of my marks," Kurt explains, leaning against Blaine. His voice sounds a bit biting, like Blaine has noticed it sometimes gets when he's worried, and his forehead is creased in obvious distress.

"Kurt, no. I won't – I don't think that you're conning me." Blaine tilts his head so he can look into Kurt's eyes, putting emphasis on his words. "I can tell when you're being genuine, and you've always been genuine with me. Well, almost always," he assures him, knowing that Kurt will know what he's referring to with the word 'almost' and not take it the wrong way. In situations like this it helps that they've been reading and trying to figure out each other for years. "And that smile right there was genuine," he continues. "It was just a lot like your charmer smile, and it was... funny." He cringes. "Sorry."

Kurt lets out a laugh, the lines disappearing from his forehead. "So, what, I use my charmer smile when I'm trying to get into your pants?"

"It seems like that," Blaine jokes, but then Kurt's lips turn up into that smile again, and suddenly Blaine feels warm all over. Kurt's hands move slowly to the small of his back and even lower this time, and he leans in to kiss Blaine, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. Blaine's eyelids flutter closed, and he concentrates on the feeling of Kurt against him, his to figure out and learn about, his to hold and kiss and love.

Kurt is smiling into the kiss, and for a moment Blaine just floats, allows his own hands to squeeze Kurt's waist and lets out a little hum when Kurt tilts his head just right and their mouths align perfectly. After a while he feels Kurt's knee inching closer to his crotch, though, and he suddenly remembers where they are, the thought of Kurt being sent back to prison making him break the kiss with a gasp.

"You do realize that anyone could walk in on us?" he says in a low voice, even though he doesn't want to stop. "This is still public area, even if the surveillance cameras don't cover this spot. I– I'm actually surprised Bill hasn't come looking for us yet."

Kurt leans back and pouts at him. "Are you asking me to stop?"

Blaine laughs, his fingers drawing patterns on Kurt's back. "I'm saying that this is quite risky, and we agreed to be careful."

"I know, I know," Kurt sighs. "It's just... difficult, sometimes."

Blaine gives him a sympathetic smile, leaning in to press a quick peck on his lips. "I know. I hate it too, especially on days like yesterday when I can't spend time with you after work."

The corners of Kurt's mouth quirk up. "Your place tonight?" he suggests. "We could cook dinner and watch something mindless from your DVR to get our minds off robberies and indolent bank managers?"

"That sounds wonderful," Blaine agrees. "I think I have some chicken in the freezer."

"Perfect." Kurt grins at him, his fingers dancing over Blaine's back one last time before he steps away and puts some distance between them. Blaine instantly feels a little colder, a little more unsteady without Kurt so close to him, and he almost reaches out to pull him back.

Sometimes he really dislikes the official FBI rulebook.

He watches as Kurt straightens his jacket and tie, runs his fingers through the sweep of his hair and grabs the files he came for from the shelf, and only then does Blaine remember that his own tie is probably crooked as well. Kurt smiles at him in amusement when he scrambles to push himself off the bookshelf and to make sure that his clothes look the way they did when he came down to the records floor. After he's done they step out of their safe spot together, back to the space covered by security cameras. Blaine nods at Bill when they pass the front desk, and soon they're in the elevator on their way to the 21st floor, talking about the case as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. And perhaps it didn't.

---

It's later that same day when Blaine is going through the old case files Kurt found that Tina knocks on his door, peeking into his office. He looks up, his mind momentarily continuing to go through the details of a bank robbery from a few years ago until he blinks his eyes and realizes that Tina is looking at him with an expectant expression, her eyes almost a little... worried.

"Hey Tina, come on in," he says, gesturing for her to come inside. "What's up?"

She steps in and closes the door slowly behind her before she faces Blaine. "I got these results from evidence. Thought you might want to see them," she mentions, putting the papers she's holding on Blaine's desk.

"Thanks." Blaine reaches out to take the papers, but something in Tina's expression stops him. "Was that all?" he asks carefully.

Tina bites her lip for a moment, and then just blurts out, "Are you and Kurt fooling around?"

Blaine freezes, his hand stopping to hover over the papers. It feels like someone has punched the air out of his lungs, and it takes all of his willpower to school his face into something that doesn't look completely terrified and to keep his hand from shaking.

"W-what?" he laughs out, trying to go for incredulous but probably failing at least a little.

"You and Kurt," Tina repeats, her eyes searching his face. "There's something going on with the two of you, and I just... Blaine, I know you have feelings for him, and I have started to accept him, I really have, but he's still a con-man and –"

"Wait, Tina, stop," Blaine interrupts, letting his hand fall down on his desk. He furrows his brows, still trying to keep his real emotions from showing. "What do you mean?"

Tina sighs and pushes a strand of hair from her face. "It's just... I've noticed the way you look at each other sometimes, and if you are fooling around, I want to make sure that you know the risk you're taking. Blaine, you could get fired," she stresses. "I know you like him, but do you even know what he feels for you? Is it really worth –"

Blaine leans back in his chair with a sigh, covering his eyes with his hand and massaging his temples with his fingertips. He knows that Tina means well, but he also knows that she loves office gossip and doesn't trust Kurt entirely, and he just... He can't be the only one making the decision about whether or not to tell her the truth. It could go wrong in so many ways, and that same fear that gripped his heart earlier in the records department is back again. He knows that if the truth came out, Kurt could lose a lot more than he – Peterson and one or two of his other superiors would probably support him, but Kurt would go straight back to prison, no questions asked, and Blaine... He wouldn't be able handle that. He couldn't handle letting Kurt down like that, being separated from him like that.

"Does Sam know?" he finally asks tiredly, stopping Tina's tirade.

She pauses, blinking her eyes at him. "He... We've both had our suspicions, but that's –"

Blaine gets up and walks to the door of his office, startling Tina with the sudden movement. He opens the door and leans out on to the landing.

"Kurt, Sam, could you come here for a moment?" he calls out to the lower level, waiting until they've both looked up from their work and nodded at him before he goes back inside.

"What are you..." Tina asks, following him with her eyes as he moves to sit down behind his desk again.

"If we're going to talk about this, I want everyone to be present," he says decisively, straightening his jacket and trying to ignore the way his heart is beating against his chest in anxiousness.

Kurt and Sam step inside his office after a moment, both of them looking confused when they see Tina there. Kurt takes one look at Blaine's face, his eyes widening in a barely noticeable way, and he immediately closes the door behind them, shutting out the general chatter and hum of the office space.

"Is this about the case?" Sam asks, plopping down on one of the chairs in front of Blaine's desk.

Blaine shakes his head, meeting Kurt's eyes across the room. Kurt stays standing, but he moves to lean against the back wall of the room, and Blaine can't help but notice that the way they're situated looks almost as if it's him and Kurt against Tina and Sam, and that's... Tina and Sam are his friends, the best agents of his team, and he has worked with them for years, has known Sam even longer – but right now they're an unsolved mystery, something that could make or break him and Kurt.

"No, it's..." he starts, glancing at Kurt one last time. "It's about me and Kurt."

"Ohhh," Sam says slowly, his lips turning into a goofy grin. He winks at Blaine. "You guys are doing it, aren't you?"

Tina's head snaps around to stare at him. "Oh my god, Sam, this is not something to joke about!" she hisses.

"What, he's been making heart eyes at Kurt for at least the last couple of weeks!" Sam counters, gesturing at Blaine. "I mean, it's not that obvious, but it's obvious to me. No offense, man, but I've been able to read you like an open book ever since Quantico," he adds.

Blaine gives a weak smile. Kurt's arms are crossed tightly over his chest, his face an impassive mask, and Blaine wants to touch him, reassure him somehow, but he can't do that, not yet at least. He does stare at him until he meets his eyes, though, and Blaine raises his eyebrows, hoping that the question is clear in his gaze. Kurt stays still for a moment, but then he nods imperceptibly, as if he's saying, fine, let's take a chance.

"Kurt and I..." Blaine starts, slowly moving his eyes from Kurt to Sam and Tina. "We're not just fooling around, as Tina so eloquently put it. We're..." He pauses, stealing one last glance of Kurt's eyes. "We're dating. We're together."

It's silent for a moment, and Blaine desperately wants to reach out and take Kurt's hand for support, but eventually it's Sam who moves first, offering his fist to Blaine and exclaiming, "Dude, finally!"

"Oh god," Tina says, the tone of her voice making Sam's fist drop down and Blaine turn to look at her. "Blaine, I know you have feelings for him, but how can you even know that he has feelings for you too?" She looks Kurt up and down. "I mean, no offence, but you're basically known for lying and conning people, and..."

Blaine's fingers instinctively flex over the desk. He opens his mouth to say something, but Kurt beats him to it, pushing himself off the wall and looking at Tina straight in the eyes.

"Do you really think I would risk everything I have just to con Blaine?" he asks in an incredulous voice. "This life is all I have now, and if I mess up I go straight back to prison. Do you really think I would risk all this just so I could, I don't know, get even with the FBI agent who caught me and offered me a chance to do something worthwhile?"

Tina splutters for a moment before she takes a deep breath and straightens her back. "I don't know, Kurt," she replies haughtily. "I can't read you, I don't know you like I know Blaine –"

"I love him," Kurt interrupts, and the way he says it makes Blaine turn around and stare at him, something warm and amazed rippling through his body. Kurt's voice is even and resolute, without any hesitation or doubt, and it makes even Tina close her mouth in astonishment. "That's why I'm willing to risk everything," Kurt continues, looking almost severe as he says it. "I'm willing to risk whatever it takes because he's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Sam is grinning like a mad man, and Blaine can't help it, he can't stop himself – he reaches out and takes Kurt's hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing his knuckles because standing up and kissing his lips would be too grand a gesture with the stupid glass walls of his office. Kurt turns to look at him, a sudden blush darkening his cheeks as a soft smile lights up his face, and he tangles their fingers together, stroking his thumb over Blaine's knuckles.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Blaine breathes out. He doesn't care that it's only been a month, he doesn't care that Tina and Sam are still staring at them, because Kurt just said that he loved him, and Blaine feels like he could jump on his desk and sing his heart out for the first time in years. "And I love you too."

Kurt's smile widens, the corners of his eyes crinkling and his nose scrunching up like he can't contain his joy, and it's the most beautiful thing Blaine has ever seen.

"B-but –" Tina interrupts, looking between the two of them. "You could be sent back to prison. And Blaine, you could lose your job! I mean, I know that those old rumors have started to die down after Kurt took care of you when you were shot, but it's still against the rules, no matter what the team would think."

"We know," Blaine sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Which is why I'm hoping you will keep this to yourselves. We're trying to keep this under the wraps, and the only reason I – we – told you is because you asked and because I know I can trust you. But if someone else asks about it, we're..." He stops, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"We're going to lie," Kurt finishes softly. "The stakes are bit too high to tell the truth, even if I'm trying to lie less," he adds with a smile.

Sam nods. "Yeah, of course. I don't want to get you in trouble." He grins. "I'm just happy that you guys figured things out. It was looking kind of bad for a moment there." He offers his fist to Blaine again, and this time Blaine bumps it with a laugh.

"What about you, Tina?" Kurt asks, and there's a clear challenge in his voice.

Tina looks up from her hands, taking in their expectant expressions. "I... Of course I'm not going to tell anyone," she promises. "I'm just worried that this'll cause some problems for our work."

"It won't," Blaine says. "We'll keep working the way we always have before."

Tina looks between them, her brows furrowed. "I guess you're pretty serious about this then? I just... I can't believe I hadn't noticed anything earlier. I'm an agent, I'm supposed to notice things."

Kurt raises his eyebrows. "I'd be a pretty crappy ex-con-man if you had noticed this," he points out.

Tina gives a laugh, and it almost feels like a truce to Blaine, like Tina is finally willing to bury her suspicions about Kurt. It's comforting, to know that at least his closest friends accept him and Kurt, that there are two people they don't have to hide from, even if the rest of the Bureau can never know. He leans back in his chair, smiling to himself. This went a lot better than he anticipated.

"Thanks for this, guys," he says quietly.

Sam stretches his arms above his head, rolling his eyes. "Dude, we're a team. This is what teams do. We fight crime and protect each other."

Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand and then disentangles their fingers, moving to grab one of the remaining chairs and dragging it closer to the desk. "Speaking of crimes," he starts, changing the subject. "I was going through the old case files, and I think I have a few possible suspects for our bank robbery."

Blaine grins, taking the papers he abandoned earlier and laying them in the middle of his desk so they can all see them. "Same here. Shall we compare notes?"

Tina pulls out her notepad and pen from her pocket, flipping the pad open and posing the pen over it. Sam drops his hands down and starts looking over the papers as Kurt explains the case he found from five years ago that has a similar M.O. as their current one, exactly the same case that caught Blaine's attention as well, and it feels so seamless, so easy, like everything's okay. A sense of gratitude washes over Blaine, and when he looks over to Kurt, watching the way he moves his hands as he explains the case, the way he makes eye contact with all three of them as the pieces of the case click into place, Blaine feels more like home than he ever has before.

These people, Kurt especially – they are his safety net. His home.