AN: Final part. There will be two more chapters after that + a 3(?) part epilogue.

Chapter 23: California Dreaming – Part 3

Blaine

Thursday was there last full day in California if the wanted to be back in Ohio on Sunday at a reasonable time, and Blaine woke Kurt early for their trip to Disneyland.

An hour later they were passing by the lines that were already forming outside the main entrance, grateful that they already had their tickets, as it was unreasonably hot already this early in the morning.

Kurt, they discovered, wasn't a fan of heights, but he still braved every rollercoaster Blaine wanted to get on to. He secretly liked Kurt's phobia because it meant that Kurt would press against him whenever the rollercoaster climbed up, hiding his face in Blaine's neck, just above the hickey Kurt had left on him the night before.

He would deny it if asked, but he might have spent some time in front of the mirror this morning admiring Kurt's handiwork. Unfortunately he couldn't see the one he had left on Kurt, as Kurt was wearing a shirt that didn't show much skin but he was still happy he had been allowed to put it there in the first place.

He smirked when he discovered a ride on the map that promised to get you wet, because he had noticed Kurt starring at him when he had taken his shirt off on the beach. The ride was the perfect excuse to do it again and observe Kurt's reaction. Maybe it was a bit evil, but he had his own insecurities, so knowing that his boyfriend found him hot, did boost his ego.

"What are you doing?" Kurt hissed when Blaine casually pulled his t-shirt over his head and tried not to laugh at Kurt whose face was already tomato red and who was struggling to keep his eyes up. Blaine pointed to some other people in line who had taken their shirts off as well. "Don't want to get my new shirt wet," he explained while he made sure to brush against Kurt as much as possible while they were waiting in line.

Kurt looked conflicted, before he sighed and pulled his shirt over his head as well, causing Blaine to sigh in return. He didn't know why he was actually surprised that his boyfriend was wearing another layer under his t-shirt, but at least there was a lot more skin on display now that Kurt was only in a tank top.

It was his turn to blush when Kurt caught him staring at the hickey poking out from under the strap and his boyfriend quickly rearranged his shirt to cover it, sending a glare in Blaine's direction.

"We don't have to go on the ride if it makes you uncomfortable," he told Kurt, knowing it was the right thing to do though he still hoped Kurt wouldn't back out. Unfortunately he could see how uncomfortable Kurt was, and the last thing he wanted was push him into something he didn't want to do – not after promising Kurt to never pressure him.

Kurt appeared to be deep in though, looking like he was fighting some kind of inner battle, before his expression changed and his boyfriend looked more determined than he had ever seen him before.

"Nah, it looks like fun and it is really hot today. I wouldn't mind cooling off a bit," he said, while his eyes raked over Blaine's body and Blaine was certain he was the one who was tomato red now. He couldn't believe Kurt was beating him at his own game.

"You need some help with the sunscreen?" he asked, knowing how much Kurt was afraid to get sunburned and also hoping to get his hands on Kurt for a bit.

His boyfriend took a quick look around, but no one was paying them any attention and so he received a tight nod. Blaine carefully spread the sunscreen over Kurt's pale shoulders and the adorable freckles he was sporting on his arms, which had been exposed to the sun for the past few days. He was relieved to see that Kurt was less bony now, having gained some muscles from helping his dad in the garage, his bones not sticking out like they had in the past.

No bruises were marring his beautiful skin, like they had the one time he had seen Kurt without a shirt, and he was happy to see the proof that the jocks really had backed off after Karofsky's suspension.

Not wanting to attract any attention either, he quickly covered the skin on display in sunscreen before he put it back into his bag and took Kurt's hand again, still having trouble though to keep his eyes off Kurt.

"You are staring," Kurt whispered a while later when they had nearly reached the end of the line. Blaine looked at his face to determine whether he was making Kurt uncomfortable, but all he could see was confusion.

"You are my boyfriend and you are hot. Of course I'm staring," he admitted in a hushed voice, ecstatic that he had put that pleased smile on Kurt's face that had appeared the moment he had complimented him.

Before Kurt could reply though the line moved forward again, and he and Kurt sat down next to each other in the first row of the boat to ensure getting wet. Ultimately, Blaine ended up shielding Kurt from the worst, which is why he looked like a drowned rat when the ride was over, his hair already curling like crazy on his head.

They decided to take their lunch break then, so they could get dry again in the sun and Blaine had to bat Kurt's hands away multiple times when his boyfriend attempted to play with his curls. He didn't understand why no one got that his hair was a curse, not adorable and most certainly nothing to play with.

Unfortunately, Kurt put his t-shirt back on as soon as he was dry again, covering up his lovely arms, but he was amused when Kurt pouted because he got dressed again as well.

Cooper called them soon afterward letting them know that he was going to take them out for their last night in L.A and to be back in time for a late dinner, to which he and Kurt agreed, before they went in search of Disney characters to take pictures with.

Kurt bought a Mickey Mouse cap for his dad, while he unsuccessfully tried to get Kurt into mouse ears. In the end Kurt relented and put them on for a second to pose for a picture, which Blaine immediately set as background for his phone, even though Kurt protested loudly.

Once they had seen and done most of the things they had wanted to do, they walked back to Blaine's car and stored their purchases in the backseat. There was still time until they had to meet Cooper for dinner so Blaine didn't get on the interstate and instead drove north on the Pacific Coast Highway so he could check travel on the 101 off his bucket list. He and Kurt stopped a few times to take pictures with the pacific ocean behind them, their arms around one another while they were basking in the sun. Kurt looked like a movie start with his big dark sunglasses and his hair ruffled by the wind, Blaine thought as he snapped a few more pictures of Kurt on his own.

They ordered in for dinner as Cooper confessed to not being the best cook himself before he told them to get dressed in something hip so he could take them out clubbing.

Blaine doubted at first that Cooper could actually get them into a club, but had to believe Cooper was right when he said people didn't get carded if the doormen thought they were someone important. He just hoped that Cooper's newest plan would work better than his last one had.

"Where are we even going?" Kurt asked once they were dressed and on their way to Cooper's car. "A gay bar a friend recommended," Cooper replied nonchalantly as if that was something he did often, before he went over the plan again.

As per Cooper's instructions he gave the brothers a bit of a head start, but started walking briskly down the street when he saw Kurt and Cooper had nearly reached the front entrance of the club. It was still early so there wasn't a line out front, for which Blaine was grateful. He put on his best game face before he rushed over to Kurt.

"Oh my god," he exclaimed as overly dramatic as possible. "I can't believe it's you. You were so hot in the newest Twilight movie. And oh my god, I can't believe I just said that out loud," he rambled on, while watching the bouncer from the corner of his eyes. Kurt was definitely on his radar now, and he looked like he was trying to figure out if he had seen Kurt in anything before.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you and your friend but could I maybe get an autograph. Then I'll get out of your hair," Blaine continued playing the star struck stranger. As planned Kurt gave him a quick once over before he winked and nodded in the direction of the bar.

"Why don't I buy you a drink and you can tell me all about how hot I was in that movie," he drawled, the night sky hiding the blush Blaine was certain was on Kurt's face. "My agent shouldn't babysit me for too long hopefully," he added with a nod in Cooper's direction, before he grabbed Blaine's hand and the two of them strode over to the doormen, Kurt giving off an air of confidence, Blaine wasn't sure he would be able to pull off.

As Cooper had predicted, the bouncer stepped aside and let them through without asking for their IDs and Cooper followed a few steps behind, mumbling something about arrogant newcomers.

As soon as they were out of sight, Cooper led them to a table in a corner where they had a good view of the dance floor and weren't too far away from the bar.

"I can't believe that worked," Blaine exclaimed once they were seated and had drinks in front of them - an Appletini for him, Bloody Mary for Cooper and a Virgin Daiquiri for Kurt.

"Like I told you. Pick a movie everyone knows about but not many over twenty have seen and pretend to star in it. That guy had no idea who you are supposed to be, but he couldn't risk turning you away because having you in the club might be good publicity for them," Cooper explained once more, while he and Kurt were still in shock that Cooper's plan hadn't backfired on them.

For the first half hour they just sat at their table, watching as more and more people filled the club. Both he and Kurt were staring wide-eyed at the diversity in the bar. He had no grounds for comparison as he had never been to a gay bar before, but he didn't imagine that Lima's only gay bar was anything like the one they were in.

"You have an admirer," Cooper suddenly pointed at a guy in his early twenties who was staring intently at Kurt. Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders, not liking how this guy was treating his boyfriend like nothing more than a piece of meat, but he held his tongue because Kurt seemed to enjoy the attention.

After all, he knew how low Kurt's self esteem could be at times, so he let the guy look – as long as he stayed away from Kurt.

"Do you want to dance?" he yelled into Kurt's ear a while later after fending off his own admirer who reminded him of the creep Sebastian. The dance floor was packed by now, men grinding against one another in a way Blaine could never imagine doing in public.

Kurt looked a bid skeptical as well, but still took his outstretched hand. The number playing at the moment was an upbeat pop song and at first he and Kurt were just goofing off, keeping a respectable distance between them, but then Blaine saw Kurt's admirer from earlier approach them, and he quickly wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him closer, making sure to keep their hips apart though.

Thankfully, Kurt went willingly and if his smirk was any indication, he was well aware of Blaine's motives. They moved together to the beat of the song until it changed to a slower number and Blaine dropped his head onto Kurt's shoulder.

He had never really slow danced with a boy before and it reminded him of something he had so far pushed to the back of his mind.

"Do you want to go to prom?" he yelled into Kurt's ear before he cringed because his boyfriend deserved better than a shouted proposal in a gay bar.

"Let's talk about it when we drive back home," Kurt yelled back and Blaine nodded. He didn't know where his courage had come from – after his disastrous experience in middle school – and he hoped it hadn't just been liquid courage. It was probably better to discuss the topic when he was thinking rationally again.

Cooper joined time a bit later, making a fool out of himself on the dance floor, which still got him a couple of phone numbers. Blaine wasn't surprised though because Kurt's brother was definitely good looking.

After another round of cocktails they decided to call it at night because they wanted to leave early Friday morning. They had decided to take another route back because Blaine wanted to see Las Vegas and Kurt the Hoover Dam. It would take them longer to get back but they wanted to see a few more things along the road.

Luckily, another bouncer had taken over so they didn't have to worry about getting into trouble after all.

"You should spend the summer out here," Cooper suggested on the drive back to his apartment. "I could see if I can get you jobs as guides or something like that. Any maybe," he continued," I can convince you that L.A is the place to be if you want to be in entertainment."

Blaine didn't care either way. There were good schools on the east coast as well as on the west coast and he knew he wanted to be wherever Kurt was. And right now, Kurt was set on New York City.

"I'll have to talk to my dad about it. I won't be eighteen till November," he replied when Kurt just shrugged and looked at him questioningly.

To be honest, he wouldn't mind spending some time in California during their summer break, but ultimately it wasn't up to him. He knew his dad would insist on their annual camping trip after school let out for the summer, but other than that he had no further plans yet. He could audition for King's Island again, but they had amusement parks in California as well. Bigger and better ones.

It was just another thing he had to discuss with Kurt during their trip back home.

Kurt

Las Vegas was loud and shrill even in the morning and Kurt couldn't stop laughing every time Blaine got shooed away from a poker table or slot machine.

He loved the replicas of European landmarks though, because he had never been and this was the closest he would probably ever get to the Eiffel Tower.

They didn't have much time to linger though, only making it through the most famous hotels, before they had to move on again.

It was already close to four in the afternoon when they finally reached the border between Nevada and Arizona and looked down the huge Hoover Dam. The sun was burning down on them and Kurt pulled Blaine into the shadows watching the water glistening below.

"Did you mean it when you asked me to prom?" he finally asked, because though he had dreamed of one day having a date to something like prom, he had never imagined he would get that while still living in Ohio.

Blaine looked out on the river as if it was giving him the right answer before he turned to face Kurt and spoke.

"I want to go, I really do. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I know nothing can happen to us inside with the teachers around but what if someone catches us in the parking lot. I can't have a repeat of my last dance."

Kurt nodded. He had seen how scared Blaine had been when Karofsky had been waiting for them in the parking lot and so he understood why Blaine might be hesitant to go to prom with him.

"But I also don't want fear to dictate my life. We both deserve to celebrate with our classmates just like every other student. And if I have to ask my dad to walk us to the door and pick us from inside, so be it," Blaine continued, sounding a lot more determined than he had only moments ago.

"So yes. Kurt Anderson, would you do me the honor and escort me to our junior prom?" Blaine asked, while holding Kurt's hand to his heart. Kurt threw his arms around his boyfriend before quickly pressing their lips together.

A few people were glaring in their direction Kurt noticed when they separated but he didn't give a damn in that moment because he had a date to prom.

"I need to start looking at tuxes as soon as we get home," he mused out loud, causing Blaine to chuckle. "Kurt, prom isn't for another month. We still have Nationals before that," he reminded him, but Kurt just shrugged. This was the first social event he would attend with Blaine and he intended to look fabulous.

After snapping a few more pictures they got back into Blaine's car and continued their journey, briefly stopping for dinner in Flagstaff, Arizona. They both knew they couldn't spend tons of time in each place they stopped because they were losing three hours to the time difference between California and Ohio and were taking a route that took more time as well.

They finally stopped for the night, close to Gallup, New Mexico because Blaine liked the name and they both had trouble keeping their eyes open. As soon as they were in their motel room they collapsed on their bed and fell into a deep sleep before they could even take their shoes off.

They left bright and early again the next day and stopped for brunch in Albuquerque before turning away from the road they had taken to California and made their way up to Santa Fe, singing the song from 'Rent' with both their windows down. They stopped briefly to pick up some groceries so they wouldn't have to stop again for a while before Kurt took over the wheel for their track to Denver where they stopped for dinner.

Later that night, they were cuddled up on their bed in a motel in a small town in Kansas, watching 'The Wizard of Oz' on Blaine's laptop.

"Do you think it'd be a good idea to spend parts of the summer in L.A with Cooper?" Kurt asked once they credits rolled down. He could probably get a summer job at the Lima Bean or work more hours for Burt, but having a summer job in California did sound a bit more glamorous and he wanted to have something to rub in the face of all the people at McKinley who had called him a loser.

"I'm pretty sure my dad is going to take us camping for a few days after school ends, but I'm not opposed to the idea either. I mean, yeah, your brother is a bit crazy, but the last few days were exciting. But I honestly have no idea if my dad would let me go. Maybe for a few weeks but probably not the whole summer," Blaine replied and Kurt tried to imagine spending his break in L.A with Blaine stuck in Lima. He didn't like the thought, but maybe it wouldn't be too bad to practice spending some time apart, in case they didn't go to college in the same city.

"Let's just talk to Burt when we get back," Kurt suggested because that wasn't a decision they could make on their own anyway.

If he was quite honest he had liked L.A more than he thought he would but Nationals was coming up in New York and he was sure that once he got to the city of his dreams he would forget about L.A in a heartbeat. Sure that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a summer out west, but there was no way that Cooper could convince him to move west after he graduated high school.

He fell asleep that night dreaming about strolling down Fifth Avenue hand in hand with Blaine, dressed in fabulous clothes, all traces of the old Kurt Anderson erased.

By the time they reached Kansas City Sunday morning, Kurt was ready to call it quits on the road trip but unfortunately they still had to drive through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and parts of Ohio before they reached their final destination.

They didn't stop anymore, opting for food from drive thrus that they alternated eating, but it was still close to midnight when they finally pulled into the Hummel driveway. Burt swept them into a hug as soon as they had climbed out of the car, and Kurt couldn't wait to stretch his stiff limbs.

Burt offered to let them take the day off school the next morning because they both were extremely exhausted but both him and Blaine convinced Burt that they would be able to go.

They couldn't miss Glee again, because Ms. Corcoran would announce their set list and the performers in the first meeting after spring break so they had about a month to perfect it.

It was weird falling asleep without Blaine by his side, after a week of spending every night together, but he knew it wasn't a possibility anymore as long as they still lived at home and he had to respect that.

They had been lucky as they were that Burt had allowed it in the first place and he was sure they would be interrogated as soon as they were more coherent.

His was bone tired though and pretty much passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow even without Blaine to snuggle into. One day, he promised himself before he fell into a deep sleep.

AN: Another way to get into a 'cool' club in L.A - make the bouncer pity you ;) That's how me and my friends accidentally ended up at Jack Osborne's birthday party where we ran into a bunch of other washed up celebrities lol