“Do you want to go walk on the beach?” Kurt asked Blaine, walking out to the patio where his boyfriend had been sitting after their meal.

“Sure. Are you feeling up to a little bit of a hike or would rather walk on the flat sand tonight and take it easy??”

“Im up for some adventure, lets go,” Kurt smiled. He hadnt had time to talk to Blaine alone since his father had told him the news.

They strolled down to the shore, hand in hand, and walked along the tide pools. They were just small ones here, nothing like the deep ones on the atoll. Neither felt a need to break the silence.

Sitting on a piece of driftwood to rest for a moment, Kurt turned to Blaine, cupping his cheek to see his eyes in the waning light of the evening.

“I love you, Blaine Anderson.”

“I love you, too, Kurt Hummel,” Blaine said back after kissing his cheek. “What did your dad have to say? Youve been so silent all evening. Is there something you need to tell me?”

“Yes,” Kurt said, kissing his lips softly.

“Is it good news?” Blaine asked, looking into Kurts eyes. After five months of blank staring, the twinkling blue of Kurts seeing eyes focused on his was a delight beyond what Blaine had imagined. He was so thankful that Dr. Avon was able to remove the blood clot with such success.

“Oh, maybe. Ill start by telling you that my Uncle Frank is buying my dads shop back in Lima,” Kurt teased, wanting to lead up to the best news. “Dad says he is getting older and hes not up to climbing under cars these days.”

“He is doing fine for his age and the condition of his heart, Kurt, so dont worry. He does need to keep exercising, but climbing under cars and the stress of being the owner of a small business are not really the best things for him. I had advised him to back off the hands-on portion of the repairs, so Im happy to know he is listening to me and to his cardiologist,” Blaine said, smiling sadly. He could see in Kurts eyes that he was afraid for his father. Blaine took his hand and they got up to walk further down the beach.

“Dad told me he might be getting serious. About Carole.”

“That doesnt surprise me. I know Carole and Finn didnt want to go back to North Carolina, thats why they were here with her folks. I know they were trying to decide where to move. Have Carole or Finn mentioned where they might want to settle? Maybe in Ohio?” Blaine grinned, thinking he knew what was coming. He was wrong.

“No, I think theyre staying here with Milo and Rebecca,” Kurt said, wondering when Blaine would figure out that he was going to stay here, too.

“Oh. Gee, I thought Burt and Carole were...kind of closer than that. Did he say when you two are going home?” Blaine asked, not wanting to hear the answer, but at least he would be able to check and see if there were any job openings in Lima.

Kurt just walked down the beach, hand in hand with Blaine. They came to a rocky outcropping and Blaine scrambled up and over the first large rock, putting out a hand to help the chestnut-haired boy up. They climbed across the rocks silently, all of their concentration on the rough path. They came to an inlet that had some trees and brush, a slanted path down to the white-sand beach, and no other way in or out.

“All alone with you,” Kurt said, the smile spreading across his lips as he looked back at Blaine.

“Yeah, Wes told me about this. Its on public land, but hardly anyone ever comes here. There are so many small beaches like this all along the coast line that most people dont want the hard work of climbing the rocks to get here.”

“I think its beautiful, just breathtaking. Kind of like you, Blaine,” Kurt said softly, nuzzling against his neck when they stopped to enjoy the view.

“Thank you, sweetheart, but I could very well say the same thing. Do you want to go over and have a seat? I brought a blanket and there looks like enough driftwood to build a fire,” Blaine said. He pulled the blanket out of his backpack and spread it on the sand. Together they found the wood for the fire and Kurt lit it.

“Wow, that is so much easier to do when you can see where the matches and kindling are!” he laughed. Blaine was glad to see he could joke about it now. Kurt was still wearing the dark glasses during the day, but in this twilight they werent necessary.

Blaine sat on the blanket, holding his arms up to invite Kurt to join him. The boy cuddled close, sitting in front of Blaine so he could put his back to Blaines chest and be wrapped in his protective arms. The doctor leaned forward a little, kissing along Kurts shoulder as he pulled the boat-neck shirt down his shoulder to gain access. Kurt hummed his appreciation.

“What were we talking about?” Kurt asked, knowing exactly what they were discussing before the climb.

“When Burt is planning to get back to Ohio I think,” Blaine said. He really wanted this time to last. He knew what it was like in Ohio and he wasnt looking forward to it. While a lot of people had progressed in their thinking about practicing the live and let live doctrines of the present day, there were still too many that clung to the older prejudicial values concerning gay and other alternative lifestyles. He had even witnessed it in New York where the good old boy system was alive and well in hospital politics. Honestly, he just wanted a good start and a fresh page.

“Oh, yeah. Well, about that,” Kurt turned to face Blaine, moving to his knees and sitting on his heels as he took Blaines face in his hands. He brushed his thumb across the stubbled cheek and looked directly into those honey-brown eyes.

“We arent going back to Ohio. Well, we are - but just to pack. Dad asked me if I would mind moving here. I can finish my last year of high school here. What do you think?” Kurt asked. He was pretty sure of Blaines response, but his pulse quickened just the same.

“No? Youre staying here?” Blaine repeated to make sure his ears heard the same thing his heart did.

“Yeah. Dad wants to buy a house and stay here close to Carole. I think he wants to propose, but was worried she would be uncomfortable in Lima. She needs her parents right now. I think it was also for me. Like he told me, I have never been as happy as I am near you. I dont want anything else...just you,” he said, then worked his lower lip in between his teeth in a nervous manner.

“Hey, babe, dont do that,” Blaine admonished. “Youre going to need that lip, honey. I will need a lot of kisses later.”

Blaine leaned forward and brushed his lips over Kurts swollen lip and heard his boyfriend sigh. Kurt kissed back, his weight falling forward for the man to catch. They laid down in each others arms to watch the sun as it faded behind the edge of the ocean in a spectacular display in shades of pinks, oranges, and deep blue.

“Did it look like that on our atoll?” Kurt asked, sad he had never seen it for himself.

“Yes, but even more beautiful. You know, I asked Milo if he could find the atoll again and he said he had the coordinates, so I guess we could. Do you want to go back?” Blaine asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Id really like to see the island with you. With my own eyes. I was wondering what it really looked like...I had it all in my mind, you know, I spent a good deal of time imagining it when we were there. I imagined you, too,” Kurt admitted.

“You did? Well, I guess that goes without saying. Was I very much of a disappointment when you finally did see me?” Blaine asked hesitantly.

Kurt turned from looking at the ocean and focused once again on the man he loved.

“It wouldnt have mattered if you looked like Medusa, I would have been happy to just see your face. Lucky for me that wasnt the case. Blaine, you are unequivocally the hottest, most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life,” Kurt said, his face so serious that Blaine had no choice but to believe him.

Blaine blushed just a little, ducking his head to hide it. Kurt reached his hand up to touch his chin, lifting it so he could look into the mans eyes.

“Theres no need to do that, my love, its only me here. Im just saying what the rest of the world is too shy to tell you,” he whispered, then kissed Blaines cheek.

Blaine wondered, not for the first time, who was the adult in this relationship. Kurt was more mature, more intelligent, and had deeper thoughts than any teenager Blaine could recall knowing.

“So, what do we do now?” Kurt wondered.

“Ill talk to Cooper and Wes. If you want to stay here, we can move you to Wess house with me maybe. I have the feeling your Dad wont be on board for that, though. I have the job at the hospital and they have offered to take me on full time as a trauma surgeon or in the pediatric wing. Then when you graduate, Ill just go with you to New York. I can get a position at a different hospital there or maybe open a practice. What do you think?”

“Dad is not going to just let me go live with you, Im pretty sure. As much as I would love to. I can spend a lot of time with you, but hell draw the line at moving in.

“Are you sure you want to go back to New York? I know there are other colleges that have design schools. Why dont I look into some of those. If I got a scholarship to Parsons, I can probably get one somewhere else,” Kurt said, weighing the pros and cons of everything in his head. This was going to take some serious thinking and a pad of paper to figure out.

“Lets save all that for next week, okay? I just want to watch the sunset and hold you for now,” Blaine suggested.

Kurt hummed his agreement and snuggled closer to his boyfriend.

They watched the sun until it was past the horizon, then turned to each other. They didnt need words, Kurt knew what Blaine wanted from the way he was caressing his back, running his fingers along the lines and planes of muscle and bone, tracing the blood vessels as they pumped their cargo through his body. Kurt lay down when Blaine pushed his shoulders back, his shirt already folded in a stack at the edge of the blanket. In a very few minutes the rest of their clothes had joined it and Kurt was feasting his eyes on Blaines naked body, golden in the reflection of the campfire.

Blaine was blown away by Kurts body. He was every time, thanking God for giving him this gift. He could hardly believe he was allowed to hold this precious soul in his hands and it shook him to the core when he thought about it. Kurt was so shy - until he gathered his courage and then he could be demanding and forceful – a combination that astounded Blaine. He never knew which trait would surface and tonight he waited to see if the tiger would emerge.

Kurt leaned up to place a gentle kiss on Blaines mouth, but as soon as Blaine was invested in the kiss Kurt quickly flipped him over. Blaine certainly had no qualms about having his boyfriend on top – and all thought left his head as Kurt took over all of his senses.

At first, he held Blaine down by his shoulders, covering his cheeks and neck with ever-increasing kisses and then on to licking and tickling with his tongue, then finally soft love bites that left no bruises behind. The boy was humming as he paid reverence to Blaines skin, leaving each bit with a reminder of warmth and lips and tongue.

Blaines body ached to be closer, to take over and thrust inside of Kurt, and it was only his desire to let Kurt lead this time to see where they would go that stopped Blaine from rolling them back so he was on top.

Coming back up, Kurts mouth found Blaines and he filled it with a warm tongue that tasted like the pineapple they had shared after supper. Blaine moaned because that tongue absolutely owned him. Pulling back, Kurts eyes filled with the sight of Blaines body and he knew it was his for the taking. This had been understood from the first time and it went both ways, because he was also Blaines to take. It wasnt like anything Kurt had dreamed in all the nights hed stayed awake thinking of what it would look like when he fell in love. That was slow and romantic, taking years of courtship and permissions asked and granted.

This was different and Kurt would not have changed a second of this for all of his romantic dreams. This made sense to him – every touch and whispered promise given or taken by the two of them. No question or argument about what was allowed or forbidden. With Blaine everything was allowed because he would never do something that Kurt didnt like, Kurt trusted him with his body and his heart and Blaine understood the promise and in turn trusted Kurt.

Blaines voice was curling around Kurts name, breathing it as a prayer as he stroked and fondled his thighs and belly, getting closer and closer to the object of his desire. Kurt moved to accommodate Blaines comfort, shifting to be on top and between his legs.

“What do you want, my love?” Kurt whispered into Blaines ear, mouthing at his neck as he listened to the request.

“Can you suck me, baby?” Blaine asked, the words going straight to Kurts cock. He whined at the sudden feeling of heat but managed not to thrust his hips forward.

“Like this?” Kurt asked, kissing the tip before he stretched his lips around it. Blaine groaned in answer and Kurt concentrated his tongue on the sweet spot at the front of the ridge. He pushed forward, taking more in than he thought possible, feeling it at the back of his throat for a moment. Blaine sighed when he pulled back, but the sigh turned into a whine of excitement as Kurt took a deep breath and once again swallowed with the tip near his throat. This time he was able to overcome his bodys rebellion and took it just a bit deeper.

“Kurt...oh, you are magic,” Blaine murmured.

Kurt kept a slow rhythm, just a bit too slow for Blaine to be able to get that right amount of friction. He wanted this to last a long time. Blaine combed his fingers through Kurts hair, the thick, glossy chestnut strands felt like silk and Kurt purred in contentment.

Kurt had brought a small packet of astroglide and smeared his fingers with it before sliding them in to Blaine, gently.

“Oh...baby, yes, yes,” Blaine said, his hands on Kurts head as if in benediction. Kurt paid close attention to what he was doing, switching sucking lightly to tongue acrobatics and kept Blaine in a perpetual state of not quite there. He carefully stretched Blaine, making him ready for what Kurt had been thinking about for hours. He marveled at Blaines pliant, flexible body as the man twisted in his grasp – trying to calm the sea of lava building in his belly before it was too late to control.

“Stop, Kurt...please. I need you, I want more...not your mouth now, I want you inside me, Babe. Please,” Blaine rambled, deliberately scooting back to stop Kurt from taking his unconditional surrender. Kurt finally stopped, waiting for Blaine to catch his breath.

“Come here,” Blaine coaxed, his arms up to ask Kurt to take him in his arms. Kurt obeyed, chest meeting chest as he nuzzled Blaines neck. “Kurt...oh, it is so good with you. So good.”

Kurt wasnt able to articulate any words, so he let his lips show Blaine how much he wanted him.

“Let me ride you, Kurt,” Blaine said, the words going deep inside Kurt to cause ripples of pleasure to come once again to the surface. He rolled off of Blaine, onto his back on the blanket and Blaine took the lubricant, pouring enough to slather it on Kurts cock. He loved the gasp as the warmed liquid was applied, Blaines hand pumping more than was necessary and igniting little sparks of fire along Kurts spine. The boys cock was angry red, thrusting up as Blaine got on top and settled in the right position.

Kurt took hold of Blaines hips and as soon as he breached the ring of muscle, Kurt pulled his lovers hips down hard and filled him to the hilt. Blaine saw white behind his eyes as the friction and force spun through his mind, generating a howl of pleasure that echoed off the rocks. Blaine was frozen in place, his muscles refusing to take direction for a moment until the man gathered all of his self-control and pulled off halfway, them plunged down again. Kurt was beside himself in mounting tension, unable to control or direct anything, he hung on to the blanket underneath him, his fists aching in cramps that he didnt even feel.

“Oh my...Blaaaiiinee, fuck yes,” Kurt swore, having never felt anything so immediate – so urgent but uncontrollable. It was like falling headfirst out of a plane with all the adrenaline pulsing through him, invading every inch of his body and he had no way to stop it if he wanted to. But Kurt didnt want to. He could just make out Blaines face in the firelight and his look of determination coupled with amazement was something Kurt could never have even dreamed up. It was his Blaine, the man he was in love with and he was more determined than ever to never let him go. Kurt was greedy, wanting Blaine for his own and he would fight for this man against anyone – even his own father if it came to that.

Blaines movements got harder and faster, his muscles straining and stretching as he pushed his weight up and down. The compulsion to make Kurt feel good was so strong he could never defy it.

“Baby...Im getting so close...do you need me to touch you?” Kurt got out but Blaine didnt answer - he was alternately panting and holding his breath. He managed a shake of his head as Kurt gasped.

“Oh, Blaine...Im there,” Kurt moaned just as Blaine felt an amazing warmth spread inside of him, heat pumping and Kurts cock pushing on his prostate causing a chain reaction, an exquisite torture coming to an end as he spent himself. Blaine hung his head, dripping sweat onto Kurts belly in the pool of semen as he tried to stay stable and not just fall.

Kurt could not move for a moment, riding out the pleasure of his orgasm. He unwrapped his fists from the blanket and placed his palms on Blaines chest, taking some of his weight until he was able to shift and lie down.

A few minutes later, they were lying on their sides, facing each other and smiling. Each encounter with Kurt made Blaine wish he could wrap it up like a treasure and keep it in his pocket forever, to be taken out and enjoyed on days when he was apart from his love.

They got up after resting, washing each other in the sea where it was calm in the little inlet.

“I know we have to go back,” Kurt said, a little sad that their time alone had to end.

“Not really. I told your dad that we were spending the night with friends and he just asked me to take care of you. Lets go snuggle on the beach. The tide wont turn until after ten tomorrow morning and this part of the beach is above high tide.”

“Wow, you really planned this, didnt you?” Kurt grinned. They walked back to the blanket and fire, Blaine pulling another blanket out of his backpack. He rolled up his shirt around his towel and set it on the blanket, did the same for Kurt, and they lay down on the makeshift pillows.

“Blaine...thank you,” Kurt said as he buried his face in the mans neck.

“Youre welcome...but for what?”

“Being mine,” Kurt murmured as he melted into Blaines welcoming embrace.

“Oh, Kurt...I hope youll always be mine, honey. Do you believe there is someone in the world meant for everyone?”

“You mean like a soulmate?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, like that. I know it sounds corny, but it does feel as if you and I meeting was more than just a random act of serendipity. Dont you think there is more to it than that?” Blaine asked, comfortable on the blanket spread on soft sand, Kurts chestnut hair under his chin and their hands linked together.

“Hmmm....like it was written in the stars or something? Maybe. Whomever is directing that sure knew exactly what I needed,” Kurt said softly, leaning in to kiss Blaines swollen lips. They were so plump and sexy that Kurt had to continue kissing him for quite a while.

“Do you miss the island?” Blaine asked, stroking Kurts cheek, still amazed at how soft his skin was.

“Yeah. I didnt like being blind, that was so frightening, but maybe it was good, too. I might not have clung to you so tightly if I hadnt needed you so much. I was so shy, and being forced to ask you for things is really what started this....this love affair. It would have been out of the question if I had been more independent. It was the perfect balance between us I think. Now, I want to fulfill my promise to you tomorrow morning. How about it?” Kurt asked.

Blaine sat in thought for a few minutes.

“What promise?”

“When I pulled your half-drowned carcass out of the drink, silly. I promised that I would teach you to swim. Tomorrow is the day,” Kurt grinned.

Blaine closed his eyes and said a little prayer that he might grow fins and a merman tail before dawn.