Dance class had been brutal. Kurt felt like he'd dug a mile long ditch by hand with no shovel. Every muscle and bone in his body hurt.

"Hey, somebody looks tired. What's up, Kurt? You coming down with the flu?" Sebastian asked, sympathy well hidden for now. Instead he gave his roommate a big hearty clobber on the back, very brotherly.

"Yikes!" Kurt yelped, the pain of the playful smack reaching through his body to wring a second yelp.

"Oh, Kurt, I'm sorry. Are you hurt? I didn't mean to actually..." Sebastian tripped over himself trying to apologize.

"Hey, no, I'm okay. Dance class. Cassandra July is the devil's disciple when it comes to putting the class through a workout. I wasn't feeling well anyway, but I couldn't let Rachel Berry out dance me, now could I?" Kurt whined.

"I shouldn't have hit you so hard. In the spirit of making it up to you, I'd be glad to go to bed with you," Seb offered, a smirk on his face. "You won't have to move a muscle, I'll do all the work, sweetheart." Seb answered with lowered voice as he batted his eyelashes and licked his lips in an exaggerated flirt.

"No. I thought you quit doing that a year ago, Sebbie. Knock it off," Kurt admonished him, trying not to smile at the joke.

"Okay, but I was serious about helping out. If you want to go run a screaming hot bath, I could even rub your back for you – no funny business, I swear – and you could be sound asleep in an hour."

"I might take you up on that, Seb. It sounds like just what the doctor ordered," Kurt kissed Seb's cheek and turned to run a hot bath. He gathered his things: towel, shaving things, warm pajamas, and walked into the large room. It was very old fashioned with pink and aqua tiles on the floor and walls. It was art deco style and in spite of the pink and aqua color scheme it was lovely. Kurt set his things down and turned on the water, checking the temperature to be sure it was as hot as he could stand it. He peeled off his clothes, putting all but the silk vest into the hamper. He hung the vest up to take to the dry cleaners later in the week. He took his brush out of the drawer and brushed the product out of his hair. It made it easier to wash that way. Looking for his shaving supplies, he set them out on the counter beside the sink so he could shave after his shower.

Stepping into the shower, Kurt ducked his head under the cascade of water and groaned as the heat hit his skin. His head wet, he squeezed a bit of his shampoo into his hand and rubbed it through his hair, scrubbing it down to his scalp, then rinsing it and doing it again, this time leaving the soap in his hair to work for a few minutes while he soaped up his wash cloth. He opted to use Blaine's soap, the bright scent of mint and vanilla bursting into the air as he rubbed the wash cloth to get it saturated before lifting his left arm so he could scrub his armpit. A while later, after scrubbing his whole body, Kurt stood under the hot water, rinsing first his hair and then down the rest, rubbing the rough cloth probably a bit harder than was necessary to rinse off the soap. He stopped for a moment to take in the scent of Blaine that surrounded him now. They hadn't made love in almost a week. Kurt knew it was because of their busy schedules and Blaine was fighting a summer cold, but he missed it. They slept tangled together as always, but the quick kisses and touches under the covers late at night were just comforts, not what Kurt was really craving.

He heaved a sigh. It was Friday, so they had the weekend and could sleep in tomorrow morning. Maybe tonight. At the back of his mind, there was something – they had a plan for the weekend, but Kurt couldn't recall what it was right now.

Closing his eyes to just let the hot water run over his sore muscles, Kurt's hand went down his side, lightly running over his ribs. Back up to his collar bone and his hand went down his chest, flicking over his nipple and he gasped, not expecting his body to react so much to the small stimulus. He did it again, rubbing around in a circle before touching the center and letting out another sigh. His cock was reacting, too, and Kurt took another deep breath to let in the scent of Blaine. He closed his eyes once again and imagined his lover here in the shower with him.

His hand went to his cock, just touching the shaft with his fingertips and skimming over the silky skin up and down before tightening his grip and stroking in the way Blaine did it. It felt so good. He took the bottle of Blaine's soap and squeezed a small amount on his hand, using it as lubricant so his hand would slide a little easier as he tried to go slowly, building up the climax a tiny bit at a time.

He soaped up his other hand and slid it behind himself, reaching down the crack to circle his opening. He breached the rim, sliding his finger just inside and rubbing to loosen the tight muscle while still stroking his shaft, now flicking his thumb over the head the way Blaine would be doing if he was there. After a few moments he added a second finger and wished Blaine was here with him. While this felt good, he was well aware that after he came he would feel empty and lonely. Maybe he should quit while he was ahead and just turn off the water and dry off. He could take a nap before Blaine got home.

Yes, that's the best thing to do...in a minute. He stopped fingering himself, knowing that in this position he couldn't reach that place he needed. Only Blaine could do that. He moved his hand around to massage his balls gently as he pumped harder. He was almost there, so why quit now? He'd at least be able to fall asleep in the wake of his orgasm. No matter how sad it was that he was here alone resorting to shower masturbation. He was losing his erection just thinking about it.

"Is there room in there for me?" he heard from just outside the shower curtain. He hadn't heard anyone come in the bathroom and wasn't sure if he'd locked the door.

"What?" he said, incredulous, going soft as he wondered who had spoken. It might be Sebastian. The water was coming down hard and his head was under the shower, so he hadn't been able to hear clearly who had said those words.

"I said, is there room for me in there with you? I could use a shower..." Blaine's voice called out and Kurt moved the edge of the curtain back to see Blaine standing there, his golden skin and bright smile like a ray of sunshine straight from heaven.

Kurt wasted no time in talking, but put out a hand to pull him into the shower. Blaine grinned and stepped in next to Kurt, who was on his knees with Blaine's cock in his mouth before he could think.

"Oh, my god, Kurt, did you miss me or something?" Blaine sputtered as Kurt pulled him close, his hands digging into the muscles on his hips as he clutched his lover. Kurt was relentless, pushing hard to swallow as much as possible then letting Blaine pull back a bit before forcing his cock down his throat again. "Hey, hey...we have time, babe, slow down. I want to enjoy this."

Kurt pulled back, getting to his feet but not letting go of Blaine. He stood in back of him, arms around his body and clutching Blaine tightly to his chest, Blaine's back warm and his buttocks the perfect place to rub his cock. Kurt ran his hands everywhere, then added his mouth as he kissed Blaine's neck and collarbone, his fingers skittering across Blaine's chest to tease his nipples. Blaine turned in his arms to face Kurt and grabbed his hair, bringing his mouth closer so Blaine could lick his way into the warmth of Kurt's sensuous mouth. They kissed for a while, their bodies touching, before Kurt realized he was feeling the water temperature getting a tiny bit cooler. He'd been in the shower a long time and the water tank wouldn't last forever.

He grabbed a clean wash cloth and soaped it up, cleaning Blaine's back and arms, down to gently caress his ass and letting the cloth slide to the bottom of the tub, he washed Blaine's balls and cock with his bare hands as his erection came back in all its glory to play with Blaine's. They rubbed them together, Kurt's hand stroking as best he could since his hand wouldn't reach around the two together.

Blaine added his own hand, and they stroked until both were there – and came together, groaning into each other's mouths and holding tight. After, Kurt rinsed them off and shut off the water before it got too cold. He reached for a towel and wrapped Blaine in it's fluffy warm folds, Kurt's arms around him for a moment before he was let loose to get out of the tub. Kurt got himself a towel and they dried off. Neither said a word. Blaine recognized Kurt's need and felt badly he hadn't made love to him all week. It was just that they had been so busy with school and obligations both of them so tired at the end of the day it was hard to keep their eyes open.

"I love you, Piglet," Kurt said, going over to take Blaine in his arms once again, kissing him softly for a few seconds. Blaine licked Kurt's bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth. He bit gently before entering Kurt's mouth with his tongue and getting a moan from Kurt. He backed up, pulling away but going back for a small kiss to Kurt's cheek.

"I love you, too, Pooh Bear," he said, snuggling his face into Kurt's neck for a moment. "Let's go get into bed for a while. I need to unwind before I think about making dinner."

Kurt followed him into their bedroom and sat on the bed, shaving forgotten as he pulled on his briefs and got under the covers to wait for Blaine to join him.

Blaine was right there, sliding into the bed and pulling Kurt closer to him as they cuddled.

"Hey, did you take all the hot water again, Hummel?" Seb's voice was heard as he opened the door. No knock or anything, just barging in.

"Oh, hey, you waited for me!" Seb announced as he sat on the end of the bed and pulled off his t-shirt.

"No! Hey, Seb, you know better than that!" Kurt shouted and Seb laughed, pulling the shirt back on.

"Sorry, you're just way too much fun to tease, Kurt. Look, even Blaine is laughing at you," Seb said, grinning as Blaine punched him softly in the shoulder.

"What are you doing in my room, Smythe?" Kurt asked, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Sebastian got serious.

"Actually, I wondered if you'd feel better if I went with you tomorrow. I know it's going to be hard – for both of you – and I wanted to lend my support if you need me," Sebastian said, putting a hand on Blaine's knee. Blaine gave him a look of thanks. Both Kurt and Blaine remembered what a wall of strength Sebastian had been in the wake of Blaine's rape. He hadn't judged, he just took care of them. Each day there had been food or flowers, a short visit to make sure Blaine was doing okay, stopping by after class to be there for Kurt to lean on, to walk Princess when Blaine couldn't seem to get himself out of bed. He had been the best friend he could be.

Kurt looked to Blaine, asking without words what he wanted.

"I'd like that, Sebbie. If you didn't have anything else planned..." Blaine blushed. He didn't want any more difficult times surrounding his weakness. He had come a long way since the incidents of his childhood: the molestation by Cooper's girlfriend, the attack at the school dance, the rape at Dalton. He felt almost free of the grief and desperation he'd carried for years, and along with the therapy he credited Kurt for bringing him through all of that in tact. But Sebastian had been a part of his recovery, too. He had selflessly helped in any way he was needed, even to letting Blaine and Kurt share his penthouse apartment while they were at school.

"Thank you, Seb, you know we appreciate it," Kurt added. He got upset with Seb from time to time, tired of the sexual innuendos and jokes at Kurt's expense, but underneath Kurt knew it was a defense mechanism because Sebastian felt abandoned by his parents. It seemed everyone had issues.

"Well, if you won't let me under the covers, I'm going to go where I'm wanted," Seb joked, getting up to leave. "Princess and I are going to eat some dinner. We'll see you two when you come up for air." Seb winked and left the room.

"That was nice of him to go with us tomorrow," Kurt said. Blaine nodded his head. He had been doing so well, and now it had been a hard decision to go see Trent. His therapist thought it was a good idea and Blaine was hoping for some closure.

~*~

It was almost noon when the three friends got out of the cab in Morningside, upper Manhattan, and walked into the modern apartment building across from Sakura Park. Trent Taylor's parents had an apartment here and Trent was staying with his mother after being declared safe to be among society again after three months in the Ohio State Mental hospital and then 18 months in Crested Mountain Mental Facility. He had written a letter of apology to Blaine when he was first in the hospital, and again when he was discharged.

Blaine's therapist agreed that Blaine could go to meet with Trent if he went with Kurt, so here they were.

"You okay?" Seb asked, taking Blaine's hand and giving it a squeeze for moral support.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I have to say I don't feel great, but I need to do this for closure in my own mind. I think I've come a long way, but this has held me back. Maybe. I'll know when I talk to him. Trent was our friend, I have to ask him why he did it," Blaine said, then turned to Kurt and put his forehead on his friend's shoulder.

"You don't have to do this today if you don't want to, if you're not ready, Babe. Nobody will think less of you," Kurt said in a soft voice.

"Thank you, Kurt, but I want to get it done. Thank you for coming with me, Sebbie," Blaine said, giving his two friends a small smile.

Kurt knocked on the apartment door.

"Hello, Blaine?" a small woman said when she opened the door, her eyes looking over the three boys in front of her.

"I'm Blaine, Mrs. Taylor. These are my friends, Kurt Hummel and Sebastian Smythe. We were all in the Warblers with Trent," Blaine explained.

Mrs. Taylor opened the door hesitantly.

"Please make yourselves at home. I'll go ask Trent if he wants to come out," she said, looking doubtful. She returned in a few minutes, Trent walking behind her. He sat across from the three roommates, shy and not making eye contact.

"I thought you were coming alone, Blaine, but I'm glad to see you, too, Kurt and Sebastian," Trent said. He turned to his mother. "Please, mom. I'm fine to talk to my friends. I'll call if I need you," he said, giving his mother a reassuring smile.

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Blaine, thank you for coming to see me. I appreciate how hard it must be for you to be here. You said in your email that you had questions. What are they?" Trent asked. His big blue eyes looked at Blaine, not taking them off of his face. Trent's face looked sad, maybe a little afraid, but he stayed steady on the chair where he gripped the arms.

"Just one question, really. Why?" Blaine looked into Trent's eyes and found such sadness there. He blinked his own eyes a few times, trying to get hold of himself. Kurt saw this and put a hand to his back, rubbing light circles to give Blaine some comfort. Blaine's hand found Kurt's beside him and knit their fingers together. He sought Seb's hand, too and held it.

"I was lonely. It had been bad in elementary school, and I guess I might have been bullied, but I don't really remember it much. By middle school I knew I was different than most of my friends, I recognized that I was gay but was too afraid to tell anyone. I just distanced myself from all of them. I hid in the courtyard to eat lunch, I ran home after school so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. When I got to high school my parents were getting a divorce. Dad wanted to show off his money, so he paid my way to Dalton.

"I remember the year you two came to camp. I wanted to be your friend, and I was hiding from the other campers when I saw Blaine sneaking in the cabin. I followed him and listened to the two of you talking when you thought I was asleep. I wanted somebody to love me so much that they would risk everything, someone to do something so romantic like sneak aboard a bus to spend the summer with me. Blaine was always so nice to me, I daydreamed that he was my friend instead of yours, Kurt."

"I was your friend, Trent. We were all friends. You and everyone in our group, we were all friends," Blaine said, not understanding.

"I wasn't special, and I wanted to be. I was never special to anyone," Trent told them, tears threatening.

"I watched you and Kurt that summer and when I saw you were at Dalton, I watched you even more. I wanted to gather enough courage to ask you out. I didn't want to hurt Kurt, though, so I never did it. The day I saw you in the hallway, I don't know what was in my brain. It was like someone else had taken control. I only meant to ask you in to my room so I could tell Kurt you needed to have someone take care of you. I guess I imagined that if you and Kurt weren't together, I might have a chance to show you that you could be with me."

Kurt sat with his mouth open for a moment, then consciously shut it. This was not the time to get upset, it was all water under the bridge. He would wait and see what else Trent had to say before he said anything. He glanced over at Seb, seeing that he was thinking similar thoughts. He moved his hand to pat Kurt's arm before taking Blaine's hand once again.

"Somehow in my mind, I started to think that Kurt wasn't taking proper care of you, that I would be much better at that. I know it was wrong, but at the time it made sense" Trent continued. "So that progressed into me thinking I was better for you, I had loved you longer or something. I don't remember much about the ...r...ra...the incident itself. Later the doctors determined that the drinks we had were laced with some kind of drug that made us kind of zone out. It was a mild hallucinogen."

Blaine nodded. The police had tried to trace the origin of the bottle. Trent's roommate had brought it home from a frat party of brother's. They tried to find the source, but never did. Trent continued. "I was under the drug as much as you were, Blaine, but I want you to know that is not an excuse for what I did," Trent said, his body now trembling.

Sebastian got up and walked across the space between them. He looked at Trent, nodding his head to the place beside him, asking to sit there. Trent smiled a little and nodded back. Seb sat on the arm of the overstuffed chair and placed his hand on Trent's back. He rubbed lightly the same way Kurt had done for Blaine.

"I know I can never give back what I took from you, Blaine, but I did want you to know how sorry I am. I do take full responsibility for what happened. If there is anything I can do to make it up to you? I know there probably isn't, but if...?" Trent was too overcome with emotion to say anything else. He was sitting with tears making their way slowly down his face. Seb took out his clean handkerchief to blot the tears away and gave Trent a hug.

"I don't condone what you did, Trent," Blaine said, his voice a little gravelly. "But we were friends once and you did get help. I understand maybe a little bit what you are telling me, I've been lonely, too. It isn't a good place to be. You did the wrong thing, but you paid for it, so I'd like to call this all over. Is that okay, Trent? We might be friends one day. Not now, I still have things to work through, but I don't hate you," Blaine offered, his voice shaky by the end of what he had to say. He turned and Kurt's arms were around him, bringing him in close so his cheek was lying on Kurt's shoulder. Blaine took a deep breath, taking in the scent of Kurt and burying his nose into Kurt's neck for a few heartbeats before sitting up once again.

"Thank you. I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Blaine. I know I did, and I hurt the people you love. Kurt, I also apologize to you especially. I want you to know one of the few things that gave me any comfort in the years in the mental hospital is that I knew you were standing by Blaine. I could see your strength, even back in summer camp. You're what he needs, Kurt. Stand by him," Trent said in a soft voice, looking into Kurt's eyes for a brief second before closing his eyes once more.

Sebastian patted Trent's shoulder, wishing he could do something to make him feel better. He was wrong in what he did, but he'd paid for it and he was sorry.

"Trent, I think its okay if you call me. I don't mind talking to you. Maybe if we take this one step at a time we might be able to mend it," Kurt told him.

"I'd like that. I expected this to be the last time I saw any of you," Trent told them.

"It doesn't need to be. We can take baby steps to see if we might be able to mend this, to mend ourselves over time. Just take care of yourself, and if you want to call, call Kurt or Seb. I don't think you should call me yet. Okay?" Blaine said, getting up to go. He walked over to where Trent was sitting, holding out his hand. Trent took it and they shook. Kurt followed Blaine's example and they walked to the door. Seb got up, Trent following suite, and turned to him.

"Thank you, Seb, for coming along. Take care of them, okay?" he asked, nodding at Kurt and Blaine.

"I'm trying," he grinned, giving Trent a gentle hug before following Kurt and Blaine down the hall to the front door. Kurt turned to see Mrs. Taylor with her arms around Trent before they left the apartment.

~*~

It was quiet in the taxi all the way home. The three young men got up to the apartment and sat down at the dining table. Kurt went to the kitchen to get lunch out of the refrigerator, but could carry on conversation through the open wall between the two rooms.

"That was hard, wasn't it, Blaine?" Sebastian said. "I wish I could have been of more help..." he said, not knowing what to say to make it any better. Instead, he pulled his chair closer and held out his arms.

Blaine fell into Seb's arms, and the taller man kissed the top of his head and held him tightly. His hands stroked down Blaine's back, and Seb hummed into his ear as Blaine struggled to get closer. Seb was warm and comforting.

"Hey, you know I love you," he said softly to Blaine and Blaine nodded his head, too emotional to speak. Kurt put a hand on Seb's back, mouthing the words "Thank you" to him as he wiped tears from his cheeks.

Lunch on the table, Blaine sniffed and looked up at Kurt. He was suddenly aware that he had been in Seb's arms and he worried what Kurt might think, but Kurt was smiling at Seb and put a hand across the table to Blaine.

"You see, sweetheart, we all love you. Seb and I are not alone in the list of people that support you, you know. We're here for you no matter what you decide to do. Now, no more thinking about that, let's eat while the soup is hot, okay?" Kurt said.

"This is delicious, Kurt, what is it?" Sebastain asked, dipping another mouthful.

"Zuppa Toscana. Its a chicken based potato soup with kale and German sausage in it. Here, I made some garlic bread to have with it," Kurt offered. Blaine smiled just a bit. Kurt knew this was high on his list of favorite soups, so he must have made it to make him feel better. Sebastain took another bite and hummed his pleasure.

"So, where do we go from here?" Blaine asked. He was feeling better after eating lunch and was sitting on the sofa between Kurt and Seb once again. His feet were in Seb's lap while he laid back on Kurt's chest, his ass wedged between Kurt's legs.

"I guess play it by ear. If Trent calls one of us, we'll let you know and if you want contact with him, then we'll arrange it. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do here, Blaine. We support you no matter what," Kurt soothed. His eyes found Seb's and they made a silent agreement.

"Okay. For now, I don't want to see him alone, but if one of you were with me - -and it was in his mother's apartment, maybe. I want to hate him, I do. But I can't remember the actual act...so its hard to be as angry at Trent as I think I should be. We were friends for so many years, it makes as little sense today as it did the day it happened. Trent of all people is the very last one I'd suspect of being a rapist," Blaine sighed. The last word barely said, it was still so hard to even comprehend.

"Blaine, it makes no sense to me, either. He was always so gentle, such a quiet person. I see now how troubled he was, but its a tragedy that no one saw it before he lost his sense of propriety. I've been lonely – in France when my parents pretended that my being gay was okay, they had basically stopped talking to me. I was still having trouble with the language, I could speak a little, but I couldn't understand because everyone seemed to speak so quickly. I wasn't part of any crowd -I dressed wrong, I listened to the wrong music, and I didn't return the flirting lavished upon me by so many girls. When I finally made them realize I was gay, it was like the final nails in my coffin. It wasn't until I moved in with Auntie Pauline that I could take a deep breath and know I was going to be okay," Seb related. He didn't look like he was going to cry, but his face was flushed and he was speaking very softly. He didn't make eye contact with either of his roommates.

"I would hope I'd never do what Trent did, but we never know what our boundaries are, do we? Not until we're pushed too far. I don't want to be disrespectful to you, Blaine, but I think Trent needs a friend right now. I'm asking you if you would be okay with me maybe going to visit him? Not anything more than that, but just so he knows somebody cares," Sebastian looked over at Blaine, his eyes pleading for understanding.

Blaine took a deep breath and felt Kurt's arms tighten around him.

"I think that's is the nicest thing I've ever heard anybody say, Sebbie. No, I don't mind. I can't do it myself, but I'm glad you will be there for him," Blaine said, then turned to bury his face in Kurt's loving arms once again.

Seb looked at Kurt, wanting his permission, too. He felt an obligation to both of his roommates and he wouldn't go if Kurt protested.

"I agree with Blaine. Be safe, Seb. Don't let him hurt your heart. If you need me, I'm here for you," Kurt said. He smiled a Seb and added, "You're a better man than me."

Seb shook his head, but smiled at Kurt as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Good night, Kurt. Good night, Blaine. I'll see you in the morning," he said and went to his room.

~*~

"Hey, Princess, slow down girl! Running is not on your list of exercises," Blaine scolded as he walked quickly beside his dog in the park. Princess' foot was healed, but she was supposed to be getting back into her duties by increments. The little setter slowed down and walked next to her master, the love shining in her eyes as she leaned against him when they stopped.

"Okay, girl. Let's start back. Daddy Kurt will be waiting for us. We need to have you all ready to go. So far we're right on time," Blaine said as he walked quickly back across the park to their apartment.

"Well, right on time!" Kurt greeted them. "I have everything ready to go and I already called the taxi. We'll be at the airport and ready to go inside of an hour," he grinned. Over the last year of living in New York, the men hadn't been home to Ohio once. They spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Big Apple, so when spring break was on the horizon, they jumped at the offer from Sebastian to go home. He called it a late Christmas present.

~*~

"I think my dad should be here – or maybe he sent Finn?" Kurt questioned. He was standing by the pick-up area just outside, holding Blaine's hand and watching over their luggage. He didn't see his dad's old beat-up garage truck in the long line of vehicles waiting to pick up loved ones. Just as he turned to ask Blaine a question, Blaine's eyes grew into two huge dinner plates. His hand gripped Kurt's arm tightly.

"Kurt, I don't think your dad is coming," he managed to say. Kurt turned back in time to see a black Lexus pull up to the curb and a man get out. His hair was slicked down with product to tame his wavy black curls and his muddy amber eyes were searching the long lines of people waiting.

"Your dad came?" Kurt said, instantly sorry it sounded so incredulous.

"Looks like...whoa, how did he know we were coming today?" Blaine looked at Kurt, but got no response.

Palmer Anderson parked his car and got out as soon as he saw his son. He walked quickly over and tentatively put his arms around Blaine. Blaine closed his eyes and hugged back, the look on his face making Kurt pray that this was what it looked like – that Mr. Anderson was happy to see his youngest boy.

"Kurt, its good to see you, too. And Queenie," he said, bending over to run his hand over her head and rub behind her ear. Kurt gave Blaine a look when he heard what Blaine's dad called the dog and Blaine bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh.

"Its Princess, Dad. Princess. At least you were close," Blaine laughed and Mr. Anderson blushed.

"Let's get you guys loaded and on our way home. Here, I'll get the two larger suitcases. Is Princess okay in the back seat, Blaine? I put an old blanket back there for her to lie down on," he said anxiously. Blaine was a little shocked that his dad would let a dog sit on his Italian leather tuck-and-roll custom upholstery. Kurt helped him heft the heavy suitcases into the trunk and went back for the carry-ons.

Blaine was in the back seat with Princess, so Kurt took a seat next to Mr. Anderson in the front. Palmer was smiling, turning his head to look in the mirror at his son and the dog. He turned on the radio, asking Kurt to find a suitable station. Kurt found a classical music show and it served as a calming influence over the nerves of everyone in the car.

"So, Dad, how did you come to be the one to pick us up? I didn't even know you were in town," Blaine said, trying to keep the conversation neutral.

"I got a call last night from Carole Hummel. She was calling from the hospital and asked if I could come to the airport and bring the two of you home. Simple as that," Mr. Anderson said, but both boys could tell there was something else going on.

"Why didn't my dad come? I thought it was all settled. Wait...from the hospital? Was Carole called in to work?" Kurt asked, confused. He'd spoken to her yesterday afternoon and she mentioned she was off for three days.

"No, she wasn't. Kurt, I wanted to wait until you were home, but I can tell you know," Palmer started to say, but Kurt interrupted him.

"WHAT? Did my dad have another heart attack? Can you take me to him first, please..." Kurt's voice almost a shriek at first, but dying out to a soft whisper before he finished. Blaine had unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned forward to hold on to Kurt's hand, his arm wrapped around what he could reach of his shoulder.

"No, no..Kurt, calm down. He's okay, no heart attack or anything. Here, let me pull over," he said, pulling to the shoulder of the road and putting his car in park. He turned to look at Kurt.

"I just can't get anything right with you two, ever. I'm sorry," he said under his breath.

"Burt had an accident at the garage. He was lowering a car from the lift and the hydraulics went out. One of the workers was under the car and your dad jumped forward, knocking the man out from under the car and saving his life, but the car fell on your dad and he has a broken leg. He is otherwise fine. He didn't want to tell you over the phone last night, so they called me."

"Oh, my god...how is he? Is he going to be able to walk? Does he need Carole to help him so she couldn't get us?" Kurt was verging on hysteria again, so Blaine got out of his side and opened Kurt's door, scooting in out of the chilly weather and wrapping Kurt in his arms.

"Calm down, Babe. Dad said he was okay. Let's just get settled and get home to see him. That's where we're headed, right?" Kurt asked.

"No. Now, you have to stay calm, Kurt, and I will tell you everything," Palmer said.

The look on Kurt's face was shocked. He had just figured out who the worker most likely was.

"Finn. That's why he didn't come to the airport. He was one one under the car, wasn't he?" Kurt said in a blank, monotone voice.

"Yes, he was. Now listen to me. Listen to what I'm telling you," Palmer said again and looked to Blaine for support. Blaine took Kurt's chin in his hand and had him face his father.

"Kurt, he's okay. Both your father and your brother are okay. I think they should tell you the details, but I will tell you the basics. When Burt saw the lift was failing, he yelled and ran to the car because he saw another worker underneath. He was in the office and Finn was on the other side and did the exact same thing. They got the man – I think his name was Noah? - out and all he had was a broken hand. Finn went all the way under the car as it fell, but Burt was already almost there, so he was able to shift a little and he pushed Finn out from under with his legs. A part of the car landed on your dad's thigh and broke his femur. It was a clean break.

"Finn wasn't as lucky, he was hit in the head and has a concussion. The car landed on his upper arm. It tore the muscles that hold your shoulder together and dislocated the shoulder, breaking his scapula. He is going to be okay. I'm taking you straight there. I already checked and they told me Blaine can bring Princess so we won't have to leave her in the car. Now, Blaine, get Kurt into the back seat with you and I'll get to the hospital as soon as I can," Palmer said, hoping he hadn't messed this up, too. In his mind, he thought it would be better for Kurt to know before he got there, so he would not be so shocked when he saw them.

It was almost impossible for Kurt to walk down the corridor to the room where his family was currently staying. He wanted to run, but with all the nurses in the hallway, he knew this was actually faster. Blaine, Palmer, and Princess were behind him, but he wasn't going to wait. He burst into the room, his eyes searching for his dad.

"Kurt," he heard and ran to the bed, his arms around his father in just a split second, he was dissolved in tears.

"Hey, kiddo, hey," Burt tried to comfort him, hugging back and patting his shoulder. "Hey, Kurt, I'm okay. Really, really okay. Calm down, son," he said.

Kurt sniffed and finally sat up, not letting go of his father's hand. He leaned forward and stroked his father's face, as if he couldn't believe it was real. After a few more moments of this, he looked around to see Finn, but the other bed was empty. He frowned, the volunteer at the front desk told him his dad and brother were sharing a room.

"Finn is in surgery, Kurt. Carole is waiting down there for him to get out of recovery. The docs had to put a pin in the humerous – that bone in his upper arm. He's going to be okay as long as he takes it easy and doesn't go back to work too soon. He probably won't be playing football any more, though." Burt told his son, looking out the window for a moment. He sighed and put his head back against the pillow.

Blaine took this chance to walk over to Burt and give him a hug, very gently.

"Thank god you're okay, Papa," he said. Blaine didn't often call Burt by that nickname, but with his emotions running so hot at the moment, it slipped out. He decided to pretend it didn't happen and just not look at his own father for a moment. He really didn't mean to hurt him by calling someone else that, but what did he expect?

"I'm going to walk down to the surgery waiting room, just to check on Carole. Dad, do you want to come with me?" Blaine asked. His father put a hesitant arm around his son's shoulder and walked beside him. Blaine leaned his head in his dad's shoulder for a brief moment and they were gone around the corner.

"Okay, Dad. Tell me what happened. Why would you risk your life like that? Couldn't you have...I don't know, used something else to get them out?" Kurt asked, not sure what to ask and making almost no sense when he did.

"Kurt, calm down. Its all over now. It was an accident. I had that lift inspected less than two months ago. I don't know why it failed, the insurance guys are inspecting it along with OSHA. I closed the garage until we find out how it happened. The insurance will pay all the salaries and hospital bills until this gets figured out. In the mean time, it is good to see you, kiddo. You have no idea how I've missed you," Burt said, smiling at his son. He was so proud of Kurt and of everything he had accomplished. It would be nice to have him home, but Burt knew Lima was never going to be big enough for Kurt. He decided to enjoy every minute for as long as he was here.

"Okay, Dad. How long are you going to be in here?" he asked.

"I can go home this afternoon. They let me stay because Finn was here, too. He should be out of recovery in a little while. He's kind of messed up, Kurt. He may need you to be strong for him. He's going to miss playing football," Burt said, still holding his hand. "I know you'll be strong for him."

Blaine walked back into the room with his father.

"Finn is in recovery. They let me go see him. He's still groggy, but he knew me and asked for you, Kurt. Can you come now?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, I'll come with you. Mr. Anderson, can you hold Princess? She probably shouldn't be in the recovery room," Kurt asked, handing the leash to Blaine's dad. He left with Blaine.

"How are you feeling, Burt?" Palmer asked, nodding at Burt's leg.

"It hurts a little. They put a pin in it, but the doc said I'll be up on crutches inside a week. He said I was pretty healthy for an old man," Burt laughed.

"The boys are looking good, don't you think?"

"Yeah, they don't seem like boys so much as men now. Its funny how empty the house seems with them gone," Burt sighed. "But they are doing so well in New York. I know we'll see them once in a while: at Thanksgiving and Christmas, maybe in the summers. They grow up and leave, and mostly what they leave is a warm place in our hearts when we think about them," Burt lamented.

Palmer smiled a sad smile at Burt.

"I wish I had more memories of Blaine and Cooper. It seemed like our lives were so busy, just trying to keep the company running, the wold from the door. I neglected Cooper, but if Blaine hadn't had you, Burt, he wouldn't have had a dad at all. I never told you how much I appreciated what you did for him. I owe you a debt of gratitude, and I have no idea how to pay for it."

"Palmer, you don't owe me a thing. I love Blaine like he was my own. If he succeeds in being happy in his life, I'd say we were even on that score, wouldn't you?" Burt asked.

~*~

"Kurt! That's no fair. I can't use my right hand, neither can you," Finn complained.

"I'm not using my right hand, dear brother, and I still whupped you," Kurt said, laughing at his big brother.

"You know what I mean. Your left hand. Its not fair unless you only use your right since you're left handed," Finn said, turning to Blaine to referee.

"Sorry, my love, but your brother is right. You can only use your right hand if you're going to play video games. Its only fair," Blaine said in his adult-to-small-child tone.

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"That is going to cost you, Anderson. You should have backed me up," Kurt warned.

"Hey, you mean no kisses tonight? That's not fair at all," Blaine pouted.

"I meant no dessert. I made peach cobbler. I was just going down to whip the fresh cream to put on top," Kurt said, looking triumphant.

"That's just for him, right, Kurt?I get some. I'm injured!" Finn whined.

"Nope. I guess I'll just have to eat it by myself. Well, Carole can have some. And Dad, but no cream for him. I guess I'll have to give the rest to Puck," Kurt said, getting up and walking to the door.

Blaine followed him. He pulled him back into the bedroom and kissed him thoroughly.

"Can I have some now?" Blaine said in his very best seduction voice. He added a little kitten lick to Kurt's neck just below his ear.

"I'm sure we can negotiate something," Kurt replied, taking Blaine's hand and leading him down the stairs.

"Hey, where does that leave me?" Finn asked.

"With those two busy, we can probably eat the whole cobbler before they notice," a voice said from the hallway.

"What?" Finn asked and Puck came around the corner to see his friend.

"Oh, hey Puck. How's the hand?" Finn asked. It had been two weeks since the accident and Noah was finally feeling up to coming to see Finn. He still wasn't allowed to drive, but his girlfriend, Lauren, was happy to play chauffeur.

They walked down to the dining room and sat down at the table, Carole serving them a bowl of peach cobbler. She had placed a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the warm cobbler.

Finn turned to Puck when his mother had left to take a dish to Burt on the patio.

"What happened to the whipped cream?"

"What do you think? Do you see Kurt and Blane sitting here?" Puck laughed. He gave Finn a sexy wink and nodded towards the stairs to the basement.

Finn laughed, too, and ate his cobbler. He liked ice cream better anyway.

~*~

"What are you planning to do with that whipped cream, Kurt? I don't see any cobbler," Blaine observed. Kurt smirked.

"Then I suppose I'll have to find something else to smear it all over, won't I?" Kurt giggled, going over to Blaine and starting to unbutton his shirt. "Is this okay, my love?" he whispered, kissing the bit of skin exposed by the two undone buttons.

"Yes, Babe, it is. Always. With you, its always good," Blaine whispered back, reaching over to unbutton Kurt's shirt, too. It wasn't long before they were both undressed and sitting on a sheet stretched over the bedcovers.

Blaine took a dollop of whipped cream and stuck his tongue in it, smacking his lips before smearing it on Kurt's lips. Kurt smiled and licked a bit of the cream before he stalked down the bed after Blaine who was scooting back to lean against the pillows at the head of the bed. Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine – smearing his lips over Blaine's lips sensually and slowly. Blaine took some more cream on his finger and wiped it around the pale skin on Kurt's neck, his tongue following it to the place behind his lover's ear that made him shiver when Blaine touched it. After so many years together, there weren't many things that the two didn't know about each other.

Kurt dipped his fingers into the bowl of whipped cream, smearing a bit on Blaine's wrist before licking slowly, his tongue warm against the tender skin. He could feel Blaine's heart beating through the veins that ran under the golden skin and Kurt imagined his lover's heart beating faster as he ran his tongue up the inside of Blaine's arm. He placed more whipped cream on the collarbone, moving his lips as he went back to get another shiver out of Blaine by kissing his neck.

Blaine adjusted his body, unable to sit still as Kurt spread whipped cream in all of his secret places.

"Kurt, here..." Blaine said, putting a dollop of cream on his nipples and Kurt smiled. He knew how much Blaine loved for him to lick and suck his nipples when they made love. Kurt sometimes thought he could make Blaine come just from that, and that thought went straight to his cock, making it so hard he was almost aching. He put his hand down to stroke himself, just a bit to relieve enough pressure to be able to hold on. He wanted to make love to Blaine, not just fuck him.

Blaine was laid back on the pillows, his feet planted on the mattress so he could push down to relieve his nerves. He was enjoying this so much, but he wanted to take some control. He trusted Kurt with everything: his body, his emotions, his very life, but it was still a struggle to let Kurt take control. Blaine closed his eyes and worked at relaxing as Kurt spread the whipped cream down his chest and belly. He knew Kurt was working towards his cock and it was tearing him up to try to stay relaxed when he knew Kurt had all the power.

Kurt was licking along Blaine's belly, making him shiver once more at the feeling. He looked up, checking to see if Blaine was doing okay with this. Some days they had to stop here when the PTSD was winning and Kurt was very sensitive of Blaine's moods. He saw Blaine's hand gripping and ungripping the sheet, curling his toes and flexing his ankles. It might be anticipation of more erotic licking – but, no. Kurt sensed that it was anxiety and he backed off, presumably to catch his breath and get more whipping cream but it was actually to let Blaine come to terms with himself.

Kurt took a dollop of cream and spread it on his shaft, moaning loudly as he lay back next to Blaine. He had learned that if he switched places and played the more submissive role, Blaine was more comfortable. While he was sure that Blaine understood this, they never spoke about it. Blaine let his breath go, hardly realizing he'd been holding it. He struggled for a second to get up from his position and laid down on his belly between Kurt's legs. Humming with anticipation, he put out his tongue and touched the tip of Kurt's cock, the feeling of electricity sparking down his body and making him tingle with excitement. Licking down the shaft and then back up, he drew moans from Kurt's throat that circulated in Blaine's veins to spread the heat of his arousal.

"Blaine, that's so good, you make me feel so good, oh..do it again, love, take me into your mouth now," Kurt moaned. His words wrapped themselves around Blaine's heart and he took as much of Kurt into his mouth as he could, sucking hard. Kurt loved it when he sucked hard so Blaine did it for a long time, moving his tongue in swirls under the ridge and across the slit, his saliva keeping it slick. He loved to do this, Kurt was so unique in that he was the only boy Blaine had ever met that was uncircumcised. With less outside stimulation on an every day basis, Blaine was sure he felt more when he gave him a blow job than he did.

He had put this theory out to Kurt one day and they had felt obligated to conduct experiments for hours that day. Blaine smiled to himself thinking about it, then swirled his tongue again.

"Oh, Blaine...stop, love, I don't want to come and if you...oh..." Kurt murmured, his voice high and excited. Blaine stopped, withdrawing his mouth and leaving a kiss on the tip before he took more of the cream to spread back along Kurt's scrotum and just tickling his rim. Kurt jumped. He was so sensitive right there and Blaine took great care to slide his finger around in circles as he took his lover's left ball into his mouth.

"Oh, Blaine, baby....baby..." Kurt said, not even realizing he was speaking. Blaine was getting so worked up, he wasn't sure how long he could do this and not just climax from the sounds.

"Kurt, do you want more?" Blaine teased and Kurt moaned, his legs spreading wider as he anticipated Blaine's next move. "Mmmmm..." Blaine hummed, creating a delicious vibration as he kissed Kurt's cheek before holding them open and licking into Kurt's most secret flesh.

Kurt was coming apart and all he could think about was having Blaine inside himself.

He took the lubricant and spread it on his own fingers, and when Blaine moved back to get a breath, he pushed his index finger inside, slicking his way in to tease the muscle into relaxing. Blaine had never seen Kurt so horny. He knew Kurt had fingered himself before, he had told Blaine about it, but to see him do it was....like nothing he had ever imagined. He couldn't take his eyes off of Kurt's fingers, sliding in and out, adding another and another as he worked himself open for his lover to enter.

"Oh, god, Blaine....I need you now, baby...now, please," Kurt moaned. His hips flexing as he tried to hold still. Blaine couldn't move fast enough and just as he was going to enter, a thought crossed his mind.

"Kurt, can we...can you, ah, turn over? Get on your hands and knees for me, love," Blaine said in a low and sensual voice.

Kurt complied, trembling with his need for Blaine to enter him. He rested his head and shoulders on the pillow, his ass in the air as Blaine moved in back of him, his thighs feeling the warmth of his lover's thighs, then....Blaine was inside, slipping in as slowly as he could to minimize any burning. Kurt didn't care at this point, he just wanted Blaine.

"Oh, push harder, fill me..." Kurt murmured, his voice low and the moan he made was close to a growl. Blaine had never heard this from Kurt and it filled his body with such warmth, with such desire to fulfill Kurt's wishes. He pulled out almost all the way, then pushed in slowly again, only to pick up speed as he continued to push and pull. He leaned over Kurt's back, his belly touching Kurt's perfect ass and making his press back against him.

Blaine reached around and took hold of Kurt's cock, still damp from being in his mouth. He had added some lube and began to stroke in strong, firm strokes, Kurt surprised but thrilled to have this new sensation. He was quietly losing any control and Blaine was relishing his own ability to lead. He felt that he was the one to give Kurt what he wanted, to bring pleasure to this man who had chosen him of all the beautiful men they had met over the years: Kurt had always chosen him.

The friction, Kurt's moans, and Blaine's emotions combined to draw Blaine closer and closer to the end. He wanted to make sure Kurt had what he needed, but eventually everything left his head but his coming orgasm, already gathering like a storm in his belly. Blaine closed his eyes and felt Kurt stiffen, then push forward to force Blaine's hand to grip tighter and back to shove his cock farther inside and Kurt came, his voice high as his body gave in to the spasms, his semen spilling out across the sheets. Blaine couldn't experience that and not be moved, he gasped and the heat exploded in his own body, pumping Kurt full of his semen as Kurt took in breath after steamy breath to try and stay calm.

"Blaine, you are so good.....you are so the perfect lover, and you're all mine," Kurt mumbled as he lay down on the bed. Blaine started to move away, but Kurt's arms found him and dragged him closer in spite of the warm puddles of seed on the sheets.

"Kurt...." was all Blaine's addled brain could think to say, but it was enough. He closed his eyes and thanked the fates or the gods or whomever was in charge for the chance to love a man like Kurt Hummel.

Kurt turned halfway around to put his arms around Blaine and buried his face in Blaine's neck, kissing him until his heart calmed enough for him to speak.

"I love you, Blaine, with all my heart and all my life. Its you. Its always been you since we were eight years old, I've never wanted anyone else. Just you."

Blaine lifted Kurt's face so he could see his eyes and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, too, Pooh-bear. Always."