"Hey, Blaine, I have kind of a strange question to ask you," Jeff said, sitting across from the boy in the dining hall. Kurt was there beside Blaine and Jeff's boyfriend, Nick, was there, too. They had just eaten a good meal: roast chicken with dressing and asparagus. It was almost like Christmas and actually, the holidays were just around the corner.

"Yeah, Sterling? What's up?" he asked between bites of chicken and being pulled over to Kurt so he could kiss some more.

"Did you – and Kurt – go to summer camp?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, well...it's a long story. Funny you should mention that, I was listening to a song that became popular that year and it always reminds me of that summer," Blaine said. Trent was sitting farther down the table and he looked over at Blaine, then Kurt, and his eyes got wide.

"Jeff?" Trent said, and Jeff nodded.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked, looking at Trent and Jeff who seemed to be having some sort of private joke.

"Ah...was the name of the camp Cloudy Pine?" he asked.

Blaine whipped around to stare at Trent.

"Oh, my living gods....you were there!" he said, staring at Trent. "You brought me lunch the day we rode horses..."

Kurt was just sitting as if he'd seen a ghost and Blaine threw his arms around his boyfriend, bouncing in his seat.

"We shared a cabin with you two," Kurt finally said, a smile breaking out on his face. "That's why you looked so familiar that first day. Well, you have changed in seven years, I guess..."

Nick was looking from one boy to the next, finally fixing his stare on Jeff, his eyes asking what was going on.

"Blaine here is a living legend, aren't you?" Jeff giggled, pleased to solve the mystery of why the two newcomers looked so familiar.

"A living legend?" Nick prompted.

"Well, it was seven years ago when Trent and I were at Camp Cloudy Pine for summer camp. We had a cabin-mate named Kurt," he said, flourishing a hand at Kurt. "He was new that year. The first day we heard rumors of a kid that stowed away in the luggage compartment of the bus and ran off when it was opened. Nobody really believed it, and we had all forgotten it by that night. But Kurt here had a 'guest' in his bunk that night....seems Blaine didn't want to spend his summer without his best friend and had stowed away to spend the summer!"

"We all sneaked food from the dining hall and brought it to him at night, and he hid under Hummel's bunk when they did bed check. During the day he just joined us when the counselors weren't looking. He was like the camp mascot. It took them six weeks to figure out he was missing!" Trent said.

"I told my brother I was going to France with my folks, I told my folks I was staying home with my brother...they didn't compare notes for a while. But when they did....all hell broke loose," Blaine said, a small bit of regret in his voice. He felt bad that he's scared Cooper.

"Wow. Did you get in trouble?" Nick asked, his eyes round with curiosity.

"Oh, boy. Both Kurt and I ended up working in Mr. Hummel's garage for the rest of the summer. He lectured us for weeks. I'd rather take a beating than have Burt Hummel say he was disappointed in me," Blaine said.

"Well, it was worth it. I went to Cloudy Pine for five more years, I was a counselor there the last three, and you were still a legend," Jeff grinned.

"Have you two been boyfriends since you were...ten?" Nick asked, incredulous.

"No. We met when we were eight years old at a kid's community theater group. We really were just friends until...about two years ago I guess. We haven't told our families, I don't think either of us is up for that yet. I think we just want it to be between us for now...oh, and our friends here at Dalton, of course," Kurt said, looking at each boy there to be sure they all understood. He trusted they would keep his and Blaine's secret.

Blaine blushed a little because of all the attention, but he was kind of proud of himself in a way for sneaking into the summer camp to be with Kurt. That had been before Jenn and the molestation and he wished he could be that fearless once again. His hand went down to touch Princess' ears and stroke the silky fur, and he leaned a little more towards Kurt who moved his arm around Blaine's waist to comfort him.

"You're okay, baby," Kurt whispered so low nobody else heard, but it put Blaine at ease once again.

~*~

Blaine had been out of sorts for days. He went to class, held hands with Kurt, spoke to his friends and sang with the Warblers, but Kurt could tell that there was something bothering him. He'd asked, of course, but Blaine denied anything was upsetting him. Kurt had watched carefully all the people Blaine interacted with during the day, but saw nothing to arouse his suspicion. Except Princess. She stuck to Blaine's side like glue, her face searching for Blaine's every few minutes, her side pressing into him as they sat together. Kurt was sure there was something upsetting Blaine on an emotional level because Princess was never wrong.

It wasn't until very late one night, long after they had called an end to their evening and gotten into bed, that Kurt felt Blaine slipping quietly out of the bed they shared and tiptoe into the bathroom. He was in there a long time before Kurt could hear crying coming from the room.

Getting up out of bed, Kurt thought about how a million things could go wrong and he was afraid he would be inadequate to help his best friend. As it turned out, though, because he could not abide sitting in his bed -- and pretending nothing was wrong had worn thin, Kurt was resolved to go get some kind of help. Or perhaps provide help in some way? Yes, that would be better if possible. He knocked on the door and heard Blaine's quick intake of breath.

"Blaine? It's just me – can I come in?" Kurt asked.

"I'll be out in a minute," Blaine said. Kurt could hear that he was not on the toilet or at the sink, but sitting on the floor on the other side of the room. He counted to ten and opened the door. Princess was sitting next to Blaine, leaning on him as she kissed his hand and moaning as if in distress. Kurt slid to the floor next to Blaine, leaning his back against the tub.

"What's wrong, Blaine? And don't tell me nothing because we don't lie to each other," Kurt said in a stern voice. It came out that way because he was trying desperately not to cry. The look on Blaine's face was breaking his heart.

"I think we need to go to Headmaster Ethridge and ask for different roommates, Kurt," Blaine said, sounding as if his mind was made up.

That was so far from what Kurt had expected he was at a loss for words and only his snarky attitude came out.

"Well, I think we should give Princess another chance, she's been with us for a long time," Kurt joked, but immediately regretted it as a tear fell from Blaine's cheek, followed by a lot more.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to make you laugh, but it wasn't working. Honestly, Blaine, I'm your best friend, aren't I? Tell me," he begged, clutching Blaine's shoulders and bringing him flush to his chest.

"You are. Kurt, I just....oh, I don't know how to put it into words..." Blaine looked at him as thought Kurt were the one obligated to spill the confession.

"Start at the beginning, baby, I have all night," Kurt assured him.

"It was yesterday in the dining hall," Blaine started, but just stopped there, unable to continue.

"Oh, well, we only have to put up with the Dalton Meatloaf twice a month, it's okay we'll get over it. Next time we'll go out to eat." Kurt kidded. He got a smirk out of Blaine at least.

"No, it was finding out that Jeff and Trent knew me that summer. I'd put that behind me – it's too painful," Blaine said.

"Painful? But we made peace with Dad and Cooper over that years ago, why are you still worried?"

"It isn't that. It's who I was then...brave, or maybe equal parts brave and foolish? But definitely brave. Now I cower at my own shadow, take anxiety pills, and have a security blanket with red fur and a bark," Blaine says.

Kurt thought for a minute, "I don't see that you're letting anyone else tell you what to do. I see you walk Princess in spite of your fear of people, I see you telling everyone who you are and how proud you are to be out. Honestly, Blaine, what are you talking about? You are probably the number one non-fearful person I know!"

"It's so far from that, Kurt...so far. I can't do things spontaneously like I used to. I would see something or think of something – like stowing away on that bus – and without any thought of the consequences I would just leap into it. I never do that any more. Now I think it over, analyze it to death, weigh the possible outcomes...by the time I've dissected an idea, there is nothing left and even if there were, I probably wouldn't act on it.

"For a while I thought I was getting over it, thought I was growing bold again, but then the attack at the dance and....Kurt, it's like I've lost myself somewhere. If you weren't here, I don't know how I would function. I can't even force myself to go to class unless Princess is with me. I'm just.....I don't know. The Blaine I was is lost and I don't know how to find him again," Blaine sighed, putting his head down on his knees and by the time Kurt had his arms around him, he was sobbing for that lost little boy.

"Oh, Blaine...Blaine...you're still here, I still love you. Nobody grows up and stays the same as they were when they were eight. You know that old cliché: 'Into every life a little rain must fall'? Well, it's a cliché for a reason, baby. It's true. You have just had more than your fair share of rain and you might need a bit of extra help to get out of it. Shall we do it together?" Kurt asked, thinking wildly about something – anything – he can say to soothe his best friend.

"Kurt, I know everyone has...setbacks. You lost your mother when you were eight, look at what a mess you were when we met. I walked into that room and knew the instant I saw you that you needed me. It was a long, hard row to hoe, but you came out the other end as a better person. You overcame the loss, learned to live your life again. I have absolutely failed to do that. One small incident, and it wasn't anything that hurt – it was a fucking blowjob for pity's sake. How can that still be affecting me seven years later?" Blaine searched Kurt's face for something, maybe some disgust or signs that Kurt was fed up with him. "For pity's sake, Kurt, we've been in love most of our lives, been kissing and hugging and petting for two years almost...but we've never gone all the way. Do I think for one minute that it's you holding us back? NO. It's me. Me and my fears, my hang-ups, my anxieties. Don't you see that I'm the weak link in this relationship? Kurt, you deserve better. I'm eaten up with guilt that I'm holding you back, that you could have a healthy, loving relationship with another guy. Why are we still together? I can't even get the courage to leave you," Blaine said, then dropped his head into his hands and the sobbing continued.

All Kurt could do was hold him, try to say things to him but knew he wasn't listening.

"Oh, Blaine, baby, I love you. Don't you see? I don't need anyone else, and I know we can be strong against the world. I'll always be here for you. Come to bed, we'll lock the doors and hide from the world for a while, until you feel better, okay?" Kurt was grasping at straws, had no idea what to do except to stay with Blaine. He was terrified that he could lose him, and life without his best friend wasn't life at all.

It was several hours later when Kurt finally coaxed Blaine out of the bathroom and into bed. He wrapped himself around the love of his life and knew he would never let go. Blaine was so weak by now he just lay there in a stupor, letting Kurt take care of him. He didn't have the strength to fight Kurt's ministrations any more, so he ate the chicken soup that Kurt spooned into his mouth, he drank the juice and then slept. Several time there were knocks at the door, but neither of them answered it. It was the weekend, so they didn't have to be in class so it was easy to shut the world out.

By Sunday night, Kurt was more than worried. Blaine had had breakdowns like this in the past, but never one so severe. He was not sure what to do, but he had an idea.

"Blaine, I need to go down to the dining hall and get some food. I won't be very long, is that okay? Will you be all right?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll just sleep until you get back. Can you take Princess? She needs a good run and to relieve herself," Blaine said.

"Okay. Back in a little while. Call me if you need me, baby. I love you," Kurt said.

"Love you, too, Kurt," Blaine said in a sleepy voice.

Kurt clipped the leash on Princess and walked to the end of the corridor and outside to the place the school had designated for her to use. She took care of business and Kurt walked her to the field where they played lacrosse.

"Ready, girl?" He unclipped the leash and let her run. She was a vision of beauty as she ran down the field after the ball he had thrown. She scooped it up in her mouth and ran back, sitting in front of Kurt and wagging her tail, so proud of her accomplishment.

"Give," Kurt said and she dropped the ball in his hand, watching him as he got ready to throw it again, her whole body quivering in anticipation.

"Fetch, girl," he commanded and watched her run down the field again.

She finally got tired and Kurt walked over to the bleachers, sitting on the lowest seat and dialing. It was time to ask for help.

"Dad?"

"Kurt, how are you? I know you had mid-terms to study for, but I missed you guys this weekend. I hope you're coming home next week?" Burt said. Just listening to his voice made Kurt feel warm and like there was nothing that couldn't be accomplished if his dad was there.

"That's the plan. Dad?"

"What's wrong, kiddo? I can hear it in your voice," Burt replied, fearing for his son. He swallowed and sat down, ready for anything.

"It's Blaine. I know I haven't told you everything – and it wasn't that we didn't want you to know, but it was something we wanted to keep between us for a while. Dad, we're...kind of boyfriends? I mean, we...well..." Kurt wished he had rehearsed this because he wasn't doing a good job of telling his father.

"Kurt, it's okay. I know. Son, you wear your heart on your sleeve you know, and I've known the dynamics changed between you and Blaine when you took the road trip. It's okay, I understand the need to have that to yourself until you figure it out. It's fine. I'm happy for both of you," Burt said, hoping this was the problem but knowing it wasn't.

"It's just...Blaine isn't himself. He has so many issues surrounding what happened to him, you know, with that girl. He tells me he knows he should be over it, but he isn't and it's tearing him apart. He has spent since Friday night in his bed. I can hardly get him to eat, he won't shower, he asked me to walk Princess...it's like he is so overwhelmed that he's given up. I've never seen him this bad, Dad, and I don't know what to do to fix it," Kurt told his father, finally breaking down into sobs by the end.

Burt wanted to be there for his son, he wanted to pull him into his arms and make it all better with a kiss like he did when Kurt would stumble and scrape his knee as a child. Burt knew better, though. Blaine had PTSD and it wasn't something that went away overnight.

"Kurt, do you think he needs to come home? I can arrange to have him see a doctor or counselor again. Do I need to come and get him tonight?"

"No, Dad. I think he's better than he was on Friday. I just wanted to tell someone before I exploded. It's hard to see him so hurt when all I want to do is see him joyous once again. There is nothing in this world like Blaine when he's happy."

"I agree, he is special, isn't he? But not any more than you, Kurt. I hate it that you're so down. Can I do something? Send some chicken soup?" Burt laughed.

"No, I already gave him some of that, but good call, Dad."

Burt smiled, he could hear the old happy Kurt shining through.

"Kurt, I'm glad you told me about you and Blaine. You're being good to each other, aren't you? Being safe?"

"Yes, Dad. We haven't...well, let's just say we haven't yet and leave it at that. We're just not ready. Okay? I'm not comfortable talking about that, Dad. We listened to you, though, I can tell you that much." Kurt was red with embarrassment, he had no desire to speak about his love life with his father.

"Okay, Kurt. I understand." Burt was pleased to know they remembered his talks with them.

"I better go. Princess is done with her exercise and I need to get some groceries. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how Blaine is doing," Kurt said.

"Do that, son. Call if you need anything, okay? You might want to call Cooper if Blaine isn't better. Maybe he's missing his family?" Burt said before they ended the conversation.

"Love you, Dad," Kurt said.

"Love you, too, Kurt," Burt said and hung up.

"Hey, Blaine. Are you feeling any better?" Kurt asked. When he had gotten back to the room, Blaine was stepping back into their room from the shower which Kurt took to be a good sign.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, Kurt. I don't know why I let it get me down so much. I know I'm doing okay, I know it gets better – but so slowly," Blaine lamented.

"Well, we did have a set back with the attack after the dance. I think we need to take one day at a time, don't you?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. I sometimes forget that. I want to be instantly better and life doesn't work that way. I had a bit of a pity party there, but I think I can move on. I need to study for that test in calculus on Tuesday. I think I'm okay for the most part, just need to look over my notes. How about you?"

"I'm fine," Kurt said, distracted. Blaine noticed.

Scooting closer to Kurt on the bed, he reached his hand over and ran it down Kurt's arm. Kurt looked over, seeing the apology on Blaine's face.

"We're still okay, aren't we?" Blaine asked.

"Of course we are. We're end game, Blaine, no matter what pits we find in the road, we're always gonna be end game," Kurt assured Blaine, leaning in for a kiss on the cheek.

They ate dinner, minestrone soup that Kurt had raided from the kitchen when he found he was too late for dinner. Lucky for him, one of the Warblers worked in the kitchen so he'd been able to get the soup easily.

After dinner, they decided to just unwind and watch a movie.

"Disney cartoon, 1940's madcap romance, or 1950's detective?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, the madcap romance I think. What did you have in mind?" Blaine asked.

" 'Bringing Up Baby' ? I'm in the mood for Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, sound okay?" Kurt offered.

"Sounds like a winner," Blaine smiled and leaned back on the stack of pillows while Kurt set up the laptop on the desk and accessed Netflix.

Twenty minutes later, neither boy was singing along with Kate as she sang to her leopard, they were naked under the covers kissing.

"I love it when you do that, Blaine," Kurt said, curling his toes as Blaine kissed down his ribs, gently tickling as he went. They had been touching, caressing, and kissing for a while, nothing too serious just playful loving.

Blaine scooted up to plant a kiss on Kurt's lips, running his fingers through his hair again. He pushed Kurt back against the pillows and Kurt sighed at the soft cushion against his back. Blaine kissed his forehead, then across his eyebrows and down to his eyelids. Kurt placed a hand on Blaine's back, rubbing in little soft strokes. Blaine kissed the soft cheek in front of him and sighed.

"Oh, Kurt, I never get tired of kissing you. Look at you, these small freckles dancing across your nose? You only get them in the middle of summer, so why are they here now? It's April! "

"I was out in the sun more than usual this weekend. Remember I ran Princess three times a day. The sun was out," Kurt said in explanation.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I don't know what came over me. Princess is my responsibility, I should have been the one doing that," Blaine said, his face starting to look sad again.

"No, baby, I was glad to help out. I love Princess, too, you know. It was good for me to help. Now, not another word about it...let's get back to the kissing part," he grinned at Blaine who grinned back in return.

Kurt ghosted his fingers across Blaine's back, letting him feel the warmth of his flesh but not the physical contact. Blaine shivered.

"What are we doing this summer? It's the last one before our senior year. We should do something special," Kurt mused.

"Well, we've already had a road trip...I'll have to think about it. It has to be something spectacular."

"Oh, I'm all for spectacular, Blaine. We can have a party at the end of this semester, maybe invite all our friends from McKinley?" Kurt suggested.

"Oh, we can have a pool party! I'll ask Cooper, he won't mind. He's the only one living in the house now, I doubt my parents will be home all summer. They'll probably be in the south of France or somewhere," Blaine said, but it didn't seem to have the old resentment that used to color his remarks about his parents.

"Hey, that isn't the same leopard...is that the killer one?" Blaine asked, paying attention to the movie once again.

"Yeah, it is. Wait, Cary Grant is going to put the leash on it thinking it's Kate's pet leopard..."

Their attention was once more back on the movie. Kurt took advantage of this and slowly ran his hand up Blaine's leg. He didn't appear to notice, even scooting his other leg farther out to give Kurt room without thinking about what was happening. Kurt rubbed the inner thigh of Blaine's leg and watched his boyfriend's face as his eyes darkened and his grin turned to a sultry half-smile. Blaine's breathing picked up, coming in faster and harder breaths. He still didn't seem to notice these subtle changes as he talked on about the movie, wondering where the terrier had buried the dinosaur bone or whether Kate's character was pretending or actually so clueless.

Blaine finally moaned, blinking in surprise to find Kurt's fingers wrapped around his cock, slowly stroking.

"Ah..when did..?" he started to ask, but Kurt had lowered his mouth on Blaine's and there was no more talking. Blaine was astonished for a moment at how hard he was, tried to remember when Kurt had started this seduction, then he didn't think any more as Kurt's curious tongue licked the spot behind Blaine's ear that made him lose all thought.

"Mmmm. Kurt, that's good...let me make you feel good, too," he offered, moving his hand to take Kurt and begin stroking. They slid down in the bed together, Kurt tugging Blaine on top of him and tangling their legs together to build momentum. They slid easily together, well rehearsed from countless frotting sessions over the past year. Kurt pulled back after a little while, wanting more than this, more than just a handjob or Blaine's mouth on him.

Blaine practically read his mind and reached his hand into the open drawer of the bedside table, bringing out the small container they kept there. He put some of the slick liquid in his hand and resumed kissing Kurt. They got very in to the kissing, Kurt finally bucking up a little, his hips seeming to have a mind of their own.

Blaine took this opportunity to use his astroglide covered finger to slide down Kurt's crevice between his buttocks and brush past his sensitive opening. What had been playful kissing suddenly turned quiet and serious.

Blaine tested the waters by moving his finger just a little, brushing gently across the opening once more and was rewarded by a moan that came unbidden from Kurt's throat. Kurt looked a little stunned, so Blaine did it again, still just a brush against it, nothing aggressive and Kurt kissed Blaine again, but this time it was aggressive and as they continued the kiss it turned into a take-no-prisoners passionate kiss. Kurt's throat let out the occasional moan as his hips moved and his legs spread as if by themselves.

Blaine concentrated the touch into a circling, spreading the slick gel around as he pressed down a bit more and Kurt whined, wanting more but not knowing more of what. They had never done this, never even talked about it before, but both knew it was what they wanted and conveyed it to the other. Blaine took his time, pressing more with each circle until he had breached that tight muscle and Kurt was sucking his neck and moaning.

"More?" was all Blaine could say, his entire concentration on what he was doing, trying to be careful while wanting this so badly his body was quivering.

"Yes, I think so..." Kurt answered, a little hesitant but his body answered louder and more demanding, his hips pushing back on Blaine's hand suddenly and his finger was buried up to his knuckle. It was hot, not just sexy, but hot in temperature as Blaine closed his eyes to experience this new thing, to remember it all in hopes of bringing it to mind later as he did with many things he and Kurt had done.

"Is it..okay?" Blaine asked, unsure of himself and ready to pull his hand away if Kurt showed the slightest discontent.

"Oh, Blaine....this is good, so good....so very good," Kurt chanted, his vocabulary narrowing to just a few words. "More?"

Blaine didn't have to be told twice, he pressed his finger deeper, not knowing what the right depth was, but this was getting better with every breath he took. He didn't want to stop, he fought the urge to cower back and let Kurt take the lead once more, to claim he wasn't ready because he had been ready for a long time – just too scared to jump.

"Oh, ahhh, so good....fuck, Blaine...fuck..." Kurt babbled and Blaine took in a breath in shock – Kurt never used that word, he'd never once heard that word come out of Kurt's mouth. He was so hot right now, be he reminded himself to be careful. He moved his finger deeper, and Kurt was moaning, asking for more. Blaine gathered his courage and pulled his finger out, giving Kurt's erection a few strokes, then adding more astroglide and inserting two fingers, slowly and gently. Kurt's eyes opened wide and he squealed, the pain dancing over his features and Blaine stopped.

"Kurt? Did I hurt you?" he asked, but he already knew the answer.

"Don't stop, Blaine, just go slowly and I'll ride out the pain. We knew it would hurt the first time, but it is so good, it will be okay," Kurt whispered, desperate to get past the initial burning stage. Blaine was still hesitating and Kurt took his hand and guided it back, encouraging him to continue. The gentle encouragement was enough, and Blaine started again, but even more carefully. He progressed at a snail's pace, which was finally so frustrating to Kurt that he pinched Blaine's thigh hard. Blaine's fingers slipped deep, the pressure against the prostate causing Kurt to yelp and moan loudly.

"Oh...was that...?"

"Yes...yes...yes....." Kurt chanted, never wanting Blaine to stop, encouraging him with noises and stroking what he could reach of his hard erection.

Blaine felt Kurt's efforts and moved a bit closer so Kurt could get his hand around it. He timed his gentle thrusts to Kurt's strokes without conscious thought, suddenly noticing that Kurt was stretched a bit more. He looked over to see if three fingers would be too much and Kurt's eyes were closed in pleasure, so Blaine took the chance and added another. This time he watched. He wasn't sure why he had closed his eyes before, perhaps to keep Kurt's dignity – but having sex was probably not the time to stand on dignity. The sight of his fingers entering Kurt almost made Blaine swoon. He was suddenly dizzy and his head felt a little numb, but his erection was now so hard he hurt. He took Kurt's hand to guide over to do...something. Kurt sensed Blaine's urgency and folded his fingers around his hard cock, stroking.

"Is it..too much?" Blaine asked, digging his knees a bit deeper into the mattress as Kurt's stroking got stronger and Blaine's blood was rushing so quickly to fill his erection that there seemed very little left in his head for making decisions.

"Blaine....can we? Can you?" Kurt stuttered, thrashing his head for a moment as Blaine rubbed hard on the small bundle of nerves that could change the whole evening's pleasure.

Kurt...what? Are you saying you're ready?" Blaine asked, astonished. He thought Kurt was waiting for....well, something, he didn't know what.

"Oh, Blaine...if you're ready, I am, too. I want you, Blaine....is that okay?" Kurt was wishing with all of his being that Blaine would be on the same page. He knew they had the rest of their lives for this, but he wanted it now.

"I do, Kurt...I need you, if it's right?"

"Yes, Blaine....you know it's right....."

Blaine removed his fingers slowly and Kurt let out a sigh, wired so tightly right now he felt he could fall into a million pieces, shattered if Blaine moved too quickly. But Blaine was slow and gentle, too scared to do it any other way. He caressed Kurt's arms, then drew his hands down his sides, smoothing the tense muscles and kissing his Kurt as he prepared his mind for what he was about to do.

"Kurt, which way?" he managed to get out, hoping Kurt would say so he would know what to do.

"I want to see your face, Blaine...always, your beautiful face," Kurt whispered, cupping Blaine's cheek in his hand for a moment, then settling onto his back, his legs relaxed and his feet planted on the mattress, far enough apart for Blaine to come and lie on top of him. Kurt's arms went around Blaine's waist as he moved his knees between Kurt's thighs, then he spread the astroglide all over his cock, remembering the pamphlet: 'Too much is almost enough the first time'.

"Ready, my love?" Blaine asked and Kurt leaned up to give him a deep, sensuous kiss, a kiss to tell Blaine how much this meant to him, how he was always Blaine's. He was so emotional, wiping suddenly at the tears that came.

"Oh..no, Kurt, don't cry. We don't have to do this, did I rush you? Hurt you?" Blaine asked, ashamed of what he might have done in his anxious state.

"No, baby...no, it's because I'm so in love with you. Now, make love to me, Blaine...." Kurt asked, trembling in anticipation.

Blaine moved so his cock was just grazing Kurt's opening, and his skin was tingling, his hips held in check as they tried in vain to thrust forward. Blaine began to push, slowly – an inch in, half an inch back, another inch forward, another half inch back, making steady but slow progress, wanting it to feel good, and he prayed it wouldn't hurt. Kurt's eyes were closed, but the tears made their way out in spite of it. Blaine watched for signs of distress, of pain, but Kurt's face didn't change from the look of wonder as he was filled with his lover's flesh, slowly, steadily, gently as could be. Kurt took a breath, filling his lungs as Blaine reached the end, as far as he could be inside of Kurt.

"Oh, yes, Blaine...oh...it's so right, baby.."

Blaine pulled back, amazed at the feeling of the textures and the pressure, the sounds that Kurt send directly to his soul. He pushed back, pulled and pushed, Kurt helping and moaning at the same time, watching the joy as it spread across Blaine's face.

He finally got his rhythm, like the waves pounding the shore, and Kurt held on to Blaine so tightly, as if he would be left behind if he loosened his grip. It didn't last long, Kurt and Blaine were so ready, so amazed by this unexpected turn in their relationship. Blaine was as gentle as he could be, only getting carried away as the end came and the heat gathered in his belly, shooting off into every inch of his mortal body as he knew it was too late to stop, too late to think and the heat took him over, reigning chaos inside his head as his orgasm took hold of him, making him disconnected to anyone or anything but Kurt.

They finished close together, so amazed and thrilled - yet there was an element of sadness, knowing the first time was over, knowing they loved each other but couldn't even get married here in Ohio. Kurt lay is if dead, not a muscle moving and his eyes closed. Blaine felt like he might never get the same feeling again, but knew it was worth it.

"Kurt? Are you okay, my love?" Blaine asked, placing those same tiny kisses across Kurt's nose where the early spring freckles were showing themselves, perhaps in celebration of Kurt's first time.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked a while later, after showers and getting back into bed.

"Yes?"

"Was it the right time?" Blaine asked, his nagging doubts resurfacing.

"For me it was, I hope for you, too," Kurt reassured him.

"I feel better.....about myself now. Thank you," Blaine whispered.

"I'm glad. I knew you were strong, Blaine, strong enough to get better. Goodnight, my sweetheart," he whispered, kissing Blaine on his head.

"Goodnight, my love,"

~*~

Kurt walked into their dorm room and slammed the door. Blaine looked up from his guitar a little startled: Kurt never let his temper get beyond icy bitch glares and sarcastic remarks. Something must have happened.

Kurt stalked over to his side of the closet and took off his clothes, then went into the bathroom dressed in just his briefs, his pajamas and bathrobe over his arm. He slammed that door, too.

Blaine sat for a moment. He wanted to go and pull Kurt into his arms and kiss away the bad feelings Kurt was having, but he also knew Kurt. Very well. He knew if he approached him too quickly that he'd just be repulsed and it would be even harder to get back in Kurt's good graces once again, so he strummed his guitar and hummed a song as he thought about how best to approach his unapproachable boyfriend.

Kurt was in the shower for a good long time and he emerged looking much less tense, if still unhappy.

Blaine got up and went to him, holding his arms out in an offer, not otherwise touching him. Luck was favoring him tonight because Kurt fell into his embrace, sighing and holding on to Blaine in a death grip for a few moments, then allowing Blaine to steer him over to the bed.

Kurt sat down, Blaine next to him, slowly rubbing his back in an effort to comfort him more. He waited for Kurt to be ready to talk, and it didn't take long.

"I want you to know you are the only one for me, Blaine. The ONLY one. In spite of what you will probably hear tomorrow, I don't think I did anything to bring this on myself. It was unwanted, unexpected, and unwarranted. I was so shocked, it took me a few moments to collect myself before I slapped him, but I want you to know it was not because I enjoyed anything that was happening. Okay?" Kurt blurted out, his eyes searching Blaine's for any negative signs, any mark that his story was not believed by Blaine.

"Hey, hey...calm down now, babe. Tell me what happened," Blaine said, careful not to sound the least bit jealous in spite of what was whirling around in his head.

"It's that new kid in my French class. He's a first class jerk. I was translating a paragraph and he had the audacity to try and correct my pronunciation. You can imagine how well that went over. Well, I got flustered and the professor said he was correct and I got my tongue tied up in knots because she never reprimands me in class. So this new kid says he's sorry and ......KISSED me. In class. Saying it was French Class, so why not do something French...I should have bitten his tongue! It was awful, and the other students were laughing. The professor herself was laughing at me as she wrote up the slip to send him to the Headmaster to explain himself. He left, but he was waiting outside the classroom when I left the room at the end of the hour. He followed me through the corridors to the dorms, but he must not board here because he didn't have a passcard to get in the building, so I got away," Kurt said, burying his face in Blaine's neck.

Blaine didn't know what to say. He just held Kurt and let him stay where he was, breathing his warm breath on his neck. The words Kurt said...that he 'should have bitten his tongue', kept playing over and over in Blaine's head. The boy's tongue was in Kurt's mouth? No! Kurt hiccuped and Blaine patted his back, rubbing little circles into it to try and give him some comfort. He kissed Kurt's hair, stroked his cheek, and when he finally lifted his chin, Blaine kissed him.

"It will be okay, Kurt. You can't let him get by with this. Dalton is a no bullying school, and I'm sure sexual harassment is on the list. At the top. We can talk to Ethridge tomorrow, okay? I'll go with you, if you want." Blaine was livid, but didn't want to show it and upset Kurt any more. Nobody was going to put their tongue in his boyfriend's mouth, nobody was going to upset his boyfriend if Blaie had anything to say about it.

Nick was in Kurt's French class. He would talk to Nick tomorrow and find out who this guy was and put a stop to his shenanigans. The Warblers would band together to protect Kurt, Blaine was sure of it.

Knock knock

Blaine called out that the door was open and Nick stepped in.

"Hey, Blaine. I came to check on Kurt. Are you okay, Kurt? I was going to walk you back here, but you disappeared after class. I looked for you in the quad because somebody said they thought they saw you out there. Did that new guy follow you?" Nick asked, his hand warm on Kurt's shoulder.

"Yeah, he did. It wasn't enough he tried to kiss me in class, he followed me, making lewd comments, I only got away because he couldn't follow me into the dorms without a passcard," Kurt said, still sitting in Blaine's lap, his boyfriend's protective arms around his shoulders.

"Can you show him to me tomorrow?" Blaine asked in a soft voice and Nick nodded.

"Do you want me to stay here with you for a while, Kurt, or are you two okay for the night?" Nick asked.

"I think we're okay, but thank you, Nicky," Kurt said, leaning out to give him a hug.

"You know we take care of our own, Kurt. Just call if you need me. Or use the panic button, I think Thad is on call tonight," he reminded the boys. Dalton had a panic button in each dorm room that was connected to the resident's desk in case of emergency.

"We will. Goodnight, Nick," Blaine smiled at their friend, then put his arms tighter around Kurt. Princess wagged her tail as Nick left, making sure to lock the door on his way out.

~*~

Kurt hadn't seen the guy all morning. Blaine and Princess walked him to all of his classes, most of which they shared, but after lunch Kurt had heard just about enough of the rumors going around about the new guy kissing him in French class. Blaine wasn't in that class with Kurt, he was taking sociology instead, so he'd asked Nicky to meet them in the hall to escort Kurt. Nicky had strict instructions to call for a teacher if Kurt or he were accosted again.

Kurt walked into the classroom and sat in his seat, no sign of the annoying boy from yesterday. Kurt heaved a sigh of relief and opened his French book, glancing over the lesson to be sure he knew all the phrases for that day's lesson.

About half-way through the class, someone came and sat in the empty seat next to him. The same guy that had bothered him yesterday. Kurt got up, but the professor told him to sit down and if there was a problem, he could speak to her after class.

Kurt looked over to Nicky, who sat several rows away from Kurt. He had his head down, reading and hadn't noticed the boy had come in. Kurt took out his cell and sent a text to Blaine:

trapped next to that guy in french. meet me after? nick not looking my way. I'm scared.

He got a text back:

Im coming now. Hold on and dont leave the teachers side

Kurt was nervous, the guy was leaning towards him, humming under his breath. He reached out a hand to stroke Kurt's arm and Kurt jerked it away. The bell was about to ring and the professor walked to the door of the classroom, asking the students to have silent study for the last few minutes, she had to get to a meeting. Kurt gulped, but thought he could handle this guy. He shut his book and had everything ready to go, having to take his pen back from the lecherous student and push his roaming hand away several times. Why wouldn't Nick look his way? Kurt stood up, the bell was about to ring and he wanted to be out that door. As soon as he stood, he felt a rude hand cupping his ass and he turned – determined to do some damage to this guy, but Nicky was right there. He insinuated himself between Kurt and the guy, whispering for Kurt to get out of there, bell or not.

Kurt made for the door and the guy got around the other end of the table and was standing in front of Kurt as he reached it.

"Hey, calm down. I'm not a bad guy, I just want to help you with your French homework. I lived in France for six years, I know all the best that France has to offer. I can teach it all to you, maybe back in your dorm room?" he asked in a lewd voice, putting out a hand to touch Kurt. Kurt backed up out of the doorway and into the hall, hoping Blaine would hurry.

"Hey, get your hands off my boyfriend!" Blaine's voice came from the end of the corridor as he ran to get to Kurt.

The boy looked around, surprised to see someone at Dalton running in the hall. Blaine got closer, Princess at his side, just in time to see him make a grab for Kurt's ass again.

"Leave. Him. Alone." Blaine said, his face a mask of anger.

The kid turned and a smile stretched across his face, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Anderson? Long time no see," the kid said, leering once more at Kurt and rubbing his ass. Kurt tried to jump back, but the kid was quicker and grabbed Kurt's arm in a vice-like grip making him yelp.

"Smythe? What the hell, Sebbie? I thought your family moved to France. What are you doing back in Ohio?" Blaine asked as he reached for Kurt and pulled him into his arms. Kurt was there in a New York minute, holding on to Blaine and burying his face in Blaine's neck.

"We moved back. Oh, so you're his boyfriend?" Sebastian asked, nodding at Kurt. "In that case, please accept my apologies, Kurt. I didn't know. I thought you were just playing with me, and I love a teaser," he grinned good naturedly. Blaine eyed him for a moment, deciding if this was real or if Sebbie was just trying to get himself out of a bad spot. He decided to give him a chance.

"Just watch your step. Kurt is mine." Blaine said bluntly and Kurt's skin shivered. He'd never heard Blaine act so possessive and it was kind of hot. He turned his head to look at Blaine and got a kiss for his trouble.

"Okay, tiger, I got the message. Hands off. You don't have to tell me twice. I always did like your taste in men, Blainers, since you were a kid. Remember that little kid you used to pal around with? The one that shaved his head in second grade. I always thought he would have grown up into a fine looker one day. What ever happened to him? You were pals with him for years," Sebastian said, a nostalgic look in his eyes. He liked to think about the good times he had as a child because his years in France had not been good ones. It took him a long time to talk his parents into letting him live with his aunt so he could come back and finish school in Westerville.

"Ah, that would be me," Kurt said in a soft voice, still a bit intimidated by Sebastain.

Sebastian's grin grew bigger.

"And so it is! I remember you hanging around Blainer's a lot, I'd see you at the playground and the library, the swimming pool, or just around town. I always wanted a pal like that," he said, looking a little sad, but shaking his head a bit before he was back in the conversation. "How about going to dinner with me? Talk over old times?" he asked.

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other and exchanged words using boyfriend shorthand, both giving a silent nod and Blaine said they would be happy to.

"I'll meet you at the House of Kyoto at six, if that's okay?"

"We'll be there. Thanks, Sebbie," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand and walking away.

"Ah, should I remember him?" Kurt asked, a little embarrassed at how afraid he was of Sebastain.

"No reason to, I don't think he ever spoke to you. He lived across the street from me and we'd play at the park whenever Cooper saw him out with his mom. She'd watch me and Cooper could go hang out with his pals. I used to resent that. A lot. But now I'm seventeen, I cannot imagine having a seven year old brother being my total responsibility for days on end. I feel so badly for Cooper – I was just too young to understand. I didn't get along with Sebbie all that well, but before you he was the only kid I played with. My neighborhood didn't boast a lot of kids back then," Blaine explained. "His mom was only a few years older than Cooper – his dad was a lot older than she was. I think she felt sorry for Coop, that's why she watched me."

Kurt nodded in understanding. Everyone's family had some kind of issue it seemed.

The boys were in their room, lying on Kurt's bed and tossing a ball to Princess to catch.

"I need to take her out for a good run before we go to dinner. I might leave her in the room tonight, it can be hard having her in a restaurant sometimes," he said. Only the week before a restaurant owner had complained to Blaine that he didn't want a dog in his place. Blaine had shown him her card, although her vest had a patch proclaiming her a service dog, and she curled up by Blaine's feet when she was in a place like that. Some people were just ignorant. Kurt had come to the rescue, citing the law: chapter, section, and subsection of the right of disabled people to have their service dog with them in public places. Kurt had offered, in his most sarcastic tone, to call the police but by then the man had backed down and allowed it, but the atmosphere of the evening was ruined. Blaine was a little afraid of getting food with something unsavory in it, so they had left.

"Hey, we can take her, Blaine. I think maybe you might need her tonight – Sebastain seems like the kind to stir up trouble," Kurt said, hoping he didn't upset Blaine with his opinion, but he was only thinking of his boyfriend. To his surprise, Blaine agreed.

Getting back from a good run with Princess, they got ready for dinner and set out to walk the short way to House of Kyoto. Princess had been fed so she wouldn't get hungry while she waited by Blaine's feet. They reached the restaurant and walked in, deciding to wait for Seb inside, but he was already there.

"Mr. Blaine, Mr. Kurt, how are you tonight?" the pretty girl behind the desk asked. They were regulars here and the staff loved the boys and their dog. "And the pretty Princess, too."

"It will be dinner for three," Blaine said, nodding at Sebbie.

"Yes, yes, come this way," the girl told them, marching to the rear of the dining room and giving the boys their favorite table. The girl was maybe twelve and the daughter of the owner, very proud to be working in the family business.

"Thank you, Keiko, this is perfect," Blaine said, patting the girl on the shoulder. He'd hugged her once, but she didn't like her dignity trod upon, so he didn't do it while she was working again.

"So, what have you been doing for the past half-dozen years, Blainers?" Seb asked.

"Mostly living with Kurt and his family. My folks are always gone, Cooper graduated from college and is in law school now, so I don't go back to the house very often," Blaine said, chaffing at Seb's insistence on calling him 'Blainers', but he knew if he mentioned it, Seb would never quit. This way he might just get bored.

"Oh, so...you live with your boyfriend? Do your parents know?" Seb asked, looking at Kurt.

"Of course they do," Blaine glared at Seb.

"What's with the dog? Some of the guys said he's a service dog – are you blind or something?" Seb asked and Kurt was getting irritated.

"It actually isn't any of your business, Sebastian. Do you hear us asking probing personal questions of you?" he asked, giving the boy of of his best icy glares, guaranteed to freeze his blood.

"Ah, sorry, Blainers. Well, seems you have two dogs, the pitbull here and the Irish setter. I think one of them needs a muzzle, and it isn't the one at your feet," Sebastian said, giving a pretty icy glare himself.

"Hey, now, no call for that. Sebbie, I'd rather not discuss it, okay? Let's just say she helps me cope with some difficulties. As for my boyfriend, you better watch your mouth. Kurt is just trying to protect me and he doesn't deserve to be called names or insulted for doing so. Your life has never been a bed of roses as I recall, so maybe we should just let sleeping dogs lie, okay?" Blaine said, standing up for himself for the first time in ages. Kurt smiled a little before he saw Sebastian looking at him. His smile turned to a frown and he leaned a bit closer to Blaine.

The conversation limped along for the rest of the meal and they parted company outside the door. Sebastian held out his hand and Blaine had to nudge Kurt to take it.

"I am truly sorry we have started this friendship on the wrong foot, Kurt. I hope I can amend it soon. Please, come and visit me at my aunt's house one evening, we can have supper and talk over old times. Goodnight, Blaine. It really was good to see you again," Sebastian said in all seriousness and Kurt wondered if this was still an act. He didn't like Seb at all.

"I'll talk it over with Kurt, okay?" Blaine said, referring to Seb's invitation.

Sebastain leaned down to run his hand over Princess' silky head. "And it was good to meet you, my dear. Keep our Blainers safe."

Princess was wagging her tail at the new boy, an act that Kurt took note of.

"Good then. See you in class," he said, waving as he wrapped his coat around himself and walked down the street.

Kurt turned to Blaine.

"Is he for real? I mean, first he kisses me in class just to make a fool of me, he stalks me and grabs me in the hallway, comes to dinner just so he can throw insults at you and calls me a dog – sorry, Princess – and now he wants to get all cozy?" Kurt huffed.

"I remember him as a young boy, Kurt, but his family moved away years ago, to France. I don't know why he's back...and living with his aunt? I hope nothing happened to his parents. As for your question, I don't know if he's being real or not. I guess we could see? Let's think about it for a while. I'm really tired, maybe we should just get back to the dorms and go to sleep."

~*~

In the days that followed, Sebastian was friendly and his sexually-charged comments seemed to have evaporated in the spring sunshine. Kurt even began to grudgingly like the boy as he spread his own brand of smiles and encouragement wherever he went.

Blaine, on the other hand, became more and more suspicious. He'd known Sebastian for most of his young life and the boy had never been this cheery – except when he wanted something. Kurt argued that it was possible that the bad years abroad had changed him, that perhaps Sebbie had turned over a new leaf. After a time they just ceased to argue about it, competitions between The Warblers and other show choirs in the region were amping up and it took a lot of the boys' time and attention.

Kurt hadn't forgotten the breakdown Blaine had experienced and was very careful of not crowding him, letting him make decisions for himself, and giving him space when what he really wanted to do was smother Blaine in hugs and kisses and keep him all to himself, locked in a tower where nobody would intrude on their time together.

~*~

"Kurt, look outside! I have been feeling spring in the air, the snow melting and everything, but look across the quad," Blaine woke Kurt up one Sunday morning. Kurt rubbed his eyes and looked out the window.

"Oh...it's a fairy land!" he squealed, gazing at the pink cherry trees all in bloom across the campus. "How did that all happen overnight?"

"It didn't, silly. You've had your nose buried in that history text for days, barely coming out for food and sex, and those were after dark. I've been watching this all week. C'mon...I have something to show you!"

Kurt got dressed in a hurry while Blaine walked down the corridor and knocked on Jeff's door.

"Blaine! Come in, come in," Jeff said, surprised to see Blaine on his own with just Princess. He looked in the hallway to see where Kurt was.

"He's not here. He's getting dressed, but I have a favor to ask you," Blaine said, blushing a bit while he gathered courage to ask a favor of his friend. "Are you and Nicky doing anything today?"

"No, nothing planned, I have a geography test to study for and Nicky offered to quiz me. Why?"

"Can you keep Princess for the morning? We'll be back mid-afternoon at the latest, but what I'm planning would be better executed without her bouncing in on the ..ah...activities," Blaine sort of explained, blushing a deep red.

"Oh, those...well, I guess poor Princess might be tired of being a voyeur on your love life. Sure, I'll keep her for you," Jeff smiled.

"She will need to go out in back of the parking lot to that little fenced area.." Blaine started to say.

"I know, I've gone with you before. No problem. I'll keep her on the leash so she doesn't get it into her head to play bloodhound and go find you. Now, go! Have a fun time. Stay until dinner if you want, Princess and I get along fine," Jeff said, grinning at Blaine and turning him towards the door, patting him on the butt to get him moving.

"Hey, that's Kurt's. You don't want him to see you do that!" Blaine called over his shoulder as he walked quickly back to his dorm room.

"Ready?" Kurt asked as he stepped out of the room, dressed casually in tight jeans and his weekend pea coat. Blaine smiled at how gorgeous his boyfriend was and took his hand, walking down the corridor and out the back door of the building.

"It's just over this hill..." Blaine said, trying not to listen to Kurt's grumbling as he came up behind Blaine. They had been walking for the better part of an hour and were almost at the top of the hill after walking through the woods in back of the school. "Okay, stop. Now, this won't hurt a bit, but you have to cooperate," Blaine said, taking a wide scarf from his pocket and moving behind Kurt.

"Hey, wait...what kind of kinky..?" Kurt started, but Blaine had whipped the scarf in front of Kurt and was tying it securely around his head. "Ah...wait...I can't see..." Kurt sounded like he was about to panic.

"It's okay, I'm right here, Kurt. I won't let go of you, I just wanted you to be surprised, okay? Now, I'll hold your hand and guide you," Blaine said, grinning from ear to ear at his surprise and the long-awaited look on his best friend's face when he saw it. He led Kurt the rest of the way up the hill and took his hand, placing it on a brick wall. Kurt turned his head in confusion, but Blaine spoke quietly to him, assuring him this would be over in just a minute.

Kurt could smell flowers, and he followed the brick wall, sometimes feeling vines growing over it, or losing touch when Blaine pulled him away from a tree or bush growing too close to the wall for him to fit behind. Finally, something metal and heavy was set in his hand and the blindfold removed. It was a key.

"Blaine, what is this? The Secret Garden?" Kurt joked, looking around. There were trees everywhere. They were deep in the small woods in back of the school. A brick wall ran along this far edge of the property, but he'd never seen the gate before. It was wood, maybe oak, and was over six feet high, as was the wall.

"Where are we?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked at the key in Kurt's hand and then at the wooden gate. Kurt understood and fit the key in the lock, opening the gate. Blaine heard the sound he'd been waiting for: "Oh, my! Blaine? Where did you find this?" Kurt babbled, completely flabbergasted.

"I was walking Princess and I ran into that group of nuns that we see in town a lot. One of them asked about the dog...she had a definite Irish accent and told me she had a terribly stereotypical name that she refused to reveal, but I could call her by what the sisters in her order did: Sister Mary Paul. Her order owns this garden and we got to talking about Princess and she told me she had a red setter when she was a child back in Ireland. She said nobody much comes here any more, the order is in a new building in another part of the city, but she comes to sit and pray in what she called "God's Peace". She invited me to come with her one day and then offered me the key if I wanted to bring you here. It isn't sacred ground, just a peaceful place."

Kurt had been standing dumbfounded. He had never given thought as to what was behind the wall at the back of the Dalton property. Blaine walked through and took Kurt's hand as they walked down a crushed stone path.

"Oh, the smells! There must be a million flowers here, Blaine...how beautiful!" Kurt was amazed, truly amazed to the point of having his mouth open, hand in front of it in astonishment as he looked.

"This isn't even the best part, Kurt. Now, close your eyes again and I'll lead you to it," Blaine coaxed and Kurt followed his directions. Blaine walked around a wall of shrubbery to another part of the once-formal garden and put both hands on Kurt's shoulders. "Open."

"Blaine...lilacs! There must be a hundred bushes of them, oh, smell that!"

Blaine was smiling so wide his face hurt.

"I knew you liked lilacs, remember the time we got caught picking them from the bushes at the mall? We had to call Cooper to come get us away from the security guard," Blaine laughed, thinking of the escapade from when they were only nine years old.

"Yes, but they let me keep them when you told them I just picked them for my grandmother. She used to love them, too," Kurt said, his eyes looking soft and full of warm memories. He turned his blue eyes back on Blaine. "And you brought me here. Oh, Blaine, I love you," Kurt said, his arms around Blaine's neck.

"I love you, too, Kurt. Memories aren't the only reason I brought you here, though. I wanted to give you this," he said, holding out a small box. Kurt's eyes were wide as dinner plates.

"What? Blaine...I love you, but we're not ready...we're too young, we haven't talked about this," he said.

"Calm down, just open it," Blaine said, blushing.

Kurt opened the box and saw a thin band of silver, just simple with a small knot as a decoration. His eyes went to Blaine's face, questioning.

"It's a promise ring, Kurt. Not an engagement ring, though one day I hope to place one of those on your hand. Here, try it on," Blaine said, suddenly shy. He ducked his head down, afraid of what Kurt might say to his boldness.

"It fits. Oh, Blaine...it is so beautiful. Thank you, but what are you promising?"

"To always love you. To find the boy you fell in love with all those years ago before the awful things happened to me, before I tried to hide from the world. I miss being bold and impetuous and because of your steadfast support, because you won't let me shrink until there is nothing left of me...I have that hope, Kurt. I promise I will come back to you and be the friend you had so long ago."

"Oh, Blaine, you haven't gone anywhere. I know you're still here with me, loving me and being with me every single day of my life. You might try to hide from your demons, my love, but you can never hide from me. I will still be by your side, no matter what. I don't have a ring to give you now, but I will make you a promise that I will be here in your life until you don't need me any more – and hopefully that is a long, long time."

They fell together, lips searching each other until they met, and stayed there until they had to pull back to breathe. Blaine got down on the ground, holding his hand up to invite Kurt to join him. He pulled Kurt closer, kissing him once again on the soft grass between the lilac bushes.

"Blaine...there might be other people.." Kurt said, not wanting to break apart but nervous.

"No, this is the only key. I have to give it back on Monday, but for today, this is your dream, we can be here all day," Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes. "Now, 'come and lie with me, Love'...the poets said. They had the right idea, I think," Blaine laughed.

They slowly removed their clothes, rolling in the grass under the lilacs, the intoxicating scent making them dizzy and full of lust for each other.

"Kurt, remember last month...when I made love to you?" Blaine asked, just a whisper in Kurt's ear as they lay touching each other.

"Yes," Kurt's eyes brightened as he looked up at Blaine. "It was the best day of my life."

"I was hoping...if you're ready, that is..could you make love to me?" Blaine asked, clinging to Kurt and looking into his eyes to make sure he was telling the truth when he answered.

"Oh, yes, Blaine...yes," Kurt purred, laying his head on Blaine's chest for a moment and gathering his courage for this. He'd done it a thousand times in his dreams, planned it in his head, and now in this garden with the lilacs...he wasn't sure if it was all a dream after all. He opened his eyes to see Blaine had the small bottle of slick gel, setting it beside them with a small towel for after. Blaine had thought of everything.

Kurt got up and rested on his hands, gathering himself for the fulfillment of his dream.

He lay down close to Blaine, taking him in his arms once again to kiss and caress him, making sure to be both gentle and effective as he stroked the golden skin spread out in front of him. Kurt was the one most people thought of as bold, but it wasn't true, not if they had known them as young boys. They were still true to their natures as proved last month when Blaine made love to Kurt, taking charge and making sure Kurt was comfortable and well cared for the entire time. Kurt was very afraid he wouldn't be as good and his muscles trembled with the thought that he would somehow do it wrong, would hurt this boy that was only now coming back from the damage done to him. It was a huge, looming responsibility and Kurt was quivering as he stopped to look at Blaine.

Kurt moved over Blaine, kissing down his chest and tickling his ribs, loving the giggle he hadn't heard enough of lately. He kissed down to his hipbones, taking Blaine's cock in his mouth and licked the crown, letting his tongue go to the place that he knew would bring Blaine the most sensation. He sucked gently, brining him to full arousal and seeing that his cock was an angry red, so full of blood and now lying his belly, liquid leaking onto the golden skin. Kurt leaned forward to take that essence onto his tongue and felt his own erection become almost painful with anticipation.

"Lie back and relax, baby..." Kurt said in a reassuring tone, but not quite sure if he were giving assurance to Blaine or to himself. He took a sprig of lilacs from the bush overhead and - just barely touching Blaine's skin – he moved them along the contours of his belly and up his chest, following it with kisses. He set the flower down and buttered his fingers with the gel, giving Blaine's cock one slow stroke just as a reminder. He spread Blaine's legs, not too far apart but enough and brushed his hand over the back of his thigh. Blaine was so anxious his muscles were stiff and Kurt massaged the thigh before he slipped his index finger slowly across Blaine's sensitive opening. Blaine jumped, but the moan that followed excited Kurt and he kept going. His fingers moved in slow circles until he'd breached the tight muscle, coaxing it to relax and enjoy the ride. He was murmuring sweet things to Blaine the whole time – partly to make him relax more but partly to keep his courage up.

He slid his finger deeper, watching Blaine's face as he felt this for the first time. Kurt knew what it felt like and the face Blaine made – half surprise and half lust was a spur to keep going.

Kurt slid in and out, slowly as he spoke words of encouragement and finally leaned back in to kiss those swollen lips. He gave Blaine an internal massage, slow and gentle as he saw Blaine's chest rising and falling at an increased rate, so Kurt added a finger. Blaine whined for a second, holding up a hand until he could catch his breath, then nodded. Kurt massaged harder, sure that the elusive little patch of nerves that was in control of so much was just within his reach. Ah, there, and Blaine was undone, his high-pitched keening going on for a moment before he got it under control.

"Is that it?" Kurt asked, but he already knew the answer and Blaine just looked at him, his eyes glazed a bit, his smile plastered across his face. Kurt moved his other hand to rub gently under Blaine's balls, slowly with a slightly increasing speed until he could tell it was the right place. The massage on his prostate and the little patch of skin behind his balls – trapping the prostate between Kurt's fingers. He was rubbing gently, one hand outside and two fingers inside when Blaine just came unhinged. He bucked and moaned so loud Kurt was sure the whole dorm could hear even though it was two miles back to Dalton.

"You okay?" he asked Blaine, who nodded and closed his eyes. They were open again in a minute – searching Kurt's out and locking on to him.

"Oh, yes...so okay..." Blaine gasped as Kurt rubbed with a little more force. Blaine yelped and tried to pull back, the stimulation so very good – but he wanted more and this would end it if Kurt kept it up. Kurt understood and took a deep breath of the lilacs and removed his fingers, hoping that he had stretched Blaine enough.

He fell on him, lying his head in Blaine's neck and shoulder joint, hiding his eyes for a moment to build his courage one more time. Blaine stroked his back, knowing how the feelings of apprehension could build up.

"Hey, Kurt....you are so beautiful so good for me. All I want is to be closer to you now, so close, as close as we can be in this mortal world. I want it with all my heart," Blaine said. If it had been in any other circumstance, Kurt would have laughed at Blaine's poetic language, but it seemed so appropriate here, in this garden of heavenly lilacs.

"We will be, soon, my love...soon," Kurt murmured against his lips. He took another cleansing breath of the intoxicating lilacs and moved his knees between Blaine's legs, gently placing his lover's legs up around his waist to open a path for Kurt. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer, not to anyone in particular but to the fates, a promise that he would be gentle and careful of the precious boy whose heart he held in his hand.

He pressed the crown of his cock against Blaine's sensitive opening, having just renewed the layers of gel to make it more comfortable. He remembered how Blaine had done this and pushed that barest inch inside the tight circular muscle. Blaine took in a breath, twisting his eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. It hurt. It didn't just hurt, it burned like there was a fire pressing into him, tearing him in half. He gasped and tried to open his eyes. Achieving that, he saw the pain in Kurt's eyes, this was not the way it was supposed to go.

"Wait, I just need to relax, just..." Blaine tried to excuse himself, but the pain in Kurt's eyes was making it worse. "No, stop, don't move," Blaine begged. He closed his eyes, trying to find the courage he once had in abundance and was now lacking. If he ever had an ounce of courage, now was the time. He opened his eyes and looked right into those beautiful ocean blue eyes. He willed his body to let go, to stop anticipating the worst, to let Kurt in. He took another breath, pulling Kurt's face down to his own and kissed those swollen, sexy lips for a good long while, reminding himself that this was the boy he loved, this was the boy he couldn't live without, this was Kurt – the one person he trusted above everyone else.

"Now, baby, now, Kurt....be inside of me now..." he whispered and Kurt thrust forward, burying his cock to the hilt when Blaine pulled his hips so forcefully. He stopped, but Blaine was kissing him again and Kurt felt he was surrounded by Blaine, not just his arms or his lips but by his whole body. It was hard to believe anything could feel this good and he pulled back, his hips bucking as if they had a mind of their own. Blaine was moaning, Kurt's large cock pressing against his prostate and causing the hot waves that built up – knowing this might not last very long.

Blaine grunted, pushing back against Kurt and moaning his pleasure as it flowed through his body. Kurt dared to open his eyes once again, so afraid the pain would be in Blaine's eyes – but it wasn't. He could see that Blaine was right there with him, loving this joining, working towards the same goal and he kissed Blaine again, moving his mouth to suck gently on his neck as they moved in sync as if they'd rehearsed this for years.

It went on for ever or only a few moments, the sense of time was lost to both of them because nothing existed but them in the heaven of the lilac garden. All good things must end, and Blaine was proof as he slowed for a second, his mind and body of two different thoughts: whether to stay and enjoy or rush forward to catch the orgasm that had been simmering in the background for all this time. One look at Kurt's face made the decision for him and he pushed against Kurt, forcing his cock farther into Blaine's body and Blaine could see that he was there, too. Blaine gave in first, the hot tingling force crushing him as the heat ran from his balls up his shaft and covered Kurt's belly with pearly splashes. Kurt felt the same lava and fireworks burst forth inside Blaine.

They clung together, knowing this was what it would be like for the rest of their lives, the adrenaline and released hormones exaggerating the romance in their minds as they held on through the aftermath of their lovemaking, neither one wanting to be the first to let go.

"I love you, Piglet," Kurt said, knowing he had to take the edge off the intense romantic feelings poisoning his blood. It worked and Blaine let go, trying not to giggle. Making love was serious, but he turned it over in his mind, realizing that there would be more opportunities for this. It wasn't the end of their time together at all, it was only the beginning. He leaned forward, placing a kiss of the freckled nose of his friend, his lover.

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