CHAPTER 11

"How about a shopping spree tomorrow?"

They were standing by the door in Kurt's apartment, trying – and failing – to say goodbye on a Wednesday evening, after another afternoon spent together. Blaine really needed to go home; Cooper would be back soon, with dinner, and it would be suspicious if Blaine wasn't there after he said he was on his way. But it was so difficult to leave when he could just stand here instead, making out with Kurt.

The past three days had been like a dream. With no new costumes for the theater needed for now, Kurt had an easier time at work, so he did some maintenance in the costumes archive and worked on his private designs at home. If someone had told Blaine that he would spend his summer afternoons with a man he was crazy about, either in his New York apartment or in a Broadway theater helping him catalogue a whole wardrobe of old costumes, he'd never had believed it. And yet, that was exactly what he was doing, and he couldn't be happier.

Of course, he would be happy sweeping the streets if he got to do it with Kurt.

"Shopping for what?"

Kurt grinned and stole another kiss before answering. "Clothes, shoes, accessories... I like the way you dress, but I'm itching to add some well-chosen pieces to your wardrobe. I've seen some pants you would look devastatingly good in and a few designer shirts I'd like you to try and –"

Blaine was really sorry he had to wipe this bright-eyed enthusiasm off Kurt's face.

"Oh... I'd love to, Kurt, but I don't have any money of my own right now. Coop is paying for my food and everything else here. I can't make him buy me clothes, too."

Kurt snorted, clearly amused for some reason.

"Um, Blaine? Have you ever wondered how much your brother makes? I'll give you a hint: he's a young prodigy in a large financial corporation, who has been promoted three times in the last two years alone and never says no to overtime. Plus, he's supposed to be an investment genius. Just ask him if you can go shopping with me, and text me to set the time. Now go."

With a swift kiss, Kurt opened the door and gently pushed Blaine out towards the elevator.

Hesitantly, Blaine approached the topic over dinner. Cooper's question about his day worked just fine as an introduction.

"I was helping Kurt at the theater, he's been cataloguing old costumes. Actually, he wants me to go shopping with him tomorrow."

Coop took another forkful of pasta. "Mm. Clothes?"

"Yeah."

"Good luck. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, shopping with Kurt is like an Olympic sport."

Blaine cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling a bit like a leech. "I don't think I'll go, though. It's not like I have any money to spare."

Cooper shrugged, not even looking up at him. "Oh come on, sure you can go, you have my card, right? How much do you need? Five hundred?" He glanced up when the silence continued, and clearly read Blaine's stunned expression wrong because he shook his head. "No, you're right. I do owe you a few birthday presents after all. Try to stay within a thousand though, all right? Kurt tends to stick to designer labels, so he needs someone to keep him from going overboard."

It took Blaine a while to find his jaw under the table.

Shopping with Kurt turned out to be exhausting, but also fun and satisfying in a way Blaine had never suspected shopping could be. He'd never had anyone to buy clothes with him before, and certainly not someone who would wait patiently as Blaine tried on one thing after another, comment expertly on the fit and colors, and offer honest opinions and advice. Eventually, he didn't even come close to the limit Cooper had given him, and still came home with his arms laden with bags and boxes. Not to mention a bit overwhelmed after spending more on clothes than he ever had before within months, let alone one afternoon.

There were some shirts and cardigans there, two pairs of pants that hugged his ass and legs in a nearly indecent way yet still managed to be comfortable, and a few bowties that he couldn't resist. There was also a new cologne, one that he'd wanted to try for some time and ended up loving. Kurt had taken one whiff of his sprayed wrist and nearly groaned, his eyes getting darker in a way Blaine  already knew oh-so-well, and it was the final push to buy the perfume, in spite of its top-shelf price. Oh well, it was a gift from Coop, after all.

Later that night, on the verge of sleep, one thought fluttered around him, making him smile into the soft darkness. They virtually hadn't touched today. Not a kiss, a hug, no hand-holding – they were in public, in places where privacy or secrecy couldn't have been guaranteed – and yet, it didn't matter. With Kurt's smile and attention, with their easy conversation and instant understanding, it still felt like a most amazing date. And this was new.

Sure, he may not have had much experience in dating, but he knew enough to realize that it wasn't a given. He remembered the dates with Nathan, some dinners and walks, a couple of movies, a little driving around, and how it had always felt almost like a front, while beneath the thin surface both of them really only thought of ways and places to get some intimacy, a few minutes to themselves to make out safely, maybe go further, as far as circumstances allowed.

And sure, there was the fact that with Kurt Blaine didn't have to constantly dream about getting physical because they could, and they did; his needs were met in a way they never had before, which made obsessing unnecessary. But he was pretty sure it was more than that. While he wanted Kurt constantly, his nerves firing up in his presence, humming and buzzing whenever they were close, it didn't matter enough to block everything else – their conversations and laughter, the understanding and interests they shared. They weren't just lovers or whatever they were – they were friends. It was still new, fresh, nothing like Cooper and Sebastian were to Kurt, certainly, but it was there, and it made their entire relationship that much better, more complex.

On Friday Kurt decided that while he wasn't a fan of keeping animals in cages, Blaine simply had to go see the zoo and the aquarium.

Except it took them longer than they'd planned at the Bronx Zoo because Blaine couldn't get away from the Children's Zoo section, feeding and petting the goats and llamas, and talking to them until Kurt was a useless giggling mess crouching on the ground with a stitch in his side. And then there was the butterfly garden and it was just so beautiful and interesting, that by the time they left the zoo it was past six and there was no use going to the aquarium today. They settled on dinner at Kurt's place.

The clouds that had threatened overhead for half the afternoon finally burst just as they were getting out from the subway station. The downpour was sudden and surprisingly cold for a summer rain, and left them drenched within seconds. It should be annoying, but they ended up laughing instead as they sprinted to get to the dry, safe haven of Kurt's apartment. It was that infectious kind of laughter that fed on each other's hilarity until they were gasping and clutching at their bellies, their muscles aching from the run and the effort of hysterical giggling. They were home by then, dripping on the floor of Kurt's small hallway, their clothes and hair soaked through, faint ripples of laughter still vibrating through them on every other breath.

And Blaine wasn't sure how it happened, but the next instant they were kissing, wet and cold but sparkling heat from the inside. It was as intense as the laughter had been, the same energy flowing between them. And then Kurt gasped against his lips between kisses, "Shower. We'll catch a cold", and his hands were tugging at Blaine's shirt, impatient. A race to rid each other of their clothes followed, and Blaine had never gone from wet, cold and giggly to hard, hot and wanting that fast. He might have become a little dizzy from all the blood leaving his head in a hurry.

Kurt's shower wasn't really built for two, but the hot water and the proximity in the small stall was all Blaine could dream of now. It felt so intimate, just showering together, that his breath caught for reasons that were not really sexual for a change. Neither of them could move freely, so for a moment the kissing was forgotten as they washed each other, a little shy with the novelty of it, but unable to contain their grins as their bodies regained the warmth the rain had stolen from them.

But then the slick, soapy hands were touching places and stuttering hips caused some quite accidental contact that quickly progressed into non-accidental in the least, and all of the sudden there was hot, lathery naked frottage in that tiny shower stall and god, Blaine wanted it to last forever. Kurt pressing against him hot and wet, his hips rocking and undulating in ways that made Blaine's eyes roll back, their cocks aligned perfectly, slick with the soap and water.

And then Kurt's hand on Blaine's ass pressed him closer still, his fingers sliding in a single slick caress along his crack and over his hole and Blaine was coming, unexpected and shocking, his rough cry echoing against the bathroom walls.

The movement of Kurt's hand just inches from him registered first, before any other sensations came back. It took his brain a few seconds to connect the familiar rhythmic slides and the hushed moans that were just getting to the point of desperate, but once he did, Blaine was dropping to his knees under the still hot water spray and turning his face upwards towards Kurt – his flushed cheeks, half open mouth, his hand moving ever faster as he was jerking himself off. Blaine's voice was still rough and breathless from his orgasm, but sure and pleading.

"Come on, I want you to, want... Please..." It was so hard to voice the boldness of what he wanted, but it didn't matter, Kurt understood. His eyes went wide and he keened, shooting stripes of white all over Blaine's face, his open mouth, his cheeks and forehead, and fuck, if it wasn't the hottest thing ever.

***

Kurt was already halfway through his first cup of latte when Blaine entered the coffee shop the next morning. He looked tense and anxious, and Kurt flinched – okay, maybe he should have thought twice about what he was going to say before he'd called Blaine barely after nine. You don't usually expect anything good when someone tells you to meet them as soon as possible because you two should talk.

But he'd been unable to sleep and not caffeinated yet, and he'd really wanted to talk right then and –

Okay, he'd fix it now.

Except Blaine stopped at the counter, taking a lot of time deciding on his order before he finally got to the table and sat down. He looked paler than usual, his eyes lacking the usual sparkle, but his voice was resolute as he spoke.

"You're going to call it off, aren't you? Us?"

Kurt shook his head fervently. He would have grabbed Blaine's hand if they were somewhere further away from their neighborhood, but as it was, he had to settle on an open, reassuring look.

"No, of course not! I'm sorry I didn't make it clear on the phone. I just want to talk."

Blaine seemed to breathe easier, but uncertainty on his face lingered.

"Right, about us. But... why the hurry, and the public place then?"

Kurt hesitated for a second. This was going to sound so weird. But he had his reasons.

"Um, it's... a sex talk, okay?"

He saw Blaine's eyes go wide as the boy took in their surroundings. It was ten; the coffee shop was quite busy, but with the table he chose in a far corner, it was quite a secluded place. Still, they were in public; it wasn't quite the kind of place most people would choose for talking about such intimate things. Kurt smiled self-consciously.

"I know, we're in a coffee shop. But I want us to talk, not to end up in bed five minutes into the conversation, which would undoubtedly happen in more private circumstances."

Blaine relaxed at last, tension seeping out of his posture and a shadow of a smile appearing on his face.

"Okay. What kind of sex talk? Because I already know about bees and birds and stuff..."

"Mm, I'm sure you do." Kurt couldn't help but smile. "But I want to talk about boundaries."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what you want, sexually, and what you don't. Yesterday, in the shower... it made me realize I've never asked what you are ready for."

The answer was immediate. "Everything."

Kurt shook his head. "Define your everything. I want to know exact, specific things."

"Why?"

"Because I've done a lot; I've been doing a lot for a long time. So sometimes, in the heat of a moment like yesterday, I may forget that you haven't done it all yet. I don't want to push your limits or worse, inadvertently cross them. So I need to know what is okay with you. I need guidelines."

Blaine took a long drink of his cappuccino and sighed deeply. When he spoke again, there was a flush high on his cheeks.

"Okay. Confession time. Promise you won't judge me?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Have you met me? I only judge based on clothes. Unless, wait – I won't judge you if you like playing dress-up, I promise."

Blaine chuckled. "No, I don't think I do. But other than that... Kurt, I mean it when I say I'm ready for everything. I know I'm a teenager, so it would be weird if I wasn't permanently horny, but I kind of... I... Okay, let's put it this way: I'm not entirely sure I'm not a pervert." 

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I don't think anyone normal fantasizes about so much, so often. Especially when they are seventeen and inexperienced. And even if they do, they probably wouldn't jump to do it all if they had a chance."

Kurt felt his mouth go dry. Yes, a public place was a good idea. He arched an eyebrow to prompt Blaine to go on.

"Obviously, I never actually did jump to do anything before, but I'm fairly certain I would have if I'd had an interested partner, and later, a place and time. I was even considering renting a motel room with Nathan for a few hours, right before... So, yeah. I mean, there's only so much you can do by yourself, and with your fingers being kind of short, and no discreet ways to get any um... toys? It's hard."

Hard was a key word here, and not just for teenage needs... Kurt felt how flushed he must be despite the air-conditioning working full force. He swallowed thickly and reached for his coffee.

"You tried... with your fingers?" The image in his mind was almost too much. Blaine sighed, fidgeting with a stirrer.

"I did. Twice. I loved the feeling, but it was all wrong angles and too shallow, and more frustrating than satisfying like that, so I gave up until I'd have a chance to try with something else. Or... someone. But I want to. God I want to."

Kurt may have lost it a little, judging by the choked sound that was suddenly out without his permission. He cleared his throat and tried to get back on track. Talking. They needed to finish talking.

And no, this wasn't a place where they could disappear into the bathroom together, just for a moment. Or a dark alley. Not that Kurt did that. Much. But fuck...

"Um, okay, yeah. I get the picture. And do you mean just fingers and toys or–"

Blaine shook his head quickly. "No, nonono, I mean everything, Kurt." His breathing was fast and shallow, his eyes darkened. Kurt swallowed a whimper and tried to make his brain work again.

"Okay. Good. Yeah. But... why would it make you feel like a pervert? It's not that weird for a gay boy to fantasize about that."

Blaine chuckled self-consciously. "Oh, but you don't know the half of it."

Kurt took a deep, steadying breath. "Tell me."

Blaine was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice trembled slightly.

"Come. The taste, the texture, how purely male it is... I've always thought I would love it and... yeah. God, Kurt, what you did yesterday? I knew I wanted that, but not how much I'd love it. So much..." He broke for a moment, biting his lip, before he continued. "And... I have this fantasy sometimes. There's a man there, someone I feel comfortable with. Someone I trust. And he... makes me do things. Like, tells me what to do, commands me, even. And I'm always so obedient there. So good. Sometimes he talks dirty to me or just... uses me. No, I know, that sounds terrible, but it's in a caring, almost loving way and... god, I always get off so hard on it, Kurt." Blaine shook his head and reached for his coffee, his cheeks burning.

Kurt breathed out, barely audible, awed. "You have fantasies of submitting."

Blaine hid his face in his hands. His voice was muffled now. "Yeah. And... not just that. Sometimes my hands are restricted – tied or held down, or there's a blindfold, or... or I'm forbidden to come until he does, for hours even. What kind of teenager dreams of that, Kurt?"

Kurt reached to touch Blaine's hand in a fleeting, warm caress. "A bold one. Open minded, one who recognizes his needs."

Blaine's head shot up. His eyes were wide. "You're not freaked out."

"Not in the slightest. So I know you're open to a lot. Are there things you know you don't like? Don't want to try?"

Blaine thought for a moment. "Not many, I think. Pain doesn't appeal to me at all. Name-calling, I've read that some people like that. And... I saw this video with peeing and, no. Definitely not. I can't think of anything else right now."

Kurt nodded. It was somehow easier to manage his arousal now that he focused on specifics, and he really wanted to have it all out in the open, so that they could focus on doing, not talking later.

"Okay. Do you want me to ask you first whenever I want to do something that we haven't done before?"

Blaine shook his head without hesitation. "No. I trust you. And I'll tell you if I don't want something, is that okay?"

"Of course."

"What about you?" Blaine's face was earnest in front of him; so beautiful.

"The same deal."

"Okay."

There was a moment of silence when they just looked into each other's eyes, air heavy with want and promise between them. Kurt was the one to ask, his voice rough. "Would you like to come home with me now?"

Blaine sighed and shook his head. "As much as I hate to say that, I can't. I told Meg I'd meet her at noon."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Meg the kissing girl from Central Park?"

"Yes." Blaine was blushing again. "I thought it would be nice to have some more friends here, and we're both into music, so... I told her that I'm gay, though. We're just going to have lunch."

"So you need to go now."

"Yeah. And then Cooper will be back home, so..."

Kurt sighed. "Alright, I get it. It's okay, I should work on my designs anyway. I can't promise I won't think about you, though."

And oh, did he...