They had floated around in the water for nearly two hours until Blaine realized that they still had quite a bit to do before the sun would go under the trees and they would have natural light. "We should probably get out and fix up our base camp," Blaine said quiet, startling Kurt out of his reverie.

Standing, Kurt realized just how cold it was getting, goose bumps formed on his shoulders and chest, "Yeah. Plus, it's freezing out here."

Blaine instinctively reached out and wrapped his hands around Kurt's shoulders, moving them a little to create friction and warmth. Kurt shivered at the touch, and smiled up at Blaine. "Sorry," Blaine snatched his hands away, "I should have asked first."

Kurt shrugged and linked his arm with Blaine's as they walked through the water, the current was a little stronger than before and Kurt was slightly unsteady on his feet, drunk with sun and water. "You can touch me, Blaine. I am not going to snap at you for every little thing. Only the big things."

They walked to their things and both men quickly stripped down, changed into sweatpants, and long sleeve t-shirts. Kurt rolled his up a little, but Blaine allowed his to drag behind him in the sand. It made Kurt smile to think Blaine still had not lost some of his youthfulness. "I'm going to start building a fire if you want to start looking at the tent. It isn't difficult. I also have a blow up mattress that I put in my things. I can sleep outside on that if the tent is too small. I know I used to share it with Haley sometimes, but it might be too small for both of us."

Feeling bold, Kurt decided to flirt a little, "We will just have to snuggle up."

Blaine blushed and sputtered a little, "If it's okay with you," he quickly busied himself with the fire, gathering sticks from the nearby piles made by park commissioners and soon enough had a fire crackling and instantly warming both of them.

Kurt was struggling with the tent. It only had three steps, but he still did not understand what he had to do. "Blaine, I don't get it!" he all but whined when he saw Blaine warming his hands by the fire. When Blaine glanced over at him, Kurt almost lost his balance. The golden glow on his skin from the fire made him appear younger somehow or perhaps it was the carefree way he was smiling at Kurt.

Blaine took the poles from Kurt's hand and started threading them through the purple and green material, "Go warm yourself up," he looked at the way Kurt was folded in on himself, "though I'm expecting you to help me with the food."

Kurt's stomach gargled at the mention of food but he shook his head, "No. I want to help you. I still like learning new things." In the silence of the day, Kurt had started thinking. They had not discussed the kiss they shared that day on the runway and he wondered if Blaine even remembered it. What he wanted to know though, was if Blaine would or even could love this Kurt, the more mature Kurt who was not afraid to get his hands dirty or make a fool out of himself.

The Kurt who had let loose a little.

Together they eventually managed to get a tent standing, though it was shabby and sagging in some places. "Absolutely not," Kurt laughed, "I cannot sleep in that."

"Do you want me to blow up the air mattress for you? The bugs are going to be bad outside though." Blaine motioned for the mattress.

Kurt's eyes darted between the tent and the mattress. Mosquito bites were not his friend and his skin always stayed red far longer than everyone else's did. Ariel and Flounder smiled at him on the side of the tent. He could not imagine what people would think if they found two men sleeping together in a child's Disney Princess tent. It was not as tiny as he had imagined, and though he was sure he would have to touch Blaine while they slept, that just made the tent more appealing. "Can you at least blow up the mattress? I mean, I want us to sleep together," Kurt immediately flushed, "I mean...sleep in the same place. Right." Kurt sighed out loudly, "Well that was sufficiently awkward."

Blaine laughed and reached forward and pulled Kurt into a hug. Kurt could feel Blaine's heartbeat and the warmth through his shirt, "Kurt, nothing has to be awkward between us. I know this situation is strange, but I meant it when I said I wanted to be friends with you."

Kurt hugged back, "You know, we have to talk about what happened on the runway."

Blaine looked at him but said nothing.

"You know…the kiss? You didn't forget did you?" Kurt felt like an idiot. He had thought the kiss was special but maybe he was wrong. He just wanted to run into the lake and swim away.

Blaine nodded quickly, "No! I know what you mean. I didn't forget, of course not," the words came out rushed and Blaine's eyes were wide and sincere, "I just…I don't know how to talk about it. I'm not….I don't…"

"If you aren't comfortable, we don't have to," Kurt was defeated and sad. Why didn't Blaine want to talk about the one thing they needed to discuss?

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and led him toward the two folding chairs he had placed by the fire. He glanced over and saw Kurt just staring at him with a look of disbelief on his face, "We can talk. I'm just starving and starting to feel faint."

Kurt laughed but helped Blaine put hotdogs over the fire and watched as they sizzled. Kurt did not know how to start the conversation, so he hoped Blaine would do it.

Eventually Blaine's voice rang out over the crackling wood, "I felt something. I still felt something."

Kurt nodded, looking over to see if Blaine was going to continue. He wasn't. "Is that enough for us...for us to do something? To be something?" He knew he was pushing, but he wanted this. Kurt may have become more carefree, he still went after everything he wanted.

Blaine leaned back in the chair and stared into the fire, "I don't know," he said softly, "Kurt I just don't know."

Kurt leaned forward, trying to get closer to Blaine, "What do you want, Blaine? You want time? I can give you it. You want space? I'll give you the whole country. You want me to prove I've changed? Give me a task. Blaine, please."

Blaine held up his hand, "Kurt...this isn't for you to impress me," Blaine paused and leaned forward, wiping his face off with his hands, "Kurt, you know I hold grudges. I don't want to get into a relationship with you because I don't know if I've fully left go of the past yet. I know I should have, but something is still nagging at me. There is a voice telling me that I've been alone for the last twelve years, why can't I do it for the rest of my life?" Blaine's eyes were pleading with Kurt, wanting him to understand. He had no idea how to verbalize what he wanted to Kurt. The man flustered him. In truth, Blaine knew what he wanted; he wanted Kurt. Blaine was thinking with his mind and his mind kept telling him not to get in too deep – Kurt would only hurt him again.

Kurt felt like he had been slapped by Blaine's words. Blaine still didn't trust him. Blaine thought he wasn't worth it. "Blaine…I don't...I can't believe you said that. What happened between us twelve years ago was hurtful for both of us. You think I didn't suffer? I did. Now you sit here and you flirt with me, but you tell me you have no desire to be with me again. Then why am I here? Why am I wasting my time here?"

Blaine sat up straighter, "You think spending time with me if there isn't a romantic link between us is a waste of time?"

Kurt breathed in heavily through his nose, "Blaine, we don't do talking very well. We say things we don't mean and we twist each other's words."

"We've always done that," Blaine said slowly, "I um…I didn't mean what I said. I mean, I did. But how I said it, how it came out. God," Blaine put his head into his hands, "I can't even talk around you, Kurt. You just fluster me!"

Kurt smiled at the progress, "It's always been that way. And I know that, but when I yell at you, you start to think about what you say."

Blaine grinned over his soda, "You know me too well, and it is scary."

Kurt crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, finally relaxing. He knew how to make Blaine open up still.

There was still hope.

"So can you actually tell me how you feel? Am I getting my hopes up?"

Blaine looked at Kurt for a few seconds before standing, "I wrote a song about it."

A grin formed on Kurt's face, "You always spoke best through song."

Blaine smiled back at Kurt and pulled his guitar from his pile of belonging. Kurt flinched when he realized it had been sitting the sun and the sand all day but he said nothing.

Blaine started playing a little slowly, his fingers relearning the guitar. He hadn't played for someone in awhile and he was truthfully nervous.

Here we go again
Sitting on the edge of leaving
You don't have to speak
I can see it in your eyes
I know you too well
You know I can tell you're hiding
Something inside

Kurt listened to the words and breathed in deeply. He forgot that Blaine knew him just as well as he knew Blaine. The man had known all along that Kurt had some sort of feelings for him. Kurt wasn't sure whether this gave him hope or angered him. Had Blaine been the one pulling him along?

Baby just breathe in, breathe out
Before you turn around, just slow down
Think of all the love we've made
If we give it just one more try
Maybe we could stop this goodbye
I know through all this pain
Somehow somewhere love remains

The anger dissipated as Kurt listened to the song. He knew this was Blaine, truly what Blaine felt. Blaine knew that somewhere love was still inside of both of them. Kurt wanted to get up and pull the guitar from his hands.

You say don't walk away
But baby give me one good reason
More than just a line
You better make it count this time
You told me but you never really showed me
That I'm worth the fight
Oh I'm worth the fight

Kurt nodded, wanting Blaine to know that he would fight for him. He would prove that they belonged to each other. They were both worth the fight.

Baby just breathe in, breathe out
Before you turn around, just slow down
Think of all the love we've made
If we give it just one more try
Maybe we could stop this goodbye
I know through all this pain
Somehow somewhere love remains

Blaine wasn't even paying attention to the playing anymore. He was staring at Kurt. Kurt's eyes shone and he leaned forward. Blaine couldn't help but give himself a mental pat on the back.

Love takes time to build its defenses
And trust takes time to tear down those fences
And what remains is stronger than ever before
So don't walk out that door
I don't wanna hurt anymore

Kurt understood. Blaine wanted to love him again. Blaine loved Kurt. Blaine wanted Kurt to prove that wouldn't walk out the door even if he tried to push him away. Maybe Blaine didn't realize that, but it was exactly what he was doing. Blaine knew he was going to mess up and cause fights. Blaine knew Kurt would mess up and cause fights.

Kurt realized that Blaine was still the same boy from high school, from college. He was terrified to mess up again.

So baby just breathe in, breathe out
The only time for love is right now
Forgive all of the mistakes we've made
If we give it just one more try
Maybe we could stop this goodbye
Through the fire and rain
Somehow somewhere
I know through all this pain
Somehow somewhere love remains

Kurt just kept nodding. He knew it would take time and maturity between both of them. He knew the beginning would be hard. But he wanted this, he wanted his family back. He wanted to love Blaine fully, completely, and openly again.

Blaine's voice got quieter toward the end, his playing less rough.

I never wanted to give up this fight
What if we give it baby one more try?
Let's try, this time

"That was beautiful," Kurt said finally, staring at Blaine. "We can…we can go slowly, Blaine. There is nothing that says we have to become the couple we were right away."

Blaine just stared at Kurt, his mind reeling. "I want to get to know you first. We haven't really talked to each other without being with children or yelling at each other."

It startled Kurt that Blaine had matured too. The old Blaine would have simply jumped at the possibility of a make out session on a lakebed.

"Okay," Kurt agreed because that was all it took for him to realize that Blaine was now a devastatingly complex man with life stories that Kurt didn't know.

They spent the night talking about the last ten years of their lives. Kurt talked about crazy clients and wardrobe malfunctions, Blaine talked about trips he took around the world and the few terribly bad dates he'd been on. They both told funny stories about the girls growing up. It was nearing twelve when they decided to attempt to fit into the Ariel tent.

They stood next to each other and examined the tent. "This isn't going to work," Blaine laughed as he sized up the tent.

"You go in," Kurt walked around it, trying to figure out a way they could both fit into the small structure.

Blaine crawled in and settled as far we he could in the front.

Kurt tried to crawl in but realized rather quickly that he would have to sleep in the fetal position with his knees in Blaine's chest. "Blaine, this doesn't work."

Blaine laughed, "Maybe if we lay the long way…"

They shuffled, and it was awkward at moments. At one point Blaine was nearly straddling Kurt in the shift. Blaine eventually settled in the tent and motioned for Kurt to lay the same way.

Kurt slithered down but realized quickly that the tent was nearly square. He sat up and unzipped the tent, sticking his legs nearly out of the tent. Only his feet really stuck out, but they had to keep the flap open. "Will that let bugs in?" Kurt asked fearfully.

Blaine laughed and shifted closer, "I'll protect you," he whispered and wrapped an arm protectively around Kurt's waist. "Is this okay?"

Kurt nodded peacefully, happy to be in Blaine's arms in a completely different way. He listened while Blaine fell into a deep sleep. The sounds around Kurt kept him away. He could hear fish jumping, birds, bugs fluttering, and occasionally the sound of a car from the highway. He eventually allowed himself to succumb to sleep, nestling closer to Blaine.

He had only been asleep forty-five minutes when he felt it. At first he had thought it was Blaine playing footsies with him, but Blaine had somehow rolled away in his sleep as was nearly dragging the tent to the side. He felt it again, there was definitely something touching his feet. He had brought them in at some point, so whatever was touching his feet was now in the tent.

"Blaine!" Kurt hissed, "Blaine!"

Blaine sat up and looked at him, weary eyed, "Yes?"

"There is something in the tent."

Blaine pulled the thin sheet Kurt had draped over him up and looked around. "I don't see anything."

Kurt nodded, "It's here, Blaine. It's here, I'm telling you."

Blaine laughed, "No."

Then Kurt saw it. A small, green lizard was making its way toward Blaine's hand. Before Kurt could do anything, Blaine screamed.

"Get it off of me!" Blaine stood and ran out of the tent. "Get it off of me! Oh my god, Kurt! It's gross and slimy," Blaine was jumping around and throwing his arms in the air, oblivious to the fact that the lizard had fallen off and was already back in the wooded area. "Kurt! Where is it?"

Kurt couldn't help himself, "Oh my god, Blaine! It's in your hair!"

"AH!" Blaine ran in a circle around the campfire, "Don't just stand there, help me!" Blaine was reduced to jumping up and down.

Kurt was on the ground laughing. "I'm kidding Blaine, it fell off about three minutes ago."

Blaine stopped jumping, "That wasn't funny." He was laughing now, "That wasn't funny at all Kurt."

"Then why are you laughing?" Kurt hugged Blaine around the waist, "I didn't think you'd lose your cool over a little lizard."

"It was huge!" Blaine's eyes were wild, "Can you curl into a ball and sleep like that? I'd really like to close the tent." His voice was small and Kurt couldn't resist him.

"I think I'll sleep on the mattress," Kurt admitted. "I want to look at the stars. And…I have a lot to think about."

Blaine nodded, "Also, I'm getting you back for that. I don't know when or how, but I am."

Kurt winked, "I live for the day."

Kurt settled himself about ten feet from the lake on the mattress. It was more comfortable than the simple cover Blaine had put down, and it gave him time to think without being suppressed by the aura of Blaine. He laid on his back and looked up at the clear stars. He couldn't see those in New York. He wasn't sure Natalie even really knew what a night full of stars looked like. Before he knew it, Kurt's eyes were closed and he fell into one of the best sleeps in his life.

What Kurt didn't know if that a group of people watched the entire interaction with hushed giggles and new plans forming in their head.

The next morning Kurt awoke to a gentle pressure on his chest. "Blaine, stop," Kurt felt a warmth course throughout his entire body. Blaine had wanted to go slowly, but apparently he had changed his mind.

Kurt opened his eyes and expected to see the hazel eyes or the curly hair. Instead, he saw water. Lots of water. He want to move and realized exactly what was going on.

He was floating in the middle of the lake on the mattress.

"BLAINE!" He shrieked, not quite sure what he could do. "BLAINE HELP!"

He saw Blaine's head poke out of the princess tent and look directly out to the river. Blaine's cackling laugh echoed throughout the lake.

"I'm going to kill you!" Kurt yelled, trying to stand. "I cannot believe you did this!"

Blaine ran out to the shoreline, "You're going to have to swim in!" he yelled.

Kurt looked into the murky water. Suddenly it wasn't as romantic as it was yesterday. Instead it was fully of mud, dirt, and fish.

Kurt slid off of the mattress and into the water, trying not to get his hair wet. He got angrier and angrier as he doggie paddled into the shoreline. When he could finally walk, he marched up the beach toward Blaine, who was still laughing.

"I cannot believe you did that!" he wanted to slap Blaine. He had been genuinely terrified out on the lake, and Blaine had just stood there laughing.

"I'm sorry," Blaine kept laughing.

Kurt couldn't help his anger. He had been humiliated on a morning when he had plans. He was going to make breakfast for Blaine, they would flirt all day, and maybe that night they would finally kiss again.

But not now. Blaine was still as immature as he'd always been.

"We're leaving. We are going to pack up and walk to the highway. We will find someone with a phone and call my father. We're leaving here, and I'm leaving California."

"Kurt," Blaine stopped laughing and smiling immediately, "Kurt I didn't do that.'

"I don't care," Kurt knew his embarrassment was speaking but he couldn't help his hurt pride, "I'm going back to New York, where I belong. Natalie is coming with me."

The group in the bushes a few yards away all groaned. They'd messed up big time.

"I told you this would happen," Burt grumbled, "That's why I didn't do my part of the plan. They can't blame me for this."

Santana glared at Burt, "Fine. You didn't do your part, you get to try to get them together before you are in the skies to New York, never to see California again."

Burt nodded, "I've had a plan this whole time."